How ’bout a little arsenic with that chicken?
November 29, 2006 | 2 Comments
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Oh this is fowl (sorry, couldn’t help myself!). Did you know that adding arsenic to chicken feed is standard practice in the poultry industry? They claim that it reduces illness and fattens the chickens, but I wonder at what price to the people eating?
The bad news is that the IATP (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy) conducted tests and found that 55% of grocery store chicken and 100% of fast food chicken had detectable levels of arsenic.
The good news is, you can still buy organic chicken at large health food groceries like Whole Foods. Also, the more popular brand Tyson chicken has been tested and found to be free of arsenic. Other brands such as Foster Farms and Gerber were also arsenic free.
How do you feel about breastfeeding in public?
November 20, 2006 | 15 Comments
Were you nervous the first time you took your baby out and s/he wanted to nurse? I know I was! We think everyone in the world is looking right at us… and these stories of women being harassed for feeding their babies doesn’t help.
A lot of Moms feel more comfortable using a nursing cover up like the Lila Bean, or a baby sling that covers baby’s head. Here are some more tips for discreet nursing in public.
The Healthy Home Maker
November 17, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Do you read Body and Soul magazine? It’s one of the newest magazines by the Queen of Domesticity, Martha Stewart.
This month’s issue had a great article by Kimberly Rider, author of The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living
Nursing in public - here’s one I’ve never heard before
November 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Evidently at least one person in America believes that when little girls see a woman breastfeed in public, she’s more likely to be the victim of a sexual predator! Wow. What a stretch that one is.
You can read this in the comments of an article that covered the Nurse-In that took place at the Burlington International Airport. This was in protest of the woman that was kicked off the plane thanks to a Delta airlines employee. Quote:
“… if we teach our little children that some body parts are private, and our actions show otherwise, we send a very confusing message to our children. If your little girl sees YOU doing something it tells her it is OK to do it. Get the picture? Your action could inadvertently tempt a predator or worse because your child thinks it’s okay to bare the chest. In addition, despite what some individuals claim, breasts are not only for babies. They are also a sacred part of the intimacy shared by husband and wife. Do you want your husband to be forced to look at other women’s breasts?”
Of course, this is ludicrous. It’s just another misunderstanding of what breastfeeding is. Breastfeeding is NOT a sexual act. It is not public indecency. It is feeding a child.
And in fact, I would guess that little girls who see a healthy representation of a Mother using her body to nourish her baby would have a better self image (Wow! Mommy’s bodies are powerful and awesome!) and a more healthy understanding of proper physical boundaries. At least, she might ask her Mom what was going on (if she was unfamiliar with breastfeeding…. the first time my 5 year old son saw a woman bottlefeeding, he stared and pointed) and have a conversation with her about that. Learning about those things would make it more difficult for a predator to perpetrate something unseemly with her.
As far as decency and discretion, I don’t know any breastfeeding Mom (and over the years I’ve been around several hundred of them, maybe thousands at large breastfeeding conferences) who isn’t discreet.
But herein lies a problem: Who gets to decide what is discreet?
If I accidentally show a tiny bit of skin while latching my baby on, is that indiscreet? Where do we draw the line? And why is feeding a baby indiscreet anyway?
What about teenage girls who are somebody’s daughter who are let out of the house looking like a hootchie? Should I hand HER a blanket and tell her to cover up?
I also have to laugh at the whole issue of a husband being FORCED to look at another woman’s breasts. If this commenter is so worried about that, why doesn’t she fight to take down the Hooters billboards? The magazines at the checkout counter? The Abercombrie and Fitch displays at the mall? The sides of city buses… I could go on.
I think that if your husband can’t control his eyes, you’ve got much bigger problems than trying to put a blanket over the nursing mommies of the world.
What does a baby in the womb think about?
November 9, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Did you ever wonder about this when you were pregnant? I know I did… I wondered if my baby ever cried, and it made me sad that I wouldn’t really know or be able to comfort him.
Laura mentioned a book on the show called: The Secret Life of the Unborn Child: How You Can Prepare Your Baby for a Happy, Healthy Life
Have you read it? What are your thoughts on the topic of prenatal psychology?
Do you want to feel Hot again Mama?
November 2, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I once heard a Mom say, “I am a better Mom when I’m pretty.”
You know, I think she’s right! We feel better about ourselves when we feel attractive, and that translates into taking better care of our loved ones. Have you ever noticed that when you’re sick and don’t feel like doing your normal primping routine, that as soon as you start feeling better it’s the first thing you do?
Your physical and emotional health are tied in to personal care. My friends Alice and Mila put together a free book called Hot Mama Makeover. They shared tips from Moms (some of mine are in there too!) on how to feel pretty… on the outside.
You can get it free here: Hot Mama Makeover
