Recession Hysteria, Food Choices, and My Thoughts
April 30, 2008 | 1 Comment
There seem to be an awful lot of blog posts lately about the recession and how it’s going to impact - or already is impacting - people’s food buying choices. Some people are complaining about how cheap food is unhealthy, and the unfairness of that. Others are posting about how poverty makes us fat. Others are offering tips on how to keep your food budget in check even with skyrocketing prices.
After reading a whole lot of these and even getting caught up in a little bit of a fear cycle myself, I came to a kind of peaceful realization. And it is:
Good Healthy Food Is Still Affordable
Shocking isn’t it? Let me explain what I mean.
First of all, I’ve complained myself that it’s unfair how “real” food costs so much more than fake food. Ever compared two bags of rice: one white, one brown? The brown rice is double the price of white rice. That ain’t fair! And the temptation is there to buy the white rice to keep in your budget.
Same thing happens when you talk about sugar. The naturally sugar free product always costs more than the product with added sugar. In what universe should that make sense? It’s not right, but it’s the way it is. But instead of getting upset about it, I had the above realization.
When you pay more for real food, you feel full with much less.
Ever noticed that?
How much white rice can you eat? I can probably eat two cups of the stuff, easy. Just wolf it down with my Chinese takeout. Then I’m hungry again in 30 minutes. But I’m doing good to eat half a cup of cooked brown rice though. So it’s actually cheaper isn’t it?.
How many pieces of lunch meat can you eat? Probably the whole package without trying too hard. How many pieces of homemade roast chicken can you eat? How much orange juice can you drink? Probably a huge 16 ounce glass. How many oranges can you eat in a sitting? One? Two if they’re Clementines. How many white flour pancakes can you eat? How many slices of hearty, whole grain home baked bread can you eat?
See where I’m going with this?
It’s the added sugar, salt, artificial flavors and corn syrup - the stuff that’s in cheap food that makes it cheap - that makes it not cheap. In other words, all that stuff that makes cheap food bad for our health also ends up making us eat far more, feeling hungrier, and gaining weight. We would have been better off buying real food - even if it meant spending more for it, because we feel full with less food and enjoy it more when it’s real, whole food.
So I think the answer to our current reality of rising food prices is to take a deep breath, stop being afraid, and just buy real food in the form as close to nature as we can obtain it. And maybe just eat a little less of it. Use a smaller plate. Light a candle. Vow never to eat while doing another activity. Put the fork down between bites. Probably everyone reading this would do just fine if they ate a bit less.
So buy a whole chicken. Better yet, buy a whole chicken from a local farmer. It will taste far superior to what you can obtain at the grocery store (a sickly animal raised in confinement) that you’ll savor each bite and eat less. I spend more per pound for grass fed meat from a Tennessee farmer, but the last steak I had from them was practically a religious experience. It melted in my mouth.
Buy real butter. (Real fat makes you feel fuller longer and reduces cravings. And I hope noone reading this blog would ever buy fake fats!) Buy whole fruit. Buy brown rice. Buy dried beans and take the time to soak and cook them.
Maybe the answer is for us to spend more money on real food (that our Great Grandmothers would recognize as food), spend more time preparing it with love, more time eating it with people we love, so that in the end we eat less, spend less and enjoy it and benefit more?
What are your thoughts?
Another great post on the topic of how the recession may lead to poor food buying choices from The Simple Dollar.
Slow Weight Gain and Sleepy Breastfed Newborns
April 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I got an email from a friend asking me for some breastfeeding advice and she agreed that I could share with you all in case this information comes in handy.
And by the way, if you have a breastfeeding question please don’t hesitate to email me ok? I love helping moms with breastfeeding. I was a La Leche League leader for 6 years and have helped a lot of women breastfeed their babies. Plus I have almost 10 years now of nonstop breastfeeding myself. Ok here’s her question:
My little one arrived on the 10th. She weighed 6lbs 6oz at birth and when we left the hospital on the 12th she was 5lbs 12 oz. On the 15th we went to her first doctor’s appt and she had gained (6lbs 1oz) and the dr. said that was good (averaging 1oz. a day). Today she went for her 2week check up and her weight was 6lbs 4oz which isn’t to her birth weight yet, but close. I’m a bit concerned about this and so was the lactation consultant/nurse practicioner.
After some talking and her watching her nurse, which she latched on fine, she recommended that I take Fenugreek and Alfalfa (1-2 pills 3 times a day of each). She also recommended Mother’s Milk Tea. Seems it is a matter of milk supply and/or the baby not staying awake at the breast long enough to get to the hind milk. She falls asleep rather quickly most of the time.
I have to admit that I really thought she would have been back to or over her birth weight by now and I’m concerned about supply. I’m just curious what you think of the combination she told me to take. Do you have any experience or know other mother’s who have used those herbs for increasing milk supply? If so, how long should it be before I see a difference in my supply?
Also, if you have any suggestions of holds, etc. that might keep her awake longer while nursing could you pass those on as well.
Thanks so much for your help Carrie!
I am so afraid that I might end up having to supplement or switch to formula and I don’t want to if I can keep from it and I really do look to you for true and honest information. Thanks again!
Hey Arika,
Here is your clue: “She falls asleep rather quickly most of the time.”
This is pretty common, and believe it or not some babies will sleep themselves into slow weight gain. So, if you work on this you will start putting the weight on her in a few days.
My second born was like this, always feel asleep on the breast within seconds. Here are some tricks to keep your baby awake long enough to get more into her tummy.
- Don’t overdress her. When she nurses you might want to remove a layer of clothing, even everything but a diaper, and just put a light blanket her. If it’s warm in your house skip the blanket even. If she’s too warm it will make her very sleepy - like how an adult feels when they drive in a warm car.
- When she starts falling asleep at the breast before she’s actively been sucking for about ten minutes or so, keep her awake. Tickle her feet, change her diaper, break her suction on your breast and switch sides… whatever you need to do to keep her actively sucking and swallowing for ten minutes. Later on you won’t need to do this, but during the sleep newborn period it’s important.
- Is she nursing at night? If not, wake her up. I know that goes against the age old wisdom to never wake a sleeping baby - and I know you need your sleep! But if she sleeps longer than 5 hours at a stretch, wake her and put her to the breast.
- The herbs are fine, but frequent nursing will work better. Take enough Fenugreek until your sweat smells like maple syrup.
- Another trick to get her interested in actively nursing if she starts falling asleep: Put your fingers around your breast, with thumb on top and fingers underneath, high up so that you don’t break her suction. Squeeze gently. You will probably notice that she’ll get a surge of milk and it will get her interested again.
Try these tips for the next 3 days and sleep and rest and nurse as much as possible. Usually 2-3 days of increased feedings is enough to increase your supply - it that’s even the issue here, it probably isn’t. The sleepiness is probably the issue.
Arika wrote back to say:
Thanks so much Carrie. I really think the sleeping is a big part of it too and I appreciate the suggestions and will definitely use them.
I think a lot of it might be what you said about her being warm and comfy when nursing. I’ve also found a sitting up position seems to keep her awake longer too. As for night feedings, she is nursing at night and she might give me 1 or 2 four hour stretches when she sleeps but only once has it been more and that was 5 hours, so she’s making sure she’s nursing at night…which is a good sign.
Did you have any issues with a sleepy newborn and slow weight gain? How did you handle this?
Salad Saturday!
April 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Each Saturday I’ll post a free salad recipe from my new salad cookbook. It ha
s over 365 recipes, so you can either buy it now or just hang around here for the next 6 years. LOL!
Bean and Tuna Salad
3 cups Water
2 cans Cannellini beans
1/3 cup Olive oil
3 teaspoons Red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
Fresh pepper to taste
1 medium Red onion
12 ounces Tuna — drained
Directions: Mix together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over beans and onion in a shallow bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Transfer bean mixture to serving platter with slotted spoon. Break tuna into chunks and arrange on bean mixture.
It Takes All Kinds
April 24, 2008 | 6 Comments
I had a friend once… she moved far away and I’m still sad about it. I miss her. The thing is, we were opposite in every way. Physically - she was blonde with long, stick straight hair that shined in the sun (think Gwyneth Paltrow) and shockingly beautiful blue eyes. Petite, she looked good in anything that came off the rack. She sported a year round tan and had legs that went up to her ears (and the 3 inch heels helped). Me - I have coarse, curly almost black hair. I’m pale, browneyed and curvy - my legs would win no “up to there” contest. She was outspoken (that comes from being a New York native) and confident, me - shy and afraid to say too much.
We were also very different in our ideas about mothering.
She “hated” breastfeeding and would do it only for 3 months (and that was a big sacrifice for her), she worked outside the home part time, declaring that if she stayed home she would “go crazy”. She was an authoritarian disciplinarian. Her kids loved TV (it was background noise all the time) and video games - I was video game and TV free.
But despite our differences, we got along great and our kids hit it off too. In fact, I think I learned a lot by being around her. Her kids were confident and intelligent - just like her. They were healthy and fun to be around. They shared (most of the time) and obeyed (most of the time) just like mine. I admired her because she was so good at using humor to discipline her kids. Even though she was more authoritarian than I wish to be, I found myself trying to copy some of the things she did to diffuse situations with her spirited oldest child. She meant business - but she had a lot of fun too, and her kids loved it.
And, I think my friend learned a little bit from me too, without my even trying. Before she moved away, she opened up to me about her disappointment with her birth experiences - she felt like all the power had been taken away from her, and she had regrets about the way things worked out. Both her babies had been delivered via C-section and she didn’t want to face it again.
My point here? It takes all kinds of moms to make a world. And we can learn a lot from each other.
Alice sent me this article and when I read it, I thought about my friend. I hope you enjoy reading it too.
The Unnatural Mom Exposed
I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of the Natural Mom. Even the words “Natural Mom” sound so ethereal that anyone achieving that status brings to mind an image of an angelic creature looking down over all of us.
But these women are very real.
They do their homework and make smart decisions for their family that not only focus on their family’s well-being and health, but care for this precious planet at the same time. Being a Natural Mom is as practical as practical can be.
And despite the fact that I admire the Natural Mom, it’s not something I’ve been able to achieve in my life. I try at some things. I fail at some. I’m just too darned stubborn to try the others.
The Anatomy of One Unnatural Mom:
o I’m a breastfeeding mom, but with my first child grew so frustrated that I ended up just pumping my milk for as long as I could and bottle-feeding breast milk. I was much better equipped to handle it for REAL the next time and the 2nd baby never had a baby bottle…ever. Baby #3 is on the way and will be breastfed.
o My kids were born in a hospital and both by c-section. I attempted a vaginal birth the first time, but after 40 hours of labor and a low heart rate scare, the doctors said it was time to come out with it. I’ve been terrified of labor since.
o I love to wear my baby, but only when my husband is available to help me figure out the darned Mayan Baby Wrap. I can’t seem to make the darned thing to work properly on my own.
o Babies are allowed to sleep in our bed until I can no longer stand all the legs and feet (baby and grown up) poking me all night.
o I’m not 100% sure that I’ve ever even seen a cloth diaper.
o I’m militant about buying whole-wheat products in the grocery store, but we take our fair share of trips through the drive through for some white flour and animal fat delights.
o I bought two t-shirts from thelactivist.com, but they are so racy, we might only wear them inside the house.
o Although I thoroughly enjoy learning opportunities with my kids, home and school are two words that don’t go together around here. Well, unless I’m saying, “I’m at home and about to take the kids to school,” or the “Kids are on the way home from school.”
o I go through phases with organic foods and sometimes convince myself that all the foods labeled organic aren’t really what they say they are. Then I just buy the regular stuff to save money.
The Anatomy of One Unnatural Mom’s Kids:
o My kids are healthy, have never had any serious medical problems and rarely have colds.
o My kids are intelligent with vocabularies that would knock your socks (organic cotton, of course) off.
o My kids love interacting with other people, making friends and interactive play.
…and I could go on and on, but nobody wants to hear a mom brag about her kids endlessly. Let’s just say they’re doing pretty darned great.
You see, I am who I am. I may be a little unnatural, but to my kids I am the world. I make my choices based on what I feel is best for my family and children.
I hope that you will forgive this Unnatural Mom and appreciate the efforts she has made because after all, nobody…not any mom…is truly perfect, except in the eyes of our own families. And that is what truly matters. Natural, unnatural or somewhere in between, all moms are amazing.
About the Author: Alice Seba is the Schmoozer in Chief at Schmoozins , the online magazine that gives all women a voice. Come on over and schmooze a bit or just hang out a while.
Alice I couldn’t agree with you more
This Time I Prepared
April 23, 2008 | 3 Comments
Last month I blogged about having surgery on my foot, and how my efforts to blog something intelligible were interesting to say the least.
Unlike that picture, this actually IS my real foot, about two weeks post-op, minus the bunion.
Notice the lovely bruises - my toes were black and blue and green for weeks.
But now my right foot is almost back to normal. A tiny bit of stiffness and swelling, but nothing bad. And a fetching scar to boot!
Well tomorrow morning I’m having the other (left) foot done, so I’ll be out of commission and off the laptop for a few days, but this time I prepared. Gotta love Wordpress with its ability to schedule posts!
I have a guest blogger, Alice from Schmoozins , whose article will be posting tomorrow.
Plus I gave you all two great freebies so you would have something fun and informative to read while I’m spending 3 whole days in bed. Don’t you feel sorry for me? 
Enjoy your weekend!
Here It Is - Natural Mom Guide to Blogging
April 23, 2008 | 2 Comments
Here it is, as promised: Natural Moms Blogging Guide
This nifty free report will answer the 10 biggest questions moms have about blogging. Whether you’re blogging for personal or for business, it will help you:
- Discover what makes a blog different from a website
- Why Moms everywhere are blogging for fun and money
- How a blog can help your existing business
- How to get readers, comments and traffic
- How to earn money from your blog
- What to write about and what to do if you get writer’s block
Just right click on the link above to download the report. Enjoy!
Be An Earthy Beauty
April 22, 2008 | 13 Comments
I mean earthy in a good way.
I have a little freebie to share for Earth Week. (On another site I heard it referred to as Earth Century, which is very appropriate!)
This ebook is all about natural beauty . How to make the most of what you’ve got without a lot of products, without spending a ton of money, without using harmful chemicals on your face and body and without tons of packaging and waste.
It has lots of recipes so you can make your own personal care products like sugar scrubs, facial cleanser and other pampering stuff.
All you have to do is right click here and download it!
Enjoy and you can pass it around if you like.
Earth Day Book Reviews
April 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here are a couple of books I’ve read lately that are just perfect for this week. If you want to brush up on your natural housekeeping, check these out. 
Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck
When I first saw this book, I thought: "What’s there to fill up 425 pages with? It’s not that complicated explaining how to clean with vinegar."
But then I got the book and I was floored. This is no ordinary non toxic cleaning info. Ellen Sandbeck is like the Martha Stewart of Green. She’s the Heloise of the Eco friendly crowd. Only with a better sense of humor. This book is deep. And it’s one that will stay on my shelves as a reference for many years.
I learned a lot of money saving tips from this book too. For example, did you know that you can make your own automatic dishwashing detergent by mixing equal parts Borax and Washing Soda? That one tip will save me about $5 a month.
The book offers detailed recycling info to make the process easier for you. And it covers everything from basic non-toxic cleaning to more detailed information on every room of the house - inside and out. There are tips on decorating to minimize cleaning and environmental impact, decluttering the eco friendly way, automotive care, lawn care, dealing with pests, and a ton more.
Homemade by Reader’s Digest 
Here’s another wonderful reference guide to making everything you can imagine, homemade. The advantage of making your own, from an environmental standpoint, is that you eliminate a lot of wasteful packaging.
There are recipes for everything from homemade skin care and tooth care products to condiments (often some of the most expensive items in the store, ounce for ounce) and salad dressings. There are cleaning product recipes, pet supplies, gardening stuff, and home remedies.
Check out: Homemade: How-to Make Hundreds of Everyday Products Fast, Fresh, and More Naturally
And finally I’ll link to two more. The first is a short little number that is a fast easy read but really makes you think about simple everyday choices:
Seven Wonders - Everyday things for a healthier planet book review
And the last is all about having a green baby:
Raising Baby Green Book review
Earth Day Activities With the Kids
April 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Kids love to get involved with what their parents are doing. If you’re interested in the earth, your kids will be too. One way to get them excited is to involve them in some activities that will help them see the impact we humans have on the planet - both for good and for bad. Here are a couple of ideas for Earth Day activities you can enjoy with the kids.
Botanical Gardens
Why not spend the day at the botanical gardens in your area? If possible, take public transportation to the gardens. And bring your own lunch and water in a reusable container.
Not only are the plants beautiful, but your family can learn about how we benefit from the plants and how we need them to survive. Talk to your kids about how plants provide food, medicines and oxygen. They also provide ground cover that helps prevent erosion and flooding. Your local botanical gardens probably offer free tours or educational information for kids. Take advantage of it.
After visiting the gardens, it might be fun to plant your own garden at home - at the very least a tomato plant or some kitchen herbs. Research the plants that will be the best for your climate. It will be a great family activity that will last beyond Earth Day and will be a reminder to help care for the planet as you care for your own garden.
Visit a Local Farm or U Pick
You can find a local farm that offers tours or where you can pick your own produce at LocalHarvest .
We’re very disconnected from our food these days. It’s a great lesson for kids to learn that food comes from the ground, and that someone - actually a lot of someones!- has to work very hard to get it to our table.
My kids love to see the cows peacefully grazing and eating lush green grass at the farm where we get our milk.
It always leads to a conversation about the importance of what these people are doing - providing a healthy source of food for us, their neighbors. I’m quick to point out how thankful I am that there are people so dedicated to organic, sustainable farming because that means we get healthy and delicious milk!
You can also keep it low key. Today I’m going to snuggle up with the kids and read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss . Even my 5 year old understood the meaning of this book. She kept asking why the Once-ler kept cutting down trees.
Another good choice for older kids would be The Secret Garden . I love the message that when the garden healed, Mary and Colin also healed. It’s a powerful metaphor. Spending time in nature is best for us human types. We don’t do well if we don’t get our hands dirty and enjoy the sun on our backs from time to time.
You could also watch The Story of Stuff together with your kids and talk about what it means for your family, and changes you can all make together to create less waste. Make it fun! Hold a contest in your family to see who can be the fastest to turn off lights and water and unplug appliances when they’re not in use.
Let us know what activities you have planned with your kids for Earth Day - and every day.
Earth Day Activities - For a Month
April 22, 2008 | 2 Comments
Today is Earth Day of course! Are you doing anything special?
We’re going to read some lessons from my oldest son’s Science book on the subject of the environment. I plan on taking my little ones to the local recycling center tomorrow to show them how the stuff we use (and what we do with it after we’re done with it) impacts the planet.
1. Use motion sensor attachments on your outside lights to make sure they are off when not in use.
2. Start a compost bin for kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and paper. Here are some instructions on how to start a compost pile.
3. Take showers instead of baths. Put an egg timer next to your shower and limit your time to only 4-5 minutes.
4. Hang out a load of laundry today instead of using your dryer. Did you know that your dryer uses more energy than any other appliance after your refrigerator? If you stopped using the dryer altogether you would make a huge difference on your electric bill.
5. Use vinegar and baking soda to clean your house.
6. Make sure your next appliance purchase is Energy Star approved to conserve energy.
7. Use a natural liquid soap like Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds to wash your car.
8. Wash your car on the lawn in the summer to water the grass.
9. Politely refuse flyers that are being handed out on the street. Do the same for receipts you don’t need to save and money envelopes at the bank.
10. Send online greeting cards and invitations to save paper.
11. When hosting a party with gift giving, request donations to a charity close to your heart, or in the case of a child, to their savings or college fund.
12. Collect rainwater to water indoor plants.
13. Collect and use gray water from your shower and washing machine too.
14. Buy rechargeable batteries and dispose of non-rechargeable batteries appropriately.
15. Save paper and do not print emails. If you need to save an email take a screen shot and save it to your computer as a picture file.
16. Reconsider having the newspaper delivered to your home everyday. Read it online instead.
17. Subscribe to magazines that offer digital subscriptions and read your favorite magazines online. If you have magazines lying around, donate them to your library or a nursing home.
18. Ditch the neurotoxin dryer sheets and use homemade pouches of dried lavender. Or nothing at all. Who says everything has to be smelly to be clean?
19. Check the air pressure in your car tires frequently to make sure your car is running as efficiently as possible.
20. Fill an empty plastic milk jug (the half gallon size) with water and put them in your toilet’s reservoir to save water. And if it’s yellow, let it mellow. Save water by selectively flushing.
21. Use glass jars, food storage containers, baby bottles, and beverage containers to reduce the amount of plastic in your home.
22. When looking for new clothes try hosting a swap with friends and neighbors to see if you can exchange clothing instead of buying new. If this is too much trouble, look online for local consignment sales. And thrift stores of course!
23. Color your hair with natural colorants such as coffee grounds, lemons, beets, cinnamon, and tea.
24. Make your own toothpaste. Toothpaste containers can’t be recycled. An easy recipe: Mix equal parts sea salt and baking soda, and add a few drops of peppermint essential oil.
25. When making your grocery list use a piece of scrap paper, the back of a junk mail flyer, or the back of a used envelope. I keep a container of scratch paper on a bookshelf that my kids can reach. Whenever I have paper that only has writing on one side, I throw it in the box. My little artists stay happy.
26. Grow your own garden and enjoy healthier, free food.
27. Invest in sturdy canvas or nylon reusable shopping bags.
28. Wear T-shirts with environmental slogans and promote social consciousness.
29. Make your own baby food. This saves money and eliminates packaging waste.
30. Ride a bike or walk to do errands if you can. At the very least, park your car and walk to stores that are close together. This counts as exercise.
Every little bit counts!