No Benefit to Filling Kid’s Cavities?
June 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
A couple of months ago I shared that one of my biggest regrets as a mom was allowing my son Julien to undergo oral surgery as a toddler.
I have found in this whole mothering gig that every time I ignore my strong instinct, I regret it.
This is just another example.
Today I came across this link from BBC News that points to the possibility that there is “No proof” that filling kid’s cavities does any good. According to the article:
“…anecdotal evidence gathered from the case notes of 50 dentists suggests filling baby teeth may achieve nothing but expose children to the discomfort of an injection and the sound of the drill.”
Obviously more research needs to be done. The article also mentioned:
“Professor Martin Tickle, of the University of Manchester, found no difference in the numbers of extractions for pain or infection whether baby teeth had been filled or not.”
Like Doctors, Dentists love to use scare tactics to frighten parents into doing unnatural, painful things with to their precious children. Things that go against every fibre of their moral sense.
Things like:
- You have to jab that child with a needle every couple of months starting from the time they’re 5 minutes old with a concoction of poisons so they won’t die of a loathsome disease.
- You have to tear that child away from your bosom before he or you are ready, so they will become “independent”.
- You must not let that child sleep in your bed or (gasp!) “use you as a pacifier” because you’ll make them needy.
- You have to send that child away to school so they can get a “proper” (who the hell gets to decide what *that* is?) education.
- Oh and last but not least, you have to cut off nearly 80% of your son’s genitalia and reduce his sensitivity by 75% so he will be “clean”.
Then we find out from those very experts that this stuff is, well…
photo credit: holisticmonkey
No Cook Summer Recipes
June 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Did you see my recent post on cool food for hot times?
Here are 3 more recipes for your dining pleasure. Enjoy!
3 No Cook Summer Recipes
Tuna Salad
(Tuna is full of essential fatty acids (Omega 3’s) which are good for your brain and heart, among other things.)
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of tuna
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 carrot
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 cucumber
- 1-2 pickles (such as Bubbies, which are naturally fermented)
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- Cheddar cheese
- Whole wheat pita pocket, bread or crackers
Start by draining a couple of cans of albacore tuna packaged in water. Pour fresh lemon juice over it while you cut up the veggies.
You can get creative with the veggies of your choice or follow these recommendations: shredded carrot, chopped tomato, chopped pickles, and chopped celery for crunch.
Toss the tuna and veggies together in a bowl with mayo. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Serve inside whole wheat pita pockets.
photo credit: mynameisharsha
Red Grape Chicken Salad
(You can still prepare a chicken salad without having to cook the chicken itself on the stove. You can either cook the chicken in a crock-pot overnight on low, then refrigerate in the morning until you’re ready to use, or you can buy a pre-cooked, rotisserie chicken.)
Ingredients:
- Leftover chicken or chicken breast
- 1 cup of red grapes
- 1 cup chopped apples
- ½ cup raw sliced almonds
- ½ cup mayo
- Swiss cheese slices
- Croissant, whole grain bread or crackers
The first step in creating a chicken salad is to chop the chicken into small pieces. You’ll also want to chop your apples into small pieces. Any kind of apples will do, but red delicious or granny smith can make a good addition, or a combination of the two. Grapes can be left whole.
Toss the chicken, apples and grapes into a bowl with mayonnaise. Fold in your raw, sliced almonds and your chicken salad is done.
Slice open croissants, add a slice of Swiss cheese, then scoop in your chicken salad.
You can use crushed walnuts instead of sliced almonds, or a fancier cheese, such as brie, instead of Swiss.
Now how about a beverage? No hot stove required! Take advantage of theheat by using it to do the cooking for you.
Raspberry Sun Tea
Ingredients:
- 4 bags of organic black tea
- ½ bag of frozen raspberries
- Sweetener of your choice (Sucanat, honey, or stevia is best)
In a large mason jar, add several tea bags and water. Place the jar in the sun for a day.
When 3 hours have passed (this timing may vary), bring the jar inside.
Remove the tea bags and pour the tea in a pitcher. Be sure to add ice and sweetener as you desire.
What makes this recipe extra special is the frozen raspberries you’ll add to the pitcher.
Pour into glasses and serve with your tuna or chicken salad for dinner.
Natural Sunscreen
June 14, 2009 | 3 Comments
Summertime is here and we’ve spent nearly every day outside, often at the pool or just hanging out in the yard.
The kids are getting as brown as nuts but noone has had even the slightest bit of red.
We all hear how important it is to take precautionary measures to ensure the kid’s safety in the sun, but limited sun exposure can actually be beneficial. In fact, some scientists claim that some skin cancers are caused by lack of adequate sun exposure (related to low vitamin D levels).
Everyone needs to soak in a few minutes of sun every day in order to absorb vitamin D into their body.
Newborns, of course, should really limit their sun exposure during the first few weeks of life. This means using shaded stroller covers, a window shade in the car and perhaps using an umbrella if you are holding the baby. If you wear your baby in a ring sling, you can use the “tail” to cover him up, as long as it isn’t too hot.
After a few weeks of age, the baby can be exposed to the sun in limited amounts, but they should be protected in order to do so. It was once thought by the medical community that babies less than 6 months of age should not wear sunscreen at all; for fear that their skin is too sensitive. The American Pediatrics Association now recommends that even smaller babies wear sunscreen. But, it’s important to find one that is safe.
I wrote about this topic last year too: Healthy, safe, effective sunscreen. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) is coming out with more info shortly on the subject, and you can go to their site to get the report on sun safety free of charge when it’s ready.
According to them:
“An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don’t adequately protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena.”
Of course, hats and long clothing can also serve as protection from the sun. But who wants to spend
summertime covered up?
Natural Sunscreen
Recently I got a bottle of sunscreen from Oceana Naturals. Instead of the chemicals found in conventional sunscreens, it uses zinc oxide for protection from the sun. It also has antioxidants (which I’ll talk more about in a second) among its ingredients such as green tea, vitamin E, and date extract.
A read of the ingredients listing shows nothing unnatural - I can pronounce all of the words. All of it looks like food in fact! It’s also free of synthetic preservatives and fragrance. The natural oils give it a lovely scent. And unlike many sunscreens, you can apply it and get protection immediately. If you want to purchase a natural sunscreen, this would be a good choice.
Coconut Oil as a Sunscreen
For many generations, native populations living in tropical climates and islands have used coconut oil to protect their skin from the sun. The author of “The Coconut Oil Miracle”, Bruce Fife, shows how coconut oil is very beneficial for skin and body.
It can be used as a natural sunscreen and can even help absorb nutrients in the body, such as the much needed vitamin D. It also makes your skin incredibly soft and is surprisingly non-greasy. I feed coconut oil (and CLO) to the kids and they spend a couple of hours a day in the sun, and never get burned. I also haven’t used any sunscreen at all on them so I know it must be working.
Another Reason to Take Your CLO
You can also help protect your child’s skin from the sun by the type of food they eat. Free radicals are responsible for sunburn as well as the damage (premature wrinkling, skin cancer) from too much time spent in the sun.
Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help fight free radicals in the air and strengthen body’s resistance to UVA and UVB rays. Antioxidant-rich foods include berries, legumes, vegetables, citrus and green tea.
Cod liver oil may also have a protective effect because of the omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D content. The University of Manchester published results of a study that pointed to a reduced risk of sunburn and skin cancer among people who take cod liver oil supplements.
Interestingly, the other week I got a touch of sunburn on my shoulders, but had been slacking on my CLO. It was a reader who reminded me of the connection. I started taking it again and haven’t had any problem since - even though we’ve been at the pool every day for weeks!
Cool Food for Hot Times
June 12, 2009 | 5 Comments
The other day the kids and I headed out to the park to enjoy the first really hot day of the season.
As soon as it starts to heat up outside, I find my appetite waning for cooked and hot foods. I want watery, cold things.
When it’s summer it’s too hot to cook. Who wants to heat up the house with the stove or oven?
You know what I had for lunch AND dinner?
A super cool Mexican layered dip, served with organic corn chips.
(And a side of watermelon.)
It had guacamole, chopped green onions, sour cream, black beans, diced tomatoes or salsa, sliced black olives, and shredded cheese.
YUM.
We had a lovely park in the picnic.
What do you like to eat when it’s hot out?
Make Your Own Ice Cream
June 7, 2009 | 2 Comments
Have you ever glanced at the ingredients of many ice creams lately? Some of them have little that resembles food in them - and yet we can all remember mom or grandma making homemade ice cream with a few simple ingredients.
I remember my mom and dad cranking an old fashioned ice cream maker. These are hard to find anymore and cost a pretty penny if you find one on eBay. You don’t have to have an ice cream maker to make your own ice cream.
Making ice cream is a fun project for the kids this summer and the end result is a tad healthier than store bought versions. And nothing says summer’s here like a drippy ice cream cone!
Of course, I’m going to recommend that you use raw, unpasteurized dairy products from a local farmer whose cows graze in open pasture. 
photo credit: eyeliam
Here are a couple of recipes:
French Vanilla Ice Cream
What You Need:
1/2 C sugar
1/4 t salt
1 C of milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 T vanilla
2 C whipping cream, chilled
How to Make It:
Dump the sugar into a heavy duty saucepan.
Sprinkle the salt over the sugar.
Pour the milk into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Add the egg yolks and stir until all the ingredients are combined together well.
Place the pan over medium heat and stirring constantly cook 3 minutes or until bubbles begin to appear around the edges.
Remove the pan from the stove and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the ice cream into a refrigerator try and place in the freezer 45 minutes or until mushy.
Place 2 bowls in the refrigerator to chill.
Add the whipping cream to the chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form.
Spoon the partially frozen ice cream mixture into the second chilled bowl.
Beat with the mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Fold the whipped cream into the mixture well.
Pour the ice cream evenly into 2 refrigerator trays and cover with wax paper.
Freeze at least 3 hours or until firm stirring the ice cream mixture about every 10 minutes for the first hour of freezing time.
Makes 1 quart of ice cream
To make this ice cream in a crank style ice cream maker, follow the above directions to where you add the vanilla. Add the vanilla and whipping cream together. Pour 1/2 of the mixture into the freezer can of ice cream maker. Fill the freezer tub 1/3 full of ice and then add the remaining ice cream. Crank until it becomes too difficult to turn. Drain off water, replace the lid and allow the ice cream to ripen for at least 4 hours.
Strawberry Ice Cream
What You Need:
2 C of strawberries
1 C sugar, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 3/4 C half and half, divided
1 t vanilla
How to Make It:
Clean and cut the strawberries in half.
Place the strawberries into a saucepan.
Dump half of the sugar into the pan with the berries.
Place the pan over medium low heat and cook 18 minutes or until the berries are soft, stirring often.
Place the mixture into the blender.
Cover the blender and puree the berries until very smooth.
Transfer of a bowl, cover and chill at least 4 hours but no more than 24 hours.
Place the egg into a small saucepan.
Pour in 1 C of the half and half and the remaining sugar.
Place the pan over medium heat and stirring continuously cook the custard about 5 minutes or until the mixture passes the metal spoon test (see tip below.)
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining half and half and the vanilla.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
Pour the half and half mixture into the ice cream maker’s freezer canister.
Freeze 5 minutes then stir in the strawberry mixture.
Freeze according the ice cream maker’s directions.
Allow the ice cream to ripen for 4 hours.
Makes 8 servings
When making a custard type of ice cream it is important to cook the egg mixture to right stage. To check the mixture place a metal spoon into the mixture and coat the bottom part of the spoon. Remove the spoon and run your finger down the spoon. If the finger trail is clear the custard is done.
Coconut Ice Cream
What You Need:
24 oz. half and half
1 C unsweetened coconut milk
1 C sugar
2 C whipping cream
1 T lemon juice
1 T vanilla
1 1/3 C coconut, toasted
How to Make It:
Pour the half and half and coconut milk into a large mixing bowl.
Dump the sugar in with the milk and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the whipping cream and lemon juice and stir until combined.
Stir in the vanilla well.
Fold the coconut into the ice cream mixture.
Pour the mixture into the freezer canister of the ice cream maker.
Freeze according to the directions for the ice cream maker.
Ripen 4 hours.
Makes 12 servings
To toast coconut preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the coconut in a single layer in the bottom of a shallow baking pan. Bake 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the coconut is nicely browned.
Breathe.
June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Breathing is so important.
Do you know how to breathe?
You know what I mean.
Of course you know how to stay alive by breathing, but I mean do you REALLY know how to breathe?
photo credit: Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer
Learning to breathe deeply is one of the most important things I did for my personal growth. It was a woman, a mentor, who taught me the importance of breathing.
She taught me to breathe to let go of pain. To get through things. To make room for joy. To relieve stress. To think clearly. To get unstuck. Or never get stuck in the first place.
Every day in our lives we experience stress. Whether it’s at work or at home, there are so many things we have to do people to take care of that sometimes we forget to slow down and take care of ourselves by doing this basic thing.
Breathing is quick, free, and an effective way to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve the immune system, and has been used to stop bad habits.
If you feel stressed, check your breathing. You’re probably breathing in a very shallow fashion, or maybe even holding your breath.
Breathing helps you have a baby.
Breathing helps you exercise. I sometimes breathe so heavy when I’m lifting weights that I fog up the mirror in front of me!
I even read a story recently about a woman who said that singing helped her heal herself from fibromyalgia. Her thought was that it was because she was finally breathing deeply.
Do you have a nervous habit? Like chewing your fingernails, or biting the inside of your mouth, or tapping your fingers, or grinding your teeth?
When you’re doing that thing, you’re probably not breathing properly.
The trick is to remember to do it.
Creating visual reminders might help. Post-It notes around the house might work.
Once you get in the habit, you’ll find it amazingly helpful.
I’ve taught my kids how to breathe deeply. Sometimes if they are arguing or getting worked up with each other, I will sit one of them down and breathe with them.
Breathing puts us in our right mind. It oxygenates our brain and takes us out of our “reptilian” mind, the one that wants to fight or run away.
Green Slime Smoothie for Kids
May 27, 2009 | 1 Comment
Green Slime Smoothie
What you need:
2 cups spinach
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 cup ice
What you do:
Place the spinach in the freezer until frozen, at least 1 hour.
Combine the spinach, strawberries, banana, honey, and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
You can use other fruits your kids like, such as bananas and berries too.
Your kids will never suspect there’s spinach in there and they’ll ask for this smoothie over and over, so be sure to have plenty of the ingredients on hand throughout the summer.
Looking for more smoothie recipes?
Try these:
Ease Menstrual Cramps Naturally
May 11, 2009 | 1 Comment
Each woman experiences her menstrual cramps different from the next. For me, they’re hardly noticeable. Although, when I was 12 and first started my period, I thought I was dying.
Now that I’ve had babies, I hardly have cramps at all. (I actually find the cramps I experience around ovulation to be more uncomfortable. Called mittelschmerz, they’re a whole other blog post.) I’m not sure if it’s because the sensation feels familiar (and compared to the similar but much stronger feeling of labor pains, pale in comparison!) or if it has to do with the physical changes brought on my childbirth (like having a wider cervical opening).
Before I delve deeper into the topic however, can I briefly bring your attention to the awesome Flickr photo that appears at the top of this post?
I think its an awesome way to illustrate this isn’t it?
While some women like myself have mild cramps that are fairly tolerable, others are not as fortunate. For some women, menstrual cramps can feel very painful.
Cramps can often be remedied or at least eased through natural methods. Here are a few examples.
Easing Menstrual Cramps Naturally
Red Raspberry Leaf tea:
This tea is better known as the “woman’s tea” that has many useful purposes. It is used in fertilization, a healthy pregnancy, inducing labor and promoting healthy lactation. It also has the use of helping your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size after giving birth.
I credit Red Raspberry Leaf tea with helping me have easy births for babes 2-4. The stuff is magic, I tell you. I didn’t discover it until my second pregnancy (although my first birth was uncomplicated, the second one was almost effortless).
RRL is an excellent source of easily assimilated minerals (such as calcium). This may be why it’s so wonderful for women in their childbearing years.
When those painful cramps start creeping up, brew yourself a hot cup of raspberry leaf tea. This can be found in natural leaf form or in bags. What red raspberry does is help strengthen uterine walls and provide your body with minerals that replenish the body. Both the warmth and the benefits of red raspberry leaf tea can help reduce the discomforts of menstrual cramps.
If cramps are an ongoing problem, drinking RRL every day two weeks before your period might do wonders.
Here’s another one of those cool pictures.
Heat:
(One caveat first. Heat feels good and is soothing, but it may make you bleed more. If you already have heavy periods, you may want to skip the heat.)
There are several natural ways to make your own heating pads on the cheap. The easiest way is to fill an old sock with rice and heat it in the microwave for a few minutes. (Do not use instant rice.) Of course, if you don’t own a microwave then you can use an old fashioned hot water bottle, available at most drug stores.
Iron-rich foods:
Before your period begins, you’ll want to be sure your diet contains enough iron. Those with low-iron levels or who are anemic tend to have stronger cramps.
Iron-rich foods include beans, eggs, beef (make it grass fed!) and turkey. To enhance the absorption of iron, it is a good idea to pair with vitamin-C foods such as oranges, strawberries and tomatoes. However, calcium can block iron-absorption so try not to eat calcium-rich foods within an hour or two of consuming your iron.
Cooking your food in cast iron provides you with a little extra iron. Hmm. Maybe this is why I don’t have menstrual cramps…?
Get active:
Believe it or not, menstrual cramps can begin to diminish with more exercise. This should be incorporated into your lifestyle every day. When the cramps hit, do some stretching and then take a walk. The movement and regular exercise can assist in reducing the severity of the cramps.
Get Jiggy:
Yes ladies, orgasm is said to cure menstrual cramps, because the uterine contractions it produces can help counteract them. My personal belief is that it just makes you not care anymore, thanks to the endorphins.
Whatever works, eh?
Incidentally, some women find that they are more interested in sex during their periods due to the increased blood flow in the area. Keep in mind that depending on your particular cycle, you can get pregnant at the end of your period. Although you won’t ovulate for a few more days, sperm can live 5-7 days. So be careful unless you’re trying to get pregnant.
*Remember, if cramps are excessive and natural remedies are not helpful, you may want to speak with a health professional for any possible underlining causes for severe menstrual cramps.
The Swine Flu Diet
May 4, 2009 | 4 Comments
While I’m sure having the swine flu causes weight loss, I’m not referring to a new diet craze. I want to talk about how to avoid getting the swine flu with good diet.
The same things that will prevent the swine flu are what prevent any illness:
Hand Washing and Good Nutrition
The point is to be a bad host. It’s not about “the illness”. It’s about your body, your choices, your habits.
Are you a good host for a pathogen, or are you a bad host?
Noone in the media is talking about this, but the truth is that the swine flu has conventional farming to blame. That’s why it’s so important to know where your meat comes from, and to eat grass fed and pastured meats.
Today I got an email from the Weston A. Price foundation about this topic of “Natural Immunity”. It read, in part:
“Vitamins A and D in cod liver oil offer strong protection against infection of all types, as well as against environmental toxins.
Vitamin C is important-either from vitamin C-rich foods like sauerkraut, or from one of the natural vitamin C supplements recommended in our Shopping Guide.
Healthy gut flora provide 85 percent of our protection against disease. Be sure to consume healthy lacto-fermented foods and beverages every day and avoid the foods that disrupt gut flora, especially refined carbohydrates.
Bone broth plays a double role of supporting the immune system and helping the body detoxify.
COCONUT OIL
We are grateful to Beth Beisel, registered dietitian and WAPF member for reminding us about the protective factors in coconut oil. Swine flu is a lipid coated virus (http://www.pnas.org/content/98/5/2115.full.pdf+html), and thus is inactivated by sufficient amounts of monolaurin. (Our bodies convert lauric acid, found in coconut oil, to monolaurin).According to our own Dr. Mary Enig, two to three tablespoons of coconut oil per day appears to be an adequate dosage to fight infection, even from virulent antibiotic-resistant organisms such as MSRA.”
I find the hysteria so interesting, especially since the regular old garden variety influenza kills thousands of people in the US every year. Yet you don’t see people buying surgical masks to protect themselves against that.
Are you taking any extra precautions to protect yourself from swine flu?
More:
Coconut oil seems to have magical properties
Health benefits of kefir (lacto-fermented beverage)
My homemade lacto-fermented salsa recipe
Salad Saturday: Almond Cranberry Couscous Salad
April 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
If you like this, may I recommend the <a href=”http://365saladrecipes.com/” target=”_blank”>365 Salad Recipes ebook</a> for even more healthy, delicious salad recipes?
<img src=”http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Carrielee/saladsat.jpg” alt=”free salad recipes” align=”right” />
<h2>Almond Cranberry Couscous Salad</h2>
What You Need:
1 (10 oz) pkg. plain couscous
1 C dried cranberries
3/4 C green onions, chopped
3/4 C sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3/4 C almonds, toasted
1/3 C lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t sea salt
1/8 t pepper
How to Make It:
Prepare the couscous as directed on the package.
When the couscous is cooked, place it in a large salad bowl and use a fork to fluff.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled completely through.
When chilled remove the couscous from the refrigerator and stir in the cranberries.
Add the onions, sweet pepper and almonds and toss to combine all the ingredients.
Place the lemon juice into a small mixing bowl.
Add the oil, paprika, salt and pepper.
Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together well.
Drizzle the dressing into the salad and toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Serving Size: 14
