Review: Motherlove Birth and Baby Oil
August 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Motherlove Birth and Baby Oil
Review submitted by: Kirstan Graham
Motherlove Birth and Baby Oil is an organic apricot oil with a touch of lavender for multiple uses throughout pregnancy, birth and baby’s tender years. The oil itself is light and non-greasy. It easily rubs into skin leaving it smooth and infused with the delicate apricot and lavender scents minus the toxic ingredients of many other skin care products on the market.
Pregnancy
The Birth and Baby oil has many lovely uses including moisturizing dry hormonal skin. A light amount rubbed into tight and itchy belly skin is a great relief from late pregnancy irritation.
Birth
Leading up to the big day the oil is a great choice for perineal massage if the mother has chosen to do so. The ingredients are natural and organic so they are safe for those most delicate areas and will not introduce questionable ingredients into the birth canal.
Baby
Primarily a great oil for baby massage, the added bonus as a treatment for cradle cap is where this product shines. Used much like a traditional olive oil treatment, rubbed on the scalp prior to bath time, left for 5-10 minutes to settle in and then washed out, the oils succeeds in breaking up the flakes and moisturizing the baby’s scalp. I found with my daughter that this treatment alone was sufficient in clearing up her rather extreme case of cradle cap. With only a few treatments her scalp has cleared up considerable, only producing a few isolated flakes here and there occasionally that are cleared right up with a fresh treatment when needed. Although the extra virgin olive oil is similarly effective, it leaves a greasy residue and is a more difficult to rinse out along with the strong Italian restaurant smell. In comparison the lighter apricot oil rinses out more thoroughly as well as leaving a fresh light aroma of fruity lavender that is by far more appealing.
I highly recommend this versatile oil for all of its pregnancy, birth and baby uses
29 Weeks
April 26, 2010 | 10 Comments
photo credit: Andrea Fregnani
(Not my belly. Someone else’s.)
This pregnancy is different from the others. I don’t remember feeling this achy. I didn’t have pain like this, this early. I’m having painful cramps down low.
Not like Braxton-Hicks contractions (although I have lots of those, and always do, from pretty early on.)
I feel too birthy. Too pregnant for this stage. Is it because this is my 5th pregnancy? Or because I’m older this time? (I’ll be 35 next month.)
Today I’m talking very careful, deliberate steps. My pelvis hurts. I wince when I walk.
Usually the pain is down low in the back. It wakes me up at night and shoots down my hips. I thought this might be sciatica, but according to this article, only about 1% of pregnant women have sciatica. It’s more like “posterior pelvic pain”.
Did you have pelvic or back pain during pregnancy? How did you deal with it?
I did some research, some of which was helpful, but comic almost. Suggestions like:
“If you have posterior pelvic pain, avoid climbing stairs.”
I guess that means no more laundry for me! The washer and dryer are in the basement. 
“Activities that can cause pain include: walking, rolling over in bed, sitting, getting in or out of the tub, bending, lifting, rising or getting into a chair.”
Oh, that narrows it down. So if I can just avoid *those* activities!
“Avoid activities like vacuuming and mopping that require you to bend and twist at the same time”
Yay, another chore I can get out of?
Interestingly the recommended treatments for pelvic or lumbar pain during pregnancy are things I find myself doing instinctively. Such as:
Swimming – Probably the perfect exercise for pregnant women. Walking hurts too much. The last time I went to the pool I had pain all day until I got into the water, then instant relief. Until I got out!
Warm bath – Soaking in a warm tub is the next best thing. It helps with the cramping too.
Stretching -In the middle of the night when the pain wakes me up, I get down on the floor and stretch my hamstrings. Tight hamstrings can lead to back pain too.
Massage – I’ve been doing self massage but I think I’ll treat myself to a professional job.
Pelvic rocking – I learned this exercise 12 years ago when I took Bradley childbirth classes. I get on my hands and knees and let the baby’s weight drop away from my spine. It feels great. Rocking gently back and forth works the abdominals too. Great practice for labor.
Chiropractic is also reported to help. I’ve certainly benefited from a visit or two to the Chiropractor during my third trimester. When I had a breech baby, a couple of adjustments helped me create space to flip her around.
What did you do to help your back or pelvic pain during pregnancy?
How Do You Use Up Leftovers?
April 12, 2010 | 2 Comments
Using up leftovers is obviously an awesome way to avoid wasting food and ultimately, lowering your grocery budget.
Since my family has grown, I don’t often have leftovers but I am trying to get into the habit of intentionally making more than I need so that I can serve dinner for lunch the next day.
I admit I’m not super creative when it comes to what Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette books refers to as “Leftover Wizardry”, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.
I like to use leftover rice to make fried rice for lunch or dinner.
In a large saute pan heat a little oil and saute chopped onion (green or white or yellow, doesn’t matter). I add whatever veggies I have on hand (diced carrot, diced onion, sliced celery, corn, peas, snow peas, really anything).
Add an egg and scramble among the veggies. Add diced leftover meat like ham, chicken, or tempeh or tofu if you swing that way. When everything is hot, it’s ready. Serve with soy sauce. You’re done!
Leftover bits of meat, cheese and veggies can go into quiches or omelets.
A good basic quiche recipe is quite elastic, so experiment away.
Refrigerator Stew – Keep a container in your freezer for small amounts of leftover vegetables, grains, meat and beans. When the container becomes full, you have the makings of a great soup. As long as you start with a base of onions and garlic sauteed in butter, it’s hard to go wrong with soup.
Leftover fruits (you know, the half eaten apples that are lying around the kitchen!), yogurt, milk, etc can become fruit smoothies.
Leftover potatoes become tomorrow morning’s fried potatoes, served with eggs, for breakfast.
Leftover oatmeal is great in just about any muffin recipe.
Leftover chili is yummy on top of baked potatoes (sprinkled with a little cheese or sour cream!).
What tricks do you have up your sleeve for creatively re-purposing leftovers?
I’m tempted to add this cookbook to my kitchen for ideas:
Use It Up Cookbook: Creative Recipes for the Frugal Cook
Win Grass Fed Meat
March 25, 2010 | Leave a Comment
I’ve mentioned why grass fed meat is so superior on this blog before, and even interviewed an expert in such, author of Pasture Perfect Jo Robinson. (You can listen here.)
If you’re interested in winning $100 worth of grass fed meats for your family, Nourished Kitchen is currently doing a giveaway in cahoots with US Wellness Meats.
Check it out!
Whole Foods Podcast: Energy Boosters
March 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment
As moms one thing we all seem to be challenged with is having enough energy to get through our day so we can parent effectively.
This month’s Whole Foods Market podcast series has tips and advice to help us boost energy levels naturally and safely.
For their recommendations of energy supporting herbs, and to listen to the podcasts visit: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/category/whole-body-podcast/
What the Heck Are Natural Flavors?
March 9, 2010 | 1 Comment
It was pretty cool to see my friend Christine Steendahl quoted here in this issue of Earth Talk. And just recently on Twitter I was expressing my confusion and aggravation with the whole MSG/autolyzed yeast issue. When you see the words ‘natural flavors’ on an ingredients list, it’s often a code name for MSG.
After some research I still haven’t decided whether MSG is truly evil, but I do my best to avoid processed foods just to be on the safe side. Even organic and natural foods that are processed at high temperatures (canned soups, boxed goods etc) contain glutamates – whether artificial or naturally occurring.
Dear EarthTalk:
I see a lot of “healthy snacks” being marketed for kids that list “natural flavors” but don’t identify them. Should I use these products?
– John Stein, Methuen, MA
Beloved food writer Michael Pollan recommends steering clear of foods that advertise their green attributes on their label.
According to his line of reasoning, why give a child a fruit roll-up when you can give him or her a piece of fruit?
Only processed foods need to advertise what’s natural about them, whereas an apple speaks for itself, providing wholesome nutrition without the need for marketing hype.
But most of us depend on the occasional packaged or processed food, so choosing between the lesser of two evils sometimes has to be the way to go.
If a product lists natural ingredients on its label—anything from real fruits, vegetables and nuts to cereals, grains and other healthy foods you can recognize without a food dictionary on hand—it’s probably better than a food reliant on artificial flavors and sweeteners.
“One way for your kids to enjoy healthy snacks is to get them started on naturally sweet foods,” says Christine Steendahl of Kid Approved Meals, which sells menus and shopping lists to parents looking for guidance in meal preparation. “Since most kids crave sweets…naturally sweet foods such as fruits are perfect,” she says. Real bananas, oranges, apples, cherries, strawberries and other fruits are popular with most kids. “You can mix in yogurt or even make a fruit smoothie with some milk and a drop of chocolate or other natural flavors,” Steendahl suggests.
(Note from Carrie: Christine Steendahl is also the mom behind Dine Without Whine and Menu Planning Central.)
“One thing to recognize about children is that if they try enough types of natural and healthy snacks, they will find one that they enjoy,” says Steendahl. “The problem is that many times parents give up trying to find the snacks that their kids like and settle for popular junk foods instead.” She stresses the importance of teaching kids which snacks to eat and which to avoid early in life so that they can sidestep obesity problems altogether. Nuts and dry cereals, for example, are good alternatives to chips and other junk food.
According to California-based pediatrician and author William Sears, who markets his own line of healthy kids snacks called Lunchbox Essentials, parents should make sure that any snack foods they give their family members provide both fiber and protein, which give the feeling of fullness, and taste good as well. He adds that parents should learn to read labels so they can tell which products contain hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup—all of which should be avoided.
As a last resort for especially finicky kids, parents can find packaged snacks that might look like junk food but are actually healthy and nutritious, including certain brands of fruit roll-ups and granola bars. Look in the snack aisle of your local natural foods market for such items, and don’t be afraid to ask store personnel for recommendations. It’s important to take your child’s nutrition seriously. Whether he or she ever realizes it, you are setting patterns that will enable them to live healthier and longer lives.
Brainwashing
February 24, 2010 | 4 Comments
At least with my oldest child, I think that perhaps the brainwashing I mean education has been particularly effective.
Case in point, today he began throwing up and having diarrhea. Evidently it’s going around?
I offer him some homeopathic Ipecac.
“No. I would rather my immune system take care of it.”
“Honey, it’s harmless. Homeopathics support your immune system. It won’t hurt you.”
“No.”
Clamps hand over mouth.
Sigh.
Apparently he was listening all those times I talked about the evils of pharmaceuticals and Big Pharma.
A few minutes later after referring to my trusty Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, I tell him I’ll be giving him some acidophilus later.
“NO! I don’t want anything killing off my healthy bacteria!”
“Sweetie, acidophilus IS the healthy bacteria. You’re thinking of antibiotics. See? It says it right here in the book…”
photo credit: freeparking
I take him a small glass of water and suggest he take small sips, not gulps.
I’m surprised when this doesn’t lead to an argument about fluoride and estrogen in the water supply.
Foods That Reduce Inflammation
November 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Dr. Arculeo is an upcoming guest on the show. I thought this article on reducing inflammation with foods was excellent. Anything we can do to avoid medicine and make ourselves feel better with food is a win in my book!
Decrease Pain and Inflammation Safely, with Ingredients Found In Your Own Kitchen Cabinet
By ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner, Dr. Steven Arculeo, DC
“Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), account for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States.”
(NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.)
(1) Although promoted as safe, when taken for long term basis, they been show to cause damage to the digestive track, kidneys, liver and other vital organs(2) (Robyn Tamblyn, PhD).
Many individuals are looking for natural alternatives to reduce pain and inflammation without the damaging effects of these drugs. These drugs just treat symptoms and ignore the causes of pain and inflammation. To truly improve ones health above ones symptoms, you must first find the cause and build your treatment from there.
Inflammation is a natural response of the body but if you are in a chronic state of inflammation it can cause pain in your joints and tissues. Inflammation can also cause many physical and neurological diseases, including heart disease. One of the biggest factors that causes inflammation is diet. Depending on what you eat you may be contributing to increased inflammation in your body.
Most everyone utilizes a kitchen whether they cook elaborate meals, grab something to go or heat something up in the Microwave. But could your kitchen be setting you up for pain and sickness?
Foods that cause inflammation in the body are
1. Hydrogenated or Trans Fats
2. Processed foods
3. Caffeine
4. Red Meat
5. Sugar
6. Soda
7. Alcohol
Instead, fill your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, lean meats and cooking ingredients which can decrease inflammation and rid yourself of sickness and pain:
* Apples & Blueberries: these fruits are packed full of nutrients and are natural anti-inflammatories 
* Kale: contains over 80 nutrients per serving
* Fish: one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods, fish contains heart healthy and anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids. Choose cod, salmon or tilapia instead of the fatty deep water bottom dweller fish such as shrimp or catfish
* Ginger: aids in digestion
* Garlic: lowers hypertension and cholesterol
* Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Turmeric, Thyme, Chili Peppers & Cinnamon: all are proven to have anti-inflammatory properties
* Oil: use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil to aid in decreasing inflammation
By eliminating the inflammatory foods and adding these anti-inflammatory foods to your diet you will be on your way to decreasing the inflammation of your body and riding yourself of sickness and pain.
ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner Dr. Steve Arculeo, DC
References:
1. Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, “Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice,” Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at , last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, “Assessing and understanding patient risk,” Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4.
2. Renal Effects of nonselective NSAIDs and Coxibs, Mathew R. Weir, MD, Cleveland Clinic Journal Of Medicine.
3. http://eating.health.com/2008/02/21/anti-inflammatories-the-new-superfoods/2/
4. http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsformedicaldisorders/a/antiinflamfood.htm
photo credit: Shootingsnow
What’s Living Inside Your Vacuum Cleaner?
October 30, 2009 | 3 Comments
Most of us are set on auto-pilot when we’re vacuuming our home. We run through the motions without thinking about what we’re cleaning up or where its going.
Plug in, switch on, use. Simple right? But what about after we’ve used our vacuums? What happens to all the stuff we just picked up off the floor – or better yet, what did we pick up off the floor?
Many of us go further still with this bad habit – not only are we unaware of what we’re cleaning, we’re unaware that we’ve left a pile of dirt sitting and festering in our vacuum, and in our home. If we consider the fact that vacuums don’t have an air tight seal preventing picked up particles from floating back out, we begin to start seeing the importance of realizing what’s living inside our vacuums.
To find out what’s living inside your vacuums, you have to start by looking at what’s on the surface. And if you start thinking back to people and pet traffic, food spills, and odors – we start seeing what a scary picture this really is.
What’s Living in Your Carpet?
Your carpet is not as clean as you’d like to think. Even on an otherwise clean and healthy looking carpet, a close up microscopic view of the surface would show legions of bacteria and micro-organisms scouring your carpet. If you start thinking about all the ways you use your carpet, you start seeing how troubling this can be.
We enjoy our carpets by lying on it, our children play on it, your belongings fall or rest on it. Nearly everything in your home touches (or will touch) the carpet at some point. Now we begin to see the importance of a clean carpet.
Scientists observe that even in carpets without any reported damage, there is the very real possibility of indoor fungal growth. They determine this by the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air by micro-organisms living in your furnishings. Simply, they breathe, they release carbon dioxide, and high amounts of repeated releases can result in indoor fungus.
So how can scientists figure out the respiration rate of tiny microscopic beings? Quite simply actually. Scientists can extract dust from the carpet surface and test it to arrive at a pretty accurate estimate of the number of micro-organisms based on the respiration rate evident in the dust.
In one study, scientists analyzed these organisms by sprinkling dust samples on a special filter. The result of this test “revealed 18 species were living in the carpets.” Their findings also showed a frightening similarity between what’s crawling around in your carpet and what’s crawling around in soil samples.
Additionally, “the rate of respiration showed that the fungal species detected were living in the furnishings, and were highly metabolically active.”
What does this mean? This means that fungal micro-organisms can grow in your home even if your home has no moisture damage, has average indoor air moisture, and has no other traditional problem-causing situations.
So now you know – bacteria, fleas, mold, and other microscopic organisms can all thrive in your carpet. But the number one thing that every home has is dust…and with dust come the notorious dust mites.
What is Dust?
Even the cleanest home has dust. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has even come up with a very scientific term for this: “standard house dust”. And yet, even with this basic element in every home, scientists stress the importance of home dwellers to realize that even this ‘standard house dust’ can be host to harmful chemicals.
In collaboration with the E.P.A, scientists collected dust from vacuum cleaner bags in home, hotels/motels and at cleaning services. With a sample of collection from several states, scientists then filtered and analyzed the samples with test results confirming a minimum of 33 harmful toxins. Another test into this matter revealed over 80 harmful chemicals.
Clearly, tests are showing that there are harmful contaminants living in your carpets and then transferred to your vacuum cleaner – where many of us leave them to thrive multiply and escape back into the air. So what exactly is in dust that is a living breathing invader? Dust mites.
What are dust mites?
The dust mites are microorganisms living on the dust particles. They eat mainly dead human skin cells. And considering that dead human skin cells comprises about 70% of all household dust, we quickly begin to see how we’re creating an environment in which dust mites can thrive freely.
If we take in the respiratory rate, and the fact that in our vacuum we’ve clumped both mites and food supply in lock stock barrel, we begin to realize the hazards of not cleaning out our vacuums.
How dust mites make you sick
Many people believe they have an allergic reaction to dust. However, the truth of the matter is that it isn’t so much the dust or dust mites you’re allergic to. The thing your sinuses are rattling in response to are dust mite excrements. Dust mites produce ridiculous amount of droppings. Considering they live up to 15 weeks, dust mites can produce up to 300 their weight in bodily waste.
Their by products are so small, that these excrements end up being part of the in-house air. It is this dust-mite excrement air that you’re then breathing into your lungs and having strong allergic reactions to.
Uses for Used Tea Bags
October 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment
If you’re a big tea drinker, you may go through several bags of tea each day. While some prefer loose leaf tea (tea purists do, typically bagged tea is inferior quality), nothing beats the convenience of tea bags, and most of us use them for drinking or medicinal purposes (be sure to use tea packed in unbleached tea bags!).
photo credit: diongillard
And those used tea bags can be used for several good purposes.
Here are some ideas on what to do with all those leftover tea bags.
(This post makes me feel very Tightwad Gazette-ish! If you’ve never read the books, I highly recommend them for ideas and inspiration on how to re-use things that would otherwise be discarded.)
Uses For Used Tea Bags
Compost.
This one’s fairly obvious, but used tea bags make wonderful compost for your garden. Simply add them to your compost heap and let nature takes its course.
Under eye cosmetic.
Used tea bags can be cooled and placed on the eyes for a wonderful soothing relaxant. If your skin is irritated, try chamomile. If you have bags and puffiness, try something with caffeine (like black tea), as the caffeine will help shrink the tissues (many of the over the counter depuffer products for eyes contain caffeine). I throw my used tea bags in the fridge in a bowl and keep them just for this purpose.
Cool sun burns.
Peppermint tea bags are great for sunburns because the menthol has a cooling effect on the skin. (Ever noticed how it hurts to drink water after eating an Altoid? Yeah.) Leave tea bags to cool then place the bags on the burnt areas.
Use on cuts.
Used tea bags are also great on cuts and bruises. You can use any variety but green tea, peppermint and chamomile have good soothing qualities. Some claim that used tea bags are also good for bee stings and other insect bites.
Decaf. 
photo credit: House Of Sims
Did you know that if you reuse a tea bag, the second cup is decaf?
Now you do.
Many times you will hardly notice any change in flavor when you put fresh hot water on a used tea bag.
Got any other uses for used tea bags? Leave them in the comments below!
p.s. You can shop online for tea here.
