Oh, I’m so glad you asked.

In general, I eschew the use of supplements in favor of

Our Grandparents were right. Cod liver oil is a wonderful supplement and everyone, young and old, should take it. I also take cod liver oil in addition to giving it to my kids. Here’s why.

Cod liver oil has three vitamins essential to your health: Vitamins A, D, and E. According to Dr. Weston A Price, these 3 nutrients were found in far higher amounts in the diets of native peoples - they got 4 times as much as we do because they ate things like organ meats, seafood, grass fed meat and milk, etc. Many of us are deficient in these nutrients but supplementation with vitamins can be dangerous. Vitamin A especially can be toxic in large amounts, so it’s safer to get it from food. Cod Liver Oil is classified as a food. The body knows what to do with it. Vitamin D helps to protect against Vitamin A toxicity, so these three vitamins found in cod liver oil work synergistically.

Studies have shown that cod liver oil improves memory. It also improves conditions such as asthma and other related diseases. It contributes to general bone health. Studies have indicated that individuals with osteoporosis have shown significant progress when taking cod liver oil.

Many people suffer from joint pain, including me if I don’t take my fish oil. Cod liver oil can help reduce the pain and the damage incurred in arthritis patients.

Secondly, in addition to the natural vitamins in cod liver oil, there are omega-3 fatty acids which have significant benefits. Combined, they improve your energy levels in individuals, help keep the thyroid healthy, help maintain strong vision, keep the immune system healthy, and are noted to offer cardiovascular benefits as well.

Cod liver oil has many health benefits and while some people may prefer just eating more fish, it will not necessarily yield the same results that cod liver oil offers. The potency of the nutrients is not as high in fish products. In fact, one study showed that you would have to consume approximately a half-pound of fatty fish in order to obtain the same amount of vitamin D as is contained in one spoonful of cod liver oil. Not to mention, cod liver oil has to undergo testing for mercury and other contaminants, which is a concern when you’re eating a lot of fish.

Side point: Did you know that your body won’t absorb mercury that you ingest when you’re getting plenty of Vitamin A? It has a protective effect.

If you buy a brand that is flavored with orange or lemon oil, you can get past the fishy taste factor. And of course grown ups (and kids who know how to swallow them) can take capsules. You can even get it in strawberry flavor. See: Nordic Naturals Childrens DHA in strawberry flavor.

Speaking of grown ups, cod liver oil gives you pretty skin. It accelerates healing and maintains the suppleness of your skin - it may even prevent liver spots. If you have dry skin, eczema or dandruff, cod liver oil will often get rid of it.

Cod liver oil is one alternative that has been shown to be an effective agent in reducing LDL (or “bad” cholesterol) levels. In addition, cod liver oil can lower triglycerides as well as increase the “good” cholesterol or HDL. Cod liver oil helps prevent blood clots and maintains a healthy heart.

Are ya convinced yet?

Two of the highest quality cod liver oil supplements are:
Carlson Laboratories Norwegian cod liver oil
Nordic Naturals cod liver oil

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The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child: With No Pills, No Therapy, No Contest of Wills

I picked up this book because recently, I have found myself caught in a bad cycle of shaming, blaming and punishing with my kids and wanted to get out of it. Punishment, I’ve found, is not a effective parenting tool when it’s overused. Plus, I hate using a negative approach and the feelings it brings out in both me and the kids.

If you’re unconvinced that punishments are ineffective (especially when overused), this book does a good job of proving that relying on punishment too much does indeed backfire. The author calls on decades of psychology study to demonstrate that.

At the heart of the Kazdin method is the use of praise and rewards. While many parents who endeavor to use gentle discipline eschew the use of praise and rewards, I find that both are great tools when used the RIGHT way. I don’t know about you, but when I hear moms at the playground shouting “Good job!” at their kids every 5 seconds, I want to puke. That approach is insincere and dare I say it - a touch manipulative.

Rewards are also controversial, but again - I think it’s a very natural thing to reward others when they behave well, we do it all the time without even trying. We smile at, hug and thank people when they do something we like. We reward our peers with money, praise, help, and in many other ways. The reward system that the book encourages you to set up is easy enough to do and won’t break the bank either. The point is to create new habits and behaviors in your child that are the “positive opposite” of the negative behavior they’re doing now.

Here is a quick example. I was having an issue with my almost ten year old son using potty language at meal time. It was like a switch would flip in his mouth each time we sat down to eat and all the bathroom talk he could come up with would spill out. I tried ignoring it and giving him attention when he spoke about other topics. I tried punishments - removing privileges, having him leave the table and eat alone. Nothing worked and it was escalating. I knew he was doing it to get attention, but it was annoying to me because he’s an intelligent kid who can carry on conversation without relying on gutter talk, plus his siblings were starting to copy him and I didn’t appreciate him taking center stage at the dinner table. The negative reinforcements were still that - reinforcements!

So I made up a chart with that and one other behavior I wanted to address with him. I explained what I was trying to do, and what his rewards were. He earned two points each time he used proper speech at the table. When he got to 20 points, it was a Starbucks Frappucino for him (something he doesn’t usually get but always wants!). At 50 points, a trip to the bowling alley with his friends. It took him a week to get 20 points but since then the behavior has curtailed *dramatically* - after a year of nothing else working.

The point of the system is to make the new habit ingrained so that the system is no longer necessary. It isn’t meant to be forever.

Personally, I’ve found that using systems for things - even parenting - rather than winging it all the time brings about such a sense of relief. Instead of having to decide on the spot all the time, which creates stress and fatigue, you have a plan ahead of time. So I’m really enjoying the lessons in this book.

I’ve been able to improve a couple of other behaviors with the younger kids too. My 5 year old was in a bad habit of pitching a little mini fit whenever I said no to her. While I could overlook this in a 2 year old, I thought she should have the internal reserves by now to hear No and deal with it. I’m not talking about tantrums or flailing about on the floor, just a whiny crying type of response that was really getting on my nerves several times a day.

So, with her I sat down and explained the system. I told her that first we were going to practice me saying no and her responding “like a big girl”. She LOVED this part and would ask me again and again to practice. (I would get really excited and hug and praise her enthusiastically when she did it right, and she earned a point just for practice.) She got her reward after 20 points too, and again - the behavior has gotten much, much better.

This is a simplistic overview of the book, but if you’re having any discipline difficulties I highly recommend you read it. Especially if you’re into positive parenting and want to minimize punishment (especially physical), this book will give you a system that works.

It also comes with a DVD which was helpful to sound down the principles. Truly, the book’s title isn’t quite accurate because I think this is a book for parents of ALL kids, whether they would define them as defiant or not.The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child: With No Pills, No Therapy, No Contest of Wills

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I remember when one of my childhood best friends had her first baby. She told me that she started out breastfeeding, but weaned her baby very young because, as she said, “eventually I had to get off the couch.” I didn’t really understand what she meant because I didn’t have a little one of my own yet, but as my kids started to make their appearances, I began to get it.

I love(d) nursing and didn’t resent the time spent doing so, but I would have the rare twinge of impatience at a baby or toddler who seemed to take foreeeeeeever to finish up. Maybe I wanted to do “other things”. Maybe I was feeling a tad hormonal or touched out. Maybe the child was older and I was feeling a little impatient with his or her demands in general, and that was showing up in the nursing relationship.

When I felt like this, I tried to distract myself by multi tasking. Most babies don’t mind if you check email or read a book (or pray or practice relaxation breathing!) while you nurse. When my oldest was a baby, he was a high needs kid who nursed all the time - it was the only time he was happy. I got a LOT of reading done that year lol! I also discovered baby slings and learned how to nurse in one, hands free. I could wash dishes and breastfeed at the same time!
photo credit: snaulkter

But overall, I knew that breastfeeding on demand, or as I prefer to call it, breastfeeding “on cue” was the right thing and would actually save me time in the long run.

Each nursing session is an investment in mine and baby’s health and their emotional well being. And each breastfeeding released hormones (oxytocin, prolactin) that made me feel less stressed out and that relaxed me. These hormones are nature’s gift to help us be better mothers.

That doesn’t mean I never set limits with my nursing toddlers because I did - it’s a nursing relationship and there’s nothing wrong with them learning the give-and-take that occurs in relationships.

What about you? Did you ever feel tied to the nursing chair? When? And what did you do about it?

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BLACK & WHITE BEAN SALAD 

2 cups Red onions — finely chopped
2 tablespoons Olive or Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Chopped Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Minced Parsley
2 tsp. Garlic — Minced
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 cup 15 oz. Great Northern Beans — Rinsed and Drained
1 cup 15 oz, Black Beans — Rinsed and Drained

Sauté onions in oil until crisp-tender in a medium skillet; Remove from heat and cool until warm. Stir in vinegar, red pepper, parsley, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.

In a serving bowl put the beans, (both types) and pour the onion mixture over them. Mix well and serve.

Makes 8 servings

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Earth Mama Angel Baby® Announces Incorrect Recycle Code On Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

CLACKAMAS, OREGON
May 9, 2008/ Earth Mama Angel Baby®, manufacturer of natural and organic products for pregnancy, birth and baby care, announced today that due to a bottle manufacturing error, some bottles containing Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash were incorrectly marked with recycle code “3″ instead of the correct code, which is “1″ (see graphics below).

“I want to reassure all our customers that our packaging is PET, as advertised,” said Melinda Olson, founder of Earth Mama Angel Baby. “I have received confirmation from the bottle manufacturer that the bottles are indeed the safest form of PET plastic, the recycle code is simply incorrect.” The concern about bisphenol A and phthalates in plastic products has been growing in recent years, with more media exposure about the issue in the past 12-24 months, adds Olson. “It is unclear today how many of our bottles have the incorrect recycling mark, but we will be providing all of our distributors with written verification from our bottle manufacturer that all our bottles are PET, and will provide the same to any consumer who emails our offices to request the information,” she added.

PET resin does not contain bisephenol A (BPA), and BPA is not used in the manufacture of PET resin. PET is also not associated with orthophthalates (plasticizers). PET is designated by the letters PET or PETE on the bottom of the bottle, with a recycle code of “1″ in a triangle. The defective bottles from Earth Mama Angel Baby have the correct labeling of PETE, but contain an incorrect recycle code of “3″ instead of the correct “1″. Olson said the problem is being resolved and new bottles will be shipped as soon as possible, but that consumers should not worry about the current packaging.

“The current bottles are PET, which is the safest material currently available,” explained Olson. “The incorrect recycle code is obviously an oversight in the manufacturing process, because PVC plastic, which has the recycle code of ‘3′, cannot be made in the crystal clear format of our bottles. PVC plastic is always cloudy and impure.”

Olson said she is very happy that a consumer noticed the problem with the bottles and called the error to her attention. “I wish all mamas were this diligent, and read labels this closely,” said Olson. “It is my goal to educate the parents who purchase our products to look for just this type of information, and to make safe and healthy choices for their family.”

#1: PET or PETE plastic is considered the safest plastic for food items and is the most impervious to essential oils. It is also easy to recycle. All applicable Earth Mama Angel Baby® products are packaged in PET plastic.

#3: PVC is rarely recycled, and contains chlorine and other chemicals, making it better suited for non-food or non-personal care product applications. Earth Mama Angel Baby® products have never been packaged in PVC bottles.

About Earth Mama Angel Baby®: Earth Mama Angel Baby® manufactures natural and organic herbal products that support the entire process of childbirth from pregnancy through labor, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and even the loss of a baby. Find them in retail stores around the world or online.

Contact: Sheri Wallace,
sheri@earthmamaangelbaby.com
9866 SE Empire Court Phone: 503-607-0607
Fax: 503-607-0667

More on Earth Mama Angel Baby products:

• Earth Mama Angel Baby Stretch Mark Oil
• Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm
• Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray
• Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter

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I’ve been thinking of coloring over it but I’m not about to put some nasty cancer causing chemicals on my scalp. Even the temporary colors contain ammonia. If I wouldn’t even clean my house with it, I’m surely not going to let it soak into my skin. According to to this article,

“Most concerns surround dark-coloured, permanent dyes used every four to six weeks. Scientists are particularly worried about two chemical ingredients, para-phenylenediamine and tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline.

These chemicals have been shown to damage the body’s genetic material, and to cause cancer in animals.”

Yummy!

When I’m mostly gray, I’ll let it go natural, like Jamie Lee Curtis and that supermodel Carmen. But, I’m not ready for that yet. It might be the better part of two decades before I’m that gray.

So I went hunting for some non-toxic, natural hair color alternatives. I knew about henna, but the trouble with henna is that it’s going to give you a reddish tint even if you pick a brown color … and I don’t want that. I don’t think it would be flattering to my skin tone.

I did some searching around and found several products that fit the bill. Good gray coverage, no nasty chemicals. While they’re priced a bit higher than what I could find at the local drug store, that’s ok with me. Cancer is pretty expensive.

Herbatint contains no ammonia and is free from “aggressive chemical ingredients”. It gets great customer reviews at Amazon, and users say it makes their hair really shiny too, which would be a plus. It’s very hard to make hair as coarse and curly as mine shine.

This product gets a safety rating of 6 on SkinDeep’s database.

Another one that looks promising is Light Mountain Natural Color. It’s recommended by The Safe Shoppers Bible and is non-carcinogenic. It’s priced a bit lower than Herbatint.

And this product gets a safety rating of 1 at SkinDeep - excellent! This is probably the one I’ll go with.

A third product I found is Naturtint Permanent Hair Color. Again, this one gets great reviews and it’s packaged in ecofriendly, biodegradable packaging which is a plus. SkinDeep gives this product a safety rating of 6.

After I color my hair I’ll come back here and post my own review. Stay tuned.

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I give my kids cod liver oil. More specifically, Nordic Naturals lemon flavored cod liver oil. My two year old daughter loves the stuff. She calls it “My Menace”. That’s Sadie speak for “My Medicine”.

Often, I find that she has removed the bottle of cod liver oil from the fridge and taken a swig. Other times she’s poured herself a serving into a cup.

Apparently, the other day she poured a whole bunch of it into a cup, plopped a straw into the glass and gave it to her sister. Only, she had spilled a little bit onto the counter or floor or something, and wiped it up with a towel, which made its way to the laundry room hamper. Which of course ended up in a load of laundry.

The thing is, I don’t usually use the dryer. But for a week after my foot surgery, I was taking it a bit easy on myself and using the dryer. I was punished for this you see.

You can’t smell the cod liver oil on the fabric after it’s been washed - only after the heat of the dryer has brought out the was odor. So I blissfully tossed the clean, cod liver oil towel into the dryer, blissfully unawares that it would make the entire load, as well as the dryer, reek.

Here’s a little tip, from me to you. If you spill your cod liver oil, wipe it up with paper towels.

I cleaned the inside of the dryer with vinegar, which helped tremendously. Just so you know.

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By the way, Marie interviewed me and we talked about breastfeeding. She also has a lineup of other interesting topics and guests - all kinds of fun stuff of interest to us Moms. Go over there and see what she’s up to!

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They’ve launched a BPA Free Baby Shop but according to Jeremiah, they’re promoting products that aren’t BPA free. So you might want to check out their blog post before placing your order.

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Berried Avocado Grapefruit Salad

Bibb lettuce
Watercress
2 avocados — seed, peel, slice
2 cups grapefruit sections
1 cup fresh raspberries
Prepared sweet vinegar and oil dressing

Line serving platter or individual salad plates with lettuce and watercress. Arrange avocado, grapefruit and raspberries over and sprinkle with dressing.

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