5-6 Meals Per Day

By request, here's a typical day eating for me. (Check out the great discussion going on down on yesterday's post!):

8am - wake up, start breakfast
9am - sit down with the girls to eat (you actually digest when you're sitting!)
2 Turkey sausages and cooked rice cereal with rice milk and pure maple syrup
12pm - lunch, open faced sandwich with turkey deli meat (no preservatives, free range) with 1/4 avocado on 1 slice rice bread. Sometimes I have a handful of carrot sticks.
3pm - All natural beef hot dog in a paper towel, maybe a handful of raw macadamia nuts and/or a date or two for the sugar craving (eat on the go! :)
6pm - dinner, stir fried chicken and veggies in olive oil, brown rice
10pm - a piece of toast with raw almond butter

It's small amounts at a time. And I go for half carbs and half protein. Organic and raw is important, but if you can't start with that, don't worry about it. Start somewhere and move forward. Hope this helps!

Protect yourself against cancer

I asked for prayer last week for Melody's brother Jon who has been declared terminal with brain cancer. My heart goes out so deeply to people who have to fight that battle.

There is so much fear related to cancer, and sometimes it feels like there's little you can do to protect yourself and your family. This article has some good suggestions of ways to protect yourself and your family, as well as some interesting thoughts about the research being done to cure this frightening disease.

Pneumonia Vaccine

Wanted to pass along this link today. As I said a couple weeks ago, I would never try to tell someone what choices to make for their children. But, if you are accepting everything your doctor tells you for your children without doing research of your own, you may be surprised what you're missing!

The Last Resort

Staci referred me to this website. People often ask me about where to start to get healthy, or how to feed their family right. This article has the steps - the place to start. The author is very no-nonsense, and he doesn't really tolerate whining. :) I've only read a couple of articles on the website so far, but what I've read goes right along with what I've learned in the 11 years I've been living like this.

Note: Upon further reading of this site, I've noticed that the guy is also a HUGE conspiracy theorist. Just ignore that part. ;)

Homeopathics

At about 2am this morning, Hannah woke up suddenly with fever, a stuffy nose that is dry, and a confusion that was scary to me. I think it was the high fever, exactly like the one Audrey had last weekend. (I'm disinfecting my entire house today. Yes.)

Today, I pulled out my trusty Family Guide to Homeopathy. I looked under colds, and here was an amazing entry:

If the nose is stuffed up and dry: sambucus nigra (all homeopathics have latin names).

Then I looked up this particular remedy.

Sambucus Nigra
Base Substance: black elder (which I was already giving her in tincture form)
Characteristic signs and symptoms: Child who wake suddenly at night with congestion, stridor, cough, and a great deal of perspiration.
Main clinical uses: Laryngeal stridor or false croup; coryza

Now, I haven't look up all those weird terms, but the part I do understand is exactly the problem. Now, if only I happened to have some sambucus nigra on hand...

Here's the homeopathic shpeal.

Homeopathics says "like cures like." It is the tiniest imaginable amount of something that would cause the same symptoms as the symptoms you're having. In fact, the smaller the amount of substance, the more powerful the dose is considered. The substance calls your body's attention to the problem, and your body fixes it. Since it's such a tiny amount, it's safe for pregnant women and tiny children. As dangerous as they have recently proven cold and flu medications to be to children, I don't even attempt using them. But with homeopathics, I have a way to help the kids feel better. They really do make a difference. Homeopathic doctors practice all over the world, and many people in Europe see them rather than medical doctors. Only in the U.S. are they labeled quacks, as far as I can tell.

The hardest/most important part is to find the right remedy. Strong flavors can also knock out the effectiveness of homeopathics (mint toothpaste, spicy foods, etc.) I highly recommend that book though. I use it all the time.

Questions? Homeopathic medicine stories?

More Random Stuff

Have you seen Jott yet? Call a toll-free number, leave a message, and it transcribes it and emails it to you or anyone else you have on your contacts. You can even send it to Blogger, Remember the Milk, or a huge list of other stuff.

Yes, I'm a geek. You know you've left yourself voicemails so you don't forget something...

We had a consultation with another potential Maeve client last night. She wants a beautiful white mermaid strapless gown with a long black sash that ties in back. Emily is sketching it for us tonight. Maybe I'll post it tomorrow. We also have a first fitting with Renee on Saturday. We're excited!

My kids just got up. That was NOT a nap.

Got our produce delivery today. We pulled it out of the box and set it all over the table:
This was $38 worth. How much are we willing to bet on us actually eating all of this before it goes bad? I'm pretty determined. Wagers?

Hannah took this one:
We're off to gramma's house...

5 a day?

As Nick and I were talking about something unrelated last night, we stumbled across talking about how we don't tend to eat enough fruits and vegetables around here. Now, that may surprise you, since I'm the resident health nut. But, we focus so much on protein for blood sugar stability and gluten-free grain, that sometimes, too often, the produce becomes an afterthought. Nick reminded me of Door to Door Organics. We did this a while back, but quit in an attempt to cut back on grocery costs. The problem is, we quit buying much fresh produce in the process of saving money. At our house, we work to prioritize money for healthy eating. Sometimes it requires sacrifices in other areas. I talk about this all the time...blah, blah, blah.

Anyway!

Door-to-door is a pretty cool thing. Weekly, they deliver to your door a box of organic, very fresh fruits and vegetables for a pretty competitive price. What I think we like most is the variety. Unless we want to shop at the expensive grocery stores, variety is sorely lacking in Colorado. You can make up to 3 substitutions if you absolutely cannot eat what is in your box for the week, but we love that it encourages us to try new vegetables, and experiment with recipes.

I just got the email about our box for the week, which I think will come on Thursday. Here's what's in it:

Pinata Apple
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red Leaf Lettuce
Local Spinach
Leeks
Green Chard
Carrots
Beets with Tops
Tangelos
Strawberries
Bananas
Avocado
Broccoli

Sounds pretty yummy, doesn't it?

Circadian Rhythm

I found this article very interesting today. It gives tons of info and then says our bodies are made to sleep from 10pm to 6am. It also says to sleep in a pitch black room. I've heard these things before, but in light of the fact that Nick and I often go to bed late and drag around the whole next day, it's pretty interesting to me. Anybody up for an experiment?

Sick

We are sick around here again. I can't help but directly blame the fact that we all had Easter candy this weekend. We had been fighting it off until this week. Audrey has had a nasty runny nose, and Hannah woke up at 1am with a high fever and stomach ache. Her stomach seems better after DGL, probiotics and silver, but the fever remains with no other symptoms. And my thermometer is broken so I'm not exactly sure how high her fever is. She is in good spirits other than wanting to lay around so I'm sure she's okay, just feverish.

Here is where I feel torn... On the one hand, I do not want to be that mommy who never allows her kids to eat anything. I have to border on that anyway. So, when they have some candy offered to them on a special occasion, it's hard for me to say no. On the other hand, I know they get sick when they have it, pretty much every time. So my inability to say no to the candy means they have to suffer being sick. Is it more unfair to them for me to say no, or to say yes?

Fluoride is nasty stuff

Not to mention dangerous. I tend to be ridiculously sensitive to stuff, but if I use fluoride toothpaste or even drink some brands of bottled water, I get sore muscles in the front of my neck. It is bizarre. Fluoride is naturally occuring in certain food. Contrary to current practices, we don't need it in our water or our toothpaste, especially kids' toothpaste. Too much is poisonous.

"Diseases"

Here's an interesting article about minor health problems being medicated and what the implications are. This is by Dr. Mercola, who I generally agree with, but who tends to have a "the sky is falling" attitude that plays on my fears. Everything in moderation. This particular article is a good one, I think.

Thanksgiving

The Gluten-Free Girl has once again written a beautiful, helpful Thanksgiving blog. I love her attitude toward having to be gluten free. Rather than seeing it as deprivation, she is grateful to be well, and she does gluten free in such a delicious way that no one will miss the gluten.

Dr. P on parabens and plastic

I emailed my naturopathic doctor, who my family has been seeing for over 10 years (affectionately known as Dr P), and asked him about the paraben and plastic things. Thought I would pass on his response, in case anyone was interested.

"The parabens are waxes. These of course would plug pores and not be particularly healthy for the skin and scalp. But they are not lethal or toxic in any way. This is why stearates (waxes) are used in vitamin supplements. Hot wax is used to treat arthritic pain and without toxic side effects. So I would not get too worked up about their presence in products that you use.

Remember that toxic chemicals like plastics are only as toxic as your system allows. If you take care of your diet and have good nutrient levels in your system you will be able to tolerate chemicals that you are exposed to. In other words with your current diet of good whole foods you and your family should not have a problem with low level exposures to plastics."

Another headline

The U.S. maternal death rate is higher than in European countries. Interesting. Even more interesting is the list they give of the cause of death.

"The major direct causes of U.S. pregnancy-related deaths are blood clots, hemorrhage, complications of medical conditions, and eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, which are marked by dangerously high blood pressure."

How many of these deaths could be prevented by a change in our diets? I already talked about eclampsia last week. Hemorrhage is scary, but in theory should be solved with proper vitamin intake and absorption. Many medical conditions are a result of poor overall health...

I'm sure we cannot keep ALL of these from happening, but obviously, even with our high-tech hospitals, we are doing something wrong. After all, we are all humans. If other humans are experiencing a better rate, let's figure out what they're doing and DO it.

And, although it wasn't mentioned... dare I bring up homebirth here? Many of those same European countries do homebirths for all routine pregnancies. Hmmm...

I find this absolutely fascinating

A type of bacteria in your gut may cause or be the result of chocolate cravings.

Diet for moms

Betcha thought this post was about how to lose weight. Well, it's not.

Kim at Starry Sky Ranch posted a series a while back about Home Management Notebooks. This, I have found, is a secret of moms with lotsa kids. They don't keep it all in their heads - they write out everything they know. :)

Anyway, this morning I was looking through the info I downloaded from her. One of the things she included was a "WAP diet for pregnant and nursing moms."

Before copying it here, I want to make a couple of observations. First, midwives all over know that this diet keeps pregnant women from getting eclampsia. The high blood pressure issues that cause doctors to induce labor to "keep the mom and baby safe," (even though these inductions often end in c-section, but that's another post) these issues can be solved through just a couple of days with a diet like this. You must have protein and fat to make a healthy baby. Nursing is a similar story.

I ate similarly to this during both pregnancies, gained about 30-35 pounds both times, and lost it easily by four or five months postpartum, partially thanks to breastfeeding. I had no swelling whatsoever, and my blood pressure never went above 118/80 ish.

So, here's the diet, straight from Kim's download:

Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Cod Liver Oil to supply 20,000 IU vitamin A and 2000 IU vitamin D per day

1 quart (or 32 ounces) whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows

4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows

2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens

Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.

3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week

Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs

Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat

Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D

2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.

Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages

Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces

Soaked whole grains

Fresh vegetables and fruits

AVOID:

• Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
• Junk foods
• Commercial fried foods
• Sugar /White flour
• Soft drinks
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes
• Drugs (even prescription drugs)

We're siiick.

Ugh. (Read that out loud without breathing through your nose)

We did not manage to escape the nasty cold going around. In addition, Hannah has this weird habit of poking the corner of the tag on her blankie into the corner of her eye. As a result, if pink eye is going around, she gets it. (Any brilliant ideas there? She LOVES her tag.) Therefore to date all four of us have had it. Gross. We are washing hands till they're raw and disinfecting nonstop.

Have I mentioned we're moving in five days?

This is one of those times where relying on my own strength would be comical. When we get through this, well and moved, it will be because of God. And amazingly, to this point I'm trusting fairly well. The tone in our home is upbeat and light. We're in this together. I'm so grateful!

The Vitamin D/sunshine Conversation

I found this article today, written by a Nurse Practitioner. Definitely not an end-all authority, but fairly reliable, I would think.

"Today many of us work in sealed buildings with glazed windows, and we wear sunblock and drive everywhere in cars instead of walking outdoors. Any sunblock with an SPF above 8 will block the UV rays necessary for vitamin D conversion."

TC had a good point - do we want to lower our risk of some cancers, but raise our risk of melanoma by spending time in the sun? I don't know the answer to that. I sometimes wonder if the skin cancer rates are not caused so much by the sun as they are caused by the constant barrage of chemicals we are exposed to. I know people who blame it on the parabens that preserve...pretty much every kind of skin care product from lotion to soap to makeup. Or even on dyes in similar products. Who knows if that's right or not since it hasn't been studied to my knowledge? People 200 years ago certainly didn't have sunblock and didn't die from skin cancer, and I find it hard to believe sun exposure has changed THAT much since then.

The article also says this:

"Our bodies are remarkably efficient. During the summer months, even as little as 15 minutes in the sun (without sunblock!) in the early morning and late afternoon is enough for most light-skinned individuals to create an ample supply of vitamin D. Skin with more pigment (melanin) may require up to 40 minutes.

But you could say we are trading our longer lifespan for an increased risk of skin cancers, so don’t throw away your sunblock! It’s important to protect your skin, particularly on your face and scalp, during the sun’s peak hours (11 AM – 2 PM) by using a lotion with SPF–15 or more, preferably PABA–free. Melanoma is a serious condition, and I’m not in favor of increasing your risk with unhealthy sun exposure.

This means you should not be out in the sun unprotected for more than 15 minutes, twice a day, early in the morning and late afternoon. If you begin to turn red before 15 minutes, cover up completely or go inside. It is never a healthy practice to burn your skin. It is also not safe to use tanning beds as a source of vitamin D. Please click here to learn more about tanning beds and vitamin D."

As in everything, the bottom line is going to be that we have to make our own choices and be responsible for our own health. We can only do our best with what we know. Any other thoughts?

It's cloudy outside

And Hannah's watching Elmo. Again.

I have to teach a piano lesson today. Just the one. The only one I've taught in three weeks. Nobody wants to take lessons during the summer.

We all have runny noses. It's clear, so hopefully it won't be a big deal. (I'm sorry, was that more than you wanted to know?)

Somehow I need to grocery shop today. The co-op we go to closes at 6. Nick gets home at 6:30ish. Therefore, I have to pull off this trip every week. It is a challenge. Audrey goes in the Bjorn and Hannah in the cart, or Audrey in the cart and Hannah runs around the store. Either way, I'm wiped out after a 20 minute trip. Either choice has its ups and downs. I love bringing the girls with me when I run errands. I feel like it helps them learn. But it sure requires patience and energy from me!

I have felt terrible for the past several days. For some reason any time I'm under stress, my digestion shuts down on me and my stomach is...not happy. I nurse myself with a combination of digestive enzymes, DGL, and probiotics. The silliest thing about it, is the only "stress" I'm currently under is my own thoughts. Everything is good. Somebody tell my stomach that, please.

Tomorrow we're going to the lake again. Should be fun!

OK, I guess I'll quit procrastinating now. Have a lovely day.

Gluten

Hannah had another gluten episode this weekend. It's been a very long time, yet it was still discouraging to me. Every time she goes for a while, I start to hope it's going away, or that God healed her, or that she's growing out of it, or something along those lines. We had lots of temper tantrums over the weekend. I have to remind myself those happen because she's not feeling that great. It's hard. She seems to be better today, which means we managed to avoid another exposure while eating out with my family this weekend. Always a good thing.

Today we're going to pick up the things we need to make gluten-free playdough. You wouldn't think of it, but playdough is made mostly of flour. As easy as it is to eat, and as quickly as fingers get stuck in the mouth while covered with just about anything, gluten-containing playdough is not a good idea. Thankfully, you can find recipes for just about anything on the internet. I'll have to post pics. I'm sure Hannah will have a blast.