Health Is No Accident

I have copied with permission this article from Dr. Christine Horner, MD. She sums it up perfectly!

"Health is no accident. If you dread getting older, you're not alone. Most Americans fear aging because we think it's normal to lose our good health as we age. Unfortunately, for most of us, it's true. A lifetime for poor eating habits and lifestyle choices catches up with most of us women around menopause, when a light gets shone on the imbalances we have cultivated.

Good or poor health is usually not an accident: The foods we eat and the activities we choose every day will tip the scales in one direction  or the other. Stress; inactivity; smoking; alcohol; and eating a diet high in red meat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and bad fats - such as trans fats and saturated animal fats - are a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, a plant-based diet combined with intelligent supplementation; the daily practice of an effective stress-reducing technique, such meditation or yoga; regular exercise; and nurturing, loving relationships will stack the odds of staying healthy in our favor."

http://www.drchristinehorner.com/

As I have mentioned before, it is not bad luck, bad genes or random chance that we are sick. It our lifestyle, and that lifestyle starts from the day we are conceived. The great thing is that we have the choice to turn our lifestyle around and start living the life we deserve to the fullest potential.

5 Signs Your Kid is Toxic

What is expressed on the outside of our bodies is a good indication of what is happening on the inside. Unfortunately, we can not "see" inside our bodies, so many problems go unrecognized for a long time, sometimes until it is too late. Most people view their body as individual parts working solely on their own, instead of as intricate parts of a highly complex and intelligent system. We need to think of our body as a whole and nourish it from the INSIDE OUT, not the outside in (as in applying topical medications and drugs).

Whether we are at the gym, library, school or grocery store, I always see kids that are toxic with something and deficient in what their body needs. Remember, this is the The Only Reason We Are Ever Sick. And, sick does not always mean a "cold" or "flu". There are lots of symptoms that a body is sick or toxic, even though your child might be feeling or acting fine. Here are the top 5 that I see or hear about from moms regularly:

1. Red, blotchy, irritated and/or dry skin, or eczema - this is inflammation being expressed on the outside of the body. It can be all over, and sometimes just in certain places. Although there are plenty of creams and drugs that can be given to combat the irritation, this does not solve the problem. Many times, inflammation will also be expressed in other ways (see below) and these symptoms will NOT go away with the skin medications. Best solution - eliminate inflammation by increasing F&V, EFA (essential fatty acids), Omega-3, Probiotics and Vitamin D. AVOID - sugar, processed foods, dairy, wheat, food colorings/dyes, and additives like MSG and aspartame. This will help eliminate the skin problem as well as eliminating or preventing other problems (as listed below).
2. Lethargic/irritated - this is a sign of poor nutrition, especially lacking in protein, and too much sugar. A high-sugar breakfast will lead to a sugar crash, insulin spikes, irritability, and eventually drowiness. A high protein meal will keep energy levels high for a much longer amount of time, even through lots of activity. Ideas: Starting Solid Foods - What?,  Early Morning Protein Plate.
3. Hard, very smelly poop and/or constipated - this is a sign of too much sugar and not enough water. Make sure your child is drinking enough WATER - fruit juices (with lots of sugar) are NOT an ideal source of hydration. They can actually make the problem worse. Water, or coconut water, is best. This can also be a sign of not enough fiber. The best kind of fiber comes from F&V. Green smoothies are a staple in our diet (1-2 everyday) and serve many purposes - highly nutritious with F&V, a great source of dark, leafy greens (which actually have more Vitamin D and calcium naturally then milk!), high in fiber, very filling, easy and convenient. Fiber helps eliminate waste from our gut. As a side note: I love juicing, and have made some really tasty juices. Juicing is a great way to get a variety of F&V. However, it does eliminate the pulp, skins and seeds from the F&V (which house fiber and most of the nutrients). Blending is optimum. Juicing is ok to do sometimes, but I would add in as much fiber as possible if suffering from constipation.
4. Green snot, flemmy persistent cough - the classic tell-tale sign of inflammation. See the foods/supplements above to increase and avoid. Use a neti pot to clear out the nose. Warm water with a little honey and lemon (if you child will take it), helps boost immune function and clears/soothes the throat. Beat the Flu Naturally.
5. Bad breath - constant bad breath, even though your child might be brushing their teeth, drinking plenty of water, and not eating heads of garlic!  - can be caused by gut inflammation. Get your kid's gut in check by adding in probiotics (to boost up the GOOD Bacteria) and avoiding sugar. The bad bacteria in our gut LOVES sugar, and the more we "feed" it the more it proliferates. My boy has naturally sweet-smelling breath, no matter what he eats!

Co-op Collard Greens - Recipe

Ok, so we got two HUGE bunches of Collards today in our co-op share. Other then in smoothies, collards are very tough and bitter (imagine a piece of green leather!), and sometimes hard to figure out what to do with them. This is what we did for dinner tonight:

(1-2) chicken breasts, diced and broiled in spices of your choice (I used Italian).

In a separate large pot, saute EVCO and diced garlic over medium. Add in Cannolini Beans or White Northern Beans. Add in collards, S&P and stir well. Add in diced green onions. When collards are starting to wilt, but before they get too dark, add in diced shitake mushrooms. Stir well and cook for about 1-2 more minutes until mushrooms are slightly soft. Remove from heat, stir in chicken and serve. S&P, or other spices to taste.

Early Morning Protein Plate - Recipe

This is such a simple recipe. But I am always getting questions about what to eat for breakfast. Our family's breakfasts usually consist of eggs and/or quinoa and a green smoothie. This is a perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat to get you going through the morning. Plus kids LOVE this kind of food! I usually always keep a bowl of pre-made quinoa in the refrigerator and add it to meals as needed. Here are a few ideas:

1) Scramble up some eggs (organic, hormone & antibiotic-free) in the frying pan wit Coconut Oil. Add in quinoa to pan while eggs are still liquid. Add in as many veggies as you like - I love spinach, kale or arugula, with onions, tomatoes and garlic. S&P as needed.
2) Heat up a bowl of quinoa. Add in almond milk and banana to give it an "oatmeal" consistency. Add in cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, goji berries or whatever else you like.
3) Green smoothies: these have so many varieties, I encourage you just to experiment. Basic recipe: greens, almond milk, banana and ice, add to blender and blend. Additional ingredients can be: apple, pear, coconut milk, coconut flakes, mint or basil, berries, spiralina, protein powder, cacao powder, etc. Have fun!

Birth doesn't follow a "schedule"

I find the physiology of the human body amazing. If you really study it, take note how every organ, cell, muscle, hormone - everything works in perfect harmony without us even thinking about it. Even when there is a stressor, or a outside chemical (drug) introduced, the body is so incredibly smart that it will try to adapt to get back into balance. To me, this is proof that there truly is a God, or higher intelligence. Humans could not design something so perfect!

The same is true during pregnancy and childbirth. The body is smart and, again, without even having to think about it, our body innately knows what to do to grow and birth a baby. Then WHY is there so much intervention?

For 9 months a baby grows at their appropriate pace. Some babies grow a little bigger then others, some a little faster. When a mother sees her midwife or OB for the first time after becoming pregnant, the first thing discussed is the "due date" (approx. 40 weeks gestation). Most midwives respect that this is an estimate, and would rarely try to induce labor to meet this "deadline" (unless of course mother and baby's health is in danger). Only 5% of babies actually arrive on their due date - and I think that is more of a coincidence and the mother's subconscious doing - (remember how I said in a previous post that the mind a very powerful tool and can control the body!? I think some mothers are so excited at the arrival of the due date, that they go into labor!)

Unfortunately, many OB's will consider you "overdue" if you go past 41 weeks and will induce labor. If mother and baby are healthy, vitals are normal, and her water has not broken, there is no reason to induce labor. Some doctors like to coax mothers into induction..."You are huge! You must be so uncomfortable? We can induce labor, get you going and you'll see you baby in no time!" That might sound heavenly to a new, and probably exhausted mother, along with all the "advise" from family and friends to "just go for it!". But the educated mama will know that inducing labor with Pitocin will highly increase her chance of a hard labor, and will usually end with a c-section. She also knows that it is not up to her, but up to her baby when he will want to make his grand entrance into the world.

Early induction does not just occur in a hospital setting. I know of many couples that had planned homebirths, and were so ready for baby to arrive, that they started "natural induction" as early as 37/38 weeks! While these induction might not be with "drugs" per se, (but with herbs and acupuncture) they are starting labor before baby is ready to arrive. I don't understand it - you have been pregnant for 9 months! What's a few more days or a week?

Question: What if the "due date" is off by a week or two? What if you are actually inducing a 38-week pregnancy instead of a 40-week (or worse, a 35-week vs. a 37-week!) and the baby is still growing? The lungs are the last to develop, and what if they are not ready? Then that baby might have to be put on oxygen, or need breathing assistance and is away from mom, breastfeeding and bonding. Is that really worth the induction? NO! Is it worth the guessing game? NO! We are not here to play God, and is not up to us to decide a baby's birth day. He will arrive when he is ready.

According to a TIME Magazine article: "Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby's brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40. Going full-term gives a baby's lungs time to mature and improves a baby's ability to suck and swallow. But too many doctors - and moms - are disregarding advice from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to wait until at least 39 weeks to deliver. Desire for convenience and an intolerance for the unpredictability of labor have resulted in thousands of babies being born too early, according to The Leapfrog Group, which tracks hospital quality. Now the March of Dimes is calling on hospitals to solve the problem by requiring every physician who schedules an elective delivery before 39 weeks to justify its medical necessity. “Doctors know it's not right, but they just aren't being held accountable,” says Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes. It's kind of surprising that insurance providers haven't curtailed the practice of early elective deliveries entirely as babies born sooner tend to have more health complications and cost more. Even babies delivered at 37 to 38 weeks can end up costing 10 times as much as a full-term newborn, according to the March of Dimes. One study found that reducing early elective deliveries to under 2% could save close to $1 billion in health care each year.

Lets also consider c-sections. When the mother has an elective c-section, her OB will schedule on a day and time that not only works best for him, but is a week or two prior to her "due date". This will ensure that she will not be in labor and her uterus will not be contracting when he performs the surgery.  Busy schedules seem to take precedence over the health of the baby. And the mothers rarely speak up. After all, they are ready to meet their new baby. A 10:00am appointment sure sounds better then a 3:00am one. Why wait? Well, first of all, OB doctors are skilled enough with c-sections that they can do it with a contracting uterus (think about emergency c-sections!). Secondly, this takes away even the little bit of control that the mother will have over her pregnancy and birth.

Let me tell you, I have personally gone through this. I choose to have an elective c-section because of a breech presentation. But, I wanted to go into labor naturally, and labor as long as I could, for two reasons: 1) the baby could turn at the onset of labor and I could birth at the birthcenter, and 2) I wanted to make sure he was ready to come out and not be delivered prematurely. I told the OB all this and he understood. He did warn me that he may not be the doctor-on-call when I went into labor. That was ok. Remember, this doctor was not coaching me through labor. He was preforming a surgery. They most important thing to me at this point was that I went into labor naturally and the baby was born on his own time. You can read up on my birth story at: My Birth Story Part 5

As parents, we always want what is best for our children. Sometimes, it is not always about getting something or doing something. It's about NOT doing something. Stop interventions, stop planning, stop scheduling. Mother Nature's plan is a mystery. Instead of trying to figure it all out or control it,  enjoy and relish in the excitement and anticipation of new life about to be born.

"Nature does not hurry - yet everything is accomplished" - Lao Tzu