4.26.2012

Spicy Chocolate Date Balls - Recipe

Here is another quick, easy, healthy snack recipe. Perfect for the park or to bring to a play date.

Spicy Chocolate Date Balls:
12 Medjool Dates, pitted
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Pecans/Walnuts
Pinch of Sea Salt
(1) 3.5 oz bar of Green & Black Organic Dark Chocolate in "Maya Gold" (this specific flavor has added spices to the chocolate that taste INCREDIBLE!)
2 Tbs Hemp Seeds
2 Tbs Chia Seeds

Place dates in a food processor/blender and pulse until well chopped. Add almonds, pecans/walnuts and sea salt and pulse until chopped, a few larger chunks can remain. Remove from food processor/blender and place in bowl.  Break up chocolate bar into small pieces and melt over low heat. Remove and stir into date mixture until well combined. Add in hemp and chia seeds and stir until well combined. Roll into small balls and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

4.18.2012

Trust Creates Peace...Why We Don't Vaccinate

Vaccines are such a controversial topic these days. As with birthing practices, breastfeeding and co-sleeping, you will find pro-and anti-vaccine debates, books and "experts" weighing in heavily from one extreme to the other.

I feel that every parent has the right to choose if and when to vaccinate their child. They should be allowed a revised/delayed schedule at any point in their child's life and for any reason (not just because of a "religious exemption"). And, every parent should be informed much, much more on vaccine ingredients, side-effects and statistics. Their concerns and questions should be honestly answered, not brushed off. Doctors should not be denying patient visits because of their vaccine choices.

I want to state right now that I am not a doctor or expert by any means. This post is strictly my own opinions and personal research and studies. I am just sharing information that I have come across. Whatever decision a parent makes for themselves and their family needs to be THEIR decision - all I hope for is that it is an educated decision, well thought-out and planned and NOT because "my mother/husband/doctor/TV show said so".

Thanks to my mother's diligent record-keeping throughout my childhood, I have a detailed account of my early health history. Upon investigating it, I saw a surprising correlation between my vaccine schedule and illnesses, listed below. Not to mention the poor gut integrity! I was only breastfed for 1 month, and then on formula. My mother started me on rice cereal at 3 months, fruits at 4 months, meats and egg yokes at 6 months. What happened to exclusively breastfeeding for at least a year? I am not sure of AAP's stand on infant nutrition in the late 70's/early 80's.

My first series of vaccines (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Polio) was 3 months after birth, and then the boosters for those were at 4 and 6 months. Next, a series of MMR was administered at 15 months. Within 3 days of being vaccinated, I developed red bumps and was diagnosed with a "coxsackie" virus. About 3 months later the final booster to the first series was administered. About a month later, I developed "Roseola" with a 104* temp and rash. 4 months after that, I developed a "viral infection" with a sore throat and vomiting so bad that I was admitted to the hospital for 3 days and given and IV. So basically, within the first 2 years of my life, I had only a months worth of "liquid gold", and then given HFCS mixed with cows milk (formula), nutritionally-void rice cereal, solid food way too early for my body to know what to do with it and large bouts of chemicals and heavy metals (nothing compared to what the kids get today though!) every 2-3 months...no wonder I was always sick!

I don't blame my mother. She, just like most other Americans, thought that what the pediatrician said and what was advertised on TV was the best. No need to question anything. Fortunately, I was a very active kid, outside all the time, and was not as sick as I could have been if I were sedentary.

Fast forward almost 30 years and now I'm pregnant with my first baby. My husband and I decided not to vaccinate our child. Through his chiropractic college, we were lucky to have access to several books, research papers, and discussions with professors on the subject. My husband and his brother were never vaccinated as children. They received chiropractic care their whole life (dad and grandpa are both chiropractors). We know that our child's body is innately intelligent. It is strong and knows HOW to fight off disease. We believe that we gave our child's body the proper tools to live in ultimate health: a healthy, natural birth, bonding & co-sleeping, exclusively breastfeeding for almost a year and continued breastfeeding for well over 2 years, only highly nutritious food, sunlight, exercise, regular chiropractic adjustments and elimination of ALL TOXINS - chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, GMO's, sulfates, BPA's, stress and negative thoughts! Removal of toxicity and plenty of sufficiency! When the body is given what it needs - and NOT subjected to CRAP - the results are perfect health! And that is what happened - Perfect Little Baby Boy! Nolan has never been really sick, and never had taken a medication or antibiotic. A few sniffles or a cough here and there, slight fevers a few times, but nothing severe enough to warrant even a doctor's visit. We just continue to breastfed, rest and eat nutrient-dense, vitamin-packed, crazy-healthy-for-you food! When he is sick, it is a GOOD thing! It is building up his immune system to fight off the next cold or virus he comes in contact with. It is not genes, good luck or random chance - it is our lifestyle! And for almost 3 years now, Nolan is a perfect example of that.

"TRUST CREATES PEACE".....I Trust that everything I provide for my family is pure and sufficient; I Trust that what God put on this Earth for us is exactly what we need and nothing more....I am at Peace with my decisions. I do not worry, I do not stress. Our bodies are incredibly powerful, amazingly strong; We are prepared...Nothing can Break Us!

Most medical doctors, the media and the CDC will tell you that vaccines are completely safe;  they do not cause autism or seizures. But you can not deny the numerous claims against vaccines. There are too many parents that claim their child was totally normal and then, after vaccination, they "changed", or worse. I personally know families that are suffering. Although the CDC website claims that vaccines are safe, there is a link to direct you to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) to report an adverse effect. (QUESTION - If they are safe, then why would you need to report an adverse effect??) From that website, you can continue down the "rabbit hole" to numerous other sites that list number of negative reports, cases, compensation paid, etc.(http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/statisticsreports.html#Stats) Clearly, when you see how many cases there are against vaccines, can you truly say "they are proven safe"??

There will always be the "what ifs": If you vaccinate and your kid has seizures or develops autistic traits, you will always think "I should not have vaccinated". If you don't, and your kid gets a disease that impairs, disables or kills them, you will always think "I should have vaccinated." Do your homework. Make an educated, rational decision. Look at the severity and probability of the diseases. Dr. Sears' book, The Vaccine Book, does a great job at explaining this. He tries to stay impartial, and although he lets his opinion slip a little (he prefers a revised/delays schedule), this is the book that convinced me NOT to vaccinate. I also like Dr. Mendelsohn "How to Raise a Healthy Child Inspite of Your Doctor". This book is why we don't run to the doctor with every little sniffle (except for the incredibly boring and time-consuming "well visits" mandated in the 1st year by the insurance company)...Mother Knows Best!

We must remember that statistics are not black-and-white. They are many, many shades of gray. When they say that X number of children die from X-disease each year, we must ask: Where these children already sick? Maybe they had an auto-immune disease? Were they cared for, dressed, fed properly? Were they living in poor, sub-standard conditions? Were the parents unable, or unwilling, to get them immediate medical attention? I have to believe that a normal, healthy child that received proper and prompt medical attention would easily "survive" Measles or Mumps, and even Pertussis.



LIES and SCARE-TATICS
from the Pharmaceutical Companies

Pure, Perfect Baby-
THIS is our Health-Assurance


Not-Your-Ordinary Oatmeal - Recipe


I avoid cereals and packaged oatmeal because they are highly processed, inflammatory and usually have tons of added sugars to make then taste good. Here is a quick, healthy, tasty breakfast that adults and kids will enjoy! And with REAL ingredients! To make this busy mama's mornings less stressful, I make up a huge batch and reheat what I need in the morning over the stove. Tastes just a good re-heated! (when you re-heat, you might need to add a little water or almond milk)

Not-Your-Ordinary Oatmeal:
1/2 cup rinsed Quinoa
1/2 cup rinsed Wheat Berries
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
Handful of chopped dates
Handful of chopped walnuts/almonds/pecans (whatever you like)
1 large apple, pealed and diced
Cinnamon
Ground Ginger
Agave

Combine Quinoa, Wheat Berries, Almond Milk and Water in medium pot and heat over stove. When liquid is about halfway absorbed, add in apples, dates and nuts. Stir well and continue cooking. When liquid is completely absorbed, add cinnamon, ginger and agave to taste. I don't measure much, but I think I used about 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger and a 1 tbs of agave.

4.06.2012

The Natural Mama's Favorite Beauty Products


EO Soap

I am the first to admit that I do not know much about make-up or "beauty products". I try to find products made with as few ingredients as possible, as natural ingredients as possible, reasonably priced and that works well for my skin and hair.

My new favorite Bodywash/Shampoo is EO Soap Everyone Soap "3-in-1" Shampoo, Body Wash and Bubble Bath. The Citrus Coconut smells AWESOME! I like that I only have to buy one product and the whole family can use it! Easy for traveling, too.


For a bar soap, I like Kiss My Face Olive Oil/Shea Butter Bar Soap.


Whole Foods 365 puts out a very reasonably priced shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion. Favorite scents are Herbal Mint and Citrus. I also LOVE their Gentle Face Wash.

Dr. Bronners



Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap works good for baby and as a body wash. I do not like to wash my hair with Castile soap as it makes my hair feel very dry. Since it is very concentrated, it lasts forever! I like to put the date on bottle of soaps or lotions so I know how long it lasts and if it's worth it's price. I have been using a 16oz bottle of Castile Soap for Nolan (Probably cost about $12.00) and it has lasted me almost a whole year!!!

Dr. B Leave-in Cream



Dr. Bronner makes an Incredible "Lavender Leave-in Conditioner". Smells great and makes your hair feel really silky. I will comb a little through my hair after a shower. Definatly use this if you do wash your hair with Castile soap. Whether I let my hair air-dry, blow-dry immediately, or blow-dry the next day, it always looks great, and I don't need to use any other hair products. This is a Must-Have product for me...don't know what I would do without it!






Body Lotions - I switch it up between Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Whole Foods 365 Emollient Body Lotion and Ver-e-Nice Pure African Shea Butter. It depends if it's day or night that I'm applying lotion (I don't like to be to greasy if I'm going out or teaching), if I have a sunburn, or if it's winter and my skin feels really dry. At night I use a drop of EVCO on my face as a lotion and wake up with smooth, soft skin. For baby, the ONLY lotion I recommend is EVCO, or a pure Shea butter. Great for diaper rashes, sunburns, or any other skin irritations.


Make-up - My favorite that I have been using for a couple years now is Ecco Bella. I LOVE the way their products work with my skin; they have all-natural, plant-based ingredients, which help clear up blemishes with the vitamins and minerals. For makeup brushes, I like EcoTools.



EVCO!!

A little jar of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil sit on the counter and is used as make-up remover, face, hand & body lotion, leave-in deep hair conditioner and natural healer of blemishes, scrapes and cuts.

I also like to make a sugar-scrub with EVCO, Sugar and a few drops of essential oil (I have been using Sweet Orange). With the water OFF, scrub up your entire body. A sugar-scrub is great for removing dead skin and eliminating toxins. And this homemade version costs only pennies compared to the store-bought stuff! The coconut oil keeps your skin super soft, so when you get out of the shower, very lightly towel-off. That way you will keep the coconut oil on your skin.



4.04.2012

Eggplant Caprese Sandwich - Recipe


This is a little stack of wonderful....and actually very filling. All fresh, organic produce from our co-op "Affordable Organics".

Eggplant Caprese with Wild Rice

1 Medium Eggplant
2-3 Ripe Large Tomatoes (These are best, but I used smaller ones and they worked fine)
Portobello Mushroom Caps - (1) per sandwich
EVOO
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Basil Leaves
Fresh Mozzarella (unpasteurized is best!)



Preheat oven to 425*. Slice eggplant and tomatoes about 1/2" thick. Place eggplant slices and Portobello Mushroom caps in single layer on oiled baking sheet (depending on how many you are making you might need two baking sheets). Create a mixture of 4 Tbs EVOO, 2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tsp Salt & 1 tsp Pepper. Brush mixture over eggplant and mushrooms. Bake for about 10 min, turn over, brush other side with mixture and bake another 10 minutes. Both items should be soft, so adjust cooking as needed. Remove eggplant and mushrooms when soft and set aside. Place tomatoes on baking sheet and bake for 2-3 minutes until soft. Now we start to stack everything up! Start with the mushroom, then adding a slice of eggplant, mozzarella, tomato, eggplant, mozzarella cheese, eggplant. Stack how you like, adding in basil leaves. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or less to reheat and melt the cheese. Enjoy!