Category Archives: Parenting

Nutritional Deficiencies And Your Child

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Should your child experience any of the symptoms listed below please consider that there may be an underlying nutrient deficiency

Many of these concerns are discussed in books written by devoted Pediatric Allergist Dr. Doris Rapp.

Quality nutritional supplementation can impact the well being of nutritionally challenged children without the use of drugs. 


Symptoms of Nutritional Deficiencies In Children:

Bedwetting

Persistent colds

Hyperactivity

Reoccurring nose bleeds

Mouth breathing

Poor school performance

Reoccurring ear infections

Headaches

Chronic winter coughs

Irritability

Dark circles under the eyes

Leg and muscle cramps

Allergies

Puffiness in the face

Constipation

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Wheezing

Spots on the tongue

Twitchiness

Stomach aches

Excessive sweating

Stuffy nose

Poor attention span

Picky eater

Above list created and sourced from nutritionist Barbara Lagoni — thank you


adorable child sneeze flickr image credit

Grocery Aisle Tours

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I am developing a grocery aisle tour.

I did a few this summer and found I really enjoyed doing them.

In years past after I always ended my community education workshops with a field trip to Whole Foods.

We even had reunions! Recipe exchanges and a sharing of shifts parents noticed in kids health and behavior when diet changes were made!

Not sure what to call it exactly but for now “Grocery Aisle Tours” will do!!

The focus of the tour is choice

How to navigate  and find alternative foods in big box, grocery, health food store’s and the farmer’s market

Moving here it’s taken me two years to figure out how to find the foods I prefer to eat.

I prefer no altered fats, no unnecessary sugars or sweeteners, no food additive or preservatives.  Organic and local options are also important to me.  The learning curve to eat seasonal is new to me.  I’ve really enjoyed this shift.

This last  year I stopped buying food in cans to avoid BPA contamination

I am considering making my own butter to avoid PFOA, the same chemical used to coat Teflon  pans is used on the wax wrappers.  Who knew this detail ?  I didn’t.

One might ask why I do all this ?

20 years ago an author inspired me to look at what I was eating.

I wanted to do better for me and for my family.

Shifting my own food pantry took a lot of time and effort.

I find my needs continue to evolve and I have a lot to learn !  Even after all this time!

Back then I started to cook scratch and lean towards the slow vs the fast food movement.

I found cooking and the hearth around my table became therapeutic and ceremonial.

I want this for others!

When I worked for whole foods they said the more folks who buy organic the better the demand becomes.

The bigger the demand the larger a supply is needed.  My spending contributes to the growth of choices I personally believe in. Thats where I’d prefer to put my spending $

You would enjoy a grocery aisle tour if:

you are eliminating processed foods from your diet

want to eat and cook more healthfully

want to shorten the learning curve on all that label reading

want to fuel the alternative food market

 

Do We Really Need ALL This Back To School Stuff?

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The calendar page turns.

Holy smokes  - it’s August.

It’s that back to school time.

Can you feel it?

Time to spend absolute crazy amounts of money for “Back To School” things.

Must all those back to school things be brand spanking new?

I know it’s time to stand in squeaky new shoes, fresh haircuts, have sharpened No. 2′s ready to write, color matching notebooks and folders.  We all gear up for the delicious smell of crayons, book day, committee work, making school lunches and car pooling. We are all beginning to endure the registration lines.

I get this ritual. I did this year after year. and i love the feeling of back to school.

I use to actually save the entire year for the volume of cash I laid out at this time. I had an envelope titled school and each month I put money away.  The three major cash outlays each year;  back to school, the holidays and summer activities.

I think it’s time to pause and re-think this marketing ploy.

I think that some of the back to school expenses are not necessary.

I’d love to suggest a bit of restraint.

A bit of anti-consumerism.

Ask ourselves do we really really NEED all of this stuff?

If the shoes we have now fit, and are in good condition – could we wait to buy the new ones until we need to ?   Is there someone in school noticing if your daughter’s hair has just been cut?  Perhaps there are pencils, markers and crayons from last year that still function?? How can we re-use the binders and folders from the year prior?

I ask this not only to have one save money, but also from an environment perspective too.  So much is just pitched these days.   Mass purchasing lead to more pitching.   Where does it begin and where does end?

Think about it.

 

 

 

Heavy Metals Found In Protein Drinks

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A June WebMD article shared news of certain protein drinks having high levels of certain heavy metals.   These heavy metals at high dosages: mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic can cause health problems including damage to the kidneys.  The issue besides the high levels of heavy metals is that often protein drinks are over consumed. I find it interesting that an unregulated industry has an agency that makes suggestions for voluntary standards for labeling. How can a standard be voluntary??

Protein is a crucial for cellular health. When one is an athlete, protein needs are higher and critical for muscle repair.

Protein drinks are a tool, a “supplemental” not an end all to one’s daily needs for protein. I come from the eat sensibly, don’t eat the same thing all the time, take your vitamins mentality. Protein drinks are not your dinner. Unless they are properly defined as meal replacements.

The sports nutrition line I work with is solid, clean, and used by tremendous successful often high level WINNING athletes from around the world.

No heavy metals.

AND until the end of this month  – with a new membership and a $70 order – our trio of sports nutrition products are FREE   — >  $75 value!!

 

 

WOW!

 

 

 

Organic Dentifrice

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Why does a product that supposedly prevents tooth decay have to be artificially sweetened, have harmful food dye in it and other questionable ingredients like flouride?

How about a toothpaste that doesn’t have a warning label on it?

“WARNINGS: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek PROFESSIONAL HELP or contact a POISON CONTROL center immediately.”

Ever wonder about the word “poison”

For myself and my family we choose to use an organic dentifrice that is flouride free, that is sweetened with xylitol, and that has crushed egg shells in it as an abrasive.

As an added benefit research indicates that xylitol inhibits bacteria growth and significantly reduces the incidence of ear infections! Dr Green shares information about that study here

Many of my mom clients have been known to brush their kids tongues with it!!

Absolutely love this product.

I also use baking soda. Many say that baking soda is too abrasive.  Truth be it’s not the backing soda that is the concern it’s when you brush your teeth improperly that causes harm. I raised both my kids without flouride treatments and we removed flouride from our water.