Green Child Magazine Winter 2013

Radiation

Routines What Every Woman Needs to Know The Modern Mama’s

Guide to Self-Care Winter 2013

Liza Huber

Shares Her Favorite Birthing Essentials 1

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Features Healthy Beauty Tips

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Taking “No” for an Answer

36 38

The Sustainable Power of Touch

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Radiation: What to Know

Liza’s Birthing Essentials

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Cultivating a Better Food System 50

Modern Mom’s Self-Care Guide

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Baby Sign Language

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Staying Active During Pregnancy 24

In Every Issue EcoFab Look, Listen, Read Nutritional Nuggets The More You Know Eco Anni’s Kitchen Guided Relaxation Ask Green Grandma What’s in Season Sacred Pregnancy Fashion Eco Craft Your Green Child

Photo submitted by GCM reader!

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greenchildmagazine.com3

Publisher & Editor Amity Hook-Sopko

Creative Director Amanda Hearn

Columnists

Contributors

Ashley Allman Kelly Bartlett Elena Casanova Tiffany Casanova Julia Cook Mellisa Dormoy Alia Einstein-Diez Christy Funk Ellen Gustafson

Media & Other Inquiries 4

media@greenchildmagazine.com

Liza Huber Sandy Kreps Lisa D Liguori Jennie Lyon Anne Michelsen Danielle Nierenberg Andrea Ploehn Lauren Taylor Erica Ziel

Image by Barbara Miers

Anni Daulter Louise Goldberg, RD, CSP, LD, CNSC Hana Haatainen Caye

from our publisher & editor A bright and inspiring issue for a fresh new year!

From my first issue as the editor of Green Child, I’ve wanted to inspire parents to raise healthy, happy, compassionate kids. It’s not always easy in today’s world of technology and hectic schedules... but it’s more important than ever.

This issue places a special focus on the very beginning of each of our lives - pregnancy.

Whether you are pregnant, plan to be, or simply want to provide support to a woman who is, we have something for you. From healthy beauty tips to staying active during pregnancy and a fabulous birth essential list from our cover model, Liza Huber. Can you believe that Liza is 37 weeks along in that gorgeous photo?

Our in-depth look at the risks of radiation (p. 38) is one you’ll want to share with everyone you care about. Author Anne Michelsen has taken a comprehensive look at the facts, speaking with industry experts to bring you the information that you need to know, along with a host of helpful, simple precautions you can take to protect yourself and those you love.

We’re also talking about something every mom could use a little more of... self-care. This issue’s The More You Know Eco section includes our interview with Ed Brown about his eyeopening documentary on the chemical industry, “Unacceptable Levels.” And finally, the parenting section is rounded out with gentle discipline tips and a special guided meditation script you can use to start a new, gentle routine with your kids at bedtime.

We are so excited to be sharing this issue with you and want to offer our heartfelt thanks for being here with us. Dive in and let us know what you think!

Amity ON THE COVER: Photography by Alex Hesterberg

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Healthy Beauty Tips for Pregnant

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Moms

By Lisa D Liguori

There’s a soft, natural beauty to every pregnant woman… Even though there are days you really don’t feel it. Here are 5 tips to help keep stretch marks, itchy skin, hormonal changes and sleepless nights from taking their toll.

1. Make every bite count, and drink plenty of water.

Choose nutrient-dense foods. The easiest way to do this is to avoid white flour and white sugar. Keep a pretty decanter of pure water (add lemon or peppermint oil to it if you wish) on the kitchen counter or your desk and drink half a cup every time you pass by or begin a new task. You will have more energy, better sleep, clearer skin… and your baby will reap the benefits.

2. Keep your skin clear and make the most of your pregnancy glow.

Make time to wash and care for your face each night. For those days that your skin is just not cooperating, use a healthy concealer/corrector for uneven pigment splotches. A pure mineral powder without any dyes is your best bet to keep your skin clean and clear.

3. Go fragrance-free.

Choosing healthy products that contain no synthetic fragrance will keep phthalates out of your beauty routine. Phthalates are hormone disrupters, which can have an impact on your growing child.

Pure essential oils add a touch of scent without harming your developing baby.

4. Try these makeup artist’s tricks for those days when you feel less than perky.

Curl your eyelashes, use a pink toned blush to perk up tired looking skin, and add highlighter to cheekbones, under brow bone, and on the inside of your eye area, near your nose.

5. Choose better beauty products.

Be as careful about what you put on your skin as you are about what you eat. Avoid the ‘toxic dozen’ in terms of ingredients, such as phthalates, parabens, dyes, and most synthetics. The information is out there, or consider getting to know a healthy beauty expert who will take the time to understand you and your individual needs.

Most importantly, enjoy this miraculous time in your life. You are

beautiful.

by Lisa D Liguori, founder and beauty expert behind Style Essentials, a green healthy-beauty marketplace, featuring mineral makeup, botanically based organic skincare…all with a skilled, personal touch.

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The Sustainable Power of Touch

How our least understood sense may contribute to family and global well being.

The physiological effects of loving touch read like a pharmaceutical company’s wonder drug.

Touching lowers the stress hormone cortisol, and boosts “feel-good” endorphins, along with oxytocin, the hormone largely responsible for bonding behavior. In both children and adults, the physiological effects of positive touch include:

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• Strengthened immune system • Lowered heart rate • Lowered blood pressure • Increased circulation • Reduced pain • Reduced stress, anxiety and fatigue

But the benefits of touch reach far beyond the merely physical. Babies who do not receive adequate human interaction – and especially loving touch – become depressed and anxious, fail to grow properly, experience developmental delays, and are prone to violence and compulsive and/or anti-social behavior. Touch deprivation, in extreme cases, can even result in death.

An unexpected Benefit of Touch

Scientists are just beginning to study how touch affects communication and human interaction. But early research is yielding intriguing results. A recent University of California, Berkely study of NBA basketball players reveals a particularly compelling reason to pay attention to how – and how much – we touch each other.

Photography by Marta Locklear

Most of us give little thought to the sense of touch, which often lags behind the other senses in our conscious awareness. But we ignore it at our peril.

By Anne Michelsen Study results indicate that higher levels of touching (high-fives, pats on the back, etc.) between individual teammates in early season games have a high correlation to overall team success over the course of the season.

The study’s researchers infer that frequent touch is likely to result in greater levels of trust and cooperation, which in turn lead to higher levels of group performance and team success.

If they are right, it would seem to follow that lavishing our children with loving touch may have far-reaching benefits to our families, our society – and even to the very planet we depend on.

The world may not have ended with the Mayan calendar last December, but it is clear that we have entered a new era that will demand a radical change in mindset if we are to survive as a species. Global climate change, peak oil and the increasing demands of an ever-increasing population present problems solvable only through unprecedented cooperative action.

Of course, touching each other more is by no means a complete solution to our planetary woes. But it can be a powerful technique to enhance cooperation within our families – and from there, within society at large.

Tapping in to the power of touch There are plenty of ways to incorporate touch into our family lives. If you have an infant, attachment parenting techniques such as on-demand breastfeeding, babywearing, bed sharing and infant massage are all ideal ways to ensure that both you and your baby get the maximum benefits of nurturing touch.

As our children grow older, however, it can be hard to maintain a strong culture of touch.

Here are just a few suggestions for structuring healthy “touch time” into our families’ lives: • Limit computer use. If your child must be on the computer for extended periods of time, set her up in a common area of the home where you can pat her back or tousle her hair as you pass.

• Cuddle and huddle. Children love to cuddle – why not make it routine? Pile the whole family on the couch while watching TV instead of sitting in separate chairs. Or, make it a habit to all cuddle together for stories or devotions before bed each night.

• Massage. Bedtime backrubs can help both parent and child relax at the end of the day.

As kids get older, have the whole family sit in a circle for group back, foot or hand massage.

• Hugs. Make a routine out of hugging your children when they get up, when they’re leaving for school, when they get home, before bed, or whenever it seems appropriate.

• Incidental touch. Make an extra effort to reach out and touch your child anytime you pass him. A light touch on the arm or back also helps your child focus on you when you need his attention.

Try a few of these suggestions – or come up with your own ways of encouraging physical contact within your family – and see if it doesn’t help foster an increased sense of cooperation and teamwork within your family. If so, you can feel good knowing you’re preparing your children well for the world of the future.

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Liza’s

Birthing Essentials

By Liza Huber

Sage Spoonfuls

After going through the birthing process 3 times already, I’m beginning to feel like a pro when it comes to packing the hospital bag! Here’s my list of birthing essentials as I approach my due date with baby number 4: Cord blood kit – Alex and I are big believers in the benefits of banking baby’s cord blood.

Gownie – My friends at Baby Be Mine Maternity, babybeminematernity.com, gave me a really pretty pink hospital gown and cozy socks to deliver in. I love the idea of wearing something of my own for the delivery.

Socks, slippers, underwear and bras – I normally bring about 3 pairs of super cozy socks, my UGG slippers, 4 pairs of cotton maternity underwear and 2 cotton nursing bras.

Cozy robe and pajamas – I love my fluffy pink robe from Barefoot Dreams, barefootdreams. com, 2 long sleep shirts and 2 nursing gowns.

Pillows and blankets – Having my own pillow and blanket from

home really makes a big difference. I also bring an extra pillow and blanket for Alex, especially since he’ll probably be sleeping in a chair.

Soap, Shampoo and Conditioner - non-toxic travel sizes are nice so they don’t take up too much room in your bag.

Towel – 2 big towels from home to take a shower. Hospital towels are so small and thin!

Moisturizer for face and body – I absolutely love Badger Balm’s

Damascus Rose Face Oil and Lavender Massage oil. I am a huge fan of Badger Balm’s organic oils, they feel luxurious on the skin without being too heavy and best of all they’re non-toxic and organic.

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Nipple cream – I really like the organic nipple cream from Motherlove – it also makes a great lip balm!

DVD player – You never know how long your labor is going to

be. I was in labor for 22 hours with Royce, 6 hours with Brendan and about 9 hours with Hayden. I love The Golden Girls and always bring the DVDs with me to the hospital. It helps keep me calm and makes me laugh.

Camera, iPad, iPod, cell phone and chargers.

Snacks – bottles of water, Honest Tea, Annie’s Naturals organic pretzels, clementines, gum and peppermints.

Hair brush and rubberbands Going home outfit for me – comfy yoga pants and a cotton tunic top.

Going home outfit for baby – we got him a very cozy 100% cotton outfit with fold over mitten cuffs and a hat.

Swaddling blanket, cozy blanket and cotton burp cloths for baby – while the hospital provides swaddle blankets, it’s always nice to bring your own soft swaddles and cozy, warm blanket for the baby from home.

Car seat – we’ll have it all cleaned, installed and ready to bring the new baby home!

While it’s really nice to have everything packed and ready to go, sometimes these babies come when they’re least expected.

My Brendan was born 2 months premature and I went to the hospital in my pajamas with nothing more than my wallet. Even without creature comforts, I still made it through ok. Women are amazing and we can get through anything……although it’s definitely nice to have our creature comforts from home.

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The GCM editors love this bamboo swaddle set from aden + anais!

“

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

�

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Photography by Nithya Ramanujam

Look Listen Read Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide and Cookbook

By Alisa Fleming and Hallie Klecker

For busy moms, cooking without dairy and gluten isn’t always easy... especially when you factor in processed foods and hidden allergens. This starter guide contains a pantry makeover list, meal plans, shopping lists, tips for dining out, and 75 nutritious recipes that prove dairy and gluten free can be both achievable and delicious when the focus is on whole, natural foods. $8 at Amazon

Indian Super Meals

by Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Set your baby up for a lifelong love of healthy, flavorful foods... and never have to argue with a toddler’s demands for bland foods like chicken nuggets and french fries. Indian Super Meals contains recipes provide nutrition, fun, and a sense of adventure. Best of all, these scrumptious meals can be made without the use of salt, sugar or chilli. $6 at Amazon

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Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

by Ina May Gaskin

Considered a bible of birthing by midwives, doulas, and natural mamas everywhere, Ina May’s book instructs and inspires women to trust their instincts during pregnancy, labor, and the early stages of mothering. Not just for first time moms, this book is helpful for any mother who didn’t have her ideal birth the first time around. Fear of the unknown dissolves with inspiring birth stories and positive, non-judgmental advice for parents-to-be. $12 at Amazon

Pregnancy & Baby Development

by Free Modality, Inc.

While there are plenty of pregnancy apps to choose from, the Modality app celebrates the growing bond between mother and child. You’ll find insightful, inspiring words from world-renowned doctor and health / spiritual author Deepak Chopra, nutrition information, a journaling section, and videos detailing the biology of pregnancy and infant development.

Free in the App Store 17

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modern

The

Mama’s Guide to Self-Care

Modern day motherhood is no walk in the park, so to speak. Even with all of the amenities and technological advances (smart phones that do everything except change your baby’s diapers) modern mamas are even more exhausted and overwhelmed than previous generations. Why is this? Why, with the best of everything, are we seeing such an influx of thyroid disorders, adrenal exhaustion and hormonal disruption to name a few?

Modern day motherhood means having been subjected to modern day living: environmental pollutants, chemical war fares in our homes, personal and beauty care, pesticide and GMO-laden foods and so on. The human body, especially a woman’s delicate hormonal infrastructure, can only handle so much.

Add to this the hurried and over-scheduled lifestyle of caring for the kids, piling on extracurricular activities, being the head of the household, possibly working and making sure everyone, including the cat, is happy. Where does this leave mom? You guessed it: wiped out. When mom is not well the whole castle crumbles, so let’s see how we can remedy and even prevent this from happening in the first place.

By Christy Funk

Self-care: Why it’s important It is just as important to introduce this information to a woman as is breast-feeding and new baby care. We, as a culture, need to implement it into our conditioning from the time we are young women. Self-care means love. Women are naturally givers. It is a beautiful marvel that we intrinsically have as women, and when properly cultivated and nurtured, it benefits the whole planet. The problem is, when we stop understanding that the output needs to be balanced with the input.

How we care for ourselves is vital to our wellbeing. Think of it as replenishing the fuel in an auto-mobile when it is on low. A mom just cannot go on until that fuel is replenished.

Here are just some of the factors that can deplete a mom: • Over-scheduling • Nutrition (skipping meals & eating poorly) • Using chemicals in the home or on the body • Not having down-time during the day, at least 15 minutes of “me” time • Staying up late • Not taking time to meditate, pray or contemplate 19

modern

The

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Mama’s Guide to Self-Care

The first thing a mother needs to do is to walk can do wonders. As your child gets older honor her worth in the household. Simple and can be away from mom for longer, take things like sitting down for a meal when we the opportunity to schedule a movie, manifeed our own children is critical and insures cure-pedicure or anything that requires more that we also value our own health. Too oftime. ten we feed the children first, run around all day with them and then eat the scraps of a Self-care : Begins with self-love sandwich and pass that off as lunch. How to Do the work to get to a space where you can remedy this? Next time you pack your child’s validate your role as wife, mother and woman lunch, pack your own. It doesn’t need to be so that you understand the value of taking fancy, just healthful. It won’t take any more care of yourself outside of the family structime to toss an avocado, some nuts, maybe ture. The entire family benefits when mom even a quinoa salad takes care of her into the lunchbox own needs and will Incorporating time away and you will know witness a lovely from the children is also that you are also shift in energy in important, even for those showing some selfthe home. A simple who practice Attachment love. home practice can Parenting. Think of it as be done quickly breathing space to come Ideally we would all without the added back to your own center, love a day at the spa stress of trying to so that when you are with but realistically it plan for something your family again, you are makes more sense fancy. Make a simhappy to operate from a to bring the spa ple list, put it on place of love and joy. home. Get creative the calendar and and depending on treat it as you do the age of your child, you could incorporate any activity you do for your child, so that you an avocado hair mask or even a hydrating fadon’t cancel. Remember that every time you cial mask, while the children play in the back have washed a diaper, treated a fever, nursed yard. Even a 15-minute break like this will through the night and so on, you have actualrejuvenate you. ly accumulated points towards self-nurturing.

Make sure to use them!

Incorporating time away from the children is also important, even for those who practice Attachment Parenting. Think of it as breathChristy Funk is a natural childbirth advocate ing space to come back to your own center, and organic-loving mother of two boys, aged 7 so that when you are with your family again, and 9, owner of Belly Sprout, www.bellysprout. you are happy to operate from a place of love com, a natural parenting store and community and joy. If a weekend away with the husband center. is too much, then try to go to tea, have a meal by yourself, go to the bookstore or even just a

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Nutritional Nuggets |by Louise Goldberg

Can food have an effect on our mood?

Yes. There is a strong relationship between the food we eat and our mental health. It is also a more immediate response than the effect long-term eating habits have on our physical health. Neurotransmitters are chemical compounds that are made in our body FROM nutrients in our food.

They regulate body functions like memory, appetite, emotions and sleep. If your child consumes a very limited diet or does not at least supplement with a vitamin, it can lead to increased irritability, fatigue, depression and insomnia. Talk with your child’s pediatrician or dietitian if you have questions about his diet.

Are there foods that burn more calories than they have and can help you to lose weight?

While there are a couple foods that use up more calories to digest than are in the actual food, the reality is that the difference is insignificant to produce any weight loss. However, the benefit to incorporating foods like grapefruit or celery into your diet is that these fiber rich foods fill you up and keep your hunger levels under control. If you eat these foods in place of higher calorie foods, like pastries, fried foods or juice, you are sure to see results.

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I feel stressed out any time my kids have to attend a birthday party or some other activity where I know there will be food offered that isn’t what I would typically give them. I don’t want to single them out but I also don’t want them to eat that processed food. How can I handle it?

As both a mother and a dietitian, I understand your feelings. When you work hard to regularly provide your kids with healthy foods, it can be a challenge when you face events where everything is to the contrary. However, this scenario is a good opportunity to explain to your child how we can enjoy ‘once-ina-while’ foods in moderation and allow them to feel comfortable (rather than fear) when faced with a similar situation in the future. If they eat healthy the majority of the time, recognize that one day, one meal or one party is not what breaks the strong foundation you have been building.

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STAYING ACTIVE DURING

PREGNANCY

By Erica Ziel

Knocked-Up Fitness

Staying active and exercising during pregnancy has numerous benefits to both you and your baby. Plus, it increases your chances for an easier labor, delivery, and recovery.

For an active pregnancy: • Walk for 30-60 minutes 3-6 days a week.

The treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike are good cardio options too.

• Strength train 2-4 days a week, try prenatal pilates and yoga.

• Practice your kegels all the time.

• Avoid crunches after your belly starts to pop to decrease chances of abdominal separation.

• Think about “hugging your baby” gently on a regular basis. This is a great way to continue to strengthen your abs.

• Strong core muscles can help give you the strength you need to push your little one out.

Staying active is only part of the equation to a healthy pregnancy.

Here are some simple healthy nutritious tips: • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

• Greens not tasting so good anymore? Try adding vinegar with olive oil to replace the dressing.

• Craving salt? Opt for Himalayan sea salt instead of table salt.

• Give in to small portions of your “not so healthy” cravings so you don’t crash and burn by eating the entire quart of ice cream in one sitting.

• Eat real food. Avoid anything that comes in a box or a can.

• Focus on portion control. Eat small healthy balanced meals and snacks.

• Proteins: beans, legumes, nuts, eggs, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, salmon (limit fish to once a week) • Fats: avocado, olive oils, coconut oil, real butter, nuts • Carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, oats, fortified cereals (with little to no added sugar) 25

STAYING ACTIVE DURING

PREGNANCY

Combining healthy eating habits with regular exercise habits will leave you feeling amazing.

Here are some extra tips for pregnancy: • Always eat within 30-60 minutes of exercise, try a banana with 1 Tbsp. of natural peanut butter • Keep water with you at all times.

• Eat a healthy snack 30-60 minutes after exercise; try two eggs with ½ avocado and a small piece of fruit.

• Everything you eat, your baby eats. So think twice about what you put in your mouth. Remember, you feel better when you eat better.

• Rest as much as you can, don’t push through when you’re tired. Your body and baby, need the sleep.

• When you reach mid-pregnancy and your belly is bigger, try rolling to your side

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and use your arms to help push you up.

This will help you stretch your abdominal muscles and will help decrease abdominal separation.

Be sure you have your doctor’s permission to exercise during pregnancy. If you’re not able to stay active for your entire pregnancy, use it as an excuse to rest up before your little one arrives. Then, with your doctor’s permission, get moving as soon as possible after delivery.

Erica Ziel of Knocked-Up Fitness, www. knocked-upfitness.com, is one of Southern California’s most sought-after experts for fitnessinfused Pilates and personal training. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology & Health from Iowa State University and is a Certified Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor, Nutritionist and Mom of 3.

Image by Barbara Miers

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

- Maya Angelou

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the

More you Know

eco:

Years ago at Thanksgiving, our neighbors Richard and Lula, recounted a discussion they’d had over the number of feathers she found while preparing their Butterball turkey. Richard had shrugged and said, “Every industry has a tolerance policy… there’s probably a 5-feather margin of error on any bird that size.”

At the time, I worked in marketing for an apparel manufacturer and agreed that there was a shrinkage tolerance on cotton t-shirts. As I thought about my own words, I realized everyone around me wore the same lost-in-thought expression. And then Lula’s eyebrows raised as she said, “Well, shouldn’t the margin of error on food be more strict than t-shirts?”

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For filmmaker Ed Brown, a similar realization came one day as he drank a glass of water that “smelled and tasted like a swimming pool.”

Then he learned that there are “acceptable levels” of chlorine and other contaminants in water.

After his wife miscarried twice between having two healthy children (with no obvious reasons), Ed suspected there was more to the chemical connection than most of us realize.

So he started asking questions.

Ed went beyond your average online search to find his answers. He sought out environmental experts and government leaders, and thankfully, he brought his video camera along the way.

The result is the eye-opening documentary Unacceptable Levels, www.unacceptablelevels. com, which carefully explains the chemical revolution… surprisingly without throwing a lot of blame around.

We spoke to Ed about the film, his research, and how he maintains a “we’re all in this together” message throughout.

GCM: So the concept of “acceptable levels” inspired you to make changes in your own life. At what point did you realize you couldn’t keep this to yourself?

Ed: The driving force was initially my family… my kids, my wife’s miscarriages that never had an obvious cause.

But the further I got into this – the 80,000 chemicals that our corporations, our courts, and even the government, feel are an acceptable level of risk – the more I realized this issue was way bigger than protecting just my own family.

GCM: Randy Hayes of the Rainforest Action Network said this movie makes it impossible to hide behind the numbers. It’s true. How did you find that delicate balance of educating people without overwhelming or scaring them?

Ed: The numbers are big. It’s a mess that happened slowly. We have to consider that it took 100 years to get into all of this. We can’t use our “take a magic pill” mentality to get out of it. So it’s a long-term problem, and I’m giving people the information so they can make better choices. These changes, over time, will be the solution.

GCM: From what you learned making this film, what’s your advice to a parent wondering where to start making changes?

Ed: It basically comes down to three areas: water, food, and personal care products.

We’re made up of 70% water, and the planet is mostly water. So drinking pure water matters.

Do a little research. Ask a few questions and find out the best way to give pure, filtered water to your family. And from an activist standpoint, do what you can to protect our water.

What we let businesses dump into our water supply matters not only now, but for generations.

Our food is not exactly what we think it is today. 90% of the food we eat today is processed with chemicals and preservatives. The film really gets into the details, but the important thing is to know what you’re feeding your family. Read labels and demand more detailed labeling.

Then there are personal care products. After my wife’s second miscarriage we were reading the bottle of a skin care product she’d been using, and we saw five carcinogens in the ingredients.

We have to pay attention. The marketing behind a product is why we buy or don’t buy it.

If they called food or personal care products what they really are, nobody would buy them.

Understand that you are not just a number or target demographic.

Before you eat, drink, or buy anything, ask yourself, “Is this really good for me?”

“What is it really?”

“Do I really want it to go into my body?”

GCM: As you say at the film’s conclusion, it’s not really an end. So we’re inviting Green Child readers to begin the conversation as well.

Ed: You don’t have to take on the world to change it. Just pick one thing in your life.

Water, food, regulations – it doesn’t matter. Just pick something. Become curious about it and start asking questions. Find the answers just like I did.

And know that of all the people out there, you finally found someone that can truly make a difference. That person is – and always has been – you.

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In Anni’s Conscious Kitchen with Conscious Family Living Lifestyle Expert, Anni Daulter

Anni is a C onscious Fam ily Living lifestyle expert, professional c ook, advocate of sustainable li ving and auth or of 6 books an d the new on line community, S acred Pregnan cy.

Say YES to healthy Snacks!

Having children means a never-ending preparation of snacks! It seems like my children are always in need of a snack and it makes perfect sense: Kids bodies tend to be more in tune with their internal body signals and they inherently seem to know that they need more little meals throughout the day, rather than three big meals. Eating smaller portions frequently throughout the day gives us more energy when we need it and is easier for our bodies to digest.

I have several small kids tables located throughout my house, and each one almost always has various snacks on them, so when kids are walking by they can just grab a little something and keep playing.

I put various things like nuts, homemade fruit roll-ups, pumpkin seeds, veggie popcorn, fresh fruits, carrot sticks, and cheese and crackers in small bowls so they always have plenty of snacks to keep their little bodies moving throughout their busy days of playing.

In Anni’s Conscious Kitchen 31

Packable Granola Bars We like to take our kids on nature walks, and what better snack to bring than granola bars?

They are a nice balance of sweet and chewy goodness wrapped up in an easy to carry bar that even Bodhi can handle with ease.

Super Green Crispy Kale

• • • • • • • • • • •

2 cups whole grain oats 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries 1/4 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup sliced almonds 2 pinches of salt 1/2 cup almond butter 3/4 cup honey 1 Tablespoon flax oil 1/4 cup brown sugar Optional: mini chocolate nibs (Bodhi LOVES it when we add this special treat in!)

I love this recipe because it’s simple, tasty and healthy. My kids are always starving when they get home from school, no matter what, and this super green gives them a mega dose of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and B-12. Serve this with a side of popcorn and you will have a great after school snack.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a ceramic or glass 9 x 13 baking dish and line with parchment paper.

• • • •

In a medium saucepan, combine salt, almond butter, honey, flax oil and brown sugar. Put over medium heat on stovetop and bring to a boil.

After it boils, remove immediately from heat.

1 bunch kale, washed and dried pinch of sea salt and pepper pinch of lemon zest and juice of 1/2 lemon extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Mix oats, sunflower seeds, cranberries, wheat germ, and almonds together in a bowl. Spread mixture on a sheet pan and toast for 8 minutes.

Return mixture to large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and combine until mixture is evenly coated.

Lay kale on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon zest and as much lemon juice as desired. Bake kale for 8-10 minutes to desired texture.

Transfer to the lined baking dish. Press the mixture down and together by folding over parchment paper to press down. Bake for 25 minutes.

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In Anni’s Conscious Kitchen

Natural Cran-Strawberry Red Roll-ups Fruit leather and roll-ups are every kid’s favorite.

It’s one of my sneaky ways to get Bodhi to eat more fruit and even veggie varieties. You may consider trying a sweet potato / apple / strawberry combination or even a spinach / pineapple / banana version. What is so great about this recipe is I can make the puree, save some for River (who is still eating only smooth textured baby food) and turn the rest into a great snack for the bigger kids.

• • • • •

3 cups fresh cranberries 3 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped juice of 1/4 lemon 1/4 cup water, from steamer pot 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar

Preheat oven to 120 degrees (or lowest temperature available for your oven).

In a steamer pot, boil water and place strawberries and cranberries in steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes until soft.

Combine steamed fruit with lemon and 1/4 cup of water from pot in a blender or food processor and blend. Puree to a smooth texture. (If using for baby food, take out the portion you will need before adding in agave nectar.) Add agave nectar and blend again.

Prepare a sheet pan with a piece of heat resistant plastic wrap or sprayed parchment paper and pour the puree on the sheet in a very thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake, with oven door left slightly ajar, for about 3 hours, until fruit puree has dried.

Cut with a pizza cutter into long strips, the full length of the pan, and then cut those in half, and finish up by rolling them. Store in a air-tight glass jar.

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Dolphin Organics™ has quickly become a bath time favorite for families across the country. The familyowned company developed one of the first line of QAI-certified bath products for babies and young children which has received rave reviews including the 2012 Best Kids Skin & Hair Care Line award from Delicious Living. Recently, Dolphin Organics launched a new line for tweens, DO Naturals™ and so seems positioned to emerge a brand for the entire family. We sat down with founder, Ayo Hart to learn more about her company, her products and see what all the buzz is about.

It seems you have grown quickly, when did you first launch?

We first started with thorough industry research, then contacted dozens of moms across the country, who like us were looking for better natural products.

These Dolphin Moms offered invaluable insight into our packaging, formulation and all that is Dolphin.

We launched the products in the summer of 2011 and continue to work with our growing group of Dolphin Moms. With DO Naturals™, we started a similar consumer program with teens and young adults. These Green Divas™ have been amazing in their commitment to learning about healthy skin care as well as what they can each do to make a difference in their communities. Our credo is Do Healthy, Do Good, DO Naturals™.

Your Dolphin Organics line is certified to NSF/ANSI 305 by QAI. That’s a mouthful! What does it mean?

It simply means, we don’t just say we’re organic, we prove it. In order to meet the strict standards of NSF/ ANSI 305, a product must be formulated with at least 70% certified organic ingredients, and the remaining 30% materials must be derived from non-GMO agricultural products. In an attempt to help parents understand various organic claims, markets such as Whole Foods adopted NSF/ANSI 305 as the organic standard for personal care.

So why DO Naturals™?

Our girls were getting older, and once they were able to read the word baby on our Dolphin Organics line, no matter how much they loved the yummy Simply Citrus scent, they felt too “big girl” to use baby shampoo. Also, they were both swimming and more active, so they needed a higher functioning shampoo and conditioner. We created our DO Naturals™ products for older members of the family who may need a little more than a baby shampoo. DO Naturals is not just for tweens any more than Dolphin Organics is just for babies. We like to say our Green Divas are 6 to 60.

Advertorial

What is the difference in the lines?

We will always remain transparent in our labeling.

The DO Naturals line bears its name because it is not certified organic. It is formulated with plant-based ingredients, which are approved by the NPA (Natural Products Association). Like Dolphin Organics™, all of our DO Naturals products are also PETA certified cruelty-free and vegan, and our DO Naturals line is gluten-free. We use absolutely NO Parabens, Phthalates, Petrochemicals, artificial fragrances, dyes or other harsh chemicals in either line.

Your ingredients labels are also different on the two lines. Why? From all of our research with our Dolphin Moms prior to launch, the one common denominator was confusion over interpreting labels. We wanted to make the ingredients label easy to decipher for the busy parent quickly scanning a product in the store.

With Dolphin Organics, all ingredients are categorized as Organic, Natural or Artificial. The last column is of course, empty. Parents want to know what’s in their children’s products, and more importantly – what’s not! With our DO Naturals™ line, we took our innovative rear label a step further and included the source and function of each ingredient. A growing number of teens and young adults also want to know what is in their products. We want to educate them so we included a virtual ingredients glossary right on the bottle. Also, on our DO Naturals products, we proudly display the logo for Friends of Karen, to whom we donate a portion of all of our proceeds. Friends of Karen is a four-star rated non-profit on Charity Navigator which provides financial support and advocacy for critically ill children and their families.

What products does Dolphin Organics offer and what will you develop next?

We offer a full line of skin and hair products such as Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Bubble Bath, Lotion, Detangler and Mineral Suncreen in a variety of natural scents including Fragrance Free, Simply Citrus, Norfolk Lavender and Just Berry.

Ayo Hart,

CEO and Co-Founder of Dolphin Organics

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When Your Child Won’t Take “No” for an Answer

By Julia Cook

Every age and stage comes with its own set of joys and challenges. One of those challenges is dealing with a child who won’t take “no” for an answer.

We all want our children to be confident in their opinions and decisions, but we also need to teach them healthy boundaries and limitations. Establishing authority early on is key. Think of it this way… You respond, “no” to your child’s request. She hides, pouts, or yells to convince you to change your mind. You end up giving in… You’ve just taught her not to listen to you.

So if every answer seems to turn into a negotiation, don’t give up. There are some tactical ways you can create the boundaries now.

• When you explain your reason for saying no, be concise and to the point. A long, drawn out explanation is neither necessary nor productive.

• Explain the consequences for arguing in advance.

• If he begins to argue at an inopportune time, explain that there is a more appropriate time to disagree, and set a time to sit down and discuss.

• When a child disagrees with you appropriately, reward her behavior by actively listening to what she is telling you.

• Explain to your child that the more often he accepts “no” the right way, the higher the probability that the next response heard will be “yes.”

Julia Cook is a national award winning children’s author, former counselor, and parenting expert.

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Photo by Selah Photography

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Radiation

What Every Woman Needs to Know

By Anne Michelsen

If you were pregnant, would you consider stripping lead-based paint without a respirator, breathing chloroform, or working in a garage full of engine exhaust?

Of course not. It’s widely known that these substances can cause cancer and other health problems, and could potentially harm your growing baby.

But every day, millions of pregnant women – and their unborn babies – are exposed to a substance recognized by the World Health Organization as carrying the same risk level for cancer as chloroform, gasoline fumes, and lead. It’s a substance you can’t see, hear or feel, but it’s present almost anywhere you go. In fact, you’re almost certainly being exposed to it right now as you read these words.

This “substance” is not actually matter. It’s a type of energy known as non-ionizing radiation. And recent research indicates that it’s a cause for concern – especially for pregnant women and young children.

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Radiation: a growing concern Radiation isn’t always dangerous. Most of the radiation we receive is naturally present in the environment. Some is actually beneficial: heat and light are both forms of radiation necessary to support life. However, our average annual radiation exposure is increasing dramatically – 172% between 1996 and 2006, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, ncrponline. org. Much of this excess radiation exposure occurs at home, in the workplace, and even in the doctor’s office. And some forms of it can significantly impact our health, and the health of our unborn children.

Fetuses and young children are especially susceptible to the effects of radiation. Their immune systems are immature, and the rapidly growing and dividing cells in their developing tissues and organs are more readily disrupted than those of an adult. Radiation exposure has been linked to a wide variety of ill effects in children, including delayed growth, small

Image Provided by Belly Armor

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Radiation head size, mental retardation, nervous system damage, behavioral problems, and cancer.

In order to assess the risks and take action to protect ourselves and our children, it’s helpful to understand the different kinds of radiation and their sources. Let’s start by taking a look at the two basic categories of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing.

Ionizing radiation Very simply, ionizing radiation is radiation made up of particles that carry enough energy to knock electrons off of atoms, creating different forms (ions) of the atomic elements.

This is the type of radiation that makes a Geiger counter click, and that’s associated with mushroom clouds and nuclear accidents like Fukushima.

Now that the cold war is over and our medical providers are well versed in the use of lead shields to protect us from necessary x-rays, the most common type of ionizing radiation most people have to worry about is radon, a radioactive gas that tends to accumulate in homes and other buildings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes located on the third floor or lower for radon. It’s an especially good idea if you have - or plan to have - children. Fortunately, radon reduction systems are effective and relatively inexpensive.

Non-ionizing Radiation: The wave of the future is here.

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The other major category of radiation is nonionizing radiation, or electromagnetic fields - EMF’s for short. EMF’s are a kind of radia-

tion that exhibits wave-like behavior, carrying energy through space away from the source.

These waves have both electric and magnetic properties, and aren’t normally energized enough to detach electrons from atoms and molecules. Non-ionizing radiation includes heat, visible and invisible light, microwaves, radio waves, and Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radio waves.

In the modern world, EMF’s are everywhere – and are largely responsible for our annual increase in radiation exposure. They’re emitted by cell phones, computers, Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, TV and radio towers, military installations, and – especially relevant to pregnant moms - medical imaging technology, including ultrasound.

Until recently, most experts cautiously considered most types of non-ionizing radiation to be relatively safe. However, a number of recent studies indicate that we may need to be more concerned than previously thought – especially when it comes to our beloved cell phones. Since mobile phones are used frequently and often held close to the body, they are the most widespread source of EMF exposure for most people. There is mounting evidence linking cell phone use to brain cancer, with tumors tending to appear on the side of the head nearest to where the phone is held.

Although some organizations, including the National Cancer Institute, are calling for further study, several governments are now advising caution in the use of cell phones, especially by children and pregnant women.

There is evidence that heavy cell phone use places children at higher risk not only of cancer, but also of ADHD and autism. Russia,

What Every Woman Needs to Know

Germany, India, Israel, Belgium, and the U.K. all discourage children’s use of mobile phones, and France has recently banned the marketing of cell phones to children.

Should pregnant women ditch their phones?

So what should you do if you’re pregnant? Get rid of your cell?

For most of us, that’s not an option. Or at least, not an option we want to hear. We need our phones for work… and… O.K., let’s face it; we’re addicted to the convenience.

Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the risk of exposure from our favorite devices. If you absolutely can’t do without your phone, Dr. Devra Davis, founder and president of the nonprofit Environmental Health Trust, ehtrust.org, recommends the following precautions: • Keep your cell phone as far from your body as possible during use. Put it on speaker phone, or use a wired headset.

Texting is also fine!

• Avoid carrying your phone on your body.

If you can’t avoid it, then make sure the back of the phone is facing away from you.

Better yet, turn it off or put it on airplane mode. And don’t carry the phone in your bra – there have been reported cases of cell-phone induced breast cancer in women who do.

• Limit the length of your cell calls. Reserve your phone for quick communications, and switch to a landline for longer calls.

• When possible, text instead of calling.

• If you have to hold the phone to your head, switch sides frequently.

• Avoid using your phone in a moving vehicle, or where the signal is weak, since it works harder and emits more EMF’s in these situations.

• Choose a “safer” phone. The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the amount of energy absorbed by the body when using a particular phone. A lower SAR indicates less radiation. For more information, visit the Federal Communications Commission’s SAR page.

• If you are pregnant, invest in a radiation barrier. In south Asia when a woman is pregnant she is immediately given a pregnancy smock. In the U.S., you can purchase one for yourself. One popular brand is Belly Armor, bellyarmor.com.

The Environmental Health Trust offers free information and printable posters, cards and infographics you can use to help spread the word about cell phone safety to schools, doctors, and friends. You can find them at www. ehtrust.org/resources/.

What about ultrasound?

Ultrasound imaging has become a routine and, for many expectant moms, enjoyable part of pregnancy. Doctors use it to make sure the pregnancy is progressing normally, and moms look forward to the first fuzzy pictures of their babies with the same excited anticipation as they do the first little kicks. But ultrasound is a type of EMF, just like cell phone radiation. Is it really as safe as we think?

Dr. Davis recommends moderation. “It’s really important that the person doing the ultrasound be a specialist in pregnancy, because you want to minimize radiation,” she says. “In Finland, they do just one in the 11th or 12 41

Radiation week, and offer one more optional one later in the pregnancy. I think that’s sensible. I am concerned about the overuse of ultrasound in pregnancy. The idea that you need to do an ultrasound at every visit, or that the ultrasound has to be done throughout the pregnancy is really questionable. And I am appalled at the commercialization, where you get the 3D imaging in shopping centers. I think this is grotesque and a really bad idea. Like a lot of things we’re doing in technology we are overdoing it.”

Can Wi-Fi harm your baby?

What about all the other sources of EMF’s out there? Does sitting in Starbucks pose a hidden menace to your unborn child?

Unfortunately, that’s a question we may never know the answer to. Practically speaking, we all now live in a sea of radiation that has never existed before. And there’s really no way to test its effects, because we don’t have a control group of people who are living a similar lifestyle without the radiation.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution and limit exposure to wireless radiation as much as possible. For instance, we can use landlines and standard internet connections at home, and reduce our contact with the highest exposure devices: cell phones, cordless phones, phone base stations, and the backs of computer monitors (so if you work in an office try to avoid sitting against the back of your colleague’s computer screen.)

Time and distance matter One important point to remember is that wireless exposure is an inverse square law.

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What Every Woman Needs to Know

This means that being twice as far away results in four times less exposure. That’s why moving a short distance from the source (like using your phone on speaker setting instead of holding it to your ear) can make a dramatic difference in the amount of radiation you receive.

When using laptops and similar devices, understand that they’re not approved for use next to the body. Laptops are tested to be safe at a distance of 8 inches. So while your pregnant belly may make a beautiful table, save it for a bowl of popcorn or a paperback. Or, put your Kindle on airplane mode once you’ve downloaded your e-book.

Another thing to be aware of when you’re pregnant is timing. The most sensitive period for your baby is between the 8th and 15th weeks of pregnancy. That’s when her brain and nervous system are developing and growing at the most rapid rate. You’ll want to be especially careful to protect her during these weeks.

They’re phones, not bombs But while it’s important to be prudent, there’s no need to panic.

“Don’t worry,” says Dr. Davis. “Babies have a way of getting what they need.”

Her top recommendations?

“Make sure you sleep in the dark. That will let your body make sufficient amounts of melatonin, which helps fight radiation. Eat your broccoli. The general emphasis on nutrition is wonderful. That, and practice safe phones.”

Good advice for anybody.

Image Provided by Belly Armor

Anne Michelsen is a former La Leche League Leader and bemused mother of two delightfully unconventional teenagers. As a freelance copywriter, she helps ethical and sustainable companies promote their products, and enjoys writing the occasional article on environmental issues.

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guided relaxation

with Mellisa Dormoy of Shambala Kids

“Peaceful Butterfly” A nighttime relaxation for your child is ideal after an active day. Guided relaxation calms little bodies and minds. They’ll fall asleep easily and sleep soundly. Simply read the following words in a loving, soothing voice with a gentle pace, pausing often. Watch how your child visibly relaxes and engages the imagination in this meditative story. The more this script is used, the easier your child will relax and be able to concentrate.

to enjoy. You feel the wind blow against your delicate wings. As the wind touches you, it gently blows away any worries, any stress you feel. Feel how wonderful it feels to be so free.

Your mind is clear and calm. You have left any worries far behind now. You are completely peaceful. You are beautiful as you allow your true happiness to shine through.

The sun touches your body and warms you.

The big, puffy clouds floating in the sky reClose your eyes and take in a nice deep breath. mind you how relaxed and calm you can be Allow your tummy to fill up like a balloon, and whenever you want, just by thinking about then exhale slowly. Do this five times to really it. The earth is a patchwork of color and you relax your whole body completely. (Pause for enjoy each moment here, gliding along feeling breathing.) so joyful and peaceful. You spread your wings far and stretch. It feels so good. Your body is Your body begins to feel deeply relaxed and calm and your mind is peaceful. You are ready sinks down further and further into your nice, for wonderful peaceful sleep tonight. soft bed. Your legs begin to feel very heavy.

Your arms begin to feel heavy and relaxed. You Take in a deep breath now and exhale slowly. enjoy every moment as your body continues to When you are ready, give your body a big relax with each word I say. stretch. With a clear, calm mind, say these words to yourself: I am peaceful and I am Now as your body relaxes, imagine you’re a calm, ready for a wonderful adventure in beautiful butterfly fluttering high in the sky. dreamland.

You see the lovely green valley below you with lots of colorful flowers, just waiting for you Good night little one.

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For more meditations and guided relaxation audios, visit Shambala Kids online.

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Making Time-Outs

Positive

By Kelly Bartlett

In parenting, time-outs have an important and effective role. A time-out is a chance for both children and parents to pause, regroup, and collect themselves. They are most effective when they are about feeling better as opposed to being used as a “thinking tool” or a punitive reaction to an inappropriate action. Rather, when they are used non-punitively—in a proactive way, much like those taken in sports games—time-outs teach acceptance and management of strong emotions and are a very effective discipline tool.

When emotions are running high, everyone needs time to calm down and feel better so that they can “improve their game.” Dr. Jane Nelsen, author of Positive Time Out, advocates that children have very immature levels of brain development and need a lot of help in regulating their emotions. “Where in the world did we get this crazy idea that in order for children to do better, first we have to make them feel worse?” says Nelsen.

“Children do better when they feel better.”

She says that the way many time-outs are implemented only serve to make a child feel worse; ashamed or isolated when they could 46

be opportunities to help children learn how to handle strong emotions.

Here are some steps you can take to ensure that time-outs are positive, helpful experiences for your child: Talk about feelings.

At a time when no one is currently distressed, talk to your child about moments when he’s been really upset. Let him know that everyone gets angry, sad, and frustrated sometimes and feeling this way is okay.

Make sure your child knows that feelings are always okay. But some emotions sure don’t feel pleasant, and it helps to know what to do then.

Designate a feel-good spot.

Ask your child’s input on where the two of you could create a “feel good” place. It might be in her room or it might be on the couch in the living room. To some children, going into a bedroom might seem too isolating and would prefer to be able to see a parent, while other children might choose their room because it can keep out younger siblings. Whether it is a bedroom,

bathroom, or a spot in the kitchen, allow your child to choose an area that will be designated as her place to regroup and calm down. Have her create a name for this special spot.

Create a comfort basket.

Find a basket and fill it with items that will help soothe your upset child. Certified Positive Discipline Trainer Glenda Montgomery advocates the addition of a “comfort basket” in feel-good spots. “If a child has any special toy or stuffed animal that he likes to hold when he’s upset, definitely add it to the comfort basket.” Blankets, books, and music are all excellent items to put in comfort baskets, as are lumps of clay to pound, exercise bands to stretch, and squishy balls to squeeze. Older children may like to keep a journal or sketchbook in their basket, or even a bottle of bubble bath to use. If you’re using a large area or a whole room as the feel-good spot, you could also include bigger items such as a punching bag or trampoline. The idea is to fill the area with items to help your child relieve stress and begin to calm down. Some children benefit from a physical outlet, while others prefer emotional outlets.

Ask preferences.

When your child gets emotionally overwhelmed and upset and it’s time to put the feel-good spot to use, ask if she would like to go by herself or if she’d like you to come too. Children have different preferences for this; some kids may feel “banished” if they are expected to go alone, and would feel more secure if you’re there supporting them, while others need to be left alone to decompress. It is important to respect their preferences, and understand that these may change over the years.

Parents can ensure that time-outs are truly in their child’s best interest if they ask for input, work together to understand everyone’s needs, remain flexible, and keep in mind the big picture; that a time-out is just a way of helping a child feel better so he can do better.

Kelly Bartlett is the author of Encouraging Words For Kids. She is a Certified Positive Discipline Educator and freelance writer with a focus on child development, family relationships and discipline. You can find more of her work at www.kellybartlett.net 47

5

Tips

to Help Clear the Winter Sniffles

Colds are no fun for anyone… but they can be especially troubling for babies and children who are too small to blow their own noses. The key to keeping colds from turning serious is to keep the mucus thin and moving.

Here are a few tips to help your little one breathe more easily: 1. Hydrate! This simple step can help keep mucus from becoming thick and more troublesome.

2. Keep baby’s surroundings dust-free. Remove any feather pillows or stuffed animals.

3. Never allow smoking around your child. Be sure to keep your little away from aerosols, perfumes, paint or gas fumes, and other irritants that can further irritate their already troubled little nose.

4. Help your child sleep on her stomach with her head turned slightly to one side. She’ll breathe better in this position because it allows the tongue and any saliva in the throat to come forward, making more room for air to pass.

5. Baby Comfy Nose. This handy little device is fabulous and will help clear even the stuffiest of noses - and don’t give a second thought to the “ick factor.” This device has protection built in protection and works faster, more comfortably and effectively than any bulb aspirator can ever dream of.

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For little ones that can blow their own noses, help them keep their nose from becoming sore by using a dab of Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm to help heal and protect their delicate skin.

Ask Hana Haatainen Caye

Jennifer asks: Renee writes: I heard that my kids shouldn’t wear bulky or ‘puffy’ coats while in a car seat. Why is this considered unsafe?

GG: Excellent question, Renee! First, while this has nothing to do with winter coats, I highly recommend that everyone locate a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician in your area and have your car seats and their installation inspected.

As for your question, according to CPST Megan Arce, too much ‘puff ’ in a coat means excess air between your child and his safety harness. In the case of a collision, the air will compress and your child will slam into the loose harness, increasing the likelihood of internal injuries.

Additionally, trying to squeeze a child into a car seat in a big, puffy coat leads to a poor fit for the harness, with the possibility of the shoulder straps not lying directly on the shoulders. Depending on the situation, your child could be ejected from the seat. And unless you adjust the straps every time you put your little one in his seat, the straps will

be too loose when your child is wearing a less bulky coat.

The best alternative is a fleece jacket or thin winter coat. If you are concerned about your child being too cold in the car, you can either cover him with a blanket or put his coat on backwards, over the harness.

LeAnn writes: I hate scraping ice off my windows when my kids are in the car waiting to go somewhere. Are there any environmentsafe products I can use to keep my windshield from icing up?

GG: With or without kids in the car, scraping windshields in frigid weather is not a favorite activity for most of us, me included. Fortunately, I have a simple, and cheap, solution! Just mix up 3 parts distilled white vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and spritz your front and back windshields as soon as you park your car. They should be frost-free when you need to head out again.

I keep my bottle in my car so I can hit the windshield with a shot of vinegar when I go shopping, etc. It works like a charm.

Hana Haatainen Caye, aka Green Grandma, www.greengrandma.org is a wife, mother and grandmother who shares her passion for common sense greener and healthier living. Based on the most popular feature of her blog, Hana wrote her first book, Vinegar Fridays.

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Cultivating a

Better Food System in 2013!

by Danielle Nierenberg & Ellen Gustafson As we head into 2013, let’s resolve to fix our food system.

With nearly 1 billion people still hungry and another billion suffering from the effects of being overweight and obese, it’s a resolution we can’t afford to break.

We have the tools—let’s use them in 2013!

Growing the Cities: Food production doesn’t only happen in fields or factories. Nearly one billion people worldwide produce food in cities. In Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, farmers are growing seeds of Indigenous vegetables and selling them to rural farmers. At Bell Book & Candle restaurant in New York, customers are served rosemary, cherry tomatoes, romaine, and other produce grown from the restaurant’s aeroponic rooftop garden.

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Creating Better Access: People’s Grocery in Oakland and Fresh Moves in Chicago bring mobile grocery stores to food deserts, giving low-income consumers opportunities to make healthy food choices. Instead of chips and soda, they provide customers with affordable organic produce, not typically available in their communities.

Eating Healthier Food: Food writer Michael Pollan advises not to eat anything that your grandparents wouldn’t recognize. Try eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole foods without preservatives and other additives.

Cooking More: Home economics classes have declined in schools, and young people lack basic cooking skills. Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver is working with schools in the United Kingdom to teach kids how to cook healthy, nutritious foods.

Creating Connections: According to the Hartman Group, nearly half of all adults in the U.S. eat meals alone. Sharing a meal with family and friends can foster community and conversation. Recent studies suggest that children who eat meals with their families are typically happier and more stable than those who do not.

Focus on Vegetables: Nearly two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies worldwide, leading to poor development. The World Vegetable Center, however, is helping farmers grow high-value, nutrient rich vegetables in Africa and Asia, improving health and increasing incomes.

Image by Kim Smith

Preventing Waste: Roughly one-third of all food is wasted—in fields, during transport, in storage, and in homes. But there are easy, inexpensive ways to prevent waste. Initiatives like Love Food, Hate Waste offer consumers tips about portion control and recipes for leftovers, while farmers in Bolivia are using solar-powered driers to preserve foods.

Acknowledging the Importance of Farmers: Farmers aren’t just farmers, they’re businesswomen and men, stewards of the land, and educators, sharing knowledge in their communities. Slow Food International works with farmers all over the world, helping recognize their importance to preserve biodiversity and culture.

Engaging Youth: Making farming both intellectually and economically stimulating will help make the food system an attractive career option for youth. Across sub-Saharan Africa, cell phones and the internet are connecting farmers to information about weather and markets; in the U.S., Food Corps is teaching students how to grow and cook food, preparing them for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Recognizing the Role of Governments: Nations must implement policies that give everyone access to safe, affordable, healthy food. In Ghana and Brazil government action, including national school feeding programs and increased support for sustainable agricultural production, greatly reduced the number of hungry people.

Changing the Metrics: Governments, NGOs, Protecting Workers: Farm and food workers and funders have focused on increasing proacross the world are fighting for better pay and duction and improving yields, rather than working conditions. In Zimbabwe, the General improving nutrition and protecting the enviAgricultural and Plantation Workers Union of ronment. Changing the metrics, and focusing Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), protects laborers from more on quality, will improve public, environabuse. In the U.S., the Coalition of Immokamental health, and livelihoods. lee successfully persuaded Trader Joe’s and Chipotle to pay the premium of a penny-perDanielle Nierenberg & Ellen Gustafson are the pound to Florida tomato pickers. co-founders of Food Tank: The Food Think Tank 51

A Family Is a Team

Making Family Mission Statements Work

By Ashley Allman

Three key pillars provide the foundation for a harmonious family: trust, respect and teamwork.

Teamwork can be the easiest and most fun to teach. Think about it… there are endless opportunities for the family to engage as a team.

The New Year brings a great occasion for a team challenge. Instead of focusing on individual ‘resolutions,’ families can create a family mission statement: a united goal that will get everyone working together.

Plan for Success

Choosing the family mission statement is half the battle. It may take some time to find a common goal. Start out by brainstorming to come up with a list of possibilities. Make sure everyone contributes at least one idea, so each member of the family has a personal investment in the process.

If your family is having a hard time brainstorming, here are a few ideas to get started:

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1. Serve your community: Set a goal to volunteer as a family at least once a month.

There are dozens of opportunities in every community from picking up trash

at your neighborhood park, or serving food at the local soup kitchen, to walking dogs at the animal shelter.

2. Team Planet Earth: Assign your family to an environmental cause. Pledge to bike to work, school or soccer practice instead of driving, plant a tree every month, reduce everybody’s shower time by 2 minutes, or plant a garden.

3. Food for thought: Make a change to the way your family eats. You could reduce the frequency you eat at restaurants, vow to go meatless one day a week, eliminate a junk food, or explore foods from a new culture each month.

4. Money matters: Work together on a family budget, or a new financial goal. Save more, donate more; reduce the monthly entertainment expenses, or anything that gets your family thinking about the value of money.

Once you have a list, start narrowing down ideas by crossing off anything that obviously doesn’t work. Talk about the remaining ideas and use the discussion as an opportunity to examine your family values and share ideas for how you can collectively achieve each of the goals.

Making it Work

So now that you’ve identified the family mission statement, just how are you going to execute?

Seattle-area dietician Wendy Caamano, MS, RD, CD, says for nutrition goals, the entire family needs to be committed. “Take one step at a time and understand that even little changes make a difference that may lead to achieving long term goals in the future. Simply adding one vegetable to the plate at dinner is a huge step in the right direction, and once you start doing that, your family may decide they enjoy vegetables and start incorporating more of them into every meal.�

Caamano also suggests keeping it light and fun, to avoid making the process stressful.

And while these principles are nutritioncentered, her advice for success can be applied to essentially any family mission.

Even for the most active and involved families, there is always room for change, improvement or a new venture. Embrace 2013 by forgoing your typical resolutions in favor of a family-based mission that will bring you all closer together and instill new family traditions for years to come.

Ashley Allman is co-founder of online natural products boutique, Ash & Alys Babes, www. ashandalysbabes.com. She spends most of her time playing house with her two spirited sons, husband and two dogs, all of whom she uses for inspiration in every aspect of life.

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Herbal Pregnancy Teas

by Alia Einstein-Diez

Herbs can be used to soothe the agonizing nausea so common in the first trimester. Many herbs are also powerhouses of vitamins and minerals, that can help strengthen uterine muscles, relieve fluid retention, and relax those nerves. Just one cup of a nourishing pregnancy tea has the same vitamin and mineral content as eating a bowl of dark leafy salad!

a e T s s e n k orning Sic

M

y leaf r r e b p s red ra r root 1 Tbsp. e g n i g rated 1 tsp. g t permin p e p . p 2 Tbs momile a h c . p f stevia 1 Tbs o h 0 c n i l: a p or 15-2 a f n p o i e t e p t s *O et herbs, l e s o o l ter over a w g . n i l i the day t u Pour bo . o n h i g a tr rou s and s ently th u q e r minute f s amount l l a m s Drink

Nourishing Pregnancy

!

p i T a Te

ess is r p e e A coff rful and de a won ve tool for t ensi inexp tea withou g e makin f disposabl eo the us and bags! filters 54

Tea

1 Tbsp. each of the following h erbs: red raspberry le af nettle peppermint and /or spearmint alfalfa dandelion leaf *Optional: a pin ch of stevia Pour boiling wa ter over loose h erbs, let steep 20 minutes and for 15strain. Tea can be enjoyed hot, frozen into ice iced or cubes and blen ded into a smo othie.

Travel with Fallen Rock on his journey across the country to earn his place as the next Chief of his village.

The Journey of Fallen Rock is about family, natural resources and the responsibility to protect and preserve them.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Fallen Rock crosses paths with members of the Protectors of Our Land who will help him on his path.

“Environmental consciousness is woven into the fast paced, suspenseful story-line.”

- Susy Koontz ow!

Buy N

JourneyOfFallenRock.com

Get A Little ‘Me Time’

Sustainable Living with a Modern Twist

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g n i v

stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things

By Sandy Kreps trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash 56 chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter things trash chaos garbage stuff junk stress rubbish clutter

i l

LES n i

with

S

2013

Simple living encourages you to cut through the clutter and make room for what’s really important. Instead of wasting precious energy paying for, storing and maintaining so much stuff, why not eliminate the things that are unnecessary?

If less sounds good to you, ask yourself a few questions: • Why do you hold on to things that you don’t need, use or even want anymore?

• Are you truly happy being surrounded by all your stuff? Do you like cleaning it, organizing it, moving it?

• With fewer things, could you move to a smaller home? Get rid of your storage unit?

Let go of the cleaning lady?

• If you stopped buying more and sold some of your excess possessions, what could you do with the money? Could you pay off debt?

Travel? Donate to your favorite cause?

• Why are you running from place to place?

Are all those errands and tasks really necessary? What would happen if you did less?

Could you cross a task or two off without your world ending?

• What do you really want to do that you always put off because you don’t have time?

Would you like to volunteer more? Try a new sport or hobby?

• You don’t have to simplify everything all at once. Changing just one habit can make a big difference; so try taking baby steps to a simpler lifestyle.

• Reduce the amount of “stuff ” in your home.

Cutting back allows you to focus on what you have and can also keep you from buying more you don’t need. Consuming less is

a key step toward a sustainable lifestyle. As you shed your stuff, you’ll have more energy and focus for “life,” and you’ll free up time to do things you really want to do instead of worrying about taking care of and accumulating more.

• Do one thing each day. Pick a drawer, closet, or shelf that’s driving you crazy, and work on it for at least 10 minutes. By focusing on doing one little thing each day, you’ll move closer to the simpler life you’re seeking.

• Drop one commitment. Think about all the things in your life that you’re committed to doing, and try to find one that you can let go. Is there something you dread doing?

Something that takes up time but doesn’t give you much value in return? Decide today to drop that commitment. Make a phone call or send an email, and let the appropriate people know that you need to stop. You’ll feel relieved, and you’ll free up some time and energy for something that’s more important to you.

• Schedule more time. Simplify your life by doing less, but scheduling more time for each task. If you normally allow 15 minutes between appointments, schedule 30. If it normally takes you 30 minutes for an errand, give yourself 45 minutes. Eat slower, drive slower, walk slower, work slower.

Savor the slowness and the calmness that comes from not hurrying.

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Simple Steps to a

Clutter-Free

New Year

By Lauren Taylor One of the top resolutions we make is to streamline and get organized.

Eliminating excess stuff and stressful commitments can pay big dividends to emotional wellbeing.

• Home organization experts say you should start with the bedroom.

Just the room itself affects your mood and the quality of your sleep.

Getting it organized can make a huge difference to your daily outlook.

• After getting rid of unnecessary clutter, the next step is to organize what remains in a way that makes it easy to stay organized. Take a new look at things you have on hand.

Tension rods to organize cookie sheets? Baskets in the refrigerator or freezer? Magazine bins for aluminum foil and plastic wrap?

• Use technology to help streamline your life. There are several apps that can help with managing your family calendar, grocery shopping, gardening and wardrobe. Check your bank’s app to see if there is the option to deposit checks via a smartphone instead of needing to go to the bank. There is also an app to help with recycling. If TerraCycle or your municipal recycling doesn’t take an item, check Earth 911’s iRecycle app.

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If you don’t try to do work on all your objectives at once, you are more likely to succeed. So, pick an easy goal or a really important one and focus on getting your year off to a good start!

Image by Sergio Roberto Bichara

• Set up your recycling station and let the kids manage it.

TerraCycle has several Brigade programs that accept all brands and items in a category. For instance, send in

personal care/beauty packaging and household

cleaner packaging regardless of brand. You earn

money for each item, which can be donated to a

favorite charity.

National Wildlife Week--Branching Out for Wildlife!

National Wildlife Week is celebrating trees and their value for wildlife and people. Join the fun “Branching Out for Wildlife” and learn about the parts of a tree, the importance of trees in many ecosystems, and how people and wildlife depend on trees. During National Wildlife Week, March 18-24 we will feature 45 species of wildlife in the U.S., including trees and wildlife that depend on trees.

Join the webinar to learn about NWF’s free lessons, posters, wildlife trading cards, activities and games to help you learn about and teach about these amazing species. Space is limited to 200.

Join us Wednesday, February 20th, at 4pm ET. Sign up here.

www.NWF.org 59

Nutrition Advice You Can Trust A Registered Dietitian with over a decade of experience working with children and families to find realistic solutions for their nutrition concerns. All from the comfort of your home with one-on-one consultations online or by phone.

Perfect for working parents and convenient during naptimes!

Specializing in: •Pediatrics

•Maternal Health •Food Aversions (“Picky eater” or sensory issues) •Weight Concerns •Food Allergies or Intolerances •Failure to Thrive, Poor growth and weight gain •Reflux An Apple A Day Nutrition Consulting Louise Goldberg RD, CSP, LD, CNSC Online: www.AnAppleADayNutrition.com Email: Louise@AnAppleADayNutrition.com Phone: 713.478.3823 60

•Celiac Disease •GI motility issues •Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis •and more…

What’s In Season |by Louise Goldberg RD CSP LD CNSC

While hearty veggies, such as cabbage, are still in season, fresh fruits are a little harder to come by. This is a chance to make use of frozen, canned, or dried fruits, which can be just as nutritious and easy to find.

Rolled Apricot and Almond Butter Balls Sweet as a dessert, but this recipe is fiber rich for a protein-packed snack. You can substitute any dried or dehydrated sulfitefree fruit for the apricots and any ‘nut’ butter (even sunflower seed butter for an allergic child) for the almond butter.

Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls When it’s cold outside, these cabbage rolls are just the meal to warm up your in sides. They feel like a lot of work but you can make enough to freeze for another meal and are worth it.

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What’s In Season

Rolled Apricot

&

Almond Butter Balls

Ingredients: • ¼ cup Oats • ¼ cup unsweetened shredded Coconut Flakes • ¼ cup ground Flaxseed • 1 cup dried Apricots (~ 40 pieces), finely chopped • ¼ cup smooth Almond Butter • ¼ cup organic sweetened Condensed Milk • Powdered Sugar to coat balls Directions: Add oats, coconut flakes and flaxseed to food processor and pulse until mixed well. Add chopped apricots, almond butter and condensed milk to oat mixture and blend until all dry ingredients are moist.

Coat hands lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Scoop out small amount and roll into a ball, then toss in powdered sugar to coat outside. Place in one layer and refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients: • 2 Tbsp. Oil • 2 Celery Stalks, chopped • 2 Carrots, chopped • ½ Onion, chopped finely • 2 tsp. Sea Salt • 1 tsp. ground Dill Seed • 1 tsp. ground Coriander

• 1 tsp. ground Black Pepper • ½ tsp. Garlic Powder • ½ cup green Lentils • 2 ¼ cups Vegetable Broth or Water • 1 cup Rice, pre-cooked • 1 head Cabbage • 4 cups your favorite tomato sauce

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees To prepare cabbage leaves: Remove core from the bottom of cabbage using knife but keep leaves intact (do not cut in half). Place head of cabbage in large stockpot of boiling water for 15 minutes.

When done cooking, put immediately into bowl of cold water. Drain and gently remove at least 12 intact leaves to dry on towel.

To make filling: Sauté celery, carrots and onion with oil in pot. When onions are translucent, add spices and stir. Then add lentils and broth and partially cover pot with lid to allow a little steam to escape. Do not disturb for 15-20 minutes until lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed. Fold in rice until evenly distributed.

Take ¼ cup to ½ cup of filling and place inside each cabbage leaf. Tuck outsides of leaf in towards filling and roll. Place each roll seam-side down in 9 x 12 baking pan.

Repeat until filling is used up. Top with tomato sauce and put in oven for 20-25 minutes. Top with a dollop of Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, if desired.

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Building Baby’s Confidence Through

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sign language

By Andrea Ploehn

Patterns and repetition are part of a child’s learning process. When little ones can’t effectively engage in either, it can lead to frustration and lack of confidence.

Some consequences of this frustration for kids include avoiding social interaction or throwing tantrums. Parents tend to feel overwhelmed and confused because they don’t know how to help.

I have dealt with these problems myself as a mom, and worked with other parents who have faced similar issues. I’ve found that parents can help their babies build confidence and bypass some major developmental issues by taking the time to teach them baby sign language. Here are some key steps: • Start Early. Babies are extremely curious and their minds are like little sponges, ready to absorb the world around them. You don’t have to wait until your child struggles with words to begin teaching basic signs. Babies can begin learning to sign as soon as they recognize basic cause and effect patterns and have the motor skills to form signs with their fingers. When you start to notice your baby reaching some of these developmental milestones, this is the crucial time to engage your infant in learning.

• Teach signs one at a time. I learned this lesson with Ben, my third child. He would get so frustrated when people could not understand. I decided that any time I found out what he was trying to say I would teach him

the sign for that word. It worked like a miracle! He knew that I could understand him if he used the sign for what he wanted. This increased his confidence to learn more. Eventually this helped me teach him to pronounce the words he was struggling with.

• Discover what your child wants. This takes some patience, but it pays off. For instance, Ben would make the sound “ga” for multiple things: water, the dog, books. One day we wandered all around the house trying to figure out what he wanted. Finally he saw the book he wanted started saying: “ga, ga, ga.” Immediately I signed book to him, then I took his hands and had him make the sign for book. We did it a few times until I could tell he understood. Later that night he started signing “book.” I grabbed a book and he started jumping up and down yelling “yeah!”

What a relief and pure sense of joy and accomplishment we both felt!

Parents don’t typically think to use baby sign language for building confidence in their children, but I have seen it work time and time again. Helping your child to better communicate will have a positive impact for the rest of his or her life.

Andrea Ploehn http://www.Signing4Baby.com. is an expert on nonverbal communication and teaching babies sign language. She and her husband have four children, ages 16 months through 9 years old.

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SACRED pregnancy the magazine

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Sacred Pregnancy is an independently published quarterly magazine packed with cutting edge soulful information on pregnancy, birth, mothering, and everything in between.

A collection of stories, articles and wisdom offered up by empowered women within the birthing + mothering communities, this quarterly magazine offers information anywhere from body-image and mindful eating, to sexuality, food, herbs, DIY ideas, book reviews and sisterhood.

photography : Naomi Solomon for The Journey of Birth of Photography

excerpt from

How C-sections Can Impact Your Baby’s Immune System

By Dr. Lindsey Mathews, D.C.

Take Action : Swab + Suck!

You’re on the path to becoming the best new mother ever. You’ve taken the Sacred Pregnancy courses. You have a partner that supports your every move and loves you unconditionally. You have a job in which you can pick your hours and work from home. You have a car seat in both of the cars.

You have an Ergo Baby in your car, your partner’s car, and one at home. You’ve got the co-sleeping method dialed in. And, you have certified everything in your house as ‘Green’.

I would give you an ‘A’. However, you may have forgotten the most important thing - building your baby’s immune system, which is the you can give your child against the outside world. If your child does not have a healthy functioning immune system he or she will not thrive.

defense

best

In your belly, your baby is in the safest place in the world. While your little one is in your belly he or she is receiving the protection from your immune system. Keep in mind that you have spent many years being exposed to different microbes and pathogens. Your immune is strong because of your gut flora. Our gut flora is the game changer in moderating our immunity. The human GI tract houses about 70% of the immune system [2]. Our gut flora is like the gatekeeper, which will not allow any garbage to penetrate the boundaries. When

your gut-flora does come across garbage, it signals the immune system to take action.

Your body knows how to fight off foreign intruders, not only protecting you but your baby as well.

Yet, when your baby is born, he or she is basically a blank canvas as far as microbial content is concerned. The second your baby enters this world he or she is being exposed to microbes, good and bad, trying to seek refuge in a new host, your infant.

Vaginal birth and cesarean birth have a significant impact on the gut flora of the newborn. Once bacteria hits the gut, it

immediately establishes a home. When a baby is born vaginally, he or she receives the first dose of microbes via the mother’s vaginal canal and surrounding tissues. Babies born vaginally have mostly Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus, which come from the mother’s vaginal and fecal flora. There is a difference in the colonization of bacteria in a vaginal birth compared to the increasingly prevalent cesarean births. Babies born via cesarean section exhibit Clostridium and Streptococcus in their gut flora. However, these come from the shiny tools. Which is NOT what you want!

Bifidobacterium is needed specifically to aid in digestion of the breast milk and displays an immunomodulatory effect on intestinal immune cells. Lactobacillus also plays a role in digestion but also stimulate the immune system. Lactobacillus plays a role in digestion, stimulates the immune system and inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria by keeping the pH low and regulating its own enzymatic activity. Escherichia coli is known to produce crucial vitamin complexes [1].

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How C-sections Can Impact Your Baby’s Immune System Breastfeeding has just as a significant impact on immune system development. When

the baby first latches on, he or she receives colostrum. This is specifically designed for the infant to aid in nutrition and helps pass the first stool. Infants that do not breast-feed suffer in many categories one being that they are more prone to infection because they lack the bifidobacteria. In one study, infants that were fed formula as opposed to breastmilk, had a distinct delay in the colonization of good bacteria.

The next 18-24 months constitutes a whole new article, and those months are critical for establishing the infant’s immune system. The intestinal lining, the gut, takes about 18-24 months to fully form. When new, good bacteria colonize they establish a firm foundation resulting in healthy functioning immune system years later.

So if you find yourself in a situation where you must have a cesarean section, make the proper arrangements.

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IMPORTANT: Your baby needs to be exposed

to the bacteria that you, the mother, have developed. If the baby is not born vaginally, have someone - the partner, the midwife, the ObGyn - swab the vaginal canal and wipe on the mom’s breasts. This will expose the newborn baby while latching on to the mother’s breast for feeding. This is not gross; it is a and is a action to ensure the healthy development of your baby’s immune system.

normal

necessary

TAKE ACTION : SWAB + SUCK!!!!

Establishing healthy gut flora can prevent numerous ailments such as asthma, ADHD, eczema, and anything related to systemic inflammation. Give your baby’s immune system a solid foundation right from the start!

Photo by Hallie D Photography

We have a secret in our culture, it’s not that birth is painful, it’s that women are strong.

-Laura Stavoe Harm

“Pregnancy is such an amazing time in a woman’s life and should be honored and valued. Sacred Pregnancy helps empower women and encourages them to personally reflect on their internal process before having children. This is a beautiful gift to all pregnant women!”

-Ricki Lake, actress + Abby Epstein, filmmaker The Business of Being Born Go to the website to order the book today!

www.sacredpregnancy.com

discover the book : the magazine : the community :

the movement

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HAND MADE Style

From leg warmers to infinity scarves

CABBAGES & KINGS fair-trade, handmade accessories just as stylish as they are eco-friendly!

Photography by Tiffany Casanova & Styling by Elena Casanova 70

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DIY Tutorial

Fun Polaroid Coasters from Bathroom Tiles!

By Jennie Lyon

Create your own custom coasters using leftover bathroom tiles from a remodel… or pick some up from Goodwill or a Re-Store in your area.

Materials: • • • • • • •

4x4 white ceramic tiles Your favorite photos Mod Podge Clear acrylic spray Sponge brush Paper cutter Felt circles

Instructions:

1. First things first, you will want to pick out a selection of your favorite photos – one for each tile. Then, using a paper cutter cut each of your photos down to approximately 3.25 x 3.75.

2. Wash and dry each of your ceramic tiles, then apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the back of your photo. Then, position it correctly on your tile – do one photo/tile at a time.

3. Use a credit card to smooth out the photo, scrapping off any excess Mod Podge. Make sure that the photo doesn’t slide out of place during the process.

4. Use your sponge brush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface of the coaster, including the photo. Let it dry for several hours.

5. Repeat Step 5 several times until you have a strong coat of Mod Podge on top of the photos.

Let it completely dry in between coats – this is very important.

6. Spray each of the tiles with the clear acrylic spray in short straight horizontal lines.

7. Repeat step 7 several times letting the spray completely dry for at least 15 minutes in between coats.

8. Place felt circles (the same kind you use to put on the bottom of chairs) on the back of the tiles. Wait at least 72 hours before placing anything on top of your coasters, allowing the sealer to completely dry – or your coffee mug will stick!

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Your Green Child

Kyro Trinity Kingston

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Henri

Sebastian

ik Josh

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Community - Get advice from other parents on attachment

parenting and raising eco-conscious children Go Green - Learn how to get your kids involved in causes they care about Activities - Have a ball with games, crafts, and more Giveaways - Win eco-stylish and fun green gear for families Learn - Articles by experts in health and green living Get Involved - Let us know what you like

We want to hear from you!

Media & Advertising

media@greenchildmagazine.com

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Image by Bern Altman

editor@greenchildmagazine.com