It was brought to my awareness that some blogging mothers are getting payed to blog to encourage people to get the flu shot -- so I thought I'd chime in with some of the other ways we stay healthy around here.
A healthy immune system isn't something that you can take in a pill (or shot for that matter) it is something that you will want to bring your awareness to everyday. In the food that you choose to nurture your body with, in the ways you allow your body to be fit and strong, how you keep working on responding to life's little stresses in a wholesome way and doing what it takes to keep a positive outlook on life.
And sometimes we still fall for the flu bug (or we know we have been exposed to it) and that's when we reach for support. We'd probably boost ourselves with extra Vitamin C, making sure we get plenty of Vitamin D, perhaps a remedy with Elderberry, an immune boosting mushroom concoction, probiotics and other favourite ways of keeping healthy include homeopathics and aromatherapy.
- I'm currently sipping a tasty tea made with Reishi mushrooms, Astralagus Root, Cordonopsis Root, Ginger, Goji berries and a spoonful of raw honey -
I realize that a big part of believing that you'd die without a flu shot, is the fearful propaganda you are fed through mainstream media and conventional thought shared by people who you trust.
If you have the time and care to begin to understand why some people choose to turn their backs on vaccines and most of what allopathic medicine has to offer, take a look at this from Natural News TV
You know how when you are IN something you just can't fathom your way out? I have a really hard time understanding WHY it took us literally YEARS to leave a city we arrived in by default - and that just never seemed to fit our size.
Well, we finally did. And we've shed the rat race (my dh still gets to participate in it every other week - but with a much healthier perspective on life).
Instead of breathing smog, rushing around (or trying to rush and mostly being stuck in traffic) and feeling wrung out like a rag most of the time - we are now surrounded by peace. It is such a drastic change that it feels really weird. Like I'm off the hook - and I don't remember what the hook was???
I feel a lot little less like an ant in an ant hill.
It's not all bliss though.. I wish it were - but I'm still stuck in getting to the bottom of my eldest daughter's hypoglycemia. She had another crash this am. Not fun. I have some more bruises to show for it. She skipped breakfast (without me noticing) and that was it. Her adrenals have been working overtime since she was really, really young. She doesn't deal with stress well (or at all). I have tried EVERYTHING - but short of always being by her side ALL the time (that works - but isn't a life for me OR her) and feeding her the best nutrition ever (that she despises btw) I am at a loss for holistic solutions???
This child of mine has NEVER been fed junk food. We learnt early on that she thrives on routines and that anything out of the ordinary would trigger stress for her. (enough that her ND was concerned about her adrenal function at the tender age of 2)
Since moving she has been feeling MUCH better. But this morning episode reminded me that her condition still exists and that I can't slip (or mistakenly think that she can monitor herself) ever. My sweet, sweet daughter - with the smile that can melt an iceberg - turns into the devil if she misses a meal, has too many fast-ish carbs, or feels stressed. It's very humbling to understand that there are some things that I can't figure out and resolve.. but DARNED if I am going to give up ;)
If I could convince her to swallow supplements I would probably try Mulberry. I already sneak homeopathics, flower remedies and nutritional yeast (for the B's) into her water/meals.
Sigh.. just need a brighter memory to finish off this post - here is one of those last BLISSfilled days of fall.
So what would you do, as a meat-eating family, if one of your children all of a sudden decided to quit eating meat. You'd probably freak out (at least in your head). Maybe you would try to convince your child to stick to your old ways, or perhaps you would honour your child's wishes.
Over the years many people have asked me the question "My child has gone vegetarian, and I don't know what to feed her/him". It's not just the inconvenience of cooking two types of meals, but also the concern of how to ensure an adequate protein intake.
Well, fret no more. You will feel at ease and at peace with your child's decision very soon, just keep reading - and click through for great resources!
There are PLENTY of better sources of protein than meat (especially grocery store meat)
Include beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and perhaps (organic and free range) eggs in your meals.
Sprouted grain bread, whole grains, and uncooked vegetables are all good sources of protein.
Quinoa is a wonderful protein rich grain with a slightly nutty flavour that kids seem to enjoy. Use it in place of pasta, and add to salads.
Sprinkle hemp seeds (preferably shelled, raw seeds) on just about everything.
If you choose to include dairy in your vegetarian lifestyle, try for organic, cultured dairy products. Raw cheese and high quality yogurt (you'll know the quality is good when there is no need for thickeners like gelatin and pectin in the ingredients) also stay away from the flavoured/coloured varieties of yogurt. Just add your own sweetener!
Happiness is ultimately what we all desire. For ourselves and for our children. Joy, love, peace is ultimately happiness.
We think we need specific things, status, connections - and that our happiness is contingent upon something outside of ourselves.
The best thing I believe that we can do for our kids, is to find that happiness inside of ourselves. Sometimes we may have to dig deep, but lasting happiness always comes from the inside and out.
Early Attachment - as in expressing your unconditional love for your child, to hold, carry and respond to your child's needs - would help your child to find that happiness.
However, I think it is important to know, that with a bit of work and determination, all of us - despite our upbringing, despite our drama - have the choice to feel and to be happy.
I have to work on my own level of happiness a lot. If I don't have it in my focus and on my agenda, to increase my happiness level - I will let life have it's way. I get caught up in drama, chores, chores and drama.
Remember the 80% - 20% rule - 20% of your time equals 80% of your results? I figure that spending 20% of my time on whatever is likely to increase mine and my family's happiness is time well spent.
Early Attachment is a gift I have had the privilege to give to my children.
Food Matters in a BIG, huge way. If you're looking for FUEL - look down at your plate. Your food determines whether or not you will be filled with energy, have a positive outlook on life, good health, glowing beauty, strong bones, and the BEST chance to be ALL that you can be, or if you are going to have to be satisfied with the lack there of.
In all seriousness - WHY do we find the excuses to allow ourselves to slip time and time again?
I've heard them all (and used some of them myself):
My kids are such picky eaters - they just won't eat what I'd like to feed them.
My husband likes his usual food. I can't cook two different types of meals.
Life is just so busy - some days I just HAVE to feed the family fast food.
Healthy food is too expensive, we can't afford it.
I can't cook. It seems to take up too much of my time.
Name your own: ____________
Well - from my own experience (and having believed all of the above myself) I can tell you - NONE of that is true:
Kids eat what they are used to eating. If we consistently offer more of the healthy stuff (unprocessed, unrefined) - WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY - and have no other choices - they WILL eat. They won't LOVE it over night - but if you love THEM, make this a battle worth fighting 98% of the time. (don't cook complicated healthy recipes - just gradually up the ante, especially with kids- just modernize and healthify their favourite dish one ingredient at a time)
What a load of garbage. Husband can cook his food if he doesn't want you (him and the kids) to experience your best health.
Nope. We have the choice to feed them junk, but we don't have to. With a touch of preplanning such as slow cooker, prepping done ahead of time, left overs, a creative mind with a healthy fast food last resort - ours is spelt pasta with premade tomato sauce, a meal can be provided in minutes. Fruit and veggies are easy to cut up and bring along for snacks if the kids are STAAAARVING on the road.
Healthy food is NOT more expensive. Cut out all the junk/processed food you normally buy and you'll end up saving a lot. Even more savings are to be had if you cook and prepare your food from scratch.
Dis-ease, feeling tired, having unhealthy food cravings, kids with mood swings and sugar rushes, struggling with weight, pms, premature aging and shortened lifespan will take up a lot of our time if we don't choose to invest it in cooking healthy. There might be a wee bit of a learning curve but with easy access to the internet and various healthy recipe sites and cook books for beginners - just DO IT :)
Regardless of the excuse of the day - WE are worth it. Our kids are worth it. Future generations are worth it. They will thank us one day.
There is a movie, that I have mentioned before, that helps us feel so inspired to make the healthy switch, that any fears about change, will evaporate. The movie Food Matters deserves a major motivation alert!!
Diets. Weight loss. Boot camps. 6 weeks to a flat stomach.
Can you tell spring is in the air? People everywhere are panicking to get in shape. Cutting meals, following high protein diets, joining gyms, taking up running - and it's often the same people year after year - struggling with weight and shape. Evidently diets or temporary stints at the gym don't work. So what are all these people thinking?? What makes dieters buy into the latest fad?
I'm no better. While I don't struggle with my weight or level of fitness, I do buy into some fads (?). Time will tell what will prove to be genuinely good for us.
I buy super foods (hardly local, hopefully organic) and supplement my raw, vegan, active lifestyle with expensive vitamins, herbs, minerals and other substances.
I go to hot yoga. I run.
I feed my family mostly vegetarian, as local as possible, all organic food and cook most of what they eat, but sneak in lots of raw too.
I constantly read up on the latest nutritional knowledge. I fell for the agave scam - and probably poisoned my kids in the process.Although my bee-keeping brother-in-law kept us in good supply of honey, so agave consumption was naturally limited by the tastier option.
For a while (way back when) we drank soy milk. Horror upon horrors.
I've sourced out a local-ish source of raw cow's milk. I don't really know how I feel about that, but it seems that if you need/want milk - maybe a quality source of "the real deal" is not so bad? Kind of like fake meat. Fake meat is worse for our health than actual meat (not talking about what is best for the animal or our environment now).
We are Attachment Parenting our 4 children - and they go to a school that is not a mainstream school, but seemed to fit our values. (a Waldorf school)
I dehydrate and ferment foods. I bake my own bread.
Maybe I am simply crazy, or falling for the latest health-fads - but this is where life has taken me. For as long as I live, I hope to continue to learn, and to always make the lifestyle choices I feel are the right ones for where I am at in life.
Some of those lifestyle choices are fantastic with instant rewards - others are quite inconvenient - and I hope to one day reap the benefits of sticking to my path and allowing myself heart based and intuitive choices.
The latest inconvenient decision has been to home school my oldest daughter (not the one in the picture) - hence the sparse blogging lately. I am allowing a little while for us to find our new groove and to settle into routines.
Jamie Oliver is changing things. He is on a mission to save lives!
This is from the abc website:
"When we first heard the term "Food Revolution," we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Did a lazy Susan suddenly start spinning out of control? Was ketchup attempting a hostile takeover to dethrone salsa as top condiment? But then, with world-renowned chef and best-selling author Jamie Oliver's name attached, we knew it was going to be all about "good food." Enough said.
Yes, Jamie Oliver is here to start a revolution. The impassioned chef is taking on obesity, heart disease and diabetes in the USA, where our nation's children are the first generation NOT expected to live as long as their parents. Now that's scary!
Jamie is inviting viewers to take a stand and change the way America eats, in our home kitchens, schools and workplaces with the thought-provoking new series, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which has a special sneak preview SUNDAY, MARCH 21 10|9c on ABC, followed by a 2-hour premiere on FRIDAY MARCH 26 8|7c.
In the six-part series, Jamie heads to Huntington, West Virginia. Why? Well, Huntington has been called the unhealthiest city in America. Jamie wants to do something about that. Through his efforts in this one town, he hopes to start a chain reaction of positive change across the country.
Jamie says, "There's an incredible community in Huntington, and I want this experience to be a celebration of what we can achieve when people come together." Jamie goes on to say, "Wonderful stories will unfold in Huntington, and hopefully this will inspire the rest of the States." Sounds like a plan!
Needled by local naysayers, challenged by ingrained unhealthy habits and government bureaucracy, and welcomed by some of the most surprising youngsters, families and local leaders, Jamie shows how, in just a few short months, he tried to transform Huntington as a template for the entire country. The stakes? Simply the health of our country's citizens and the legacy for its children.
The series is loosely based on Jamie Oliver's U.K. series, Jamie's Ministry of Food and Jamie's School Dinners, which saw his successful grass-roots efforts improve the school lunches in communities there. For the latter show, it resulted in a total overhaul of the school dinner program in the U.K. In America, he's turning his attention to helping people of all ages eat more balanced meals and cook with fresh ingredients, not only at schools, but also homes, and workplaces.
Jamie's recent television credits include Oprah's Big Give for ABC. He is the author of nine popular cookbooks, including "The Naked Chef", "Cook with Jamie" and "Jamie at Home." Hyperion published his latest cookbook, "Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals", in October 2009. Packed with quick, flavorful recipes and step-by-step photos shows beginning and accomplished cooks how to achieve great results with fresh ingredients. You can buy it now!.
We can't wait to see how Jamie makes out in Huntington. We're also curious to see if his efforts there catch on in other places. Let the revolution begin!"
A few years ago my children's school (the Calgary Waldorf School) hosted a talk by Penni Sparks. I remember her as a very dynamic speaker, and I highly recommend her talks.
What has stuck with me, for years now, is her phrase:
"Imagine you’re a noble queen, a ruler of the castle. Lift your head,
imagine a jeweled crown and have fun with the fantasy. Understand that
all children long to learn from adults who model confidence, kindness,
and benevolent power. My task is to help to remind you to be the
ennobled parent you are and to remind you that you are not the slave
girl to your castle. You are the ruling royalty."
It tied it all together for me. The teachings of the Law of Attraction (Esther and Jerry Hicks), the solution focused coaching methods I use, the power of our subconscious minds - all of that is summed up by her encouragement to imagine that you are a noble queen.
It DOES help to visualize the crown and the castle - as the kids dump stuff on you - words, books, bags, dishes, dirty clothing, attitude - whatever it is that they do (and my own response prior to Penni, would have been to accept the "dumping" but complain, nag or sigh - while thinking nasty thoughts about your kids behavior and how little they respect you. (and that's not attracting the outcome I want)
As I have created a new habit of regarding myself as the Queen - a benevolent ruler - seven times out of ten - the dump doesn't happen.
Two times out of ten, it does - but the look on my face, my posture and my response is keeping my energy intact, showing the kids that there is no use pushing me any further.
One out of tentimes the dump still happens - and turns into mayhem - but that's great improvement for me ;)
I was reminded of this talk tonight, when I was snuggling with my soon to be 4 year old before he went to sleep. "You are the best in the world" he said, as he gave me a big kiss and a HARD hug. That felt as the biggest paycheck ever. That is the salary I get for the parenting work I put in.
For the longest time I felt weird about prioritizing my children instead of a career - and then I began feeling weird about society instead.
Parenting (along with work of teachers and caregivers) deserves to be valued. It deserves to be at the top of the ladder. The wages we reap are happier and healthier children - as long as we do it right - with all of our hearts and souls - feeling like Queens.
I believe that if we value ourselves as parents (and allow all our "chores" to turn into "delightful duties", to quote my son's teacher) we can find it within ourselves to be the best we can be. To make the best choices, to lead with example, and show our children the genuine happiness that comes from healthy self love and self respect. We'll be happier as parents, and our children will thrive. Inner success leads to outer success.
I like to include a fitting youtube to convey what I am trying to share in another way. Here is an Esther Hicks/Louise Hay combo that I love. We can be as great at parenting as we want to be :)
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