Vitamin B12 and pregnancy...

Image via WikipediaGreat article on a study done in the Netherlands involving 3,000 women. Those with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 during their first three months of pregnancy had babies that cried more, low levels of B12 also interfere with the infants sleep cycle by delaying the release of melatonin. Pass me the Vitamin B12. No wonder I am craving steak, eggs, salmon and dark raw chocolate! Now don't forget to take your vitamin C with that to increase absorption! http://www.medindia.net/news/Vitamin-B-Stops-Infants-Crying-82550-1.htm

Just in case I am not getting enough in my diet I am taking Garden of Life Raw B complex.!

Related articles

• Women can reduce chance of 'colicky' baby by eating steak while pregnant (dailymail.co.uk)

Dandelions our Friends

Image via WikipediaDid you know American Colonist brought dandelion seeds with them from across the ocean to plant in their gardens? That little "pest" of a weed that colors your pesticide free front lawn is more our friend than foe. Dandelion flowers and leaves are 100% edible. You can put dandelion greens in your soup, eat them plain or add them to your salad. Some people even make dandelion wine! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYHvSruEyo&feature=related )
 The roots are sweetest in the fall and can be used in teas (when dried) and or added to coffee. (For a good reference on how to dry them see "The Herbal Epicure ")
These slightly bitter herbs have more Vitamin A than broccoli, chard, collars, spinach and carrots!  James A Duke an ethnobotanist who worked for the US Department of Agriculture has been known to eat a hundred dandelion flowers a day for their beta carotene and ascorbic acid. They are also high in lecithin, which is currently being studied for prevention of cirrhosis and as brain food. ( See "The Green Pharmacy") According to Dr Duke the leaves are high in boron and calcium as well as silicon. Not to mention they are full of complex vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium , potash and zinc.

A few fun recipes for dandelions are:

• cook the bitter leaves with potatoes and onions
• grate the root, mix with dandelion leaves and add to parsnips and potatoes, perhaps with a little horseradish thrown in
• eat the flowers in a salad

So nix the pesticides this year, embrace the dandelions!

Related articles

• Spring Tonics Dandelions Greens Nettles (ddmacc5022.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion Greens (sosopie.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion - Powerful antioxidant or pesky weed (rebootyourself.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion: The Healing Weed (wildflowerbotanicals.wordpress.com)
• Urban Forager | Growing a Salad in Winter (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)

Grass Fed Beef and Lamb Purchased!

Image via WikipediaSo today I bit the bullet and made our largest food purchase for the year. I bought a grass fed lamb (which I am sharing with my mother-in-law) and 1/4 of a grass fed cow. I purchased through Klesick Family Farms because I have found their meat to be very tasty and reasonably priced. My total (minus the butcher) came to $300 for the cow and $250 for the lamb. Not a bad price when one considers that a t-bone grass fed steak at the grocery store is $17 dollars a pound. Grass fed local lamb has an even higher price! I will get about 4 of these along with many, many other cuts of meat. Now I know that all this talk of meat might be too much for the vegetarians, but I must feed my very meat hungry accountant husband!

I am happy to report that my cow will have lived a very happy life prior to meeting it's end, which is more than I can say for the meat at Safeway or Albertsons.

How Organic Are Your Organic Eggs?

Why we eat Organic Grass Fed Beef

Image via Wikipedia

Every year in March I am making a point of putting in my order for grass fed organic beef. Why you might ask? Is it cheaper? Cheaper than what conventional beef, organic store bought? If it's not cheaper why bother ordering it? These are all questions I have been asked and will attempt to answer in this post!
From a few studies I have read it has been found that grass fed beef is more nutritious than it's conventional counterpart. It has 10 times more beta carotene, 3 times more vitamin E and 3 times more Omega 3 fatty acids along with more Omega 6.(Granted carrots and Salmon still have more than a piece of beef.) Grass fed beef is also 3 times leaner than corn based meat, making it easier on your waistline. The "marbled" beef that many people attain to is a result of a grain fed diet.
Since cows were created to eat grass they do better when fed grass and only grass. A 100% grass fed cow does not have the high E-coli count in it's gut as a "classic" American feed lot cow. Don't let the term "grain finished" fool you. Most cows start out with the first 6-12 months of their lives eating grass. But then they are sent to feed lots where they are fed a grain based diet to fatten them up. What's the big deal with a grain fed cow you might ask? Grain is not a natural diet for cud-chewers. Feeding a cow grain causes digestive problems and generally makes them more sickly resulting in their need for antibiotics. Almost all grain fed cows need antibiotics.
According to one source Mad cow disease has never been found in grass finishedbeef.  "Feedlot cattle may eat all kinds of products in addition to grain, including chicken manure, chicken feathers, newsprint, cardboard and municipal garbage waste" along with old candy bars and many other things!"

 Grass fed beef is more humane. Anyone who has seen Food Inc will not argue with the idea that a cow is happier when it lives out it's life in a pasture with lots of roaming room than when crammed together in a traditional feed lot.I believe a grass fed cow is a happy cow and I have fewer moral issues eating a well cared for animal.

Taking Care of Two and Beet nutrition

Hello all! So in case you all wondered why I haven't been blogging as much. ( I can only hope you miss me). #1 Reason is my mouse is broken and I am waiting to receive my new one in the mail. Using a desktop with just the keyboard and the tab button is WAY more difficult than I like. The accountant turned his cell phone into a remote but I only have it at night when he is home. So not so much blogging. The other reason I have not been blogging as much is I have been babysitting a friends little boy. I thought one kept me busy. I had NO idea how busy two would keep me! It's funny. They occupy each other but they also get into more trouble, so this necessitates a very close eye. So, no Internet surfing for information without the mouse, and not a whole lot of time outside of keeping the house presentable (sort of) and cooking for the accountant ( I de-stress by cooking, lucky man!).
I do want to share a tidbit of information that I learned to day in my perusal of the local co-op newsletter. It's a little nutrition information on one of my favorite vegetables. Hint this veggie turns your poo red.
Beets!
Beets are full of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and C. They also contain calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. They are a great source of choline which is needed for your brain and that of a growing baby whether in or out of the womb.
One way I like to enjoy beets is cooked and tossed with olive oil, ground black pepper, dill and lemon juice. (I used to add feta cheese before I knew I was allergic to casein, if you are not allergic I highly recommend adding it in too!)
I love to buy beets, cook them and add them to my tossed green salad. (I am one of those strange people that craves salads) Juicing beets raw will give you even more health benefits than eating them cooked or try grating them with your cheese grater and putting them on your raw salad.
A few specific health benefits of beets, eaten in large quantity or part of a healthy diet are:
Choline detoxifies the liver
Helps with the healing process of a gastric ulcer
Helps alleviate gout
Helps keep arteries and veins elastic
Contains betaine an amino acid that has anti cancer properties. Protective against colon and stomach cancer
They are alkaline so helps combat acidosis in the body
Combat atherosclerosis
The iron in beets regenerates and activates blood cells fighting anemia.

So eat your beets!

Eggs they really are good for you!

Image via WikipediaFor years the mainstream media would have us believe that eggs were something to be avoided. I mean they are high in cholesterol right? On the contrary eggs are one of the healthier things you can eat for breakfast according to a Harvard School of Public Health study. The study found there is no link between "moderate egg consumption and heart disease". In fact regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attacks. So unless you have an egg allergy if you have any "egg beaters" or other fake or substitute eggs throw them out! The substitute is probably worse for you than the real thing. In fact eggs are chok full of choline , 251 milligrams half the daily recommended value for women, a B vitamin that is very much needed for brain and heart health. It is also vital in the development of babies in the womb, it affects their brain and memory function. Eggs are full of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12.  They are only about 70 calories per egg and have all nine essential amino acids. They contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which are vital for eye health.
Shell color makes no difference, the shell color is affected by the hen. My personal favorites are green eggs which I buy up the street. Of course to get the most bang for your buck buy the organic, pasture raised or certified humane eggs!

Source: Natural Health magazine March 2011

Low on Iron?

So...if you are low on iron...and like chocolate. Did you know Green and Black's Organic Chocolate has 18% of your daily needed intake!? Hmm...seems like a valid excuse to me!

The Beans of Life

I used to think beans were for eating with tortillas, or in chili. It wasn't until the accountant and I decided it would be best for us to have me stay home with little Olive that I started experimenting with them. Not only are they inexpensive, they are tasty, easily cooked, easy to store, can be used in so many ways and are packed FULL of nutrition.


So just what is so great about these little things called legumes?
1. They are full of a grand amount of fiber 10 to 15 grams per cup. Fiber is a great fighter of the "belly bulge". A 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study discovered that those who ate the most fiber are slimmer. The recommended daily fiber intake is 25 grams for men and 38 grams for women. Fiber also helps slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream and helps flush cholesterol out of the body. A study by Tulane University showed that people who eat beans four or more times per week are less likely to develop heart disease than those who ate them less than once per week.

Image via Wikipedia

2. Beans are rich in iron which is an essential nutrient for oxygen transport within the body. Low iron levels put you at risk for poor memory, attention deficit and poor mental function. Increase the absorption of the iron in beans by paring it with vitamin C rich food such as salad. So example eat chili with a salad to increase your uptake of iron.

3. Beans are a wonderful source of plant protein. You get a whopping 15 grams per cooked cup of beans. When paired with brown rice, beans give you a "complete" protein.

4. Beans are one of the best source you will find of folate that helps slash cancer risk. Folate aids in normal cell replication (Cancer is by definition abnormal cell replication). A 2009 study found that bean intake was protective against colon, kidney, oral esophagus and stomach cancers. Women who eat beans twice a week have a 24 percent lower risk of beast cancer  than woman who hate them just once a month.

5. Thirty percent of your daily requirements for magnesium can be found in a cup of beans, an essential nutrient in protecting against diabetes. Magnesium assists in helping the body to control blood pressure, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, bone formation and lowers stress hormones.

6. Beans, especially dark beans are full of antioxidants. In fact black beans carry ten times the amount of antioxidants as oranges!

7. Rich in potassium. "A nutrient essential for heart function. Potassium also acts as a deterrent against rising blood pressure by increasing blood levels of nitric oxide, which dilates arteries and prevents them from clogging."

So the little ditty that says "beans beans the magical fruit..." isn't far off the mark. They really are "Magical" in their nutrient packed density.



Resources :
 "Full of Beans" found in Living Without
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=72
http://www.suite101.com/content/beans-nutrition-and-meal-ideas-a143303
Prescription for Nutritional Healing
http://www.essortment.com/all/benefitsofbean_rbdb.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

Enhancing Digestion in Babies, Pregnancy and Beyond.

Image via WikipediaRecently I have been researching and experimenting with herbs. My husband the accountant will vouch for this! Perhaps in my future life I will go back to school and study herbology, for now though I must be content to self study through the lens of my nursing background. I already have a plan written out for growing a whole bunch of my own herbs this coming summer. I am excited to see what works and what doesn't.



My Digestion Story:

Until I was pregnant with Olivia I never really experienced any gastric distress. I quickly found that pregnancy changes things. Compared to a lot of women my pregnancy symptoms were mild, very mild. I would be slightly nauseated at night when I would lie down to sleep. I attributed this to position and thought I should start taking something to help. I began a nightly ritual of drinking a ginger tea concoction relabeled as a wellness tea for pregnant women, from Earth Mama Angel Baby company. It worked wonders!
 Then I gave birth to my lovely little girl, who seemed to experience many many symptoms of gastric distress in the first 6 months of her life. "Colicky" might be the word. She cried a lot. Then one day my mother came home with a small bottle of homeopathic medicine called "colic calm". My life changed for the better. Olivia no longer screamed as long. If she woke up crying or suddenly started to cry I would put a bib on her (it's black and stains) and feed her this licorice based product. Relief! I swear by it still. I recently read reviews on a similar product called "Baby's Bliss Gripe Water" and have ordered it to try it, since it is cheaper and it isn't black so it doesn't stain. I will let you know how it works. I also started her on probiotics for babies since she was a C-section baby she did not pick up all the normal flora a baby would passing through the birth canal. I believe this also helped her poor little tummy in the long run.

Since I am no longer pregnant I now drink straight ginger tea and/ or peppermint tea or hot lemon water when I feel slight distress or  take licorice tablets. I take deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) tablets.( If they are not DGL they can raise blood pressure). Licorice is know for it's ability to soothe and heal the esophageal tissue by decreaing inflammation and ulceration. Most herbalists recommend about 760 mg prior to each meal if indigestion is an issue. I have also gotten into the habit of making sure I have the much spoken of "probiotics" and "digestive enzymes" in my diet on a daily basis by taking a supplement or incorporating it into my meal.

What do you do to treat your nausea, or indigestion?

Genetically Modified Foods: Get the Facts

1 2 3 next >> For years, scientists have been cross-breeding plants and animals to...

Article with list of RBGH free milk companies

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rBGH/rbghlist.cfm. They also list those companies that are only partially free of RBGH. These are marked with a P.

Money Wasters in the Food Budget

Image by Steven Vance via Flickr

There are certain items when cutting my food budget down to it's minimum I eliminated due to there non-existent nutritional value, not to mention their questionable harm to my family's bodies. Eliminating these 4 categories reduced our pre-packaged food intake thus reducing our overall cost!

1. "Corn sugar" or high fructose corn syrup. Research indicates it is a factor in metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Why would I spend money on something that will harm me? I discovered when I started religiously reading food labels that it is in snickers bars! The accountant was disappointed. I was horrified when I found it in bread, pastries, candy, soda, cookies, ice cream, hot chocolate and so forth. If it was prepackaged, it was probably in it. 
2. Artificial sweeteners such as splenda, aspartame, equal, sucralose. These are chemicals. Why would I put them in my body?Especially with their links to cancer. I stick to Stevia, honey, brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, and cane sugar.
3. Funny colors-food dyes have been linked to ADHD, brain tumors in mice, allergies, behavioral issues. This can be a difficult one to avoid. I have even found it in some balsamic vinegars! Read those labels carefully!
4. What I like to call "mystery ingredients". Things I can't pronounce or feel I need a chemistry book to decipher. If I can't pronounce it I probably don't want it in my body. Besides I wouldn't put it in something I cooked at home! If I don't know what it is, I don't know what it will do to my body. My body wasn't designed to eat it!

I am a ingredient list reader and PROUD of it! Are there any other items out there that you my readers recommend staying away from? 

I don't avoid all pre-packaged food but by adhering to the list above I avoid most of them. Some "healthy" pre-packaged quick foods that I keep on hand for snacks are:

Organic potato and tortilla chips. They have three or four ingredients and I know what they are.

Related articles

• Natural and Healthy Sugar Substitutes (food-facts.suite101.com)
• Is Agave Syrup Good Bad Or Just Kinda Tasty? (gliving.com)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup Side Effects (aolhealth.com)

3 Affordable Nutritious Foods

The top bang for your buck nutritious foods are eggs, beans and quinoa. These foods are affordable on a tight organic food budget. I can buy a dozen eggs from a lady down the street for three dollars, a pound of organic beans for $1.69 per pound and organic quinoa for approximately $7 for 4 pounds at Costco. These three foods are my fall back foods at the end of a pay period when supplies are running low. I always have them on hand. Often pairing them with brown rice or fresh organic veggies. For the accountant I often use beef broth or chicken broth to enhance the flavors with meat.



Cheap, nutritious meal ideas are:

- breakfast for dinner. scrambled eggs with toast
- beans and rice in tortilla wraps
- breakfast egg wraps
- stir fry with quinoa and fresh veggies
- bean soup
- meatless bean chili
- quinoa salad
- crustless quiche
- omelette
- green salad with brown rice