Poor Man’s Sauna

bathtubI’m doing some health treatments right now and in the need of detox while doing the treatments.  One of the things I came across in my research is hydrotherapy or the concept of hyperthermia.  Essentially you force your body to have a fever which raises your body temperature to a level that kills bacteria and other nasties in your system.  Also it allows you to detox and extricate the gunk through your sweat glands and skin.  I don’t have easy access to a gym or spa with a sauna nor the funds to install one in my tiny city house.  I considered going to Hot Springs, Arkansas or even a health spa in California with natural hot spring water.  But as that’s not something I can do immediately nor on a weekly or daily basis that doesn’t really help me much.  Then I read about a technique of taking a hot bath, when it starts to cool empty some of the water and refill with hotter water, and repeat until you’ve been in the hot water for at least forty minutes.  Then when you get out of the tub wrap yourself in a sheet and then in a blanket.  Then sweat it out for a bit.

So I tried this technique today and it was great.  I watched 50 minutes of a movie while keeping my bath water hot, I drank a mug of hot tea, and I made sure to keep my hands and feet under the water.  I did not put my head under until the very end when I washed it.  After I drank the tea I was really struggling with the heat and I was drenched in sweat.  I was really ready to be done by the time I passed the forty minute mark.  I got out, did not dry off my body with a towel, but I wrapped my head up in a towel and immediately wrapped up in a sheet, and then cocooned myself into my blanket and finished my movie.  I sweated like crazy.  When I finally unrolled myself my sheet and blanket were drenched and it even went through to my bed.  My face was beat red like I worked out, which doesn’t surprise me because my heart rate was up for quite a bit of it.  I’m not sure why that is but I read that was normal too.  My skin is super soft and looks healthier.  Even my husband commented on it and my three-year-old kept rubbing the soft skin on my leg. I drank a tall glass of water when I got out and will keep drinking to help continue the detox.

Epson-SaltSo if you don’t have access or funds for a sauna or spa treatment and need to detox, try out the Poor Man’s Sauna.  All it takes is a tub, hot water, a sheet, and a blanket.  And I highly suggest a distraction from the heat.  I watched Hitch with Will Smith and was pretty entertained for the most part.  It wasn’t as relaxing as a warm bath normally is for me since the water temp was hotter than my comfort level but it worked great and my skin looks healthier.  I also put Epsom Salt in the water to help with the detox.

 

Nosodes More Effective than Vaccines

Excerpted from How Homeopathy Can Help by Ellen Hodgson Brown, J.D.

thumbnail.aspLike vaccination, homeopathy involves inoculation by challenge with a like toxin, inducing a mild reaction in the body by simulating the larger reaction constituting the disease. Homeopathic remedies consist of minute doses of natural substances — mineral, plant or animal — that if given to healthy people in larger doses would cause the symptoms the patient is experiencing. A nosode is a homeopathic remedy in which the “active” ingredient is diseased tissue or a disease-causing entity (virus, bacteria, parasite, etc.) that has been rendered sterile.

Where vaccination involves viral or bacterial macromolecules that can induce unwanted side effects, homeopathic remedies are without side effects because they are extremely dilute — at some strengths so dilute that no molecule of the original substance is likely to be left in solution. The remedies are repeatedly diluted and “succussed”, or shaken vigorously with each dilution, to increase their vibratory field. The remedies work by stimulating the body’s own healing energy, rather like a tuning fork that sets disharmonious chords back on track.

“Like cures like,” the principle on which homeopathy is based, actually originated long before vaccines. It was formulated by Paracelsus in the sixteenth century. Samuel Christian Hahnemann, M.D. (1755-1843), the German physician who founded homeopathy, reformulated the principle in 1795, a year before Jenner made his cowpox vaccine discovery premised on the same theory.

Dr. Hahnemann was the first practitioner to use remedies prophylactically. He found that a girl whom he had treated with homeopathic Belladonna for an unrelated problem did not develop scarlet fever when the rest of her family got it. Then he found that “provings” of homeopathic Belladonna fit the disease picture of that particular epidemic of scarlet fever, and that by administering Belladonna he could both prevent and cure the disease. Other homeopaths later found that the remedy Ailanthus could prevent scarlet fever. Lathyrus was found to work against polio,Mercurius Cyanthus against diphtheria, Baptisia against typhoid fever. Other remedies were found to be effective against measles, mumps, chicken pox, hepatitis, and so forth.1

Homeopathy became the rage in Europe after cholera swept the Continent early in the nineteenth century. Hahnemann advocated the use of homeopathic Camphor to prevent or treat that disease at a time when he had never seen it but had only heard descriptions of its symptoms. The treatment proved to be remarkably successful. According to Julian Winston, editor in chief of Homeopathy Today, the mortality rate for cholera under conventional treatment in the 1830s was reported at between 40 percent and 80 percent. The mortality rate in London’s ten homeopathic hospitals during that decade was reported at 9 percent; in Bavaria, at 7 percent; in Russia, at 10 percent; and in Austria, at 33 percent (compared to 66 percent under conventional care).2

Cholera also swept the U.S. at that time, along with yellow fever, typhoid, and scarlet fever. When homeopathic treatment proved to be far more successful than conventional medicine in treating those epidemics, homeopathy spread like wildfire across the American continent. In 1844, the American Institute of Homeopathy was founded as the first national American medical society, preceding the American Medical Association (AMA) by several years.

Meanwhile, evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic nosodes kept accumulating. In the United States during the 1850s, there were several epidemics of yellow fever in the southern states. Mortality from yellow fever using conventional medicine was reported at between 15 and 85 percent. Holcome and Davis, homeopaths in Natchez, reported a mortality of 6.43 percent and 5.73 percent, respectively, in yellow fever victims under homeopathic care during that period. In 1878 the mortality from the same epidemic in New Orleans was 50 percent under allopathic care versus 5.6 percent in 1,945 cases under homeopathic care.3 In the 1860s, a diphtheria epidemic struck. In the records of Broome County, New York, from 1862 to 1864, an 83.6 percent mortality rate was reported among victims treated conventionally, compared to a 16.4 percent mortality rate among those treated homeopathically.4

It could be argued that the disparity in these figures was due more to the nature of nineteenth century conventional treatment, with its emphasis on bloodletting and mercury compounds, than to the virtues of homeopathy itself. But homeopathy continued to score successes in the twentieth century. Its remarkable performance during the influenza epidemic of 1918 was reported in detail in an article in the May 1921 Journal of the American Institute for Homeopathy. Dr. T. A. McCann, of Dayton, Ohio, reported that 24,000 cases of flu treated allopathically had a mortality rate of 28.2 percent, while 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05 percent. The latter figure was supported by Dean W.A. Pearson of Philadelphia, who recorded the results of 26,795 cases of flu treated homeopathically. In Connecticut, 30 physicians reported 6,602 cases treated homeopathically with 55 deaths, or less than 1 percent.5

Nosodes also performed well in a number of twentieth century polio epidemics. In a 1956-58 study, a researcher named Heisfelder gave Lathyrus to over 6,000 children, in whom no cases of polio and no side effects were reported. Grimmer, a homeopath in Chicago, gave it to 5,000 young children, none of whom developed polio. In a polio epidemic in Buenos Aires in 1975, Lathyrus was given to 40,000 people with the same 100 percent success rate.


  1. M. Zacharias, “Nosodes”, Natural Rearing Newsletter (January 1996).
  2. J. Winston, “Historical Perspective”, National Center for Homeopathy, www.homeopathic.org (2001), citing T. Bradford, M.D., The Logic of Figures (1900), F. Humphreys, Cholera and Its Homeopathic Treatment (1849), and many other books.
  3. J. Winston, op. cit., citing Holcome, Yellow Fever and Its Homeopathic Treatment (1856) and C. Neidhard, The Efficacy of Crotalus Horridus in Yellow Fever (1860).
  4. T. Bradford, op. cit.
  5. J. Winston, op. cit.

Orthotropics Phase 1

imageYesterday Jax and I took the two and a half hour drive down to Joplin, Missouri to start his Orthotropics treatment.  His feelings were relatively benign about the whole thing as we talked on the way down.  When we got there Dr. Detar showed Jax the expander that he would be wearing for the next 4-6 months.  The doctor inserted it and made the adjustments needed.  It was set to the side and next they prepared and installed Jax’s braces.  A couple brackets popped off his baby teeth and had to be glued back on.  Then they put the expander in for the full effect.  Jax panicked and started gagging so we quickly removed it.  After a break we tried again which didn’t go any better.  So we decided to hold off inserting the expander until Jax adjusted to the change of having braces.  He did really great but was a little overwhelmed.  Getting the wire put on the brackets was a little rough for him.  I was worried that he may be too young to handle all of this.

imageAfter we left Detar’s office we went in search of an ice cream place.  We found Andy’s and had some delicious custard.  It was a distraction and a perk for Jax.  Being a mother of four I don’t often get to spend one on one time with my children away from my other children.  So getting custard was a special treat.  During the ride to the ice cream place we tried inserting the expander several times.  Jax showed great effort and I was really proud of him for trying.  The child has had a super sensitive gag reflex since he was born.  We headed back home and Jax kept trying to keep the expander in for longer durations.  He told me that he was fine with the braces but didn’t want to have the expander.  That it was no fun and he didn’t like having to do any of this.

imageOver the course of the next two hours he was able to keep the extender in his mouth for longer periods of time.  He did best when he wasn’t focused on it and watching a movie.  By the time he got home he was pretty proud of himself for being able to keep it in for so long.  When he saw his siblings he was super excited to show them his mouth and all the goodies he got with his Orthotropics.  A water flosser, three sided tooth brush, and some wax are awesome to a seven year old.  As the evening progressed Jax flipped his perspective.  He was no longer having any issues with his expander and kept it in all evening and all night.  The pressure of the braces on the other hand made his gums hurt and he was in pain.  He told me he’d keep the expander but didn’t like the braces.  Poor kid.  He had mushroom soup for dinner while the rest of us ate pork chops and zucchini with rice.  I gave him Ibuprofen to help him with the pain earlier in the day.  At night I gave him some melatonin to help him fall asleep faster.

This morning he struggled at breakfast eating his oatmeal so I gave him some more Ibuprofen.  He’s doing much better more.  Less complaining about the pain and more goofing around instead of doing his math sheet.  So overall it was a rough start but it’s getting better.  He adapted pretty quickly in reality.  In a few days the pain won’t be so bad.  Tonight I will start enlarging the expander by one tiny adjustment.  We will continue that each night until his next appointment in 3 weeks.  The braces make him look older to me but he’s still my baby and I have to remind myself that this is best for him in the long run.  I think he’s young enough that any teasing will be milder than in middle school, and less traumatic than in high school.  We’re trying to encourage him to feel special about having them.  He goes to enrichment one day a week starting next week.  That’s the only interaction I’m worried about since I’m not there to help.  He also has co-op but I will be around and can help him explain how neat it is that he gets to have braces.  It’s all in perspective.  Being positive is key to a happy life.  This is going to benefit his character in the long run I think.

For more details on Orthotropics and why we choose this method please read my previous post.

Child Jaw Growth & Orthotropics

So usually in modern day medicine and healthcare there are a lot of treatments that target symptom relief.  Usually these treatments don’t treat the problem and often can cause more damage in the process.  I believe that for some people the practice of orthodontics does this.  There are plenty of people whose jaws grew in just fine but they had crooked teeth for one reason or another and they used conventional orthodontic braces to align their teeth.  These are not the people I’m referring to.  I’m referring to the people who have an issue with stunted jaw growth and improper tongue placement. When people snore, sleep with their mouth open, suck their thumbs, etc they are not sleeping with their tongue in the correct position.  The tongue correctly nestled at the roof of your mouth when you sleep counteracts the pressure placed on the upper teeth from the lips.  Without the tongue at the roof of your mouth the lips push the teeth out of alignment.  With the mouth open the jaw drops back and doesn’t grow properly.  This causes crowding and crooked teeth.  Conventional orthodontic treatment does not fix the jaw growth issue and instead they usually extract four teeth, to make room in your mouth.  Tooth extraction is dangerous for the body and often causes a myriad of other health issues. The alternative to OrthoDONtics that addresses the problem of a jaw with stunted growth, often before the teeth have the chance to become crooked, is OrthoTROpics(or-thuh-troh-fiks).  Orthotropics uses appliances to align the jaw correctly and encourages the mouth to close properly.  Treatment time is much shorter than traditional orthodontics, it’s in the range of 6-12 months.  It’s also at an age where children are more likely to corporate.  Children’s jaws are growing from the ages of 6-10.  This is the opportune time to make the bite alignment that encourages the jaw to grow appropriately.

imageTwo days ago I took my two boys to the closest Orthotropic doctor, who was a 3 hour drive south in Joplin, MO.  Dr. DeTar was amazing with my boys.  He had them completely relaxed, laughing, and having a good time.  Which was great because we were there for almost 3 hours.  Zavien, my almost 9-year-old was seen first.  He was within range for normal jaw growth and the doctor said he had room for his teeth to come in.  However, my 7-year-old, Jaxon, exhibited the facial profile, crowded teeth, and permanent grimace that are signs of a jawline that’s not growing correctly.  It may be from sucking his thumb as a toddler, but it’s also definitely from sleeping with his mouth open at night.  Below are the profiles of my boys.  Zavien is in yellow and with his pictures you can really compare to see how Jax’s lack of horizontal jaw growth, he’s in orange, makes Jax look like he has a recessed lower lip, pronounced cheeks, crowded teeth, and a gummy smile.  These brothers are 19 months apart in age.  The notes to the right of the images are to share the difference to look for in the boy’s profiles.

image image  <grimace, big cheeksimage image<protruding upper lip

In the pictures below the gap between my boy’s front teeth due to their muscle frenum is unassociated with the jaw growth issue.  I will be leaving Zavien’s for now as it’s a minor issue and Dr. DeTar thinks will correct on it’s own.  Jaxon’s is more prevalent so we will research and closely watch the issue as he grows.

image image<crooked teeth, no spaceimage image<gummy smile

image imageimage image imageYour jaw is suppose to grow in at a 45 degree angle, give or take a little.  Jax has more vertical growth than horizontal growth.  Basically because he sleeps with his mouth open it causes his jaw to drop down and back.  Which means not only does his jaw not grow where it needs to in order to match his upper mouth, but it also means his tongue isn’t pushing his upper teeth into place.  So the pressure from his cheeks has made it so there is no room for his adult teeth to fit aligned in his mouth.  According to his x-ray when his canines come in they will probably come in through the side of his gums above the rest of his teeth, because there just won’t be any room.  draft_lens8553821module79854981photo_1263820482damon-case2My brother actually had this issue as a kid and his canines grew in like this guy pictured to the right. A chronic issue associated with a jaw that has not grown in appropriately, is joint pain and clicking.  Also by moving the jaw forward into the correct position it allows more room for the airways and helps prevent breathing issues like sleep apnea.  It also corrects the face shape, which has psychological benefits as well.  Below is a great quick video from Dr. DeTar that explains the risks of a misgrown jaw and the benefits of Orthotropics.

JaxXray2

This is all a learning experience for me.  I went with conventional orthodontic treatment at 18 and it made my smile smaller, my teeth crooked even after four years in braces.  And the reason it didn’t work for me?  I sleep with my mouth open and the pressure of my cheeks crowds my mouth.  I can use Orthotropics to help me as well.  It will retrain my mouth and jaw for proper positioning 24/7.  Essentially creating new habits.  My jaw is within normal range but sleeping with my mouth open is my down fall.  Someday I will probably get treatment, but for now our four children’s treatments are our focus.  In 3-4 years I will take my girls in to get evaluated.  Zavien will go back when all his adult teeth are grown in to see if there is any cosmetic straightening that would be beneficial.  I hope you’ve found this enlightening and thanks for reading!

Mommy Tummy Challenges

I saw a ton of ab challenges pop up on Facebook the last week of May and it’s really concerning to me.  These ab challenges are geared toward mother’s wanting to flatten their tummies for summer after having babies.  Crunches and sit-ups have been proven to compromise the pelvic floor and exasperate Diastasis Recti(split ab muscles post pregnancy).  While I totally understand wanting to flatten my baby tummy, I don’t want to damage my pelvic floor or widen the split in my abs.  So I decided to post about a safer exercise option and challenge that was short and effective.  I combined Peak Fitness Exercises with core ab exercises that don’t compromise your pelvic floor or risk splitting your abs.  While most postpartum mamas are ready to get back to their pre-baby shape with newborn in arm, these exercises are not recommended for new mamas, mamas with severe Diastasis Recti, or please consult your doctor or midwife.  My youngest just turned 3 years old and my Diastasis Recti is one finger width, but I would have attempted this challenge when she was 1 year as well.  You know your body and listen to your pelvic floor!  You can tell when too much is too much.  Alternatively Yoga is a very gentle and effective way to tone your body and reach overall physical fitness.

Peak Fitness Exercises are:

  1. 2 minutes of warm ups
  2. 30 seconds of high intensity (pelvic floor safe: swimming, rowing, pedaling) (sprinting, stairs, jump rope)
  3. 90 seconds of “rest” in aerobic and anaerobic states
  4. repeat 7 times
  5. 2 minutes of cool down

During your 30 seconds of high intensity you want to reach your heart rate max.  The heart rate max which is a formula of 220 beats per minute minus your age.  So for example my formula is 220-29(my age)=191 heartbeats per minute.

Mommy Tummy Safe Core Exercises:

If you have or had Diastasis Recti NO crunches or sit-ups, ever again.  If you feel your core is strong you can attempt planks.  If you try a plank and your core feels firm and engaged, carry on. But if it makes you feel as if your innards are falling out at the front, STOP RIGHT THERE!  If you can do planks here are some great core exercises to firm your abs.  Modify all plank exercises to be on your forearms instead of your hands to protect your pelvic floor.

  • Burpees (don’t do the jump up if your pelvic floor is weak, do a slight hop if it’s sound)
  • Plank Push Ups
  • 3pt Plank
  • Active Plank
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Plank Pulls
  • Elevators
  • Reach and Slide
  • Stability Ball Roll Outs

Tips for best results:

  • Get a good night’s sleep
  • Avoid a high fat meal prior to exercising
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Eat healthy carbs (think vegetables) and high quality protein
  • Optimize your vitamin D levels
  • Avoid sugar, especially fructose

AVOID all sugar and fruit for 2 hours after these work outs because it will destroy the natural fat burning “human growth hormones” you created during your workout.

EAT 20-25mg of protein within 30 minutes of your workout for post exercise fueling.

Do NOT do more than 3 of these high intensity sessions per week.  It will wear your body out.  You can do up to 5 if you are doing them at moderate intensity but you will get better results with 3 high intensity workouts.  Think quality not quantity!  Make those 30 seconds of high intensity count!  Push as hard as you can.  If you can keep going after 30 seconds you didn’t push hard enough.

Tool for easy application:

Download this FREE app for your phone to time your intervals!  So handy and makes timing a breeze!

Essential Oils Help Shed Baby Weight:

Lemon

Peppermint

Grapefruit

Ledum with Citrus Fresh

Missouri Health Department Employee Refusing to Give Immunization Exempt Cards to Parents

A natural parenting friend of mine posted on social media about her attorney and naturopath friend who called the Missouri health department after an altercation with Marion County health department.  State employees, at the Marion location, informed the mother that she was required to drive to Jeff City to obtain the religious immunization exempt cards needed for her child’s school records.  Employee’s would not give this mother and others the cards stating that the “State told them not to pass them out.”  Upset that the religious exemption law may have changed, the mother called the Missouri health department in Jeff City for clarification.  Jeff City assured her the law had not changed and she was to obtain the cards at her local health department.  The mother called the Marion department back to confront them about the situation.  After being transferred through several employees the mother was finally told “well we ran out of cards and people rarely take one and we are for vaccinations.”  The mother informed the state employee that she was not for vaccinations and that it was deceiving to tell parents that there was no religious exemption.  The mother asked when they would have the cards on hand in the future and was informed that there was no law that required the Marion health department to have the cards at their location.  The mother then informed the employee that she would be calling Jeff City to inform them of their refusal to carry the exemption cards.  The employee quickly backtracked her position and promised to call the state and order the cards.  The mother told her that she was happy to hear that they would no longer be misleading parents and they would supply the exemption cards.  The mother intends to check back on the status of the cards at the Marion health department and may be making some calls to friends in high places.  Marion employees might be shocked to find a huge package of religious exemption cards in the mail some day soon.

When I was in school, my parents also chose not to fully vaccinate my brother and I.  At that point in time the school nurse was the one to supply the exemption cards.  Depending on the nurse’s temperament and position on vaccinations it was either a simple exchange or altercation with her and my mother.  These employees have no rights to refuse to supply parents with these cards.  Whether it was the nurse in ’98, or the local health department employee in 2014, it is not their job to harass parents about their vaccination choices.  It’s merely their job to hand over the cards.

Missouri parents have the legal right to supply their child’s school with a religious exemption card for immunization requirements.  This card can be obtained at local county health departments or ordered from the following website.  I have had several friends order from the website and received their cards promptly and without altercations with misleading state employees.  If a state employee tells you that the state is not allowing them to hand out religious exemption cards, they are wrong.  Inform them of the law and their requirement to provide you with the card when asked.  It is not legal for them to deceive parents and refuse to supply the cards on this pretense.

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Get Dirty! It’s Grounding!

For my birthday this year my in-laws gave me a grounding sheet!  I was pleasantly surprised as I had been looking at them for awhile but hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.  Grounding is the process of connecting to the earth’s flow of electrons.  This energy has been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation in the body.  As my husband and I both have lower back and hip pain, this process has intrigued me.  We’ve used essential oils to relieve the pain, see the chiropractor to prevent further damage and hopefully correct the problem, and get massages to release the tight muscles.  The chronic inflammation and pain have made our healing seem impossible.

So on the night of receiving my grounding sheet I plugged it in and went to sleep.  In the middle of the night I became aware of my sore throat and my son crawling into bed with us.  In the morning my son was ill with diarrhea and throwing up.  I felt achy and on the verge of a cold the entire day and hung out in bed on my grounding sheet.  Looking it up I discovered there was a small percentage of people who experienced a detox effect from grounding.  I guess my son and I were some of them.  I had a urine analysis at the beginning of 2011 that made me aware of how toxic my system had become.  I have been on a quest to improve my health ever since.  So finding that the grounding was detoxing me even more in addition to the other processes I’ve done didn’t surprise me.

I wonder if one of the reasons children are so healthy despite eating the same things as their parents at the dinner table is their connection to the earth.  Digging in the mud, making mud pies, feeling the loose dirt as they burry their toes down deep.

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Mercola’s View on Grounding

Grounding on Natural News

“The living matrix is defined as the continuous molecular fabric of the organism, consisting of fascia, the other connective tissues, extracellular matrices, integrins, cytoskeletons, nuclear matrices and DNA. The extracellular, cellular and nuclear biopolymers or ground substances constitute a body-wide reservoir of charge that can maintain electrical homeostasis and “inflammatory preparedness” throughout the organism. Recent research has emphasized the significance of charge transfer in relation to the scavenging or neutralization of free radicals delivered to sites of injury during and after the oxidative burst. Evidence comes from studies of the role of electrons in mitigating the consequences of inflammation when living systems are connected to the earth (earthing). The phenomenon helps explain how bodywork and movement therapies can facilitate the resolution of acute or chronic injuries, and how patients with inflammatory conditions may “deplete” a therapist during hands-on treatments. It is suggested that barefoot contact with the earth as well as hands-on and hands-off therapies facilitate healing by stimulating the migration of charges into sites of acute or chronic inflammation. One hypothesis to explain the effects of earthing is that charges from the ground substance reservoir prevent “collateral damage” to healthy tissues in the vicinity of an injury. A second hypothesis is that earthing allows electrons to replenish charge in the ground substance reservoirs, making electrons available throughout the body.”  –James Oschman, Ph.D.

Gut & Psychology Syndrome

Allergies, diseases, being over weight…. there are so many health issues I see among my family and friends.  Breastfed infants with severe eczema, children with extreme mood swings, life threatening allergies to nuts and dairy, ear infections that burst ear drums, people with irritable bowel, or consistent constipation, chronic back pain, cancer.  Our world is filled with people suffering daily.  We have grown up on processed foods, genetically modified fruits, veggies, and grains.  We’ve been taught that dead, rotting milk and highly processed, bleached grains are the best for us.  Food giants have taken one of the best nutrient foods, eggs, and done everything they can to take out the pure nutrient goodness.  They take out the good, naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and replace them with synthetic vitamins that aren’t bio-available to us.  Our food system, in the U.S., has destroyed the goodness of food and giants like Monsanto are trying their best to destroy it completely.

So as a parent how do I make sure my children receive the best nutrients they can?  Well we do vitamins but vitamins are not as bio-available as what we find in whole foods.  So we turn to the whole foods, but genetically modified pesticide covered food causes it’s own issues.  So then that leaves organic, usually over priced, and quickly perishable.  It’s very frustrating and I’ve failed often in our attempts to go completely organic.  Cooking from scratch every meal is time consuming and you have to really be committed.  And with sports, dance, piano, scouts, and all the other activities that we have in our week our meals have to happen quickly sometimes.

So how do you make quick nutrient dense foods, that prevent and heal the diseases and allergies that we see in today’s society?  With a little planning, and eating more like ancient people, we can infuse our bodies with the vitamins and minerals that they are severely lacking.  Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr, Campbell-McBride is a great book that teaches us how to heal our gut so that our foods are not leaching into the wrong parts of our bodies, rotting, and causing our bodies to be toxic and vulnerable to diseases and allergies.  Bone broths, animal organs, and a small list of foods are allowed at first to allow the gut to heal and then slowly more foods are introduced as your body is whole and able to break them down.  The book is geared toward people with Autism, Dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Depression, and Schizophrenia.

bone-broth-445x300We are doing the GAPS diet at our house for several reasons.  To strengthen teeth and bones, to heal my gut and prevent toxicity, to increase energy and treat depression, and to loose weight.  Loosing weight was actually a side effect that we weren’t focused on.  My husband has been doing the GAPS diet for several weeks.  He isn’t following the stage one diet but more using the principles as a guideline in his meal planning.  He has lost almost 20 lbs in a month.  We strive to feed our children bone broth daily, and at minimum several times a week.  We give them liver, heart, or other organs during the week as well.  In small quantities, but it’s more than they’ve ever had before.  We purchased organic beef from a local farmer so our bone broth is super good for them.  Soup bones are actually very affordable.  You throw in some veggies, add sauerkraut juice and you have a very nutrient dense and healing food.

Here is a tutorial on how to make bone broth soup.  I like that I can put it on the stove and leave it for a long time.  And then I just store it in the fridge and use it as we need it.  Quick soups that are nutrient packed for my growing family!  We have started with bone broth soups, eggs every morning, eating organ meat a little at a time, and of course we have our raw milk and bi-products.  Don’t overwhelm yourself.  Start with one thing at a time and when you master that then add more.  Don’t be discouraged.  Do your best and that’s all anyone can ask.  Hugs.

The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations

I strongly believe in being an educated parent.  Researching as much as you can when making decisions for your family.  And I believe that each family has to take that information and figure out what’s best for them.

In saying that I have yet to vaccinate my children for anything.  We originally just planned on delaying vaccinations until my son was two.  At that time his immune system would be better established.  Then we were only going to do a few vaccinations.  At this point we haven’t found a vaccine we are comfortable enough with that outweighs our discomfort with the disease.  Below is an excerpt from a book that I really love.  It presents both sides, the disease itself, disease complications, the vaccine, vaccine complications, modern treatments and natural treatments.  It’s really very informative in a compact book.  I keep it in my purse at all times in case I ever need it for a discussion or parenting info.

I also became aware of a vaccination alternative called Nosodes several years ago.  “Homeopathic nosodes are thought to stimulate the body to recognize a disease-causing entity, provide a level of protection, and assist in the elimination of the pathogens naturally. Nosodes may provide a template to the immune system and the cell walls, thus making an indirect attack on diseases by stimulating the immune system and white blood cell production.” Source

Excerpt From

The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations

by Lauren Feder, M.D.

“Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines are commonly given as a three-in-one trivalent vaccine of live viruses at 1 year, with a second dose given between 4 and 6 years. The vaccine should not be given to children who are allergic to gelatin, neomycin, or eggs, since it is grown on chick embryo culture.

The MMR vaccine (along with the DTaP, hepatitis B, Hib, polio, and other vaccines) has been strongly linked to autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Although mainstream medicine believes that scientific evidence does not support this theory, many reports from parents have supported this. In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield of the London Royal Free Hospital and his colleagues suggested that the MMR vaccine (especially the measles vaccine) may be the cause of an inflammatory bowel condition in children, which may be linked to autism. For this reason, many parents are cautious in giving MMR and prefer that the shots be given separately.

Measles(Rubeola) What Is Measles?

Measles used to be a common childhood virus before the vaccine. It occurred primarily in children ages 2 to 6 years, and almost every child had measles by the age of 15. Measles was such a common illness that people born before 1957 are probably immune to measles, as they probably had it in childhood or were exposed. It is extremely contagious and is spread through close contact with an infected person (4 days before to 4 days after rash onset) or through touching a contaminated surfaces. The incubation period is approximately 10 to 12 days following exposure. A cyclical disease, measles outbreaks happen around the world every 2 to 3 years and more often in the late winter and early spring.

Symptoms of Measles

Most cases are mild, and begin with a high fever, then cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose, pinkeye, and a hacking cough. Within a few days, a red blotchy rash appears. It can be itchy with raised red bumps. Characteristically, Koplik spots, small white spots in the insides of the cheek, appear before the rash. The rash begins faintly behind the ears and within 24 hours becomes darker as it spread to the face, head, neck, and arms (including hands). In 2 to 3 days, the rash reaches the legs, while the rash on the face correspondingly fades. With the onset of the rash, the child begins to feel better. Additional symptoms include sore throat, muscle pains, and light sensitivity. Most children who develop measles recover fully.

Complications of Measles

Occasionally there can be complications during to secondary infections. These may include diarrhea (in 8 percent of cases), ear infections (in 7 percent of cases), croup, and, in more severe cases, deafness, blindness, pneumonia, and encephalitis. The mortality rate is 1 in 1,000 cases.

How Common Is Measles?

In 1985, the government reported 80 percent of measles cases had been vaccinated. In 2002, 44 cases of measles were reported, which is substantially low, compared to 1941 when nearly 900,000 were reported. The vaccination program began in 1963, which has caused the occurrence of measles to shift to an older population. Outbreaks also occur in vaccinated populations.

Measles is still considered a severe illness in developing nations, where living conditions, sanitation, water supply, healthcare, and nutrition are considered inadequate. In past centuries, the mortality rate in the United States was higher than it is now. The current fatality rate is t to 2 our of 1,000 cases. Complications are more frequently seen in those with weakened immune systems, children with chronic disease, babies under 1 year old, and in adults.

After a child has had measles, he or she receives lifelong immunity from it. A mother who had measles as a child passes antibodies to her baby in utero, this protecting her newborn for the first year of life. However, in the early 1990s there was a measles outbreak in the United States that included children who were younger than 1 year old, which was unusual. According to the CDC, this was due to mothers who had been vaccinated, but never had the natural disease. The CDC concluded that the protection from the vaccine decreases over time, and that the vaccinated mothers did not pass their natural maternal measles antibodies to their babies.

Treatment of Measles

Standard medicine has no treatment for measles. The symptoms of high fever and cold do not respond to antibiotics or cough medicine, though supportive treatment, such as rest and fluids, are helpful. Homeopath, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and chiropractics have all been useful in the treatment of measles and in strengthening the body’s natural ability to heal.

The Measles Vaccine

The vaccine is composed of a live attenuated virus. According to a CDC published article, “Maternal Antibodies Interfere with Measles Vaccination,” some children who have received the measles vaccine or the MMR before 15 months of age may be in jeopardy of vaccine failure(in which the child fails to develop the desired immunity) because the immunity from the mother’s antibodies counteracts or neutralizes the vaccine. This can occur, especially if the mother had measles as a child. According to the CDC, many of these children were vaccinated when 1 year to 14 months old.

Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines are given as a single shot of live viruses beginning at 1 year, with a second dose given at 4 to 6 years old. The vaccine is contraindicated in children who are allergic to eggs. When giving the measles shot alone, most parents follow the recommended schedule for the MMR vaccine with the first one given at around 15 months, and the second one before kindergarten. Because of possible interactions between the measles and mumps shots, separate the two by at least 6 months.

Risks of the Vaccine

Although most children receive the MMR in combination, there are adverse effects specific to each component. The measles vaccine, in particular, has been linked to colitis and various forms of inflammatory bowel disease. A study from the New York University School of Medicine involving autistic children found that 85 percent had severe intestinal inflammation, with evidence of measles virus on the biopsies. It is theorized that this inflammation may cause changes in the intestinal barrier, allowing the virus to enter the child’s bloodstream and cause inflammation elsewhere, namely in the brain, this contributing to the development of autism.

In general, mild side effects of the MMR vaccine include pain and swelling at the injection site, cold-like symptoms, fever, swollen glands, headache, dizziness, rash, nausea, and vomiting. More moderate adverse effects are convulsions, arthritis, thrombocytopenia (bleeding disorder), and Guillain-Barre. Very rarely there may be severe allergic life-threatening reactions, including deafness, comas, and permanent brain damage. The MMR vaccine has also been linked to autism.

Comments

Before the vaccination program was licensed in 1967, nearly every American child born before 1957 had measles. Most recovered without any serious consequences. With the possible link of the vaccine to inflammatory bowel disease and autism, many parents have questioned the use of the MMR vaccine, and if considering the measles vaccine at all, choose the single separated does over the combined.”

Z’s Skylander’s 7th Birthday Party

Z’s 7th Birthday Party was all about Skylanders!

Last Christmas my children got Skylanders and the Portal of Power.  A video game featuring unique characters with elemental powers.  In order to play with the character you have to collect each one.  Brilliant idea on the manufacturers part by the way.  My boys love it and get to play a couple times a week.  Z’s favorite guy is Slam Bam who has ice powers.  So he requested a Skylander’s birthday party theme.  So I went to the party store and guess what?  No merchandise for Skylanders.  Okay….  so I got online and searched.  I found Amy’s Party Ideas which had great ideas and I copied it.  I got together with Christina from Makes and Cakes and ordered the Portal of Power Cake and Sheep Cupcakes.  She was great to work with and it turned out awesome.  We played games that represented restoring the elemental powers and my son was thrilled.  It was a huge success with parents and children alike thrilled to participate.  Best of all I was able to give my planning happy son the birthday party he wished for.  I love that by simplifying my life and focusing on my children we can create memories like this one.  Happy 7th birthday my wonderful boy!

Elemental Activities:

  • Fire- Blow out the birthday candles.  (Eruptor)
  • Magic- Magician and magic show.  (Wreaking Ball)
  • Water- Use straw to use suction and keep shark at end of straw then race to finish line.  (Zap)
  • Air- Keep balloon in the air by blowing.  (Sonic Boom)
  • Earth- Play Frisbee.  (Dionrang)
  • Life- Scavenger hunt for pine cone, rolly polly/bug, stone, 2 types of leaves.  (Stomp Smash)
  • Tech- Use ball gun to knock down golden cans.  (Trigger Happy)
  • Undead-  Pop balloon with your bottom.  No hands!  (Chop Chop)