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Nutrition in Simple Terms – Back to Basics

Feb 22nd, 2012 by

Mum’s Original™ Products

I attended my first LIPS (Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake) event at Nature’s Emporium Health Store the week before last.  I had no idea of what to expect but low and behold, the keynote speaker explained nutrition in the clearest manner I had ever experienced in all the years I have been attending nutrition seminars and classes.

Ann Barnes surrendered her legal career to start a company that is improving the health of this world at a rapid pace. It is called Mum’s Original™. Each of the women in the large audience were given a copy of Ann’s book called Better Being and a box containing samples of 8 of the different Mum’s Original™ products plus two different cookies made of two different sets of ingredients from Ann’s products.  Ann proceeded to explain the health benefits of eating hemp, chia, gogi berries, oats, cacao, coconut sugar, banana powder and quinoa while we, the audience had the opportunity to try each food.  What a delightful way to learn!  Ann’s generosity was truly unheard of but so fully appreciated by the ladies in attendance.

So, a little about Mum’s Original™….  They make some of the healthiest and best-tasting foods available to mankind.  Their “back to basics” approach to sensible food, conscientious farming and wholesome goodness embraces many of the simple principles our grandparents understood. Natural and organic ingredients are farmed the old fashioned way, combined and then sold in eco-friendly packaging.  There are no man-made toxins in the farming or production and all products are non-GMO and grown without herbicides or pesticides.

The company is conscious of the importance of the entire cycle of food: seed programs help to ensure that the best seeds are cultivated and grown; the soil quality and sustainability is always ensured; pristine growing practices exist; attention is paid to how food is processed to ensure the natural benefits are properly maintained; and quality control standards and practices are maintained from seed to shelf.

Mum’s Original™ Hemp Hearts are a delicious way to get your daily dose of whole protein, anti-oxidants, soluble fiber, minerals and essential fatty acids.  One tablespoon provides 5g of easily digestible vegetable protein and over 1.2g of Omega 3. It is also rich in chlorophyll, vitamin E, enzymes and GLA.

Mum’s Original™ Organic Chia is an excellent source of Omega 3′s, whole protein, anti-oxidants, and insoluble fiber with plenty of vitamins and minerals.

One of the most nutritionally rich foods, Goji Berries have immune boosting benefits and contain many carotenoids, numerous vitamins, over 30 essential and trace elements, antioxidants and 19 amino acids.

Mum’s Original™ oats contain less than 5ppm gluten.  Full of whole protein, dietary fiber and minerals, oats are the ideal food with which to start the day.  They offer Quick Flake Oats, Steel Cut Oats and Oat Flour.

Their Coconut Sugar is a sweet nutrient powerhouse and loaded with fiber and their Coconut Oil is rich in taste and boasts numerous health benefits.

They even have a really rare food – Vine Ripened Banana Powder.  Their bananas are grown and ripened in the full sun, then dehydrated at a low temperature.

Mum’s Original™ Heirloom Quinoa is packed with protein, good fats, nutrients and fiber.  Their quinoa requires no pre-washing or soaking.

Mum’s Original™ only uses the most nutrient dense variety of cacao (Organic Criollo Arriba Nacional Fino De Aroma). Cacao contains over 300 compounds including: protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. For a super boost of energy and nutritional benefits, they offer Cacao Powder, Cacao Nibs, Coconut Cacao Nibs and Cacao Beans.

We didn’t sample it but the company also carries Mum’s Original™ Inner Mountain Rock Salt, which is obtained from dead lake beds that are millions of years old.  Their Inner Mountain Rock Salt offers a whopping 84 essential minerals.

In my next blog post, I will share more details about the Mum’s Original cacao productsand a wonderful recipe for Choco-Orange Balls. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I would love your feedback. Have you tried any of the Mum’s Original™ products? If so, please let me know what you think.  Here on this blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog too!

Until next time,

Meredith

 

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My Baby Is Reacting to Formula

Feb 7th, 2012 by

Hello readers!  Over the 10 years that I have had my business, one of the most frequent questions I have been asked is “What do I do when I think my baby is reacting to his formula?”

Speaking from personal experience, this is one of the most distressing obstacles with which a parent has to overcome.  You know how important a baby’s milk is in the first year and so when breastfeeding is not working or you think your baby is not okay with infant formula, the challenge can seem insurmountable.

First of all, I should explain that babies never react to breast milk itself but they can react to the foods that mom is eating and are therefore going into her breast milk.  There will be people who tell you this is untrue but I am here to tell you that this is absolutely true.  I have seen this with my daughters and also, had dozens of clients over the years whose babies have reacted to the foods in the breast milk they are consuming.  When a mother feels her milk is causing pain or suffering in her child, she often decides that she had better stop breastfeeding.  More times than not, reactions to infant formula end up being even greater than the reactions to the foods in the breast milk!

So what are some of the adverse reactions baby experience when being breastfed or bottle fed?

  • Rashes/eczema
  • Colic/excessive gas
  • Reflux/projectile vomiting
  • Fussiness
  • Troubles sleeping
  • Constipation/diarrhea
  • Ear/respiratory infections

If these symptoms are not addressed, they will grow into more symptoms and symptoms will grow into conditions and conditions will grow into more conditions and eventually disease sets in.  If your child has any of these symptoms, please know that help is here for you!

The number one food that is being consumed by mothers that is causing adverse reactions in babies is dairy.  If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, try eliminating dairy from the mother’s diet.  You will know within 4-5 days whether this is a culprit or not.  It may be a culprit and there may be other culprits as well – I suggest looking into the common allergens and try eliminating them next.

Now, say your child is experiencing these adverse reactions from being on formula.  You can first try switching their formula to GentleEase+ (contains soy and corn which are common allergens), Alimentum (contains soy) or Nutrimagen (contains no soy but contains corn).  These formulas are hydrolyzed, which means the cow’s milk is broken down into its more easily digested components and therefore easier to digest.  If these formulas also do not agree with your child, then you can add one or all of the following ingredients to increase digestibility:

  1. Breast milk – provided it does not contain the food to which your child reacts, just one ounce of breast milk increases the digestion of formula
  2. Acidophilus (the most common probiotic) – up to 1 teaspoon added to a bottle improves the health of your child’s intestinal and digestive systems
  3. Flax oil – up to 1 tsp of flax oil in each bottle provides essential fatty acids and increased digestion

Some parents contact me and tell me that they have changed their child’s formula and added these supplements into their bottles and their child is still suffering.  The next step is to book an appointment with a chiropractor, cranial sacral therapist or cranial osteopath to relax your child’s nervous system.  Usually, within one to two appointments with these specialists, you will see improvement in how your child handles their formula. If, however, this is still not the case, you have two choices.  If your child’s symptoms are not horrific, then you may decide to just keep things the way they are until your child turns one, at which time, they can safely come off formula.  Or you can make your own homemade baby formula.  There are all sorts of recipes being provided by naturopaths for this very purpose.  Here are two recipes that are being widely used at this time:

Rice Milk Infant Formula

Combine the below ingredients together and mix well, I prefer using the Magic Bullet for this job. Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 48 hours, than discard. Try making a 1/4 of the batch first to see if your baby enjoys this option.

4 cups Rice milk (Earth’s Own Ryza brand Original flavor is my first choice)
1 tbsp Blackstrap molasses (iron)
1 tbsp Flax oil (essential fatty acid)
1tbsp Brown rice protein powder (heartlands organic is a good one)
1 tbsp liquid infant multi-vitamin
1 drop of D-drops 400 iu
1/4 tsp Infant probiotics (dairy free)

Genestra is the brand most often recommended for all above supplements but please consult with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist before introducing this or any other formula to your child.

Almond and Hemp Infant Formula

4 cups Almond milk
1 tbsp Blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp Hemp protein powder
1 tsp liquid vitamin C
1 tsp Genestra Pediatravite multi vitamin
2 mL’s Nordic Natural Baby’s DHA 100% Cod Livers
1/2 Capsule of Infant Probiotics (dairy free)

I do caution parents to do everything they can to mitigate their children’s adverse reactions to breast milk and/or formula before introducing solids.  And when you do introduce solids, ensure that you introduce the solids starting with the most easily digested foods first.  I have a DVD available for anyone interested in knowing how to introduce solids to maximize digestibility and avoid adverse reactions to food – it is called First Foods for Baby.

Your first days and months with your new baby can be the experience you always dreamed of when you look into proper nutrition.  Please feel free to send me your comments or questions on this topic.  I think you know by now how passionate I am on the subject of feeding children for their health and happiness!

Until next time,

Meredith

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Ways to Feed Your Brain

Jan 17th, 2012 by

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With proper diet, nutrition, and memory use, your brain can remain sharp and active well into your nineties.  Many of you have been reading my blog for over a year now and have learned about the impact of nutrition on the body but may have wondered how much food impacts memory, speed and capacity of learning, attention, mood and behaviour.  You may be surprised to learn that keeping your body healthy is actually the best way to feed your brain and keep it healthy.

Dr. Mark Hyman, MD is the author of “The UltraMind Solution,” a book I highly recommend and from which I will draw information and share with you.  He states that a 53-year old man with lifelong bipolar disease and depression experienced relief for the first time in thirty years after tuning up his brain function with folate and vitamins B12 and B6.  He explains that a 3-year old boy with violent behaviour calmed down after balancing his blood sugar and clearing out toxic bacteria from his intestine. A 23-year old woman’s anxiety and depression lifted after she stopped eating the foods to which she was allergic. A 70-year old man, who was losing his memory and had been diagnosed with early dementia, removed the mercury from his body, and was able to work and function normally again.

Miracles happen every day in the world of natural health.

Dr. Hyman is not the only doctor to state that “mental or brain disorders” are simply the names of common responses that our bodies have to a variety of insults and deficiencies. He describes seven keys to keeping your brain in balance.  The keys are:

  1. Optimize nutrition
  2. Balance your hormones
  3. Cool off inflammation
  4. Improve your digestion
  5. Enhance detoxification
  6. Boost energy metabolism
  7. Calm your mind

When it comes to optimizing nutrition, Mark states, “Food is the fastest-acting and most powerful medicine you can take to change your life.”

Foods that damage your brain include:

  • Any form of sugar or refined carbohydrates (Get off the sugar and save your brain!)
  • Dairy and wheat (Avoid for one month (minimum) to see if health of brain improves)
  • Trans or hydrogenated fats (found in baked goods, processed foods, margarine, these fats damage your brain cells
  • Caffeine (increases anxiety and depression)
  • Alcohol (four glasses a day can double your risk of dementia and depletes the body of the mood-boosting B vitamins.  As soon as you start getting drunk, you are damaging your brain.)

Foods that feed your brain include:

  • Good fats e.g., Fish or seal oil, nuts and seeds (particularly ground flax), avocados, coconut oil etc.
  • Amino acids that come from healthy sources of protein e.g., organic turkey, chicken or fish, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, quinoa, spirulina, chlorella, hemp etc.
  • Healthy sources of carbohydrates e.g., organic fruit (particularly blueberries), vegetables (particularly spinach) and low gluten or no gluten grains such as spelt, kamut, brown rice, millet etc.

 Vitamins, minerals and supplements that feed your brain include:

  • Folate – Prevents and helps depression, insomnia, forgetfulness and mood disorders
  • B Complex – Needed for improved memory, circulation to the brain and brain function
  • Vitamin D – Prevents and helps depression and dementia
  • Magnesium – The relaxation mineral which prevents and helps anxiety, insomnia, ADD and Autism
  • Zinc – Binds to toxic substances in the brain and removes them
  • Selenium – Critical for a happy and healthy brain
  • Fish or seal oil – Low levels in the body have been associated with impaired brain function
  • Acetylcholine – Most important of the neurotransmitters.  Maximizes mental ability and prevents memory loss in adults

Dr. Hyman recommends healing “a broken brain” by eating and supplementing in this way for 6 weeks and watching the dramatic improvements in memory, mood and thinking speed.  Nutritional medicine is our future.  Why not set the wheels in motion and begin paying more attention to what you put in your body now?

I’d love your comments. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is an ideal way to leave a link back to your own blog!

Until next time,

Meredith

 

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Seeing the Beauty in the Beast

Jan 3rd, 2012 by

The year 2011 has come to an end. You might look back at this past year and reflect on your good and bad days; what went well in your eyes and what did not. You may have a discussion with your child/ren on this same subject. Every difficult circumstance or seemingly problematic personality can be seen with new eyes. Our lives can be entirely transformed by our perspective – and other lives blessed as well, if only we could see the beauty in the beast.

One might ask: What did the grade 3 student learn by being bullied so often? Maybe, it was that it was time that she minded her own business and not care so much when others were breaking the rules. What did the grade 7 student learn when he was the only student in the class to be excluded from the Halloween house party? He didn’t really want to be friends with the kids outside of school anyways, which is why he had chosen to go to the library to read each lunch hour, instead of hanging out with the others.  What did the boy learn when his parents split up this past year? That sometimes two people don’t grow at the same pace, so reach a point where they each can find greater happiness apart. What did the granddaughter learn when her grandma’s best friend would not attend her grandma’s funeral?  There was nothing wrong; it was only that the best friend could not handle the overwhelming sadness of witnessing her best friend’s funeral but was unable to admit it.

In each of these cases, it is finding and facing the truth that is key, for often the truth is not vocalized.  And it is the truth that is so beautiful. They say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ But often the eye must be trained to see the beauty or to see beyond. Each of us is inherently good at our core and every apparent problem can teach the involved parties a lesson. Our task is to feel the sadness, anger or disappointment at particular circumstances or people and then climb out of the darkness into the light. If you think about it, many of us do this time and time again. The trick is to be okay with being in the darkness and in the light and being grateful for both. For without one, we cannot appreciate the other.

So, how important is this gift of teaching our children to see the beauty?

A few weeks ago, some girlfriends came from the city to stay at my place for a night. We started talking about the fact that grade 4 seems to be the year that children’s emotions really come into play. It is in grade 4 when more fights using words break out and children’s hurt feelings can take a little longer to mend. My friend told me that when she was a child, she had a teacher that distributed circles made of white cardboard to her grade 4 students each morning. One side of the circle was a happy face and the other was a sad face. Each morning, the children were instructed to turn their card to show the face that most accurately depicted how they were feeling. If the child turned the sad face up and laid it on their desk, the others knew to tread lightly with that child and be extra kind that day. We all have good and bad days. What this teacher taught her students is that it is okay to have good and bad days and to respect and honour what we are each going through, at any particular time. What a valuable lesson to learn.

We know we cannot change the world for our children. We know we cannot keep them from the world. But if we teach them to see beyond, they learn to keep custody over their thoughts and the world remains their oyster.

How do we bestow this important gift to our children? We talk to them. We find the good in the bad and explain it to them. We go on a walk with our child and suggest they look for beauty. We discuss a scenario and ask them to find the lesson. We give them examples. It might go like this. “Why do you think Gregory was mean to you on the last day of school before the Christmas holidays?” Your child might answer by saying “I don’t know.” You might say “Did anything happen to get him worked up?”  And your child might say “No, he just snapped.” And your response might be any of the following “Well, you know how you told me that you were exhausted from school and that you were really looking forward to the break?  Gregory might have been feeling the same way. Or maybe Gregory’s body doesn’t do well with all the treats you were eating at your school party that day.” The key is to put a few scenarios into your child’s head, so that he or she looks at Gregory with compassion as opposed to disdain.

The more often that you do this in your own life, the better equipped you will be to offer this assistance in the life of your child. And the more often you train your eye to view people and situations this way, the more often you will see beyond. It takes effort to do this. “Why must I always be the bigger person?” some of you might ask. Because when you see each person and circumstance as beautiful, you experience a beautiful moment. And one beautiful moment leads to another. And before you know it, you are living a beautiful life.

And I don’t know if you have noticed, but our eyes take on a look that conforms to our outlook. Others will see the same look in your eyes that is in their eyes and recognize that you, too, are seeing the beauty. It is in this way that you become surrounded by others who see the world with different eyes.  And when you are surrounded by others with trained eyes and you are all seeing beyond and helping one another to do the same, eventually you will find that you are expending very little effort at all and living a beautiful and infinitely rewarding life.

The best thing in life is life. The child who finds fulfillment in music, reading, cooking, performing a sport, writing, drawing or some other craft does not need recognition or power or some “high” to feel worthwhile and good. The child who sees the beauty in life, well, that child has been given the greatest gift of all.

How do you see beauty in the world?  I would love your feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Happy New Year!

Meredith

 

 

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Dealing With Stress Over the Holidays

Dec 20th, 2011 by

At this busy time of year, some of you may be wondering just how you are going to survive each day.  Your children might be small, you may have many family members and friends for whom you want to buy gifts, you may have many parties to attend and of course, there are still meals to prepare and housework to be done.  And maybe you have to go to work each day right up until your festivities begin!  And you are rushing, rushing and rushing to get it all done and still make things meaningful for yourself and those you are closest to.  How do you do it all?  How do you keep your energy levels up and your focus clear?

You start the day by taking a few minutes to yourself.  You set the alarm 5-10 minutes prior to needing to get out of bed and simply lay still for those minutes, listening to the sound of your own breathing.  You use the last minute or so to determine exactly what you need to do that day.  Do you really need to cook a nice dinner tonight or can you open up a can of Eden Organic baked beans and boil some turkey dogs for the kids and make sandwiches for you and your spouse?  Do you really need to get one more present for your aunt?  Isn’t it the gesture that matters far more than the monetary value of each gift?  Establish what must be done on this particular day.  Then factor in some time to go for a walk or exercise, in the way you desire, so that your body has a way to let off steam and re-energize.  Just a 20-minute walk will do and wouldn’t it be great if you could listen to your ipod, while you do it or see if that neighbour of yours is free to join you?

You hop out of bed and head to the kitchen to make yourself a green drink.  You may decide to use a pre-made one such as Greens Plus or Nu-Greens or make one yourself.  So you get any green fruits or vegetables that you have on hand (i.e. avocado, green beans, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini), throw them into your blender, along with a banana or apple for some sweetness and then add your favourite kind of milk (preferably rice, quinoa, hemp or almond milk).  Or if you really don’t have time to do that, make yourself a green tea or pick one up at your local coffee shop to give yourself that natural boost that may have been needed when you were unable to “hop” out of bed earlier!  You can have this green drink or green tea at any time of day for a pick-me-up.  Now if you have time to make yourself breakfast, even better!  And you may need to make your children breakfast.  I always suggest a protein source at breakfast (i.e. eggs, turkey bacon, ground nuts or seeds on cereal) for adults and children alike.

Two to three hours later, it is time to refuel again!  Another protein source is needed to regulate your blood sugar and maintain your focus.  So, this might be a good time to have almond butter or organic peanut butter on a spelt bagel.  And every two to three hours until 7 or 8 at night, you need to refuel again.

“Really?” You are asking. “There is no way I have time for that!”  Well, let’s face it, you may want to skip a meal at this time of year so I might as well make a suggestion as to how you can skip a meal in a healthy way.  Sun Warrior makes a delicious, all natural protein powder from brown rice powder that comes in vanilla or chocolate and this makes for an excellent meal replacement.  Please don’t ever let me find a can of Ensure in your cupboard!

In the middle of each afternoon, our body temperature declines and we actually become a little colder and maybe a little more tired than we are at other times in the day.  This is when so many of us reach for the sugar that our bodies know will temporarily give us a burst of energy.  What happens when we make this choice however is that our blood sugar spikes and then drops to an even lower point than it was before we had the treat and we are lacking even more energy than if we had not eaten at all.  Reach for a protein source or something green instead and your craving will likely go away!  L’glutamine is a wonderful supplement for helping us eliminate our cravings.  Try taking it every day and see if your cravings diminish if not, disappear.

Maybe in the middle of the afternoon, you can close your eyes and breathe for another 5-10 minutes, listening to the sound of your own breathing.  We think we cannot take the time to do such a thing but in fact, when we do take the time to decompress, we are so much more productive for the rest of the day!

So, I think you are getting the idea…. it’s called finding the balance even when your world is filled with chaos.  It’s eating small meals or drinking small meals often (remembering to have protein sources and water).  It’s exercising for small blocks of time.  It’s closing your eyes and listening to your own breath.  Those are the steps you can to take in order to get everything that you want done before and during the holidays.

Most importantly, remember this.  You are enough.  You are a beautiful person with a special place in this world.  Even if you don’t accomplish everything on your list, your health and well-being is far more important than crossing another item off your list.  Make this the year that you decide to do things differently.  You are worth it.

I’d love your feedback! Let me know how you de-stress during the holiday season. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Happy Holidays!

Meredith

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Why and How Do I Go Gluten Free?

Dec 6th, 2011 by

Hello!  Thank you for coming to visit my blog once again.  In this busy time of year, many want to LOOK their best for the myriad of functions they might be attending and even more importantly, FEEL their best. In this blog post, we will discuss going gluten free.

A client recently told me that she fasts every Christmas season.  Now, that is willpower!  Interestingly enough, she knows she doesn’t have willpower!  She does not allow herself to eat any treats the whole season because she knows that if she indulges a little, all hell will break loose and she will end up eating treats non-stop.  Instead, it is easier for her to just not go there.  I, on the other hand, am often at my slimmest just before Christmas season, knowing that I am going to indulge over the holidays.  Then I get back on track after the holidays.  There are a slew of ways to handle the festive eating that goes on over the next few weeks.

I think that this year, my approach will simply be to go gluten-free.  It is the gluten that is so hard to digest.  It is the gluten that causes so much bloating for us and fatigue and moodiness.  Did you know that gluten is one of the biggest contributors to acne?  It also causes or worsens the following symptoms and conditions:

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Joint pains
  • Headaches
  • Nervousness
  • Depression
  • ADD
  • Dermatitis
  • Psoriasis
  • Bedwetting
  • Celiac
  • Crohn’s
  • Colitis

Gluten is added to pastas, breads and baked goods to make it light and fluffy.  The more light and fluffy it is, the more we eat and the more we buy.  There is now 5 times more gluten in wheat than there was when it was originally made!  We do not digest gluten well unless we have a very strong digestive system – an anomaly in this day and age unfortunately.

So what are the low gluten, easier to digest foods?  Spelt and kamut are two great-tasting examples.  If you bake with spelt flour versus wheat flour (1: 1), your guests would be hard pressed to be able to notice the difference.   And where can you buy great tasting spelt and kamut bread, bagels and even pie in this area?  Bagel Flame on Wellington St between Yonge and Bathurst in Aurora.  But don’t expect to pick up a loaf of this bread, take it home and leave it on your counter for a week.  This bread is as healthy as it comes – there are no preservatives!  There isn’t even any yeast as the bread is made from sourdough culture.

And what are the gluten free grains?  Rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, sorghum, arrowroot and a host of others.  That’s sounding like too much work to you at this time of year? Well, where would you obtain gluten-free ready-made foods in our area?  You have two main options: Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket and Reesor Farm Kitchen in Stouffville.  Each store has a cornucopia of options for you to choose from.  I recently discovered Ressor Farm Kitchen, where I was delighted to find and thoroughly enjoy ready-made chili, butter chicken, chicken pot pies, vegetable curry, jambalaya, quinoa salad, four bean salad and a host of delicious soups.

Now some of you might be asking, “But how do I eat at a Christmas party if I am going to try this gluten free thing?”  Well, you would stay away from all the pastas, breads and pastries offered at the parties.  And you can indulge in the meatballs and other meats (yes, there is a small amount of gluten in these foods), the shrimp platter, the devilled eggs, hummus, salsa and other dips, chickpea salad, the vegetables and fruits, the pickles and olives…well, you get the idea.  I recently attended my social media expert’s wonderful open house and found that there were plenty of these gluten free foods to indulge in and I would bet that she didn’t consciously choose to put out an array of gluten-free alternatives.  There are plenty of options naturally!

But please don’t think that cutting down on gluten or cutting gluten means no pasta or grains for you.  We need grains for energy!!!!  Please ensure that you indulge in some of the healthier grains that I have mentioned and feel your mood stabilize and your energy levels rise.  And, if you have any of the symptoms that I listed as being caused or worsened by wheat, watch your symptoms slowly disappear.  Returning to health begins with one step at a time.  This Christmas, give yourself the gift of health.

I’d love your feedback! Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Meredith

 

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Young Living Essential Oils

Nov 22nd, 2011 by

click image for more information on this company

Most of you know that there are very few products that I endorse, feeling that food is of paramount importance to our health.  Recently, a fellow nutritionist, Cathy Russell, told me about Young Living Essential Oils.  Then I attended one of my kid’s coaching training weekends and found that many of the women there were using and distributing the oils.  I had heard about essential oils and their health-giving properties for years and not ever promoted them, other than the almighty Rescue Remedy. I think I liked Rescue Remedy because it contained a combination of so many flower remedies that it became highly effective in helping a multitude of ailments, such as trauma, pain, anxiety and nightmare recovery and prevention.

Young Living Essential Oils also combines oils to help with various challenges.  Only the pure, potent essential oils deliver results.  These oils are the product of an exclusive Seed to Seal quality – control process that guarantees that each bottle of essential oils delivers superior quality and purity.  Young Living was started by a husband and wife team after Gary Young suffered from a painful and debilitating accident and began looking for natural alternatives to traditional medical treatments.  Their company has been in operation for over 2 decades and consists of six farms on three continents, seven distilleries on four continents and partners and customers around the world.

Young Living essential oil blends are used for everything from head discomfort and releasing negative emotions to supporting respiratory function and living in the present moment.  There are over 65 unique formulations to choose from.  Examples include Joy, Inner Child, Hope, Grounding, Forgiveness, Clarity, Brain Power, Common Sense, Dream Catcher, Awaken and Christmas Spirit!

More in depth examples of some of the combinations of these oils include:

Valor – an empowering combination that increases strength, courage and self-esteem.  It also supports energy alignment in the body (essential oils: spruce, blue tansy, rosewood, frankincense).

Peace & Calming – encourages deep relaxation and promote a good night’s sleep.

ImmuPower – supports the body’s natural defenses when applied to certain points on the hands and feet (essential oils: hyssop, ravensara, clove, mountain savory, frankincense, cumin, cistus, oregano, Idaho tansy).

Motivation – helps you overcome procrastination while promoting feelings of action and accomplishment (essential oils: Roman chamomile, spruce, ylang ylang, lavender).

Magnify Your Purpose – stimulates creativity, desire, focus and motivation, encouraging you to seize the initiative (essential oils: sandalwood, nutmeg, ginger, rosewood, patchouli, sage, cinnamon bark).

Gentle Baby – helps to calm emotions of mothers and children (essential oils: geranium, jasmine, ylang ylang, rosewood, Roman chamomile, rose, lemon, bergamot, lavender, palmarosa).

I have only started to see these oils in operation and have been incredulous of the effectiveness and ease of use of the oils.  One called Thieves, ended my daughter’s sore throat almost immediately when I put a drop in her glass of water.  Pan Away, rubbed on my neck, took my sharp pain away after sitting on the computer too long.  Release, diffused into the air at my coaching session, helped a woman release her anger and come into balance once again.

The oils range in price from $15 – $75 with the average price being less than $35.  The bottles containing the oils range in size from 5mL to 15mL. The company offers numerous other natural products including cleaning products for individuals and the home, massage oils, supplements, nutrient rich drinks, creams, books and audios for wellness and more!

This Christmas, I will be giving the gift of Joy to one of my friends, all wrapped in a bottle.  Another one will receive Inspiration.  I cannot think of a greater gift than bringing nature’s healing powers to my closest friends.  Please visit their website for more information on these powerful products.

Have you tried any of these? I would love your feedback! Here on my blog, you’ll receive commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Meredith

 

 

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Are Height and Size Impacted by Nutrition?

Nov 8th, 2011 by

Recently, my girls and I made a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where we visited the home of Laura Secord.  There was a particularly well-researched historian there, named Kyle Messiana, who gave us an incredibly informative and interesting tour of Laura’s homestead.  Kyle talked about the myth of our ancestors being smaller than us and was well aware of the role that nutrition played in the determination of the size of some of our ancestors.  He was kind enough to share the following information with me.

There is a persistent myth that people used to be shorter centuries ago than they are today.  Do the smaller beds back then prove that people were indeed smaller?  Actually no.  Because beds back then had tall headboards and are often displayed in large rooms with high ceilings; optical illusion makes them appear shorter than modern day beds.

In the 1960’s, a British costume authority Doris Langley Moore attempted to correct the myth of small ancestors.  Despite claims of the average woman having only a nineteen-and-a-half inch waist, Moore pointed out that of more than two thousand women’s garments that she measured, the average waist was at least 24 inches.  Only one garment had a nineteen-and-a-half inch girth.  Many of the antique dresses and men’s suits had measurements that corresponded to those of contemporary women and men’s outfits.  The costume collections at the Smithsonian Institution and Colonial Williamsburg match these findings.  Of course, the gowns with full skirts give the illusion of small waists and so do the triangular stomachers that narrow to a point at or just below the waist.

How tall were our ancestors?  We know that men in the 1700’s, varied in height from four feet, seven inches to six feet, six inches tall, much like they do today.  However, it is very interesting to note that it was known that the diets of servants and slaves were often nutrient deficient, causing them to experience reduced height compared to the average man.

So, when looking at the children of today, starting with the size of newborns, what role is nutrition playing?  Well, babies born very small i.e. less than 6 pounds, are usually nutrient deficient.  Actually, most babies are born nutrient deficient these days but it doesn’t always show up in their size.  And extreme smallness in children (height and weight) can also be a sign of nutrient deficiency.  Other contributors to extreme smallness are lack of adequate protein, lack of sufficient sleep, too much sports, genetics or Celiac Disease (a disease caused by a complete intolerance to wheat).  I have helped many babies with ‘failure to thrive’ by removing wheat from their breastfeeding moms’ diets.

It continues to amaze me that nutrition plays as large a role that it does, in the making of and well-being of mankind as a whole.  I hope that this article demonstrates the large role that nutrition plays in your mind, as well.

I love receiving feedback.  And, here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment!

Until next time,

Meredith

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How to Heal Bladder Infections Naturally

Oct 25th, 2011 by

For years, I suffered from bladder infections, otherwise known as urinary tract infections (UTIs).   As a result, I have studied them more than any other affliction and am honoured to be able to share the comprehensive, yet simply put, information I gleaned on the topic on how to heal bladder infections naturally.

What are the symptoms of bladder infections?

  • Urgent desire to empty the bladder
  • Frequent and often painful and/or burning urination
  • Desire to urinate even once the bladder is empty
  • Urine has a strong, unpleasant odour and may be cloudy
  • Lower abdominal pain which ranges from discomfort to severe pain
  • Possible blood in the urine
  • Can lead to kidney infection if left untreated

What are the physical causes of bladder infections?

  • Lack of good bacteria to counteract bad bacteria
  • Candida, particularly if the bladder infections are re-occurring
  • Food sensitivities or allergies, particularly to dairy, citrus fruits, alcohol, chocolate, coffee and sugar
  • Chlorinated pools, hot tubs and water

What physical factors increase the chances of contracting a bladder infection?

  • Pregnancy
  • Sexual intercourse
  • The use of a diaphragm
  • System disorders such as diabetes
  • Non cotton underwear and tight clothing
  • Sitting around in a wet bathing suit
  • Holding back from urinating

What are the emotional causes of bladder infections?

There are often emotional causes behind every physical ailment.  The emotional causes behind bladder infections are anxiety, fear of letting go, holding onto old ideas and being pissed off.  There is usually a need to get rid of something i.e. toxic things, situations and/or people in the life of the ‘sufferer.’  Phrases the ‘sufferer’ might have on their mind or feel subconsciously are “I don’t dare” or “Deeply unhappy” or “I can’t expect any better.”

How do you heal bladder infections naturally?

  • Drink organic cranberry juice is one of the best herbal remedies as it inhibits bacterial growth.  It also prevents bad bacteria from sticking to the bladder lining.  Blueberry and bilberry juice are also very effective.
  • Drink lots of water
  • Eat celery, watermelon and parsley as they are natural diuretics and cleansers
  • Stay away from the food allergens listed above, as well as processed foods, caffeine, drugs and chemicals (in food and water)
  • Take a good quality form of acidophilus (good bacteria)
  • Take a natural antibiotic such as garlic, colloidal silver (great for children) or oil of oregano
  • UTI Cleanse by AOR usually puts an end to all symptoms (tablets swallowed at intervals stated on the package)

This is all you need to know in order to cure a bladder infection naturally.  I did not share this information in my book because I had not determined all the factors involved in my bladder infections at the time I wrote it.  I hope this information prevents even one of my readers from undergoing the suffering I underwent with my frequent bladder infections.

Please feel free to send me your questions or comments.  And if any of you need help coming to a better understanding of your emotional triggers, I am trained in The Journey™ work and am having great success in helping adults and children uncover their emotional blocks (Please visit their website by clicking here for more information on this process).

As always, I love receiving feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Meredith

 

 

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What’s Involved With Healthier Eating?

Oct 13th, 2011 by

I remember when I was younger, being asked the old-age question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  One time, I remember my response being, “Well, if we were suddenly allowed to live on Mars, I would like to be the person that tells the earth dwellers what they would need in order to live on another planet.”

Not too long ago, I realized that I am doing exactly what I always wanted to do.  I teach people how to do things differently than the majority. I teach people how to eat differently than the majority, so that we do not succumb to the fate of so many of the chronically sick people around us.  I teach people about alternative care and the incredible ways in which chiropractors, cranial sacral therapists and osteopaths, homeopaths and the like can help families.  Recently, I started to do emotional healing work with children, using The Journey™ process, which involves the child getting into a spaceship and traveling, in their mind’s eye, to a part of their body.  There is not much of what I do that is ordinary and sometimes people, who do not know me well, do think I live on Mars.  What is interesting for me is that no matter how many years I delve into ‘the unknown’, I continue to remain grounded and very much part of life on earth.  I am a nutritionist, who still eats and enjoys what others are eating, in moderation, who has occasional alcoholic beverages and who would still rather do a realm of other things besides cooking.

People often ask me how much work it is to start eating healthier.  They try to imagine life on Mars and end up thinking it’s too much work, so why even get started?  They become particularly concerned when they decide to try avoiding the staples of our diet, such as dairy and wheat.  My answer is always that it is no more work to cook healthily than to cook the regular way, once you have learned about and acquired the healthier ingredients.  And the end result, once you embark on the journey to Mars i.e. healthier eating, is more energy, more balance, and fewer symptoms, conditions and disease.

There are healthy substitutions for each “regular” food available to us.  My book, The Resourceful Mother’s Secrets to Healthy Kids, includes a healthy substitution list that outlines the healthier alternatives to the “regular” foods and even includes the best-tasting brand names of the healthier foods that are available for purchase today.

Here is how I make pancakes, French toast and chocolate chip banana muffins, using healthier ingredients (these recipes are taken from my book where there are plenty more ideas):

Flip-flapping Pancakes

1 cup Spelt, kamut or rice flour
¾ cup Enriched rice, quinoa or hemp milk
1 Tbsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Sea salt
2 Eggs
½ cup Blueberries, raspberries, apples, bananas (optional)
¼ cup Coconut/Olive oil
To taste Maple syrup

 What to do:

1. Blend wet ingredients, adding maple syrup for extra sweetness, if desired
2. Add dry ingredients and blend until mixed
3. Fry in pan using coconut/olive oil
4. Spread pancakes with jam, agave syrup, maple syrup or carob chips

Note: Blueberries make purple pancakes and raspberries make pink pancakes.

Funky French Toast

To make batter, mix one ripe banana with 2 eggs and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon.  Add some rice milk if too thick.  Dip spelt bread or any alternative bread into batter and fry in coconut oil.

Banana Mama Muffins

3 Bananas (approx 1 cup) mashed
¾ cup Sucanat
1 Egg
1/3 cup Olive oil
1 ½ cups Spelt flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp  Sea salt
½ cup Chocolate or carob chips

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Mash bananas
3. Add sucanat, egg and olive oil to bananas
4. Mix the rest of dry ingredients together and add to moist ingredients
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Oil muffin tins with paper towel

Bake for 18-20 minutes

I invite you to take the journey to Mars with me.  Climb in your spaceship and enjoy the ride.  If you’d like me to accompany you on your journey, I would be happy to be your guide.  The grass is truly greener on Mars, where there is actually no grass at all but where health is omnipresent.  There is a whole other world out there and it is yours for the taking.  Carpe diem!

I’d love your feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. This is a wonderful opportunity to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Meredith

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