Raw Food Baby’s First Solids – Avocado

As you all know, I recently let Axel have at some organic pears, which was semi-successful.  (He did well, but I ended up going back to exclusively breastfeeding because I felt he really wasn’t quite ready for the solid food.)  But, we’re now back in the food game, and the food is organic avocado.

.

He loves them!  He has been devouring them for the past few days, and he’s getting much more efficient at eating them.  Initially, he was just making a big mess all over himself, which is expected, but now he’s actually directing the food into his mouth (and making a big mess all over himself :) ). – (Raw food baby footage here!)

.

Somebody's Crazy Child

Within a few minutes after eating, he starts jumping all over the place.  Seriously, he gets ridiculously hyper!  I just know that his body is sucking up all the amazing nutrient goodness.  We’re going to have a hard time keeping up with him once he starts walking, or running, rather.

.

I’m so glad he is eating raw.  Granted, I realize that what he eats is our choice, but I’m just thankful that we know how good raw food is for the body now.  I couldn’t say that three years ago.  If he had been born then, I would probably be feeding him the typical rice cereal, or jarred peas.  Yuck.

.

I have to tell you, last night was insane.  Axel ate half of an entire avocado!  They weren’t the really big ones, but still!  He’s only eaten them 3-4 times, and usually only about a tablespoon, so we were completely blown away!  I guess he figured out that he likes them.

.

This picture cracks me up.

The reason we chose avocado is because number 1, they are available, and number 2, they are so creamy (which is perfect since he only has a few teeth), delicious, and plain good for you!  There’s nothing like a perfectly ripe avocado when you are really hungry.  Mmm, sooo good!

.

Did you know that avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer?  Also, avocados are high in oleic acid, which in many studies has been linked to helping prevent breast cancer (check out http://tinyurl.com/ykku6kx for more info).  Oh, and one more thing, research has found that certain nutrients, such as carotenoids, are absorbed better when combined with other foods.  In other words, go buy some avocados, people!

.

January 29, 2010 | Tags: | No Comments »

Rutin In Grapefruit Helps Circulation


Actually, rutin in general seems to help circulation.  The pills have helped me a lot, but to be honest, supplements make me a little uneasy.  It seems like a much better idea to just stick to getting the nutrients my body needs directly from the source. 

.

How about a little background?

.

When I was 18, I started getting a few spider veins here and there, on the sides of my thighs.  Let me tell you, I was very upset about this.  My mom didn’t start getting any until she hit 40, so finding them on myself while still a teenager was extremely unsettling.  At the time, though, I thought those sorts of things were out of my control.  I was never taught that diet played a part in how my body worked, much less one of the most important parts!

.

A few years later, about three months into my pregnancy, I started experiencing a lot of pressure in my legs, particularly after taking hot showers.  It felt like my veins were going to explode.  I would literally have to jump out of the shower, and immediately elevate my legs.  I knew that varicose veins were in my near future if I didn’t do something, and fast.

.

Upon consulting with my midwife, she suggested I start supplementing with rutin.  I had never heard of it, but I figured anything was worth a try, and the fact that it was a vitamin, and not a drug, helped persuade me (addressing the problem, not masking the symptoms).  Little did I know at the time that citrus fruits are packed with the stuff.

.

Three or four days after beginning supplementation, I started noticing an improvement.  My legs were hurting less, and hot showers were becoming more bearable.  However, as my belly/baby grew larger, the pain would return, leaving me no choice but to up my dosage.

.

After my son was born, the pain did decrease, somewhat.  I wasn’t carrying nearly as much weight, which helped with the leg pressure.  But, I soon found that when I stopped taking the rutin, things would quickly become uncomfortable for me again. 

.

I spent the next six months taking the supplement on and off.  I would go a week without it, and then take it for 2-3 days straight, when absolutely necessary.  It was a tiresome routine, but well worth it, since it prevented a lot of discomfort.  I knew there had to be a better way.

.

Fast forward to six weeks ago, and you would find me studying up a lot on rutin.  I needed to know what the natural supplying source was, so I could stop taking it in the pill form.  I found the answer to be most commonly citrus fruits.  And, wouldn’t you know, grapefruit are in season?  Thus, my trial began.

.

I stopped supplementing completely two weeks ago, and started eating a grapefruit for breakfast every morning, sometimes two.  The change has been dramatic!  My legs don’t hurt much at all anymore, and I just plain feel better.  It’s as if my body has been crying out for true, natural rutin this entire time!  I am so shocked, but so not at the same time.  I’m telling you, if I had one of those little light bulb icons go on above my head every time I finally got something, I’d go through a TON of light bulbs.  Haha.  Sometimes it just takes me awhile. 

.

Rutin, as it turns out, is classified as a bioflavonoid, and helps the body in a lot more ways than one.  (A bioflavonoid is any of a group of water-soluble yellow compounds, present in citrus fruits, rose hips, and other plants, that in mammals maintain the resistance of capillary walls to permeation and change of pressure – dictionary definition) 

.

It is great for blood circulation, and varicose/spider veins, which has been proven in my case.  Rutin also helps the body properly utilize vitamin C, which is extremely important for all body functions.  On top of all this, rutin helps maintain skin collagen, and may have antioxidant properties, which protect the body from free radicals.

.

All of this to say, I’m in love with rutin.  Well, that’s somewhat of an overstatement, but I am really enjoying the benefits of it.  Who would have thought that everything the body needs to function properly is supplied in nature.  Every time I learn something new like this, I get all the more excited about understanding this beautiful creation called earth.

January 28, 2010 | Tags: | No Comments »

More Elimination Communication Videos

It’s only been four days, but it feels like I haven’t blogged in forever!  It was nice to have a break.

.

We went camping over the weekend, and had an absolute blast!  It was so much fun.  I always feel more alive after spending a few days in the outdoors.  It’s where I was meant to live.

.

Axel seems so much happier when he’s out in the fresh air.  He doesn’t fuss much at all, and he doesn’t ever seem to get bored like he does while we’re in the house.  Everything is naturally entertaining.  For some reason, watching him play outside just makes my heart happy.

.

We recorded some infant potty training footage during the trip.  We want to make a “day in the life” type of film, but unfortunately, I don’t currently have the software needed to accomplish that, yet.  I’m going to start looking into some programs soon.  For now, though, we just uploaded him using the urinal in the state park’s bathroom facility.  People get a kick out of this stuff.

.

Isn’t he just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen in your life?  He sure is to us.

January 25, 2010 | Tags: | 1 Comment »

What Is Natural Parenting?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, as I can’t seem to find a definitive answer anywhere that I look.  Not that I really need someone to tell me what being a natural parent is, but it’s still nice to know what people are thinking when I tell them I’m trying to be one.

.

I’ve discovered that the answer to this question is very much dependant upon who you’re asking.  I believe that there is one uniting quality in all of these people, however, which is that they all want to raise their children as naturally as possible.  The reason it gets confusing is because every person uniquely defines what “natural” is.

.

For me, being a natural parent means listening to my instincts, regardless of what the experts, research, or other parents tell me.  It’s about taking every little moment I’ve experienced into account, and making the best decisions I can using those very memories.  I know nothing that I have not lived.  I can only do what I feel is right as I go along.

.

I believe that God created the world, and those who live in it, in a very specific, intentional way.  There is an order to things, and when a person goes outside of that order, or takes shortcuts, there is bound to be consequences.  I’m not saying that you’re damned to hell if you put disposable diapers on your kid, but I am saying that a lot of these things have downsides, many times so minimal that we don’t even notice.  I see this in my own life all the time. 

.

We will never be able to live perfectly natural, as the world has changed significantly since it first began (whether that was a 100,000,000,000 years ago, or only 8,000, things are different), but we can try our hardest to listen to our hearts, and do what is best for our children. 

.

For some, that will mean formula feeding their baby.  For others, that may mean putting their child in daycare, while they work outside the home.  There is not a one size fits all way to parent.  We have to do what feels natural for us, as individuals.  Formula feeding may not be as good as breastmilk, but if breastfeeding is going to make a mommy really stressed out, I think it would be much better for her to just use the formula.  That way she is relaxed, and able to ultimately be a better mother for her child.  Love is the most important thing.

.

I’d like to quickly highlight some things that Patrick and I feel are really important in our natural parenting journey. 

.

  1. Respecting our child/ren’s needs, and loving him unconditionally, even when it makes us uncomfortable (and believe you me, it has!)
  2. Responding to our child/ren’s needs and desires which include:
  3. Infant Potty Training – responding to Axel’s need to eliminate, and helping him to do so in a comfortable enviroment (Elimination Communication)
  4. Co-Sleeping – responding to Axel’s need to be close to us, and cherishing this time we have with him
  5. Baby-wearing – again, we recognize Axel’s need to be close to us, and we feel that wearing him helps us accomplish this, while still being able to get other things done.
  6. Breastfeeding – we believe the breast is a very important place of comfort for our son, and it also supplies him with wonderful nutrition, which is crucial for us.
  7. Unschooling – he is still very young, but we want to honor his passions by allowing him to explore the world throughout his life, without him feeling forced to “learn” things that are uninteresting to him.  (I don’t think he would actually be truly learning anyway, if that was the case.)
  8. Raw foods – we want to fuel his body as naturally as possible, which for us means having fresh, whole, unaltered food available for him to eat, if he wants to eat it.
  9. We want to show him God’s love through loving him, and each other.  We don’t want to be overbearing parents who insist that he believe how we believe, because we know that is very ineffective.  We are simply going to try our best to show him pure love, without judgement, as God loves us.

.

I’m sure I could go on and on, but I felt it necessary to give at least a little framework of what we consider natural parenting to be.  I want everyone to know that I do not think these are the “right” way of doing things, simply the right way for us.  Please, follow your own hearts when it comes to raising your children.  I just ask that you try your hardest to understand that I am doing the same. 

.

Thank you all for reading.  Sorry if things got a little sappy.  :)   I’ll be back on Sunday.

January 22, 2010 | Tags: | 3 Comments »

Wheat and Allergen Free Pancake Recipe

When I say allergen free, I’m referring to the top eight allergens, which are: milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.

.

There is no shellfish in these pancakes.  Just wanted to make sure I was clear about that.

.

Actually, I wouldn’t really classify these as pancakes at all.  They’re more, “crepe-ish.”  Still, not too bad tasting considering what they’re made of.

.

My darling other half was craving pancakes like mad the other day, so I threw together a bunch of stuff in an attempt at making something remotely similar to the taste and texture of them.  We are still avoiding wheat, so I had to come up with something slightly more clever. 

.

Oatmeal I decided to try something using oats.  I guess you could say oat flour, but I made it myself.  I just put some dry oatmeal in my food processor and blended it to death.  I was left with oatmeal powder with a few clumps here and there.  Kind of like chunky peanut butter, except dry, which I guess would mean it was nothing like chunky peanut butter.  But anyway…

.

I also used water in the mix, because I don’t like, nor did I have any rice milk.  I can’t use soy, or any nut milks, so I was left with, well, nothing but water.  I think it would probably taste better with almond milk, though.

.

This is the final recipe I came up with.

.

Oat Flour Pancake Crepe Thingies

  • 2 Cups oat flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 4 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons oil
  • Dash of salt

.

Now, I must warn you, these things fall apart easily if you’re not careful.  I recommend using a non-stick pan (post coming soon on the dangers of teflon ;) ), or better yet, oiling a stainless steel pan well before pouring the batter.  Otherwise, this recipe really won’t work effectively.

.

The batter will be really thin initially, but it will thicken up if you let it sit for a couple of minutes (like instant oatmeal).  It’s okay to pour before that point, though, as you really want these as thin as possible.  They cook all the way through that way, and aren’t left with a gooey center.

.

As for the syrup, I mixed 1 part agave nectar with 1 part pure maple syrup, threw in some blueberries, and heated it on the stove.  The outcome was delicious.  Just make sure to mash the blueberries well with a fork, so all the flavor blends together nicely.

.

One more thing, these get mushy quite fast, as do a lot of pancakes, but we like to avoid that by dipping ours into the syrup, instead of pouring the syrup over top.  It really works better that way.  I hope you enjoy them!

.

 

Disclaimer:  These do not taste like regular pancakes.  They taste like oatmeal.  However, if you cannot have wheat, and are itching for some syrupy pancake goodness, then these definitely can help with that craving. 

.

January 20, 2010 | Tags: | 3 Comments »
« Older Entries