Gargling with salt water

Did your mom ever make you do this while growing up? I remember doing it vividly…but I can’t ever remember whether it worked. It wasn’t until recently after several sore throats in a row that I could not shake that I started to look into it again. I was also trying to avoid a course of antibiotics if possible.

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From what I learned it works in two different ways by the same mechanism: osmosis. The salt water pulls water from the bacteria, causing them to dehydrate (shrivel up and die, suckers!!). It also pulls water from the inflamed, swollen areas in the back of your throat. One good tip that I read is that it is not a one-time deal. You need to do this multiple times a day to kill all of the bacteria and keep the inflammation down. A good ratio is ½-1 teaspoon of salt per 8 ounces. I have also read to just saturate a small glass of water with salt to the point that there is a very tiny amount on the bottom that will not dissolve.

Mommy, what's that?

I was standing in line at the grocery store when I heard Kai say, "Mommy, what's that??" in the sweetest little sing-song voice ever. He was point to (gasp) doughnuts...powdered sugar covered doughnuts!! Worse yet, I had some on the conveyor belt for work. They were buy one, get one free! I was already mortified at myself that I was buying them for work. What was I going to do?


No, I do not buy my children everything they ask for. Honestly, I almost always say no if there is any pestering or whining. I learned a valuable lesson. One, it was not worth sneaking them. Two, I am still taking baby steps. Now, I could have taken the "you can't always have everything you ask for" route. Or I could have just said "no." Or I could have given in because it was just easier. Did Kai get his doughnuts?

In the end I decided that I would buy a bag for him. It was a special treat. The only other time he has had a doughnut is at church (that I am aware of). Yes, it was just a bag of doughnuts. However, I am trying to avoid giving him junk food, not raise his awareness of it. He is also extremely sugar sensitive, even sensitive to fruit sugars. I still want him to be able to teach his own body what to prefer. In my experience so far, even cutting out processed sweets for a short period of time has had profound effects. I shared one doughnut with Kai the next afternoon and I ended up with a nasty headache. It didn't seem to slow Kai down one bit, but it definitely reminded me how much better I felt without it.

While I would prefer that he always asks for strawberries and apples, I feel that being realistic is important. I have to remind myself that it isn't always worth being legalistic. I don't eat perferct 100% of the time either.  He was so excited that I actually bought them, and it brought a little sunshine to his day. He is probably none the worse for it, and maybe one day he will choose something healthier...right??

Eggs

Not sure what eggs to buy or what free-run, cage-free means?  Hopefully this will help:

Brown eggs: Eggshell color has nothing to do with the quality, flavor, nutritive value, cooking characteristic, or shell thickness of an egg. Shell color only depends on the breed of hen.

Omega 3 enhanced eggs: Eggs are from hens fed a diet flax seed or fish oils. Some experts say the omega 3 is unstable and quickly becomes rancid.

Organic eggs: Eggs produced by hens fed certified organic grains without conventional pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, or antibiotics.

Free-run or Cage-free eggs: Eggs produced by hens that are able to move about the floor of the barn and have nesting boxes and perches.

Free-range eggs: Eggs produced in a similar environment as cage-free eggs but hens have access to outdoor runs as well.

There is a lot of controversy about nutritional value of conventional vs. organic eggs. Controversy also surrounds the color of the egg yolk. The color of the egg yolk depends mostly on the diet of the hen. Hens that eat grains and cornmeal tend to have lighter-colored yolks. Hens that eat plants, produce, and grub tend to have darker yellow to orange-colored yolks.  Eggs with darker yolks are reported to be healthier and tastier.  Some studies have reported chemical differences and others have not.  Even if free range eggs are not healthier, I believe that the living and food conditions offer an advantage.  I love seeing the different hues of the shells and size of the eggs. 

Coconut macaroons!!!



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I am sooooo making these this weekend.  Usually I like to make things before I post them but I am gladly making an exception.  These look amazing.  If you like Amazon, look for their organic coconut flakes to go on sale and get a discount and free shipping with subscribe and save.  You can spread shipments out up to 6 months and you can cancel at any time.  Why organic coconut?  Look at the list of inactive ingredients and preservatives on a bag of sweetened coconut.  Organic cocnut also tastes amazing to say the least.  Lee and I usually get sick eating it by the cup when we open a fresh bag. 

Most macaroon recipes also use condensed milk and white sugar.  These ingredients are so much healthier!  Here's the recipe from Jordan Rubin's Extraordinary Health website:

Coco Macaroons

Makes about 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:

7 cups of dried coconut flakes

2 cups Rapadura or raw honey

6 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract



Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mix the Rapadura or raw honey with the coconut oil and vanilla extract until well mixed. Slowly add the coconut flakes. Blend together well or knead with your hands if necessary. Drop mixture by the tablespoons onto baking sheets. Place in the oven with just the oven light and let them set for 24 hours or you may use a dehydrator set on 105 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours. Serve. Store the remaining macaroons.



Recipes courtesy of Extraordinary Health team

Antibiotics in agriculture

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is now requiring meat producers to report on antibiotic use. For the first time it released a report on the amount of antibiotics sold for use in food animal production. The aim is to curb the growth in antibiotic resistance. In 2009, almost 29 million pounds of antibiotics sold for use in animal agriculture. The danger in widespread use is the emergence of drug-resistant organisms or superbugs. The FDA released a draft recommendation on judicious use of antibiotics that states that the overall weight of evidence supports “the conclusion that using medically important antimicrobial drugs for production or growth enhancing purposes (i.e., non-therapeutic or subtherapeutic uses) in food-producing animals is not in the interest of protecting or promoting the public health.”

It is not often that I agree completely with the FDA but this is a WIN!

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Oatmeal

Just saw a great tip on oatmeal.  Do you like your oatmeal sweetened but without the sugar and calories?  Right before it is ready to come off the stove (yes, I am talking about the slow cook oats you actually have to cook), mash up a banana and stir it in.  I have not personally tried this, and I do like to try what I recommend first.  However, I thought that sounded like a really good idea.  We have switched to old fashioned oatmeal for awhile now.  All it took was reading the list of ingredients on the instant oatmeal to realize how many teaspoons of sugar you were getting.  I do admit to sprinkling just a *little* brown sugar on top, which is why I think a banana would be perfect.  Thanks, Maryea! 

Visit Maryea’s blog at http://happyhealthymama.com.

Water

Water makes up about 60% of our body weight. Every system in our body depends on water. It also flushes toxins out, carries nutrients, and provides a moist environment for ear, nose, and throat tissues. Lack of water leads to dehydration, and even mild forms can drain energy and make one tired.


Every day we lose water through breathing, perspiring, and excretion. Understandably, it must be replenished for our body to function properly. So how much does the average person need? Most doctors recommend 8-9 cups. Here are 3 common ways to also estimate it:



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Replacement approach. The average urine output is 6.3 cups/day. You lose an additional 4 cups through insensible losses (breathing, sweating, bowel movements). Food usually accounts for accounts for 20% of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 8 cups of water a day along with your normal diet, you will typically replace your lost fluids.

Eight 8-ounce glasses. Another approach is the 8 x 8 rule. It is not necessarily supported by scientific evidence but it serves as an easy guideline to remember how much to drink.

Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises men consume 13 cups of total beverages and women consume 9 cups of total beverages a day.

The most important thing is to remember to drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce enough urine that is colorless or slightly yellow. You may also need to increase your total fluid intake when you exercise, live in hot climates, during illness (especially fever, vomiting, or diarrhea), and during pregnancy/breastfeeding.

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