As I was growing up I always heard things like “use margarine, it’s healthier than butter” and “get low- fat instead of full- fat.” I grew up in a house where we used low- fat everything, and it seemed we were always on a diet. The drink of choice in my house was Diet Coke, not water. Even when I finally realized the truth about how beneficial water was it took me many months to enjoy drinking it. It was bland and boring at first, now I crave it. It is as if these mock-health foods limit our body’s ability to enjoy true health foods. I also now understand that the full-fat option is usually the better choice; low-fat option tends to have chemical fillers or artificial sweeteners in it.
Many you have experienced many different diet and nutrition options over the years. You have heard all of the different theories about which foods are good for us and which are bad. You have probably changed your diet according to what the most current information tells us. Maybe you limited carbs when the Atkin’s diet was big. Maybe you have reached for low-fat a time or two instead of full-fat, because we all are told that too much fat will make us fat. The truth is actually a bit different. There are many foods that we’ve been lied to about.
10 Foods That We’ve Been Lied to About
Many of the foods we are told to avoid, are actually good for us! We are told to stay away from foods because they have too many calories or they contain a lot of fat. New research is showing us that healthy fats are good, and we all need calories to survive, it is about eating the right amount from the right food.
Many of these foods have been misrepresented as being bad for us because we did not understand the science at first, or because of corporate greed. Foods that are high in calories, for example, is something many of us try to stay away from. But some of these high calorie foods are amazing for us, like avocados and nuts.
Real butter, particularly grass fed butter, has many wonderful health benefits. It has many necessary vitamins, healthy saturated fats, and certain fatty acids. Grassfed butter has a higher vitamin A and D content, and the saturated fat helps our bodies absorb these fat soluble vitamins. Overall butter is a welcome addition to a healthy diet in moderation.
Eggs
Eggs get a bad reputation for having too much cholesterol causing heart health issues. The cholesterol found in eggs, as well as the protein, is beneficial to our diets. Eggs from pastured chickens are found to be much more nutrient dense, as the deep orange yolks of these eggs are a powerhouse for vitamin A, E and omega 3 fatty acids, among other nutrients. Eggs are also a good source of iodine, an essential nutrient that can sometimes be hard to include in the diet.
Coffee
Every few years coffee gets touted as good and then a few years later it is bad again. In moderation, coffee can actually be beneficial to our health. Coffee can improve our heart health, and it may reduce the rise of certain diseases.
Popcorn
Popcorn contains important phytonutrients and an abundance of polyphenols (twice as many as in certain fruits). Eating air popped popcorn is a great way to get 100% whole grains into your diet. And three cups is only about 100 calories.
Potatoes
Potatoes can add potassium, fiber, and antioxidants to our diets. It matters how potatoes are prepared in order to gain maximum health benefits, however. French fries and chips, fried in fats like grassfed beef tallow, or avocado oil add health benefits, where potatoes fried in vegetable oils add unhealthy polyunsaturated fat to the diet instead.
Beef
Again, grassfed beef is a star player when it comes to health benefits. Conjugated linoleic acid found in higher amounts grassfed beef provides anti-inflammatory health benefits. Choose well when picking which cuts to add to your diet.
Full-fat foods
Nutrient-rich foods, like full-fat dairy options, are healthier than the low-fat options. Low-fat alternatives are oftentimes filled with chemical fillers, which may have negative health effects.
Chocolate
Dark chocolate actually has positive health benefits! When eating dark chocolate in moderation it can decrease bad cholesterol levels, reduce blood clots, and even help increase cognitive performance.
Nuts
Many people stay away from nuts because they are high in both fat and calories, but studies show that people who eat nuts instead of other foods will actually lose more weight. Nuts are good for your heart and they can lower your cholesterol.
Frozen Veggies
Frozen vegetables contain just as many nutrients as fresh vegetables, but with a lot more convenience. They are often picked at peak freshness and instantly frozen. Fresh vegetables many actually contain less nutrients when eaten as they lose nutrients daily.
The More You Know
When it comes to just about anything in life, the more you know the better you can do. Many of us have fallen prey to the myths of certain foods being good for us or bad for us. Some of us have sworn off carbs completely, while others drink diet soda daily because it has no calories.
Take the time to research what you are putting into your body. Make wise choices. Treat your body well as you only get one.
What other foods that we’ve been lied to about would you add to this list?
Original article and pictures take modernalternativehealth.com site
With a family like mine, you’ve gotta have a serious love for books. Let’s just say – out of my parents and siblings, I am the least educated person, with a four-year degree in philosophy.
Yeah. We’re that kinda family. A couple of PhD’s, an MDiv, a post-grad specialized diploma. Books are practically more important than air in my family.
Inevitably, I got bit badly by the reading bug growing up, and I still love books to this day.
In our house we are easing in to a Charlotte Mason homeschooling approach, and as such care very much about the quality of the books we choose. We prefer ‘twaddle-free’, and are beginning to refine our choices.
I’m not going to pretend to know if every book on this list passes the ‘CM-approved’ litmus test, since we are fairly new to the Mason method, but I do know one thing for sure: My kids LOVE these books. They all have a rhyme or rhythm to their words and they practically hum and dance themselves along the page as you are drawn in to the story. They are engaging and brilliantly written.
These are the family favourites that have enchanted and delighted my kids. Our oldest is five now, and the latest thing that has been totally cracking us up in when he talks about “when I was still four”. Indeed, he has done a fair bit in his few years on earth, not least of which has been to cultivate a love for a good book. I’m a proud mama.
Here are ten of our all-time family favourites, in no particular order. Highly recommended by Isaac, Aliza, and Canaan!
This book just enchants me. Yes, me, the mother. I love it. I’ve never felt so tender toward construction equipment, ha! “The sun has set, the work is done; it’s time for trucks to end their fun. So one by one they’ll go to bed, to yawn and rest their sleepy heads, then wake up to another day of rough-and-tough construction play.”
We LOVE this book as a gentle parenting approach to dealing with bedtime fears, and easing in to a feeling of security. Mama reassures baby llama that she’s always close by even if she’s not in the bedroom with him. This was invaluable to us when we gently transitioned our kids away from needing us in the room while they fell asleep. “Even when she’s not right here, mama llama’s always near.”
This one is just terribly cute. The rhythm of it makes me bob my head along as I read, and the kids love joining in with the repetitive parts. “I’m a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face. I spread the dreary-wearies all over the place. Blub, blub, blub.”
This one is super cute for little ones who are astonished that bear is oh-so-hungry. Another one that uses repetitive lines on each page. My kids just absolutely love joining in each time. “When springtime comes, in his warm winter den, a bear wakes up, very hungry and thin… But the BEAR WANTS MORE!”
This one’s a classic. I first heard borrowed it from the library, but loved it so much we had to buy our own copy. The rhythm and onomatopoeia (see, I did learn something in grade 8 after all) in this book is pure joy. “We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We’re not scared. Oh-oh! Mud! Thick, oozy mud. We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh, no! We’ve got to go through it! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch!”
We had this one completely memorized for about 2 years straight. A Ricci family top fave. “‘Come down monkey!’ Noah cried, ‘There’s the ark! Now run inside!’ But I kept swinging in my tree. ‘No, no, Noah! Don’t take me!”
This is another top fave. We have Isaac on video reciting the whole thing form memory at two years old, which makes my heart so happy. This is my go-to for gifts – the prose is just brilliantly written and captivating. The follow up (the one in the city) is good, but not as good as this one. “Horn went beep! Engine purred. Friendliest sounds you ever heard. Little blue truck rolled down the road. ‘Beep!’ said Blue to a big green toad. Toad went ‘Croak!’ and winked an eye, as Little Blue Truck went rolling by.”
This is just pure fun. My kids just delight in the silliness of thinking of pigs singing. Boynton books bring out the joy, and they do it masterfully. “A cow says Moo, a sheep says Baa. Three singing pigs say ‘la la la’…”
So many Dr. Seuss books – most are rich with rhyme and rhythm. This one is one that I remember from my childhood, and I so enjoy reading it to my own kids! “Big B, little b. What begins with B? Barber baby bubbles on a bumblebee…”
This one is classically simple, yet brilliant. It’s engaging and rhythmic, and easy enough for the younger readers to get into. Each other volume in the series is also worth a read! “Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see? I see a red bird looking at me. Red bird, red bird, What do you see? I see a yellow duck looking at me…”
(I am already planning on a part two. Leave your favourite titles in the comments for me to check out!)
Head’s up: affiliate links are included in this post. If you purchase a book through my links, I make a million dollars. Uh, if you buy a squadrillion trajillion of them, that is.
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
10 Essential Food Staples in My Gluten-Free Kitchen
Every time I hear someone minimizing the gluten-free movement as some kind of fad bandwagon with no possible merit whatsoever, I die a little on the inside.
Especially when the arguments are as sophisticated as yelling, “It’s a fad! Everyone who is gluten-free eats only processed GF crap and that’s bad! It’s lacking the fortified vitamins that we add to our almighty Wonderbread!”
(If I rolled my eyes any harder they’d roll right outta my head.)
I wonder if they would agree, if pressed on the issue, that if millions of people are experiencing the benefits first-hand of removing gluten from their diets – then that counts for something, too.
Personally, I value my own personal experience and results over and above whatever the processed food companies, scientists, and media are tittering about lately. They all change their minds on these things every five minutes, anyway. (Not the mention the plain old common sense that duh, of course a gluten-free, highly processed diet is unhealthy. So is a gluten-filled, highly processed diet.)
If you feel vibrant, energetic, and super healthy – and you eat wheat – awesome. If you don’t, one of the first things I might suggest is to try out a strict gluten-free diet for a month. It’s as simple as that.
(Note: If your symptoms are significant, though, be sure to ask your doctor about Celiac Disease. The test needs to be done while you’re still consuming wheat.)
If cutting out gluten removes my severe brain fog, my significant joint pain, and allows my moods to stabilize, well, then I’m going to cut out gluten regardless of whatever inflammatory, poorly argued, and unintelligent article is going around lately.
And as a matter of fact – that’s exactly what I’ve experienced, and that’s exactly why I’ve left gluten behind me once and for all.
So now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get down to business!
Our family’s history with gluten
I’ve been learning about the gluten-free lifestyle for over five years now – ever since we removed gluten from our son’s diet when he was two.
We had a period of about a year when we started consuming gluten again, thinking that he had been experiencing simply a sensitivity that he had then healed or grown out of. Unfortunately, about eight months into eating gluten again, he developed significant motor tics that were occurring sometimes as frequently as every few seconds, at their worst. They were very obvious to everyone – our family, his teacher, our doctor.
After consulting with a doctor and a naturopath, we removed gluten from his diet last fall, and the tics (after having been with him for about 6 months) disappeared 98% within about three days. He’s now gluten-free for the permanent, foreseeable future.
This past winter, in an effort to take my adrenal fatigue healing efforts to the next level, I decided to give up gluten and dairy permanently. Removing both of those gave me significant results, as mentioned above. (I’ll write a separate post about my experience with dairy.)
For varying additional health concerns, as well as for family solidarity, we’ve decided that our entire family is going to be gluten and dairy-free from now on.
We’re still finding our stride with being dairy-free (it’s SUPER tough to do when out of the house), but I think we’ve got a pretty good rhythm for being GF.
With that being said, I wanted to share my top ten staples that I like to keep on hand, relating to our gluten-free lifestyle.
Top 10 staples to keep on hand for a GF kitchen
1. Rice flour
This is probably the most commonly used flour in gluten-free baking and cooking. It’s important to note, though, that GF baking yields the best results when a variety of flours and starches are used. Simply swapping rice flour for the wheat flour in a recipe won’t work, and won’t taste good. (Store-bought GF all-purpose flour is always a blend of three or more flours and starches for this reason.)
Rice flour is also my go-to for a thickening agent when making gravies or sauces. I find it gives the best “normal” result, as opposed to using something like tapioca starch, which can give a more gelatinous result. Goopy gravy ain’t my thang.
2. Coconut flour
I adore coconut flour because it’s higher in protein, and lower in carbs. It takes a very small amount in a recipe, and needs a lot of binding, which is typically eggs. I’ve made lots of muffin recipes that call for something like 1/2 cup of coconut flour, and 6 eggs.
(Unfortunately, my youngest seems to be intolerant to eggs based on the elimination diet we did to deal with his eczema, so I’ll be doing a lot of experimenting with coconut flour and egg substitutes like flax and chia.)
My ultimate favourite combo for gluten-free baked goods (for taste and nutrition) is coconut flour and almond flour – the texture and flavour is most reminiscent of a typical baked good, and it’s not mostly empty carbs, which I love.
A note of caution: you can’t sub in coconut flour to your fave recipe. It behaves very differently from wheat flour, or even rice flour, and subbing it will likely lead to a baking fail. Search for recipes that are specifically written to use coconut flour.
3. GF oats
Depending on your level of sensitivity, you may require your oats to be certified gluten-free. Oats themselves don’t contain gluten, but they are typically cross-contaminated in their processing. We found that Isaac definitely needed the GF variety, as he was reacting to the regular ones.
Oh! And with these, you can make my Triple Threat Cookies. Oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, with no refined sugars. You honestly can’t tell that they’re gluten-free or refined-sugar free. These babies are crowd-pleasers no matter what. Not that I’d know from experience, since they tend to disappear within 24 hours max around here, with me hoarding as many as possible for myself…
4. Quinoa pasta
I stumbled on this brand at my local Costco a few months back, and it has been a total game-changer! Because quinoa is nice and high in protein (for a pseudo-grain), it has become my most valuable “oops I didn’t plan dinner” fallback. We like it plain, drizzled with avocado oil and sprinkled with some salt and pepper. Preferably Redmond’s organic seasoning salt – that stuff really floats our boats. I throw some steamed veggies or carrot sticks on the side, and call it a day.
If you can’t find the quinoa pasta, then here’s the best rice pasta I’ve ever tasted.
5. Chia seeds
These little wonders are often included in gluten-free baking recipes because they’re a great binder, which is part of gluten’s job in regular baked goods. Chia seeds are pretty amazing and have tons of uses.
Many family favourite recipes that I ate growing up relied on either soy sauce or worcestershire sauce (like my Aunt Beulah’s Saucy Chicken), so I keep some tamari (GF, fermented soy sauce – this brand) and some GF worcestershire sauce (I bought whatever my local health food store had on the shelf) on hand at all times.
7. Rice cakes or crackers
They are processed, yes, but minimally so. For quick, convenience snacks that are gluten-free, these are my go-to’s. The only ingredient in plain rice cakes is rice, and I buy rice crackers with as few ingredients as possible.
We put almond butter on them, dip them in hummus, or eat them plain.
8. Tapioca and potato starch
Like I mentioned above in #1, a good gluten-free all purpose baking flour is typically composed of several different flours and starches. I keep tapioca and potato starch on hand at all times, as I find myself using them most commonly. I tend to use recipes that call for the flours individually (as opposed to “3/4 cup all-purpose GF flour”, for example).
They’re also great for thickening things that are meant to be gelatinous or thick, like pudding. (Throwback to #5: you could use chia seeds to make pudding, too!)
9. Organic corn chips
These get filed under the “acceptable compromise” category in our house. They’re not perfect since they’re made with seed oils (not my ideal) and might have a preservative in them as well. But they’re non-GMO, organic, and my kids love them with hummus. It’s a much better quick snack than 99% of the processed junk out there, and it’s working for us right now.
10. Nuts
We find that with the absence of the usual processed junk-food snacks in the house, we need to be vigilant about keeping quick snacks on hand. Most conventional snack foods are wheat-based – granola bars, crackers, bread, baked goods, etc. When you cut out wheat, and you don’t want to just replace it with processed gluten-free junk, you’re left with gaping holes in your cupboard. Nuts are a perfect quick snack.
Bonus: they help curb sugar cravings with their fat and protein content, and if they’re salted, they really satisfy a salty craving!
We also keep almond flour on hand to bake with, and love the texture of the baked goods!
What else is good to keep on hand in a gluten-free kitchen?
Thanks to Plan to Eat for sponsoring this post! Menu planning is super easy with PTE, and it’s the key to success on a restricted diet. I’ve recently been using a new strategy in my menu planning (using PTE as the planning tool) that I’m really loving, and I’ll share it on the blog soon, so stay tuned.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and this post should not be used as medical advice. This post is not intended as a substitute for seeing your own health professional.
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
10 Easy Lunches for Kids Using Mason Jars Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
This post is from contributing writer Mary Voogt of Just Take A Bite.
The holiday break is over. The new year is here.
That means it’s time to get back on track with healthy eating! One very important part of that is teaching your children what real, nourishing food is and why it is important.
In my experience the best way to teach your kids about good food is by letting them help prepare it!
Start teaching them at a young age and by the time they are in school they can practically pack their own lunches. What parent doesn’t want a little help with lunches?!
Ready to start delegating that task? Here are ten lunch components kids can make by themselves. As an added bonus you won’t hear any complaining about boring or gross lunches. Kids can’t complain if they choose and pack their own lunch!
Take one more item off your to-do list with these fun, healthy, and simple mason jar lunches that kids can make.
Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
10 Easy Ideas
Veggies with dip
Add sour cream and your choice of seasoning to a jar (we like sea salt, garlic powder and dill weed). Put the chopped vegetables on top. No need for separate containers. The veggies are already in the dip and ready to go. Try making your own ranch, too.
Fruit on the bottom yogurt
Use fresh or frozen fruit and a touch of sweetener for the fruity part of the yogurt. Top it with plain, whole milk yogurt or coconut yogurt. When it’s time for lunch simply mix and enjoy.
Trail mix
Trail mix is great for fostering creativity in the kitchen. Let your child pick what they want to add to the mix. Then pop the lid on and shake! Some of our favorite additions are homemade kettle corn granola, dried fruit, crispy nuts and coconut.
Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
Apples with dip
Another lunch component that allows for creativity is fruit dip. You can go with something simple like natural peanut butter, almond butter or sunbutter. Or you can make a dip using yogurt or sour cream and your favorite sweetener. Better yet, add some vegetables to your dip using any version of this easy pumpkin butter. If you don’t like or don’t have apples on hand grapes, pears, pineapple and strawberries are great for dipping too.
Tuna, salmon or chicken salad
One of my daughter’s favorite lunches by far is chicken or salmon salad. We use homemade Miracle Whip® or Katie’s homemade mayo and a little seasoning mixed with the meat. You can follow a simple recipe like this salmon salad or create your own version using crispy nuts, dried fruit, celery or avocado. Serve it with chips, crackers or veggies for dipping or simply eat it with a spoon.
Fruit salad
I like to think of fruit salad as “let’s see what we can use up from the refrigerator” salad. Any fruit will work. Serve it plain or drizzle honey on top. Or you can really spruce it up with some plain yogurt along with the honey.
Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
Smoothie
A smoothie may not seem like something a kid can make. But in reality it is the perfect item for kids to prepare. You just dump whatever you like in the blender and turn it on. There isn’t even any measuring required.
My daughter checked out a kids cookbook from the library and enjoyed using a smoothie recipe from it to guide her in creating her own smoothie. She was so proud to make it by herself and to share it with her brother.
As a parent I love how easy it is to add nutrients to smoothies by using things like powdered probiotics, egg yolks, grass-fed collagen and unrefined sea salt. Looking for that collagen (use the coupon KS10 for 10% off!) or other supplements? Use coupon code KS10 for 10% off your entire order at Perfect Supplements (use the coupon KS10 for 10% off!)!
Lettuce salad
Not all kids are big fans of lettuce. But if they get to make their own salad and have something to shake up before they eat it they just might have a different opinion. Plus salad does not have to be boring. Add your favorite dressing and toppings like dried fruit, croutons, raw vegetables, crispy nuts and cooked meat.
Put the dressing in the bottom of the jar. Add the lettuce and toppings and put the lid on. At lunch time simply shake and eat.
Chips with guacamole
My kids go crazy over guacamole. Especially when they make it! We go the easy route by mixing mashed avocado and homemade salsa. Use your favorite chips or raw vegetables for dipping.
Lunchables
Store-bought Lunchables® are basically processed food in expensive plastic. But kids love them for the fun factor! No need to go without. Just make your own.
Make a batch of homemade lunch meat. Then let your kids use a knife or a cookie cutter to cut the meat and cheese into fun shapes. Layer them in a jar with your favorite store-bought or homemade crackers and a fun, healthy lunch is ready.
Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
These are just a few of the many ways to make lunch preparation into a fun task for kids. Let them get creative and come up with more mason jar lunches.
You can always warm homemade soup and pour it in a jar before packing it (this will be a task for mom or dad if your child is younger). Any time you can get your kids to consume nourishing broth is a win! Make it fun by pairing it with a homemade muffin or crackers with cheese.
This year put a stop to the boring lunch complaints and that one more thing on your to-do list. Get those kids in the kitchen and let them start packing their own mason jar lunches.
All you need are jars, lids, real food and some creativity. It may take a little extra work the first few times you show your kids how to do the prep work. But after that you can let them take over so you can focus on other things. Or just sit there as a proud parent and watch your kids mature right before your eyes.
Maybe they’ll even make lunch for you!
Kids Cook Real Food eCourse
Get your kids cooking by making their own lunches. We've got 10 easy ideas they can make on their own so you don't have to.
Note from Ann: If you’re a new mom, chances are you’ve heard countless people tell you what you should do with your pregnant self and with your newborn when he/she arrives into the world. Am I right?
At Keeper of the Home, we believe you should have every opportunity to make the best decision possible for you and your baby. This post sheds light on some of the tough choices parents will face.
This is not an argumentative piece but rather informative to help you on your journey. As a new mom at 21-years-old, I remember how heart-wrenching some of these topics seemed at the time.
While I didn’t make all of the same decisions that Christina did, I think the information she has provided is helpful to new parents learning to navigate the rough and joyous waters of caring for another’s life.
Getting to the birth of your child took a dozen medical decisions at least, some small, some large. Well, your baby’s been born, you’re recovering (or trying to), and the decisions just won’t let up. Welcome to parenthood! ��
Let’s walk through each of the 10 decisions you will probably be asked to make before leaving the hospital, birthing center, or at your child’s first pediatric visit (if you delivered at home). I’ll present each issue, ask the questions “Why would you want this?” “Why might you decline this?” and then offer several options.
Please note: We do our utmost to offer the best and most accurate information that we can, but we also encourage you to take the advice from our site as entertainment and informational purposes only and to always seek the advice of your trusted healthcare professional.
1. Cord Clamping
At some point between your child’s dramatic exit into the world and his first bath, you’re going to have to physically sever the link that kept him alive in your womb for so long: the umbilical cord. Many doctors or midwives don’t think twice about clamping and cutting it within the 2 minutes of birth, often sooner for a baby struggling to breathe. There is also the new pressure to collect your child’s “cord blood” stem cells, either for your family’s use or for donation to others.
Why might you want to cut the cord early?
Stem cells in umbilical cord blood carry the potential to treat several forms of cancer, blood, immune & metabolic disorders. To obtain enough blood to harvest these stem cells, the cord must be cut & clamped very soon after birth. If a family member has these diseases (and your child doesn’t) this is an option you may want to explore. This is from the AAP’s 2007 statement on the topic:
Cord blood donation should be discouraged when cord blood stored in a bank is to be directed for later personal or family use, because most conditions that might be helped by cord blood stem cells already exist in the infant’s cord blood (ie, premalignant changes in stem cells). […] Although not standard of care, directed cord blood banking should be encouraged when there is knowledge of a full sibling in the family with a medical condition (malignant or genetic) that could potentially benefit from cord blood transplantation. (emphasis mine)
Delaying the cord clamping 4-10 minutes, or until the umbilical cord stops pulsating, offers many benefits to the baby, while early cord clamping can be very harmful to the child- particularly if the baby has been born early or is on the small side.
As this article points out “delaying the cut could protect against anemia and irregular breathing for weeks and months after delivery.” Dr. Sarah Buckley outlines the risks of early cord clamping here.
Other parents opt for a “lotus birth,” never cutting the cord at all, but instead treating the placenta with salt, wrapping it in a bag and allowing the cord to dry up and fall off at the belly button on its own. Please note that all of these options ARE equally available for mothers delivering by cesarean (you just have to state your wishes).
Your options:
Cut & clamp immediately for the purpose of cord blood harvesting/donation
Delay the cord severing for 5 minutes
Delay the cord severing until it stops pulsating (indicating that the vast majority of the baby’s blood is back in his body)
Delay the severing until the placenta is delivered
Allow the cord/placenta to fall off on its own in a matter of days
2. Washing, Weighing, Swaddling Immediately vs. Kangaroo Care
In many hospitals, the norm is to take the baby after birth over to a scale to be weighed, rubbed down, assessed using the APGAR scale at 1 & 5 minutes old, swaddled & hatted, and then returned to the mother.
However, this has lately been challenged and “kangaroo care” is the new buzzword. Many mothers are now encouraged to hold their babies skin-to-skin immediately after birth, covered with a clean blanket to keep them warm. The APGARs can be done in the mother’s arms, the baby can be rubbed clean & dry, and will usually attempt to breastfeed on his own soon after birth.
Why might you want the standard care?
If you require many stitches after birth (or any emergency measures), if you’ve had a particularly exhausting labor, or if a c-section means you are heavily medicated, you may not be physically able to keep a good hold on your child. In this case, the father or other family member could step in, often holding the baby at your head near your eye level, allowing the baby to see you and smell you.
Why might you want to opt out in favor of “kangaroo care”?
Many new moms don’t want to let their babies, the prize of their labor pain, go! I think I probably would have bit, scratched or punched anyone who tried to take my daughter from me that first hour after she was born! A 2007 pilot study indicated that babies placed skin-to-skin with their mothers held their body temperature better, and most “crawled” to their mother’s breast & began nursing on their own within 75 minutes of birth.
Most newborns are quietly alert and eager to nurse, learn their mother’s face, and bond with her for about 2 hours after birth, becoming sleepy (usually for the next 2 weeks) after this unique “sensitive window” is passed. Baby (and mom!) have just gone through tremendous changes and Mom’s familiar smell, heartbeat, and voice are tremendously comforting to this new little person who is suddenly being asked to breathe, maintain body heat, pump blood, eat, digest and poop on his own for the first time.
Your options:
Honestly, kangaroo care has so many benefits (and no drawbacks) that if you are unable to perform it yourself after birth, it would be recommended that your husband would hold the baby skin-to-skin on his chest, comforting and speaking to his baby until you are able to do so.
3. Prophylactic Eye Ointment
You’re probably familiar with the pictures of newborns in those striped hats, eyes smeared with some kind of clear goop. That “eye goop” is usually administered within 1 hour of all births, and is generally either erythromycin or tetracycline (both antibiotics), or the older silver nitrate solution.
Why might you want this?
The intention of the eye ointment is to prevent newborn blindness from infection after birth (“opthalmia neonatorum”). If the mother has gonorrhea, it can be passed on to the baby during a vaginal delivery and can cause blindness if left untreated (chlamydia is similar, as well as herpes). To avoid this, states passed laws throughout the 1900s mandating that all newborns receive silver nitrate, assuring that any infections would be caught and treated. This eye-irritant is still administered in some hospitals, but most now use the gentler antibiotics.
If you know that you have an STD and you deliver vaginally, you will want to protect your baby’s eyes. In this case, you can request the gentler tetracycline drops.
Why might you opt out of this?
For one, having a C-section negates the need for this completely. Anything placed in a baby’s eyes interferes with his vision, blurring it and usually causing swelling & irritation. Blurred vision interferes with the “sensitive window” right after birth when baby is alert & awake, so crucial in mother-child bonding as well as the establishment of breast-feeding.
Silver nitrate is only effective against gonorrheal infections, and is such an eye-irritant that it can actually cause chemical infections (read a good paper here). It has mostly been replaced by less-painful antibiotics, however these antibiotics carry their own risks. As this study showed, babies actually need the bacterial exposure they receive from their mother’s birth canal to correctly populate their digestive tracts and build up their immune systems:
“In a sense, the skin of newborn infants is like freshly tilled soil that is awaiting seeds for planting — in this case bacterial communities,” said Fierer of CU-Boulder’s ecology and evolutionary biology department. “The microbial communities that cluster on newborns essentially act as their first inoculation.”
“The results suggest that parental choice of a prophylaxis agent including no prophylaxis is reasonable for women receiving prenatal care and who are screened for sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy.” (emphasis mine)
Your options:
Be tested for STD infection in your 3rd trimester (this is state law anyway). If positive, find out if intravenous treatment can eliminate risk of transmission to the baby during birth, and/or choose the eye ointment best suited to your infection. If negative, you may delay administration of the eye drops until after the sensitive 2 hour period, choose the gentlest eye-ointment you can, or refuse the ointment completely.
(Note: in my state, Kentucky, hospitals are required by law to administer an ointment of some kind, and some try to threaten parents with Child Protective investigations, etc. However, when I made my own calls to various hospitals as well as our Child Safety office, I found that these were 100% intimidation tactics. Research the penalties and state laws in your own state) Have others wash their hands when touching your baby to minimize exposure to external bacteria.
4. Hepatitis B Vaccine
The CDC recommends that all infants receive the Hep B vaccine before leaving the hospital after birth, then receiving 2 more doses.
Why might you want the shot?
If you have hepatitis B, which is a serious infection of the liver, you probably want to do everything you can to avoid passing it on to your child, including a special hepatitis B immune globulin shot as well as the HepB vaccine.
Why might you want to opt out?
Unless you have hepatitis B, it is almost impossible for your child to contract it. It is a sexually transmitted disease (also transmitted through blood, as in needle sharing) for which babies are not at risk. The hepatitis B vaccine has many side effects, and newborns are extremely fragile. (Read ThinkTwice!’s info page here.) It makes little sense to submit a developing nervous and immune system not at risk of infection to such an attack.
Your options:
If your child is not at risk for Hep B, you can delay the vaccine until later, or refuse it all together (it is not required for school entry in many states).
5. Hearing Test
For most babies, a hearing test is the first test they’ll ever have (and quite likely will pass with flying colors). All states require that parents at least be given the option of having their child’s hearing screened, and most have a policy of universal screening.
Why might I want this?
Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects, affecting ~3 out of 1000 babies. The screens are non-invasive and inexpensive ($10-$50), and if hearing loss is caught and treated early, long-term consequences such as language delays can be minimized.
Why might I opt out?
You may want to simply observe your child for hearing loss on your own. In 14 states this is a simple matter of parental preference. During some types of tests babies may be given a mild sedative to which you may object. Also, some may be responsible for paying for the test and find the cost prohibitive.
Your options:
Have the test done after the “sensitive window,” when your baby is sleepy and unlikely to need a sedative– perhaps right after a good feeding. Or, if your child has no risk factors for hearing loss, opt out of the test and be especially vigilant for any signs of hearing deficiencies (this checklist is a helpful in this).
6. Newborn Heel Prick Metabolic Disorders Screen
Babies usually have a single heel prick to draw a drop or two of blood, which is put on filter paper and run through a tandem mass spectrometry test to screen for an average of 20+ inherited metabolic disorders, including PKU, cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia. Some states recommend two such tests- one immediately after birth and one just before hospital dismissal.
Why might I want this?
Many see the trade off of a single heel prick for the screening of so many diseases –many both potentially fatal AND treatable– as quite worthwhile. If you know that any of the diseases tested for run in your family, this seems especially a wise choice. (However, different regions test for different diseases, so ask for a full list from your pediatrician or intended place of delivery.)
Why might I want to opt out?
All of the diseases screened for are very rare. The blood screen’s rate of false positives is relatively high. Thus many parents receive news their child needs further (more invasive) tests, may be advised to suspend breast-feeding in the meantime, and are understandably concerned, only to be told that the diagnosis was negative.
Additionally, some of the disorders have no treatment or cure, or have variations in forms which may require no intervention (despite showing up as “positive”). For these reasons, some doctors such as Dr. Robert Mendelsohn (in his book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor) recommend waiting for signs of a disease before testing or testing specifically for a disease that runs in your family, and certainly asking for further information and testing if a screen comes back positive.
Your options:
Assent to the standard heel-prick screen as a precaution (see below for some steps to make it easier), test specifically for diseases for which your family has a history, or wait and see if any problems manifest, then pursue definitive testing. If one disease in the screen comes back with a positive result, know that many of these are false positives: continue breast-feeding, pursue further diagnostic testing, and try not to stress about it in the meantime.
**Please note that while the diseases are rare and the vast majority of kids will be fine with no screening, for the few that DO have a disease, an early detection often means the difference between life & death, or normal development & severe (often permanent) disability. For many metabolic diseases, which can appear with no family history, the symptoms are subtle and likely to be overlooked until potentially irreversible damage has been done.
With this in mind, here are 4 steps you can take to make the screen easier & more accurate for your baby, if you choose to assent to it:
Wait to do the test, ideally 3 days after birth, so metabolic factors have stabilized
Make sure baby is warm –especially warm baby’s foot in your hands for several minutes before prick to ensure that blood flows easily
Request that nurse hold baby’s foot until she stops kicking and only then prick
Offer baby something to suck during prick (finger, binky, bottle or breast)
7. Vitamin K Injection
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin we get chiefly from bacteria in our gut (it’s also in leafy green veggies). It is crucial in blood clotting & bone health. Babies are born with lower clotting factors than adults, perhaps because their intestines lack the bacteria which provide most of ours. A Vitamin K deficiency can lead to “vitamin K deficiency bleeding“– severe internal bleeding.
Why might I want this?
Bleeding in infants due to vitamin K deficiency can be severe, leading to hospitalizations, blood transfusions, brain damage and death. While formula is enriched with Vit K, breast-milk tends to be lower in it. Intra-muscular injection (i.e. a shot) of Vitamin K is quite effective in preventing internal bleeding.
There are several risk factors for VKDB, including: preterm delivery & difficulty feeding, low birth weight, delivery by forceps or vacuum extraction delivery, prenatal maternal use of certain medicines (including antibiotics, anticoagulants, & anticonvulsants), liver disease, extremely fast, or extremely prolonged labor, particularly during the pushing phase, and delivery by C-section.
Why might I want to opt out?
Many question whether God would design a faulty system– why would all babies be deficient in a vitamin that was also lacking in their natural food? Some feel that it’s preferable to instead supplement the breastfeeding mother’s diet with Vitamin K, both/either through a diet high in leafy greens and probiotics, or a supplement, rather than giving a newborn a painful injection.
Colostrum, which precedes milk, is quite high in Vitamin K. An injection is an unnatural means of getting a vitamin that is usually absorbed through the gut wall, and, like all injections, provides an opportunity for contamination to be introduced, as well as potentially toxic preservatives. The amount of Vitamin K injected is also very high: 20,000 times the level present at birth. Lastly, high Vitamin K levels are a cause of jaundice in newborns.
Your options:
Choose to have the injection as a precautionary measure, especially if your child had a traumatic birth, if your prenatal diet was low in Vitamin K, or if you took medications tending towards VKDB. Take a non-interventionist approach of a late-pregnancy diet high in leafy greens, delayed cord-clamping, and immediate breastfeeding. Or opt for the oral method of vitamin K supplementation.
8. Sleeping Arrangements
Many hospitals now offer the option of “rooming-in,” in which baby and mother are kept together in one room, as well as the former model of nursery care, in which babies are tended by nurses in a separate room. Few hospitals recommend that the baby stay in the nursery throughout the day, though it is always an option if you need a break. Fathers are usually welcome to accompany the baby into the nursery during any screens or tests (and if they aren’t, they can insist upon it!).
Why might you prefer the nursery model?
Many moms (and their spouses!) are exhausted after delivery and will be facing months of sleepless nights tending a newborn. The chance to have someone else changing diapers and keeping an eye out for problems can be a welcome and unique break, especially if you deliver at a hospital friendly to breast-feeding who will bring your baby to you to be fed at the first sign of hunger.
Why might you prefer to “room-in”?
Some new moms don’t want their precious children away from them at any point, especially if their hospital tends to force standard procedures (injections, eye ointment, etc.) on newborns despite parental preferences, or if they are likely to give a hungry baby a pacifier or a bottle of formula. As newborns have very little stomachs (large as a thimble), ounces of formula really sabotage their metabolism and eagerness to nurse (in turn interfering with maternal milk production). Entire nursing relationships have been sabotaged by bottles given before hospital discharge.
Your options:
Ask around and find out what hospital policy is regarding bringing babies to moms for feedings or giving them bottles– ask other patients and your doctor/midwife what this hospital’s reputation in this area is like. If it’s parental-preference friendly, you may want to take advantage of the nurses ability to watch over your child during the night (so you and Daddy can both sleep). If, however, the hospital nursery seems a risky place, keep baby with you, perhaps trading off with Daddy or another family member to tend to baby’s non-nutritive needs.
Note that you can begin one way and then switch as needed: I personally began with our daughter in our room, but when it became apparent that my husband & I were too tired after our 45-hour labor to adequately care for her, we gladly surrendered her to the nursery nurses, who faithfully brought her to me for feedings throughout the night and recorded her every diaper on her chart so I’d stay informed (Our hospital is stellar with respect to honoring parental wishes in all areas.).
9. Artificial Nipples (pacifiers or bottles)
Hospital nurses only have 2 arms, just like all of us, and tend to pacify crying babies with a pacifier rather than with cuddles. Some feel that sucking on a pacifier tires a baby out, decreasing their desire to eat. And some babies just plain old spit them out.
Why might you want to allow pacifiers?
Some babies like to suck. It’s a comfort thing– babies have been caught sucking fingers, thumbs, tongues, and hands in utero. As anyone who was a child-hood thumb-sucker knows, it’s hard to break those habits. Some parents would prefer that their baby’s “non-nutritive sucking” needs are met through a paci, which can be detached, washed, and eventually discarded instead of through a body part, which is always around (and often dirty).
Why might you want to avoid artificial nipples?
Some lactation experts warn of nipple confusion; with babies getting into poor latching habits after sucking on a paci or bottle (these require entirely different tongue positions). Many parents would prefer to allow their newborn to suck frequently at the breast, even if only for the first few days, to ensure a good milk supply, as well as to maximize skin-to-skin contact.
What are your options?
Allow pacifier use, limit it to times when baby isn’t hungry or your breasts are sore from a feeding, or request that no artificial nipples be used at all. If your baby is too weak to nurse or has a poor latch, you can still use systems other than a bottle ⏤ such as a supplemental nursing system (with expressed breast milk or formula), finger-feeding, or a dropper.
Here’s a handy trick: latches can usually be “reset” by simply allowing a baby to suck a finger, which gets the tongue in the correct position for breastfeeding.
10. Time of Discharge
Most hospitals keep mom and baby for 24-48 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. For moms with c-sections, 3 days is the minimum, and for complicated births moms & babies may be kept any number of days.
Why might you want to stay the full recommended 2 days?
State laws were passed in the mid-1990s regarding postpartum “Length of stays” (LOS) out of concern for maternal and infant health. Many health problems (such as a retained placental fragment, for instance) take a few days after birth to manifest themselves. Additionally, many mothers will not be going home to much help, so the rest and care they receive immediately after birth in the hospital can be very welcome.
Why might you want to ask for an early discharge?
Plainly put, even the best hospitals are dirty places ⏤ they’re mainly for sick, germy people. In this sense, getting a newborn and recovering mom out of there doesn’t seem a bad idea. Some mothers also find sleeping difficult in a hospital bed, and being woken by nurses every few hours for vitals to be checked can be wearing.
Some moms just recover faster in their own beds. Postpartum doulas ⏤ hired help specifically trained to care for newborns and their mamas ⏤ are far more available these days and can fill in the gap hospital nurses provide. Some midwives do house-calls, and many pediatricians or OBs will allow you to come in for a check-up 3 days post-partum, somewhat negating the need to spend all 48 hours under observation.
Enjoy the full 2-day hospital stay, or ask for an early discharge if your delivery was uncomplicated and un-medicated, and follow up with a 3-day postpartum checkup for both mama and baby. Consider hiring a postpartum doula or having Grandma stay and care for you once home. You will likely need to get your OB/midwife and pediatrician to put a request for early discharge in writing, ideally in your birth plan.
For Parents of Little Boys: Circumcision
This is such a complicated issue (worthy of a post all its own) that I will only briefly touch on it. American doctors are split down the middle on recommending circumcision or not. The AAP’s official position states:
Existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision; however, these data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. In circumstances in which there are potential benefits and risks,yet the procedure is not essential to the child’s current well-being,parents should determine what is in the best interest of the child.
Basically, it’s a preference issue. However, more boys are circumcised in the US than are not, often before leaving the hospital after birth.
There is a small percentage of men who require circumcision later in life for medical reasons, and circumcisions later in life are far more complicated than in an infant. Babies don’t remember the pain of surgery. Many Christians feel that if God commanded it for generations, it likely has some health benefit to it, just as the dietary laws do. When performed by a mohel (Jewish rabbi specializing in circumcision) on the 8th day, the procedure is very quick (under a minute), usually done in the comfort of your home with your son held in familiar arms and anesthetized in non-invasive ways such as sugar pacifiers, drops of wine, and topical anesthetic cream.
Why might you want to skip this elective surgery?
The hygienic benefits of circumcision can usually be overcome through personal hygiene and a monogamous lifestyle later in life. It’s a painful surgery, even if some form of anesthetic is used. In hospitals, it is probably terrifying for the baby, who is separated from his parents, strapped down, and in considerable pain for 10-20 minutes.
As noted above, clotting factors are low in newborns and don’t rise until 5-7 days after birth, reaching their apex at 8 days after birth ⏤ surgery before then carries increased risk of hemorrhage. As some Christians have pointed out, modern hospital circumcision is quite different than the OT version in timing, method, and environment.
Your options:
Have the circumcision in the hospital before discharge (when it’s still covered by insurance), using one of the following methods decided on beforehand: the mogen clamp, the plastibell, or the Gomco clamp. Research each as well as the doctor who will perform the circumcision.
Alternatively, wait until the 8th day (as is Jewish custom due to Genesis 17:9-14) for the surgery at the hospital, or hire a mohel to perform the surgery in your home or the hospital, usually using the Jewish shield technique. Or, you can skip the surgery altogether and add extra emphasis to your son’s personal hygiene.
(As a mom making this decision myself, I must say that, should we choose to circumcise our son, of all the methods the mohel-performed, Jewish shield technique seems the quickest, least painful, traumatic, and risky; well worth the extra cost.)
Disclaimer: Although all Keeper of the Home contributors are passionate about nutrition, natural living, and alternative health issues, we are not certified nutritionists, medical doctors, or practitioners of any kind. We are not licensed to counsel anyone in medical matters, nor may we be held responsible for any course of action that you choose in regards to your own health or that of your family. Please remember that what we are sharing is the result of our own experiences and years of study, but may not necessarily be the right course of action for you. We are advocates of becoming informed, knowledgeable, and responsible for one’s own health, but our desire is not to be an authority on any matters of health for you, nor would we presume to have sufficient knowledge to do so. Our hope is that what we share may encourage you and start you on the road to doing your own research and seeking the opinions of professionals or others that you trust.
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Original article and pictures take keeperofthehome.org site
10 Creative Ways to Add More Bone Broth to Your Diet
I have a confession. I don’t really like bone broth. I like the benefits of bone broth. But I don’t enjoy drinking it.
I’ve not ever been much of a brothy kinda girl. I don’t like broth-based soups like chicken noodle or vegetable beef. I much prefer hearty, thick, and creamy soups—like Broccoli and Cheese soup, Butternut Squash soup, and chili.
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10 Ways to Sneak More Bone Broth Into Your Diet
I know it’s important to consume plenty of bone broth, so I’ve had to get creative and find ways to sneak more into my diet. It’s really not hard, though. You’ll see that it’s very easy to substitute bone broth in many of your favorite, tried-and-true recipes!
Bottoms up! Of course, you can always just drink it. This is the way my husband best enjoys bone broth. Add a little salt, pepper, and other seasonings and this is a regular snack for him. This really isn’t creative though, so it doesn’t count :).
1. Soups and stews are probably the most obvious place to sneak in bone broth. If a recipe calls for canned/boxed broth, beef or chicken base, or bullion, simply replace it with bone broth.
2. Sauté or boil your veggies in bone broth. I do this a lot. We eat a lot of steamed broccoli. I throw in a couple of cubes of bone broth (I freeze broth in ice cube trays after I make it), and steam my veggies. Your veggies will be infused with healthy bone broth.
3. If you eat pasta, rice, or qunioa you can substitute bone broth for water.
4. Mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower are another place you can use bone broth. When I was completely dairy-free, I used bone-broth in place of milk. If you’re not dairy-free, you might want to just substitute part of the milk for bone broth to give your potatoes a bit more of a creamy texture.
5. Bone broth makes amazing gravies and sauces! Reduce your bone broth (i.e. let some it evaporate), season it, and add a little bit of tapioca or arrowroot starch for a delicious grain-free gravy. Yum!
6. Refried Beans—often water is used to thin out the beans, just use bone broth instead!
7. Scrambled eggs or other egg dishes. Add a little bit of bone broth (instead of water or milk) to make nice fluffy scrambled eggs. If you’re making a quiche or frittata, substitute the liquid called for in those with bone broth.
8. Add a little bit to your homemade salad dressings or dipping sauces.
9. Dilute a bit of your tomato-based sauces and dishes with bone broth. I do this with soups like chili that wouldn’t typically call for bone broth. You could also do this with marinara sauce as well!
10. Use it in your cream or cheese sauces (or soups). Use half bone broth and half milk or cream.
10 Creative Ways To Add More Bone Broth To Your Diet FB
Sometimes, I Cheat…
I can’t always get the amount of bone broth in that I’d like, so sometimes I cheat. I’ve been known to add Great Lakes Gelatin or Perfect Collagen Hydrolysate (that’s basically gelatin that doesn’t gel) to smoothies, drinks, and other foods so I can get the benefits of bone broth when I don’t have it on hand or I just know I need to get more.
(I like these particular brands because I know they comes from healthy animals.)
