Happy New Year!

Many thanks to all who read and help to support my blog!  I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

Diaper Changing Technique Reduces Colic

I had to share this fascinating article by GreenMedInfo.com about a diaper changing technique that will help to reduce colic in infants.

Infants are born with immature spines that need to strengthen and develop over the next 6-9 months of their life.  Unfortunately, most of us parents do the double leg lift with our children when we are changing the diaper.  This is not good for the spine of infants and can affect the nerve center that controls digestion.

By instead, switching to a side roll diaper changing technique, the nerve center will not be pinched and irritated and should help to stop and/or reduce colic in many babies.

HERE is the full article which includes a link to a video which is so helpful to watch.  Please pass this on to any new parents you know!

Curing Mission Olives

As promised, here is my update on curing my mission olives.  I have about 17 pounds to cure and started the process today.  I'm washing and then drying the olives and packing the 17 pounds in about 25 pounds of sea salt.  I'm using glass Fido jars and layering the olives and salt.  The tops will remain open to allow for air circulation.  The salt is supposed to pull the oil out of the olives which I will pour out of the jars.  Well see!  Hopefully this works!

Whole Foods Friday - Mission Olives

It's whole foods Friday and I thought I would feature a brand new project I am in the process of tackling.  We love olives in our home, but don't get to eat them very much as the organic ones are quite expensive and I don't like the fact that many of them are cured with lye.

So, I decided to buy some organic mission olives from Chaffin Family Farms, and try my hand at salt curing these olives.

They arrived yesterday and me and my son packed them into some ziplock bags and put them in the fridge as my bulk order of salt will not arrive until early next week.  We will then pack them up with the salt into 5L glass fido jars and hope they cure!  I received 17 pounds of olives from Chaffin Family Farms and plan to use about 25-27 pounds of sea salt for the curing.  The process is pretty easy, and I read this post to get some guidance.

I will keep you all posted on how it goes.  Aren't they beautiful?!

Early Puberty in Girls - Why This is NOT a Healthy Trend

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!  We had a very relaxing and enjoyable "Staycation" and it was so nice to spend time together doing fun things (mostly at home) and avoid all the holiday rush!

Today I want to share an article that came out by one of my favorite herbalists (who is also a physician!), Aviva Romm.

In this article, she discusses the alarming new trend of early puberty amongst young girls, where girls, as early as 7, are starting to experience body changes.

This is alarming on a number of fronts, for not only is this emotionally effecting girls, it is having a bad effect on their long term health.  Early puberty puts girls more at risk for hormone related cancers, fibroids, endocrine disruption, and other issues.

Aviva discusses some simple steps you can take to avoid this from happening in your daughter.  Please take a few minutes to read this brief article and pass it on to anyone you know who has a young daughter.

If you do not have a daughter, this is still a good read!  I have a little boy, but still follow the healthy tips that Aviva lists such as an organic whole foods diet and avoiding environmental toxins.  I have always been concerned about the flame retardants that are in children's clothes/PJ's and dress my little guy as organically as possible, including organic bedclothes and mattress.  Keeping our children as chemical free as possible is so important in their healthy development.

Whole Foods Friday - French Onion Soup

We have finally been enjoying some cool, fall weather, here in SoCal, and I am enjoying the brisk mornings and evenings!  We enjoy at lot of soups this time of year, so I am excited to make some French Onion Soup for dinner tonight, served with hot, toasted homemade sourdough bread and a side of Julia Child's Crockpot Boston Baked Beans.

French Onion Soup is a snap to make and my sister, over at Whole Foods on a Budget, has a delicious version using homemade bone broths.  So, hop on over to her blog and check out this super easy, super yummy, recipe for French Onion Soup.

Easy Lamb Roast

It's finally getting cold here in SoCal (I think - I hope!) and I put this delicious lamb roast up to cook in my new crock pot the other day.

By the way, I just have to say how much I LOVE this crock pot.  I bought it a few weeks ago to replace my old one and I have been so happy with it.  It's stoneware and has three different sized pots.  I have had no trouble heating the largest pot and have used it several times, now.  I also like the fact that this company follows lead safety protocols, with no measurable lead in the pots.  You can click HERE to read more on amazon.  Having three different sized pots is very convenient!

For our lamb roast, I simply placed a bone-in shoulder roast, some potatoes, quartered onions, plums, and apples, along with a sprig of rosemary and some sea salt, into the 6 quart pot.  I placed it on high for a few hours, then turned it to low until dinner time.  It slow cooked for about 7 hours total and was SO delicious, with the meat falling off the bone.  This was a fast, simple, delicious winter time meal!

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for amazon.  By clicking on my links, you help to support this blog.  Thank you!

Buckwheat Hull Pillows

After getting some great reviews from my sister, I finally took the plunge and bought an organic buckwheat hull pillow.  I have been having some neck and upper back discomfort at night and wanted an alternative from the wool pillow I have been using.  I also grind my teeth at night sometimes, probably due to the neck and back pain.

I have been completely happy with my new pillow!  My neck and back pain is gone and I also noticed that I am not grinding my teeth at night anymore, a side benefit that I was not expecting!

Photo credit: www.northernaturals.com

These pillows do take a few nights to get used to, as they are firmer and have a very different feeling than your "normal" cotton, feather, or wool pillows.  But, they do a beautiful job of conforming to your head and neck and providing support like no other pillow I have every tried.

I also love that they are a natural source of filler and there are many places that will sell them organically grown.  You can also make your own, as my sister did.

I bought my pillow at Northern Naturals, and you read more about the pillows and their benefits, here.

Whole Foods Friday - Chick Broth and Tots

This is a great post to follow up my post from earlier this week, about things you can do to combat colds and flus.  Having a toddler, I know the challenges of getting broth into them!  Here are some tips from my sister Christy, over at Whole Foods on a Budget.  

Have a wonderful, fall weekend!!

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season

Well, it's October and I'm already getting emailing from friends and family who are sick - yikes!  Cold and flu season is upon us!!  And, unfortunately, all the candy consumption at Halloween only seems to escalate things.

I'm already preparing our family and working hard to strengthen our immune systems through a healthy diet and various supplements.  Every family will look a little different in terms of what works for them, but I thought I would give you all a list of some of the things that I am doing for our family.

1) Limiting sugar consumption!  I know that it is nearly impossible to keep candy away from kids during Halloween, but we will be limiting the amount of candy my son has and I am working to keep him away from other sweets in the meantime.  Eating sugar lowers your immune system functioning and makes you more susceptible to sickness, especially within the 4-8 hour time frame of consumption.

2) Incorporating bone broths in our diet.  I try to have plenty of homemade stock in the freezer ready to use.  We drink it plain, add it to soups, or cook it up in rice.  If you can find a farmer and have access to organic chicken feet, then add those to your broth.  They add a nice healing boost!

3) Consuming fermented foods (rich in probiotics).  I try to ferment foods on a regular basis to have plenty of probiotic rich foods on hand.  Probiotics are great for helping to strengthen the immune system.  One of the best to have on hand is 10 week fermented sauerkraut.  If you make this anaerobically, you will have an amazing, inexpensive source of probiotics.  If you are not able to make fermented foods at this time, considering buying some high quality probiotics.  I use Udo's for all of us.  

4) Elderberry Syrup.  I keep a big bottle of homemade elderberry syrup on hand through the winter.  We take a dose almost daily.  It's very easy to make, delicious, and a great immune builder.  You can also buy it, but it's much cheaper to make your own.  HERE is the link to my recipe.  This is very kid friendly!  It's a great chaser for fermented cod liver oil.

5) Daily fermented cod liver oil.  Fermented cod liver oil is one of the best supplements you can take in my opinion.  It is an excellent source of vitamins A and D.  Taking it fermented, preserves the maximum nutritional benefits.  You can read more about it HERE, where I order mine.  You can get it in capsules or flavored liquid.  I have had no problems having my son take his, especially when he gets a chaser of elderberry syrup.

6)  Vitamin C.  I like to have plenty of vitamin C on hand for either daily dosing, or dosing when I think sickness is coming on.   I like my supplements to come from natural sources, so I use Dr. Bob Marshall's version.  I have been using his supplements for years and I highly recommend them.

7) Bovine Colostrum.  I keep powdered colostrum on hand for times when we are either feeling sick, under stress, or going to be in crowds.  This is another good immune booster.  It comes in capsules or powder.  For children, small doses can be added to things like applesauce or yogurt.  I use Dr. Bob Marshall's colostrum.

8) Echinacea.  Echinacea is a great general bug fighter.  I always have this one hand.  For my son, I use the Herbs for Kid's version.  For my husband and myself, I have the dried root and leaf on hand to make teas and have also made my own tincture, as it is more cost efficient.  This herb can be purchased inexpensively from Mountain Rose Herbs (link on the right side of my blog).  If we are going to be in crowds or around germs, I give a dose the day before, day of, and day after.  If we are sick, I dose us for at least a week.

Photo Credit: mynaturalmarket.com

While it would be difficult to cover every herb and supplement I have on hand, these are a few good standbys to start with this fall and winter.

What are some of your favorite standbys?


(I am an affiliate for Mountain Rose Herbs.  I only recommend companies and products that I use.  Using the link I provide helps to support the upkeep of this blog.  Thank you!)

Healing a Muscle Strain Naturally

The other morning my toddler woke up and refused to walk.  He kept complaining of pain in his ankle and refused to put weight on it.  We knew it was not broken (if there is ever ANY doubt, please speak with your health care professional); he had been romping pretty hard the night before and I suspected a minor sprain or muscle strain, which can come on delayed.

Since he is only two, it was difficult to figure out exactly what was going on, but I saw some minor puffing around his ankle and decided to try some treatments that day for muscle strain since I really wanted to avoid using tylenol.

The first thing I did was to give a dose of homeopathic arnica.  I gave a few doses over the course of the day, both in spray form and oral.

I then rubbed some diluted lavender essential oil into the sprain and spent some time icing the foot.  He was not a very big fan of the ice, but since it was slightly puffy, I wanted to get some ice on it.

A little while later we tried an epsom salt bath.  Epsom salts are very healing for muscle strains and sprains, so I made up a little foot bath and let him soak his foot - he loved that!  I think this was one of the best treatments I could have tried for him.

Picture credit: www.real-noni.com

After his Epsom salt bath, I rubbed my all time favorite Noni lotion all over the ankle area.  I cannot recommend this lotion enough.  It also comes in an ice hot version, which my husband loves.  I just used the regular version on my son.  We ALWAYS have this lotion on hand.

I'm happy to say that by the evening, he was walking around a little and by the next morning, he was running.  No need for tylenol!  Gentle, natural remedies did the trick!

Whole Foods Friday - Carrot Zucchini Soup

With fall arriving, this Carrot Zucchini soup recipe sounds delicious and is a great way to use some of that last summer squash still floating around!  This soup is easy to make and easy on the wallet, especially if you are using homemade stock.

So, hop on over to my sister, Christy's blog, Whole Foods on a Budget, for the recipe!