Sprinkles anyone?

Do you want your kids to have "normal" kid-type foods but yet you don't want them to eat artificial dyes? I know I do! I found Edward & Sons, Inc., "Let's Do... Sprinklez" at Sprout's and they're USDA Organic (also Vegan). I picked up the chocolate and confetti kind. They are going to be super fun to eat on ice cream and baked goodies.

More information on the product.  

Wellness Tip #3

If your bathroom smells of strong chemicals or in other words, if clorox bleach hits you in your face when you walk in, that doesn't make it clean. You can use water and white vinegar with some scrubbing power (or a scrub brush) to clean your tub and tile. You can use this mixture on your sinks and toilets using paper towels or reusable towels. If you're like me and don't like the smell of vinegar, add a few drops of an essential oil. Consider changing how you clean when you have small children in your home.

Gluten Free cupcakes

If you're located in Southern California you can order GF / preservative free / dye free cupcakes from So Good Gluten Free Foods. If you're near her business, she will deliver them fresh or will ship frozen. Order by this Thursday if you wish to have them for Good Friday & Resurrection (Easter) celebrations. YUM!! 

I'm ordering two dozen minis for an Easter Party for my son's play group. I love to support local businesses and bring forth healthy alternatives to "normal" kid-type foods to share with others.

Order here. 

New Zucchini Recipe

I made this recipe Tuesday night using organic ingredients. I served the zucchini with a side of whole wheat rotini (Sun Harvest) and tomato sauce (Newman's Own). I substituted the typical italian bread crumbs (Progresso) with Panko bread crumbs italian flavor because of the HFCS. It was a hit with my 2.5 year old son. =)

Enjoy the Oven-fried Zucchini.

The next time I make them I will try dipping them in water instead of milk to see if the breading sticks a little better. Though they weren't fully breaded upon completion, they still tasted great! But I'm a bit bias because I love zucchini!!!

Be Well - Tip #2

"When people seem out of funk and things just don't make sense... I remember whose I am and what this world offers doesn't always line up with what God wants for me." - My personal quote.

Child like Mother?

From Clean Eating April/May 2011 issue, "Like Mother / Like Child" (pg. 20), in summary, it is said that how the mother eats is how the children will eat. If the mother avoids fruits and vegetables, the child will most likely emulate his/her mother and become a "picky eater". If you're not eating fruits and veggies mothers, buy a whole food supplement and fake it 'til you make it.

The supplement will create over time, a craving for fruits and veggies like no other time in your life. Even if you eat fruits and veggies, what do you eat? Is it a good variety? Make no exception, fruits and veggies CAN save your life.

Quotes to live by:
Thomas Fuller: "Life is not valued until sickness comes."
Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Beneficial Supplements

A very small percentage of people get everything they need from eating healthy, whole foods in which most vitamins can be consumed from naturally occuring sources.

I am thankful that my family receives a good portion of their vitamins from fruits, veggies and grains. For me, I eat on average, about 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day - sometimes more and sometimes less. I really enjoy vegetables so sometimes getting fruits in is best done through a smoothie. My son on the other hand really likes fruits (he's 2.5) though he does love carrots, broccoli, along with green beans and sometimes spinach. We keep a good selection of fruits and vegetables on hand. He's learned to love tomatoes last month which made me pretty darn excited (check out blog under "tomatoes" for the story). For his age, he will try anything at least once but typically he will try it again and again until he determines he likes it. I never give up on offering him anything because one day he may want it, like it and ask for it.

For the portion of vitamins we don't get from our whole foods, we take supplements. We also take other types of supplements that have benefits specifically to digestion health.

Every day my son eats one acidophilus (probiotics) chewable, two vitamin C chewables, 10 drops of ALJ herbal extract and his whole foods gummies made of 17 fruits, veggies and grains (usually 8 to 12 gummies - this is double/triple dosage for kids, and it's safe since it's whole foods only).

I take the same whole foods supplement in capsule form, ALJ herbal extract in capsule form, and sometimes (especially during cold season) two vitamin C chewables.

We make smoothies throughout the year and we add local raw honey to help combat allergies to pollen, flax seed meal (omega 3s, positive effect on cholesterol), milk thistle (20-40 drops, protects the liver and an awesome detoxifier among other benefits), and a protein powder by the same company that makes the whole foods supplement.

Now for links to the products:
Vitamin C Chewables (though this link is to their immunity support, it's the same brand and different flavor)
Life Time Acidophilus Chewables
I purchase the local raw honey from a farmer's market in my area. The local business does not have a website that I can find at this time.
ALJ - Herbal Extract - Bronchial and Respiratory Support; another option to fight outdoor allergens.
Flaxseed
Milk Thistle (This is the brand I purchase. Nature's Sunshine carries only capsules. I like to put the drops into my smoothie.)


Would you like to learn more about any of these supplements? Do you take something that's not on my list and you would like to share? Please leave a comment. I enjoy your feedback.

Tomatoes - A tried and true favorite

Last month I offered my 2.5 year old son eggplant parmesan with tomato sauce and he tried some and said mmm mmm as he was chewing. Of course when I eat anything that I want him to try I make a big deal out of how good it is while I chew too. So for the next 3 days I offered him the spaghetti. Only on the first day did he eat the eggplant. I offered it to him but he refused. I was okay with that because like the tomatoes he will eventually like eggplant too.

How we got here took over 3 years in the making. I've been a huge fan of tomatoes since forever. I really craved them during pregnancy and probably cooked a dish nearly every night for dinner that incorporated tomatoes. When my son started on mixed solids at 8 months, I offered him the stage 2 spaghetti and other options that included tomatoes and he would grimmace and refuse. Over the next 2 years, as with anything else I want him to experience, I offered tomatoes over and over and over again. Nothing. He didn't want anything to do with it.

So never give up on your kids. They say it typically takes about 15 exposures before your kids may show interest. With tomatoes, it has taken much longer.

Though I do have a secret to share. My son did not know that the gummies he eats that includes 17 fruits, veggies and grains includes TOMATOES!! So these 3 years of eating tomatoes, he finally likes it. This should tell you perseverance trumps all (and of course, a lot of patience).

Smoothie Season

Smoothie Season is back! It should've never left but even in SoCal, the quality of fresh produce has been pathetic the last few months due to the... get this - RAIN!

Immunity Boosting Smoothie: Orange Juice (Vitamin C), *Pineapples (Antioxidants), Mango (King of Fruit), Strawberries (Vitamin K), Protein powder (Complete Vanilla), Milk Thistle (Liver Support), Flax Seed Meal (Omega 3) and Local Honey (Combats Pollen Allergies).

Mangos are known by "King of Fruit" because they are supposedly one of the most nutritious fruits on the planet.

* I wrote a blog solely on pineapples a few days ago. Be sure to read for more information on further benefits of eating pineapple. My favorite reason for eating is that it's a natural antinflammatory.

Vitamins?

If you're going to give your children vitamins, please find a natural brand free of artificial dyes. Do not buy Flintstones or anything remotely similiar. Best bet get your vitamins from naturally occuring sources - fruits and vegetables!

 Do know that 98% of the ingredients in this brand have nothing to do with "Vitamins"!

Pineapples

I LOVE pineapple. Though I normally buy it from the produce section already prepared or in a can. 


I have gotten away from eating veggies from a can. I also needed to get away from eating fruit from a can!


So the other day I was at my local health foods store and one of the workers always puts on a food demonstration or features a food product from the store that week, usually whatever is on sale. I walked in and beelined to her because I wanted to know what was featured plus my stomach was growling. She was serving strawberries and pineapple. 


I said I would love to buy pineapple fresh but I don't know how to cut the skin off. She showed me. Wow, so simple! 


First you see if the fruit is ripened. The way you can tell is if it has yellow in the vines of the skin. If it's green, it's not sweet yet. If it's part yellow then it's half sweetened. Let it sit on the counter until it turns yellow. Don't wait too long though because it can spoil quickly. Once it's ripe, you pull off the top with your hand. Then you cut off the top and the bottom. Cut the pineapple in half. Then you'll cut a "V" into the middle of each half to remove the stemmy core. Then you slice it like you do with cantaloupe to remove the melon from the rind. Serve. Voila!


The pineapples were on sale for 97 cents each! I only bought one because I wanted to make sure I could prepare it like I learned. 


The pineapple I picked out was partial green and yellow. 


One day later, it was nearly all yellow. I cut into it the way I learned how and it was so easy! The fruit is perfectly sweetened. I got a bunch of fruit for the little pineapple I had chosen! I am sure I'll be buying more from now on!


I've always chosen pineapple for their natural anti-inflammatory benefits. They are also high in vitamins and have digestive benefits. They are mega immune supporters, mainly vitamin C. They offer antioxidant defenses. You can visit more about pineapples on this site I've just found online.


Have you eaten any pineapple this week? 

Be Well - Tip #1

If you only eat certain fruits and vegetables (like bananas, apples, corn, carrots), try taking a whole food supplement for a few months. I bet you will like a variety of produce. You are what you eat. You are also what you eat eats. Be well.

Brown or White Eggs?

So I bought some brown eggs the other day at a health food store. They are locally (within 100 miles) raised, Chino Valley Ranchers, Organic Omega-3. The hens are fed a vegetarian diet that includes flax seed and are free range. They are USDA organic. The dozen cost $4 or $5, I can't remember. Seems like a lot of money but once you've learned what you eat eats then it makes you take a second look at typical things you buy. Eggs and milk are staples in my house and so we buy only organic. There is a difference in taste of regular (corn) fed hens' eggs to vegetarian fed hens'. There is also a distinct smell.

Anyway, I wanted to learn more about why the brown eggs cost more than the white. Some say that there's a nutritious difference between the two being that the brown ones are healthier but there had to be a real reason why the cost was higher for the brown ones.

So I did some research. I learned that there are two kinds of hens. Ones that lay white eggs and ones that lay brown eggs! Yep, it's that simple. Hens with white ear lobes lay white eggs and hens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs. Hens that lay brown eggs are also larger birds than those that lay white eggs. They need more food and they're offered different (or better) feed than the other hens thus the real reason the cost is higher for brown eggs. The red ear lobed hens makes bigger eggs too.

You can find white organic eggs from hens fed on a vegetarian diet. You'll save about a $1 or more on white organic eggs. So there are still affordable options if you want to go organic.

Support local farmers!

Be well.