While we were splashing away at the beach the other day, I found myself following my daughter around as she toddled her way around beach blankets and other people. She was admired by everyone in her adorable swimsuit and commented about how tiny she is. This I'm used to. Yes, she is tiny and she's been moving since she was about 5 months (she learned quick that it was move it or get plowed over).
I happened to meet another mother who also had a tiny daughter, who had just turned one and was a pound shy of my daughter's weight. We talked a little bit about them and then she asked what my pediatrician says about her growth. I shrugged and said that she is constantly reassuring me that "She is Indeed Growing, slowly, but she's growing." Then the other mom said that her ped told them to stop feeding her fruits/veg and to give her fattening things like mayonaise, cake, icecream, etc. The father was nearby and made the comment "Who gives their kid straight Mayo?". I was shocked. I told her I wouldn't give her that stuff and just keep giving her the healthy foods. There are plenty of healthy fatty foods that you can give your kids like nuts and avacados. Ok, maybe peanut butter or cashew butter instead of straight nuts, but still. Most of those foods are high in sugar! I would rather my child gain slowly but beg for carrots over cake. That kind of diet gets them used to a bad diet and sugar fluctuations that will just lead to a bad eating habit roller coaster.
I understand worrying about a child gaining weight, especially if they are formula fed and the parents stop giving it at 1 in exchange for whole milk, but come on Cake? Really? Hummus is much more healthy and just as fattening. Granted it takes some being crafty on the parents part to get them to eat it, but it's worth it in the long run.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Bad Organic Pie
The other day we decided to go down to our local farmer's market and see what there was. Sometimes we score some fresh vegetables and fruits, sometimes baked goods or sweets. My son wanted the blackberries and my husband was on the prowl for a good pie. I was just happy looking around and contemplating whether or not I wanted to buy squash and zuchini.
We bought the blackberries and my husband was mulling over the small selection of pies left. He spotted that one was sugar-free and a organic blueberry pie. He asked if I was interested. I said sure. Then I asked the man at the stall if there was a sugar substitute. He nodded and said it had Aspartame in it.
Aspartame? Really? Of all the sweetner substitutes out there they picked that one? The one linked to cancer and alzheimers? I was expecting at least Stevia, but I guess even that was far reached. Maybe the news of how bad aspartame is hasn't reached them or maybe they just don't believe it. Either way, I declined on the pie.
The next day I went out and bought some overripened strawberries and rhubarb. I then made a sugar-free pie using agave. Which by the way is fantastic.
We bought the blackberries and my husband was mulling over the small selection of pies left. He spotted that one was sugar-free and a organic blueberry pie. He asked if I was interested. I said sure. Then I asked the man at the stall if there was a sugar substitute. He nodded and said it had Aspartame in it.
Aspartame? Really? Of all the sweetner substitutes out there they picked that one? The one linked to cancer and alzheimers? I was expecting at least Stevia, but I guess even that was far reached. Maybe the news of how bad aspartame is hasn't reached them or maybe they just don't believe it. Either way, I declined on the pie.
The next day I went out and bought some overripened strawberries and rhubarb. I then made a sugar-free pie using agave. Which by the way is fantastic.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Conditioning...
I don't like to sweat. My skin doesn't like taking showers twice a day. I get sick of water easy. I fatigue easy in the heat. My hair frizzes like crazy too.
And yet, I do not believe in Air Conditioning. I never have.
I grew up for years without it and suddenly in my teens my father decided it was time that we had a unit stuck in every window in every room in their house. I protested. I fought. And most of the time I won. My room as a teen had only one working window. There were two, but the other was huge and didn't have a screen, so I never opened it. Then after I graduated HS, I moved to a room in the attic that only had ONE window. I would often come home from school or work to find an A/C until shoved in my one working window and my bedroom a frigid temp. I always shut it off, unplugged it, pulled it out, put it out in the hallway, and proceeded to put my box fan back in. We argued relentlessly about this. He was angry because my room was leaking warm, humid, awful air into the rest of the cool house. I said that my room was full of fresh real air and that he should just keep my door closed. Eventually he got tired of hauling it back into my room and window. Especially when he realised that I was younger and could literally keep this up all summer.
One of the things I have come to love about my husband is his love of hating A/C. We have been criticized for this of course. We're crazy with the heat. My dad made comments that he did want grand kids someday. (Yet somehow both of ours were convived in hot late spring weather without it.lol) Our reasoning is simple, our bodies can be trained to deal with it. Not saying that in winter we go without heat, but we do keep ours set at 62-64 all winter. Yet when the weather gets sweaty and hot, we just turn on a fan and down the liquids. The first day is always the worst. The second is better and by the third you're fine. I even turn on my oven in 94' in the shade, heat. Doesn't bother me anymore.
What does bother me is when people tell me I'm a bad parent for subjecting my children to it. I make sure they are hydrated as well. I buy electrolyte drinks and give it to them diluted. I want my children to be able to regulate their body temperature's naturally. What good are we doing our children if they are always in an environment that is the perfect temp? Then I hear about deaths and hospitalizations in the news during a rolling blackout. Yes, most of them are elderly, but some are adults who just didn't know how to hydrate themselves.
I have gone through two summer morning sickness, pregnancies this way too. Never once begging for A/C. In fact we sold the unit my dad bought us when we moved into our apartment. Brand New still in the box.
I know it seems like such a silly argument, but people are very emphatic about their A/C. To the point that they state "I can't live without it." Which really is total crap. People lived without it for decades. To have A/C was a sign you were rich. Then central air became that sign. Now it is everywhere. People have shut themselves up in their homes with recirculated indoor air blowing cold in their faces. Some people have it on so cold they need a blanket along with sweats and a long shirt. You can claim it is for comfort and in some places I understand. Yet in those places, people don't have A/C in their huts or tents. I find it funny that people who live hundreds of miles from the equator cannot handle or will not handle what it takes for their body to naturally regulate itself. Yet the people who do live close to the equator, don't need it. They wear long pants and shirts in 100' sun. Water is life. Same goes for people who live near the poles. 75' hits and they are sweating. They are conditioned to their environment, not the other way around.
I worry that down the road several generations, we may suddenly see people who cannot regulate their body temperature at all. People who must live in climate controlled buildings. Also who knows what kind of illnesses will come about from people breathing in recirculated air and not fresh air?
Most of this is speculation. But I prefer to do what my ancestors did. Drink, eat, play and live while my body does what it is designed to do.
And yet, I do not believe in Air Conditioning. I never have.
I grew up for years without it and suddenly in my teens my father decided it was time that we had a unit stuck in every window in every room in their house. I protested. I fought. And most of the time I won. My room as a teen had only one working window. There were two, but the other was huge and didn't have a screen, so I never opened it. Then after I graduated HS, I moved to a room in the attic that only had ONE window. I would often come home from school or work to find an A/C until shoved in my one working window and my bedroom a frigid temp. I always shut it off, unplugged it, pulled it out, put it out in the hallway, and proceeded to put my box fan back in. We argued relentlessly about this. He was angry because my room was leaking warm, humid, awful air into the rest of the cool house. I said that my room was full of fresh real air and that he should just keep my door closed. Eventually he got tired of hauling it back into my room and window. Especially when he realised that I was younger and could literally keep this up all summer.
One of the things I have come to love about my husband is his love of hating A/C. We have been criticized for this of course. We're crazy with the heat. My dad made comments that he did want grand kids someday. (Yet somehow both of ours were convived in hot late spring weather without it.lol) Our reasoning is simple, our bodies can be trained to deal with it. Not saying that in winter we go without heat, but we do keep ours set at 62-64 all winter. Yet when the weather gets sweaty and hot, we just turn on a fan and down the liquids. The first day is always the worst. The second is better and by the third you're fine. I even turn on my oven in 94' in the shade, heat. Doesn't bother me anymore.
What does bother me is when people tell me I'm a bad parent for subjecting my children to it. I make sure they are hydrated as well. I buy electrolyte drinks and give it to them diluted. I want my children to be able to regulate their body temperature's naturally. What good are we doing our children if they are always in an environment that is the perfect temp? Then I hear about deaths and hospitalizations in the news during a rolling blackout. Yes, most of them are elderly, but some are adults who just didn't know how to hydrate themselves.
I have gone through two summer morning sickness, pregnancies this way too. Never once begging for A/C. In fact we sold the unit my dad bought us when we moved into our apartment. Brand New still in the box.
I know it seems like such a silly argument, but people are very emphatic about their A/C. To the point that they state "I can't live without it." Which really is total crap. People lived without it for decades. To have A/C was a sign you were rich. Then central air became that sign. Now it is everywhere. People have shut themselves up in their homes with recirculated indoor air blowing cold in their faces. Some people have it on so cold they need a blanket along with sweats and a long shirt. You can claim it is for comfort and in some places I understand. Yet in those places, people don't have A/C in their huts or tents. I find it funny that people who live hundreds of miles from the equator cannot handle or will not handle what it takes for their body to naturally regulate itself. Yet the people who do live close to the equator, don't need it. They wear long pants and shirts in 100' sun. Water is life. Same goes for people who live near the poles. 75' hits and they are sweating. They are conditioned to their environment, not the other way around.
I worry that down the road several generations, we may suddenly see people who cannot regulate their body temperature at all. People who must live in climate controlled buildings. Also who knows what kind of illnesses will come about from people breathing in recirculated air and not fresh air?
Most of this is speculation. But I prefer to do what my ancestors did. Drink, eat, play and live while my body does what it is designed to do.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Exposure
Since I started working at the Co-op I have to say that apart from everyone being really nice, I am loving the exposure to new foods and products. That and most of the shoppers are very much so willing to share their recipes and cooking ideas. For example, last night a lady came through with fennel. I have only ever known fennel as a seed or in my Mothers Milk tea. So I asked her what it tasted like and how she cooked it. She told me she sliced it and braised it, added it to stir frys and salads. Now I want to try.
Another thing that people buy by the box full is Kombucha. Had no idea what it was, saw it in the coolers and thought it was just a different type of tea drink. Nope, it's a pro-biotic, raw drink that comes in a ton of flavors and health benefits. Some of them aren't very good, my first one was Bilberry (thought it said Blueberry) and it was good but not great. I grabbed some Strawberry, Cherry, Gingeraide, and Raspberry ones today. So far the Cherry-Chia is good. Has a tapioca texture because of the Chia, but worth repeating.
If anything it's just nice working somewhere where almost everyone who is there WANTS to be there. They aren't there because they just need a job, most of us are volunteers and are there because we want to be. That makes a HUGE difference in the attitude of the environment. There is more joking, talking, and smiles. I'm sure people have bad days too, but when you are surrounded by all this love, it's hard to be.
More than anything, it's just really really nice to be somewhere and in the company of people who don't stare at you cross-eyed when you say you are planning to or have nursed until your child is two, if you say you don't like AC, or how much you love Kombucha. Simple things that in my other job I have to explain or stand up for myself for. Granted there are a few people who are out there even for me, but who knows? Someday I may be that person that seems really out there, even for people who are green, wacko hippies. lol!
Another thing that people buy by the box full is Kombucha. Had no idea what it was, saw it in the coolers and thought it was just a different type of tea drink. Nope, it's a pro-biotic, raw drink that comes in a ton of flavors and health benefits. Some of them aren't very good, my first one was Bilberry (thought it said Blueberry) and it was good but not great. I grabbed some Strawberry, Cherry, Gingeraide, and Raspberry ones today. So far the Cherry-Chia is good. Has a tapioca texture because of the Chia, but worth repeating.
If anything it's just nice working somewhere where almost everyone who is there WANTS to be there. They aren't there because they just need a job, most of us are volunteers and are there because we want to be. That makes a HUGE difference in the attitude of the environment. There is more joking, talking, and smiles. I'm sure people have bad days too, but when you are surrounded by all this love, it's hard to be.
More than anything, it's just really really nice to be somewhere and in the company of people who don't stare at you cross-eyed when you say you are planning to or have nursed until your child is two, if you say you don't like AC, or how much you love Kombucha. Simple things that in my other job I have to explain or stand up for myself for. Granted there are a few people who are out there even for me, but who knows? Someday I may be that person that seems really out there, even for people who are green, wacko hippies. lol!
Overnight Oatmeal
I am a huge fan of oatmeal, always have been and summer has always put the lid on my oatmeal love. (Who wants to eat a nice warm bowl of oatmeal in 80' heat?) So for the same reason I prefer to grill all summer and not heating my kitchen up more than needed. I was thrilled out of my pants when I saw these recipes. I bought the basic ingredients for them. I am using coconut milk and coconut greek yogurt instead of regular of course, but I can't wait for tomorrow morning! Below are the recipes that I lovingly stole from another Blog. ENJOY!
I played around with some different flavor combos, and created single portion recipes that will fit in a half-pint mason jar. I've been pulling these out of my fridge and eating them for breakfast all week. LOVE the convenience of having them made ahead. They are filling and packed with nutrition, too.
ch-ch-ch-CHIA seeds. I followed Pepper Lynn's lead and included chia seeds in my refrigerator oats recipes. I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the nutritional powerhouse in these teensie little seeds, and this is a great way to sneak them into your diet. Chia seeds:
In addition to chia seeds, this refrigerator oatmeal has protein- & calcium-packed yogurt and fiber-rich oats. It's hard to find a healthier breakfast than this.
Weight Watchers Points Plus: between 4 and 9 points per jar (view individual flavored recipes for specific points)
How to make 6 flavor varieties of Refrigerator Oatmeal. I had fun experimenting with different flavor combinations and settled on six favorites. They all start with the same basic ingredients and procedure.
Step 1. Assemble these ingredients & supplies:
Step 2. Add oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds to jar, along with desired sweeteners or flavors (see options below).
Step 3. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. (I use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars--they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off; some Walmarts carry them, and they're available on Amazon, click here)
Step 4. Add fruit and stir gently until combined.
Step 5. Place in fridge overnight and up to 2 days; maybe longer depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit. The non-banana varieties have been good after 4 days for me.
During the overnight soak, the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and soften. They have a great eating texture by the next day.
Here are my six favorite flavor varieties.
Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh mango, honey, and almond extract. (If you don't know how to cut a mango, check out my previous post.)
Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon and honey.
Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, cocoa powder, and honey.
(A healthy way to eat chocolate for breakfast. Feel free to squeal with delight!)
Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, peanut butter (or PB2), and honey.
Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves or spread (I used a no-sugar added fruit spread), and vanilla extract.
Honestly, if you asked me to pick a favorite flavor, I couldn't choose just one. I've enjoyed having a variety of these jars in my fridge for an easy, yummy, nutritious breakfast each day.
These would be fun to serve on a breakfast or brunch buffet. Garnish the tops with some additional fresh fruit to help identify the flavor and make a prettier presentation.
This marriage of yogurt, oats, chia seeds and fruit is my new favorite breakfast. The hard part is choosing just one flavor per day. Which one looks good to you?
You might also like Pepper Lynn's strawberry/banana and pumpkin/peanut butter flavor combos. I'm anxious to give those a try, too.
Make it a yummy day!
Overnight, No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal
A healthy breakfast made in mason jars in six different flavors!
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This easy, no-cook "summer porridge" has make-ahead convenience and is packed with nutrition to get your day off to a healthy start. Make it in individual mason jars for a perfect serving size and an easy grab-and-go breakfast straight from the fridge (it's eaten cold). Take it along to work or anywhere. Great to serve on a breakfast or brunch buffet. High in protein, calcium & fiber; low in fat & sugar.
Apparently this kind of cold yogurt & oatmeal mixture has been around for awhile. I don't know where I've been, because I'd never heard of it until I saw a recipe by Christie at Pepper Lynn on Pinterest. We eat a lot of steel-cut oatmeal in the winter months, but it never appeals to me once the weather heats up. Learning about refrigerator oatmeal excited me, because it offers a way to enjoy oatmeal year round. Yummy reader, Kelly, called this "Summer Porridge" in a comment on my Facebook page--I'd never heard of that either. After some googling, I discovered that refrigerator oatmeal, yogurt oats, and summer porridge are all names for the same thing. Whatever you call it, this stuff is delicious!I played around with some different flavor combos, and created single portion recipes that will fit in a half-pint mason jar. I've been pulling these out of my fridge and eating them for breakfast all week. LOVE the convenience of having them made ahead. They are filling and packed with nutrition, too.
ch-ch-ch-CHIA seeds. I followed Pepper Lynn's lead and included chia seeds in my refrigerator oats recipes. I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the nutritional powerhouse in these teensie little seeds, and this is a great way to sneak them into your diet. Chia seeds:
- have more Omega 3 fatty acids than flax seed (important for heart health)
- are the richest non-marine whole food source of Omega-3 (better than salmon)
- absorb 10 times their weight in water and transform into a gel-like substance--great for athletes for maintaining hydration and helps with weight loss by making you feel full longer
- are as high in protein as quinoa
- are loaded with calcium, potassium, Vitamin B, and anti-oxidants
- help balance blood sugar via the gelling action of the seed and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber that slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars
- have a neutral taste so they will take on the other flavors in a recipe
- can be eaten whole (unlike flax seed); they don't have to be ground before adding them to food in order to digest them and benefit from their nutrients
- have a two year shelf life, stored at room temperature (flax seeds quickly become rancid and loose their nutritional value)
In addition to chia seeds, this refrigerator oatmeal has protein- & calcium-packed yogurt and fiber-rich oats. It's hard to find a healthier breakfast than this.
Weight Watchers Points Plus: between 4 and 9 points per jar (view individual flavored recipes for specific points)
How to make 6 flavor varieties of Refrigerator Oatmeal. I had fun experimenting with different flavor combinations and settled on six favorites. They all start with the same basic ingredients and procedure.
Step 1. Assemble these ingredients & supplies:
- old fashioned rolled oats (not instant, quick, or steel-cut)
- Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is thinner; if you use it, you'll need to reduce the amount of milk); read my post for easy instructions for straining regular yogurt to make Greek yogurt.
- milk (I used skim, but any kind will work)
- chia seeds; I bought mine at Whole Foods; available on Amazon, click here
- half pint (1 cup) mason jars, find them at Walmart and grocery stores; available on Amazon, click here
Specific amounts of each ingredient are listed with the recipes of each flavored refrigerator oatmeal recipe; they are further down in this post. Click on the big purple bar below each flavor and that links to the recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.
Step 2. Add oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds to jar, along with desired sweeteners or flavors (see options below).
Step 3. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. (I use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars--they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off; some Walmarts carry them, and they're available on Amazon, click here)
Step 4. Add fruit and stir gently until combined.
Step 5. Place in fridge overnight and up to 2 days; maybe longer depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit. The non-banana varieties have been good after 4 days for me.
During the overnight soak, the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and soften. They have a great eating texture by the next day.
Here are my six favorite flavor varieties.
Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh mango, honey, and almond extract. (If you don't know how to cut a mango, check out my previous post.)
Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon and honey.
Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, cocoa powder, and honey.
(A healthy way to eat chocolate for breakfast. Feel free to squeal with delight!)
Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, peanut butter (or PB2), and honey.
- What is PB2? I recently discovered this amazing powdered peanut butter. It's simply peanut butter with 85% of the fat removed. With all of the flavor and protein of regular peanut butter, PB2 is recommended as a great way to reduce calories in all of your favorite peanut butter recipes. It's available at some Whole Foods and health food stores, and on Amazon, click here.
Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves or spread (I used a no-sugar added fruit spread), and vanilla extract.
Honestly, if you asked me to pick a favorite flavor, I couldn't choose just one. I've enjoyed having a variety of these jars in my fridge for an easy, yummy, nutritious breakfast each day.
These would be fun to serve on a breakfast or brunch buffet. Garnish the tops with some additional fresh fruit to help identify the flavor and make a prettier presentation.
This marriage of yogurt, oats, chia seeds and fruit is my new favorite breakfast. The hard part is choosing just one flavor per day. Which one looks good to you?
You might also like Pepper Lynn's strawberry/banana and pumpkin/peanut butter flavor combos. I'm anxious to give those a try, too.
Make it a yummy day!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Stereotyping
With all the news on the Martin/Zimmerman trial and then TIME magazine (not so gently) blowing fire into the world of breastfeeding, I've become rudely aware of how much stereotyping there is out there.
I have lots of opinions and views on the trial, but I really don't have the energy to get into it right now and that would totally blow this entry off course.
What I will say, is that the whole thing reeks of stereotyping to me. The simple fact that Zimmerman instantly suspected Martin because of how he was dressed, makes my head swim. But then we have to think about the simple reasons as to why he even thought Martin was up to no good. There was/is a reason behind that. And it's much more complex than a simple piece of clothing. Same with the breastfeeding mom, nursing her toddler who is standing up. Mothers assaulted her verbally on the web and in other blogs around the US. Why? Because she is now a radical. Everything that attachment parenting is not, at least to most parents.
We are judged the moment we walk into a room, whether it is a waiting room at a clinic, a store at the mall, or going in for an interview. We are judged and then stereotyped before we even open our mouths. By our perfume, our clothes, our gait, our glasses, etc. This is part of the hard wiring in our brains. We assess strangers and try to judge if our fight or flight instinct needs to become activated. Are they friendly? Are they Dangerous? Are they a good worker? Are they poor? And so on. These questions rattle through our minds and after a few minutes, maybe even after hearing them speak, we have filed them into a category. First impressions are the hardest to shake and in Martin's case, sometimes deadly.
Then there is the problem on the other side of that. How do we express who we are without being filed into a certain category? In honesty, there isn't a way to do that. Everyone is different and has a different view of what dangerous, sexy, trashy, is and that is where the trouble lies.
I have a lot of appreciation for people who uphold our laws in this area. They HAVE to shut off this sense almost entirely, in order to see truth. And truth is a lot more complex than black and white. It would be easy to say that everyone who is a Gangster, wears baggy pants and hoodies with something in the pocket, is dangerous and out to rob someone. But that isn't true. The same way it's easy to say that all hippies smoke pot, live in a commune and have free sex. But that's not true either and these are stereotypes that we ALL think of when we hear the words. Not to the same degrees surely, but we each have an idea of what an extreme might be.
When it comes to the Martin/Zimmerman case, everyone is crying out racism. When really that isn't what got him killed. It was behavior and attire and fear of those two combined that formed the radical image of who this kid was before they even met.
Same with the picture of the mother nursing her toddler. She has automatically been stamped with the seal of partial insanity for nursing her child past 1. Especially in the states. Her breast exposed for the whole world to see has been seen by some as sexual and perverse. The innocent act of her nursing her son, has been branded obscene by many and has widened the gap even more so.
Stereotyping is dangerous and yet there is no real way to stop ourselves from doing it daily. We only have to be more meticulous in our actions that follow.
I have lots of opinions and views on the trial, but I really don't have the energy to get into it right now and that would totally blow this entry off course.
What I will say, is that the whole thing reeks of stereotyping to me. The simple fact that Zimmerman instantly suspected Martin because of how he was dressed, makes my head swim. But then we have to think about the simple reasons as to why he even thought Martin was up to no good. There was/is a reason behind that. And it's much more complex than a simple piece of clothing. Same with the breastfeeding mom, nursing her toddler who is standing up. Mothers assaulted her verbally on the web and in other blogs around the US. Why? Because she is now a radical. Everything that attachment parenting is not, at least to most parents.
We are judged the moment we walk into a room, whether it is a waiting room at a clinic, a store at the mall, or going in for an interview. We are judged and then stereotyped before we even open our mouths. By our perfume, our clothes, our gait, our glasses, etc. This is part of the hard wiring in our brains. We assess strangers and try to judge if our fight or flight instinct needs to become activated. Are they friendly? Are they Dangerous? Are they a good worker? Are they poor? And so on. These questions rattle through our minds and after a few minutes, maybe even after hearing them speak, we have filed them into a category. First impressions are the hardest to shake and in Martin's case, sometimes deadly.
Then there is the problem on the other side of that. How do we express who we are without being filed into a certain category? In honesty, there isn't a way to do that. Everyone is different and has a different view of what dangerous, sexy, trashy, is and that is where the trouble lies.
I have a lot of appreciation for people who uphold our laws in this area. They HAVE to shut off this sense almost entirely, in order to see truth. And truth is a lot more complex than black and white. It would be easy to say that everyone who is a Gangster, wears baggy pants and hoodies with something in the pocket, is dangerous and out to rob someone. But that isn't true. The same way it's easy to say that all hippies smoke pot, live in a commune and have free sex. But that's not true either and these are stereotypes that we ALL think of when we hear the words. Not to the same degrees surely, but we each have an idea of what an extreme might be.
When it comes to the Martin/Zimmerman case, everyone is crying out racism. When really that isn't what got him killed. It was behavior and attire and fear of those two combined that formed the radical image of who this kid was before they even met.
Same with the picture of the mother nursing her toddler. She has automatically been stamped with the seal of partial insanity for nursing her child past 1. Especially in the states. Her breast exposed for the whole world to see has been seen by some as sexual and perverse. The innocent act of her nursing her son, has been branded obscene by many and has widened the gap even more so.
Stereotyping is dangerous and yet there is no real way to stop ourselves from doing it daily. We only have to be more meticulous in our actions that follow.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A change in Diet
When you say the word diet, a lot of people think of it as in 'dieting'. I've had to correct this with some people. That your diet, is what you eat regularly. I'm also going to say here, that I am not a doctor, I am just sharing this because it has been working for me.
When I was pregnant with my son, I had a strange swelling occur in my left hand. It lasted a week and was almost unbearable. A month or so later, it happened in my left shoulder, then my left hip and so on. I had gone to see a doctor, but they didn't see a reason for it to be happening. So I just added it to my list of things that my body does that makes no sense to me or anyone else. After I had it, I had it happen in my right knee and elbow to the point that I was terrified I was going to drop him just trying to carry him to change his diaper. It ended with me calling my husband to come home before I did drop him.
Skip forward a year. My son is now 18 months old. I was in for a regular physical and remembered to mention these weird physical occurrences that come and go. My doctor sent me for some blood work and there it was. A tiny little blip, as they call it, a trace. Lupus. I had no idea what Lupus was. None. I was referred to a Rheumatologist and we sat and talked. I found out that all the things I had piled into that list of "Weird things my body does that makes no sense" was all caused by this tiny little blip. Thinning hair, sensitive skin, redness on the face, easy weight gain, swelling joints, and trouble with certain foods. They were all symptoms. Armed with this new information, I went out and did some research of my own and discovered more. Not so much about the disease, but how to treat it. Some of the options that my doctor had suggested, included me going on medication that I would have to get off of if I were to want to become pregnant. I had to be off of it for 6 months previous to me getting pregnant.
I didn't like that, not at all. I barely liked the medication I was given when the swelling happened. It caused a strange sensation. The swelling disappeared, yes, but it was like I could feel the damage happening in my joints when I moved them. I preferred to deal with the pain and swelling.
Then one day I was at a health food store and there was this HUGE book sitting open. I flipped through it and decided to buy a copy. The Prescription for Nutritional Healing turned out to be my new best friend. It went into detail about things my doctor didn't really mention about Lupus. Then it lists vitamins, herbs, foods, behaviors, etc that I should include or exclude from my daily diet. The idea that I could control this with my diet was exciting. No meds? No side effects? No having to wait 6 months before trying to get pregnant? I'm IN!
The one thing I was prepared for was the amount of will power it was going to take. I have already tried sticking to it once before and it all went downhill after I had my daughter. Now I am determined to stick to it and make it habit, so that any future pregnancies won't sway me into damaging eating.
The first thing I did was buy the vitamins that were listed as "Essential". They alone made a huge difference. The swelling and pain disappeared within a few months. Moving along to the food part, this is where the will power comes in. I cannot eat any dairy, refined sugars, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, red meats, white potatoes, citrus fruits, paprika, caffeine, and alfalfa sprouts.
You are probably wondering what the heck I'm eating. The dairy wasn't too hard to give up. I've been suffering my whole life from what I thought was lactose intolerance, so that I'm used to giving up for dairy free alternatives. The hardest one the first week was sugar. Oh man, was I a major b***h that week. Headaches, nausea, exhaustion, you name it I had it. My body was SCREAMING for sugar in any form. I am able to have honey, agave, and Stevie. But those were not quenching my fire burning for sugar. The second week, after the headaches were gone, it became the rest of the foods. If I'm making pasta, I have to say no to the red sauce and say hello to pesto. I also learned that not all pesto's are made alike. Some are evil and have cheese in them or sugars. Made that mistake the second week.
Now for the trade off. Since I've been following this diet, I've not only lost weight, I feel fantastic. I don't wake up in the morning groggy and stumbling. I am able to just wake up and be awake within a short period of time. My joints feel better and my mind feels clearer, I'm able to think better. Not as forgetful or stumbling. Granted this whole change has made eating out tricky. Almost everything out there is coated in butter. Literally. We went out for seafood and I was almost sick by the time we got home from what my dish had been soaking in. I also experience food lethargy, really for the first time. Food Coma, where you just want to go to sleep and you can't think straight.
I would never of believed this and haven't from what I've read or heard others say. Now I do.
When I was pregnant with my son, I had a strange swelling occur in my left hand. It lasted a week and was almost unbearable. A month or so later, it happened in my left shoulder, then my left hip and so on. I had gone to see a doctor, but they didn't see a reason for it to be happening. So I just added it to my list of things that my body does that makes no sense to me or anyone else. After I had it, I had it happen in my right knee and elbow to the point that I was terrified I was going to drop him just trying to carry him to change his diaper. It ended with me calling my husband to come home before I did drop him.
Skip forward a year. My son is now 18 months old. I was in for a regular physical and remembered to mention these weird physical occurrences that come and go. My doctor sent me for some blood work and there it was. A tiny little blip, as they call it, a trace. Lupus. I had no idea what Lupus was. None. I was referred to a Rheumatologist and we sat and talked. I found out that all the things I had piled into that list of "Weird things my body does that makes no sense" was all caused by this tiny little blip. Thinning hair, sensitive skin, redness on the face, easy weight gain, swelling joints, and trouble with certain foods. They were all symptoms. Armed with this new information, I went out and did some research of my own and discovered more. Not so much about the disease, but how to treat it. Some of the options that my doctor had suggested, included me going on medication that I would have to get off of if I were to want to become pregnant. I had to be off of it for 6 months previous to me getting pregnant.
I didn't like that, not at all. I barely liked the medication I was given when the swelling happened. It caused a strange sensation. The swelling disappeared, yes, but it was like I could feel the damage happening in my joints when I moved them. I preferred to deal with the pain and swelling.
Then one day I was at a health food store and there was this HUGE book sitting open. I flipped through it and decided to buy a copy. The Prescription for Nutritional Healing turned out to be my new best friend. It went into detail about things my doctor didn't really mention about Lupus. Then it lists vitamins, herbs, foods, behaviors, etc that I should include or exclude from my daily diet. The idea that I could control this with my diet was exciting. No meds? No side effects? No having to wait 6 months before trying to get pregnant? I'm IN!
The one thing I was prepared for was the amount of will power it was going to take. I have already tried sticking to it once before and it all went downhill after I had my daughter. Now I am determined to stick to it and make it habit, so that any future pregnancies won't sway me into damaging eating.
The first thing I did was buy the vitamins that were listed as "Essential". They alone made a huge difference. The swelling and pain disappeared within a few months. Moving along to the food part, this is where the will power comes in. I cannot eat any dairy, refined sugars, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, red meats, white potatoes, citrus fruits, paprika, caffeine, and alfalfa sprouts.
You are probably wondering what the heck I'm eating. The dairy wasn't too hard to give up. I've been suffering my whole life from what I thought was lactose intolerance, so that I'm used to giving up for dairy free alternatives. The hardest one the first week was sugar. Oh man, was I a major b***h that week. Headaches, nausea, exhaustion, you name it I had it. My body was SCREAMING for sugar in any form. I am able to have honey, agave, and Stevie. But those were not quenching my fire burning for sugar. The second week, after the headaches were gone, it became the rest of the foods. If I'm making pasta, I have to say no to the red sauce and say hello to pesto. I also learned that not all pesto's are made alike. Some are evil and have cheese in them or sugars. Made that mistake the second week.
Now for the trade off. Since I've been following this diet, I've not only lost weight, I feel fantastic. I don't wake up in the morning groggy and stumbling. I am able to just wake up and be awake within a short period of time. My joints feel better and my mind feels clearer, I'm able to think better. Not as forgetful or stumbling. Granted this whole change has made eating out tricky. Almost everything out there is coated in butter. Literally. We went out for seafood and I was almost sick by the time we got home from what my dish had been soaking in. I also experience food lethargy, really for the first time. Food Coma, where you just want to go to sleep and you can't think straight.
I would never of believed this and haven't from what I've read or heard others say. Now I do.
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