Food and Wellness

Several times last week I felt the undeniable urge to bang my head against the wall in frustration. Each time it had to do with the simple idea that food impacts health and wellness. Yes, food. Such common knowledge, one might think. Don't we all know that sugar makes our kids hyper, caffeine can give us the jitters, and junk food can result in a stomach ache? Didn't the film Super Size Me (and many others) teach us that what we eat will directly impact our health? Then why are we not getting it? Are lifestyle changes really too hard to tackle?

My first head-banging came when a fellow mom lamented her kids' ADHD. We were casually chatting on the phone about an upcoming school event and she had called because of my children's food allergies. "Oh, I tried to go gluten free for like a week" she told me. "And it didn't do a thing." In her next breath, she screamed off in the background to her kids "I didn't say you could have another Oreo. Put that back!" Bang, bang goes the head. Since the 1960s, the Dr. Feingold of the Feingold Association has been providing research and dietary advice showing how the consumption of food additives and artificial ingredients have been affecting learning and behavior. Just last week a new article in Time Magazine linked ADHD with the consumption of pesticides, further clarifying the link between diet and behavior.

The following day, a dad was talking to me about his son's asthma and the need for ongoing steroids to help his breathing. We chatted about triggers while his son guzzled a chocolate milk and picked on cheese cubes. Had he tried going dairy free? "No, that would be way too difficult!" Another bang. At what point has swallowing, injecting, or inhaling laboratory-concocted pharmaceuticals become decidedly "easier" and more acceptable than feeding our children differently and healthfully? Yes, there is controversy over whether or not diet can help all kids with asthma or ADHD, for that matter, but what about giving it a try? (Note: There is also research indicting that raw, unpasturized dairy actually reduces the likelihood of asthma, but that's for another discussion.)

The final draw came in a brief conversation with another parent who was exhausted by her child's hyperactivity. His medication did not kick in until after breakfast and that time frame was the most challenging. We talked about a variety of parenting tools. She and her husband chose a reward system. The reward? Candy. Bang.

As humans we are creatures of habit. We like our routines and we love our food. But diet should be a first and basic lifestyle change for anyone looking to improve wellness. Whether you are dealing with ADHD or asthma, eczema or autism, learning disabilities or cancer, diet is a fundamental place to start. I personally was raised in a traditional Italian-American family with a grandmother who cooked everything from scratch but as I grew up, convenience foods became all the rage and things like Hamburger Helper™ and Twinkies™ found their way into my diet. I have been a health food nut and a vegetarian, have gone both gluten-free and grain-free, and have eaten a traditional, paleolithic diet as well as having dabbled in juicing and raw foods. Each change brought with it some challenges and new tastes and also produced dramatic results for me and my family with regard to health and behavior. Like many forms of true healing, you cannot change for a day or even a week. Nutritional change is slow and modification takes time. No one is perfect but changing how you eat - how we all eat - is nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to wellness. How we have strayed so far from the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates', famous mantra "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" boggles the mind. Health begins with what we put in our bodies and food is the obvious first place to start.

A Little Bite of Heaven

Thanks to Theo Chocolate and the wonderful mamas of the Holistic Moms Network's National Team, my birthday yesterday included a fabulous, succulent bite of heaven - Ghost Chile Salted Caramels. This fantastic concoction combines buttery, rich caramel covered in organic, fair trade chocolate with a spicy hint of chile and topped with a dash of red sea salt. It plays on your tongue, igniting every tastebud and lingers with a sweet, salty heat that is almost indescribable. Those who know me, know that I am a huge chocolate lover and a foodie to boot. I love food and relish every savory, sweet moment. And now, I have even more reason to celebrate.

Let's start with what is great about chocolate. For starters, dark chocolate has some wonderful health benefits including cardiovascular benefits and stress reduction. According to Dr. van den Broek, consuming 40 grams of dark chocolate reduces measurable urinary excretions of cortisol thus positively impacting stress and anxiety levels among women. Nice bonus. But eating chocolate - or much of anything else - is more than a health balance equation for me. It's an experience, a moment, a meditation. Yes, a meditation!

Little did I know that my passion for food and moments of sensory bliss are part of a practice in mindfulness. "Eating meditation", like other mindfulness practices, helps us to stop and savor the present moment, reducing stress and strengthening our ability to focus. According to Richard Brady of the Mindfulness in Education Network, eating meditation is "is simply eating to be aware of and appreciate eating." Jay Michaelson writes in "Eat Your Way to Enlightment" that eating meditation "is among the simplest, and most profound, of mindfulness practices." Using the Kabbalistic map of the four worlds, he describes how you can experience a piece of food first in the body (looking with your eyes, feeling with your fingers), in the heart (what are your desires and feelings), in the mind (consider how the food was raised, grown, or made), and in the soul (the energy and divinity of the food). Incorporating these practices into every meal, or even a few bites, gives us a wider experience of the subtleties of food, an awareness and appreciation of the source of food, as well as a sincere gratitude and understanding of the importance and value of what we consume. A simple bite can transform a basic, mundane necessity in a moment of enlightenment, peace, and pleasure. And it is in those moments that we are most alive and most present.

As parents, it's easy to get caught up in the mundane of our daily routines and to keep our minds racing to the next task, the next job - trying to keep one step ahead of our children to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. But slowing down and being present, while eating or parenting in any other way, can create those timeless moments that we will long remember and treasure.

Excuse me while I grab some more chocolate and go meditate!

My Life is Not a Hallmark Card

If you listen to the media, motherhood is a giant Hallmark card filled with flowers, hugs, and sweet moments. And, in some cases, it is. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the overwhelming joy and love that I have for my children. I could never have imagined the indescribable beauty of a little one nestled in my arms whether nursing or sleeping, the uplifting power of a child's laughter, or the playful curiousity you see in the eyes of a babe. But I could also never have imagined the challenges of years of chronic sleep deprivation, the anxiety of hearing my child cry, or the uncertainty of losing myself and my identity through motherhood.

My motherhood experience has not been an easy one. But in each event, I have learned, grown, and discovered new abilities - and failings. My first child was (and is) intense. From birth on, he has presented challenges and gifts. Unwavering passion and spirit guide him. As a two year old, that meant tantrums, screaming, and aggression. He has struggled with food allergies and sensory issues, yet displays social ease and an intelligence that boarders on remarkable. We never slept (despite bed-sharing) and he nursed with a ferocity that shocked me. We woke at 4 a.m. for nearly a year, gave up naps at 18 months old, and by age three we were spending our days reciting scientific trivia about dinosaurs and pondering the mysteries of outer space. Attachment parenting saved us, but through it I lost the boundaries between self and child and my identity collapsed. Motherhood was lonely, frustrating, and exhausting. Family members exiled us for our holistic choices and pointed fingers at our lifestyle options whenever something "wrong" happened. My marriage suffered and at times, I felt like I was drowning.

By the second child, I had started to regain identity and realized that motherhood was the hardest job I would ever love (to borrow a phrase). I could never have imagined moterhood being more challenging than I had experienced with my first child. But the universe had another plan. I was blessed with a child with special needs, presenting new mountains to climb from a near-death crisis right a birth to ongoing developmental challenges that have added a while new vocabulary to my world (IEPs, OT, PT, and more). I simulateously found a new respect for allopathic medicine and an amazing distrust of it, as my child's life was saved and then misdiagnosed and mistreated with arrogance and callousness. I learned enormous patience from my children and a sense of connection and empathy that far surpassed what I had known before. I became aware - aware of the power of the choices that I made every day for the health and well-being of my family, whether it pertained to what we ate, how we lived, or what we did. Motherhood helped me learn to stand my ground in tough times and find a way through, rather than out. I stood with vomit in my hair, with strong-willed children, and through many days of preschool to ensure that separation anxiety was not part of our life. There were Hallmark moments, to be sure, but there were more painful, powerful, transformative moments as well. Moments that shook my core and took me to a new level of beingness. And moments where being connected to other moms and knowing that they were out there made it all possible.

This Mother's Day had its "Hallmark moments" and made me smile. But reflecting on the harsher side of motherhood made me truly, sincerely grateful for the experience and filled me with excitement for how much more I will learn in the future. Okay, in all honesty, a bit of dread there too for what may come, but mostly excitement. Motherhood has redefined me - for good and for ill - and has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. Motherhood isn't all sweet smiles and roses, and having other mothers confirm that sentiment is life-affirming and reassuring on many levels. Having the tenacity and passion to find your way through is what makes motherhood worth celebrating and honoring - not just for a day, but every day. Happy Mothering!

When the Means are not Justified

There are times in the life of every business or organization that you have to make conscious choices about how to achieve your desired goals and what your priorities are. Sometimes the means justify the ends, but sometimes the means are so remarkably out of line with the core mission and purpose of the organization that they eat away at the very fabric and integrity of an organization.

I cannot think of a more appalling example of this than the new campaign from the Susan G. Komen Foundation's "Buckets for the Cure" effort. Partnering with KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), the Foundation is receiving donations of 50 cents for every pink bucket of fried chicken purchased in order to further their objective of finding a cure. The Foundation states: "As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures." News of this new campaign has been eating at me (pun intended) for a week now. And then the coupons arrived in my mailbox. Just for me - their "Breast Deal." A coupon for a fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a biscuit - all for $2.59 so that I can "Join the cause." So that I can help empower myself to help find a cure by consuming products that put me at risk. Seriously?!?

How, in good conscience, this partnership arose is hard to fathom. The link between cancer and diet has been established time and time again through volumes of clinical research. Even the American Institute for Cancer Research's Expert Report entitled Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer advises against processed and salty foods. The report notes that "salt and salt-preserved foods probably increase the chance of developing stomach cancer."

High fat diets have been linked to breast cancer - and for several generations. Science Daily reported on a study from the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrating that pregnant women who ate high-fat foods had daughters and granddaughters who had higher incidence of breast cancer. Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer may be able to stall their cancer recurrence by consuming a low-fat diet, according to the American Cancer Society.

And who is going to be most inspired to help find a cure for breast cancer? Likely women. Women who may get pregnant and have children. Women who have had breast cancer. Women who want to end breast cancer - the very same women who should avoid salty, processed, high-fat foods. But instead of finding a cure, we are increasing their own risk by participating in this fundraising campaign.

My lovely "Breast Deal" coupon will buy me 130 calories from fat (3.5 grams of saturated fats) and 710 mgs of sodium just for the chicken breast. Mashed potatoes with gravy adds another 4 grams of fat (1 g saturated) and another 530 mg of sodium. Let's not forget my biscuit, with 6 grams of saturated fat and 530 additional mg of sodium. A lovely lunch for 519 calories, 10.5 grams of saturated fat, and 1,770 mgs of sodium. A sedentary female between the ages of 31-50 years old should consume less than 16 grams of saturated fat a day according to the American Heart Association and between 1,000 and 3,000 mgs of sodium per day according to Rutgers University. Let's not even discuss the lack of vital foods and nutrients promoted in this deal (not a fresh vegetable or antioxidant in sight) - these numbers already tip the scale out of balance.

Thank you, KFC, but I will not be joining you. And to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, I will definitely think before I pink!

Defining Holistic Parenting: Making Conscious Connections

Everywhere you look, things are turning green. Spring is definitely upon us, but the “greening” I am referring to is the growing interest in eco-conscious choices, natural solutions, and organic products. While these trends are significant in the marketplace, they are also apparent in a movement toward parenting and lifestyle choices that focus on promoting awareness of environmental conservation and holistic living.

Many parents today are seeking natural remedies and a holistic lifestyle for themselves and their families in an effort to attain optimal health and to live a greener life. Most of us understand the nature of eco-consciousness and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling. But at the Holistic Moms Network, we are often asked “what is holistic parenting?”

For starters, holistic parenting springs from an awareness of how our choices are interconnected. Like attachment parenting, holistic parenting seeks to build and strengthen connections – connections between parent and child, connections between our lifestyle and our health, and connections between our choices and their impact upon the Earth. It’s about understanding the relationship between mind, body, and spirit and trying to find balance. When you are out of balance emotionally, physically, or spiritually or when your environment is toxic, it is a sign of illness. Making choices that embrace these interconnections and working with nature and our innate knowledge helps us to restore balance. Holistic parenting is also about becoming informed and being cognizant of how different options affect our health and well-being, as well as their impact upon our communities and the world at large. Being conscious of our choices enables us to think on a larger scale and to do what is best for our families both in the short term and the long term.

Although holistic parenting can take many routes, there are some simple things every parent can to do to begin their holistic living journey. Here are six cornerstones that help to define holistic parenting:

• Being Informed. Being informed in our parenting and healthcare choices is a cornerstone of whole living. From childbirth options to nutrition; from education alternatives to discipline, holistic parenting seeks a natural path and understands how these choices impact our lives on physical, spiritual, and emotional levels. Holistic parents often look beyond the surface to assess the risks and benefits of their choices and to understand how each choice will alter their well-being and the environment. Modern technology has enabled parents to access an enormous wealth of information and to become aware of less conventional perspectives. Parents need to become advocates for themselves, their children, and our planet, and to be open to information that resonates with them regardless of whether or not the data confers with “mainstream” perspectives.
• Cultivating Trust. Living holistically starts with a shift in your perspective away from fear and uncertainty and toward trust in yourself, your body, and nature’s healing power. Cultivating this trust is challenging but uncovering it is ultimately a source of empowerment. From childbirth and breastfeeding to natural healing, trusting in the body and its amazing abilities enables us to recognize that nature holds many miracles. This also means trusting in the needs of our children. We all know babies have needs and wants but our society tends to minimize their levels of consciousness and awareness. Many studies have shown that newborns have a surprising awareness and consciousness of their own needs and if we trust in their ability to know what they need, we will parent more successfully.
• Tuning Into Your Mother (or Father) Wisdom. Deep within ourselves lies our inner wisdom and intuition, as well as our spiritual voice. What feels right to us may not be the most traveled path but often will best serve our families. This wisdom guides not only our parenting styles, but also simple choices we make everyday. Many times we may wonder is this really “good” for us, even if it is considered “safe” by the standards of authorities. If your wisdom is questioning, take time to become informed and seek alternatives. Parenting from the heart and trusting in our instincts honors our own wisdom and abilities.
• Going Natural. The preponderance of chemicals in our food, homes, and environment is wreaking havoc on our health. A 2004 article in The Journal of Pediatrics advised pediatricians to discuss the neurological risks of exposing babies to pesticides, whether through foods or environmental exposure on lawns, schools, and playgrounds. In the article, they noted that the blood-brain barrier in babies is easily crossed by chemicals and thus reducing exposure is essential. They also noted that “we are currently able to characterize pediatric risks for only a handful of the approximately 80,000 man-made chemicals that have entered the environment since World War II” and that children are the most vulnerable to potential toxic exposure. We need to look for safe, non-toxic products to care for our homes, and to eliminate artificial ingredients, preservatives, and pesticides from our food for the health of our families, as well as our environment.
• Living Lightly on the Earth. Living holistically means recognizing the interconnectedness of our choices. Treading lightly by supporting industries that nurture the earth (such as organic farming), incorporating green practices into your life (such as recycling), and giving back of yourself through volunteer work are essential components of natural living. As parents, we can educate our children to take simple but important steps to conserve, reuse, and to live simply and thoughtfully for themselves and future generations.
• Finding Support. While all things “green” may be increasingly popular, living a holistic lifestyle continues to be considered “alternative” and often garners criticism and questioning from our own families and friends. Creating and interacting with others who share similar philosophies is empowering and will help parents to find the tools they need to grow a healthy family. What’s more, social support itself is health creating. Recent studies show that being socially connected to others can improve your physical health and is linked to lower mortality rates. Connecting with other holistic-minded parents can help you to learn, share, and continue your journey to a more natural and balanced life.

Building connections and cultivating an awareness of how our lifestyle choices impact other aspects of our health, well-being, and environment is at the heart of holistic parenting. The strong and nurturing connections that provide the foundation for attachment parenting are thus expanded and applied to our bodies, our communities, and our Earth. Holistic parents nurture their health through whole, organic foods; cultivate the body’s ability to heal without interference; and seek choices that connect them to a sustainable environment. By strengthening these connections, parents can find balance in personal, familial, and global realms.

The Simple Things

At the Down 2 Earth Expo in Boston just the other weekend, I was awed and excited to take part in the kids' activity sponsored by Organic Valley of making our own butter. Who knew that putting a little heavy cream in a glass jar and shaking it vigorously was all you needed to do to create your own homemade butter? Certainly not I! Simple, easy, delicious - and a great activity for the kids both at the Expo and to do at home.

Although I am often short on time and may not always be the best planner, what inspires me (and many other parents) to turn to homemade products is a growing uncertainty and even distrust of our food manufacturers, their processes, and, perhaps most significantly, their ingredients. Whether you have children with food allergies/sensitivities or are simply looking for safe, natural products without chemical additives, "making your own" is the easiest way to control the ingredients and quality of the food that your family consumes. Powerful movies like Food, Inc. fuel the fire and inspire us to buy better, learn more, and make conscious choices.

The list of ingredients in our foodstuffs is nothing short of astounding. According to a Business Week article, the average American eats their weight in food additives every year. Many of these additives have been implicated in everything from cancer to ADHD. The Feingold Association of the United States, for example, has extensive links to research on the association between food additives and allergies, autism, depression, learning difficulties, seizures, and more. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has a handy online guide to help us all weed through the growing lists of additives and to assess their safety. Just getting started? MSN.com reported on 12 food additives to avoid - a good beginning point for anyone trying to eat healthier and safer. How do we protect our families? By becoming informed and taking control, says Robyn O'Brien, author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It.

It begins with awareness and, for me, leads toward simplicity. The more whole, natural, and unprocessed a food, the better. Foods with too many ingredients are off my list. No matter what nutritional path you follow, you can always eat healthier by emphasizing food products in their natural, unaltered state. In the end, simple is definitely better!

A Journey in Parenting

Spring break came to an abrupt halt this week when my almost 9 year old woke with projectile vomiting at 3 a.m. in the morning, the night before we were headed back home. Stomach bug? Food poisoning? Whatever it was, we scrambled around changing sheets, cleaning, calming, and attempting to fix what was in our control. But the morning crept up on us and we were still faced with the inevitable task of driving from Maine to New Jersey in spite of the vomit and whatever else our parenting journey was going to present.

So we scurried about, packing our things and juggling our not-so-well son and our well but not-so-happy 4 year old and ushered everyone into the truck (along with the two dogs) for our trek home. What should have taken us an hour to get across the Pisataqua Bridge instead evolved into a two-hour excursion: first a stop at the health food store to stock up on homeopathic remedies, ginger chews, and non-toxic cleaning products for the car; a second stop to overdose ourselves on the caffeine we needed to sustain two weary parents for at least six to seven hours of driving (or so we thought); and, for good measure, a stop to appease the 4 year old's complete meltdown for no discernable reason, but which was remedied by mommy hugs, songs, and a walk in the sunshine.

It is these moments when parenting gets hairy - and creative. Certainly a long car ride with a sick child is not the height of challenge in one's parenting journey. Having stood by while my son was given last rites by a hospital priest makes a ride through six states with a stomach bug and some fussies look like a walk in the park. But challenges like this can make us rise or fall. They can get under our skin, frazzle our nerves, and generate tension enough to bicker with your spouse along the way. But they can also inspire creativity and enormous patience for whatever lies ahead. I am far more apt to forget the sippy cup or mess up the lunchbox when the sun is shining and the day is full of easy routine than when the red alert has been sounded and we need all hands on deck. Loading the car for this challenge I was struck by how suddenly the place for the appropriate "barf bag" was made readily apparent; how niches for tucking away remedies and fluids revealed themselves; and how a whole host of interesting distractions and calming agents flowed through my brain. Parenting does that to you. It forces you to figure a way through rather than around. You become creative in new ways and realize that bemoaning what is only makes it worse. Instead you find ways to manage, to nurture, and to heal. We may not always do it well. We may bicker. We may forget the extra napkins or not think a change of socks may be needed. But we can find a way to journey that stretches us, challenges us, and helps us to reach higher.

And then we can look back and laugh. Remember that spring break when it took us 9 hours to get home? Yeah, we did that. And we made it!

Toxic Soup

Quick - what's the most dangerous room in your home? How many of you thought the kitchen? No doubt knives are a risk when you have little ones running around, but for most people the bathroom is where the real risks are and where we literally subject ourselves to a toxic soup each and every day.

Just consider a standard bathroom routine - brushing teeth, showering, washing hair, applying moisturizers or conditioners, putting on makeup, or using deodorant. On average, people use nearly 10 different products on their bodies each day, applying approximately 126 unique ingredients to their skin, hair, and teeth, according to the Environmental Working Group. But do we know (and understand) the risks of each of these ingredients to our health and well-being? How many of the ingredients in your personal care products are familiar to you? How many can you even pronounce?

Although there are literally thousands of ingredients used in personal products (approximately 10,500 according to EWG and only 11 percent of those have been tested for safety), even a few common ones are of great concern: for starters, parabens, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and diethanolomine. Trying to find personal care products, such as shampoo, without parabens is no small feat even with growing concern about their safety. Parabens are used as preservatives and can accumulate in the tissues of the body. Recent research has found the presence of parabens in human breast tumors leading scientists to question if a connection exists. Propylene glycol, a type of mineral oil, has been linked to dermatitis, kidney damage, and liver abnormalities although industry officials claim its use in personal care products is safe in low doses. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a surfactant used in cosmetics, appears to have a high level absorption into body tissue according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology (1983) and has a degenerative effect on cell membranes. Diethanolomine or DEA, found in soaps and detergents, has been linked to causing cancer in rats according to a 1998 National Toxicology Program report. In every case, the government and industry officials claim that small doses or exposures to these chemicals do not pose a serious health risk to humans. However, what is not considered is repeated, daily exposure - sometimes from multiple sources - over a longer time period and the impact on wellness.

What to do? Seek out truly natural products without chemical compounds or research the level of toxicity in your favorite brands. Make use of the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database to review the risks of these products and make informed choices.

MOMS ROCK!!

The Go Green Expo in New York City this past weekend was packed with fabulous exhibitors with services and products for living healthier and living greener. But HMN was especially honored to meet and get acquainted with Joy Rose, Founder of Mamapalooza. The mom of four, Joy founded Mamapalooza "to enlighten and empower all women to claim their voice" by creating a space to celebrate mothers, give them an outlet for their artistic and literary talents, and to host sustainable opportunities and events to showcase the amazing talents of moms. Their mission is a big one: "MAMAPALOOZA’s mission is to change the way modern mothers think about themselves. By giving voice to the daily struggles, joys and triumphs women face as mothers, we are providing a platform for women to discover (and re-discover) their creative selves." As moms, we have all experienced that identity shift that comes with motherhood and recognize how easy it is to lose ourselves, our passions, and our outlets in the day-to-day of motherhood. Mamapalooza helps mothers to regain their souls, find their creativity, and showcase it in powerful ways. The creative talents of moms reach far and wide, and it is time that we help reveal them!

In addition to hosting stages and events, Mamapalooza is dedicated to eco-consciousness and sustainable businesses that are mom-powered. They also celebrate the herstory of mothers with the founding of the Museum of Motherhood (M.O.M.) honoring the experiences, work, and art of moms. MamaZina, the new publication of Mamapalooza, gives voice to mothering. What fate and honor it is to have shared some space and time with an organization who is also passionate about empowering, supporting, and celebrating mamas! We look forward to connecting our mama communities and invite you to check out Mamapalooza!

Green Your Home

BPA, VOCs, and CFLs, oh my! Just the language of greening your home can make one's head spin. It can be overwhelming to learn that everything from the chemicals used to make your mattress to the toxins in your paint are having deleterious effects on the health and well-being of your family. Sometimes, we cannot digest it all and we react with fear and inaction. But we can choose to be paralyzed by uncertainty or empowered with new information. We just need the right tools and the support to help us feel confident in our choices.

Connecting parents with credible information and empowering them with knowledge and support is what the Holistic Moms Network is all about. And we are excited to become an education partner with the Sierra Club's Green Home program to help our members discover ways to live more sustainably and more healthfully! Founded in 1892 by John Muir, the Sierra Club is the oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the country. Working to protect the planet and its inhabitants, the Sierra Club works to safeguard communities. Sierra Club Green Home was designed "to help Americans make their homes more energy efficient, environmentally sustainable and healthy." Their user-friendly website is packed with fun information from the online Home Health Quiz to a video library including a lesson on Composting 101.

The Raising Healthy Kids section is packed with attainable goals for every family - from switching to eco-friendly personal care products to focusing on whole, local foods. Realizing that we can all make simple changes, one step at a time, is an approach we can all relate to. Understanding that day-to-day choices add up and make a difference is a valuable lesson for us and for our children. Beyond the basics? Then use their CO2 calculator to find out what your home's carbon dioxide footprint is or determine your savings for going solar with their Solar Savings Calculator. Fun, educational, and making a difference! A nice combination that we are happy to share with our members!

Oddball Weather

Growing up in the Northeast, March was always an exciting month when crocuses first pop through the ground and the birds are audibly chirping at the signs of spring. Yet, here we are and if the crocuses are trying to rise up, they have a good three feet of snow to get through before they'll find sunlight. And the birds aren't happy.

February was nothing short of bizarre. Heavy snowstorms dumped piles of snow across the mid-atlantic states and others saw deep freezes previously unknown in their area. What is with the oddball weather? The National Wildlife Federation knows: they say it's all thanks to global warming. Oddball Winter Weather: Global Warming's Wake-Up Call for the Northern United States was just released. According to the report, winter is becoming milder and shorter on average while at the same time we are experiencing record-breaking snowstorms. Indeed, winter seemed rather condensed into the month of February here in the Northeast - and what a month it was! Huge snowfalls closed schools, roads, and businesses, while also taking down trees and power lines - not to mention the rampant cabin fever experienced by children across the region. On a serious note, the report argues that global warming is altering temperatures, moisture availability, and storm tracks - all of which disrupt ecosystems. The lack of bone-chilling cold has been credited with an explosion of pests and invasive species normally tempered by cold. One particular concern is the explosion of ticks who carry Lyme Disease. Warmer winters mean winter tick survival is more likely and populations will rapidly expand as global warming trends continue.

Is global warming to blame? Most Americans don't think so. The number of people who are confident about global warming is declining. A recent study conducted by Yale and George Mason Universities shows that only 57 percent of respondents believe that global warming was "happening", down 14 percentage points from October 2008. American who don't believe in global warming argue that these are just normal weather patterns. The Washington Post recently reported that area residents are quickly tiring of this year's heavy snowfalls - more than double the normal average. But a quick chart of average DC snowfall from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows marked increases about every eight to ten years, with the last occurrence in the winter of 2003-04. So are this year's storms just part of a weather trend or is global warming a scientific reality?

The Stanford University's Solar Center argues that global warming is "now well documented and accepted by scientists as fact." The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), also concurs and agrees that warming trends are due to human behavior. Changing our everyday lives, individually and collectively, can make a difference. The Environmental Defense Fund suggests some actions you can take now to help reduce global warming: for example, buying the greenest vehicle you can for your budget or choosing energy efficient appliances in your home. Mother Nature isn't very predictable these days, so it seems. But with a few simple changes we can try to impact our climate and, hopefully, our weather.

Techno-Kids

Sitting at a recent school performance where my eight year old son was participating, I remarked at the amount of technology parents showed up armed with - digital video cameras, camera cell phones, digital still cameras - and we mused about being technologically-challenged. But the mom next to me was proud that her daughter (also age 8) was proficient at her cell phone, texting, iTunes, social networking, and all things high-tech. On the one hand, I felt woefully behind in keeping up with the Joneses and on the other, my brain was screaming "what does an 8 year old need a cell phone for?"

No doubt that kids today are far more technologically savvy than many of their parents. But is that always a good thing? News reports show that today's teens have taken on media as a "full time job", showing that kids age 13 to 18 spend more than 72 hours a week using electronic media. According to the report, 75 percent of teens spend at least 2 to 3 hours a day downloading or listening to music online and 68 percent of them have profiles on social networking outlets such as MySpace or Facebook. The Nielsen company assures us not to worry - teens are still engaged in "traditional" media such as watching TV and listening to the radio - in fact, television watching is up 6% in the past five years. None of this makes me feel any better as a parent, though.

Watching too much television has always been a concern of parents. We know that sedentary behavior is not good for our kids - or for us. But as a recent Time magazine report indicates, even television viewing is of great concern to children's health. Higher rates of tv-watching have correlated with higher blood pressure which, surprisingly, is not true for other inactivity such as playing video games or surfing the internet.

We have all heard reports about the radiation from cell phones being dangerous as well. According to Mercola.com, 20-60% of the radiation emitted from your cell phone is transferred to your head in use, exposing your brain to high levels of electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Even if you dispute the dangers of EMFs from your cell phone, ABC News has a whole host of reasons why your cell phone may not be good for your health - from transporting germs to causing accidents while driving or walking.

But what about social networking? Could it be unhealthy? Neuroscientists are starting to warn that social networking may actually be re-wiring children's brains to have shorter attention spans, an inability to empathize, and shaky self-identities. There is also a growing fear that we are creating a disconnect from the unpredictability and deepness of communication between human beings by promoting short snippets of chatter to fill our social time. Psychologist Aric Sigman also fears that social networking reduces our face-to-face contact with others which is essential to health and wellness. According to Dr. Sigman, more than 209 "socially-regulated" genes have been identified that are "involved in the immune system, cell proliferation, and responses to stress." These genes respond to social interaction and work to reduce inflammatory response or otherwise protect our health as a result of direct connection with real, live people.

Declining social interactions impact our health and the health of our communities, our towns, and ourselves. When we interact in person, we boost our immunity and gain value insights and lessons on human behavior. Technology has given us huge advantages and access to information but we need to balance it with personal time, an appreciation of nature, and time to connect, dream, and use our imaginations and creativity. Needless to say, my eight year old will not be getting a cell phone or a Facebook page anytime soon.

Nursing Our Future: The Video

This week we are inspired by how organically a project comes to be and how beautifully a community can come together and create a powerful statement about holistic living.

Just last week, an idea was born thanks to HMN Advisory Board member Linda Folden Palmer who forwarded along a link to a Herald Sun article about Generation-Y women being reluctant to nurse publicly. At the same time, I was chatting with HMN Celebrity Spokesperson Mayim Bialik about nursing and she shared with us a lovely photo of her nursing on the strip in Las Vegas. In a moment, an idea was conceived and a passion to show young women that nursing in public is normal came about. Within a few days, we began to receive dozens of photos from our Holistic Moms members showing them nursing their newborns, babies, toddlers, and children in high profile locations like the Eiffel Tower and Tavern of the Green to their local coffee shop or park. Another HMN member volunteered use of one of her piano compositions and HMN National Team member, Julie Wagner, put it all together in what became - in just one week's time - our Nursing Our Future video.

The response?
"Thanks so much for this gift to the world."

"Today I am in tears. It is a joy to watch HMN grow, and now you have created this video project which is so extraordinary. It has such an enormous impact. I love it. It is so moving."

"This is the MOST amazing video of breastfeeding I have ever seen!!! THANK YOU for making this and for putting the message so succinctly. I cried and feel so proud to be a Holistic Mom."

Women feel and care deeply about nursing. We want to nourish and nurture out babies until they no longer desire it. We want to nurse when our babies are hungry or need soothing, no matter where we are, who sees us, or what else is going on. We want to feel empowered and confident, and not to be given sideways glances or to be asked to cover up. We shouldn't need to - and don't have to. Nursing is normal, beautiful, and good for moms, babies, and the planet. If we can strengthen our pro-breastfeeding sentiment, we all win. It's time to let young women know the value of nursing, the power of nursing, and its importance. You can nurse in style, openly or discreetly, publicly and privately, with infants and older children, and be proud!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this exciting project. We are honored to be able to share your breastfeeding images with the world and hope we can inspire more women to do so!

Getting Back on Track: Food and Influence

No matter what your political leanings, if you are a holistic parent you have reason to applaud recent efforts by the Obama Administration to refocus our attention on real food. First came the White House garden - a remarkable project spearheaded by the First Lady and designed to remind us of the value of natural, whole foods and the joys of getting back to the land. Simple acts of donating produce to local food banks and bringing in elementary school children for a lesson on nutrition may be written off as publicity stunts by critics. But, in fact, such actions make a bold statement about the power of individual efforts and how we can each produce change. Heads of State have been inspired by the garden and its message, as have gardeners and families across the country.

Now the Obamas are taking another step - this time toward ridding our school systems of junk food. According to the New York Times, the Obama Administration is introducing legislation to remove candy, soda, and other toxic foodstuffs from our educational institutions. With childhood obesity rates increasing from 6.5% in 1980 to more than 19% of children by 2008 according to the CDC, this is an important step in the right direction. Our schools should be committed to helping children learn and highly processed, artificial foods have no place in that commitment. A nutrient-deficient diet has been linked to host of learning problems, including ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, and mood disorders. Recent studies are also finding a link between junk food diets and violence, yet another issue our schools battle to manage. And, just the other day, a new study was released indicating that soda consumption is correlated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Is this what we want to teach our children?

Not surprisingly, the American Beverage Association is opposed to the efforts but more shocking is that resistance is also coming from school administrators and parents. Schools earn money by promoting junk food within their buildings and both parents and administrators find a bit of twisted logic to explain how kids will miss out on programs and supplies if deprived of the things that rob their bodies of good health. Fortunately, some schools have already decided that the price to kids is simply not worth it and others have found healthier, greener options to raise money for school programs. One smart group of students in Florida protested an effort to sell candy and potato chips for a school trip after learning about their less than stellar nutritional profile in health class - a protest that resulted in a $16,000 donation from the widow of Robert Atkins, ensuring that their trip would be held.

As parents- and as the President - we need to set an example about the value and importance of real food for our kids and for our future. Love them or not, the Obamas are in a position of influence and thankfully they are throwing their weight behind a healthy and sustainable future.

Anger Management: Remove Plastics

Concerns over the risks of exposure to BPA (Bisphenol-A) have been escalating for some time, ranging from massive mainstream media attention to popular baby stores pulling products containing BPA from their shelves. BPA, a chemical used in plastics, managed to sneak into every aspect of our daily lives and environment in such forms as baby bottles and sippy cups, formula cans, canned food linings, water supply pipes, medical tubing, and even cash register receipts. This chemical, which enables plastics to be flexible, appears to be an insidious companion and has been linked to reproduction problems, heart disease, and diabetes as well as to developmental disorders among infants and hormone disruption. Despite years of claiming BPA is safe, the Food and Drug Administration is now looking to spend more than $30 million to research the effects of BPA in our food supply.

Now a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina adds more fuel to the fire: their findings indicate that high levels of BPA exposure in baby girls is related to aggressive behaviors. The UNC study examined infant girls born to mothers with high levels of BPA during pregnancy. By age 2, the girls born to mothers with high levels of exposure "were more likely to have aggressive and hyperactive behaviors than children of women with lower BPA levels, especially if higher exposure was seen earlier in pregnancy."

How can you avoid BPA? Switch to stainless steel bottles for drinking and stay away from plastic water bottles, avoid using plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, do not purchase canned foods (chicken soup, ravioli, and baby formula have been shown to have particularly high levels of BPA), store your food in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers and not plastic ones, skip the receipts, and cleanse your home of toxic toys. And be sure to visit Bisphenol-A Free for even more information and guides to removing plastics from your household.

The Healthy and Green Disconnect

Green, eco-conscious expos and conferences seem to be popping up everywhere in recent months. Many of these events feature innovative, interesting products and services with an eye toward sustainability and conservation. Green proponents tout "completing the cycle", encouraging us not only to reuse and recycle but to purchase recycled and reclaimed products. Yet somehow in this greening process there is a gaping disconnect between what is green and its relationship to health and wellness.

At a recent green event on the east coast, we discovered that the only food offerings for vendors and attendees were pre-packaged snack food, pizza, ice cream, and candy. A national doughnut chain sold their products including doughnuts spelling out "G-O G-R-E-E-N", complete with fluorescent green icing. Seriously. A vendor across from us marketed their organic food home delivery company and yet the two company founders were clearly obese. Smokers stood outside during the show while others wandered through with cans of soda in hand.

People simply are not getting it. Yes, it is wonderful to bring your own bags to the supermarket and reduce the amount of plastic in landfills, but if you're stocking your reusable bags with processed, artificial foods not only are you NOT living sustainably (consider for a moment the amount of energy and resources that go into the packaging of processed foods alone), but you are missing half the cycle. Healing the planet is also about healing ourselves. We don't buy organic because it's trendy or just because it's "green", but because it is healthier for us and for the planet while also supporting a community of farmers who treat the earth with respect. We need to avoid toxins in our environment and on our foodstuffs, as well as in our bodies, to build a sustainable future.

It's about developing a holistic consciousness. Knowing that even the simplest choices matter - for our health, our family's health, and for the health of the planet. Green doesn't always mean healthy. A green building isn't truly going to support sustainability or health if you then fill it with furniture off gassing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) or electronic devices emitting high levels of radiation or EMFs. By the same token, stocking your pantry with "natural" and "organic" products wrapped in plastics or disposable packing fails to recognize how environmental waste and pollution undermines human health.

As Holistic Moms, we do "get it". We are not perfect. Our journey to living more healthfully and sustainably may be a long one. But we are on the path and understand the connection. As parents we have to get it for the sake of our children and their future. We need to put the healthy back into green!

Creating a Holistic Wellness Revolution

Revolution: [n] a sudden, complete, or marked change in something; a procedure or course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point; a turning round or rotating.

When the Holistic Moms Network and Wellness Possibilities sat down to consider how we could collaborate, it became very clear to us that our synergy, our connectedness, our simple interaction represented nothing less than a Holistic Wellness Revolution. The founders of Wellness Possibilities shared with us a passion for helping others on their healing journey, for connecting people to resources for wellness, and a gratitude for doing something they believe in and support as a life purpose. Like the Holistic Moms Network, Wellness Possibilities was founded by moms. Moms who are personally, passionately involved in natural living. Moms who know the value of support and community.

Bringing together our organizations creates a revolution on many levels. It is a revolution as if the turning of a wheel, as we connect Holistic Moms members seeking natural resources with quality wellness providers who can help them on their journey to healing. And as the circle rotates, those same providers can assist their clients in finding support and community through Holistic Moms, giving them the self-confidence and empowerment to follow their healing instincts and to trust in their wellness journey.

But our collaboration is also a wellness revolution, creating a marked change in the way we see, experience, and understand health. It is a turning back to simpler, more natural ways of living and creating wellness that recognizes the body's ability to heal. A trust in the natural solutions that are available to us. And it is reclaiming our own wisdom and knowledge about healing - taking back our health in a radical transformation from a modern medical system that isolates and treats symptoms and idealizes specialists who disconnect body parts from the whole experience of living and being. It is revolutionary by starting in a place of connection and acknowledging the power of intangible things like energy, intention, and awareness. And it is revolutionary by building communities and connections, making individuals and their healers part of team that works together rather than creating an authority-subject relationship.

A Holistic Wellness Revolution is a fundamental shift in our philosophy - a radical departure from conventional thinking. We know that we cannot separate out physical health from emotional, psychological, or spiritual health. We understand that health and wellness are about connecting mind, body, and spirit and we see that parents are embracing this movement. By empowering parents through community support and wellness resources, we are helping them on their journey - building the momentum for a true paradigm shift. And we recognize that seemingly small baby steps combine to make for huge strides. Wellness is a journey that takes many paths but that starts with just one powerful step. As we step together, we begin the revolution. As Daisaku Ikeda, peace activist and Buddhist Leader once said, "A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind." Join us!

Real Organic Milk

While every day is a great day to go organic, there are times when committing to a diet free of pesticides and other toxins is especially important - motherhood. From conception and well beyond, eating an organic diet may have a powerful impact on the health and well-being of mom and baby. Six months prior to conception through pregnancy, birth, and within the first two years of life marks the period of "heightened vulnerability to developmental abnormalities" according to an Organic Center report. During this time, what we eat and what products we are exposed to can have life-long impacts for our children and for ourselves.

Conventional fruits and vegetables found in your local supermarket is sprayed with pesticides and herbicides that cannot be removed by simple washing. Pesticides found on conventional produce make their way into the womb and into the blood of newborns, according to the Environmental Working Group's study Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns. The chemicals found in the blood of infants, as well as in their mothers, are linked to cancer, birth defects, developmental delays, and immune system issues. Additionally, a 1993 study in the Journal of Applied Nutrition demonstrated that organically grown fruits and vegetables have a higher nutritive content than those that are grown with traditional farming methods. Organically grown apples, wheat, sweet corn, potatoes and pears were examined over a two-year period and were shown to be 63% higher in calcium, 73% higher in iron, 118% higher in potassium, and 60% higher in zinc than their non-organic counterparts. The organic produce was also 29% lower in mercury.

Eating a nutrient-rich and non-toxic diet during pregnancy simply makes sense. And continuing a healthy lifestyle while nursing enriches the benefits for mom and baby. A 2007 British Journal of Nutrition study revealed that mothers who consumed organic milk and meat products positively affected the quality of their breastmilk by "markedly increasing beneficial fatty acids." Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is important for immune system development in infants, as well as having anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic properties.

Early exposure to toxins, such as endocrine distruptors, may also have long-term health impacts. Scientists are now studying the "developmental origins of adult disease", taking into consideration prenatal and neonatal exposure to environmental toxins. Several researchers have pointed to early exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides as a trigger for misprogramming metabolism and appetite, potentially contributing to escalating rates of obesity and diabetes among children.

Limiting our exposure to pesticides and harmful toxins is a healthy choice at any age, but one of monumental importance for the next generation. Whether planning a family, expecting, breastfeeding, or trying to raise healthier kids, resolving to lead a more organic lifestyle is a wise choice.

Sleep Like a Man

I ventured into this motherhood journey nearly nine years ago and am certain that it has been that long since I have had a solid night of sleep. My first child was not a sleeper. Night wakings every hour and a half to two hours were the norm for more than a year, as was a 4:30 am wake up time. Any semblance of a nap ended by 18 months of age and I was one frazzled and weary mama. I knew then why sleep deprivation was used as a form of torture and began to understand the toll that little or inconsistent sleep can take on the body, particularly for mothers.

My second child is a great sleeper and even approaching the age of four, still relishes his two hour daily naps. He is happy to sleep in on the weekends with his dad who, remarkably, rarely understood my level of fatigue. As a co-sleeping family, I thought it impossible for him not to realize how many times our children woke during the night or how restless they were. We were, after all, in the same bed. Until recently, I thought something must be wrong with his hearing. But, as a recent study reveals, the only "issue" is that he is a man. According to the research, a crying baby is not even among the top ten sounds that disturb a man's sleep. Instead, male slumber is roused by car alarms, howling wind, and buzzing flies. Women, however, place the sound of a crying baby at the top of the list, with rowdiness and snoring ranking among the top ten.

Not surprisingly, at least to a parent, is the study's finding that 29 percent of adults report disturbed sleep five to seven nights a week, and 33 percent move to another room to get some shut eye. I would not be surprised if the researchers had set up hidden cameras in my home, as these behaviors are commonplace for us - still. For many of us, sleep deprivation takes a huge toll. Lack of sleep impacts not only our mood and patience, but can also make us more prone to illness, heart disease, depression, and hypertension, among others. "Lack of sleep disrupts every physiologic function in the body," said Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago, in the Washington Post. "We have nothing in our biology that allows us to adapt to this behavior."

Sleep is necessary to regenerate parts of the body, and particularly the brain. Lack of sleep can impact our language ability as well as our memory. Sleep deprivation can also impact our ability to think creatively, to problem solve, and to multitask. In other words, it actually affect our ability to parent.

"Sleep when your baby sleeps" is the usual recommendation, but this may be hard (if not impossible) for mothers who are juggling careers, other children, or a never-ending to-do list. There are some great resources out there to help you along the way, including several books by HMN Advisory Board member Elizabeth Pantley that address infant and toddler sleep issues. But what about racking up years of sleep deprivation? The good news is that you can recover. According to Rick Nauert, PhD, it may take weeks to recoup decades of lost rest but each eight hour restful night brings benefits and gains for mind and body.

Although I fantasize about sleeping like a man, I'm not holding my breath. Instead, I am counting patiently down to those teenage years when my kids want to sleep in and I can get some rest. I figure I'm going to need it - they'll be teenagers, after all!

Road Food

The holidays always mean extended car trips for us and, despite grand intentions, we never seem to have all the food or snacks we need to get us through. Plus, traveling with the kids and two dogs also means everyone needs a break and a chance to move around. Although a little compromise always seems to be in order to keep everyone happy, road food is not exactly filled with great options for holistic-minded families. Rest stops are desperately in need of some healthier options, although I have to say we have come across a few random farmers markets set up at highway rest stops much to our surprise. While we couldn't make a meal out of the offerings, we were excited to pick up organic garlic, local apples, and winter squash for our destination.

Although McDonald's feeds more than 27 million people a day, an astounding figure, even on road trips it remains out of the question for our gluten-intolerant, health-oriented family. Yes, you can make "healthier" choices at the fast food locales that you will find at the average rest stop but even these may be pretty significant compromises. Those of you who are organized or high-tech do have some options: you can map out your trip in advance and locate healthier places to eat, coordinating your route accordingly or if you have an iPhone, you can search out restaurants along the way. Unfortunately, I am neither. But, there is a resource that should not be missed by those of us lacking organization, planning, or technological savvy: Healthy Highways: The Travelers' Guide to Healthy Eating by Nikki and David Goldbeck. This handy little guide, perfect for your glove compartment, lists nearly 3,000 stops across the U.S. where you can locate vegetarian, natural, or health food eateries or stores en route to your destination. Each chapter maps out a state marking the locations of health food stores, markets, restaurants, and other places to find organic, fresh, whole foods options. Addresses, phone numbers, and directions will guide you there even without a GPS and keywords will tell you if it is an eat-in, take-out, cafe, self-service, or other type of establishment. Non-smoking and handicapped accessible notations can also serve as useful guides.

Thanks to the Goldbecks, you can eat healthier on the road and also support greener, more sustainable options. Enjoy the holidays!