Don’t Just Be the Change You Wish to See, Create the Change!

You’re probably familiar with Gandhi’s quote “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  We agree wholeheartedly!  But, this month, we challenge you to go one step beyond - don’t just BE the change, help MAKE the change in others.

Join us this month for our newest Holistic Living Challenge: Help Others Go Green!  It’s Earth Month and what better way to celebrate than by helping others live greener?

Take the challenge and share your experience for a chance to win great prizes from holistic companies that will further support you on your holistic living journey!

Here are the details:

April 2013 Challenge: Help Others Go Green

Directions:

●     Choose what you’d like to do. Here are some ideas to get your green gears going:

○     Visit Change.org and choose a petition (or create your own) and spend the month promoting it and getting as many signatures as you can.

○     Help your child’s school go green using the Center for Health and Environmental Justice’s (CHEJ) free toolkit and program. The Green Flag Schools Program for Environmental Leadership provides a framework for schools to engage in environmental advocacy and empowers students to take charge. 

○     Lead a cleanup of a river, beach, or park in honor of Earth Month.

○     Start a recycling project at work.

○     Check with your local school or community center to ask about starting a community garden.

○     Work with a local school or faith community to organize a household hazardous waste collection drive. Almost everyone has old paint, pesticides or other toxic materials stored around the house. Contact your local government’s environmental department to learn how to dispose of those items properly.

(If your kids are older, get them involved! What would they like to try?)

●     Make a plan. Write up next steps, who you could reach out to for help, etc.

●     Record your experience. Was it easier or harder than you thought? What did you learn?

●     Share your experience for a chance to win great prizes!

Tips & Tools:

●     Join the weekly #HolisticMoms Twitter Parties on Tuesdays at 10 EST/7 PST

●     Join the Facebook chat (details to come!).

●     Connect with your local Holistic Moms Network chapter to learn what other moms are trying and get tips for your challenge.

Enter for a chance to win!

Your Food Has a Story to Tell - Are You Listening?

You have probably heard that the average piece of food travels 1,500 miles from farm-to-table, but that statistic is really just the beginning of the story. Our food is not only traveling farther than ever before, it is also undergoing more manipulation and adulteration. 

Consider the following basic - and startling - facts:

 According to FarmAid, “Corporate concentration is pushing you and over 300 million eaters in America farther and farther away from the family farmers who grow our food. Despite the appearance of choice in the marketplace, food is being produced by fewer and fewer family farmers and controlled by just a handful of corporations. As of 2007, four companies owned 83.5% of beef production, while 93% of soybeans and 80% of corn grown in the United States fall under the control of just one company.”

As reported in a recent article in The Daily Beast: “Every year at least 310,000 Americans go to an early grave and many more are sickened because of largely preventable diet-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, strokes, and some cancers. The big problem with our food supply isn’t pathogens, it is processed food. We’re being killed not by E. coli, salmonella, or campylobacter, but by the nutritionally hollow contents of the bags, boxes, and fast-food clamshells that have managed to pass as nourishment in our society. Some 70 percent of the calories Americans consume now come from highly processed foods—loaded up with salt, sugar, fat, strange additives, and refined grains and bereft of naturally occurring nutrients and antioxidants.”

This shift in our food system not only makes it difficult to know where our food really comes from or what it really is, it is also compromising the quality of our food in innumerable ways and negatively impacting our environment and family farmers.

What’s the solution?  Many books have been dedicated to the topic and new rules and regulations are being proposed in cities and states across the country (and even at the federal level) on a regular basis. While we wait for systemic change, the simplest and most powerful thing any individual can do is to get to know your food - where it comes from, what’s in it, what’s been done to it, and everything else you can uncover about how it traveled from its source to your store, market, or table. The more questions you ask - and find the answers to - the more empowered you are to make the healthiest, most sustainable choices!

Your food has a story - maybe it’s good, maybe it’s bad - are you willing to stop and listen? 

Join others “trying to get to know their food” by tackling the 2013 Holistic Living Challenge. Learn all the different easy ways you can bump up the health and happiness in your home and connect with people across the country who are on the same path! Take on the monthly challenges for a chance to win great prizes. Take the challenge today!

Enter to Win Great Prizes:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get to Know Your Food!

Do you know where your food comes from or what’s in it (whether intentionally or maybe as a contaminant)?  

According to FarmAid, “corporate concentration is pushing you and over 300 million eaters in America farther and farther away from the family farmers who grow our food. Despite the appearance of choice in the marketplace, food is being produced by fewer and fewer family farmers and controlled by just a handful of corporations. As of 2007, four companies owned 83.5% of beef production, while 93% of soybeans and 80% of corn grown in the United States fall under the control of just one company.”

This growing monopolization of our food not only makes it difficult to know where our food really comes from, it’s also compromising the quality of our food in innumerable ways and negatively impacting our environment and family farmers. One of the best ways to reclaim our food and our health is by really getting to know what we’re eating and where it comes from.

Join us this month for our newest Holistic Living Challenge: Get to Know Your Food! It’s National Nutrition Month, so we encourage you to go beyond eating healthier and try to really understand what’s in your food, where it comes from, and more.

Take the challenge and share your experience for a chance to win great prizes from holistic companies that will further support you on your holistic living journey!

Here are the details:

Challenge: Get to Know Your Food. Is it from a factory farm or a family farm? Is your produce in season? How far did your food travel from farm to table? Does your food contain artificial growth hormones, antibiotics or GMOs? The more you know, the easier it is to make the best food choices for your family’s health and the health of the environment.

Directions:

• Choose what you’d like to do. Here are some ideas to get your creative gears going:
• Try the 100-Mile Diet for a day or week.
• Visit your local Farmer’s Market and talk to some of the farmers.
• Visit a local farm.
• Grab a food from your pantry and investigate where it was made (and where all the individual ingredients come from).
• Do a full kitchen audit to identify where GMOs might be lurking or how many synthetic additives are present or ?
• Go GMO-free for a week or the whole month.

(If your kids are older, get them involved! What would they like to try?)

• Take it one day at a time (and celebrate every success).
• Record your experience. Was it easier or harder than you thought? What did you learn? Will it change how you eat moving forward?
• Share your experience for a chance to win great prizes!

Tips & Tools:

• Join the weekly #HolisticMoms Twitter Parties on Tuesdays at 10est/7pst
• Join the Facebook chat (details to come!)

• Connect with your local Holistic Moms Network chapter to learn what other moms are trying and get tips for your challenge.
• Invite friends over and watch something like Food Inc, Forks Over Knives, or even go see the new film from the creators of Food Inc. A Place at the Table!
• Follow recommendations from FarmAid.org to get connected to your food and local farmers.

Enter for a chance to win fabulous prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Exciting Prize Details:

• Prize bundle #1: Applegate -  T-shirt (please request shirt size), Food Rule Book, Chico Bag, Free Coupon, Buttons, Stickers (estimated value $70)
• Prize bundle #2: Frontier Co-op - Frontier Bulk (organic Calendula & non-alkalized Cocoa Powder), Frontier bottled Salt Free (SF) blends (SF Lemon Pepper Org, SF Garlic & Herb Org, SF All-Purpose Org, SF Onion & Herb Org), and Simply Organic (Greek dip mixes, Cinnamon and garlic powder mini spices, Black pepper in our new tin) (estimated value $120)
• Prize bundle #3: Organic Valley - Healthy Eating Kit (Tote bag, educational literature and 4 of free product coupons) (estimated value $50)
• Prize bundle #4: Yummy Spoonfuls - case of fresh organic baby food variety pack (estimated value $45)
• Prize bundle #5: Fyrefly Organic Teas - 50 gram bag of Organic Uplifting Tea and a Holistic Moms Cookbook (estimated value $30)
• Prize bundle #6: Holistic Moms Network - One annual membership (for you to use or gift!) (estimated value $45)

Learn DIY Home Remedies on 2/25 with Dr. Aviva Romm!

Are winter bugs making the rounds at your house?  Simply interested in learning more about taking control of your health using DIY remedies?  Join us on Facebook on Monday, February 25th for a chat with renowned herbalist, physician, midwife, and author Dr. Aviva Romm!  We’ll be discussing recipes and remedies you can make at home for:

• Women’s general health;
• Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum; and,
• Infant and child health.

We’ll be sharing tips and experience as a community all day and Dr. Romm will join us live from 7-8pm EST.

Visit the Holistic Moms Network Facebook wall on Monday the 25th to learn, share, and connect!

(Note: This is part of our 2013 Holistic Living Challenge. Join us on the journey to living healthier, happier, and more in tune with nature!)

About Dr. Aviva Romm

Dr. Aviva Romm is a Yale-trained physician specializing in integrative medicine for women and children, a midwife, an herbalist, an award-winning author, and the creator/owner of WomanWise, on-line courses dedicated to vitality and optimal health for women and children. She is a mother, a teacher and speaker, an artist, and a woman who lives from the heart. She has spent nearly 30 years as a health care practitioner and advocate for women and children.

Dr. Romm is an internationally respected expert in botanical and integrative medicine for women and children and one of the founders of the Yale School of Medicine Integrative Medicine Program. Aviva is on fire about creating a better world for all of us, and she does this as a compassionate integrative physician with a social and environmental conscience.

The recent past President of the American Herbalists Guild, a founder of the Yale Integrative Medicine program, and the author of 7 books on natural medicine for women and children including Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health, The Natural Pregnancy Book, Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, Natural Health After Birth,Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide, ADHD Alternatives (with her husband Tracy Romm Ed.D.), and The Pocket Guide to Midwifery Care, Aviva has been a pioneer in natural birth and botanical medicine for gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics in the United States and her books are read around the world.

Practicing what she calls “transformational medicine,” she is a leader in the health care revolution to transform the current medical system that over-medicalizes life, from birth to death, into a model that respects the intrinsic healing capacities of the body and nature.

7 Super Easy DIY Cleaner Recipes

At HMN, we're diving into this month's Holistic Living Challenge with gusto!  Here's a great way to take on our challenge to learn something new to live more naturally: make your own non-toxic cleaners!  If you haven’t tried making your own cleaners yet, there’s no time like the present to get started. They’re safer, cheaper, more eco-friendly, and really much easier than you might think.

Here are 7 DIY cleaner recipes to try today!

Tub and Tile Cleaner from Apartment Therapy: In a jar or spray bottle, combine 1 2/3 cup baking soda with 1/2 cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Shake before using. Apply with a cloth or sponge and rinse well.

Hardwood Floor Cleaner from The Daily Green: Whip up a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 30 ounces of warm water. Put in a recycled spray bottle, then spray on a cotton rag or towel until lightly damp. Then mop your floors, scrubbing away any grime.

All-purpose Cleaning Spray from Frugal Living on About.com: Create your own all-purpose cleaner by filling a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water. Then, shake up the mixture, and you're ready for your next cleaning spree.

Disinfectant from The Daily Green: Instead of bleach, make your own disinfectant by mixing 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. It's easy!

Oven Cleaner from Mother Nature Network: If your pie boils over in the hot oven, cover the spill with salt immediately. It will dry to a crusty and easy-to-remove powder when the oven cools down.

Toilet Cleaner/Deodorizer from Better Homes and Gardens: Sprinkle toilet bowl with 1/4 cup baking soda. Drizzle with 1/4 cup vinegar, then scour with a toilet brush.

Glass Cleaner Recipe from HGTV: Try this recipe to harness the cleaning power of rubbing alcohol. Mix in a spray bottle: 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Spray and clean!

If you want to go the extra mile, teach others to make their own cleaners by hosting a Green Cleaning Party created by Women’s Voices for the Earth!

What are your favorite green cleaning recipes?  Share them in the comments!

Try the 2013 Holistic Living Challenge to learn all the different easy ways you can bump up the health and happiness in your home and connect with moms across the country who are on the same path!  Take on our monthly challenges for a chance to win great prizes. Learn more today!

Learning to Live More Naturally: Simple Steps

Becoming a Holistic Mom (or Dad), doesn't happen overnight.  Most of us do not de-tox our entire lives in one fell swoop.  Rather, it's small, everyday changes that we make that add up to big lifestyle transformations.  In hindsight, the changes are huge but each time we learn something new and incorporate it into our more natural, healthful lifestyle, it's one little step in the larger picture.

For this month's Holistic Living Challenge we challenge you to learn something new to live more naturally!  No matter where you are on your holistic living journey, there are opportunities to incorporate a new practice into your lifestyle whether it's learning how to make non-toxic cleaners at home, planting an organic garden, or starting a compost pile.  So for February we encourage you to make a conscious effort to tackle something new and share your experience for a chance to win great prizes from holistic companies that will further support you on your journey!

Here are the details:

Challenge:  Learn something new to live more naturally.  Mix-up your own non-toxic cleaner.  Try cloth diapering.  Make a DIY home remedy.  Try to avoid plastic for the month.  Grow a windowsill herb garden. The choices are endless and totally up to you.  You can tackle something big or ease into something small. Learn one thing a day, one thing a week, or one thing for the month.  Cater the challenge to your life - just make sure you try to choose something really new to you to benefit most from the challenge.

How to Get Started:

• Make a plan. What would you like to try?  Will you try multiple things?  Map it out and set some goals for yourself. (If your kids are older, get them involved! What would they like to try?)
• Research your idea to see if you need any special supplies and stock up on whatever you’ll need for the month.
• Take it one day at a time (and celebrate every success).
• Record your experience.  Was it easier or harder than you thought?  Were you pleased with the outcome? Share your experience for a chance to win great prizes!

Tips & Tools:

• Join the weekly #HolisticMoms Twitter Parties on Tuesdays at 10 EST/7 PST to learn more and get inspired! 
• Join our Facebook chat (details to come!)
• Connect with your local Holistic Moms Network chapter to learn what other moms are trying and get tips for your challenge.
• Read about little changes that matter on the HMN blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to our January Prize Winners:  Michele B. (Mountain Valley Spring Water), Anne J. (Fyrefly Organic Herbal Teas), Brittany L. (Holistic Moms Many Paths Cookbook), and Sherry S. (Holistic Moms Membership)!

Detox Facebook Chat! Join Us!

Join the Facebook Detox Chat on Wednesday, January 23rd!

This year we kicked off our 2013 Holistic Living Challenge. For the month of January we are encouraging our community to try an easy detox to help reboot our bodies for the new year.  It’s the first step in our 2013 Holistic Living Challenge and if you’re interested in trying it - or already are - join us on Wednesday, January 23rd to chat about your goals, tips, and experiences or get some inspiration and support to get started!

Our guest expert will be Alexandra Jamieson, Certified Holistic Health Counselor, creator of Delicious Vitality, and author of The Great American Detox Diet.  Her approach to holistic health undid the damage Morgan Spurlock’s 30-Day McDonald’s binge did to his body in the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me, and she has appeared on Oprah, CNN, and MSNBC to share her insights.

 Here’s how our Facebook Chat will work: We’ll be posting a series of questions on our wall throughout the day and into the evening. You can visit our Facebook page all day long to ask your questions, read other people’s tips, and join the conversation with our guest expert!  One randomly selected participant will win a free, 5-week session of Alex’s Rapid Refresh & Reboot Program (valued at $375!) which includes:

• 5 weekly coaching sessions 
• 5 weekly action plans Recipes and menu plans 
• Access to the private Reboot Facebook group 
• Audio recordings and written transcripts of each call 
• Daily inspirational emails 
• 2 Bonuses: Access to Alex's Week in a Weekend program 1-on-1 coaching call with Alex 

This AMAZING program starts February 26th and you will have a chance to win a spot!  It’s easy, it’s inspiring, and it’s fun! Plus, it might just get you started on a healthy journey for 2013!  We'll post a link to enter on this page the day of the chat!

Join us!

For more information about Alex's new Reboot Program, click here!

Holistic Living Challenge: 10 Tips to Detox Your Diet & Reboot Your Body

Raise your hand if you fell prey to a little over-indulgence this holiday season (I’m raising two!).  No matter how much you did or didn’t over do it, starting off the year with a quick detox is a great way to reboot your body and reset your system.  It can even help you find any underlying diet triggers for chronic health conditions (if you do a full-blown “elimination diet”).  In fact, a food elimination diet may help to treat things like chronic fatigue syndrome, psoriasis, arthritis, asthma, eczema, IBS, chronic migraines, GERD, anxiety, constipation/diarrhea, sinus problems, and infertility.

As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”  So let's start there.  Rather than a full-blown set of resolutions, we're going to work on detoxing ourselves on whatever we are ready to remove.  Even if you’re not ready to do a full elimination diet, you can easily promote your family’s health and wellness by taking simple steps to detox your diet.  Here are 10 to get you started:

1. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”  This little gem of advice is probably one of the most popular to come from Michael Pollan’s Food Rules (which is an excellent book filled with 63 other helpful tips for detoxing your diet).

2. Eat whole foods. Processed, convenience foods (even those marketed as natural and organic) are stripped of essential nutrients and loaded with other questionable ingredients.

3. Eat organic. Conventionally grown and raised foods can be contaminated with all kinds of pesticide residues, synthetic hormones, and more. Reduce your consumption of these toxic offenders by opting for organic when you can (especially what you eat the most of).

4. Eat less meat and dairy (especially if you're not eating organic).  Residues of persistent chemicals (which means your body doesn’t metabolize or excrete them) such as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, and many pesticides concentrate in animal fat (and then, your fat).

5. Avoid added sugars. The average American consumes around 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar every day. According to guidelines from the American Heart Association, the recommended sugar intake is far lower - for adult women it’s 5 teaspoons (20 grams) of sugar per day, for adult men, it’s 9 teaspoons (36 grams) daily, and for children, it's 3 teaspoons (12 grams) a day.

6. Ease up on sauces and condiments. They may be tasty, but these extra additions are also where a lot of the aforementioned sugars, as well as salt, fat, and artificial additives are hiding in your diet. Fresh herbs and spices or a little lemon juice are healthy alternatives for adding extra flavor to any dish (and many have detoxifying effects, too!)

7. Choose foods that help detox your system.  There are quite a few foods that help your body to detox, naturally.  Dr. John Dempster recommends things like flaxseed, lemon, garlic, artichokes, and apples.

8. Avoid acrylamide.  Acrylamide is a toxic chemical that ends up in certain foods as a by-product of cooking.  According to Dr. Alan Greene, “[c]ertain natural sugars and certain natural protein building blocks become fused together to form acrylamide when temperatures top 250°F (typical toasters top 300°F).” Here are the top foods to be aware of (and great ones to take on as part of your detox!): french fries and potato chips, crackers, toasted breakfast cereals, cookies, and bread.  Dr. Greene says “[a]ll other things being equal, frying produces the most acrylamide.  Roasting is better.  Baking better still.  And...steaming or boiling can produce none at all.

9. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol.  Both are dehydrating and tend to be paired with other things such as dairy, sugar, or juices.

10. Stay well hydrated by drinking lots of clean, pure water.  If your kids aren’t fans of a good old-fashioned glass of water, add a wedge of lemon or orange or even a muddled berry to give the drink a hint of flavor.

Here’s to a healthier New Year!  Join us this year as we kick off our year-long Holistic Living Challenge - a new action you can take each month to live healthier and greener, with special events, prizes, and more!

Share this challenge and your experiences using the widget below for a chance to win!  What did you learn?  Your story can help inspire others to live healthier! Please share your tips and trials.

Want to be healthier and happier? Try the 2013 Holistic Living Challenge to learn all the different easy ways you can bump up the health and happiness in your home and connect with moms across the country who are on the same path!  Take on our monthly challenges for a chance to win great prizes. Learn more today!

There is No Turning Back

First came Sandy.  Then Newtown, CT.  In the span of a few short weeks, fear and grief became the predominant sentiments governing our everyday lives.  Unimaginable natural and then man-made violence shook our world to its core.  There is no more denial.  Climate change is here.  Gun violence is out of control.  How did we get here?

Like waking into a very deep and dark nightmare, it seems many of us are opening our eyes to things we have long ignored.  Living a wasteful, toxic lifestyle suddenly came back with the force of a storm we could never have imagined.  Years of increasingly lax gun control legislation and rising rates of mental illness and pharmaceutical treatments brought us to a cliff we had never imagine looking down.  And, in an instant, we fell.

There is no going back.  There is no silver lining.  There is destruction and fear.  We are terrified with each and every passing day.  Malls, movie theaters, restaurants, and schools are no longer safe.  Our homes, our lives, our property can no longer be protected from the dangers around us.  And we - each and every one of us - bear responsibility.

We can draw into ourselves.  Focus on appreciation and gratitude for what we have and for what has not touched us personally.  Or we can realize that we are one and that what has already happened has changed our lives forever.  We can stand up and take action.  We need involvement and we need community.  We need to personally take action.  We need to contact our government officials and take a stand.  We need to actively engage in our local communities.  We need to get involved in protecting our future.  We NEED to change our lifestyles, to make sacrifices, to give of ourselves.  Simply sharing a post on Facebook or Tweeting something into the universe will not change it.  Only real, live action will.

Will these tragedies move you to live differently?  Will you engage or retract?  Will you drive deeper into a disconnected or virtual world or will you engage?  The more we busy ourselves with distractions, the bigger our problems grow.  We are all responsible.  And we all need to act.  Together.

Why Kids Should Eat Organic: The Science

"Organics No Better."   "Save Your Cash: Organic Food is Not Healthier."

You've seen the headlines. You've heard the stories.  The media is notorious for asserting that the claims about organics are not valid because they are not backed up by science.  So it's time to listen up: a study by University of California, Davis scientists being published in the journal Environmental Health is here to tell you differently.  Let's cut to the chase:

"Based on the dietary data we collected for different age groups, potential exposure to environmental toxins through the food consumption route is a real and significant concern particularly for children in their preschool and primary years, with a high proportion of this age group estimated to exceed benchmark levels for a number of contaminants with known effect on health."

Let's sit down and read that again.  "Real and significant concern" and "exceed benchmark levels for a number of contaminants" should jump out at you.  So, let us look at the study:  Researchers examined exposure to multiple food contaminants among groups of children ages 2-4 and 5-7 years old and older adults.  They looked at 11 toxic compounds: acrylamide, arsenic, lead, mercury, chlorpyrifos, permethrin, endosulfan, dieldrin, chlordane, DDE, and dioxin.  The toxic compounds were assessed for cancer benchmark levels to determine exposure levels among children.  And here's where things get scary:  "cancer benchmark levels were exceeded by all children (100%) for arsenic, dieldrin, DDE, and dioxins.  Non-benchmarks were exceeded by >95% of preschool-age children for acrylamide and by 10% of preschool-age children for mercury."  

How on earth are our children becoming so toxic?  Study researchers argue that "food may be the primary route of exposure to contaminants from multiple chemical classes such as metals (mercury, lead, arsenic), persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (dioxin, DDT, dieldrin, chlordane), and pesticides (chlorpyrifos, permethrin, endosulfan)."  Our chemical-laden food supply means that there is no mysterious agent poisoning our children, it is on their plates, in their lunchboxes, at OUR dinner tables.  And the exposure to these environmental toxins have been linked to "cancer, asthma, lead poisoning, neurobehavioral disorders, learning and developmental disabilities, and birth defects."

What foods are the greatest offenders?  The study cites conventionally produced "tomatoes, peaches, apples, peppers, grapes, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, dairy, pears, green beans, and celery."  The study's researchers also recommend "consuming organically produced dairy and selected fruits and vegetables to reduce pesticide intake, consuming less animal foods (meat, dairy, and fish) to reduce intake of persistent organic pollutants and metals, and consuming lower quantities of chips, cereals, crackers, and other processed carbohydrate foods to reduce acrylamide intake."

Those are some strong words and some sage advice from scientists, including a professor of Public Health and a professor of Epidemiology.  No science to support why our kids should eat organic?  The next time you hear that, be sure to ask the messenger to check their sources.

The Climate Crisis Happening Inside Our Bodies

The devastation of recent storms and global warming have finally resonated with many Americans that the planet is in bad shape.  Our over-consumption and lack of concern for pollutants and chemicals in the environment are starting to set off some red flags for large sectors of our population.

But an equally dangerous climate change of sorts is happening within our own bodies.  The chemicals in our environment from not only our air and water, but from our food, our cleaning products, our personal care items, our furniture, our homes, and everything around us, is polluting our bodies with dire consequences for the future.  From GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in our food to plastics and toxins in our homes, we are creating an internal environment that endangers not only us, but future generations.

A recent study published by Brown University researchers found that "more than half of women of childbearing age had median or higher levels of at least two of three pollutants that could harm [fetal] brain development."  Known pollutants such as mercury, lead, and PCBs are finding their way into our blood streams through our food and our households.  For women of childbearing years, the accumulation of toxins grows with age and the exposure for our children in the womb is on the rise.  "We carry a history of our environmental exposures throughout our lives," warns the study's lead author Dr. Marcella Thompson.

But at what critical point do we start to heed these warnings?  Hurricane Sandy wrought mass destruction here on the East Coast and opened many eyes to the overwhelming power of nature and the dangers of global warming.  We should already be noting, with alarm, the growing rates of autism, allergies, learning disorders, and chronic health issues among our children.  The statistics are alarming, but we continue to muddle through.  Those on the front lines, many of us moms, are the ones who are starting to stand up and fight to protect our children and to heal our future.  I continue to believe that it is moms who will make the real difference in our toxic world, I can only hope that our actions will hold the urgency that they truly require.

Stress Hangover?

You feel tired, achy, and burned out.  Your head pounds.  It feels like you had a few too many drinks.  But that's not it.  Perhaps you had a few too many night wakings with the kids.  Financial or personal stress.  Health struggles.  Or even a natural disaster.

This week, I have a stress hangover.  And, as a parent, I bet you know exactly what I'm talking about.  It's easy to get overwhelmed with stress when you have kids to juggle, a lack of sleep, and very little balance in your life.  Add to that a few other challenges and BAM! it hits you.

October was a busy month for Holistic Moms, with our Natural Living Conference, Holistic Living Month, HMNRaising Auction and so much more.  On the heels of all of the busy-ness, Frankenstorm Sandy decided to pay us a visit.  The storm tore down trees and power lines, took lives and homes, and devastated the Northeast.  We had no power, heat, internet, or phone for nine days and a fire in our home in the middle of it all.  But we got off easy.  Still, waiting on hours-long gas lines, searching supermarkets for food, and generally trying to stay warm maxed us all out.  And then the blizzard hit, dropping more than six inches of snow on top of it all.  And then the kids got sick with hacking coughs and colds.  And then, for a little added bonus, one of our dogs had a Lyme disease relapse, complete with paralysis and tremors.  Let's not even talk about work and our offices being closed for more than a week, please.

You know when people say that stress is bad for you?  They're not kidding!  I don't even need a night of partying and drinking to feel this bad.  So how to we find our way through when the stress starts to pile higher than we had ever imagined?  For me, it starts with being present.  Present in the moment that is.  I have spent many nights of late lying in bed awake, my mind racing with the stress of all that has happened and how to make it through.  But bringing my mind to the present, to the moment, and to all that we have to be grateful for here and now immediately creates a sense of calm.  Being present and in gratitude helps me to breathe and be still.  And that is the first step in restoring balance amid the chaos.

Stressful times call for nurturing.  Your desire to curl up in bed, drink a hot cup of tea, or create a quiet space, are natural instincts for coping.  Honor them.  Find a way to rest and sleep.  Nurture your body through with warming, healing foods.  Drink tea and soup, as they are easy on your digestive system.  Find solace in (healthy) comfort food without guilt.  Boost your immune system, as stress takes its toll.  Take time to give your body the support it needs.  A few of my personal favorites include probiotics, fish oils, and Vitamin D.  Seek out healing therapies such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage.  And find quiet moments.  Try to create still in your family to regain balance.  Curl up with your kids and connect.  When we ground ourselves and our families, we can pull through the challenges.

Don't dismiss those feelings of overwhelm or your own stress hangover.  Embrace the sign to slow down and  nurture yourself.  The holiday season is almost upon us.  If you stay present and nurture yourself, you might avoid the stress hangover altogether.  As for your standard hangovers, try bananas and lots of fluids.

Have a stress hangover cure?  Please share!

Sandy's Silver Living

Here in New Jersey Hurricane Sandy has been shockingly devastating.  Despite the harsh warnings of an impending "Frankenstorm", it's safe to say that few of us were really prepared for this.  From Manhattan to the Jersey Shore, neighborhoods have been torn apart.  Decimated.  Leveled.

Even miles from the shore, fallen trees and downed power lines have left millions of area residents without heat or electricity.  Gas is in short supply.  Looting is rampant.  Price gouging imminent.  It's hard to know who is safe, which way is up, where you can get help.

But Sandy has brought everyone out of their homes.  With no power and no internet, with roads unsafe to drive and gas in short supply, our neighbors are out and about.  They are walking down the street, viewing the damage and stopping by to say hello.  Neighbors are chatting and sharing their stories.  Towns are gathering together in warming and charging stations in local libraries and fire stations.  People are lending a hand to help a neighbor, volunteering to boost relief and recovery efforts, and reaching out in ways that seemed all but lost.  We share food and warmth, conversation and connection.

Sandy has helped us to rediscover community.

Whether standing on a coffee line one hundred people deep or charging our cell phones at a local station, people are connecting face-to-face.  We are being reminded that there is great power in our in real life community.  When social media goes down, our attention turns to the true source of community - real life.  We share together in our struggles and ask for help from one another.  And we realize that there is still power right on our streets.  Not electric power.  Not online networks.  But the power of people to do good, to help out, and to make us feel connected amid the chaos.  Power to move branches, put out fires, bring a hot meal, or hold a warm hand.

It's not the photos of the damage that move us, it is the images of humanity coming together.  It's seeing the rescue workers bringing people to safety.  It's watching the volunteers bring food and warmth to people in need.  It's what we do in communities across America.  And it can't be replaced by a Facebook post or a Tweet.

The New Face of Bullying

As parents, many of us are well aware of bullying.  Bullying in our schools, on our sports teams, and online.  As adults, we are even familiar with workplace bullying.  Employers bully employees, employees bully each other.  

What is bullying?  "Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior. It can take the form of physical or verbal harassment."  Bullying is "unwanted, aggressive behavior . . [that] is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time."  "Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose."

One of the things that continues to shock and surprise us here at the Holistic Moms Network is the ongoing efforts to bully our 501(c)(3) non-profit community.  Yes, you heard me right.  Individuals, groups, activists, and others who want everyone else to share their soap box, to take their stand, to agree with their views, use whatever means that they can to intimidate even non-profit organizations into complying with their demands.  They flood social media, they hijack Facebook pages, they bombard Twitter accounts, and they insult, accuse, argue, and forcefully project their ideas, regardless of whether or not you agree until or unless you become their victim.


The Holistic Moms Network is build on a foundation of diversity and tolerance.  As an organization, we are not here to blame you, attack you, or make you feel guilty for the choices that you have made in your life's journey.  We provide a supportive community for parents to share and connect.  A place where you can learn and become aware, so that you can make informed choices.  Whatever your choice, it should be an educated one and one that works for your family.  Your family is not my family.  Your knowledge, resources, and personal values are not mine.  We hope for and advocate for choices that support natural health - health for individuals, for society, and for the planet.  But we are not going to bully anyone into taking a particular stand, nor do we appreciate those who insist on bullying our members and our community.

You may not like our community or our members for this reason.  You may dislike our meat-eaters if you are vegan, or our vegans if you are Paleo.  You might criticize how we birth, how we feed our families, or what type of healing modalities that we use, or don't use.  But at the Holistic Moms Network, we like to teach respect.  We believe that respect is a value that every generation needs to learn.  Are there many great causes out there to be taken up?  Of course.  Are there many single-issue groups that share your passion, whatever that may be.  But they are not Holistic Moms.  Those issues may or may not be part of holistic living and they are not, in and of themselves, our mission.  We are about creating support and community for parents who share an interest in holistic living.  And in supporting such a diverse and widespread community, we negotiate the very challenging road of tolerance - a place where bullying cannot survive.

Most importantly, the tactics of bullying do not create positive change.  They do not open people up to awareness-raising.  They shut people down.  They create fear and intimidation.  They put people on the defensive and generate feelings of negativity.  Even if your cause is noble, bullying will not further your mission.  It is compassion and understanding that create change.  As Buddha said "Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity." 

Nurturing Holistic Living: Simple Steps

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu

Living a green and natural lifestyle is something many of us aspire to.  But when we look around and feel a sense of overwhelm about the many areas of our lives where change would be required to reach our goal, we freeze.  We give up.  We shrug it off.

Change is hard.  Resistance to change is normal.  Change threatens our routines and our everyday lives.  Change demands more thought and energy.  Changes requires that we be present and attentive to what we doing, saying, and thinking.  It pulls us out of autopilot and puts us back in control.  And for many of us, autopilot is just easier.  Even if we're heading for a crash landing.  Ironically, it is when we're about to crash and burn that we will try to embrace change.  But there is always the danger of waiting just a little too long.

Why is it that we fear change, fear control?  Perhaps because it involves responsibility.  We know that if we are going to make a change, we need to take responsibility for our actions and own them.  We need to understand the implications of our lifestyle - whether in terms of diet, fitness, wellness, or sustainability - and claim ownership for any mess that we have created.  It's easier to keep puttering along and turn a blind eye than it is to confront something and make a difference.

But as Lao-tzu once said, the journey does indeed begin with a single step.  We can own up to doing better, a little bit at a time.  We can change one simple thing and therein take control of something about ourselves or our lifestyle that isn't working for us.  We can own it, control it, and live it.  One step at a time.

This month, we celebrate changes toward natural and holistic living all month long.  October is Holistic Living Month here at the Holistic Moms Network - an chance to take one step or many toward achieving our lifestyle goals.  Don't let the fear of change paralyze you into inactivity.  Come join Holistic Living Month on Facebook or Twitter and discover some simple actions that you can take each and every day to help live a more natural, more sustainable life.  You might just find yourself journeying along with us!

Why Prop 37 Matters

http://geneticroulettemovie.com/

Each and every day the average American is consuming a considerable number of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Estimates show that 70 to 75% of all processed foods in your local supermarket contain genetically modified ingredients. From soda and chips, to infant formula and baby food, these GMOs are entering our bodies with little understanding of the impact they are having on our health and wellness, in the short- or long-term.  "Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (94%), cotton (90%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), corn (88%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (over 24,000 acres)," according to the Institute for Responsible Technology.  These genetically modified foods have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, organ and tissue damage in animals, cancer, and infertility.  More than 40 countries around the world ban or at least label products that contain genetically modified organisms.

However, GMO products are widely available in the United States.  The presence of GMO ingredients is largely hidden from the American public.  Are we simply denying the possible threat or is there a larger force behind this lack of transparency?  Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and creator of the new documentary Genetic Roulette, states that "the overwhelming consensus among the FDA’s own scientists were that genetically modified foods were inherently dangerous and could create allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems and of course they should be labeled because they are a food additive."  But corporate influence is at play here.  Biotech companies stand to lose millions of dollars if GMO ingredients are required to be labeled or if the public refuses to purchase GMO food products.  

Proposition 37 in California is the Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, a November ballot initiative that would require the labeling of GMO products.  If Prop 37 passes, California would be the first state in the country to require GMO labeling and industry giants fear that the rest of the country will follow.  Who is this corporate opposition?  As Katherine Spiers reports, those opposing Proposition 37 are "Conglomerations of the nation's biggest GMO producers, namely Monsanto, Dow, and DuPont. The Grocery Manufacturers Association is also a leading opponent of the cause, in terms of money given and stated purpose: the president of GMA called defeating Prop 37 "the single highest priority for GMA this year."  In addition, Spiers points out that "some of America's favorite snacks are throwing money into the anti-37 pot. The companies include both Pepsi and Coca-Cola (professional rivals coming together for one cause, like The Avengers of Frankenfood), Nestle, Kellogg, Hormel, Bimbo, General Mills, and ConAgra, the company behind Gulden's, Jiffy Pop, Swiss Miss, and dozens more."  Many of these food giants also own natural product subsidiaries, such as Cascadian Farms, Horizon, and Larabar, and yet their parent companies are spending thousands to prevent Prop 37 from passing.

Why it matters to you.  

You may not live in the State of California, but Prop 37 is a symbolic David vs. Goliath piece of legislation.  If parents and consumers can wield the power to educate themselves about GMOs, protest their inclusion in our food supply, and force food industry giants to label items containing GMOs, a foundation will be laid for many other states to follow.  That is not to say it won't be a fight elsewhere.  Nor is it a guarantee that the food industry will decide to change their ways.  And labeling may take years, including more than a few additional legal battles.  What's at the core of Prop 37 is that it's a "right to know" law.  It demands corporate transparency and empowers people to become informed about their food supply.  It is essential to our wellness and our future.  Not just for the great State of California, but for all of us.

All About Coconut Oil!

We had a fabulous #HolisticMoms Twitter Party this week all about coconut oil with @DeliciousObsess and @HybridRastaMama. There were links flying everywhere, so we are reposting all of this great information so that you can enjoy it more easily!

Join us every Tuesday, 10 pm EST at #HolisticMoms for fun, fabulous, and informative chats!

Why Coconut Oil? - http://bit.ly/RWR62U

333 Uses for Coconut Oil - http://bit.ly/Q654yP

165 + Uses for the Coconut Palm Tree - There's More To It Than Oil - http://bit.ly/NSCjXQ

Coconut Oil and Acne - http://bit.ly/QsdvAG

Coconut Oil and Blood Type O - http://bit.ly/PRQb05

Coconut Oil and Cholesterol - http://bit.ly/O2vwVw

Coconut Oil and Dementia (Including Alzheimer’s) - http://bit.ly/QoWL2N

Coconut Oil and Digestive Disorders/Colon Health - http://bit.ly/P51p0p

Coconut Oil and Head Lice - http://bit.ly/Tvi5o2

Coconut Oil and Sun Protection - http://bit.ly/P43rzT

Coconut Oil and Oil Pulling - http://bit.ly/OZknHt

Coconut and Pregnancy http://bit.ly/Q65Agc

Coconut Oil as an Herbicide (AKA Weed Killer) - http://bit.ly/NhQpQP

Coconut Oil For Hashimoto’s and Thyroid Issues - http://bit.ly/NhQqo5

Coconut Oil Unleashed – Reader Questions Answered - http://bit.ly/U1YyHH

Eating Traditional Foods and The Blood Type Diet http://bit.ly/Qsf7KH

How to Consume Coconut Oil Plus Coconut Candy Recipes - http://bit.ly/NhQvbp

Let’s Talk About Fats Baby http://bit.ly/UAl2Sj

Nipples, Lady Bits, and Coconut Oil – Oh My! - http://bit.ly/PceaK5

Treating Bug Bites and Bee Stings with Coconut Oil - http://bit.ly/U1YEiu

How To: Coconut Oil Toothpaste: http://bit.ly/RWRcHJ

General Coconut Oil Post: http://bit.ly/vOOUtC

52 Uses for Coconut Oil: http://bit.ly/wJzkxi

122 Uses Post: http://bit.ly/LaoThq

Coconut Oil Hair Treatment: http://bit.ly/IP78oN

Coconut Oil for Dogs/Pets: http://bit.ly/Lr7KEg

Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's: http://bit.ly/HCbb6e

Goitrogens and Thyroid: http://bit.ly/No3C61

The Saturated Fat Myth: http://bit.ly/HOlLXe

Blood Sugar and Fertility: http://bit.ly/NQ4IeL

Hashimoto's Disease: http://bit.ly/RxrsNU

Finding Balance with Diet, Nutrition, and Happiness: http://bit.ly/tWh11u

Is Organic Better? Fact Checking: Beyond Politics

As the country gears up for an intense political campaign season, we see more and more calls for "fact checking" on the claims made by our presidential candidates and their running mates. The candidates are out to sell themselves for your vote and the information that they are trying to convey to you, the voter, is couched in whatever light they feel will best make them glow. Skeptical voters are wary, though, and take their claims with a grain of salt.

It should be no different when you see the screaming headlines about natural health. When claims of "organic food is no better" or "breastfeeding increases allergies" jump out at you, step back and start to fact check. The sound bites, the headlines, and TV teasers are there to get your attention, not to provide you with in-depth, thoughtful consideration of the real issues and facts.

The hot topic this week has certainly been the much-talked-about study from Stanford University claiming that organic food is no more nutritious than its conventional counterpart. The media pounced on the opportunity to warn people against spending their precious paychecks on organic brands and acted as though the wool had been pulled over consumers' eyes by organic food advocates. But step back and do some fact checking before you run with the claims. For starters, the study did not conduct any new laboratory tests on current produce. In fact, it was a meta-anaylsis, meaning that the research conducted was a compilation of already-existing data from prior studies, with study conclusions drawn from this overview. In other words, there was no scientific comparison of the nutrient density of an organic apple versus a conventional apple. That being said, the meta-analysis did find that organic produce contained more phosphorus and phenols than conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables. Researchers discounted this discovery saying that the findings were either statistically insignificant or that Americans already had adequate levels of these compounds in their diets and that such increased levels would not confer any additional health benefits. But let's look a bit closer.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, "Phosphorus is an essential mineral that is required by every cell in the body for normal function". Adequate levels of phosphorus are essential for bone healthy and density, and the absorption and balance of phosphorus and calcium are necessary for well-being. Poor gut health, celiac disease, common conditions such as yeast infections, as well as the use of steroids and some pharmaceuticals may also inhibit phosphorus absorption in the body. Unfortunately, Americans may take in excessive amounts of phosphorus, in the form of phosphoric acid, which can negatively affect bone density and contribute to conditions such as osteoporosis. According to Dr. Lawrence Wilson, "phosphoric acid is another harmful type of phosphorus compound that is very acidic and can erode the teeth, damage the stomach and intestines, helps destroy the bones, and should always be avoided," quite unlike the necessary mineral phosphorus. Media reports on the Stanford study are unclear about the level of detail at which this difference of phosphorus levels in organic foods were addressed, but it is certainly worth noting.

The New York Times also reported that the study found that "organic produce . . . contained more compounds known as phenols, believed to help prevent cancer, than conventional produce" and found the difference to be "statistically significant". Natural phenol antioxidants, such as those found in cranberries and red wine, have shown to have considerable positive impacts on health, although our understanding of how they work is limited. The study researchers insisted the result should be "interpreted with caution", but the finding is no less relevant.

Even more interesting, the actual study did point out that organic produce was much less likely to contain pesticide residues (by more than 30%) and that organic meats and poultry were "less likely to be contaminated by antibiotic-resistant bacteria," according to the New York Times. As many critics of the study have pointed out, consumers often choose organic not simply because of perceived nutrient density, but because of what organic foods do NOT contain: genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, artificial flavorings, and high fructose corn syrup, among others. Organic food sales are also driven by a commitment to environmental sustainability.

As parents we need to embrace the skepticism that we approach politics and government and apply it to the many sources of information that abound. Media snippets never tell the whole story. They, like political ads, are designed to catch you attention and create an emotional response. Pull the curtain back and investigate before you make informed decisions, whether in politics or with regard to health and wellness.