A Tale of Two Moms

As mothers we try to do the best we can for our children. It is always a challenge, and there are many times that we doubt ourselves. We wonder if we are making the right decisions or we try to live up to an ideal that doesn’t exist. I raised six children and I know that I made mistakes, but I also know that I made decisions out of a deep love for them. There is no one right way to raise children. Each parent and each child is different, so we have to be flexible. That said, let me tell you a story…the tale of two moms.

Traditional mom wakes up earlier than usual to her child crying. He seems hot and fussy, and has a very smelly, runny diaper. Shortly after nursing or a bottle, the vomiting begins. Alternating changing diapers and changing clothes and bedding all day. The thermometer confirms that his temp is higher than normal. She tries soft food, but nothing is staying down. Lots of fussing and crying, mom is getting tired. Finally, feeling panic after a long sleepless night, mom and child head to the emergency room. After hours of waiting, with a very fussy child, in the midst of a coughing feverish crowd, they finally get to see a doctor. The doctor confirms that the child is indeed sick, but since it is likely a virus, there is nothing they can do. Take the child home and keep him hydrated, and let the sickness run its course.

Natural mom wakes up earlier than usual to her child crying. He seems hot and fussy, and has a very smelly, runny diaper. Shortly after nursing, the vomiting begins. Seeing what is happening, natural mom makes a cup of blackberry or raspberry tea, and begins to give the child a small spoonful every hour, to help with the diarrhea and fever. She knows that it isn’t necessary for him to eat, so skips meals, thwarting some of the bouts of vomiting. Instead, she opts for small doses of elderberry syrup, to help with virus. She also sneaks in some bioplasma homeopathic tablets, which dissolve instantly in his mouth, and provide necessary minerals. The biggest danger for a child with a fever, diarrhea, and vomiting is dehydration. So mom runs a warm bath and allows the child to soak in the liquid through the skin, while making sure he is nursing, and drinking small spoons of water or herbal tea often. After his bath, he sleeps awhile, and mom takes a nap too. Although mom is tired, she is at peace, knowing that her child will be fine, after the virus has run its course.

The biggest difference between traditional mom and natural mom is knowledge. Knowing what to do brings peace instead of panic. She is able to rely confidently on herself and not depend on an expert to tell her what to do. Sickness is never fun, but it can be a peaceful cuddly time, rather than a stressful emergency room visit. The key is to be prepared with knowledge, and with a few simple natural herbs and supplements on your shelf. Am I saying that you never need the expert opinion? No, sometimes you do. But for simple, everyday childhood sicknesses, you can be prepared to be a natural mom.

As a natural mom of six children, now a grandmother, a traditional naturopath, and a master herbalist, it would be my joy to help you be a prepared natural mom. Join us for classes or make an appointment for a consultation. I have office hours on Tuesdays and I am only a phone call away. It is my passion to help you find knowledge and the confidence to help your family be naturally healthy.

10 Ways to Detox Your Life

1.     Drink more water! “The solution to pollution is dilution”, Steven Horne. I like to add Cell Food to my water: which adds enzymes, minerals, and amino acids to help bring balance to the body and help to increase detoxification activity.

2.     Liquid Chlorophyll (Nature’s Sunshine) – Chlorophyll is the blood of the plant, providing concentrated nutrition. Usually from alfalfa which grows deep into the ground, absorbing the minerals found there, such as iron. Chlorophyll is both cleansing and building for the body.

3.     Chlorella (also Nori and Wakame seaweed) – consuming chlorella resulted in a significant reduction of dioxin levels in breast milk in a study of Japanese women. Chlorella has the potential to absorb heavy metals and has been used to reduce lead and mercury.

4.     Cilantro enhances mercury excretion following dental amalgam removal and decreases lead absorption in the bones of animals. Use cilantro any time you have been exposed to heavy metals.

5.     Probiotics restore the damaged environment in the intestines, facilitating excretion of toxicants, replacing them with healthy flora.

6.     NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine) enhance mobilization of toxicants from tissue storage sites and increased their rate of elimination. It also reduced and removed arsenic form the organs. Glutathione (in absorbable forms) facilitates the movement of toxins from fat storage.

7.     Bentonite clay and activated charcoal decreases the re-uptake of toxicants in the body by absorbing them and assisting their removal through the lower bowel. Use these any time you feel that you may have been poisoned.

8.     Eat plenty of Fiber! Fiber in the diet helps to keep the bowels clean and reduces absorption of toxins into the body. Psyllium is also a natural lipase inhibitor, which decreases the absorption of fat - and the toxins stored therein - into the body.

9.     Essential Oils which have been traditionally used to detoxify the body include: lemon, grapefruit, and peppermint. I love doTerra’s Zendocrine blend too.

10.   Herbs that have been traditionally used to detoxify the body include: aloe, buckthorn, bugleweed, burdock root, capsicum, cascara sagrada, cilantro,dandelion root, ginger, licorice, marshmallow, milk thistle, Oregon grape, red clover, sarsaparilla, turkey rhubarb, and yellow dock.

Consider including some of these into your daily lifestyle to improve the detoxifying of your body. We are exposed to multiple toxins daily, so we need to be aware and active in removing them from our lives as much as possible. Please stop into the shop to discuss with me some of the detox possibilities we have available, or call for an appointment to create a plan of action to meet your goals. I would love to partner with you as your health coach!

10 Reasons to Detox Your Life

 1.     Heavy metals are passed down to the next generation and are actually changing our DNA. There are over 287 harmful chemicals found in umbilical cord blood. These toxins affect behavior, mental ability, health, and obesity in our children. Detox BEFORE you get pregnant! Mercury and lead can be inherited!

2.     Heavy metals are stored in body fat. Yep, and the area around your organs, the visceral fat is the worst. The storage of heavy metals contributes to achy joints, unbalanced hormones, and obesity. The middle-aged spread may have to do with the storage of toxic chemicals. Your body knows that if it releases them into your system, you will be very sick. So it tucks those dangerous metals away in your fat. Be careful to detox as you lose weight…you will lose toxic metals too!

3.     Heavy metals damage the nervous system, suppress the immune system, and cause inflammation. The brain is made of fat – true, not cheese. Since toxins are stored in fat, where do you suppose a lot of those toxins are stored? Yep, in our brains! Aluminum is used in water treatment plants to neutralize the pH. It is also abundant in chem trails, killing trees and poisoning us. Aluminum causes neurodamage and damages the myelin sheath protecting your nerves.

4.     Mercury has been connected with MS and with birth defects. Mercury fumes are easily absorbed by the lungs, yet we fill our teeth with mercury. Breathe in mercury fumes – breathe deeply now! What? Of course it ends up in the body! Don’t be fooled.

5.     Lead was used extensively in the paint of homes in the 1950’s. Did you know that lead causes mental instability? It is possible the fall of Rome may be attributed to the lead pipes in their water system, especially of the wealthy-ruling class. Lead is stored in the bone. If a mother experiences bone loss during pregnancy, where does the bone go? To the baby, along with a dose of lead too. Studies show that high lead levels lead to criminal behavior. It also is disruptive to hormones and toxic to gut bacteria.

6.     There are 3 main toxins affecting 4 generations: lead, mercury, and glyphosate. See the news for details of how glyphosate (round-up) has caused disease! It is possible that these 3 toxins are causing 95% of the autoimmune disease in the general population.

7.     Did you know there is an area the size of Texas in the ocean that is floating microplastics? These plastics are eaten by the fish and then eaten by us. OK – enough is enough – plastic the size of Texas? Come on…WE have to DO something about this! No more plastic!

8.     Did you know that you are only 10% human? 90% of the cells in our bodies are bacteria and other microbes. The toxins we are exposed to create a gut imbalance that allows bad bacteria to dominate the gut. Endotoxins are then released into the body and may affect your health. Including immune function, blood sugar, weight, cardiovascular health, emotions, and energy levels.

9.     A recent report from WHO shows that 92% of the world’s population breathes polluted air. At least 1 in every 4 worldwide deaths are attributable to these toxic environments. Poor air quality not only damages your lungs, but all of your organs as well. It triggers mutations in your genes, damages brain cells, and T-helper cells.

10.   How toxic are you? The CDC as found that the average person has 420 chemicals known to be highly harmful in their bodies. This toxic burden, in combination with poor diet and lifestyle, makes it extremely difficult for our body to function optimally.

Scary, isn’t it? Don’t bury your head in the sand, these chemicals and toxic metals are harming us and our children! What are YOU going to do about it?

Want to know more? Read the book: Your Body’s Environmental Chemical Burden, by Cindy Klement, MS, CNS, MCHES. (Available for purchase at Healthy Life Solutions)

Thinking of Starting the Keto Diet? Here are some Common Misconceptions

1. “I couldn’t eat ALL that FAT!”

I only add extra fat in the form of MCT oil (about 1 tsp.) in my coffee every morning. It gives me energy to start the day. I use olive, avocado, coconut oils in my cooking and salad dressing. I use butter, as much as I want for flavor, on my vegetables. In the months that I have been eating keto, I have NEVER eaten a fat bomb! I do enjoy a small bite of dark chocolate and peanut butter pretty often. Some keto authors suggest adding in more fat as you begin to eat keto, with the idea that you are switching your body to fat burning instead of sugar burning. This is helpful at first, but if you continue eating loads of fat, your body will not go for burning the stored fat. Let’s face it, most of us are wanting to burn those extra fat rolls! A typical ketogenic diet contains 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs. Remember that is 70% of your calories and fat contains a lot of calories. It isn’t 70% of the food on your plate. Big difference!

2. “I couldn’t eat ALL that MEAT!”

A balanced keto diet is not huge steaks and tons of bacon. Most of us have this idea leftover from Atkins fanatics who were eating unbalanced amounts of meat. Most keto diets contain protein at every meal, 25% of your daily calories. That protein should be a serving size, about enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Keep in mind that nuts, dairy, and eggs count as protein too. Getting enough good quality, clean protein, is important for healing. You also need enough protein so that you don’t lose muscle, just extra fat stores. Keto is a moderate protein diet, not a high protein diet.

3. “I don’t want to give up my carbs!”

Yep, that is the real problem. None of us want to give up those comfort foods. Many of them have a great emotional attachment. After all how can it be Christmas without decorated sugar cookies or a Birthday party without the cake? Let me just say that if you decide to do keto as a lifestyle and not just a diet, there are yummy substitutes that work just as well. I made fabulous keto cheesecakes for my husband’s birthday last year. The kids never knew the difference! Plus, after you are fully keto adapted, you can go off the diet once and awhile to enjoy a treat without it totally sabotaging your ketosis. You just can’t eat loads of carbs every day. Another thing to note is that once keto adapted, your cravings for the sugar and junk go away. I am NOT kidding! You really don’t want it and don’t miss it. I find myself looking at carbs and wondering if they are worth it. I feel SO good when I don’t eat them. Is the taste today worth feeling crappy tomorrow?

4. “What about ketoacidosis? Isn’t it life threatening? Is this diet safe?”

This is a common mistake: ketosis is NOT ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life threatening condition seen with unmanaged diabetes. It is characterized by dangerously high levels of blood ketones (15-25mM/L) and high blood sugar (200 mg/dL), as well as very low blood pH. Nutritional ketosis is a safe metabolic state that produces low-level ketones (generally 0.5 to 5.0 mM/L) with blood sugars averaging from 60-120 mg/dL and normal pH levels.

These are just a few of the misconceptions I have heard about the ketogenic diet. I hope I have clarified them for you. Please call me to set up a health coaching appointment if you would like to work one on one with me. I would love to help you find solutions for your health struggles.

If you are tired of doing the same old diet, with the same old results, maybe it is time for a change of lifestyle. Consider KETO – it could change your life!