Wednesday

Land of And Winner





This month's winner of the $200 environmental products is Diane McDowell of Middletown, NY. If you have already signed up and didn't win, stay tuned because you are eligible for next month's drawing.

If you haven't signed up yet, please do. These products are all environmentally sound, were featured on Oprah's favorite things, plus many other green sites. This company has been environmentally conscious for the past 40 years on their cleaning products!!

Monday

Do Our Children Need Nutritional Supplements?


The medical community itself is divided on the subject of whether our children need nutritional supplements. On one side, feeding children from the "pyramid" the daily requirement of servings of each should suffice. Unfortunately, on the other side is the reality check that even adults don't adhere to this, much less their children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that " diet based on the Food Guide Pyramid provides adequate amounts of all the vitamins a child needs." But then they go on to say there are situations which make vitamin supplements necessary, such as picky eaters or one with a poor diet. So the Mayo Clinic responds that even if a child is a picky eater, it doesn't necessarily mean they will develop nutritional deficiencies. But then even THEY go on to say that if the child regularly omits a particular food group from his/her diet, such as fruit, or green or yellow vegetables or even dairy products--they may need supplementation. I really have to ask myself what child they are actually talking about.
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Dr. Don Colbert, author of "The Seven Pillars of Health" believes that supplements are necessary for good health in our children, however, he recommends
whole-food based nutrients that have all the enzymes and micro-nutrients there to work together synergistically. This brings up the distinction between a synthetic based vitamin versus food based vitamin. Look at it this way: a synthetic vitamin can only stimulate the cell, not feed it. Author Judith De Cava, in her book "The Real Truth About Vitamins and Antioxidants" promotes the use of whole food supplements when choosing vitamins. She concludes that only a small amount of natural vitamin complexes and organic micro-nutrients are required to accomplish many big biochemical jobs!


Whatever you choose, make sure there is enough Vitamin D accessible for absorption. A vitamin D deficiency can impair a child's bone development. The AAP recommends 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day for all breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants and all children who consume less than 32 ounces of vitamin-D fortified formula or milk a day. The other important nutrients for children are the omega-3 fatty acids (EFAs)They are essential for proper nervous system and brain function.


Also, look for a supplement that includes lactoferrin (that part of breast milk that offers infants a degree of immunity) to better help them build their immune system and avoid some of the common colds, etc. as in Shaklee's brand new product called Incredivites.


Just a word on helping your little ones take the supplements. First off, best advice I've seen is to treat the supplements the same as you would an antibiotic if the child is sick. In other words, this is not a choice, let's see how we can get them down. Second piece of advice is don't try to hide them. If you do that, and they find out, it's natural they will start avoiding that food. Other than that, there are many ways to get them in them before they can actually swallow "pills". They can be crushed and added to applesauce or any fruit puree. The multi vitamins can be in a chewable form, which makes it easy. Also important to add a high quality protein drink at the same time, which gives them the amino acids necessary to make the vitamins work. If you're still having trouble, use the concept of "first.....then" and use something they really look forward to. The big thing is, it's important to be firm and consistent.


If your children consume sodas on a regular basis, it is also important to give them a good source of calcium and magnesium. Sodas contain phosphorous, and the body will absorb phosphorous first. Not to mention the fact that sodas contain on average 16 t. of sugar, and diet sodas are bad no matter how you look at them (studies show they actually make you gain weight).

Tuesday

IT'S EARTH DAY!!


One of the things that affects our health immensely is the environment. The air we breathe, the climate changes we endure, the droughts, the floods all affect our allergies and may contribute to asthma. That's why the planting of trees is so important. The trees contribute oxygen to the air. Reducing our carbon foot print will put more oxygen in the air.

Shaklee Corporation has had a program going for the last couple of years called "A Million Trees, A Million Dreams". They have also supported Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace prize winner, in her effort to plant trees in Africa. Tomorrow Shaklee will partner up with Wangari Maathai to plant their 1,000,000th tree! What a noble effort!
Shaklee became the first corporation in the world to receive the "Climate Neutral" designation in the year 2000, when we were just becoming aware of doing so. They also introduced their environmentally sound cleaning product 40 years ago, before we even knew what organic really was! Basic H became one of the first Earth Day products.


To learn more about their environmental products and to sign up for the monthly drawing for a chance to win $200 worth of environmental products, click on the tree to the right. There is a new winner every month!
WHAT IS HEALTH COACHING?

A Health Coach is a person (not necessarily a medical professional) who interacts with you to enable you to achieve your desired goals. Health Coaching is a partnership between the coach and the client. As a client, it will help you to:

  • set long term goals
  • devise an action plan and monitor progress
  • develop strategies to utilize your strengths
  • maximize your potential to achieve your goals
For a complete report, please fill out the form to the right and one will be emailed to you. Learn the reasons for having a coach, what coaches do and how they do it, and what the desired end results are. A second email will come to you to fill out a questionnaire and offer you one free session to see if this is something for you.

Eco Moms

As one of my main interests, I've become a leader with EcoMom Alliance. The purpose of this international group is to foster awareness of environmental and health concerns for our children (or Grandchildren as in my case). Please visit them here to find out how you can become involved in this very worthy organization. They have some great ideas.

Welcome to my Blog

This is my attempt to share my passion for a healthy lifestyle for all. This is all encompassing as our health is measured not only in how WE feel, but also how the environment around us feels. In other words, if our environment we live in is unhealthy, it affects our own health as well.

My focus will be health for all ages, including a special focus on children. As you can see by my picture, I have 3 little angels (hah!) and I love them dearly. I am most concerned about the environment they are growing up in, not only in the air around them, but the additives and toxins they are exposed to everywhere.

I am also a Health Coach. Please note the box below where you can receive info on Health Coaching and what it means to you.