Friday, March 28, 2008

Pregnancy Nutrition

Taking Care Of Yourself During Pregnancy is a big part of having a healthy baby. Here is a general guidline of what you should be eating. If your having problems with nuasea, graze and eat 6-7 small "meals" a day.

Daily Food Guide For Pregnancy
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group:
~ whole grains are best
~6-11 servings daily
~1 serving =1/2bun, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 english muffin ect.
~provides ENERGY for movment and growth,FIBER to prevent constipation, IRON for healthy blood,B-VITAMINS for energy

Vegetable Group:
~fresh deep orange and dark leafy green are best
~3-5 servings daily
~1 serving=1 cup raw, 1/2 cup cooked 3/4 cup veggy juice
~provides VITAMIN A for eyes, VITAMIN C for healthy blood
and skin, FOLATE for healthy blood and prevention of birth
defects, FIBER to prevent constipation

Fruit Group:
~fresh is best
~2-4 servings daily
~1 serving=1 medium peice of fresh fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice
~VITAMIN C for healthy blood and skin,VITAMIN A for eyes,
FOLATE for healthy blood and prevention of birth defects

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group:
~low fat is best
~3-5 servings daily
~1 serving= 1cup milk,yougurt or pudding, 1 1/2 ounce of
natural cheese
~ PROTEIN for you and baby's muscles,CALCIUM & VITAMIN
D for strong bones and teeth, VITAMIN A for eyes

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, and Nuts:
~Lean is best
~2-3 servings daily
~1 serving=2 ounces lean meat, fish or poultry / 2 eggs / hand
full of nuts
~PROTEIN for you and baby's muscles, IRON for healthy blood,
B-VITAMINS for energy, FIBER to prevent constipation

Fats, Oils, & Sweets:
~small amounts

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Benefits of Eating Organic Foods

What is Organic Food?

"Organic food is food produced by an ecological system of agricultural management that produces nutritionally superior plants, resistant to pests and disease.Organic farming builds & maintains healthy soil through traditional methods of crop rotation, planting cover crops, releasing beneficial insects, and composing. It does not mean a return to traditional agricultural methods." www.savvyvegetarian.com


So why should we eat organic food?

1. Organic food is more nutritious than chemically grown food.In some recent studies, their was over 300 comparisons performed. They found that organic crops had a higher nutrient content than conventional crops. The vitamin C content and protein was also found to be superior.

2.Reduce your exposure to pesticides. When conventional crops are grown, farmers use pesticides to "protect" their crops from mold, insects, & diseases. When sprayed, they leave a residue on the food.Organic farmers use insects and birds to reduce these problems.

3.Help the environment. Unlike the conventional farmers practices, organic farming is desinged to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water. By using "natural" practices such as using manure or compost instead of chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.

4. Organic raised animals: The animals are raised on organic feed and graze freely to eat. These animals live happy lives. They are not put in crowded cages and barns. The live stress free lives and are well taken care of. Conventional animals live inhuman, short lives. They are put in crowded areas that are not well taken care of and are just plain nasty conditions.

Even though it is more expensive right now to eat organic your body will thank you. Not only will you be riding yourself of chemicals, but you will also help the environment. The more the demand goes up for organically grown food the less expensive it will be to buy!! So help your family and the environment.....

BUY ORGANIC!!!!!!!



Monday, March 24, 2008

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has had a comeback in the natural medicine field. The essential oil has a number of medical and cosmetic benefits that have been reintroduced into products.

Tea Tree Oil:(melaleuca oil) is an extraction from the leaves of the Melaleuca tree. It is an essential oil that is clear to very pale golden color. It is a natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial and fungicide. The Melalecuca tree is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia.

The Bundjalung people of eastern Australia were the first to discover the healing properties of the leaves oils. They used it several different ways:

-Crushing the leaves and inhaling the oils to treat coughs and colds.
-Sprinkled leaves on wounds
-Soaked the leaves to treat sore throats and skin ailments

The 1920's was when the oil became popular. Aurthur Penfold, published the first report about the antimicrobial activity of the melaleuca alternifolia oil.

After World War II sales of the natural essential oil went down. This is because of all the synthetic man made alternatives that were being produced. People started to steer clear of the natural products.

Medical Uses of Tea Tree Oil:

Anti fungal Agent
Treatment of Dandruff
Acne
Insect Bites
Boils and Minor Wounds
Soothe Sunburns,
Poison Ivy,
Ear Infections
Bee Stings
Halitosis (bad breath)
Gum Disease
Canker Sores

Also can treat bacterial and fungal infection in pet fish when diluted.

Some research has shown that Tea Tree Oil might also have atnti-viral activity, example: Herpes virus
Cold Sore
Chicken Pox/Shingles
Warts

In today's market there are several different products that use the melaleuca oils. You can find them in mouth washes, toothpastes, topical pain relievers, shampoos, candles and many more.

For more products go to www.tsilvestri.fourpointwellness.com

Can Our Cosmetics Be Linked to Cancer?

Did you know that 89% of the 10,500 ingredients in our cosmetics have not been evaluated by the FDA or anyone else? This is a scary fact considering that 2500 chemicals in cosmetics are known to be toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations!

In the US, majority of us think that the products that are being sold in the store are safe from harmful chemicals. But, manufactures are using several known toxins. It is also thought that the FDA regularly regulates them. This is also untrue. A cosmetic manufacture can use any ingredient or raw material in there final product with out the governments approval!!! This even goes for environmental pollutants that are restricted elsewhere. I don't know about you but I sure don't want pollutants and harmful chemicals all over my body!!!

Cancer has been on the rise for many years. In the early part of the 1900's, 1 in every 50 people would develop cancer. That has risen to 1 in 3 people.

More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since World War II. These man made chemicals have more and more evidence every day that says they are causing cancer and other diseases.

In today's average home, it contains 62 toxic chemicals. Formaldehyde, Phenol, Benzene,Toluene, and Xylene are all common chemicals found in our everyday products. These chemicals have been proven to cause cancer and are toxic to our immune systems!!!!

DPB or Dibutyl Phthalate is a toxic chemical that causes severe birth defects in animals. You might be surprised to know that manufactures are putting this toxic chemical into our shampoos,conditioners, antiperspirants, nail polish, and other cosmetics.

So, is there anything that we can do ?

YES!!!

We need to bring awareness to the US on the cosmetics industry. We need to demand corporate accountability,regulatory and statutory action to get cancer-causing chemicals out of our cosmetics!

Go to www.breastcancerfund.org click on "Join The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics"

So is there a way for me to still use personal care products with out the exposure?

YES!!!

We just need to change the way we buy. We need to look at the labels. Even products that claim to be "natural" are using this term loosely.

Anything that has long names that are hard to pronounce are usually man made. Look for products that you can name the ingredients with out getting tongue tied!

Don't use anything that says "fragrance", "perfume",or "scent".Products with strong scents or odors, more than likely have VOC's in them. (volatile organic compounds)These have shown to destroy brain cells.


For Safer Alternatives:

http://www.tsilvestri.fourpointwellness.com

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Cleaning While Pregnant

Out of all the Health Studies I came across this one that grabbed me attention.

They asked pregnant women how often they used certain chemical based products. Then they followed the children from birth.

Some of the products were: bleach, carpet cleaner,window cleaner, dry cleaning fluid, aerosols, turpentine, air fresheners, paint strippers, pesticides or insecticides and the list goes on.

For each family, researchers calculated the total chemical burden according to how frequently they used each product.

Researchers then compared this information with each mother's report on whether her child had experienced wheezing with whistling on his or her chest.

They found that 19% wheezed as babies but not when they were older, 71% never wheezed, and 3.5% developed wheezing problems after age 2 1/2, 6 % had persistent wheezing throughout!!!!

They concluded that there was a connection between children's breathing problems and the mothers usage of cleaning products. The more the chemicals are used the higher the risk that the child will have persistent wheezing.

The research was done by The University of Bristol.

This is yet just another reason why I am glad I found safer alternatives to clean my house!!!!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

10 Tips on How To Help Your Kids Develop Healthier Habits

1. Be a Positive Health Model: Don’t talk about your weight issues or put yourself down in front of them. They will think being healthy is hard or just be turned off by the idea of Healthy Living all together. This is the exact opposite of what we want. Kids follow by example!
2. Set Goals: Say that you are going to try 2 new foods this week or walk and extra 10 minutes on tonight’s family walk.
3.Be Supportive: Celebrate Successes! Let them know how proud of them you are. This helps give then a good self image. Reward them with something you all can enjoy together.
4.Let Kids Experiment: Let them try different physical activities. They will stick with something they enjoy doing longer. Don’t make them stick to something you can obviously see they just can’t stand. Don’t think of this as letting them be quitters, think of it as an experiment!
5.Balance Good Habits With Bad Ones: Show them that you can still be active while watching T.V. Like running on the treadmill while watching your favorite program. Or get the interactive video games so they can get up and get moving!
6.Plan Family Activity Times: Do stuff together! Take a family walk in the evening, ride bikes, get silly and turn the music up and dance, play hide and seek ! Anything works as long as you are together and burning calories!
7.Don’t Reward or Punish with Food: We have all heard are moms saying “ If you eat all your veggies I will give you a cookie!” This just idolizes the cookies and makes the veggies seem like they are bad. We don’t want this, we want them to enjoy their food!
8.Try New Foods: It takes 10 to 15 tries before your taste buds decide they like something! Try to incorporate different colors into your diet. Say one day your going to eat purple and the next you will eat green. Its a great way to try new foods and get the kids involved!
9.Understanding Why: Make sure that they know why being healthy is important. If they have a better understanding of why they are changing their habits, it will easier to convince them to be active and eat healthy.
10.Not Just About How Much You Weigh: A healthy lifestyle is about the way you feel and having enough energy to do want you want. Don’t make it about your image.
Being positive with your kids is the best thing that you can do for them. And remember to always celebrate success , even if its something tiny! You and your family will be happier and healthier even if you just implement a few of these tips.

10 Things You Need To Know About Your Health and Home

Everyone knows that the environment needs help but what about our homes? The EPA has stated that indoor air pollutants are 3 to 70 times higher than outdoors.
Here are some facts that really scared me and I thought I should share them with you.
1. Asthma Higher in Women: In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma. 29% for men and 82% for women The higher rate for women is thought to be for our longer exposure to household chemicals.
2.Dish Soap: Liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings for kids under the age of 6. Most brands contain formaldehyde and ammonia!!!
3.Of 2,983 Chemicals Found In Personal Care Products:
884 are toxic
146 cause tumors
218 cause reproductive complications
778 cause acute toxicity
314 cause biological mutations
376 cause skin and eye irritations
4. 70,000 New Chemical Compounds: Since 1950 there has been at least 70,00 new chemical compounds introduced into the environment. Only a small percentage has been tested for human toxicity!!!!
5. Chemicals In Homes : There are 150 chemicals in our homes that are connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.
6. Women Who Work From Home: There is a 54% higher chance that a women who works from home will die from cancer than a women who works outside the home.
7.Whats In Our Dust?: Phthalates (shown to disrupt reproductive systems and cause breathing problems in children.) ,
Alkyl phenols (mimic natural estrogen hormones) ,
Pesticides (cause cancer) ,
Brominated Flam Retardants(mimic thyroid hormones),
Organotins(poisonous in small amounts and can disrupt hormones and reproductive systems) ,
Perfluorinated surfactants ( can damage organ function and sexual development in lab animals).
Try and say those 3 times fast!!
These chemicals are coming from everyday consumer products that we have in our homes. Example- Teflon cookware, Plastics.
8. Cosmetics and Personal Products: There are around 4000 chemicals used in our everyday cosmetics and personal care products. About 95% of these chemicals are traced back to petroleum. Manufactures do not reveal the actual components of the products but rather mark them as “trade secret”.
9. Our Mattress: There are even chemicals on our mattress!!! You are probably asking yourself, “For what?” Well, to make the mattress “safer” they use PBDE’s to flame retard your bed. Also to make it stain-resistant they use PFC’s. These chemicals are known to cause cancer and also are known carcinogens!!
If you are using polycotton sheets or wrinkle-resistant sheets , you are also exposing your self to chemicals. Formaldehyde is the big one. It causes cancer, respiratory problems, insomnia, asthma and the lists go on!
10. “The Dirty Dozen”: This is a list of the top 12 cancer-causing products in the average home. It was put together by the National Cancer Prevention Coalition.
Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder with Talc
Crest Tarter Control Toothpaste
VO5 hair conditioner
Cover Girl Replenishing Natural Finish Foundation
Whole Milk
Beef Frankfurters (Oscar Meyer)
Clairol Nice-n-Easy hair color
Ajax Cleanser
Lysol Disinfectant
Zud Heavy Duty Cleaner
Zodiac Cat and Dog Flea Collar
Ortho Weed-be-Gone Lawn Weed Killer
It has been stated that by just reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we would save 50,000 lives annually from cancer. We don’t have to live this way. There are safer alternatives that are being phased into the market place. All we have to do is know the facts and buy responsibly.
So, what can you do? Buy Green. Its that simple. Read labels, and if you cant pronounce the names on the label don’t buy it. Anything that ends in “-cide” is more than likely not going to be good for you or your family.
Be creative in how you clean. Make homemade cleaners and air fresheners. There are many different organic concoctions that you can make to clean your house effectively, such as vinegar or lemon juice.
In the end you will be happier when you and your family are not as sick as much. And who knows , you might save one of your family members from a deadly disease!!!