Healthy Living: Exercise with Your Children

Has cabin fever set in at your house yet? We are in the full swing of it over here and 4 kids with cabin fever = 1 mentally exhausted mommy.  It's always nice to find a few new tricks for my mommy arsenal so I thought I would share a few of mine with you, please (PLEASE PLEASE) feel free to share yours with me too.

Currently at least 30 states in the US alone are in the grips of a heat wave and winter will be here before we know it (plus it's currently winter in other areas of the world). Because of this I was inspired to share a few things I have learned along the way to help the kids release some of that pent up energy.   Bonus, mommy burns a few calories too.  It's a win-win.

We do not do every single one of these every single day, kids (or at least my kids) get sick of the same things day in and day out.  We do each of them at least 2 times a week though and at least 1 per day.

I wish I had some awesome pics for this but its hard to take pics while you are in the moment.  I need the lady from Parenting, Illustrated With Crappy Pictures to come guest draw some great pics for me! (I LOVE that blog!).

Vacuum Tag, aka Peep Attack
This activity was born out of our dogs strange obsession with attacking the vacuum.  No idea why, but she sees the vacuum as a real threat.  Perhaps it's because, as a baby, Teddy was terrified of it.  It did start when he was a baby.  Oddly, as he got older he became fascinated with vacuums, even inventing his own word for them that has been passed down to each of our kids and is still used to this day.  That word is "Peep".  No idea where it came from, he came up with it shortly after he turned 1 and still calls it that on occasion.  Therefore, in our house this game is known as 'Peep Attack".

How to play-
Each kid gets some sort of soft (foam pool noodles are great) sword to use.  Turn the peep (vacuum) on and go at it.  Chase the kids around the room, let them "beat up" the peep.  Watch little ones around and the cord so they don't trip on it.

This activity is a threefer, meaning you get 3 things accomplished all at the same time.  You get your floors clean, you get some exercise in for yourself (I am always breathless after a good round of Peep Attack) and you help your kids expel some energy all at once.
If you are the OCD Type A personality who loves those pretty freshly vacuumed lines in your carpet this may not be the activity for you.  You go in all sorts of crazy directions while the attack is on so the lines left behind are definitely not uniform or remotely straight.  I like those straight lines too, but in our household we have so much foot traffic they never last more than 10 minutes anyways so it doesn't really matter.

Marching Band
My kids love music and we have a lot of toy instruments in our home.  Teddy came up with this activity 1 day, influenced by the show "Fresh Beat Band" (gag me!!).  He asked me if I would help him form a marching band so we did.

How to play-
Give each child their own instrument, don't forget 1 for yourself.  If you have no toy instruments it's ok, grab some pots, pans, lids, spoons, etc from the kitchen and bang away.
Once everyone has their instrument, which in our house sometimes involves tears and compromises, line up and begin to play,
I am normally the leader although Teddy and Kimmy enjoy taking turns as the leader as well.  We march all around our house banging and playing away.  Sometimes we sing, sometimes we do silly different walks like going really slow, really fast, stepping really high, tip toeing, skipping, let your imagination do the "walking" for you.  Sometimes different rooms have different themes, the living room may be the loud room so we play loudly as we go through there and the bedroom is the quiet room so we have to try and play softly while in there.
After only 10-15 minutes of this we are all tired and breathless from laughing so hard and running all over the house.  It has got to burn some calories!

Dance It Out
Sometimes we all just have too much energy and not enough focus to do anything really organized.  At times like these I just turn on some fun, energetic music and start dancing like a crazy lady.  The kids don't even have to be asked, they just automatically join in.  This is also a great activity to distract if someone is having a meltdown (mom or kid).

How to play-
Find some fun music, turn it up and DANCE DANCE DANCE.
We usually do a minimum of 4 songs. 4x5 (average length of a song)= 20 minutes of some good cardio for you and your kids.
Not only do we dance but I also encourage the kids to do actual exercise moves including squats, lunges, side twists, jumping jacks, etc.  The kids love to mimic me.  Even Sariah dances around like a maniac and has been since she was 6 months old and could really sit up and get into it.
Pandora is my favorite place to find the music for this, I have some great kid appropriate stations on there.

Yoga
I really wanted to try yoga with my kids but thought I had to pay money for a fancy DVD to really get them into it.  It was watching them mimic me during our dance sessions that inspired me to just look up some child friendly yoga poses.  Then I just started doing them on the floor.  At first they didn't know what I was doing but they quickly joined in.  Unanimously the favorite pose is Downward Dog, even Sariah can do this one (and has been able too since she turned 1).

Sariah kind of doing Downward Dog this morning.  It was hard to take a pic
 because every time I moved out of the pose to try and snap 1 she came out of the
pose too, this was the best that I got.

How to play-
Go online and find at least 4 kid friendly yoga poses.  Put on some calming music (if you want, totally optional) and simply start doing the poses yourself.  Your kids will naturally be curious about what you are doing and will want to try and join in.
Some of our favorite poses include (and our names for them may not be the technical names since we do it on our own w/o any books/DVDs):
Tree Pose: start out standing with your feet slightly apart.  Reach your arms up high in the air, palms touching.  Tell your kids to pretend they are trees growing big and tall.  Traditional Tree Pose also says to draw 1 leg up so that the sole of your foot is resting in the inner thigh of the opposite leg.  You can try this with your kids if they are able to stand on 1 foot fairly well.
Downward Dog Pose:  Start from the standing position, reach your arms down and plant your hands firmly on the floor, point your tush towards the ceiling, you should make a triangle.

Karma doing a perfect Downward Dog Pose

Cat Pose: great pose to follow up downward dog.  Have your gets get on all fours on the floor and gently arch their back up like a "scared cat"  while dropping their heads down to look at their "tails".  Hold for a few seconds and have them gently lower their back and raise their head.  Repeat a few times
Cobra Pose: another great pose to transition our of downward dog or cat pose for that matter.  Lay face down on the ground with your arms laying flat beside you.  Gently arch your back and stretch your head and neck upwards so that from your bellybutton up your body is off the floor.  You can easily go back and forth between this pose and downward dog.  I usually tell the kids "we are a snake, hisssssssss" then transition and say "now we are a dog, woof woof" and go back and forth like that.
Happy Baby Pose: Lay with you back flat on the floor, draw your knees into your chest, point your feet upward and let your hips fall open.  Grab the soles of your feet and hold.

If you make it fun your kids will do it.  If you are listening to music aim for 3-4 songs, otherwise strive for 15-20 minutes.

This website has some AWESOME routines and child friendly poses on it:
livestrong.com
and I just learned from this website that we have another pose that we do called "Cow Pose" its the opposite of the Cat Pose.  When we let our back go back down and look up it's called Cow Pose.  Gonna have to start mooing while we do this, the kids will love it.

There is even an iPhone App for that!  99 cents and comes with 24 animal related yoga poses for kids.  I may buy it myself.

I have recently tried to end our yoga sessions with sitting in the floor, legs crossed and arms at our side while breathing in and out slowly.  The site above suggests letting your kids "Roar like a lion" in this pose and even call it the Lion Pose so I think I will try that next time as they usually don't want to sit still too long.


Tumbling
Sometimes our yoga sessions turn into tumbling sessions as the kids love for me to somersault them out of downward dog pose.  Then Teddy asks me to help him do back bends/flips on my arm as well.

How to play-
Just show your kids how to do simple tumbling moves such as somersaulting or doing back bends/back flips braced against your arm.  Aim for 15-20 minutes of this.  You may not burn many calories with this particular activity but your kids will and you will help give them confidence to try these moves on their own.

Yo Gabba Gabba Dancey Dance
Sort of like the Dance It Out activity above only we do it to an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba instead of just music.

How to play-
Put on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba and tell your kids not to stop moving/dancing until its over.  If someone stops moving or sits down they are out.  The last person left standing "wins".
Yo Gabba Gabba is full of silly little songs so its easy to dance a lot.  In between the songs when there is just talking I encourage the kids to march, high step, jumps, skip, do jumping jacks, etc.

Hot Lava
A fun little game originally invented in our home by Teddy but I am sure you will all remember playing some form of it as a kid yourself.

How to play-
Randomly place pillows, blankets, stools, throw rugs, etc on the floor and declare that the floor itself is hot lava.  The object is to jump from item to item without falling into the lava.  If you fall you are "out" and have to go sit on the couch until the next round.  Last person standing "wins".  You can even have a "caller", someone (usually mom) who sits on the side and calls out directions to person telling them where and how to go.  We have a caller when mommy is feeling lazy.


That's all I have got in my personal bag of tricks.  I hope we have inspired you to try a few new fun activities with your kids.  They are all great activities to help mama and kids stay in shape and have fun together on rainy/hot/snowy/cold days.  They are also great ways to build happy memories with your kids and instill confidence in them.


I feel like, in my attempts to better my mothering self and to be 100% brutally honest with myself and all of you I tend to concentrate only on the negative areas of my parenting.  It was nice to write a blog about how much fun we can have in our home and to show it is not all screaming/yelling/tantrum throwing around here.

Love,
this dancey dancin' mama,
Christy

Popcorn Brain

AH!  I have at least 4 blogs bouncing around in my head right now, not to mention 3 that are in various stages of being written on the blog itself.  This morning I really wanted to write a blog about the restaurants banning kids under age 6 and how America (and the world) seem to treat kids like second class citizens to go along with my blogs Crying Babies Will Be Charged Extra and Sisterhood of The Crying Mommies. 

At the same time I really wanted to blog about an awesome documentary I watched the other night on Netflix about the intelligence of dogs and their relationships with humans  There was an interesting connection they made about breastfeeding a baby and petting a dog and the similarities that occur in the brain (for both the human and the dog) that I really wanted to focus on.

Then there was the blog idea swirling around in my head last night about the Epic FAIL parenting lines we all find ourselves using- think lines like "Don't make me come over there!"

All of these lead me to decide to finally write the blog post I have wanted to write for over a week now about Popcorn Brain, because obviously I have a serious case of Popcorn Brain going on right now so it was fitting.

What?  Never heard of Popcorn Brain?  Neither had I.  Once I heard of it though I knew that not only do I suffer from it but I am passing it on to my kids.

So what is Popcorn Brain?
Popcorn Brain is a real condition that plagues most Americans (and many in the world).  In a word it just means Overload.  We are overloaded with technology in our society and a new study form China shows that this overload, mainly from Internet and Smart phone usage, causes what has been termed as Popcorn Brain.

David Levy, a  professor with the Information School at the University of Washington,  was quoted as saying "It’s (Popcorn Brain) defined as 'a brain so accustomed to the constant stimulation of electronic multitasking that we’re unfit for life offline, where things pop at a much slower pace.'"

Too many in America are literally addicted to the constant stimulation that online activity gives, I am no exception.  You most likely have Popcorn Brain if any of the following apply to you:
- You know you should clean the house but the computer/smart phone seems to literally beckon you to come sit and play.
-You feel the urge, a need, a MUST to check your e-mail/facebook page/twitter acct constantly (dang easy smart phones, I check FB ever hour on it!  not to mention the handy dandy updates it sends me whenever anyone does anything on my page).
- You have multiple electronic devices going on in your house at the same time.  On any given day I will have the TV going (mostly as background noise), the computer on and my phone in my hand.  I have been known to be on the computer doing 1 thing (like blogging) and on my phone doing another (FB updates most likely).

To quote an article on CNN...
"This is your brain on technology"
-Does life online give you 'popcorn brain'?
"The human brain is wired to crave the instant gratification, fast pace, and unpredictability of technology"
The article above talks about the study in China which determined that over use of Internet/Smart Phones can actually  "activate dopamine cells in the nucleus accumbens, a main pleasure center of the brain."  The study also showed that, overtime, those who abuse Internet usage actually have less grey matter, the thinking part of the brain.

It's literally like a drug, several other recent studies have also shown that computer/smart phone usage, as well as watching TV, stimulate the pleasure area of the brain.   These are the same areas stimulated by many addictive drugs.

Have you ever told yourself  "Today I am not going to get on the computer/smart phone!"?  What usually happens shortly after that proclamation?  For me I actually start to feel anxious, like I just NEED to do it.  I can't help it.  It's like going on a diet, as soon as I tell myself I can't have a certain food I really want it. 

I didn't used to be this bad.  When we just had a computer I would get on once or twice a day, check my emails and FB (or Myspace, remember Myspace?!) and then get off.  That was it.  Enter iPhone and it was all over for me!

It was really fun at first, the constant access that the iPhone gave me but it didn't take long for me to realize it was also consuming me.  I told myself it was ok though, everyone else was doing it.  It has only been in the last few weeks that I finally admitted to myself that maybe, possibly I have a "slight" (HUGE!) iPhone addiction. 


What changed?
I realized my iPhone addiction was hurting all efforts towards gentler parenting.  SERIOUSLY!  Again, it's like a drug, your brain acts just as it would if you were on drugs. Like anyone else on drugs when someone, even your own child, comes between you and your drug usage you lash out.

So, this Popcorn Brain that seemed so silly and almost humorous when I first learned about it suddenly took on a new meaning to me in the last few days.  I put two and two together and it was like a fog lifted and I could see things clearly.  Every single time I failed, every single time I let myself go there, loose it with the kids, yell, scream and threaten I had the phone in my hand.  Or, in the least I was sitting at the computer.

My brain was on overload and I was checked out of life.  As I looked back I could see clearly why such small simple things that should not bother me at all would irritate the crap out of me.  Like when the kids run around playing, screaming and laughing loudly.  Sadly I would allow myself to get all worked up and yell at them to stop. 

Anytime the kids would ask for even simple things I would lash out, act as if they were so rude and demanding of me.  It was because I was preoccupied, I was "busy" as I told them.  Busy on the phone doing what?  I don't even know.  I can't even tell you WHAT it is I do most of the time. 

They would ask for things and I would yell back that I would "do it in a minute, I am almost done" Sometimes "almost done" would easily stretch 30 minutes or more.  Kids, who have even less patience than me, cannot wait 30 minutes for anything. Obviously they would come back and ask for whatever it was they wanted several times and each time I would yell even louder setting us up for failure day after day after day.

I excused it away as my "adult time".  I told myself (and anyone else who would listen) that I needed adult interaction and this was my outlet.  I am stuck in the house with four kids age 5 and under after all.

Yes, if used properly, it is a great outlet to vent on occasion and help myself feel sane but I was abusing it.  I was treating it just like a drug, my iPhone was my own personal addiction.

I have serious family history of addictions.  Growing up every single adult member of my family on both sides had an addiction to something whether it was "minor" addictions to cigarettes or more major things such as alcohol, prescription drugs and basically every illegal drug you could fathom.  This is not an exaggeration, I honestly wish it was.  It was because of this that I never even allowed myself to try any sort of drug, EVER!  I have never put any sort of addictive drug (legal or illegal) in my body and have a serious fear of using even over the counter pain medication because I do not want to become addicted.  I knew I had a predisposition to addiction and I guess mine has manifested in the form of the iPhone/technology addiction.

I also get this way with books, I have not read a book (except kiddie books to my kids) since Kimmy was born because they consume me.  I get so into them that I close out the world around me.  I don't eat, sleep, shower, nothing.   I just read and read and read until I am done.  Is there a such thing as reading addiction? 


Passing it on to my kids!
I know I am passing this addiction on to my kids because they all, even Sariah, are obsessed with my phone.  I have some kid friendly/educational games on the phone that I let them play and they are obsessed.  They fight over it, refuse to take turns and flip out when I take the phone from them.

Not only that but they are also addicted to TV, something I was as a kid (hence my need to have it constantly on all time as background noise).  Excessive TV watching was one of the things I swore I would never let my kids do (I was one of those "perfect parents" before I had kids).  Recently I have been trying to turn the TV off more during the day, something made easier now that we no longer have cable but I can see the the addiction is already there.  Even Karma will say things like "oh no, TB broken" when the TV is simply turned off.  When Teddy wakes up before me, the first thing he does is turn the TV on.  They assume if it is turned off there must be something wrong with it.  The very first day that I turned it off just because Teddy asked me if the power was out.

What can you do?
In the last few days I have set a time limit for myself.  I get 2 hours a day of Internet time.  Once I hit the 2 hours that's it, I am done.  So on days like today, when I am blogging, I pretty much use up all of my time in the morning. 

I have also set times to check my phone for emails/FB updates.  I allow myself to check it in the morning when I first get up.  At 2pm when we have quiet time and at 8pm when the kids have gone to bed.  I basically try to limit it to when the kids are sleeping now.  I have been doing this for a few days now and it works out really well.  I don't find myself walking around so anxious with a constant need to check my phone every 30-60 minutes.  There has also been a lot less yelling, tantrums and meltdowns in the house from everyone, myself included. 

Lastly, I have decided to declare 1 day a week Internet/phone free day. I chose Sunday because I do not get on as much on Sundays as I do other days anyways.  So that means no more Sunday Surf/Sunday's With Grandma posts from me.

A great little side effect has occurred since I started cutting back on the iPhone/Internet time, my house is REALLY clean!


Do you suffer from Popcorn Brain?
If any of this sounds like you, most likely you do.

There is a test online you can take to determine if you have a problem: virtual addiction test. 
Seems a little bit of an oxymoron to have the test that determines if you have a problem with online usage online though.



Now, I need to cut the txting too!  I used to never txt.  I resisted it for years but we recently added unlimited txting to our plan this Spring and POOF, total txting junkie over here.  I seem to become addicted to technology rather quickly, maybe that's why I resist using it.  I am technology intimidated, I don't like learning how to use new technology so I just resist it.  I never wanted a smart phone to begin with.  I even refused to learn how to use Netflix forever, only learning when we shut our cable off as I needed to be able to put things on for the kids during the day. I better never give in to video games, they annoy me right now and I have never tried playing them.  I am sure I would become addicted rather quickly if I changed that.

Love,
this technology obsessed (but working on it) mama,
Christy

P.S. Hmmm, what blog should I write next, it's only been about an hour, I still have time......  KIDDING, KIDDING I swear!

P.P.S. If you see me online for a long time, feel free to say something and kick me off!

My Breastfeeding Journey in 95 Words

I came across a blog last night, shared by a friend on FB, that invited people to write about their breastfeeding journey in 100 words or less.  This was an exciting challenge and I wanted to be a part of it but I tend to ramble on and on, as many of you know.  How in the world could I ever keep my story to 100 words or less?  My journey includes 4 kids, difficulties nursing, tandem nursing, adoption, unexpected pregnancies, forced weanings.  It is a very emotional journey for me. 

In the end I decided to focus on the emotions I felt in the up and down ride and this is what I came up with.  I will be submitting it today and I really hope that they use it.  I also hope it's ok that I am sharing it here, I didn't see anything that said I could not share it on my own blog too.


A Breastfeeding Journey of 4....... First time mom, new baby boy..... Nervous, unsure, flat nipples, poor latch, pumping, finger feedings, frustration, trying so hard..... Triumph, he's got it, we're doing it, success...... New life, baby girl, latches on immediately, easy peasy, joyous, content, uneventful..... Surprise, baby girl, adoption, tandem nursing, bonding, comfortable, amazing, bliss..... Unexpected pregnancy, forced weaning, sadness, guilt..... New life number 4, baby girl, breech, emergency c-section, will she get it, fear... Strong latch, no worries, beautiful, blessed, complete.....  Ups and Downs, Joy and Sorrow, Hope, sacrifice, attachment...... through it all LOVE!


95 words, WOOT WOOT, I still had 5 to spare, that has to be some sort of record for me!

What would your story look like, in 100 words or less?

If you are interested in reading my complete nursing journey (thus far) you can check out my guest blog The Breastfeeding Rollercoaster: 4 babies, 4 years over at Natural Parents Network



Love,
this content mama,
Christy

Healthy Eating, Healthy Living: 16 Reasons to Avoid HFCS

I am sure I must annoy many of my friends and family with all of my talk about avoiding HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).  I constantly talk about reading labels and not feeding that stuff to my kids.  Once in awhile I am somewhat bamboozled by a brand that I trust that slipped it in with out me knowing either because I didn't read the label or because they used a different name.  The corn industry is sneaky like that, you have to learn to watch for many different names.  They know we catch on and start avoiding 1 particular ingredient (like HFCS) and they just change the name.

Names to watch out for:
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Crystalline Fructose- “is produced by allowing the fructose to crystallize from a fructose-enriched corn syrup.”  Sounds like HFCS to me!   
Corn Syrup- HFCS is made from Corn Syrup.  Corn Syrup is made from corn starch.  It is not the same as HFCS but the starting blocks of it.  Its not necessarily as bad for you but really not that good either so I suggest avoiding it.
Corn Syrup Solids- Same as corn syrup, not as bad for you has HFCS but it's still made by turning corn starch into glucose so probably best to avoid. 

Corn syrup solids are nothing more than a dried/dehydrated version of corn syrup, often used in powdered coffee creamers and similar products
High Maltose Corn Syrup- This link says it all, "Meet High Fructose Corn Syrup's Sneaky Cousin: High Maltose Corn Syrup".  I only discovered this new sneak tactic in the last week when I was reading the label of a trusted "all natural" brand.  I had band trust and brand loyalty and didn't think to check the label before buying this new product of theirs.  It was only after we had eaten half the box that I made the discovery.

Glucose Syrup- another name for corn syrup
Corn Sugar- I only added a link to this to show the corn industry's attempt to pass of HFCS as "corn sugar" and "natural".  I most assuredly do NOT agree with ANYTHING on that website!!

"IF YOU CAN’T CONVINCE THEM, CONFUSE THEM."
-Harry Truman

That's exactly what they are trying to do.  They are trying to convince and confuse us into believing that HFCS is natural and just like real sugar.  Corn Sugar, is the Corn industry's newest idea to slip HFCS in under the radar and make it sound "natural" after their failed Sweet Surprise/Get the Facts advertisement campaign of  claiming "HFCS is just like sugar and fine in moderation"

"High-fructose corn syrup and sugar are nutritionally and metabolically equivalent," the Corn Refiners Association said. "The name 'corn sugar' more accurately describes this sweetener ..."
- Michigan's sugar beet growers in fight against 'corn sugar'

The problem with that is, it is not even close to real sugar and there is no moderation with that stuff.  Almost every processed food in the grocery store from bread to snack cakes, chips to soda and even a few surprising ones such as lunch meat and pancake syrup, ice cream and even canned fruits/veggies often contain HFCS in them.  It is actually quite a challenge to avoid the stuff.  You really have to become a label reader and read every single label on every single item you buy.  Its the only real way to ensure nothing you are buying contains HFCS in it.

HFCS is unnatural and sweeter than sugar.  It actually makes your body crave MORE sweet things to eat.  It is also cheaper than sugar and has a longer shelf life which is why so many companies chose to use it instead.  It is an artificial way to keep food costs down.

I plan to write another post about avoiding all artificial sweeteners (as that is EXACTLY what HFCS is no matter what the anyone in the back pocket of the corn industry claims) but for now I will stick to the reasons why you want to avoid this stuff like the plague.

16 Reasons to Avoid HFCS:

1. HFCS has been associated with accelerating the aging process.  Gotta appeal to people vain sides, a diet that includes HFCS = aging much faster!
2. Obesity- and while we are on the subject of vanity HFCS is a KNOWN contributor to the obesity epidemic in the US.  50-100 years ago there was no obesity problem and you know what else, there was no HFCS, processed foods or fast food!!  Butter (and I mean REAL butter, made from a cow not fake plastic wanna be crap) is not our problem, other natural fats are not our problem,  Processed unnatural food like substances are the problem.  Our bodies do not know what to do with these unnatural wanna be foods.
"When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."
-Bart Hoebel, Psychology Professor at Princeton who conducted a study that showed that "all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same." 
the article also goes on to say that:
"In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year."
3. Its not REAL food- like too much "food" in America these days, HFCS is not REAL food.  It is a man made chemical that mimics sugar to our taste buds and our brain.  The problem is our bodies do not know what to do with it.  Store it as fat?  Attack and expel it out as a foreign toxin?  Our bodies just don't know.  Most food in America (and definitely anything that contains HFCS) can only be called a "food like substance" at best.  Fillers that are made cheaply with the intention of tricking your body into thinking you have eaten and are full.
4. Fructose is metabolized in the liver, diets high in HFCS may cause the liver to over work creating many liver problems up to and including liver failure.  Sugar is a perfect 50/50 balance of glucose and fructose.  HFCS can have anywhere from 55-80% fuctose causing the liver to over work.  Since it is created it is not an "exact" match for sugar and the acceptability range on the fructose balance fluctuates.
5. The liver can also develop cirrhosis when HFCS is consumed, a disease that is normally seen in alcoholics.  So if your diet includes HFCS you could avoid alcohol and never have a single drink your entire life yet end up with a liver that looks exactly like that of an alcoholic. (see #4 above)
6. HFCS has been linked to cellular inflammation and oxidative damage to the body.
7. Infertility- cellular inflammation and oxidative damage in the body can negatively impact fertility.  Add to that the fact that obesity can negatively impact fertility and anything that causes the body to be out of whack in any way can also cause fertility issues.  It's no wonder so many people in America suffer fertility issues.  So if you are trying to have a baby, put down that soda can!
8. When HFCS is consumed the body builds extra, very dangerous and unnecessary fat deposits around the heart, liver and digestive organs.
9. Consuming HFCS may cause and has been linked to Diabetes
10.  Consuming HFCS may cause and has been linked to Heart Disease- see #8, fatty deposits around the heart can lead to heart disease.
11. Consuming HFCS may cause and has been  linked to Kidney Damage/Kidney Disease-
"Researchers from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago took a look at the link between kidney disease and high-fructose corn syrup. Using data from nearly 9,400 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004, they tracked consumption of sugary soft drinks, a major source of high-fructose corn syrup in the United States, and protein in the urine, a sensitive marker for kidney disease. They found that overall, people who drank two or more sugary sodas a day were at 40 percent higher risk for kidney damage, while the risk for women soda drinkers nearly doubled."
-The New York Times: Still Spooked by High Fructose Corn Syrup
This TERRIFIES me because I already have plenty of kidney issues including chronic kidney stones and kidney infections.  I often jokingly ask my hubby if he will give me a kidney when mine fail but its really not that funny anymore!  I used to have an almost constant pain in my right lower back/side area (the right kidney is always the one that produces the stones) that began in my early 20's and became progressively worse as I got older.  It really flares up when I am pregnant. When I stopped consuming HFCS it went away.  When I started allowing myself to indulge in Dr. Pepper again (when the Dr. Pepper Throwback, made with real sugar, was no longer available to buy, it started out as 1 every 2-3 days and quickly jumped back up to 1 with lunch and 1 with dinner. ) the pain returned as well.  This was just last month and when I switched to a local Lemonade made with inverted cane juice and Natural Sierra Mist (made with real sugar) the pain is once again gone.  That's enough "proof" for me that the HFCS was doing something to my kidneys!  I also had and passed a kidney stone in the few months I was once again consuming the HFCS laden Dr. Pepper.  They appear to have kept the Pepsi and Mt. Dew throwback sodas but the Dr. Pepper is no longer available in any of the stores near me.
12. HFCS has been linked to many forms of cancer including the almost always deadly pancreatic cancer.  The pancreas is part of the digestive system.  It aids in insulin production and the breaking down of sugar into energy for the body.  The pancreas is just as confused with HFCS as the rest of the body.  HFCS causes the pancreas to have to work overtime.
13. HFCS causes you to over eat.  Since it is broken down differently in your body it does not trigger the correct release of hormones to tell your body you are full.  It creates a vicious cycle of confused "hunger" (your body thinks you are hungry when you are not) followed by over eating. 
14. Diets high in HFCS have been associated with Metabolic Syndrome which "is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes."
15. A 2008 study found that High Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury.
"Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies."
-The Washington Post
We all know Mercury is a huge toxin!!  I shudder at the thought of the amount of Dr. Pepper I have drank in my lifetime as I am pretty much 100% sure that is one of the "55 popular brand-name food and beverage products" they are talking about!
16. There is now evidence that links Colony Collapse Disorder (aka the disappearance of the Honey Bees) to HFCS.  Apparently some irresponsible bee keepers decided it would be cheaper and easier to feed their bees HFCS ("BRILLIANT" I know!), especially in the winter months when the bee's natural foods are not readily available.  The problem arises with, Hydroxymethylfurfural (try to say that 3 times fast! I don't even know how to pronounce it 1 time fast.) which is a byproduct of the heating process of HFCS and apparently a toxin to bee's.
So not only is HFCS potentially making us sick, reducing our life expectancy and eventually killing us off but its now linked to the disappearance of the honey bee's.  At first this may seem insignificant, unless like me you love honey, BUT bee's do a lot more than just make honey.  It is the process in which they make the honey, collecting nectar and at the same time pollinating plants, that is their most important contribution.  With out honey bees (and other pollinating insects/birds) our plants cannot reproduce and die off.  No plants = no food for us.  It is not a good scenario at all!

I have always been a believer in the "Everything in moderation is fine" mantra.  This is 1 area where I am going to have to become really strict and throw that out the window. As far as I am concerned, there is no room for moderation with any sort of "food like substance" 

I already try to make sure that no products containing HFCS (or any other form listed above) ever enters our home or my children's mouths.  Sometimes I am hoodwinked, as in the case of the High Maltose Corn Syrup.  Then there are a few areas, like Ted's soda, where this is over looked but as I mentioned in my first Healthy Living Post even he is now on board with these ideals and ready to give up the Mt. Dew habit (or at least switch to the Mt. Dew throwback which is a step in the right direction).  Now we have to work on getting the kids on board with the "no more Happy Meals" rule.  We never consumed them a lot, literally once every 4 weeks  (as it was usually the second pay day of the month because the first was always rent and had very little left over).  They are not going to be happy with this as they really look forward to Happy Meal night.

In the words of the documentary Food Inc. "Every time you go to the grocery store you are casting a vote."  People often become overwhelmed at the fact that HFCS is in everything and they think there is nothing we can do about it.  That we are stuck consuming this food like substance in our foods.  In this case, however, change can be simple, you just have to be willing to make it.  You have to be willing to put in the effort to read labels and avoid buying anything that contains HFCS.  Imagine the change we could make if even 1/4 of us began to avoid this stuff.  Cast your vote today!  Do you vote for HFCS, Obesity, Diabetes, over all poor health and possibly even death or do you vote for REAL FOODS?!


I know this blog post is heavily laden with links but I encourage you to read them and educate yourself.  Ultimately it is your body and your choice.  I for one choose real foods!

Love,
Christy

Healthy Living: 40 (because I could not come up with more) Uses for Honey

I am so excited, I have been wanting to start a series of posts called Healthy Eating and Healthy Living but I couldn't figure out how to keep them all together.  I even contemplated starting a new blog just for these posts but really wanted to keep everything here.  Then I FINALLY figured out the whole Labels thing on blogger and now I will be able to group them together for easy access (and all this time I thought the "tags" feature was to type in keywords to link your blog when people google things, I am quite computer challenged what can I say!).

I have been inspired to do these posts for awhile now to document our family's journey to a healthier lifestyle.  The motivation has increased recently due to my discovery of a blog called 100 Days of Real Food and from watching the documentary Food Matters.

Up until this point it has just been me alone on a quest to try and improve the overall health of my family with my hubby dragging his feet along the way.  Ok, so he was more like a kid not wanting to go take a bath who clings, claws and straddles the door so you cannot place them inside.  He refused to give up his fast food, white pasta's, white breads, white sugar, white everything as well as his beloved Mt. Dew.

He watched the majority of Food Matters with me and when it was over he told me I need to help him do better.  So he basically gave me full reign to take this family in the healthy direction I have been wanting to go for awhile now.

I must admit it wasn't all him dragging his feet though.  I still kept my crutches (hello Dr. Pepper, my frenemy!) and I used his refusal to switch as an excuse to indulge myself but now more.  I am going to hold myself accountable and make the changes we so desperately need.

I jumped on Ted's offer too the last time I went to the store.  I had been buying both white and wheat bread but this time it was only wheat.  I don't think he cares so much because I converted him to wrap sandwiches anyways.  They are so yummy that he doesn't care that they are also far better for you.

By far my favorite healthy discovery to date is Honey!  Local Honey to be exact but we will get to that in a minute (as there is a difference).  Honey has long been used not only for it's sweet taste but also for it's immune boosting and healing properties.  In the documentary Food Matters Honey is listed as one of the top Superfoods.  The use of honey both as food and as medicine dates back to the Eqyptians.
In researching all to post about the almost magical effects of honey I decided there was way too much information to compact down into 1 post so for now I am going to list some great uses for honey, as many as I can think of/find.  In the future I plan to write more on all the wonders that makes up this amber liquid gold.

"Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities."
-source: Health Benefits Of Honey

40 (because I could not come up with more) Uses for Honey:

1. Take approximately 1 tblsp of honey and in the palm of your hand mix with approximately 1 tsp of brown sugar.  Massage on face and remove with warm water or a warm rag-you will never use chemical facial cleansers again.
2. Next time you are working out or playing sports forget the sports drinks or even the water, instead opt for honey water.  Simply mix in 1 teasp per every 8 oz of water.  Honey is a natural energy booster, the glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly giving you the immediate energy you need and the  fructose is absorbed more slowly helping you to sustain the energy boost.
3. Place a dab of honey on a bee sting-the honey will draw the stinger right out. My grandma did this all the time when we were kids.
4. Eat 2 Tblsp of  LOCAL honey each day- this not only boosts your overall immune system BUT if you suffer from seasonal allergies local honey can help with the symptoms or even cure the allergies.
5. Next time you are baking some bread replace the required sugar with honey, not only will this make the over all bread healthier but it actually makes it taste yummier too.  I have started baking all of our bread goods (bread, rolls, pizza crust, bread sticks, hoagie buns, hamburger buns, etc) with honey instead of sugar.
6. Honey possesses natural antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
7. Use it as a salve on minor burns- because of its natural antibacterial properties as well as natural anti-inflammatory properties making it perfect to treat minor burns.
8. Spread honey on a cut or scrap- Honey is a natural antiseptic and just like with the minor burns the antibacterial properties make honey a great natural healing agent.  It also helps reduce swelling and pain and is even believed to help reduce scaring.
9. Help soothe a sore throat- I can personally attest to this one as we have all been sick in our household this week (pesky summer colds!).  I had never heard of or used honey for a sore throat before but just continued my daily 2Tbls's in the morning and noticed instant relief!  Honey is also antimicrobial so it not only soothes the sore throat but also kills the infection causing it.  Which would explain why I am getting better faster than Ted even though I got sick after him.
10. Speaking of being sick, you can also use honey to help aid with other general cold symptoms.  Again, with my normal habit of 2Tblsp each day I noticed relief not only of my sore throat but also of my sinus symptoms and over all fatigue.  This seems to last a few hours, about the same amount as over the counter medication, and when it wears off I just take 2 more.  So the next time you have a cold instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet, reach for the honey instead.
11. Trouble Sleeping?  Honey is a great sleep aid.  The whole "warm glass of milk and honey" trick your grandma used on you really does work it seems.  If milk is not your "thang" try it in a glass of tea, chamomile would be a great option as it is relaxing and also helps with sleep.
12. Honey is great for mild acne problems (see #1 for a simple but wonderful facial scrub)
13. Combine 1/2 cup of honey with 2 tblsp of Olive Oil and apply to your hair as a hair mask.  Allow to sit on hair 30 minutes, rinse with cool water (you may want to shampoo to ensure all of the honey is rinsed out).  This is a great deep conditioning treatment for hair.
14. Take a "Hot Honey Bath"  Add in 1/4-1/2 cup of honey to hot (not burning, but as hot as you can stand it) water and soak.  This is not only relaxing but it will also leave your skin silky soft.  It is rumored that Cleopatra herself took hot Milk & Honey bathes to keep her skin soft and youthful.
15.  Make your kids (and yourself) a nutritious healthy packed lunch simply by making Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey Sandwiches or as we call them in our house Monkey-Bee Sandwiches (we called just peanut butter and banana "Monkey" sandwiches, we added the Bee when we started adding the honey). My kids think I am letting them indulge in a treat as a meal but in reality this is 1 of the most nutritious things I could feed them.  We use 100% whole wheat/whole grain bread (I make sure its free of HFCS and other unnatural ingredients), Organic Peanut Butter and local Honey.  Sometimes we leave the bananas off and just have "Bee-Butter" sandwiches.
16. For a quick and healthy breakfast toast some 100% whole wheat/grain bread, add a smidge of REAL butter and a drizzle of honey and enjoy.  Honey is great for providing a boost of energy.
17. Honey helps prevent cancer- honey contains antioxidants, or bioflavonoids, which gives it carcinogen-preventing and anti-tumour properties.  This is not to say that it will cure cancer but it can definitely help prevent it from ever forming in your body.
18. It is believed that taking honey regularly can improve overall blood flow because the glucose provides energy in the bloodstream, which is then distributed throughout the body.  Glucose is believed to prevent capillary damage due to its ability to improve your blood flow.
19. Further, it is also believed that regular intake of honey can actually stabilize blood sugar levels.
20. Take the juice from 1 lemon and mix it with 2 Tblsp of honey- not only will this help with a sore throat but it will also help aid digestive problems (sour tummy anyone?).
21. Honey can prevent colon damage- if taken daily the antioxidants found in honey can strengthen the colon.
22. Honey is a natural Anxiety reliever.  If you are feeling anxious just take some honey straight or mixed in your favorite beverage/food.  Honey creates a natural mood stabilizing effect.
23. Honey can prevents Heart Disease (see #18)  Honey can preserve the quality of the produced blood, which can help to prevent heart disease in the process.
24. Honey can even SAVE limbs from antibiotic resistant infections such as MRSA and  group A streptococcus better known the Flesh Eating bacteria. (source: Honey Remedy Could Save Limbs by Brandon Keim)
25. Honey is great for eczema.  Karma suffers from eczema and a dab of honey on the little dry patches (usually on her back and legs) clears things right up.  If you don't want sticky clothes I would suggest some nakey time after you apply the honey.
26. Honey is a great treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (see #'s 2, 4 and 11 for starters)
27. This goes along with #22 as not only can Honey reduce your overall anxiety but in doing so it actually cane IMPROVE memory.  Less overall anxiety means better overall brain function including memory.
28. Honey can help improve and cure a Bladder Infection-this is great news to me as I have a lot of kidney/bladder problems including infections and stones.  To treat a bladder infection, mix one tsp. honey with two tsp. apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Stir well and drink once a day until the infection is cleared.
29. To go along with #28 to help pass a kidney stone combine 1 tsp. of basil with 1 tsp. of honey swallow. Kidney stones will be minimized and expelled easier using this concoction should.  Take once or twice a day.
30. Suffer from seasonal allergies?  Find LOCAL honey and consume daily (see #4).  The bee's collect pollen local to your area and turn it into the honey.  Giving yourself a low dose of this each day helps your body build up immunity to it so that you are no longer affected when you breath in the same pollen.  While there have been no formal studies done to prove this there was a study on allergies and honey conducted by students at Xavier University in New Orleans that produced positive results.
31. Even if the theory above is inaccurate honey is great for helping many sinus problems including to chronic sinusitis sufferers.  It is believed that the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of honey are the reasons for this and as I said in #10 it has helped all of my symptoms with this pesky cold, including the stuffy/runny nose and sinus pain.
32. If you drink tea or coffee (which I don't!) replace the sugar you would normally add with honey.
33. To relieve the achy sting of a sunburn, gently apply a thin layer of honey to the affected area.
34. Honey is lower in calories than sugar, containing 40% less calories than an equal amount of sugar.  This makes it very dieter friendly.
35. Honey can treat yeast infections- apply honey to the affected areas, allow to sit 5-10 minutes and wash off with a gentle unscented soap or pure water.  Repeat several times a day as needed.
36. Honey can treat athletes foot- rub honey on the infected area before bedtime. Cover the feet with old socks, and leave on overnight. Wash and thoroughly dry the feet in the morning.
36 Honey increases the beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria in the gut when included regularly in the diet.
37. Honey can help heal a diaper rash- with my cold that I currently have I cannot smell anything.  This is a blessing and a curse when it comes to stinky diapers.  Blessing that I don't have to smell them as I changed them and curse because I am not aware they exist until regular changing times.  Because of this Sariah got a bad diaper rash and after learning about the healing properties of honey I decided to try it.  For a regular diaper rash just apply a small amount of honey directly to the rash.  For a yeast diaper rash mix honey with tea tree oil and apply.  This really did help clear the rash up and it had no ill effects on my cloth diapers so I would say it is a cloth diaper friendly option.
38. For a cool summer treat mix up some honey water (see #2 ) and pout into an ice cube tray.  Freeze for a few hours and enjoy in your favorite beverage (I like them in cucumber water, you may enjoy them in tea if you drink tea).  You could also use popsicles sticks to give the kids a healthy treat. 
39. Enjoy honey in place of sugar for all of your recipes, this may need to be tweaked so play around with it.  Start out using equal amounts of honey for sugar and then use more or less as needed until you perfect it.
40. Add honey to your morning oatmal or cereal to give a great pick me up for the day.  Honey is also great on top of pancakes and waffles in place of syrup.

Make sure the honey you are buying is a good quality 100% pure honey.  Watch the big store brands, read the labels, many bigger brands have sugar, water and even High Fructose Corn Syrup in them.  They are not pure honey.  Try to find a local honey farm to purchase from.  I am lucky, one of the "perks" of living in the sticks is that our small country store carries a lot of locally made/grown/harvested foods.  I purchase my honey from them, its made less than 20 miles away.

There is no definition for how close honey has to be from to be considered "local".  A general consensus seems to be within a 20-30 mile radius or about as far as a bee can travel from the hive.

There are a few types of honey that seem to be held in high reguard for their healing properties, including Manuka Honey.  These honey's are, of course, far pricier and I think that while thay may be useful in extreme situations such as #24 when you are trying to save a limb, for the most part as long as you find a good local honey the rest of the benefits can be achieved.

I think I am going to glaze our fish tonight in Honey with some lemon and herbs, can that be #41?

Love,
this healthy livin' (hopefully!) mama,
Christy