ever wondered what to replace your mercury fillings with?

i have.  i know there are composites, but don't they have bpa in them?
when the mercury fillings are removed, don't you consume some?

this area can all be a little overwhelming.  mercola has a brand new article that can help us all decide what to do when we need a filling or want to have a mercury one removed and replaced.

read more here.

photo via here.

the switch witch : this candy-removing fairy gets major props

my awesome osteopath let me in on the best idea ever if i do not want to give my kid candy on halloween...

that idea is the SWITCH WITCH!  this bitch (i can't resist, i'm so excited) pops over to your house after a nightcap with the tooth fairy and takes your kid's candy to "all of the children in the world who do not get any candy on halloween." yes, the quotes were intentional. yes, the candy goes into the trash can.  and no, i do not normally condone lying to your kids.  though, i absolutely support you finding a way to get your kid's candy to all of the candy-needing children in the world if you have the means.

on the upside, you can go crazy and ask your kid to pick the ONE piece of candy that he would like to keep for himself before being so generous as to "give the rest away"......to the trash can.  i mean to the children of the world.

photo via here.

anyone interested in learning about nutrition?

after speaking with a friend yesterday about our toddlers' nutrition, i became inspired to write this post.  i'm not going to launch into a whole campaign here, but if you're interested in learning about what the best things to do for your body are, stick around.  these are the token books that changed my life and opened my eyes to what the body needs to stay healthy:

1.  ten years ago i read dr. nicolas perricone m.d.'s book the perricone prescription.  i instantly wanted to become a doctor....yeah, that didn't happen (i'm sure you hadn't noticed).  anywhoo, perricone is on the forefront of science and nutrition.  whereas i would recommend that you read the perricone prescription, i would probably moreso recommend that you get his recent 2007 book or even pre-order his september 2010 book.   this of course, because these newer books will no doubt have the most up-to-date information.  p.s. do not be scared by the over-abundance of [his own facial] plastic surgery, focus on skin-care, or his titles about weight-loss...you gotta trust me here.  his books are about your entire body and are extremely informative and eye-opening.

2.  after reading in perricone's books about the damage that a high-glycemic diet (SUGAR!) can have on the body, i read the zone by barry sears.  did you know that eating a baked potato has the same effect on your blood sugar levels as downing 8 spoons of sugar? again, try not to be deterred by the book's mention of weight-loss, etc. these guys gotta sell books, and god knows americans want to know the secrets of weight-loss, so....

3.  now after all of this, if you are curious about the quality and sources of food in america, you will definitely want to read the omnivore's dilemma by michael pollan.  this book is a bit of a bible to us organic hippies.  it left me talking about corn corn corn to everyone i came into contact with for days.  weeks....

if you would like to stay in the loop on up-to-date nutrition, check out mercola.com and sign up for his email newsletter.

"good" plastic snack cup

i have tried my fair share of small metal mugs, and sometimes small glass mason jars, full of snacks for my son.  as you might imagine, most of the food ends up on the floor, since there is no lid in this scenario.  so it's time for plastic.  bummer.  these are the best snack cups ---sorry, snack traps--- i could find and wanted to share.  they are bpa, phthalate, pvc, latex free.   but of course!

mason jar sippy cup

i have dailycandy to thank for this one.  the email newsletter they sent today had a great sippy cup called eio glass kids cup ($15) that is a glass mason jar with silicon sleeve (non-bpa, etc) and top.  it's cool too, because new-drinkers can learn how to properly drink from a cup instead of sucking a built-in straw or other device like some other sippy cups.  purchase it here.

reuse it on your own 8 oz mason jar.  all parts are dishwasher safe.

feed baby breast milk bottle at the same time of day it was pumped.

that's right, recent studies show that nucleotides (structural units of dna), and other ingredients in breast milk, perform an important role in regulating a baby's sleep.  they suggest that you if you pump at night, label the stored milk with the time, and feed it to the baby at the same time of night on a later date.  read more here.

an excerpt:

"You wouldn't give anyone a coffee at night, and the same is true of milk – it has day-specific ingredients that stimulate activity in the infant, and other night-time components that help the baby to rest", explains Sánchez.

photo via here.

i keep coming across articles about foods kids choke on...

...so i feel like i need to share.  warning labels are being considered for certain packaged foods that kids can choke on like popcorn (apparently, some kids inhale it into their bronchial pipes).  my son is 18 months and got his molars around 3 months ago, so i sometimes feel like he can chew up most foods.  but, i just learned that children do not develop proper chewing up and swallowing skills until 3 or 4 years old.  also, a toddler's throat decreases to the size of a straw in a certain area---SCARY!!

so please be cautious and cut up choke-able foods for toddlers like apples, raw carrots, etc. into pea-size pieces.  see two recent articles here and here.

for info on heimlich (to be used on kids over 1-year-old) and infant hemlich read this recent post.

photo via here.

new studies on gm foods--including hair growing in mouth

gm stands for genetically modified...sound delicious?  well, ever since 1995, thousands of crops in the u.s. have been grown with seeds that are genetically modified.  they are modified, on a cellular level, in an effort to fight pests and grow "better" plants, although ultimately they have done neither.

in 1999, the european public spoke up and outlawed gmo's.  sadly, 11 years later, the united states is still using us as guinea pigs and does not have to disclose if foods are in fact genetically modified.  click here to sign a petition to ask obama to start labeling gm foods.

recent studies have shown that hamsters fed gmo soy are sterile within 3 generations.  additionally, they have an unusual abundance of hair growth inside of their mouths (bleck!!).  rats have shown in some gm studies to be infertile by the 2nd generation and have high infant mortality rates.

please read more about gmo's and your health here.

please tell your grocer, schools and politicians that you will not buy the following foods that are gm in the u.s.:

1. soy
2. corn
3. cottonseed oil
4. canola (canola oil)
5. sugar from sugar beets
6. hawaiian papaya
7. some zucchini
8. crookneck squash

oh dear, do you know how much corn is in the american diet?...not to mention soy.  corn is in cow feed (hello grass-fed beef and dairy), chicken feed, corn syrup, citric acid (ok, that's in everything, right?), chips, xanthan gum, and a bajillion other things.   your safest bet is to eat organic whole foods.

click here for a list of foods and products, including infant formulas and coke products, that may contain gm ingredients.  it also includes a list of which products are safe.

photos via here and here.

adhd linked to pesticides.

the bright side of this recent study linking adhd to pesticides, is that we realize that they have serious effects on our health and that the sooner pesticides are eliminated from a child's life, the healthier he will be.  meaning--PAY ATTENTION FOLKS!!!--you are being handed information that will help you and your children.  go organic whenever possible...and read the post below this one....

photo via here.

organic can be expensive...

i think we've all heard the whole foods nickname "whole paycheck" for a reason....it ain't cheap.  try to buy organic at your local farmer's market, trader joes, or check out this updated 2010 list of which 12 fruits and veggies are treated with the most pesticides and should only be purchased organic.  the list also tells you the top 15 that you could go non-organic on if you need to save money.

UPDATE: cnn.com did a a great piece on this topic/list a couple weeks after i originally wrote this post.

photo via here.

produce bags--if you can remember them.

that's the challenge really, isnt it? -- simply remembering to grab just 2 of those 19 reusable bags that you have by the back door before you head out to the grocery store or farmers market.  well, for those of you who have mastered it, you are ready to move on to the next level....

mesh produce bags!  if it kills you to use a plastic bag at the market (i literally pile produce in my cart to avoid it, much to the cashier's chagrin), consider investing in some cotton mesh produce bags.  they come in a few sizes, can go straight into the fridge, and of course can be used for other items like nuts, dried fruit, etc.

ecobags.com (or see amazon link in right sidebar) has a nice selection of cotton produce bags, including some that are more solid than the mesh--which are nice for bulk grains, bread, and more...

what's the deal with raw milk?

for some reason, i keep ending up in raw milk conversations lately.  i know.  i need help.   after bookmarking some sites recently to mention on here, today i received an email about...you guessed it....raw milk. so here's the deal-y...

the milk that you buy in the store, put in your coffee, and feed to your kids is pasteurized.  it has been heat treated to nearly beyond recognition.  its best qualities have been killed.

pasteurization goes hand in hand with factory farmers.  they raise unhealthy cows on grain (cows should only naturally eat grass), pump them full of antibiotics and hormones, then heat treat the milk to kill "potential pathogens".

raw milk is a complete food from healthy, well-cared for, grass-fed cows, full of valuable enzymes, beneficial bacteria, good fats, and much more.

please read more here, including a eye-opening interview with organic pastures' founder mark mcafee.  they are a great company (i speak from personal experience) that sells raw milk, kefir and more here in los angeles at many farmers' markets.  they ship!  and also offer glass bottles.

click here for where to find raw milk in your state.  and click here for a raw milk facts site.

photo via here.

a helpful item if you ever plan to leave the house again...

if we are going to be away from the house during my son's mealtime, we like to heat his food at home before we leave.  we just drop the food-filled canning jars, with the lids removed, right into a boiling pot of water for a few minutes.  then, we pack them into a handy dandy bottle tote.  i can easily stack 3 of the 4 oz size canning jars in there. if it's going to be a while before he eats, we add a flexible hot pack inside.

certainly, they can be used to keep bottles warm and regular baby food jars too.  der.

this bottle tote by diaper dude is made from recycled plastic water bottles, and a portion of proceeds are donated to global green usa.  it costs $13.95.

photo courtesy of amazon.com

four items you need to be a kitchen savvy mom

ok, so i never really cooked before my son was born.  i'll spare you all of the jokes and hahaha stories about it all.  now, feeding my son fresh food at every meal is something i would love to do for as long as possible.

it is important to note that i am not cooking for teenagers or even kids, but for a 15 month old.   i always heard the stories about how picky kids can be about eating their vegetables, but so far so good.  i guess as long as babies aren't exposed to unhealthy stuff, they don't know the difference.  i'm veering off point....

alright, so the four items (see right sidebar for amazon links/photos):

1.  canning jar(s) in 4 oz. size

2.  steamer

3.  awesome pairing knife : $10 each at williams sonoma or cost plus--colorful and comes with a cover!!

4.  non-plastic small cutting board

once a week, we make a large batch of mixed split peas, lentils, flax seeds, and barley that we dip into for lunch and dinner.  you can fill one of the jars with a serving of the mix and drop it right into an inch of boiling water to reheat.  put the lid on the pot and food will reheat quickly.  while you're at it, chuck a few fresh veggies (pea shoots, mushrooms, broccoli) into the boiling water to cook.  you can also do all of this using a mesh steamer in the pot, but it takes a little longer.

pull all of the boiled/steamed veggies out and dice with your pairing knife on your non-plastic small cutting board.   get ready for some breaking news here...you can also dice fruit on your cutting board too!!

i am like cordon bleu trained now as far as my son knows!


photo courtesy of williamssonoma.com

want to make sure you're eating healthy?

forgive me, as i have mentioned this site before, but i realized that maybe it was buried too deep in a long former post of mine, and didn't get the attention it deserves!  the site is nutrition data.  ok, not the kicky-est name, but freakin' awesome, nonetheless.

on nutrition data, you can search for nutritional info in a few different ways:

1.  select a nutrient from their thorough list (eg. zinc, iron, vit d) and up pops all foods that include that nutrient listed in descending order.

2.  type any food into the search box and up pops its nutritional info (eq all nutrients, calories, etc).


dare i tell you that you can check out fast food info on here too?  i told you it's thorough!

highchair time

i have spent the last 14 months since my son's birth avoiding getting a highchair.  i knew it wasn't in the budget to spend $200-$500 on a cool one, yet i desired something non-plastic and non-hideous looking.

my main avoidance was actually because there is something so unnatural to me about being strapped into a 5-point harness while just trying to enjoy a meal.  you know, the r.i.e. method (which we do take follow in this department) says to feed kids on your lap until they are able to feed themselves.  at which point, they should have their own little table to sit at.  the belief is that the child will be able to make his own decisions about how much he wants to eat....when he is finished, he can get up.   i digress....

anywhoo, i was procrastinating thinking i would have to dig up an old wooden highchair on craigslist or something.  fortunately, i came across a great wooden chair by svan called the anka highchair that retails for $179.

it comes in a few different non-toxic wood finish options, folds up, includes a washable cushion, has a wooden tray or plastic tray cover that is phthalate and bpa-free, is made of sustainable birch wood, is adjustable from 6 months to 5 years old, is table height, and has a 3 point belt harness.  perfect!!!

oh, and you don't have to move into a mid-century modern house to feel like your highchair fits into your home decor.

your little one won't drink the prune juice?

are you trying to beat your baby's case of constipation with prune juice, but he just refuses to drink the stuff?  you may want to see if he'll take it spoon fed out of a little bowl or buy a glass dropper and sneak some into his mouth.  you gotta do what you gotta do...oh and buy organic whenever possible.

why buy baby spoons?

not only do these little cappuccino spoons come in handy at any given restaurant for your baby to "chew" on while teething, but they are a nice affordable option for when he starts solids.  many baby spoons are entirely plastic or have a rubber coating over the end, but as long as you test for heat and make sure your baby isn't cramming these into his teeth, these stainless steel demi tasse spoons are all good.

they are the perfect size and the price is right (8 for $10)!  maybe buy 2 sets....

ok. have me admitted....

i just got excited over a hemp cotton sandwich bag sold on the site lifewithoutplastic.com!

this is my new favorite site!  i was in search of some affordable stainless dishes for my son (and hadn't fully committed to feeding him out of a metal dog bowl, yet) and came across this, my fantasy site. yes, i am laughing out loud at how ridiculous i am, don't worry.

but seriously folks, these guys have an awesome assortment of everything from stainless leftovers boxes to wool insulated lunch bags to stainless water dispensers (get rid of your plastic water cooler!). wow.  some really unique stuff.

10% off with offer code FUNNEWSTUFF until dec 15th

free shipping on orders over $100 until dec 15th

coming soon--stainless ice cube trays--wahoo!!

so easy! make your own organic baby food for cheap.

whenever you decide to introduce solids, you can start slow and introduce one meal a day.  funny, we use the word solid, but the phrase should be "introducing goop."

if you intend to store batches, try to stock up on some glass baby food jars, as mentioned in a prior post, or order some 4 oz. mason jars on amazon (see amazon link in sidebar).  order a couple dozen if you really want to make life easier.

though we haven't introduced meat to our one-year-old, dinner is in the style of a meat and one or 2 sides.

our "meat" (otherwise referred to as "mulch" by my husband):
combo of high-ish protein, high fiber items---anything from organic lentils to barley to split peas to broccoli to green beans.  we literally combine all of these.  they are cooked, if necessary, and run through our twin gear juicer (see amazon link in sidebar).  here are more affordable single gear juicers : omega 8003 and green star.  read more here on why blenders are not ideal for pureeing food.

sides:
any single or combined organic fruit or veggie...more often fruit.

pick one day every week or 2 to make a batch.  cook, if necessary, and then run everything through the juicer (including skins--high in good enzymes) or dice by hand.  keep enough in the fridge for 3 days worth and freeze the rest for the coming week.

then, any time you want, you can grab a couple from the freezer and leave them in the fridge to thaw for the next night's dinner.  it's fun for you, and baby, to mix and match.

here are some helpful sites:

nutritional information on all foods with info on steamed, raw, etc of each.  enter item in search box.  or you can enter the nutrient you desire and it will reply with a food match.

shelf life info whether refrigerated or frozen.


bon appetit!!

UPDATE : my son would only eat pureed foods until he was about 13 months.  at which point, he started protesting by spitting them out.  he wanted little diced morsels of solids instead.