As a mom to a very active boy and a self- proclaimed klutz myself, we get our fair share of cuts, scrapes, and bruises in my house. My typical regimen used to be to wash the cut, apply some Neosporin, and cover it with a bandage. In my quest to eliminate unnecessary antibiotic use (its everywhere- Neosporin/triple antibiotic cream, in hand soap and sanitizer, and of course in our food supply) I have since been reaching for my trusty jar of Coconut Oil to battle our wounds!
Coconut oil has so many great uses around the home. I especially love it as a body care product because it is a pure and organic substance, and has natural antibacterial and antiviral properties. I cut my finger while chopping vegetables last week and immediately washed and dried my hand. I applied some coconut oil right away, and a little more before bed and the cut healed up within a few days. I have used it on other small cuts and scrapes over the year and have always healed up perfectly!
Coconut oil is also great for mild skin rashes. My son LOVES strawberries. We recently took a trip to an organic you-pick strawberry farm so we have a lot of them around the house. We try to limit how many strawberries he eats because he is slightly sensitive to them. He must have snuck a few extras over the days because he developed a light rash around his mouth. It doesn’t seem to bother him at all, but we had to cut him off from the berries! I applied coconut oil to his rash and it cleared up within 2 days. Since this rash is so close to his mouth, I especially like using a product on him that would be safe if ingested.
After my son was born last year, he developed a small case of cradle cap. Though this is harmless, I wanted to try a gentle method to remove this excess dry skin on his head. During his bath time I would rub a small amount of coconut oil on his head and let it sit while I finished his bath. At the end I took a small baby comb, and combed the dry skin right out! The coconut oil help gently remove the dead skin without having to use any type of chemical dandruff shampoo.
Next time you get a small cut or scrape, skip the antibiotic cream and rub a little coconut oil on it! I think you will be amazed at how effective it is in sealing your cut and healing you up!
Month: June 2014
Our “Over-Sugared” Nation and the rise in Diabetes
Do you know anyone with diabetes? Do you have diabetes yourself? I am not diabetic, but I know quite a few individuals that suffer from this disease, and I have also lost friends and loved ones to diabetes. It is now estimated that nearly 10% of the United States population (30 million people) suffer from either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. This number is astounding! Sadly, diabetes is beginning to affect younger and younger generations, with elementary age children even being affected. It is time to change our lifestyle in this country because the continued rise in disease cannot be fixed with medication.
Diabetes can cause very serious complications including high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, and death. I currently have two family members that suffer from diabetes, each suffering from a different type. Though the disease is not in my immediate blood line, this gives me great reason to look at my own diet, and specifically my sugar consumption. After losing a friend to diabetes a few weeks ago, the time to make a change is now.
I have never thought much about my sugar consumption until recently. I generally eat well, but I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. I was astounded to find that sugar content in some of the items that I never considered (bread, yogurt, salad dressing, and pretty much every packaged food on the shelf). This week I have decided to start reading nutrition labels on food, this time searching for sugar content. This will not be an overnight change, but my hope is to slowly replace some of the higher sugar items with healthier alternatives. After my discovery of the sugar content in store-bought yogurt, I have made the switch to homemade plain yogurt to cut my sugar consumption. I have started to use olive oil and infused vinegar for salads, over the pre-packaged dressings in the store. Over the next few weeks I am planning to cut down on my consumption of bread, potatoes, and some fruits (I love grapes, but found that they have an extremely high amount of sugar- similar to eating a Twinkie! I will not completely cut grapes from my diet as they do provide health benefits, but I will focus on lower sugar fruits for the bulk of my nutrition). I have already made some changes to my desserts and sweets and have cut out most of the cakes, cookies, and ice cream and have replaced it with a piece of dark chocolate when I am really craving dessert.
I am hoping that over the next few weeks I will slowly lose my desire for sugars. I feel like I have already made some progress in not wanting dessert every night! It takes a lot of time to read labels and consider all of your food choices, but in the end knowledge is the best medicine we have against disease.
Natural and Organic Sunscreens- safer, but are they effective?
There is quite a debate on the use of sunscreen for sun protection. Those in favor report the rising incidence of melanoma and other skin cancers. They point to the ease of your skin burning without protection. Those against it report sunscreens’ process of blocking UVB rays which are needed for the body to produce vitamin D (thus leading to possible melanoma from a vitamin D deficiency). They also refer to the host of chemicals found in today’s sunscreens to make them invisible on the skin, water-proof and all of the other traits we look for.
I split my decision on sunscreen by doing the following: not applying sunscreen if I am only going outside for a short amount of time (30 minutes or less) or leaving my skin unprotected for 30 minutes and then applying a natural sunscreen to protect my skin for the rest of the day. This allows me some unprotected time to soak up those UVB rays and produce vitamin D. I burn easily so not using lotion is not an option. We also spend a lot of time on the lake so staying out of the sun is not a good option either.
I’ve had some trouble in the past in finding a face sunscreen that didn’t cause my skin to break out in a rash. Every time I would apply sunscreen to my face, I would get a cluster of small whiteheads along the corners of my mouth and on my lower cheek. After purchasing bottle after bottle of sensitive and even baby sunscreen, I finally found a few options that work great for sensitive skin, and also provide a more natural sun protection without all the chemical additives. I now make my own sunscreen (www.etsy.com/shop/crunchygranolamamas), but these store bought options are great too!
Eminence Vanilla Day Cream- this stuff is amazing. It is a thick cream that moisturizes well, but absorbs quickly for a silky finish. It has a light Vanilla scent and an SPF of 32, making it perfect for daily use. Better yet, it is an organic product with skin firming properties!
MyChelle Sunscreen- this light formula offers great sun protection with a minimal list of ingredients. It contains Zinc Oxide so it leaves a slightly chalky sheen on your skin, but it is barely noticeable.
Having a baby that enjoys being outdoors and on the water sent me in search of some kid friendly sunscreens as well. I recently purchased Aubrey Kids Natural Sun SPF30 and so far really like it! The bottle comes with a spray nozzle making it easy to apply, and the protection is great.
I also use the MyChelle sunscreen on my boy and both products have been great for his baby sensitive skin.
I am so glad to have found these natural and effective options. The one downside I have experienced with natural and organic sunscreens is the shorter shelf-life. If you do not use an open bottle within a year, it begins to grow some mold. I figure this is the price you pay for a product that is not loaded with chemical shelf stabilizers! Plus, you should always use your sunscreen up within a year or throw away as it loses its potency over time.
Though these sunscreens do not tote the familiar taglines of the bigger brands: “sweat-proof, water-proof, all-day protection” etc… I find them to be very effective when used and applied after swimming or sweating. The cost is comparable to the big brands, making these a wonderful option for any health conscious “granola”.
What has your experience been with natural sunscreens? Have you experienced the chalky white residue that some natural sunscreens leave behind?
Full-Fat, Low-Fat, Non-Fat…which is best for health and weight-loss?
Today I am sharing my own personal thoughts and experience with weight-loss. I know that everyone has different obstacles and different bodies and one size does not fit all. My story is not one about the latest fad or diet trend, but instead an account of what happened when I changed my food mindset and looked at food as a source of energy and life. I found great health and a better relationship with my body and with food when I committed to eating real food.
I want to share a message that took me a good 10 years or longer to learn- Eating fat does not make you FAT! Like almost every person on earth, I went through a period of time where I wanted to lose weight. I tried exercise, low-fat foods, restricting foods, and unfortunately I also tried some dangerous diet pills. Nothing worked, and looking back I was probably the most unhealthy I have ever been.
A few years ago when I became pregnant with my first child, I knew I needed to change my eating habits. I chose to purse the most natural diet I could and avoided fat-free, low-fat, and highly processed foods. I took all focus off of what I thought of as “bad” foods that would make me fat, and instead focused on foods I needed to grow a healthy baby. For the first time in my life I focused on the nutrition that food provided, versus the potential weight gain. Throughout my pregnancy I consumed full-fat milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt. I used coconut oil, olive oil, and grape seed oil in my cooking, using as much as I needed for the dish, without worrying about the calorie content. I ate free-range organic eggs, consumed whole milk, and only bought clean (antibiotic free/hormone free) meats and mostly organic veggies. I also experimented with different grains (I ate Carbs!). I made more dishes with quinoa, barley, and millet, and less with white rice and pasta. I still indulged in treats and snacks, but 80% or so of my diet was healthy, whole foods in their original or close to original state.
The result of this diet during pregnancy led to a 28 pound gain by the day I delivered, and 9 lbs 3 oz of that weight was all baby (he was a big baby boy!). I had a very healthy pregnancy with no health concerns, no high sugar issues, no swelling or nausea, and no labor or delivery complications. This can be attributed to good luck and good genes, but I believe my diet played a large role.
I continued this diet after pregnancy and 1 week post-partum I was down 30 pounds to my pre-baby weight. Within 6 months of delivery I was down an additional 30 pounds and had not changed my lifestyle at all, aside from eating healthy fats and real foods! I also traded daily workouts with chasing after an active baby Prior to this I had tried for years to drop weight by going low-fat, exercising constantly, and cutting entire food groups and had never lost more than 10 pounds before eventually putting it all back on. For the first time I was eating fat and whole foods, and losing weight without really trying! I continue to this day to eat this way and have maintained this weight loss for over a year now. I am rarely sick (I used to get 4-5 colds, sore throats, ear infections a year) and if I do come down with something, I recover within 2-3 days without the use of prescription medicines. For me, this change in lifestyle has led me down a path of superior health and a better understanding of my body.
I believe in the power of good fats and recommend that everyone consider the benefits of consuming quality foods in their natural state (in moderation of course). Through my journey I found that focusing on nutrition versus fat/calorie content allowed me to see food as energy for my body instead of “good/bad foods”. Don’t get me wrong, I still indulge in dessert and enjoy every minute of it! But I’ve been able to break the hold that food had on me and found my healthiest self in the process.
If you are interested in learning more of the science behind eating fats, I recommend reading an article online in the Huffington Post, written by Dr. Mark Hyman. You can find this data everywhere, but I like the flow and easy explanation provided in this particular article. Based on my experience and current health, I fully believe in eating a diet containing good fats and have found great health and weight-loss success in moving to a traditional diet of all REAL foods in moderation. Remember, low-fat does not equal weight loss!
30 Days to stronger abs, arms, and Butt! In less than 10 minutes a day!
I’m a busy mom with little time to work out between my full-time job and my family. With the nicer weather it is a little easier to get out for a walk now and then, but that only seems to happen a few days a week, if I’m lucky! I would like to work up to 20-30 minute workouts each morning but usually fail to get up on time to do so. In order to ease back into a regular work-out schedule, I created a month-long challenge that requires approximately 10 minutes per day.
I started this plan in May and unfortunately only made it about half-way through. It is very easy to stick to and takes little time so I plan to start it again! I chose the exercises based on the areas that I am most interested in toning: arms, butt, and abs. Below is the month-long plan (there are actually 39 days in the challenge, but who’s counting!).
What’s your favorite “busy mom” workout?
Baby Butt Rash- natural methods to heal your baby’s skin
As my young baby boy has grown he has experienced his fair share of rashes on his little bottom! This usually appears during difficult teething periods and can last for a few days. When we first brought him home I used the stock of A&D ointment and Desitin that I received from my baby shower. After a particularly bad rash with days of using Desitin I noticed that he almost seemed to have a chemical burn from this ointment. I did some research and found that you should not use Desitin on open skin sores, which is what he suffered from with a bad rash. I knew I needed to find a safer alternative that would sooth his skin and not cause further irritation. I tried a few different natural and organic options and the one I found to work the best is CJ’s BUTTer!
CJ’s BUTTer is a natural ointment containing only ingredients I recognize: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Oil, and Vitamin E Oil. It can be used daily on baby’s bum, and can also be used anywhere you or baby experience dry skin (arms, legs, face, hands). The formula comes in an ointment and a spray, and comes in a range of scents (including unscented). I have both the ointment and the spray and I love them both. The liquid spray is great for regular changes when there is not real threat of rash. It has become part of my regular changing process to squirt a little bit of the oil on my baby’s butt before diapering him. He always giggles at the spray, and the oils keep his skin smooth. The ointment is great for times when a rash seems to be appearing and I need something a little heavier. This stuff has really kept the rashes down. Even better, when he does develop a rash, this ointment seems to sooth his skin and he stops crying when I apply it (versus crying harder with the Desitin since it was burning).
A second method I use when my boy gets a diaper rash is a baking soda bath. It is as simple as it sounds; I fill his bath with warm water, add a few spoon-fuls of Aluminum-free Baking Soda, and let him soak. The Baking Soda helps sooth and heal his rash and when combined with some CJ’s Butt Butter before bed, it usually clears up the rash by the next morning.
I believe there are times when a zinc oxide cream can and should be used, but CJ’s BUTTer has helped us dramatically cut down those incidences since we are preventing rashes instead of just treating them.
Have you found any products that really work wonders for your baby’s rash?
Rutin heals Hemorrhoids!
Sensitive topic alert! If you are squeamish about personal body ailments and issues, stop reading now! If you are like most adults, you have probably experienced Hemorrhoids in your life. I have experienced a Hemorrhoid or two in my day, but delivering a 9lb 3oz baby last year gave me a good reason to find a cure for these bad boys.
As with most of my ailments I began all hemorrhoid treatments the same: Preparation H cream a few times a day. When I was younger things seemed to bounce back easier and a few days on the cream would heal me right up. After childbirth, things have not healed so easily! I was sent home from the hospital with a plethora of options: Tucks medicated pads, hydrocortisone cream, icepacks, and a medicated spray. I used these items religiously until they were gone, and then bought more medicated pads and cream to continue treating my hemorrhoids. After 6-7 months I was still suffering and things were not getting better. I pulled out my trusty dictionary of herbals and supplements in search of a cure. The first and last supplement I tried was Rutin. Rutin helps strengthen the blood vessels in the body and is often used by those suffering from varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and it can even help prevent stroke.
I am currently taking the VitaCost brand of Rutin and have had great success. I have used other brands as well with similar positive results. After taking this supplement for a week my hemorrhoids were gone! I continued taking 1 supplement every other day for a few months and never had another issue. Around April of this year I forgetting to take my Rutin and low and behold, after a month and a half the hemorrhoid’s returned. I have since started taking my Rutin again and have found relief already. Since I caught the issue early, the pain cleared up within 2 days. Although this doesn’t seem to provide a lifetime cure for this ailment, it is a much healthier alternative to hydrocortisone creams, and in my opinion is preferable over applying the creams with each bathroom break!
Ginger Root Tea- It does more than cure nausea!
Ginger has long been known as a cure for stomach ailments. I remember drinking Ginger Ale soda when I was younger and had an upset stomach. I’ve also had a lot of friends that ate Ginger candies to help battle nausea during pregnancy. A recent discovery I made is that ginger is also great for reducing inflammation in the body. My mom has been making and drinking ginger tea to help with some mild inflammation in her feet. I am a big fan of the spicy flavor of ginger (I especially love it served with fresh sushi)! Since I occasionally suffer from upset stomach I figured I would make up a batch of tea for myself to aid in regular digestion. This stuff is spicy and has a kick! The recipe can be adjust based on your preference for sweetness and tea strength. Below is the recipe I used, courtesy of my momma:
½ pound of fresh ginger root-roughly peeled and cubed
2 quarts of water
2 lemons- halved
Sweeter if desired (I used 2 packs of Sugar in the Raw)
¼ cup Black cherry or Tart cherry juice concentrate (for a little extra flavor and color)
Add your water to a sauce pan along with the ginger. Simmer on medium-low for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to 4 hours. Remove your tea from the heat and add your sweetener and squeezed lemons. Once cool, strain your tea into a container for storage and add your cherry juice. Refrigerate and serve cold.
This recipe makes for a strong tea with some great spice! I couldn’t taste any sweetness so it must have been just enough sugar to help cut the acidity in the lemons. It tingles your throat a little bit, but I love spice so I thought it was great! For a more mild tea you could add more water, cut some of the lemon, and add a little more sugar.
My husband drank some of this recently after he started to feel a sore throat coming on. He had a glass before bed and woke up feeling great! He never ended up getting sick, and we believe that the medicinal properties of the ginger calmed his inflammation and he was able to fight off the bug. Many cultures today drink hot ginger tea to fight colds and flu as ginger has great anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Ginger can also be taken to help improve the efficiency of other herbals and supplements as it improves circulation in the body. This drink will definitely be a staple in my house when we move into cold and flu season this fall!
Dry skin? Try Almond Oil!
Coconut Oil has gained great popularity over the last few years for its multiple benefits. It is a great ingredient in baked goods and low heat frying, it can be consumed for weight-loss, used topically as a moisturizer or on cuts and scrapes, it is even believed that is can be applied for sun protection. Coconut oil is a good moisturizer, but it is very light, absorbs very quickly, and often leaves my skin feeling a little dry shortly after. Though I love it for my deodorant for its quick absorbency, I don’t love it so much for my dry arms and legs.
Food grade Almond Oil is a great option for moisturizing your skin and you can purchase it in its natural and organic state. It is a thicker oil that moisturizes well, but doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Almond Oil also works wonders in my baby boy’s bath tub. He is not very patient when he gets out of the bath so trying to apply lotion to his skin is usually not an option. I just drizzle a little almond oil in his bath tub and it moisturizes his skin while he bathes! No lotion required! Even better, Almond Oil won’t hurt him if he accidentally ingests some of his bath water (which happens on occasion- he really likes to splash!). Mineral oils found in most baby oils are very toxic if swallowed so it makes me feel better knowing there is no danger at bath time.
Do you have any skin products that you absolutely love?
What I ALWAYS buy organic…and what I will buy conventional
Eating organic can be expensive! With farmer’s markets picking up around the country it does give the average consume better options for organic, or at the very least local produce. I feel lucky to live in a city where a farmer’s market is happening every day of the week! I strongly believe in supporting local farmers and buy 90% of my produce from the market during the summer. There is also nothing else like consuming produce that was picked that day. Many small farmers practice organic standards, even if they can’t afford the official organic certification.
Since most people (myself included!) can’t afford to buy 100% organic, 100% of the time, I’ve compiled a list to share with you. I have 2 different categories in mind when I grocery shop: things I must buy organic and things I only buy organic if the price difference is minimal.
Here are the items that I ALWAYS buy Organic:
Meat- I always buy hormone/antibiotic free chicken and beef. When buying lunchmeat I purchase organic uncured meat (I really like Applegate Farms and the organic line from Kroger grocery stores). We also eat bacon from time to time and I buy the uncured versions. I feel like the hormones and antibiotics in animal products do the most damage so I prioritize our grocery budget for these items.
Animal products – my family consumes raw grass-fed cow milk, organic butter, homemade yogurt made with organic pasteurized milk, and organic cheese (most of the time, but in a pinch I will buy the shredded Kraft bag of cheese. Butters, milk, and cheeses are made with the fats and milk from animals. The fatty tissue is where chemicals and pesticides concentrate so these food items are more likely to have harmful ingredients.
Produce- I pretty much follow the “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen” list on these but do sway from time to time. The items that I absolutely buy organic are Apples (consistently ranked highest for pesticide concentration), Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries- these soak up pesticides easily and are difficult to clean), Carrots (especially if I buy the baby carrots), Peaches, and Spinach
As you can see from my lists, I usually choose to buy organic when I am buying less processed foods such as meats, produce, and dairy. The more processed a food item is, the less important it is to me to buy organic since I am consuming a processed food anyway! I do like to buy items such as organic Mac and Cheese, Organic Tortilla Chips, and Organic Chocolate, but I don’t sweat these as much if I do buy conventional. I generally try to avoid lots of processed foods so consider them a treat either way. Having my list of “Must buy Organic” items makes my grocery shopping a little easier since I can just pick up the organic items, and then do a quick price comparison on all others to see if I can afford to go organic or not!
What items do you insist on buying organic? Are there items I didn’t mention that you strongly believe in buying organic?
Crunchy Granola Mama 