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health

Going Green With Everything! (Except the Womb)

by Kelly Crawford May 4, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

As many angles as I’ve come at this subject before, I thought of yet another one…

A confused commenter scolded me on this fertility post about “making laws” regarding being fruitful and multiplying. (I deleted the comment for a number of reasons.) Which confuses me, because I’m not the one that said to “be fruitful”, and I’m not the one that created the fruitful womb, and frankly, I said nothing about “law”; I simply implied that the womb was PART of God’s plan of evangelism (more mouths to share the gospel…)

Anyway, that train of thought got me thinking, yet again, why those who do not use birth control are considered such freaks, even among Christians! (The commenter told me I was not trusting in God, but myself, by having the children God gave me??? I can’t even fathom that reasoning.)

This post is not about what the Bible says about fertility, as I’ve talked about that many times. It’s not about whether people should or shouldn’t use birth control, or anything about birth control being bad.

It’s about a bizarre twist of thinking I want you to consider.

Recently, our culture has seen a major “green” shift toward all things natural. Every product you pick up is vying for your tendency toward what is natural. The environmentalist groups are picketing for us to leave the earth as it is naturally.

Don’t cut the trees.

Leave the animals alone.

It’s even showing up in the latest trends in landscaping–natural is better.

There’s a move toward natural childbirth, natural skin products, natural (organic) gardening–the buzz word is “LEAVE IT AS IT IS”.

Except in the area of reproduction…

And ironically, that shift is in the opposite direction, with new drugs that will inhibit a menstrual cycle indefinitely (how unnatural is that?).

And despite all the scientific evidence of the benefits of “going natural” in this area (more pregnancies, less cancer…more periods, greater risk of cancer…) we not only ignore that research, we absolutely ostracize those who are “going natural” with their reproduction, giving no credit to their desire for healthier reproduction choices. (I can speak of this, I know…I live it.)

It’s the same question I’ve asked for a long time…use birth control if you wish. But shouldn’t “natural be the norm” by default? If we artificially altered any other part of the normally functioning body we’d be thought insane.

But with just this one area, I’m considered crazy if I don’t do something that is unnatural and possibly harmful to my body to stop its normal function. (And even NFP is quite unnatural if you think about the interference of intimacy…”sorry honey, wrong day.”)

Again, this is NOT a debate on why or why not use birth control (I know about all the reasons some people give for using it.) Nor is it meant to make BC users feel bad.

It’s about what should be considered normal as a starting point, by our very design. At the very least, if we were thinking clearly on this one, those using birth control should receive the questions…”is there a reason you ‘got broken’ ?”

Do you see my point?

May 4, 2009 87 comments

health motherhood/family/parenting pregnancy/birth control

Pregnancy is For Our Health

by Kelly Crawford April 7, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

(Just a head’s up…this is a “chic post”.)

I can’t help it…I love to post statistics about the health benefits of pregnancy (especially as my large self needs the extra encouragement 😉

But mostly because I think we are a culture that treats pregnancy like a sickness. I mean, why wouldn’t we with the constant expectation of “prevention”? (No one ever tries to prevent anything good, healthy and profitable…they only try to prevent “bad”.)

Anyway, a few fun facts…with a quote I thought worthy of posting. I love that the wisdom of our Creator flies in the face of human wisdom, especially when science proves it. I may point out the fact mentioned below, yet again, that the decrease in certain cancers is relative to the number of pregnancies a woman has. In other words, the more babies, the less her chance of these cancers.

Does that mesh with what the general buzz is about multiple pregnancies? (I’ve been questioned more than once about “a uterus falling out”??? Sorry, hope that’s not too graphic, but c’mon, people, really…)

“Say Bye-Bye to Menstrual Cramps–Sooner or later after childbirth, your menstrual cycle will resume. But here’s a welcome side effect: You may have fewer bothersome cramps. Some women even find that menstrual pain ceases altogether after pregnancy and childbirth. This pain reduction is a well-known phenomenon, but no one really knows for sure why it occurs. One possible theory is that childbirth eliminates some of the prostaglandin receptor sites in the uterus. Prostaglandins are hormones with several functions, one of which is to direct the uterus to contract during labor. They also play a role in menstrual pain. The upshot? Fewer pain-receptor sites, fewer cramps.”

Let me testify here…I had never heard of this “phenomenon”, but experienced it and was completely, gleefully amazed. I think it was after my third, maybe fourth child, when suddenly, what used to be pretty bad cramps on the first day of my cycle completely disappeared–and have never returned…well, what few times I’ve had the chance to see 😉

“Cancer Risk Is Reduced–Recent studies report that pregnancy produces a protective effect against breast and ovarian cancers. The more pregnancies you go through — and the younger you start having babies — the greater the effect; some research has found that breastfeeding for more than three months can also lower the risk of certain cancers.”

“Childbirth has been compared with marathon running, for good reason. Some studies suggest that women gain a newfound sense of their own strength after going through labor and delivery. At minimum, pregnancy and childbirth can change your perspective for the better. When you’re living with the knowledge that your body is creating a new person and delivering him or her into the world, you’re less likely — at least some of the time — to sweat the small stuff.”

“Pregnancy, on balance, is good for women. The benefits of childbirth far outweigh the risks involved…The likelihood that a woman will contract breast cancer, for example, is significantly reduced when she carries a pregnancy to full term. How fitting that the life a mother gives birth to gives life back to her.” Peter McFadden

April 7, 2009 46 comments

health

Medicine Mom 101–Your Home Remedies Wanted!

by Kelly Crawford February 9, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

Been thinking a lot lately of the importance of learning things–practical things–that are assets to my family.

Years ago, women were trained in the areas of natural medicine and emergency first aid and such, and people didn’t run to the doctor over a sniffle.

There has been a renewal of education among women seeking a more natural alternative to health, but I think many of us still feel pretty inadequate.

I was thinking of compiling a handy ebook about basic health care/home remedies–and I still may–but I thought it would be extremely beneficial if we all pooled our knowledge together here! (And if I do decide to compile them in a book, I’ll cite your name/blog if you wish!)

As the economy continues to worsen, I can’t think of a better set of knowledge skills to acquire than that of home remedies and natural health care.

Would you consider leaving your favorite home remedy or natural health care advice in a comment? People visit old posts for years, so the information would be constantly available for those searching. And if you have a friend particularly knowledgeable about it, point her here.

We are always stronger as a “community”. As the Lord blesses us with information and gifts, I think it is appropriate and exciting to share them with the body. I am looking forward to learning about better and more economical ways to care for my family.

February 9, 2009 68 comments

health

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health–Day 5

by Kelly Crawford January 10, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

This will be a hodge podge of tips to keep our health series from dragging on for 10 more days!

Once again, baby steps are good. We all compromise our health by the things we eat. The more health we can add to our diets, the better off we’ll be.

These are just some random thoughts, with a few substitutes at the end. I’ve really enjoyed hearing all your suggestions too!

Eat more salad. Iceberg lettuce is pretty useless, so try to incorporate Romaine, Red leaf and other varieties. I try to mix ours with spinach leaves too. Spinach is high in…well everything good, and it’s the only way I can eat it. (Raw is better anyway.) Also, add almonds, sunflower seeds, cilantro, parsley or whatever “green stuff” you can think of. To avoid most dressings which contain MSG, try making your own. I love an olive oil/vinegar blend with chopped onions and mandarin orange juice.

Drink more water. We forget this one, don’t we? Water flushes out your body’s cells and helps to rid it of the toxins we consume. Filtered water is best.

Make your mixes. Pancakes, biscuits, pizza crust–there are lots of easy homemade recipes for these items. Homemade is always better than packaged–and usually cheaper too. Start with one thing if you feel overwhelmed by cooking from scratch.

Soak in the sun. Sun is is the body’s best source of vitamin D. I heard a report that children often have a deficiency of Vitamin D because of the heavy use of sunscreen.

Eat more often in “snacky” portions.

Get your children in the habit of drinking water with their meals. If you are not accustomed to it, it’s hard to get used to. But it’s easy to build good eating habits when you’re young.

Buy all-natural peanut butter instead of the kind with hydrolyzed oil.

Substitutes:

1. Instead of potato chips, try brushing tortillas with olive oil, sprinkling with spices, and baking for a few minutes until crispy. Cut with pizza cutter and serve with pasta or sandwiches.

2. For a more exciting drink but avoiding the soft drinks, mix juice with ginger ale or sparkling water.

3. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute. Honey is a great natural sugar substitute. Raw sugar is better than refined.

4. Use dark chocolate for baking instead of milk chocolate. Dark contains healthy antioxidants.

5. Use olive or coconut oil instead of other oils.

Feel free to share more of your random tips!

January 10, 2009 9 comments

health

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health–Day 4

by Kelly Crawford January 9, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

We’ve all heard MSG is bad (and should even be illegal), but you may not be aware that it can be disguised as different names. Try to avoid it when possible. We have permanently cut out most canned food. I still use canned tomatoes/tomato sauce, but never canned soup which contains huge amounts of MSG.

MSG, a dangerous neuro-toxin commonly added to pre-packaged foods to make them taste better, causes changes in the nervous system and possible nerve damage.

It has been scientifically linked to serious health issues such as weight gain, headaches, hives, mouth eruptions, insomnia, cardiac irregularities, numbness,tingling, asthma attacks, runny nose and swelling or dryness of the mucus membranes (nose, mouth, sinuses, vagina & intestines) as well as brain damage in children.

So, watch your product labels! MSG or monosodium glutamate, has many derivatives such as ‘natural flavouring’, natural beef or chicken flavouring, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydolyzed protein, hydrolyzed plant protein,, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, textured vegetable protein, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour, and corn oil. Most popular brands of infant formula contain some form of MSG. Vaccines also contain MSG.

From Quick and Easy Health Tips

(Another substance to avoid is aspartame. Almost anything sugar-free or diet contains it. It is highly toxic and should be avoided if at all possible.)

January 9, 2009 26 comments

health

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health-Day 3

by Kelly Crawford January 9, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

Get fruity!

Fruit smoothies/slushies are one our favorite snacks. All you need is a blender. Not only are they versatile, but provide a great way to consume a lot of nutrients at one time. Although it’s not the cheapest snack, if we cut out buying most other cakes/cookies, etc., the health benefits make up the few extra dollars.

Here is some of what we put in ours:

Frozen strawberries (I have read that frozen fruit/vegetables contain more nutrients than “fresh” at the store because they are frozen as soon as they are picked and that preserves them.)

—The average strawberry has 200 tiny black seeds. Each of these tiny black seeds contain Omega 3 fatty acid.

Bananas–sweetens the smoothie.

—Bananas are one of the world’s finest foods for supplying fuel energy

Apples–put the seeds in there too! Fruit seeds contain high amounts of the vitamin B-17 which is known for preventing/curing cancer. Apricot seeds contain the highest.

—A medium sized apple contains 5 grams of fiber, 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance.

Frozen blueberries–named one of the world’s super foods for its antioxidants.

—Berries are brimming with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Kiwi is great too, but we don’t have it on hand as often. Peaches would be good too.

Pomegrantes pack a powerful, nutritional punch.—The antioxidant levels in the pomegranate juice stands higher than other fruit juices.
Nuts if you wish.

Flax seed–no taste, just extra omega oils.

Yogurt–great for your stomach, full of probiotics. It also makes the smoothie smooth!

Liquid vitamins–if they don’t taste bad, they usually add to the flavor.

Orange juice–just a little makes the smoothie blend and freeze better.

Raw coconut oil is an excellent nutrient to add in.

We eat is as is, make Popsicles, or stick it in the freezer and make “ice cream”.

Get “Easy Health for Busy Moms”–our practical, no-nonsense ebook guide to eating healthy without radically changing your diet!

January 9, 2009 22 comments

health

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health-Day 2

by Kelly Crawford January 7, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

Take a daily supplement.

I know that seems obvious, but sometimes we forget the simplest of things!

With our diets and our food being so depleted of necessary vitamins and minerals, I think it’s really important that we and our families take a nutritional supplement. But not all supplements are the same.

Do some research, ask around, and make sure you are taking a “whole foods” supplement, so your body can naturally ingest the nutrients. Otherwise, you may be flushing a lot of your money.

Some can be pricey, but then again, what’s a little prevention worth?

Right now, my go-to supplement is turmeric. Research has shown SUCH amazing overall health benefits in this one, natural supplement, that it’s a no-brainer. Brain health, heart health, anti-inflammatory (join support), fights depression, helps prevent some cancers…the list keeps going. I launched my own brand this year (you can get it HERE) and I’ve heard amazing results from customers too. You should try it–its $3 off right now!

I would love to hear your recommendations for nutritional supplements!

January 7, 2009 9 comments

health

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health-Day 1

by Kelly Crawford January 7, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

A combination of wanting desperately to renew my energy and my usual resolutions for the new year brought me to a few changes I’m trying to implement in the health category. (Maybe some on simplifying meals after this?)

And I think we can all agree that busy moms need all the health and energy possible!

For all my sweet health-expert friends far beyond the rest of us (soaking and sprouting your wheat berries–do you make chia pets from them? Just kidding.) I admire you, I’m just not one of you…yet 😉

So for you, this might bore you. But for those who just want to move in the direction of better health in baby steps, I hope this will be helpful.
Today’s tip is so simple, yet I chose to start here because I think it may be one of the most important things you can do.

After reading quite extensively over the last few years about acid vs. alkaline and the importance of keeping your body’s pH balanced, I’m always on the lookout for easier ways to consume alkaline-producing foods. (If you haven’t read about this yet, I strongly encourage you to. Here is another link with a food chart. Some have reported getting rid of severe cases of cancer just by radically increasing their alkaline levels.)

Since most of a normal diet consist of acidic foods, it’s important to counter-balance it with alkaline foods.

But a really easy way to increase your body’s alkaline level is to drink a glass of water with a whole lemon squeezed into it a day. I drink mine in two glasses-half a lemon at a time to keep it from being so sour.

That’s it! Lemons are a very high-alkaline producing food, so the more you drink, the better!

“Though lemons, limes, and grapefruits are chemically acid, tests show that when they are metabolized in the body they actually have an alkalizing effect and are very beneficial. They have very little sugar. And they contain an abundance of oxygen. Lemons are said to be the richest source of minerals and vitamins of any food or foods known to man.”

Now that’s easy enough for me!

Read Day 2

Read Day 3

Read Day 4

Read Day 5

January 7, 2009 9 comments

health

My Thrifties Find Yet (and Healthiest!)

by Kelly Crawford November 7, 2008

written by Kelly Crawford

I’m still raving, 4 days later to anyone who will listen about my recent find at our “Bent and Dent” store. Yes, I even shop at second-hand food stores 😉

They have lots of great stuff, but NOTHING compares to what I found Monday. Let me preface by saying that I may not have been too excited except for a health food article I had read about all the benefits of coconut oil. “But not just any coconut oil”, it said. It must be “virgin, unrefined, organic” coconut oil.

“Well, holy cow, I may as well sail to the tropics and harvest my own to find that!”

So what do you think I found at my sweet little B & D store? There it was, “virgin, unrefined, organic” coconut oil!

And that’s not all….had it been regularly priced it would still have been exciting because at least now I don’t have to go to Maui (or an hour’s drive to the nearest health food store.)

All that AND…the 15 oz. jar cost $1.50!!!

Are you wondering what the retail price is? Well of course I looked it up as soon as I got home–$10.99!

I’m glad I bought 8 jars…I left a few for my friends who I knew would rush to get them 😉

Now in case you didn’t know, you need to read about the benefits of coconut oil! (Sorry I spoiled it for you with my great deal story–*scrunched face*

Some people eat it by the spoonfuls (which is pretty hard unless you really love coconut), and since my husband LOATHES it, I had to come up with a great way to eat it.

What better way than melting it with delicious, dark organic chocolate (also purchased for pennies at the B & D)! I tried truffles, dusted in cocoa, but the melting point is too low. Works best just melted, and then re-cooled in the fridge, and eaten by the spoonfuls–it is nothing short of heavenly!

(I’m dangerously close to a staple diet of chocolate and coconut oil 😉

My kids are pretty excited about Mom’s new health food…well, Kyla isn’t thrilled…I keep shoving spoonfuls–“Eat it, it’s delicious and good for you…maybe I should leave the “good for you” part out.

A few benefits: (You may wonder why God even created any other food!

Hair Care: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion.
Stress Relief
Skin Care: Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin.
Premature Aging: Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.
Heart Diseases: There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Weight Loss: Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.
Digestion: Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome.

Immunity: Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Healing: When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.
Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin.
Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.

HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients.

November 7, 2008 22 comments

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