The Happy Healthy Mama Blog

Gavin!

2011-10-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

Taking a break!

2010-12-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I have been on hiatus busy with some good things for the practice and photography. I am currently reworking my blog and website this winter.

See you in the spring!

Dr. M

FRESH activists win AGAIN!

2010-10-07T09:32:00.000-04:00

FRESH activists win again! We have yet another victory for the good movement; this time, it's over drugged milk.

With your help, we sent nearly 3,000 letters to Gov. Strickland demanding that he cancel the absurd law which banned the use of the "rBGH free" label. Just last week, a federal judge struck down the law, ruling that milk from cows treated with rBGH is compositionally different from untreated milk, and consumers have the right to know if they're buying milk with synthetic hormones in it.

This is a major victory, and will hopefully set a serious precedent for labeling, especially in light of the battle against genetically modified salmon. We will keep fighting!

The hormone rBGH has been condemned by the American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association and numerous others due to its potential for increasing cancer risk and has already been banned from use in cows in countries around the world such as Canada, Australia, Japan and the 27 countries of the European Union.

Why are we so far behind the curve? Of course, it's all about money. The hormone rBGH, now sold by Eli Lilly, was developed by Monsanto to increase cows' milk production (higher yield = higher profit margin).

Monsanto's former attorney, Michael Taylor, was put in charge of FDA policy when rBGH was approved and proposed that a disclaimer be put on all rBGH free milk, claiming that 'According to the FDA, there is no significant difference between the milk from cows injected with rbST compared to those not injected.'

Ohio, along with four other state governments, made Taylor's suggestion a requirement. Because of Ohio's high dairy production, the rule would impacted national dairy standards had it been upheld. Ohio was the last state to maintain the law after an unsuccessful campaign backed by Monsanto a few years ago. Your opposition to this rule helped bring attention to this important issue - keep up the great work!

Please help us keep an eye on the powers that be! Please donate today to help us dedicate more energy and time to educating and organizing around important issues like this.

Eat with care,

Lisa Madison
Distribution & Outreach Coordinator
FRESH

It's time to retire the clown!

2010-09-16T21:48:00.001-04:00

For decades, Ronald McDonald has peddled a whole brand of junk food that is today spurring a deadly epidemic of diet-related disease. One out of every three American children is now considered overweight or obese, putting our kids at risk for dangerous medical conditions from diabetes to heart disease.

Click here to join thousands of other people in telling McDonald's to retire Ronald McDonald.

http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4133

Millions of kids across the globe consume the products that Ronald McDonald markets. No marketing icon has done more to hook kids on unhealthy food, influencing brand loyalties and eating habits that can last a lifetime.

FRESH is partnering with Corporate Accountability International, the organization who successfully sent Joe Camel "packing", to call an end to Ronald McDonald's career. Can you sign our retirement card for Ronald McDonald? We'll send your signatures straight to McDonald's headquarters.

President Obama just declared September 2010 "National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month." Let's seize this moment to remove the world's most well-known salesman of junk food.

Even when parents try their best to instill a love of fresh, healthy food in their children, Ronald is around the corner, on the Internet, in schools, children's libraries and hospitals, enticing kids to desire the worst of what the industrial food system has to offer. It's time to stand up for Mom and Dad by giving this clown a rest!

Ronald deserves a break…and so do we! Tell McDonald's to Retire Ronald by signing his retirement card.

http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4133

We are up against a powerful force; the budgets of even the most well-funded health education initiatives pale in comparison to the hundreds of millions of dollars McDonald's spends annually on kids' marketing. The fast food industry will undoubtedly keep working to lure our children unless tens of thousands of people demand that they stop. Retiring Ronald McDonald is an important first step in moving the fast food industry to stop its' predatory marketing to kids. Together, we can create a world where FRESH food, not fast food, flourishes.

Happy eating,

Ana Joanes
Director, FRESH

Save Your Money!

2010-09-07T21:06:00.000-04:00

Join Amazon Mom at www.amazon.com/mom. Amazon Mom is a totally free program for parents and caregivers that gives you:

• 30% off select diapers and wipes: As an Amazon Mom, you receive an additional 15% discount on top of the standard 15% discount on select diapers and wipes when you sign up for Subscribe & Save delivery.

• FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime: When you join Amazon Mom, you will receive FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime for the first 3 months of your membership. For each $25 you spend within a single order in the Baby store, we’ll grant you an additional month of Amazon Prime shipping benefits. You can earn up to one year from the date you joined Amazon Mom.

• Exclusive e-mail discounts and offers

There is no cost to join –simply sign into your Amazon account and tell us whether you are a Mom, Dad, or other caregiver of a child. By providing some optional information about your family, you can help us personalize offers, e-mails, and product recommendations to help you find exactly what you need at just the right time.

Sincerely,
Amazon.com

New Study says 85% of Kids' Juices and Snacks Contain High Levels of Lead!

2010-07-08T13:06:00.002-04:00

On the heels of the cadmium-laced Shrek glasses recall comes yet another piece of disconcerting news. This time, it's a study that finds dangerous levels of lead in a staggering number of the juices and snacks we serve our kids. One mommy blogger dubbed it "another day, another uh-oh." I'm having a harder time making light of this latest toxic bombshell.

The lead study is the work of The Environmental Law Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. The group enlisted a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lab to screen 400 samples from 150 branded products marketed to children, including apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail mixes. The results: 125 out of 146 products tested, or 85 percent, contained alarming amounts of lead.

Perhaps even more upsetting to those of us trying to do our best by buying organic is the fact that the offenders aren't just the usual suspects. Brands like Earth's Best Organic, 365 Everyday Value Organic and Trader Joe's are in the lineup, right alongside Welch's, Minute Maid, Gerber, Del Monte and Dole. For a complete list of products found to be tainted -- and untainted -- by lead, see here (pdf).

According to the foundation, these products contain enough lead in a single serving to warrant a warning label under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, or Proposition 65. (Unfortunately, California is the only state that has enacted this kind of law.) Lead has long been known to cause physical and developmental problems. Many scientists, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, concur that there is no "safe" level of lead exposure, especially when it comes to babies and young children, whose brains are still developing.

Prop. 65 requires that makers place "clear and reasonable warnings" on packaging. The Foundation has shared its findings with California law-enforcement officials, and with the affected manufacturers, retailers and distributors. If, at the end of 60 days, no law enforcement agency pursues prosecution, ELF will file a formal suit.

Amid all the bad news, there was a ray of hope. As part of its coverage of the foundation's findings, NPR had David Schardt, the science director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, review the foundation's testing. Schardt concluded, "If you look at the apple juice...there are some manufacturers who managed to avoid the lead entirely. And it would be interesting to find out how they're managing to do that."

The Foundation's lead study is just the latest piece of evidence that says we all need to support the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, now before the House of Representatives. After 34 years of flawed regulations governing toxic chemicals, it's time for a change. The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition, which has been working with Seventh Generation for an overhaul of the outdated laws, has sent out an online rallying cry:

"This is our best chance for creating a strong, effective law to protect our families from toxic chemicals for generations to come. Your representative needs to hear from you ASAP!"

If you want to be a part of the solution, go here.

Only radical legal reform -- along with continued monitoring by watchdog groups such as the Environmental Law Foundation -- will keep us and our children safe from known, and unknown, toxins.

Food is your medicine!

2010-06-08T17:45:00.002-04:00

Several times last week I felt the undeniable urge to bang my head against the wall in frustration. Each time it had to do with the simple idea that food impacts health and wellness. Yes, food. Such common knowledge, one might think. Don't we all know that sugar makes our kids hyper, caffeine can give us the jitters, and junk food can result in a stomach ache? Didn't the film Super Size Me (and many others) teach us that what we eat will directly impact our health? Then why are we not getting it? Are lifestyle changes really too hard to tackle?

My first head-banging came when a fellow mom lamented her kids' ADHD. We were casually chatting on the phone about an upcoming school event and she had called because of my children's food allergies. "Oh, I tried to go gluten free for like a week" she told me. "And it didn't do a thing." In her next breath, she screamed off in the background to her kids "I didn't say you could have another Oreo. Put that back!" Bang, bang goes the head. Since the 1960s, the Dr. Feingold of the Feingold Association has been providing research and dietary advice showing how the consumption of food additives and artificial ingredients have been affecting learning and behavior. Just last week a new article in Time Magazine linked ADHD with the consumption of pesticides, further clarifying the link between diet and behavior.

The following day, a dad was talking to me about his son's asthma and the need for ongoing steroids to help his breathing. We chatted about triggers while his son guzzled a chocolate milk and picked on cheese cubes. Had he tried going dairy free? "No, that would be way too difficult!" Another bang. At what point has swallowing, injecting, or inhaling laboratory-concocted pharmaceuticals become decidedly "easier" and more acceptable than feeding our children differently and healthfully? Yes, there is controversy over whether or not diet can help all kids with asthma or ADHD, for that matter, but what about giving it a try? (Note: There is also research indicting that raw, unpasturized dairy actually reduces the likelihood of asthma, but that's for another discussion.)

The final draw came in a brief conversation with another parent who was exhausted by her child's hyperactivity. His medication did not kick in until after breakfast and that time frame was the most challenging. We talked about a variety of parenting tools. She and her husband chose a reward system. The reward? Candy. Bang.

As humans we are creatures of habit. We like our routines and we love our food. But diet should be a first and basic lifestyle change for anyone looking to improve wellness. Whether you are dealing with ADHD or asthma, eczema or autism, learning disabilities or cancer, diet is a fundamental place to start. I personally was raised in a traditional Italian-American family with a grandmother who cooked everything from scratch but as I grew up, convenience foods became all the rage and things like Hamburger Helper™ and Twinkies™ found their way into my diet. I have been a health food nut and a vegetarian, have gone both gluten-free and grain-free, and have eaten a traditional, paleolithic diet as well as having dabbled in juicing and raw foods. Each change brought with it some challenges and new tastes and also produced dramatic results for me and my family with regard to health and behavior. Like many forms of true healing, you cannot change for a day or even a week. Nutritional change is slow and modification takes time. No one is perfect but changing how you eat - how we all eat - is nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to wellness.

How we have strayed so far from the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates', famous mantra "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" boggles the mind.

Health begins with what we put in our bodies and food is the obvious first place to start.

Be well,

Dr. M

Source: Holistic Moms Network

Why Go Organic with Strawberries?

2010-06-07T20:54:00.001-04:00

Dear Feingold Friends,

Just recently, I wrote about the connection between pesticides and ADHD. And you probably already know from other sources (including our research page on thyroid) that thyroid problems sometimes cause ADHD-like symptoms. Well, here's something that can give you all of the above and then some, at the same time - along with your strawberries!
Indeed, if pending legislation goes through, you might want to think twice before slicing a strawberry from California into your cereal. Not because it is a salicylate, but because if this proposal is not stopped, California officials may bow to pressure from the world's largest pesticide company to approve spraying strawberry fields with methyl iodide.

Not only is methyl iodide a known carcinogen that causes lung cancer by inhalation - thus putting agricultural workers and those living nearby at risk - but it is also a known neurotoxin and can damage fetal development. In studies on animals, the chemical damages thyroid gland development, often killing the babies in the last weeks of pregnancy. It is not clear what will happen to those babies who do not die, but may be born with damaged thyroid glands - a potential lifelong medical problem.

Says Paul Towers of the group Pesticide Watch, "Our interpretation of the science is that methyl iodide is unsafe at any rate for use in California. We believe California has taken a step backward in terms of protecting health and the environment."

Growers in California produce nearly half the nation's fruit, nuts and vegetables. It's important they hear as many voices as possible opposing methyl iodide.

The public can weigh in -- but only until June 14th. You can sign the petition by clicking on the button under the strawberry picture above.

Best wishes,

Shula Edelkind
Feingold Association

Spring Allergy Relief for the Whole Family!

2010-04-24T13:59:00.002-04:00

Spring Allergy Essential Oil Remedy

German Chamomile – 14 drops
Lavender - 6 drops
Eucalyptus - 7 drops

Mix with 10 ml of sweet almond oil.

Apply to chest, behind ears, the back of the neck and in the fleshy area on the acupuncture point between the thumb and forefinger. Use a small amount, apply 2 to 3 times per day.

Enjoy!

Dr. M

Autism and Allergies-- What can your child eat?

2010-03-16T07:26:00.003-04:00

Here's an EXCELLENT article from The Huffington Post (by Alison Rose Levy) on your child and food allergies... Enjoy, Dr. M

There's an experiment going on right now--but it isn't being conducted by scientists. It's being conducted by parents. In 30 million kitchens across the U.S. that experiment is called "What Can My Child Eat?" In families with children with autism and allergies, the result of that experiment can either be a day of relative calm and comfort, or it can produce anything from brain fog, digestive discomfort, and mood swings, to pain, seizures, skin outbreaks, and severe digestive distress.

While the debate continues as to whether or not laboratory scientists have successfully isolated a single one of the many factors that a growing numnber of doctors say may contribute to autism, families still have to cope and they still have to feed their children. Citing the conservative statistics of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pediatrician, Dr. Kenneth Bock, reported that one in 100 children (one in 48 boys) have autism--although just two years ago it was one in 150. One in 16 children has ADHD, one in 11 has asthma, and one in four has allergies. A staggering one third of all children are affected Bock told the group gathered for "Food Solutions: Managing Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies," held at New York's Urban Zen Center.

Children (and adults) with allergies (and food sensitivities) react to many common foods and food ingredients that other people don't react to. As doctors like Bock tell it, a child with autism is by definition a child with an overwhelmed immune system, an impaired gut, a higher presence of microbes, candida, and toxins, and many food sensitivities and intolerances. Gut issues are directly linked to issues with attention and focus, so that a child with food sensitivities will also likely be a child who experiences symptoms anywhere from the withdrawal or lack of speech seen in autism to the brain fog, hyperactivity, and/or difficulty in focus seen in children with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

According to Stephen Cowan, MD, a pediatrician in Westchester, N.Y., who also spoke at Food Solutions, "The gut and the brain are not two separate things. They are interconnected."

Referring to "leaky gut" a condition common in the so-called "spectrum" kids, in which an impaired barrier of cells lining the intestines allow poorly digested food molecules to enter the bloodstream where they can trigger allergic and other reactions. Cowan said that "a leaky gut is like a leaky mind, you can't digest things and you can't retain things that you need to retain."

When parents bring their children into his office for a consultation, Cowan reports that "I can often predict that the child's favorite foods are pizza and macaroni and cheese"-- and these are the same foods that children are most allergic to. According to Bock, gluten, the main protein contained in wheat and other grains, can trigger immune reactions, while casein, a peptide in dairy can break down internally to produce an opioid effect -- such that children are literally drugged by food.

That's why the mainstay of parents trying to nourish their immune-challenged children is the Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (GFCF) as well as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD).

Glucose, present in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is yet another no-no since it can feed yeast (which worsens gut issues) and contribute to mood swings due to the abrupt rise and fall of glucose in the bloodstream. Moreover, mercury is used to make HFCS which is present in many processed foods, including sodas, juices, yogurt, and ketchup. While some studies question whether mercury in vaccines is a key trigger for autism, according to Bock, "a range of environmental factors contribute, Studies correlated closer proximity to power plants with mercury emissions with increasing rates of autism." HFCS is also addictive, and aggressively marketed by food and beverage companies, who according to Cowan, spend $10 billion a year.

In this nationwide lab experiment in which food suppliers push unhealthy food items, while the public naively believes that government regulators protect them, "we're lab rats," Cowan points out. "Studies show that when you try HFCS, you can't get enough of it, you want more and more and more. It releases chemicals, it's just like you pressed a button." Yet instead of acting on a national level to curb unhealthy foods, "we blame the victim," says Cowan.

All too often the victims are children.

Transitioning children from harmful foods to which they're addicted to healthier ones is a challenge borne by parents. That's why at Food Solutions, dietician Amanda Archibald and nutritionistStefanie Sacks introduced a range of healthier options. Although healthy vegetables topped the list, the nutritional team also offered samples of favorite products (rice milk and a dairy and wheat free Mac and Cheese) so parents know what to look for. Simple recipes that participants teamed up to prepare offered easy and nourishing ways to ease food transitions.

The bottom line said Cowan is that force feeding children is counter-productive. "If you want your child to eat more vegetables, let him see you eating them."

What's your experience transitioning yourself or your kids to healthier foods?

Super Baby Foods!

2010-02-06T15:30:00.003-05:00

KEY NUTRIENTS FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND THE FOODS THEY ARE FOUND IN

VITAMIN A – Cod liver oil; liver, butter and egg yolks from grass-fed animals

VITAMIN D – Cod liver oil, shellfish; lard, butter and egg yolks from grass-fed animals

CHOLINE - Cod liver oil; egg yolks from grass-fed animals

DHA – Cod liver oil; liver, butter, and egg yolks from grass-fed animals

ZINC– Red meat of grass-fed animals, shellfish

TRYPTOPHAN – Meat of grass-fed animals

CHOLESTEROL – Seafood; dairy foods, eggs and meat of grass-fed animals

For more on this topic, click here!

What to eat when Pregnant and Nursing...

2010-02-06T15:25:00.003-05:00

Cod Liver Oil to supply 20,000 IU vitamin A and 2000 IU vitamin D per day

1 quart (or 32 ounces) whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows (learn more about raw milk on our website, A Campaign for Real Milk, www.realmilk.com)

4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows

2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens

Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.

3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week (If you have been told to avoid liver for fear of getting "too much Vitamin A," be sure to read Vitamin A Saga)

Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs

Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat

Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D

2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.

Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages

Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces

Soaked whole grains

Fresh vegetables and fruits

AVOID:

Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
Junk foods
Commercial fried foods
Sugar
White flour
Soft drinks
Caffeine
Alcohol
Cigarettes
Drugs (even prescription drugs)

Information from The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Magic Balm for your belly!

2010-02-02T11:41:00.003-05:00

Throughout my pregnancy and after I used Magic Balm on my belly. My beautiful skin has returned!

I stumbled across it in Whole Foods and thought I would try it and I am so glad I did. I love it! Thought I would share...

Click here to go to the website...

Enjoy,

Dr. M

The Holistic Moms Network

2010-01-16T22:13:00.003-05:00

So I am going to join the Holistic Moms Network. What a great resource to have other like minded moms around!

I will be presenting to the Annapolis, MD chapter in June.

Click Here to find a chapter near you.

Live Green,

Dr. M

Three GMO's linked to organ damage!

2010-01-16T21:06:00.002-05:00

General Mills (GM) is a big company. They make A LOT of the food that you find in the common grocery store.

As you can imagine, General Mills wants to make a lot of money, so they use awful ingredients that are super cheap.

They market them in the form of your favorite child's cereal, and then each morning, your family is slowly poisoned. This is because the ingredients that General Mills uses include genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Here is an article about the GMO's in General Mills food has been linked to organ damage!

Please consider feeding your family whole foods instead of processed snacks and cereals.

Eat well,

Dr. M

Pregnancy/Nursing and Caffeine... your need to know information!

2009-11-01T15:40:00.004-05:00

Back in 1980 the FDA published a warning advising pregnant women to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its teratogenic effects (cause birth defects). This was echoed in 1994 with a review of over 200 medical journals by Dr. Astrid Nehlig that was published in The Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology.

Currently, the advice on caffeine intake during pregnancy nutrition is moderation - meaning less than 300mg. This is because new studies show no harm with intakes less than that. Due to the fact that scientific studies are showing new and different results, I tend to be conservative in my personal view on caffeine and pregnancy.

What does caffeine do?

Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, leaches calcium, reduces iron absorption, has a diuretic effect and crosses the placenta into your baby. This means it has the following results in your body:

• Raises your heart rate
• Decreases the amount of calcium in your body
• Dehydrates you
• Increases your blood pressure
• AND the same things occur for your baby (except baby will steal from your bones to get needed calcium)

That’s not all - it also interferes with a normal fetal growth, is associated with lower birth weight and weakens adrenal glands, which affect your blood sugar regulation and stress coping abilities.

It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to no more than 300mg per day. Some experts say no more than 150mg per day. You may be able to handle the caffeine, but baby’s liver is immature and not able to get rid of it like you. Imagine if that 1 cup of morning coffee lasted you 40-130 hours as it does for your baby.

Common caffeine sources

• Coffee (100-200 mg per 8 ounce)
• Tea (black 60mg, green 40mg)
• Soda (40-75mg per can)
• Dark Chocolate (5-35mg per 1 ounce)
• Milk Chocolate (1-15mg per 1 ounce)
• Headache medicine (65-130mg)

If you are a caffeine user, I recommend reducing to less than 300mg per day (some studies show increase miscarriages with more than 300mg). Then gradually reducing to as close to zero as possible, which will not only benefit your baby, but also your ability to handle stress.

Drink well,

Dr. M

Pick Your Own

2009-09-18T09:43:00.001-04:00

My fall tradition, for the past seven years has been going to Larriland Farms in Howard County, MD. This year, I am thrilled to bring my two sons! It's a beautiful farm full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and wildflowers. You can pick your own from May-November every year.

Coming in October will be their famous pumpkin patches, amazing apple orchards, broccoli fields, straw maze, hay rides, and homemade apple cider. You and your family will have the best time there, guaranteed!

Here are some pictures from my son, Aiden's first time at Larriland.

For more information, be sure to visit www.pickyourown.com

Have fun!

Dr. M

The Green Festival is coming!

2009-09-14T10:17:00.004-04:00

Washington DC Green Festival 
Making positive change in our communities! 
Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11 
Washington Convention Center  
www.greenfestivals.org  

We always hear that it’s easy being green. How come we never hear how fun it is? Join us at Green Festival for a great variety of fun and educational activities for the entire family:

• Delicious organic meals and snacks available all day—yum!

• Kids of all ages can explore the Organic Valley Green Kids’ Zone. Youths 18 and younger get in FREE!

• Your older kids will want to check out the Green Teen Pavilion, featuring safe cosmetics, make-your-own T-shirt shopping bags, and the latest in all-electric scooters and motorcycles.

• Sample organic, Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate—they really do taste better.

• Find out what’s working in our communities and communities a world away at the Fair Trade Pavilion.

• Dig in to the 13 insightful workshops at the Green Home Pavilion, where you’ll learn the best tips and tricks to go green and save green—for apartments, condos or houses.

• Enjoy live, local music all weekend.

• Meet your neighbors at the Community Action Center to get the scoop on the issues affecting your community, and learn more about green jobs.

• In our unique Green Marketplace with more than 350 green businesses, it’s easy go green, support the local economy and find that perfect something for that someone special.

• Take in happy hour at the organic beer and wine garden.

• Enjoy the yoga and dance classes for the whole family!

Visionary Speakers include . . . Dr. Cornel West, Ed Begley, Jr., Amy Goodman, John Perkins, Lester Brown, Joel Salatin, Dolores Huerta, Eleanor Smeal, Medea Benjamin, Stuart Pimm, Otto Scharmer, Naomi Davis, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., David Orr, Kevin Danaher, Alisa Gravitz, Alan Greene, MD, and many more  PLUS... It’s time to think holidays, and you’ll find exceptional deals on great gifts! Check out thousands of eco-friendly products and services screened for their commitment to people and the planet—everything from natural body products and organic cotton clothing to Fair Trade gifts and sustainable home remodeling materials.  Also available for you to get the most of your Green Festival experience: Green Festival Bookstore and Author Signings – ASL Interpretation – Electronics Recycling

To see the entire program of events, workshops, speakers and exhibitors - download the program guide at www.greenfestivals.org/downloads.  

All at a nearly zero-waste event!

Live Green and Have Fun!

Dr. M

Wee-Cycle Mart

2009-09-13T09:28:00.004-04:00

Want to go green or earn some green? Just go to www.wee-cyclemart.com to learn more. There are a couple of weekends in October when this event will be happening in Anne Arundel County and Carroll County.

It's a bunch of new and gently used baby items, maternity and baby/kid clothing, arts/crafts, etc. You can be a shopper or a seller. It's a good time and it's good for the earth!

Reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Live green,

Dr. M

Prepare your child's immune system for the fall!

2009-08-16T14:06:00.003-04:00

Hello!

It is so important that you prepare your child's immune system for the fall. This means getting them started on some probiotics, cod liver oil, and colostrum. These are natural ways to enhance the body's defense system so when there is exposure to an immune invader, the body is strong enough to fight it off.

Just a word to the wise, if you or your child needs an antibiotic this winter, be sure to follow it up with a probiotic to restore the natural "good" bacteria in the gut.

Make sure you stay active as this summer ends. Too often kids do not get out and play in the fall and winter and the immune system suffers as a result of that. And don't forget to wash their hands... it's the golden rule to not spreading germs!

Remember good foods also strengthen the immune system, so make sure that you are packing healthy snacks and lunches for your children as they head back to school. If you need help with good foods versus not so good foods, feel free to ask me. I am happy to help you and your children stay healthy and strong for this coming fall and winter.

Be well,

Dr. M

Snacking the summer away!

2009-07-09T11:26:00.002-04:00

Feeding children snacks on a daily basis is a really big challenge. Since they are home from school, they seem to always be in the kitchen asking you for something to eat. You want to provide them with healthy options, nothing processed, right? So what is a busy parent to do? First, you want to feed them something healthy. Secondly, you want to feed them something that they like. Finally it can’t be too expensive.

Healthy snacks, especially ones that aren’t in packages, aren’t hard to find. You just need to be organized and a little creative. Here are five tips to help you choose well:

1. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket. Since we are in Summer, it is easy to find peaches, plums, watermelon, cherries, and cantaloupe for a reasonable price. Yes, you will have to wash them off and cut them up, but any whole food that you choose will be much more healthy than anything you buy in a package. If you are lucky enough to have a Farmer’s market near by, shop there for the best deals.

2. If you only shop once a week, buy a collection of fruits and vegetables that you can serve immediately and some that you can serve later. For example, strawberries or peaches should be eaten right away, but you can store cantaloupe or watermelon for over a week (even cut up!). Keep canned pineapple on hand for when you run out of fresh fruit.

3. Use dips. Kids love to dip. If you are feeding them carrots or broccoli, have a little cup of dressing for them to dip in. Hummus, yogurt, and organic peanut butter, are also good choices for dips.

4. Make it a game for children to eat their snacks. Pretend the broccoli is a tree and everyone in the room is a dinosaur. Or fashion little faces out of apple slices, raisins, and add carrot sticks for the legs. Give them the raw ingredients and then let them “make” their snack.

5. Read the label carefully of any packaged snack. Too often, the label will say “all natural” or “make with real fruit” and you think you are buying something healthy. A good indicator of whether it should be considered a healthy snack is if it contains high fructose corn syrup. If it does, that food item is not a healthy snack.

Be well,

Dr. M

GO ORGANIC...Your kids are worth it!

2009-05-30T18:35:00.003-04:00

A couple of years ago, scientists did a study. Maybe you heard about it. Maybe you didn't. But here it is again: For five days, one group of kids ate non-organic fruits and vegetables. The other group, nothing but organic produce.

For the kids who ate non-organic fruit, scientists found pesticide residue in their urine samples. The organic eating kids? Clean as a whistle.

Pesticides are sprayed on food and have a terrible effect on the health and behavior of your kids. In short they are toxic as can be!

And, it's more than pesticides we're talking here. All organic food is free of genetically modified organisms and is produced without synthetic growth hormones. Look for non-GMO on the label, it means there is no genetic modification to the food! The meat is never irradiated nor is it from clones. So, Star Wars: Clone Wars may be fun for kids, but cloned food is most certainly not.

The organic food you feed yourself and your kids is part of the most strictly regulated food system in the world. I made my own organic baby food for my first son, and will do it again for my second. He is truly my organic baby. Nothing goes in his body that isn't carefully examined by me. I am not a fan of jars of baby food, organic or not. They just sit there... how can that be good? But I am a fan of some frozen pre-made baby foods, Plum Organics make a good selection of organic baby foods.

Don't be overwhelmed by it, just start to make the small changes and soon your whole family will begin to evolve into organic eaters. It doesn't happen overnight, be patient!

You want to do everything you can for your kids. So, if you can, when you can, give them organic food. They're worth it.

For more information, go to www.organicitsworthit.com

Be Well,

Dr. M

Allergies and Behavior in Your Children

2009-05-15T07:16:00.005-04:00

You may have heard conflicting information on this subject. There are many, many parents who swear dietary changes helped their ADD child, and yet most doctors and researchers deny that food allergies or sensitivities can cause the behaviors associated with ADD, their conclusions supposedly based on studies. If allergies can cause ADD behaviors, then shouldn't the studies verify that? The answer is yes, if the studies were designed properly. But according to The Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), most of the studies which show no relationship between diet and ADHD were very poorly designed and executed (and often paid for by the food industry). For example, when researchers tested whether children reacted to artificial food dyes made from petroleum, they used only a fraction of the quantity that children actually consume, because no one actually took the time to figure out how much dye kids actually eat. Then they only tested one dye at at time, even though kids consume many dyes simultaneously. And finally, all the results were averaged together. If one or two children out of fifty reacted to the dyes, their reactions were lost in the pile of data from all the other children. Even so, studies as far back as the 1940's show that some people definitely react to certain colors, especially Yellow #5 (Tartrazine), a color that is well known for causing reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin. CSPI, a non-profit group of scientists, reviewed 25 years of studies and issued a report in 1999 that concludes ADHD CAN be caused by foods and food additives.

After reading books, studies, and talking with affected parents I am convinced that some people (not just kids!) are reacting to foods and food additives by exhibiting ADD behavior. Not all, but some. Which people are most likely to be reacting to a food?

ALLERGIC people (stuffy nose, eczema, asthma)
People who often do not feel well or who are depressed
Kids with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome, who seem happy one moment and suddenly, without provocation, become a nasty wildebeest (provocation includes asking the child to clean his or her room)
Kids with dark circles under their eyes ("allergy shiners")
Kids who were colicky past the age of four months and were unhappy babies
Kids with chronic sleeping problems
People with reoccurent infections (ear, chest, sinus)

What kind of reactions have been observed in children? (Note: adults undoubtedly react too!)

hyperactivity
trouble sleeping
tantrums, aggressive behavior, screaming
whining, crying, not feeling well
poor handwriting
very tiny handwriting
inability to concentrate
dyslexics may reverse letters or do "mirror" writing while reacting
digestive upset (bloating, belching, gagging, vomiting, constipation, nausea, gas)
headaches
wheezing, runny or itchy nose, scratchy eyes, coughing
depression
non-stop, senseless talk
reoccurrent infections: ear, chest, sinus
bright red earlobes, red patches on cheeks
dark circles, wrinkles and/or bags under the eyes
eczema, hives, rashes

The above reactions have been induced in children by "challenging" them with a known allergen and then halted by neutralizing the reaction. The book "Is This Your Child? Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies in Children and Adults" by Doris Rapp, M.D., does a wonderful job of describing reactions, ways to identify allergens, and tells how to treat them. The author has had many years of experience and doesn't just provide quick, pat answers, but helps people really figure out what to do. What I found really fascinating were the pictures of children's handwriting samples and drawings before, during and after their reactions. The changes were astounding. The author is somewhat critical of mainstream allergists who rush people in and out and do not use the best methods to detect allergies because they are too time consuming.

Go to www.borntoexplore.com for more information on this topic.

I recommend the book "The ADD Nutrition Solution" for more reading on this topic.

Be well, Eat well,

Dr. M

Some really cute things...

2009-04-26T18:24:00.002-04:00

I just thought I would share my favorite inexpensive gift for a new baby... It's a personalized block, and it's more adorable in person than online.

And my favorite baby book... I received one for Aiden and will be ordering one again for my next little boy, due in July.

Happy Gift Giving!

Get out and PLAY!

2009-04-19T15:05:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone!

If you are local, and live in Maryland I have three things for you to do on these lovely weekends.

#1 Go to the tulip gardens in Guilford (Baltimore)! Click here for more information on this beautiful place. Peak bloom time is End of April, beginning of May. Bring a picnic lunch and a camera!

#2 Go to Clark's Farm and see the Enchanted Forest! Click here for more information on this magical place and extensive petting zoo. My son, Aiden LOVES it here. There are hay rides, pony rides, and you can play with farm animals up close. Not to mention, the original Enchanted Forest that was started in 1955 has been restored and is really magical.

#3 Go to Glen Echo Park! Click here for more information on this awesome place for kids and families. This is a great park situated on the Potomac palisades near Bethesda, MD. Originally a Chautaugua retreat, then an amusement park, this National Park is now a host to a variety of arts, environmental and history programs. There are puppet shows, theater performances, even a carousel!

Be active with your family and most of all HAVE FUN,

Dr. M

Nutrition for Kids!

2009-04-18T20:17:00.002-04:00

Use the following rules to help your children develop healthy eating habits:

Be a positive role model and practice what you preach. Unhealthy kids are often the result of unhealthy parents. Eating habits are learned behaviors so what they learn to eat at home at a young age will stick with them into adulthood.

Talk to your kids early about healthy habits. This means you are their educator. Inform your kids that if they eat healthy foods they will grow up to be strong and healthy. Educate them about the benefits of living an active lifestyle as opposed to sitting in front of the TV.

Do not be afraid to take the kids to the grocery store! Introduce them to the variety of whole foods. Allow kids to make healthy choices about what they want to buy and eat. Encourage them to explore new foods.

Take a trip to the local farmer’s market together. Introduce them to the farmers. Explain to them where the food comes from and what’s the difference between organic and non-organic.

Make mealtime a special family time. Create a warm, positive, and loving atmosphere. Plate each dish so it looks good. Pay attention to all five senses when sitting down to a meal, and teach your children to chew slowly. Enjoy each bite.

Get the whole family involved in meal production. Give each child a special task at meal time as a helper. Allow your kids to plan weekly meals. Remember that kids like eating foods they create. Allow kids to get creative when preparing their snacks or school lunch.

Don’t make two meals: aka “kid food” and “adult food”. Research shows that it takes 10-12 attempts before a child will try a new food. Make the same dinner for everyone being sure to include food they like.

Cook with your kids or get your kids involved in a kid’s cooking class. Teach kids about food and cooking in an active way. This will increase their sense of culinary adventure.

Be aware of the negative marketing of foods. Avoid the highly marketed processed foods targeting at kids. MY rule is to never eat anything that is advertised on TV or in a magazine.

Avoid processed foods. Work hard to avoid food colorings (yellow #5, red #40), benzoate preservatives, nitrites, sugars (high fructose corn syrup) and artificial sweeteners. Food dyes and additives are a factor in attention and behavior disorders and can increase incidence of ADHD.

Love and accept your child at any weight, size or shape. Help your child create a healthy relationship with food. Dieting during a growth spurt can have dangerous results.

Remember that as the parent, you are the boss. Adults need to set boundaries and limits. Listen to your children but set limits.

Don’t use food as rewards, bribes or punishments. This will create a negative relationship between you and your child and food.

Live Well,

Dr. M

Pain only a momma would know...

2009-04-14T15:28:00.000-04:00

Having pain between your shoulder blades or upper back?

Post-partum mommies are never informed on the muscular strains of breast feeding or holding their children. When you hold your baby to nurse, typically your head is looking down and our shoulders are rounded forward in a “C” position. Gravity only enhances this posture and strains all of the muscles between your shoulder blades and in your lower neck causing them to weaken. As they weaken, you are more vulnerable to pains and strains and other muscles are forced to work harder causing postural imbalances.

Upper back and neck pain can cause a lot more problems for mommies than just pain. Your shoulders and collarbone are the attachment sites for many important muscles that support the head and arms. When muscles are strained there can be pain echoed elsewhere in the body. Headaches, hand tingling, and numbness can also result from the problem described above. So if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, your muscles need a break! It is important to utilize pillows to support you as best as possible when nursing and make sure that your entire back is well supported.

Correcting poor posture will make a great difference for you. It is also important for you to stretch your muscles in the front of your chest and neck at various times throughout the day. You can easily do this by putting your back flat against a wall with the back of your hand against the wall as well. You will feel a stretch throughout the front of your body and may also feel how sore those muscles in your back are. Hold this for at least 30-60 seconds. Another great thing that you can do is a corner or doorway stretch. For the corner stretch, stand two feet back from a corner. Place your hands on each wall in front of you at shoulder height and lean into the corner until you feel a stretch. Hold this for at least 30-60 seconds. To complete a door way stretch, place your hands at waist height on a doorframe and take a step forward through the threshold until you feel a stretch. You can also do this while your hands are at shoulder height, and then again just above the height of your head. Always hold a stretch 30-60 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times throughout your day.

Move well,

Dr. M

Healthy eating during your pregnancy!

2009-04-13T17:27:00.000-04:00

If you're pregnant, chances are, you're craving chocolate and chips instead of veggies and lean proteins. But there are ways you can eat healthy and satisfy your cravings too.

First, understand your cravings. Some people think that they crave chocolate or starchy foods because the baby needs them. In reality, we probably just need the quick energy boost that these foods provide. Most pregnant women say that they're often tired, they feel under the weather. You're looking at these foods to give them that energy pick-me-up.

Many pregnant women also turn to junk foods because they are turned off by certain healthier choices, like vegetables. Hide these foods within other foods that you enjoy, like soups or casseroles. When we're pregnant, we have a very heightened sense of smell. So, all of a sudden, vegetables, which you might have actually found appealing before you got pregnant, seem to be such a turn-off. Try pureeing bland veggies, like white beans or pumpkin, and mixing them in with your favorite recipes.

Also, try to curb your unhealthy cravings. Have a healthy snack first, like cheese or fruit, but promise yourself that afterwards, you'll give in to your craving. This helps you control your portions. So, instead of eating an entire bag of potato chips, you may only have a few because the healthy snack will fill you up first.

Another problem many pregnant women encounter is that classic proteins, like meat or fish, make them nauseous. If you can only stomach small amounts of these foods at a time, try getting protein from other sources instead. Other foods, like eggs nuts and yogurt, contain protein as well.

Remember that perfection is not the goal. If you're hungry, eat! It's okay to have some ice cream or a cheeseburger every so often. Just try to balance these cravings out with other, healthier foods to get the nutrition your changing body needs.

Be well.

Dr. M

10 Ways to Green Your Home for Your New Baby

2009-04-12T07:56:00.003-04:00

You've got a glow on your face, and some exciting news to share with family and friends. Congratulations! You're expecting, and if you’re like most moms-to-be, your nesting instinct is about to kick into overdrive.

While that means different things to different people, one thing it should mean to every mom and dad is creating a home that’s clean, green, and environmentally safe. Your growing baby is exposed to the air you breathe, and you want your surroundings to be as healthy as possible. Keeping your home toxin-free is an easy thing to do, and one of the most important gifts you can give to your new arrival.

Here’s Seventh Generation’s list of 10 ways to ready your home for your new baby:

1) Prepare your baby’s room as early as possible in your pregnancy, especially if you plan to paint or buy new carpeting or furniture. You want to give new materials plenty of time to off-gas any hazardous vapors they might emit. And don’t forget—you’re pregnant! So get someone else to do the painting and stay away from those fumes.

2) Start cleaning house the safe way—with biodegradable cleaners made from natural and non-toxic ingredients. Natural cleaners won’t fill your home with chemical fumes or coat its surfaces with unhealthy residues.

3) Eat organic food when possible. Conventionally-produced foods can contain genetically-modified ingredients as well as traces of pesticides and other chemicals. A healthy diet benefits you and your baby.

4) Store pesticides somewhere else. Growing babies are vulnerable to even tiny amounts of the poisons pesticides contain. This includes all pet flea and tick products, bug repellents, anti-mildew products, moth balls, fly strips, and bait traps.

5) Dust with a damp cloth. Because household dust is the final resting place for many of the toxins that enter our homes, get into the habit of dusting with a slightly damp cloth instead of traditional dusters, which can stir dust and chemical residue back into the air.

6) Open the windows. The EPA has found that the air inside our homes can be up to five more polluted than the air outside. So open your windows as often as possible.

7) Choose toys made from wood and natural fibers instead of plastic. Soft plastic toys can leach out phthalates, a hormone-disrupting chemical, while hard plastics may expose your child to another hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol-a.

8) Use glass baby bottles to protect your newborn from the bisphenol-a found in many polycarbonate (#7) plastic models.

9) Buy a natural crib mattress that is free of the synthetic foams and fibers, vinyl coverings, flame retardants, and chemical treatments commonly found in conventional crib mattresses.

10) Choose organic natural fibers for clothing, bedding, and other items. These products will also be free of treatments that can expose infants to chemicals and other unhealthy compounds.

Live Green,

Dr. M

A pain in the butt... literally!

2009-04-11T14:54:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I will post questions from my patients from time to time, because I hope that it will help you too.

Question: I am almost 5 months pregnant and my back is starting to ache. Sometimes I get a pain that is in the middle of my butt cheek. What's going on and how can I get some pain relief?

Answer: Around the 5th month, the hormone relaxin begins to increase, causing all of your ligaments (supportive structures of your bones) to loosen and allow more room for a growing baby. When your abdomen is increasing in size, there is more strain on your lower back. Sometimes your bones can get out of alignment and cause a lot of pain. This is not a danger to you or your baby, but it can be very uncomfortable. The best thing you can do is seek a physical therapist to help re-align you.

The pain you describe in your buttock is also very common and it usually is a spasm of the piriformis muscle, which can irritate the sciatic nerve. Getting your pelvis re-aligned will help alleviate that pain too. Other home remedies that can help are moist heat to the area (not for prolonged amounts of time), massage, and rest.

Be well,

Dr. M

All mamas need love...

2009-04-02T20:35:00.003-04:00

Your body is changing. You can see and feel many changes on the outside; your shape, your energy level and others. But there are many other changes you cannot see. Hormonal and weight changes are affecting your ligaments. Your growing baby will stretch your pre-natal pelvic and abdominal muscles and challenge them in the post-partum months. Understanding your special needs during the childbearing season will improve your overall health. Common disorders during the childbearing years include backache, stiff joints and neurological problems.

All mamas need love. That's why I have a special programs designed for you throughout your pregnancy and post partum. Your needs will be met on a nutritional level from recommending vitamins, dietary improvements, and exercise both prenatal and post partum. I am able to align your pelvis and back, relieve your aches and pains associated with pregnancy and beyond!

Be well,

Dr. M

Whole Mama Care...

2009-04-01T20:54:00.005-04:00

Hello Mamas!

How are you? Surviving? Let’s lean on each other here. This may be your first, this may be your fifth, but either way, you are at my website for a reason. Let me help you now.

So here we turn around the most difficult bend in the road. Gravity starts to pull at your groin, helping Mother Nature with her task. Meanwhile, you feel like your doing everything you can to keep the baby from dropping out. This can wreak havoc on your sense of equilibrium, both mentally and physically. You can be uncomfortable and have pain like you never have before. That’s why we are going to talk about the most important topic – physical therapy.

I should apologize for your doctor. This subject should have been discussed in the first trimester. Your OB should have told you that the sooner you come see me, the better, and before the larger increase of weight gain is the ideal here. But anytime is still a good time.

Many of us get some aches and pains during the nine months of pregnancy. It’s natural that 25-65 (mas o menos) pounds of extra weight is going to shift things around a bit and cause some discomfort. But some of us unlucky ones find ourselves truly, physically challenged. Common limitations come in the form of Sciatica, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Lumbo-Pelvic Instability problems. I won the good odds bet with 2 out of 3.

Your enthusiasm and belief in physical therapy will have you rolling on the ground and jumping up with ease and agility singing “Amen sister, Amen.” I’m not kidding. Call me today for relief!

Prenatal Physical Therapy offers a wide range of benefits, which include the following:

Eases backaches, headaches, shoulder and neck aches that may be caused by muscle tension and shifts in posture to accommodate increasing weight
Decreases pain/pressure in the pelvic/hip area
Increases circulation
Improves digestion
Reduces fatigue
Improves skin elasticity that can help reduce stretch marks
Helps reduce swelling in such places as hands and lower legs
Can alleviate the stress on weight-bearing joints, like the knees, which are impacted by the extra weight of a growing baby
Promotes relaxation and deep breathing and better sleep
Helps stabilize hormone levels by lessening anxiety

Remember, I am here for you. I can relieve your aches and pains and offer you Whole Mama Care -- nutrition, wellness, and so much more!

Be well,

Dr. M