Category Archives: Nutrition

Planting Seeds

On this first day of fall, my family spent the morning planting seeds in a community garden.

Multiple times a month I receive “Ask Holly” queries asking how to get children to eat (and enjoy) vegetables. In our experience, when children are an active part in the preparation of a meal, they are much more likely to eat it.

Even more excitement arises when they participate in growing the food. Today’s time sowing seeds at the garden was exactly as I had pictured it.

I loved hearing my son’s questions about how the seeds turn into plants and watching the delight in his eyes as he glimpsed a roly-poly. I loved explaining to him that plants need sunlight, just like we do, to thrive. Out in the crisp fall air I remembered a beautiful poem I read this week which ends,

“…today you get a telegram
from the heart in exile,
proclaiming that the kingdom

still exists,
the king and queen alive,
still speaking to their children,

—to any one among them
who can find the time
to sit out in the sun and listen.”

A thought occurred to my 4 year old this morning as we were on our way to the garden- “hey mom, do my bones get bigger inside my body and that’s what makes me grow?” Yes, that’s part of it. “Well how do my bones get bigger?” I explained to him that his cells use fuel—interrupted with, “hey, just like a car uses fuel!”—Yes, sweetie, just like a car uses fuel, our body needs fuel to grow. And in the same way a car’s fuel is gasoline, our fuel is good food and water—interrupted with, “my fuel is chocolate milk!” — …one can see how these sweet conversations fuel my spirit throughout the day.

If given the option, my two wild and amazing boys would literally jump off the furniture the entire time we are indoors, yet magic happens the minute we step outside. There is a stillness and peace that overcomes them as if to prove the point that out there is where they belong. As Richard Louv claims in his book Last Child in the Woods, children today suffer from nature deficit disorder. Time outside would cure many of the ailments relating to attention and hyperactivity in the lives of our modern children.

My hope is that taking part in a community garden will give us nourishment not only from the food we grow, but also our time in nature and other like-minded people. The American Community Gardening Association asserts that “community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.” To find a community garden near you, visit the Local Harvest website.

And since my brain is 70% song lyrics, I couldn’t possibly have all of this seed sowing talk and not quote A Tears For Fears song that says it all:

“Anything is possible when you’re sowing the seeds of love.”

Babies, Nutrition

$5 Latte or Papaya?

Holly 2 Comments

Perhaps the number one complaint I hear about organic food is that it is too expensive.

I always respond with the oft used health counselor line- “Yes, but you either pay for the quality, non-toxic food now, or pay doctor and hospital bills in the future.”

This is truly the way my family eats and lives, and we shop with wild abandon at a store many people call “whole paycheck.” Maybe we’ve been spoiled by the 365 brand or their amazing Friday sales, but I don’t find Whole Foods to be more expensive than conventional grocery stores- I will say they offer such a great assortment of clothing, cosmetics, books, toys, and food that it’s easy to spend your whole paycheck there, but not because of the price of food alone.

It is one thing when you really can’t afford real food. And yes, it can be expensive to buy the best quality available. But I have a hard time understanding how people spend their money freely in other areas of their lives, but just because they can get cheap food, they do. It reminds me of those who can afford pretty much anything but will only go to doctors covered by their insurance, even if another provider would be a better option. Priorities, people, priorities!

But I digress.

The other day, I found I needed a bit of course correction myself. As I was perusing the delicious produce section, in search of some new fruits and veggies to offer my baby, I came upon my all time favorite. Papaya. And this wasn’t just any papaya. This was organic papaya from Hawaii- the best of the best.

But then I saw the price.

FIVE DOLLARS each? No thanks! I promptly texted a pic to my sister who recently moved from Hawaii with the caption-

“WHATEVER! $5 for a papaya?”

She responds- “oooh Sunrise- those are the best!”

“I know, but on principle I am not spending $5 on one papaya!”

“They’re expensive in Hawaii, too.”

“I know, but not FIVE DOLLARS!”

“True…” She texts, realizing I won’t back down.

So I put it back, shopped some more, spent more than I had planned to anyway, and left.

Next stop… Starbucks!

Can someone please hit me over the head? Never mind- I get it. I have no problem spending close to five dollars on a latte, or macchiato, or whatever I fancy in the moment, but I wouldn’t spend $5 on a juicy piece of fruit grown in the Hawaiian sunshine, bursting with flavor, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, potassium, fiber, digestive enzymes, vitamin E and vitamin K. Not to mention my absolute favorite, first thing I eat when we go to Hawaii, nothing compares to them, favorite.

And something I would gladly share with my baby- unlike the sugar, milk, decaf and flavor syrup of the latte.

So I rushed back to the store as fast as I could, truly worried at this point that there would be a “run on Whole Foods” and all of my glorious papaya would be gone.

Thankfully, not the case.

Aaahhh. Now I have a fresh perspective, zero judgement, renewed priorities, and a fabulous piece of fruit.

Nutrition, Recipes, Websites

eMeals Review

Holly 9 Comments

Today I had 4 people in the grocery store admire my organization. This is not something I hear very often, but I suppose if you saw the list I was walking around with today, you’d have thought the same thing.

As important as eating well has always been to our family, I have never had a very good meal plan. Every week usually consists of 4 or 5 trips to our local natural foods store, one trip to the farmers market, a delivery from our CSA, and lots of inevitable last minute trips for a last minute ingredient. That worked fine for us as a couple, and then it was still ok when we had one child, though it really wasn’t very cost effective and prompted lots of repeat meals and take-out. I know how valuable variety is, and how unhealthy restaurant food can be, so this was obviously not the ideal situation. Throw in having another baby, and it was clear we needed a new strategy.

First I tried to do a monthly plan.That proved to be too overwhelming. Then I tried to make every night of the week a different theme, so I could make a plan around that. Didn’t work. I couldn’t remember what night I had designated what theme and was always confused.

Then I came across eMeals– “a simple system with easy meals based on delicious recipes and a consistent grocery budget.” When I saw I had to pay for the service, I almost just closed the website to look for something else. But then on the sidebar I saw they had a specific plan for Whole Foods. I looked at the sample, and realized this was for me.

Each week’s plan consists of two pages- one is the menu, ingredients, and recipes (all on one page!), and the other is the grocery list. The first time I did my “big shop” the size of my list felt daunting. I followed it completely, and it took me about an hour. I piled in the produce and asked the butcher for things I had never purchased. I got home and unpacked my loot.

Finding places in the pantry and refrigerator for all of those groceries was challenging, but after that, life seemed calmer around here. The recipes are straight forward, quick and easy to follow, and all have been tasty. Something as little as having a meal plan has taken a big burden off of my shoulders that I didn’t even realize I was carrying.

Every day I look forward to what I’ll be cooking that night (I suppose the old “it’s four o’clock- what do we feel like for dinner?” routine was a little stressful), and it’s been fun anticipating the new week’s menu.

I asked my husband how he felt about eMeals, and his response? “I’m just worried it’s going to stop.”

Don’t worry, honey. It won’t stop anytime soon. We are four weeks in, and with practice I have streamlined my shopping trip and realized how easy it is to make a few tweaks based on ingredients I already have or need to use. I’ve even purchased a few items in bulk- such as organic diced tomatoes and chicken broth.

One huge advantage of the food on the eMeals plan is how basic it is. This means less time in the kitchen and more time visiting with my family at the dinner table. With meals like turkey patty melts, chicken enchiladas and black bean soup, there is something for everyone. There are sophisticated dishes too-like the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin I made last week. But it was surprisingly easy to make and super quick!

And perhaps the true test of the usefulness of eMeals is whether or not the kids will like it. Score! My three year old son has eaten and enjoyed every meal we have had. I’ve left out the jalapeños and chili powder of some things to make sure he could eat them.

If you decide to sign up, reorganize the menu to make sure you eat things that will go bad the fastest (i.e. for the last few weeks “french bread” has been on day 7…I’ve had to use the baguette I bought 6 days earlier as bread crumbs!)

eMeals has been great for our family. They offer plans for many specific stores and also specialty diets such as gluten free, vegetarian, portion control and natural & organic. I’m hooked. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Nutrition, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Holly 3 Comments

Red Raspberry Leaf is present in almost every pregnancy tea out there, and every midwife and natural remedy book I have consulted has recommended it for each stage of pregnancy.

In the first trimester is is said to reduce morning sickness. Drinking it in the second and third trimesters will relieve constipation and heartburn. It is also full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C and calcium and enriches breastmilk for your newborn.

The main reason I drink it is because it tones the uterus, improves contractions and strengthens the pelvic and uterine muscles and is thought to shorten the second (aka harder) stage of labor. I’m a believer because I drank red raspberry leaf tea every day during the last trimester of my last pregnancy, and my baby was born three hours after I got to the hospital after a very quick transition and only 15 minutes of pushing.

I know there are many factors that contribute to all the aspects of labor and delivery, but I will do anything I can to make it as safe and quick as possible. I recently came across an entry in the Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Natural Home Remedies: Hundreds of Simple Healing Techniques for Everyday Illness and Emergencies that really intrigued me.

“My mother was born and raised in Scotland, coming to America at the age of 26. Whenever a member of her family became ill or had a health problem, her mother had consulted an herbalist or herb doctor. As a result of this, I was treated with herbs as a child.
“Mother had always told me that red raspberry leaf tea would prevent miscarriage and was excellent for pregnancy and childbirth. When I became pregnant, I immediately sent for some raspberry leaf tea and began taking one cup of it each day, made from one teaspoon of dried leaves added to one cup of boiling water and steeped for 15 minutes. I had a very normal pregnancy. Then I went into labor, I truly expected to have an easy labor and delivery because I had faithfully taken the tea. While it is true that I did not have a complicated or extremely difficult time, it was not by any means easy. The tea had not lived up to my expectations.

“It was not until sometimes after the birth of my daughter that I read a book my mother had brought with her from Scotland entitled Dragged to Light by W.H. Box of Plymouth, England. In it I found the secret of just how to take the tea so it would truly work wonders during labor and delivery. Box said, ‘On one ounce of raspberry leaves pour one pint of boiling water, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain, and when the time for delivery is approaching drink the whole as hot as possible.’

“There were a number of testimonials in the book written by women who had used this herb. Several took the strong solution over a period of time before going into labor. They were instructed in that case to take a wine glass full three times a day. They had ‘only two stiff pains and it was all over’ or ‘no after pains and very slight before.’ They never made it out of the house. Box’s instructions were, ‘But those who take the tea considerably before the time should not leave the house when the time is approaching as many mothers are delivered almost suddenly when at their work, to the great vexation of doctors and nurses.’

“When I became pregnant again I was determined to try it that way. I still took a cup a day as I had before. but this time when I went into labor I made a strong solution of it as I had read in the book. I put it in a container and took it to the hospital with me. I wasn’t sure how quickly it would work and I didn’t want to have the baby in the car. I didn’t think they’d allow me to drink it in the hospital so I drank half of it in the parking lot. I was afraid to drink all of it as it was so strong and I didn’t personally know anyone who had taken it this strong before. I had been having strong contractions but by the time I registered and was taken up to the labor room the contractions were so mild I hardly felt them. Upon examination they said I was ready to deliver and would not even give me an enema. In the delivery room I was quite comfortable and hardly felt anything. One hour after entering the hospital my son was born.”

Sounds good to me! I definitely plan to do this when I feel labor progressing. I will let you know how it worked!

Here’s a tea I love: Organic Third Trimester Tea (16 tea bags / box)

If this has worked for any of you, please leave a comment and tell me about it!

Babies, Nutrition, Prevention

Strawberries Help Fight Cancer

Holly Leave a comment

We all know how important it is to feed our children and ourselves fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. We also know how hard that can be in our fast paced lives and with our sometimes picky children.

There are many baby and toddler food companies who sell freeze dried strawberries, bananas, and apples, and there are always lots of options for freeze dried veggies in the local natural food store. This seems much more convenient, however I was under the impression that once the “fresh” component of the food was removed, so were the vital nutrients.

When I’ve looked at the nutrition labels of some of these toddler snacks, almost every vitamin and mineral with the exception of Vitamin C has a 0% next to it.

But I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal showing the potential strawberries have to cure cancer, and they used freeze-dried strawberries in the study. In fact, the doctor who conducted the research said, “the freeze-dried substance [that fights cancer] is about 10 times as concentrated as fresh strawberries.”

How exciting! Now I can feed freeze-dried fruits and veggies to my son when I’m in need of a quick snack and don’t have anything fresh on hand, and I can feel really good about it.

Since he’s too young to eat popcorn (due to the choking risk) I recently bought him this dried corn from The Savory Spice Shop in Austin, TX, and he loved it!