New Tri-City Area Holistic Mom Network Chapter

Introduced by my chiropractor, I went to the kick off event of the new chapter of Holistic Mom Network in the Tri-City Area, CA. I am kind of glad that I get to see other crunchy mamas that are in the local area as well as learn about what local vendors are around. This is their website that explains what they are about: http://www.holisticmoms.org/
I haven't yet officially join as a member, but I am liking the idea. And lucky me today too, I won a door prize for a free haircut at a salon, I guess it is time for a new hair style.

My Daughter's First Chiropractic Adjustment

I finally decided to let my chiropractor adjust my daughter as well. I found my chiropractor through http://icpa4kids.com/index.php I noticed that she is certified in the Webster Technique for turning breech babies during pregnancy and also certified in pediatric chiropractic practice. After doing several appointments for myself, I learned that she has a daughter that is the same age as mine and has been adjusting her since birth. The adjustment for babies are very different from the adults. As a matter of fact, I hardly noticed how she adjusted my daughter, felt like she only did some light pressing on her back. If I had knew that it would be this gentle, I probably would have taken my daughter in at birth also. But I kind of also wonder how the gentle adjustment would last, considering how I handle my daughter way rougher than the adjustment. I do like the idea of periodically having my daughter checked up and adjusted while she is growing up, this will ensure that everything is in line and that she will grow properly.

Arnica Gel for Muscle Soreness

All the painting and moving furniture around the house is a real workout. My arms and legs are super sore. A friend of mine tells me to take Tylenol, but taking a pain killer just for regular workout muscle soreness goes against my crunchy philosophy. Thankfully, I learned about Arnica Gel a while ago, and this thing works. Arnica is a well known plant used in homeopathic treatments for bruises and muscle soreness. It is absorbed into the skin pretty fast also. When I rub the gel on the sore areas, it doesn't feel like Bengay or Icy Hot, as in you don't feel that minty cold and then that warm heat. It feels like you just put some regular gel on, but I immediately feel a release of my muscle. I am thinking this might come in handy when my daughter is older and gets sore muscle from hiking or something.

Avoiding Flame Retardants in Children's PJs

http://www.5minutesforgoinggreen.com/299/avoiding-flame-retardants-in-cozy-childrens-pajamas/
When my daughter was 9 months old I learned about how all children's sleepwear from 9 months to 14 years are required to be flame resistant. I was shocked, I mean, really, why do I want my baby to be covered with nasty chemicals when no one in the house smokes, we never use the fireplace or candles. And if the house was really on fire, that flame retardants is not going to help me much as it is not even for that purpose (read link). I started to think well, maybe I can wash off these chemicals, but through my searching online, I realize that is naive thinking. These clothing are designed to be washed multiple times and still be flame resistant, it is impossible to get rid of them this easily. But there is still hope, I immediately returned the 9 month sized PJs I just bought and looked for ones that were snug fitting, made of cotton, and with a yellow tag that says not treated with flame retardants. And now, I don't even use PJs on my daughter anymore. I just buy her t-shirts and regular cotton pants to wear at night. But the sad thing is, flame retardant is everywhere, especially more true in California because of our tough safety standards. Chances are your furnitures, your carpet, and anything cushiony they are required to be flame resistant. It is only last year that California exempted strollers, nursing pillows and baby carriers from the flammability standard.

Eliminating Dairy, Egg, and Gluten Cured Eczema

My husband has suffered from eczema on his hands for many years and it seems to be spreading and getting worse each year. The unsightliness of his hands is one thing, but the itch and pain that comes with it makes him a very grumpy person every time there is a flare up, which was getting more frequent also. He use to just put cortisone cream on it and it would relief him, but then the cortisone is not doing much for him anymore and the red and tenderness of the hand just never disappeared. I tried everything I could to rid him of the problem from the inside out. I supplemented him with fish oil, multi vitamin, vitamin E, probiotics, with not much improvement. I would also put fish oil topically on his hands when he has a flare up and coconut oil as lotion, which he says does work a bit. Then I started to cut out red meat from his diet and see if that helped, since I read something about psoriasis and eczema caused by pork consumption, well, that totally did nothing for him. Then I even put him on a chlorella and cilantro detox, thinking to eliminate some toxins might help, which also didn’t do much for the eczema. Finally, I read about cutting out major allergens like egg, soy, wheat, dairy, etc. But to eliminate all these common allergens for a long period of time and then reintroducing one by one seems like a lot of work and a very limited diet. I really don’t want to resort to this and cut out unnecessary food items. So I bought him a blood test kit for allergy test, hoping we could get some clues there. The allergy test tested for antibody Immunoglobulin G (IgG) for delayed onset food allergy, which is usually associate d to chronic immune problems like eczema. Probably many people have delayed onset food allergy and don't know, this makes me feel like getting myself a test too, but I have this extreme fear of poking myself for blood, I'll need more time to think about it. My husband ended up super high on dairy, egg, and certain other non common allergens, his was also showing moderate allergic to wheat and peanut. These were food that he love and eat every day. We thought he was eating a healthy breakfast with whole wheat toast with cheese and egg and a cup of yogurt. I immediately cut out these food items from his diet, and after 3 days, we saw significant improvement with his hands. We were shocked, thinking we definitely should have done this a lot earlier. He has had no major flare ups so far, still some little ones here and there, but that is partly because he has a hard time completely cutting out these food items. These major allergens are sneaky and in almost all of our processed food. He would eat a piece of breaded chicken thinking that it is okay since he is not that allergic to wheat, but he forgets that the coating might have egg in it too. He would eat a salad, and forget that ranch dressing has dairy. He would eat Asian food and think it is safe, but didn’t know that soy sauce has wheat. The list goes on. I am hoping that if his body takes a short break from these allergens and we start to eat more raw food, that his body would have a chance to repair and improve, and maybe he could one day eat these food again. But then again, we all know this is not an easy trip. However, I now strongly suggest anyone with eczema, psoriasis, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, etc. to look into allergy testing.

Drink More Water and Relief Back Pain

We all know that water is good for us and we should drink more it. I notice that whenever I drink less water, I tend to encounter various problems such as clogged milk ducts in my breast (yes, I am still breastfeeding) or acne start to show up on my face, etc. However, one thing I never thought to link to dehydration was my back pain. But now I am reading more and more about how water can cure back pains. And I have to say from my personal experience, I will say there is definitely some truth in it. I really don't drink enough water a day, my husband likes to call me a camel because of this bad habit of mine, and every once in a while my lower back hurts. Afraid of it leading to sciatica again, I always run to the chiropractor to realign myself, the adjustments work and I do feel wonderful, however, I am frustrated on how short of a period I can maintain it. I usually contributed it to my improper postures or lack of exercise, which does play a role, however, I never thought it could also be related to water intake. So when I learned about this concept, the previous time my lower back started to act up again, I started to drink tons of water and surprisingly, within a couple of days, the lower back pain went away. Apparently we need adequate fluid in between our joints for it to work properly. I am a believer now, hahaha. Well, at least I know I definitely should drink more water, it also helps us detox our body of toxins. My grandmother had always drink a very big glass of water in the morning right when she wakes up and has practiced this for years, she lived close to 100 and was always moving around in good shape, I am thinking this is a practice I should do everyday too.

Banana Peel to Remove Splinters

Letting my daughter go barefoot outdoors sometimes means getting a splinter on the bottom of her feet. It didn't bother her at all, as a matter of fact I didn't even notice it was a splinter until many days have past. I just thought it was a tiny red bump, maybe a cut or a rash, but then it just didn't go away. As I look closer, I see this tiny tiny black dot in the middle, and sure enough, a splinter. Trying to squeeze it or use a tweezer did absolutely nothing, and plus my daughter's constant kicking and fighting me and my husband, worried and telling me to stop it doesn't help either. Out of frustration I looked for other methods online, then I came across a comment about putting a banana peel on top of it overnight. At first I thought this is the most stupid thing to do, but I figure, what harm can it do, plus I am kind of out of options, so I gave it a try. The very next day, I notice the splinter does look like it is more to the surface, and so I gave it another night, the next day I was able to use a tweezer and take it out. Who knew. Apparently banana peel has some kind of enzyme that promotes healing, and it will encourage the skin to heal and push out the splinter. Now, healing property means that it will also do a lot of other things besides just splinters. I found online that banana peel can be used to treat warts, cuts, bug bites, bruises, rashes, acne, and even wrinkle reduction, now I got to try that one and see if it is true, my husband just might see me cover my face in banana peels one day.

Fluoride and Abrasives in Toothpastes

My daughter went to her first dental check-up today, fortunately no cavities. The dentist was going to put some fluoride on her teeth, but I refused that for now, I don't feel quite easy about putting fluoride on her teeth yet. This got me started to research about toothpaste that I am suppose to introduce at age 2. From my research online, it seems like there is definitely benefit of fluoride in preventing cavities, however, there is so much controversy around it, from fluorisis from too much flouride in childhood to cancer causing in adults . I have heard about using xylitol instead, however, there seems to be no information that says it can completely replace fluoride. The only study I can find says that xylitol with fluoride works better than fluoride alone. Seems like there is no study that see if only xylitol will be sufficient. I will probably start my daughter off with a fluoride free toothpaste regardless, since kids tend to swallow toothpastes, but I am definitely undecided about fluoride for us adults. However, through my search, I found another issue with toothpastes, seems like the abrasives like sodium lauryl sulfate used in some toothpaste can be too abrasive and actually take off too much of your enamel and cause sensitive teeth or yellowing of your teeth, yikes! I have sensitive teeth, and now I wonder if that was caused by Colgate Total with all that whitening and tartar control thing going on, which by the way studies seem to say it doesn't really work. The purpose of toothpaste is mainly to put fluoride on to prevent cavities and to take away plague with abrasives. Fluoride has controversy, and a study I read compared brushing without toothpaste to with, and brushing without toothpaste actually removed more plague than with. I plan on using Spry xylitol tooth gel on my daughter as a first toothpaste, since it is fluoride free and abrasive free and have natural ingredients. Now, I am wondering if us adults should be using that instead too. However, I am so scared that my speculation is wrong and I will ended up ruining my already lousy teeth. I probably will first switch to a low abrasive fluoride toothpaste with xylitol, looks like Tom's of Maine has a line for sensitive teeth that is low abrasive and SLS free.

Take Fish Oil During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

From americanpregnancy.org: Omega-3s are essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. After birth they are also passed to the baby through breast milk. Taking omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy also prevent pre-term labor and delivery, lower the risk of pre-eclampsia and may increase birth weight and gestational weight. Omega-3 deficiency also increases the mother's risk for depression. The best sources of EPA and DHA are from fish, but many people are justifiably concerned about mercury and other toxins in fish. For this reason, purified fish oil supplements are often the safest source of EPA and DHA. Omega-3 from flaxseed contains the shorter-chain omega-3, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is different from the longer-chain EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are the omega-3s that the body needs for optimal health and development. While it was once thought that the human body could convert ALA to EPA and DHA, current research shows that such conversion rarely and inefficiently occurs. Fish oil is a more reliable source of EPA and DHA. Plus, Flaxseed can act like the hormone estrogen and can possibly be unsafe during pregnancy, even though to date there is no reliable clinical evidence on its effect. Another good vegetarian source is from algae, even though fish oil is still a better source since it is in readily available form for the body. However, fish oil can't be used to supplement infant formula because it contains other fats that slow babies' growth, and that is why algae is regarded as a superior source of DHA for infant formula.

I Tried Hemp Milk

So I am reading bunch of people drinking hemp milk on Baby Center’s Crunchy Mama forum, and wondering what the heck is hemp milk. Doing a simple search online, it seems like it is made from hemp seed, which is part of the marijuana plant, but yet it doesn’t have the psychoactive component of marijuana. I read that it is rich in nutrients and protein, making it a good vegetarian choice. And on top of that, it is rich in omega-3. However, the omega-3 in hemp is alpha-linolenic acid, not the more desirable forms (EPA and DHA) found in fish oil. But, hey, with all that controversy about how cow’s milk might be bad for you and how soy might disrupt your enzyme, hemp milk seems to be a safer choice. Enthusiastic about all this good research, I decided to buy and try it. I am recently also interested in a rotation diet, and this seems like a good additional choice to rotate between my consumption of dairy, soy milk, and coconut milk. People seem to describe it as having a nutty creamy rich taste. But bad news, it is definitely not to my taste. One sip and I feel like spitting it back out already, and then the after taste was horrible as well, I had to force myself to finish my remaining cup without throwing it up. I am really disappointed in not being able to make this part of my normal drink choice, as it really sounds like a healthy choice. I read many people love the rich taste, but I guess my taste bud is not meant for it. Tomorrow I am going to go to the store and try to buy some chocolate powder or syrup and try to mix it in to see if I can finish the remainder comfortably.

Update: Actually, a second try of the hemp milk without chocolate and the taste has become much more tolerable now, I guess this is something you could get use to. However, I probably won't buy more of it since I am still not crazy about the taste.

Shoes Test Walk Result

After trying on the FiveFingers shoes more I realized that the Sprint style's has a harder piece behind the heels and it rubs on my ankle, the Velcro is also kind of rubbing on top of my feet, and I had to go back to the store to exchange for the KSO style. This style is a much better fit with me, I even had to go down a shoe size, since it has longer toes space, and everything was just comfortable except the painful part of putting it on. My husband is always enthusiastic about new stuff, so even though you are suppose to ease into the exercise routine with these shoes, of course we went all out, and walked a whole day in them. Walking on uneven surfaces like grass, dirt, and even pebble roads were surprisingly comfortable, you can feel everything under your feet, and it actually feels like a little mini feet massage. However, on hard concrete floor, our feet do hurt, but supposedly it should train our feet to walk correctly and strengthen the correct muscles. After walking only a little bit in these, I can feel certain muscles in my thigh and calves soring already, in a good way though. Overall I feel like I had a good workout day, and by the next day, the soreness is all gone and I am good again and ready for more walking.

Super Food Chlorella

This wonderful freshwater green algae is definitely a super food. I am not any medical professional, below are just knowledge that I organized about this super food that I have collected for a while through the internet.

Detox Properties:

Chlorella is comprised of 20% fibrous, indigestible outer shell and 80% inner nutrients. The vitamins, minerals, amino acids, chlorophyll, and other substances that the chlorella contains helps to detox our body. But it is the fibrous outer shell that has been proven to bind with heavy metals and other synthetic chemicals that have accumulated in our bodies. As a matter of fact, chlorella detoxes all known toxins, so this includes mercury and aluminum that we worry so much about in children’s vaccines or our aluminum containing deodorant; lead, PCB, dioxin, etc. that we worry about our children ingesting through toxic products, or even our breastmilk; and even radiation that the recent Japan incident have us worry about. Chlorella is often combined with cilantro for heavy metal detox. Cilantro can better release toxins from our nervous system and bones into our bloodstream so that chlorella can then bind with them and take them out of our system through our digestive track. Chlorella mainly detoxes through the digestive track, so taking it before meals is ideal so that it can get to the toxins before reaching the bloodstream, but as the chlorella takes out the toxins in our digestive tracks, it does also free up more opportunity for the bloodstream to pass the toxins to the digestive tracks.

Chlorella Growth Factor:

CGF is a nucleotide-peptide complex of substances found only in chlorella and is what makes chlorella reproduce very rapidly. It causes children and young animals to grow at a much faster rate and promotes healing of damaged tissues. I remember reading that there were these Japanese studies that found children taking chlorella ended up taller and healthy with no cavities. And another study about dogs having perfect dental arches after taking chlorella.

Boost Immune System:

Research in Japan again showed that mothers who took chlorella during pregnancy had significantly less dioxin in their breast milk, but an added bonus was that the breast milk also contained higher level of IgA, which reduces the risk of infections in nursing infants. Chlorella is a strong antioxidant therefore also has cancer fighting properties.

DHA:

A friend of mine has weaned her daughter and wanted to supplement DHA to her daughter asked me if chlorella has any DHA. I always heard that chlorella was a good brain food, but I didn’t really connected why. Therefore I decided to look up this question and found that chlorella to be an excellent source of DHA. As a matter of fact, the fishes got their DHA from eating chlorella and/or algae in the water. Then I found out many vegetarian source of DHA are also made from algae. DHA is critical for the optimal development and function of the brain, eyes, and central nervous system during infancy and childhood. 

Boost Iron Level:

While chlorella removes the heavy metals, it does not do the same with iron. Quite the contrary, it actually raises your iron level, so it is a good iron supplement. If you have problems with high iron level, this might not be a good idea to supplement more with.

How to Take Chlorella:

I have read various sources with different information on this. The general consensus seems to be to take it before or with food, and start out slowly and reach to 6 grams, but some say you can go higher or to the point that your stool turns green, and it seems like there is no upper limit. I have no idea what is the optimal amount, I don’t really take it every day due to forgetfulness, and never took any high detoxing amount because of the fear that I might detox into my baby through pregnancy and breast milk. If you are taking vitamin C as well, it is recommended to take it as far from chlorella as possible. Vitamin C counters the detoxing effect of chlorella by loosening its bind with toxins. Also, some people’s stomach cannot tolerate chlorella, but I heard that spirulina, another algae might be more tolerable. It is also very important to find chlorella that is not already polluted with heavy metals and toxins. Since chlorella act like sponges with toxins, the ones that are grown in nature no matter where they claim it to be will be polluted. Your best bet will be the ones that are cultivated indoor facility with clean water and tested by third party independent labs.

Conclusion for me:

After reading all these seemingly exaggerated benefit claims about chlorella, I just can’t risk passing it by. It is a food, so I am not that worried about it, since in Asian culture we eat and snack seaweed quite often also. I started supplementing a tiny bit of chlorella to my daughter ever since I started solids with her. She actually likes the taste of it and will drink the powder mix in water straight up; me on the other hand can’t stand the fishy seaweed taste and prefer the tablet form.

I Bought Those Vibram FiveFingers Shoes Today

I can’t believe I went out and bought these, I mean most people’s reaction to this shoe is something like, “ew, disgusting.” But after reading up about the benefit of being barefoot, I just can’t let this little bit of self-consciousness stop me from achieving my health or at least to test it out. My husband suffers from heel pain, and puts those support gel thing in his shoes, which now I learn might not be a good idea. I have had chronic back pain and many sciatica attacks ever since middle school. And believe me that this is no fun. I have been through many chiropractors and even had custom made feet support pieces in my shoes, but none has fixed me yet. I do believe that I probably need to work this problem out by wearing proper footwear and exercising and stretching. Now, reading from Vibram’s website, these FiveFingers shoes are suppose to let your feet move how it is naturally intended to, and it will train those muscles that have long been neglected due to our restrictive shoes, and in turn strengthen and align my spine and improve posture. I read some reviews from Amazon.com that claims some promising results, now I just got to try it. Going to start walking exercise with my husband, since I bought him a pair too, in these and see how they turn out.