I couldn't figure out through all of this why Baby Bear continued to have ear infection after ear infection (8, in fact, before his 1st birthday). At this point in our journey, I had neither learned enough nor gained enough confidence to believe that becoming toxic-free could also expand to limiting myself to the amount of toxic "advice" I received from people in positions of authority such as doctors and nurses. I took everything they told me as the truth and obeyed their every command...try this antibiotic, and this one; let's put tubes in his ears... Needless to say my poor baby to this day has been on 9 full rounds of antibiotics (yes, NINE), and had tubes put in his ears right around his 1st birthday. When he continued having ear infections immediately after the tubes were put in, we were beyond worried & incredibly frustrated. Why?? The doctor told us that it was normal. NORMAL? Constant ear pain, reoccurring infections, a destroyed immune system courtesy of the drugs that were supposed to make it all better...you are telling me that this is normal? Something wasn't adding up.
During this time, BB of course began eating a little more solid food as well. The first sign of a food allergy was the time we went out to breakfast at this (god-awful) diner that served nothing but (cheap) eggs, grease-laden home fries, high-fructose corn syrup toast and every slab of meat you could imagine (Why didn't you just leave, you may ask. Many reasons. Long story). So for breakfast, we fed BB the little bit of fruit I had stashed in the diaper bag and a few tiny bites of eggs. Almost immediately after trying the (seriously TINY!) little bit of eggs, his face and hands broke out in hives.
A few months later, our 4-year old foster daughter was eating her typical PB&J sandwich for lunch (something we don't eat; however, one battle we didn't feel like fighting during this placement) when BB began demanding a sandwich of his own. I attempted to slip him almond butter but darn that smart little toddler, he knew exactly which jar was the PB and incessantly whined until I gave in. After two or three bites of his sandwich, he began to gag and cough. At first I didn't think anything of it...he still wasn't eating much solid food and I figured the consistency was a little tough for him to swallow. He continued coughing like that while I gave him water and soothed him, and a few minutes later he seemed fine. That's when I noticed his entire chin/mouth region was swollen, along with the hand he had been eating his sandwich with. Talk about scary!
Through all of this, from day one of Ear Infection #1, right up to the point where he was showing signs of serious food allergies, not once in my little brain did I ever link all of these things together (nor did I come across it in any of my readings, and I consider myself to be a pretty good investigator!). And do you think one of those fancy doctors or nurses ever hinted or asked about his diet either? Yeah, I think you know the answer to that.
Until, that is, I brought him into the allergist to be tested. It was then the doctor basically told me flat-out: His ear infections have more than likely been linked to his or your diet. This is very common, especially in Western culture. What??? What happened to the "every kid gets ear infections" speech, or the "here's another round of antibiotics and he'll be fine" theory?? You mean to tell me I have been dumping numerous chemicals into my son's body, sitting through exhausting nights of tears (tears..and more tears..) and misery, dealing with (what we genuinely believe to be) the effects of having put our son under anesthesia (nightmares, difficulty sleeping, severe separation anxiety), and bringing him to doctor after doctor and to this specialist and that one--only to find out that it could have all been prevented through a better diet and more information? WTF? (Oh, and notice the "Western culture" comment? Why...whatever are you talking about, Doctor? Years of eating GMO foods? All of the chemicals we dump into our crops? Or could it be the HFCS in 99% of our products, or the fast food, or... yeah).
So needless to say, I have been a little bolder in my quest to rid us of a toxic diet, along with everything else. My husband has been gearing up for it, although a little more reluctantly than with the previous quests. (I am guessing it has something to do with the fact that I have become a total nut-job since the ear infection/food allergy discovery, or maybe because I am spending most of our family's money in the organic produce department?). Regardless, the ship is sailing and I am taking us all even deeper into the seas that are a healthier family diet :) As my knowledge and understanding of food broadens and grows daily, I only hope that the effects of a toxic diet that are seen in all of us--especially in my precious little Bear--diminish with time.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Moving Forward: A Year of Change
The year following our first six months was a little less crazy, since now we knew where we were heading and why. It was just a matter of slowly ridding our home of the old stuff as we could, and replacing it with non- (or less) toxic items.
I wish I had known about Pinterest at this time. Since I only recently discovered the pure joy of being able to contain all of my billions of interesting Internet pages in one place, there were many great reads that I unfortunately cannot seem to dig up anymore (or I've simply forgotten where I found them in the first place). Some helpful Internet searches would be to just google "how toxic is ___" and see what you can sift through. I think I literally spent thousands of hours during this year reading and researching (yay for nursing; I could do this all without the least amount of guilt! LOL). The desire to know more about what things I was subjecting my child to (in the air, in his body, etc) grew stronger by the day. Once I mastered one thing I wanted to learn more about the next. I literally began breaking down the materials in every thing and checking for myself to find out exactly what they were made of, where they came from, and if they posed a health hazard in any way. I mentioned this site in my first blog but the greatest site I have found for researching things has definitely been the Environmental Working Group's page, found at www.ewg.org. Not only do they have a TON of factual info, but in their Cosmetics Database you can search for any ingredient or product and find out just what it is, what health hazards it poses, whether it's been tested in rats, etc. (Go to "Health/Toxins" on the left side, then scroll down to "Cosmetics Database").
At this point in time we had a cleaner kitchen, a water service (more recently I've become really disgusted with the fact that it is all stored in plastic water jugs. At the time; however, it was more important for us to be drinking water that wasn't laced with fluoride and other seriously harmful toxins), and we had massively transformed our diet by cutting our almost all meat, dairy, and junk food. It was a long year to make that happen (we are still working on it!), but we made some seriously delicious meals and replaced our night-time cookies with things like home-made guacamole, smoothies, home-made snack bars made of nuts/honey/dates, and the occasional sugar-free baked good made with healthier flours, bananas in place of the oils and ground nuts in place of the butters. We had already been buying organic foods in the past, but after I began learning more and more about the harmful effects of pesticides, GMOS, etc, I began stricly buying organic when and where I could.
During this year, my husband and I were finally able to switch to more natural beauty products as well and really enjoyed it. For him, it was an easy transition to simply buying different brands (he continues to use a few regular products, but switched his shampoo/cond, body soap, and even his deodorant!). For me, it was a long process of trying things that did (and mostly didn't) work for my hair and skin. I tried the "No-Poo" method (you basically do not wash your hair, and once you get over the 'transition period' it supposedly works wonders), I tried making my shampoo & conditioner using various online recipes and ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, baking soda, honey, etc, and I tried multiple brands of all-natural/eco-friendly bottled shampoos and conditioners. Finally I settled on the Whole Foods brand, which contains very few ingredients and is biodegradable. I found that (aside from the price being a whole lot lower) it soaped better and felt more like typical shampoo in my hair than the other brands. As for my skin, I found a great lotion recipe which I love and continue to use. It takes only a few minutes and a few simple ingredients to make a good size batch:
There are probably more little things we transitioned to over that next year but it is hard to remember everything now. I think the biggest thing we discovered was a new sense of awareness that totally altered our lives. The way we acted, the things we purchased, and even the way we viewed certain activities or items drastically changed (for the better!). Every day we are thankful for our "awakening", thankful for at least the awareness of all of the toxic stuff which surrounds us, and grateful we are able to give BB the best we possibly can. Sometimes it seems so discouraging in a world filled with so much bad stuff...but we tell ourselves that every little bit counts. And hopefully in the long run, in terms of his health and happiness, it does.
I wish I had known about Pinterest at this time. Since I only recently discovered the pure joy of being able to contain all of my billions of interesting Internet pages in one place, there were many great reads that I unfortunately cannot seem to dig up anymore (or I've simply forgotten where I found them in the first place). Some helpful Internet searches would be to just google "how toxic is ___" and see what you can sift through. I think I literally spent thousands of hours during this year reading and researching (yay for nursing; I could do this all without the least amount of guilt! LOL). The desire to know more about what things I was subjecting my child to (in the air, in his body, etc) grew stronger by the day. Once I mastered one thing I wanted to learn more about the next. I literally began breaking down the materials in every thing and checking for myself to find out exactly what they were made of, where they came from, and if they posed a health hazard in any way. I mentioned this site in my first blog but the greatest site I have found for researching things has definitely been the Environmental Working Group's page, found at www.ewg.org. Not only do they have a TON of factual info, but in their Cosmetics Database you can search for any ingredient or product and find out just what it is, what health hazards it poses, whether it's been tested in rats, etc. (Go to "Health/Toxins" on the left side, then scroll down to "Cosmetics Database").
At this point in time we had a cleaner kitchen, a water service (more recently I've become really disgusted with the fact that it is all stored in plastic water jugs. At the time; however, it was more important for us to be drinking water that wasn't laced with fluoride and other seriously harmful toxins), and we had massively transformed our diet by cutting our almost all meat, dairy, and junk food. It was a long year to make that happen (we are still working on it!), but we made some seriously delicious meals and replaced our night-time cookies with things like home-made guacamole, smoothies, home-made snack bars made of nuts/honey/dates, and the occasional sugar-free baked good made with healthier flours, bananas in place of the oils and ground nuts in place of the butters. We had already been buying organic foods in the past, but after I began learning more and more about the harmful effects of pesticides, GMOS, etc, I began stricly buying organic when and where I could.
During this year, my husband and I were finally able to switch to more natural beauty products as well and really enjoyed it. For him, it was an easy transition to simply buying different brands (he continues to use a few regular products, but switched his shampoo/cond, body soap, and even his deodorant!). For me, it was a long process of trying things that did (and mostly didn't) work for my hair and skin. I tried the "No-Poo" method (you basically do not wash your hair, and once you get over the 'transition period' it supposedly works wonders), I tried making my shampoo & conditioner using various online recipes and ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, baking soda, honey, etc, and I tried multiple brands of all-natural/eco-friendly bottled shampoos and conditioners. Finally I settled on the Whole Foods brand, which contains very few ingredients and is biodegradable. I found that (aside from the price being a whole lot lower) it soaped better and felt more like typical shampoo in my hair than the other brands. As for my skin, I found a great lotion recipe which I love and continue to use. It takes only a few minutes and a few simple ingredients to make a good size batch:
- Pour 3/4 Cup pure oil (I used coconut oil) into a glass measuring cup. Add 2 TBS plain shaved beeswax.
- Place measuring cup into a saucepan of water and still on m heat until the wax melts. Let cool for 1-2 mins but don't harden!
- Slowly add 1 Cup of distilled water to the wax mix (it will thicken).
- Add up to 30 drops of essential oils (NOT "Fragrance Oils"- these are synthetic!) and blend.
- Store in a glass jar for up to 6 months.
There are probably more little things we transitioned to over that next year but it is hard to remember everything now. I think the biggest thing we discovered was a new sense of awareness that totally altered our lives. The way we acted, the things we purchased, and even the way we viewed certain activities or items drastically changed (for the better!). Every day we are thankful for our "awakening", thankful for at least the awareness of all of the toxic stuff which surrounds us, and grateful we are able to give BB the best we possibly can. Sometimes it seems so discouraging in a world filled with so much bad stuff...but we tell ourselves that every little bit counts. And hopefully in the long run, in terms of his health and happiness, it does.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Going Off The Deep End...
Or so some people think. People, that is, who have known me in what I like to call my pre-baby life--my life of young and fun, without the responsibility of worrying about my body or anyone else's body. My life of bleach cleaners, scented soaps, and complete ignorance. A time when I thought "rarely" eating fast food meant once every few days.
But now those days are over, and as I cuddle with the little being I have been so dearly gifted with parenting I feel a new responsibility. Every inch of skin, every hair on his head, every part of his being that I have any control over at all is now under my care--and it's my duty to nourish and protect him. Watch out, I'm Mama Bear now. :)
My journey into a more non-toxic lifestyle began with Baby Bear's birth, and a sudden awareness of the things I was putting into my family's bodies as well as bringing into our home. The awareness of a potentially healthier lifestyle spiraled me into a reading frenzy. Any relevant article, book, journal, or magazine I could get my hands on I was reading. I listened to NPR, watched YouTube videos, and I joined a Moms Group geared towards parents practicing attachment parenting- many of whom were also determined to rid toxins from their homes and families as well.
The First 6 Months:
Our first move was to get rid of anything and everything that had "Johnson & Johnson" written on the label. All of the cute little baby shower baskets full of powdery scented lotions and tear-free shampoos were gone, and replaced with their less-toxic counterparts. (I began with California Baby, but after even more time & research I decided that their rating of up to 4 on ewg.org's cosmetic database was also not good enough. I have since had Baby Bear on a product we love- Sweet Baby Organics made by Paradise Island Organics: contains no SLS or Any Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, Petroleum, Phosphates, DEA or Dyes, no Endocrine Disruptors Like Lavender Oil or Tea Tree Oil (see study on Web MD showing these have caused breast growth in boys. See Web MD article, Lavender Oil May Spur Breasts in Boys), and is made with 100% pure plant-based ingredients; also Vegan and Hypoallergenic. It is difficult to find, I order in bulk when it becomes available off Amazon).
After realizing that the skin is our largest organ as well as one of the easiest ways for toxins to enter our body, I began looking into the chemicals in disposable diapers, which at the time we were using. I made the switch to cloth when Baby Bear was 4 months old, and definitely never regretted it. They were cute, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and easy-breezy to wash. Of course the best part--no more nasty chemicals resting against my Love's delicate little skin (in his most delicate of areas, nonetheless!). At this time my husband & I began looking at non-toxic soaps and lotions for ourselves as well, but it took us many many months to actually make the switch (and to find products we were happy with. More about that later!).
Shortly afterwards, I got rid of all of our toxic household cleaners and began cleaning with a solution of white vinegar and water. This was difficult for me, since I had a strange addiction to bleach, but again we made the switch and never regretted it. We worried at first that the house wouldn't actually be cleaned or sanitized, or that it would always smell like vinegar, and even about what visitors would think if they saw (or smelled) us cleaning with--gasp--vinegar. We worried about all of the silly things but finally were persuaded to switch when we learned and began to believe in the actual disinfecting properties (among others) of vinegar. (Might I add, 15 months later our home is looking and smelling just as good as it ever did, and we continue to clean with only the vinegar and water solution). We were already using Free & Clear detergents and non-toxic dishwasher detergent, so I didn't have to worry there.
During this entire time, I was also slowly getting rid of toxic "stuff", and trying to replace it with friendlier versions. Baby Bear had few toys, and 90% of those that he did own were wood- either unfinished or colored using plant-based dyes (some good brands include: Manhattan Toys, Wonderworld, and Haba. You can also find tons of adorable handmade wooden baby toys on etsy.com, or in small local toy stores). He enjoyed playing with books, as well as a few of the wool/silk toys we were introduced to through our Moms Group.
My kitchen was completely under renovation as well. I got rid of *almost* all of the plastic stuff (Baby Bear today has a few sippy cups that have become special to him...I literally cringe every time I use them but take deep breaths and move on for sanity's sake. We also have a few odds and ends laying around that I keep swearing I am going to donate, any day now...). We received an awesome set of cast-iron pans (if you don't already know the amazing health benefits of cast-iron, I highly recommend reading up on it!), and purchased lots of glassware to store our food & drinks in (replacing that awful chemical-leaching plastic Tupperware).
Although BB was exclusively breastfed still, through the process of education my husband and I naturally began honing in on our own diet. Of course only by virtue of how far we have come can I now look back and say, "we ate like crap." In all actuality, we had a pretty decent diet (let's say our diet was on the higher end of the Standard American Diet; meaning, our meals were the standard meat, potatoes [usually a white starchy type] and veggie). Our idea of a healthy lunch was a big salad from the grocery store salad bar, white bread with some salami, and a small bag of chips. We ate out a lot, ate a lot of burgers, and when we were traveling you bet we ate lots of junk food. During my pregnancy, I cut out the deli meats and caffeine like a good girl., but as soon as BB was born I'm pretty sure the first thing I did on the way home was stop for coffee.
During those first 6 months after BB was born, when we first began analyzing our diet, not too much changed except for maybe our mentality (now instead of eating junky food and moving on with our lives we would eat junky food and think, "wow, I feel like crap, I am really going to try to eat better"). I suppose like anything else it is all in education. At the time we wanted better but didn't much about what we should do differently. Enter: My wonderful group of mindful mamas. These women introduced me to just the resources hubby & I needed to make the lifestyle changes that worked for us. After watching "Forks Over Knives", "Food Inc.", and reading "The China Study", we were pretty much in agreement that we wanted to cut meat and dairy from our diets. This was pretty much the extent of where we were at during these first months however. (And please keep in mind, we were introduced to MANY different diets and nutritional lifestyles, only after doing our own research did we conclude which one was best for our own family. You may have something else that works for you. Not knockin' it!).
So to wrap up what is becoming a very long blog, those first 6 months were pretty intense in regards to how far we had come in our decisions to wipe toxic crap from our lives. Every step, looking back, had seemed so big-- but looking around me I realize that they are just tiny steps in the path of where we ultimately want to be.
But now those days are over, and as I cuddle with the little being I have been so dearly gifted with parenting I feel a new responsibility. Every inch of skin, every hair on his head, every part of his being that I have any control over at all is now under my care--and it's my duty to nourish and protect him. Watch out, I'm Mama Bear now. :)
My journey into a more non-toxic lifestyle began with Baby Bear's birth, and a sudden awareness of the things I was putting into my family's bodies as well as bringing into our home. The awareness of a potentially healthier lifestyle spiraled me into a reading frenzy. Any relevant article, book, journal, or magazine I could get my hands on I was reading. I listened to NPR, watched YouTube videos, and I joined a Moms Group geared towards parents practicing attachment parenting- many of whom were also determined to rid toxins from their homes and families as well.
The First 6 Months:
Our first move was to get rid of anything and everything that had "Johnson & Johnson" written on the label. All of the cute little baby shower baskets full of powdery scented lotions and tear-free shampoos were gone, and replaced with their less-toxic counterparts. (I began with California Baby, but after even more time & research I decided that their rating of up to 4 on ewg.org's cosmetic database was also not good enough. I have since had Baby Bear on a product we love- Sweet Baby Organics made by Paradise Island Organics: contains no SLS or Any Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, Petroleum, Phosphates, DEA or Dyes, no Endocrine Disruptors Like Lavender Oil or Tea Tree Oil (see study on Web MD showing these have caused breast growth in boys. See Web MD article, Lavender Oil May Spur Breasts in Boys), and is made with 100% pure plant-based ingredients; also Vegan and Hypoallergenic. It is difficult to find, I order in bulk when it becomes available off Amazon).
After realizing that the skin is our largest organ as well as one of the easiest ways for toxins to enter our body, I began looking into the chemicals in disposable diapers, which at the time we were using. I made the switch to cloth when Baby Bear was 4 months old, and definitely never regretted it. They were cute, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and easy-breezy to wash. Of course the best part--no more nasty chemicals resting against my Love's delicate little skin (in his most delicate of areas, nonetheless!). At this time my husband & I began looking at non-toxic soaps and lotions for ourselves as well, but it took us many many months to actually make the switch (and to find products we were happy with. More about that later!).
Shortly afterwards, I got rid of all of our toxic household cleaners and began cleaning with a solution of white vinegar and water. This was difficult for me, since I had a strange addiction to bleach, but again we made the switch and never regretted it. We worried at first that the house wouldn't actually be cleaned or sanitized, or that it would always smell like vinegar, and even about what visitors would think if they saw (or smelled) us cleaning with--gasp--vinegar. We worried about all of the silly things but finally were persuaded to switch when we learned and began to believe in the actual disinfecting properties (among others) of vinegar. (Might I add, 15 months later our home is looking and smelling just as good as it ever did, and we continue to clean with only the vinegar and water solution). We were already using Free & Clear detergents and non-toxic dishwasher detergent, so I didn't have to worry there.
During this entire time, I was also slowly getting rid of toxic "stuff", and trying to replace it with friendlier versions. Baby Bear had few toys, and 90% of those that he did own were wood- either unfinished or colored using plant-based dyes (some good brands include: Manhattan Toys, Wonderworld, and Haba. You can also find tons of adorable handmade wooden baby toys on etsy.com, or in small local toy stores). He enjoyed playing with books, as well as a few of the wool/silk toys we were introduced to through our Moms Group.
My kitchen was completely under renovation as well. I got rid of *almost* all of the plastic stuff (Baby Bear today has a few sippy cups that have become special to him...I literally cringe every time I use them but take deep breaths and move on for sanity's sake. We also have a few odds and ends laying around that I keep swearing I am going to donate, any day now...). We received an awesome set of cast-iron pans (if you don't already know the amazing health benefits of cast-iron, I highly recommend reading up on it!), and purchased lots of glassware to store our food & drinks in (replacing that awful chemical-leaching plastic Tupperware).
Although BB was exclusively breastfed still, through the process of education my husband and I naturally began honing in on our own diet. Of course only by virtue of how far we have come can I now look back and say, "we ate like crap." In all actuality, we had a pretty decent diet (let's say our diet was on the higher end of the Standard American Diet; meaning, our meals were the standard meat, potatoes [usually a white starchy type] and veggie). Our idea of a healthy lunch was a big salad from the grocery store salad bar, white bread with some salami, and a small bag of chips. We ate out a lot, ate a lot of burgers, and when we were traveling you bet we ate lots of junk food. During my pregnancy, I cut out the deli meats and caffeine like a good girl., but as soon as BB was born I'm pretty sure the first thing I did on the way home was stop for coffee.
During those first 6 months after BB was born, when we first began analyzing our diet, not too much changed except for maybe our mentality (now instead of eating junky food and moving on with our lives we would eat junky food and think, "wow, I feel like crap, I am really going to try to eat better"). I suppose like anything else it is all in education. At the time we wanted better but didn't much about what we should do differently. Enter: My wonderful group of mindful mamas. These women introduced me to just the resources hubby & I needed to make the lifestyle changes that worked for us. After watching "Forks Over Knives", "Food Inc.", and reading "The China Study", we were pretty much in agreement that we wanted to cut meat and dairy from our diets. This was pretty much the extent of where we were at during these first months however. (And please keep in mind, we were introduced to MANY different diets and nutritional lifestyles, only after doing our own research did we conclude which one was best for our own family. You may have something else that works for you. Not knockin' it!).
So to wrap up what is becoming a very long blog, those first 6 months were pretty intense in regards to how far we had come in our decisions to wipe toxic crap from our lives. Every step, looking back, had seemed so big-- but looking around me I realize that they are just tiny steps in the path of where we ultimately want to be.
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