Down Under

Under the weather, that is. A couple of weeks ago we went to my parents' house for a few days. You may remember my sisters were visiting and our zoo trip was cancelled because several people were sick. Well, we brought their "crud" back with us. Olivia got sick the following Saturday. She had fever for a few days. She's still coughing but seems to be mostly over it (so she's wrapping up her second week of the crud). Jesse got sick at the beginning of this week. He started off with a terribly snotty nose and now he's got a little fever and is coughing. Probably due to the drainage and his inability to blow his nose. Anybody know how to get a 2-year-old to blow his nose?? Hubby's been straddling the fence between "well" and "sick" for a couple of weeks. I woke up with a sore and swollen throat Tuesday. It's still pretty sore, but not too sore to enjoy my ribeye for supper.

In the past two weeks we've bought 48 lbs of oranges, 12 lbs of apples, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, pineapples, and watermelon. We've been eating some and juicing some. We've had chicken noodle soup. Actually it had rice instead of noodles, so I guess we had chicken rice soup. We've also been drinking lots of water and tea. You'd think we'd be done with the crud by now. Alas, that is not the case. It looks like this would be a good time to buy stock in "Throat Coat" tea.

Reflections

During the holiday season, we tend to look back over the year that's ending and look forward to the one that's about to begin. We spend time with family. We count our blessings.

We're a family of four living on one income, but we pay off our credit cards every month. Our vehicles have 140K, 280K, and 320K miles on them, but they run (most of the time). Our mobile home shrinks a little more each year, but we've got a roof over our heads, hot water, air conditioning in the summer, and heat in the winter. We've got a fridge full of food and plenty of clothes in our closets. I'm relatively healthy, have a loving and faithful husband, healthy and happy children, and a caring family. I get to stay home with my kids, watch them grow, and help shape them into little people. I've even got a little extra money for hobbies (all I need is more time!).

I hope your life is even half as good as mine!

Older SIGG Bottles Contain BPA

Reusable aluminum bottles are an eco-friendly alternative to wasteful plastic water bottles. My children had some from SIGG and loved them! They claimed to be not only eco-friendly, but healthier as well, assuring everyone that there was no BPA (Bisphenol A) found in their bottles, as there is in plastic.

So I was so very disappointed to hear that if you purchased a SIGG water bottle before August 2008 (we did), the liner in that bottle may actually contain BPA after all...

SIGG has posted an image and description of the new vs. old liners. If your liner looks like the OLD version, you can contact SIGG to have it replaced with a NEW version.

New SIGG EcoCare Liner

* Dull pale yellow coating

*Special powder-based co-polyester liner certified to be 100% BPA and Phthalate Free

*Utilized in the manufacturing of SIGG bottles since August 2008

Former SIGG Liner

* Shiny copper bronze finish

*Proprietary water-based epoxy liner thoroughly tested and showed absolutely no leaching of BPA

*Found in SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008

While many people are outraged over the perceived misleadings, SIGG has posted a letter from their CEO to try and explain just what they were thinking: http://www.mysigg.com/bulletin/

In the meantime, you can find some wonderful BPA FREE bottles over at Nubius Organics, such as Kleen Kanteen, EcoUsable, EarthLust, Crocodile Creek and more. (I think I might just have to get one of those gorgeous EarhtLust bottles, myself!)

Green Period

This post is mainly for the ladies. Gentleman, please share this information with your wives, sisters, daughters, etc. Feminine hygiene products are kind of a taboo topic, but here are some things you should think about if you haven't already.

There are contradictory articles about whether disposable feminine hygiene products, even tampons made entirely from cotton, contain dioxin. There's no question that tampons and disposable pads take up a lot of room in landfills. The cost of these products adds up over time. Many women get "diaper rash" from pads. Also, tampons are associated with toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Reusable menstrual pads (aka "mama cloth") are a safe, green alternative to disposable pads. They can be made from a variety of fabrics and in different sizes and absorbencies (from liners to post-partum). Most have a snap to hold them in place, while some are "lay-in" types. Many women report that their periods are lighter and they no longer experience cramping after switching to cloth pads. If you cloth diaper and/or use family cloth, just launder your mama cloth the same way. Otherwise, you can rinse it in the sink and wash with dark towels.

For women who prefer tampons to pads, there are menstrual cups (Diva Cup, LadyCup, The Keeper, to name a few). Worn internally, menstrual cups catch your flow instead of absorbing it. You may only need to empty it 2 or 3 times a day (maybe every 2 or 3 hours) depending on how heavy your flow is. After emptying, you can rinse it or simply wipe it out, then reinsert it. Between cycles wash with hot soapy water and store it in the fabric pouch that came with it. Menstrual cups come in 2 sizes - one for women who are under 30 and have never had a child, one for women who are over 30 and/or have had a child.

Mama cloth and menstrual cups can last for years. This means far less waste for the planet and more money in your pocket. (You may be surprised at how much a pad or cup costs, but remember it will last for years. You'll pay more up front, but you'll save money over the long run.) They're also healthier for your body. You may think these products sound "gross," especially if this is the first time you've heard about them. They're no more gross than disposable products. I encourage you to seriously think about these alternatives before dismissing them.

For more information...

Green Families Search for "diva cup" and "mama cloth" for TONS of information. From fabrics to troubleshooting, these ladies discuss it all.

iHerb offers both sizes of the Diva Cup. Use the code NEM401 to save $5.

eBay offers the Diva Cup and the LadyCup.

Etsy is a great place to find mama cloth made by work-at-home moms.

The Healing Benefits of Coconut Oil

Ok, it's no secret ~ I *love* coconut oil! It has *so* many uses, and the really good raw stuff, is really good for you! I use it for so many things ~ a butter replacement on my children's popcorn, a skin moisturizer (I have eczema that flares up now and then), in my hair, on owies, you name it!

I came across this article I wish to share with you that explains some of the benefits of coconut oil. Yes, I know it's from a company (Vivapura) that carries a coconut oil product for sale, however, I have found it to be very accurate. As always, of course ~ do your own research and don't take my word for it ;) Of course, I personally stand behind this company 100% ~ they're a fantastic example of ethics, purity, and really tasty foods! I picked up some of their dried jackfruit once and *oh*my*yummers* =D If you get a chance, do check it out!

Coconut Oil Health Benefits

The Healing Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been used as cooking oil for thousands of years.

Popular cookbooks advertised it at the end of the 19th century. Then came the anti-saturated fat campaign and the promotion of polyunsaturated fats, such as flaxseed, canola, soybean, safflower, corn, and other seed and nut oils plus their partially hydrogenated counterparts (margarine, "I can't believe it's not butter", etc.) as the way to go.



Indeed, saturated fats have been supposedly causally linked to high cholesterol and heart disease, multiple sclerosis and other bad health conditions. I don't know how anyone came to this conclusion, since it would be hard to find a person in America who has a high saturated fat diet. Why? Because nearly all commercial foods, including bread, crackers, chips, dips, many candies, zero cholesterol coffee creamers, all mayonnaise and all salad dressings, many pastries and ice creams, most dietetic (for weight loss or diabetes) "foods", many cereals, and nearly all crunchy snacks contain either polyunsaturated or partially hydrogenated fats (which contain some margarine and some of the unsaturated fat mixed together).



These foods are often advertised as healthy "all vegetarian," "no-cholesterol" foods. Even the so-called saturated fat in commercial meat is partly unsaturated because most cows are fed corn and soybeans, both of which contain unsaturated oils. Are there any people who live on saturated fats who are healthy? Yes! People who live in tropical climates and who have a diet high in coconut oil are healthier, have less heart disease, cancer, colon problems and so on, than unsaturated fat eaters. Two such groups of people include those from Melanesia and the Yucatan. These people are slightly hyperthyroid because of the thyroid stimulating effects of coconut oil plus a diet which includes protein (fish) and adequate fruit (stimulates thyroid function).


Can you eat unsaturated fats and get away with it?

It all depends. The Eskimos ate cold-water fish, high in unsaturated oils BUT they also ate the whole animal, including the animal head, brain, thyroid glands, etc. and got the hormones from these glandulars. This caused them to become hyperthyroid, 25% higher than Americans, and they were classified as "pathologically hyperthyroid" by standard medical definition. However, this so-called pathological condition allowed them to burn the unsaturated fats in the foods they ate. If you are not an Eskimo and eat mainly an unsaturated fat diet, you may be in trouble.


Now you know why I wonder how anyone can associate high cholesterol or saturated fats with heart disease, multiple sclerosis or any disease. Over the past 40 years, Americans have increased their consumption of unsaturated fats and partially hydrogenated fats and have decreased their consumption of saturated fatty acids and butter. Lauric acid, the major fatty acid in coconut oil and breast milk, is rarely present in the American diet.



Yet saturated fats are still being called the health culprits while grocery stores abound with many kinds of seed and nut oils. Many have been told that if the unsaturated oil is unprocessed, it is safe. This is untrue. The harmful effects of unsaturated oil lie in their unsaturation, or the presence of many double bonds, which are very labile and easily peroxidized (become rancid inside the body). Details of this are given in the report on unsaturated oils. Here is a summary of the health benefits of coconut oil. In general, coconut oil stimulates thyroid function and has wonderful antiseptic properties.


The Stability of Coconut Oil

Unsaturated oils in cooked foods become rancid in just a few hours, even in the refrigerator, one reason for the "stale" taste of leftovers. However, according to Peat, eating fresh unsaturated fats is even worse, because once inside the body, they will oxidize (turn rancid) very rapidly due to being heated and mixed with oxygen. Not so with coconut oil. Even after one year at room temperature, coconut oil shows no evidence of rancidity even though it contains 9% linoleic (omega - 6) polyunsaturated acid. Peat theorizes that coconut oil may have antioxidant properties, since the oil doesn't turn rancid and since it reduces our need for vitamin E, whereas unsaturated oils deplete vitamin E.



Anti-Aging Effects of Coconut Oil

Many researchers have reported that coconut oil lowers cholesterol (Blackburn et al 1988, Ahrens and colleagues, 1957). In 1981, Prior et al. showed that islanders with a diet high in coconut oil showed no harmful health effects. When these groups migrated to New Zealand and lowered their daily coconut oil intake, their total cholesterol and especially their LDL cholesterol - the so-called evil one - increased. The cholesterol-lowering properties of coconut oil are a direct result of its ability to stimulate thyroid function. In the presence of adequate thyroid hormone, cholesterol (specifically LDL-cholesterol) is converted by enzymatic processes to the vitally necessary anti-aging steroids, pregnenolone, progesterone and DHEA. These substances are required to help prevent heart disease, senility, obesity, cancer and other diseases associated with aging and chronic degenerative diseases.

Weight Loss Stimulating Properties of Coconut Oil



In the 1940's farmers tried coconut oil to fatten their animals but discovered that it made them lean and active and increased their appetite. Whoops! Then they tried an anti-thyroid drug. It made the livestock fat with less food but was found to be a carcinogen (cancer causing drug). In the late 1940's, it was found that the same anti-thyroid effect could be achieved by simply feeding animals soybeans and corn.



Anti-Cancer Effects of Coconut Oil

In 1987 Lim-Sylianco published a 50-year literature review showing the anti-cancer effects of coconut oil. In chemically induced cancers of the colon and breast, coconut oil was by far more protective than unsaturated oils. For example 32% of corn oil eaters got colon cancer whereas only 3% of coconut oil eaters got the cancer. Animals fed unsaturated oils had more tumors. This shows the thyroid-suppressive and hence, immuno-suppressive effect of unsaturated oils. (Cohen et al. 1986).



When Albert Schweitzer operated his clinic in tropical Africa, he said that it was many years before he saw a single case of cancer. He believed that the appearance of cancer was caused by introduction of the European diet to the Africans. Many studies since the 1920's have shown an association between consumption of unsaturated oils and the incidence of cancer.

Antimicrobial (Antiseptic) Effects of Coconut Oil



Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids such as lauric (C-12), caprylic (C-10) and myristic (C-14) acids. Of these three, coconut oil contains 40% lauric acid, which has the greater anti-viral activity of these three fatty acids. Lauric acid is so disease fighting that it is present in breast milk. The body converts lauric acid to a fatty acid derivative (monolaurin), which is the substance that protects infants from viral, bacterial or protozoal infections. This was recognized and reported in 1966.



Work by Hierholzer and Kabara (1982) showed that monolaurin has virucidal effects on RNA and DNA viruses, which are surrounded by a lipid membrane. In addition to these RNA and DNA viruses, in 1978, Kabara and others reported that certain medium chain fatty acids, such as lauric acid have adverse effects on other pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast and fungi. These fatty acids and their derivatives actually disrupt the lipid membranes of the organisms and thus inactivate them. This deactivation process also occurs in human and bovine milk when fatty acids are added to them.

For further reading try the

Coconut Oil White Paper by John Kabara,

an internationally recognized expert in tropical oils.

What is in a mole?

March is our guest blogger this week, filling in for Alex. Here's her intro: "My name is March and I am a SAHM/Professional Volunteer. I have 3 boys, ages 8,4 & 2." Thank you March!!

James my 8 year old son has been growing his hair out almost all year. I really try to pick my battles and so let it get shaggy. I guess the heat finally got to him last week and so my DH took all 3 boys to get haircuts . When James came home with a partial crew cut, something stood out from behind his ear. A large mole that was not there when he started growing his hair last year.

Of my 3 boys 2 were cursed with my fair skin, but James has beautiful Olive skin like his dad. When he was a baby I was diligent about slathering him in sun screen, but as he got older and never burns it became more of his responsibility or when I remembered. James has had one sunburn in his life. So to see this rather large mole that had developed so quickly had me in a panic.

I called our Dr. The Dr already jokingly thinks I am crazy. Most people by the time they have a 3rd child have calmed down and don't call the Dr. at the drop of a hat..not me. My philosophy is that I would always rather the Dr. think I was crazy then not go and it be serious. When the Dr looked at the mole he told be I made the right decision by coming in. The mole was larger than the eraser on a pencil. He said that if a mole is larger then the eraser on a pencil it should be looked at . He used the ear scope to show me the shape and color.

As of right now the mole is fine but the Dr. has told me to watch it and asked if I knew the ABC's of moles. I didn't and I found them very helpful so I thought I would share them with everyone :

A-Asymmetry- Generally if the mole is symmetric there is not as much need for concern, but if it is asymmetric it should be checked out by a Dr.
B- Border- if it has an unusual border-scalloped or notched it is suspicious and should be checked out by a Dr.
C- different Colors with in the mole are suspicious and should be viewed by a Dr.
D- diameter- any mole larger than a pencils eraser or greater than 6 mm should be viewed by a Dr.
E-elevation-if the mole is elevated or raised from the skin it should be viewed by a Dr.

Also if you notice any sudden changes to any of these you should consult your Dr.
James' mole fits two of these criteria. The mole is larger then a pencil eraser and has multiple colors within it. It also developed quickly so the Dr. was very glad I had it checked out. He told me to keep and eye on it ( a 2nd use for my ear scope) to watch for any changes and feels that we will remove the mole probably when James is 13 or 14.
From now on 8 or not I am slathering him from head to toe is sun screen!