Yoga for stress!

 Flamingo in "Tree Pose" at the Nashville Zoo, April 30, 2013

Yellow Lab in "Downward Facing Dog" at my house, April 19, 2013

I read a blog post on one of the many blogs I follow yesterday describing how even in our young children, they can get stressed and depressed.  Many times these conditions either go undiagnosed or the children end up medicated for them.  The blog was talking about how "YOGA" can help with stress and depression simply from the fact that it starts with our breath.  Deep breathing and relaxation.  This is what we are told to do to help with child birth, so it does make since when we thing about the science behind "Yoga".  The pictures I posted above are of animals in their own environment doing "yoga" poses all the time, everyday!  The point of the post I read was that before we let our children become stressed or depressed we should start at a very early age teaching them techniques of relaxation and deep breathing.  The blogger had given some suggestions on reading a story and having the children act out the story through flowing from one yoga pose to another.  I thought it was a very clever and cute idea.  Also keeps the body flexible and thus preventing injury in our day to day activities.  
I also was at the chiropractor yesterday and they has a documentary playing on how much our young children are prescribed anti-depressants.  That these types of medications along with ADD and ADHD meds have such horrific side affects that children as young as 7 are hanging themselves.  I know this subject may hit a chord with some people and I do not mean that I judge you if you have your child on any of these meds.  Each person is entitled to their own choice of how to handle situations in their childs life.  My main point here is to educated anyone who is looking for an alternative to the medications.  If your doctor has suggested your child be medicated and you want to try something else first, then I encourage you to look into some yoga for kids.  There are many DVDs, Youtube videos, books, etc out there.  Also removing red-40 dye from their foods and supplementing with extra magnesium (either in powder form mixed with water or topical form that is absorbed through the skin, ie epsom salt baths).  Personally being someone who suffers the stress syndrome "Adrenal Fatigue" and how it wreaks havoc on the body, I would love to see my children learn techniques as a child that could help them through out life learn not to get stressed!
Just my thoughts to share with you today, and remember, each person's opinion is their own, and it's "not wrong, just different"!  Thanks for reading!  Leave me a comment on your opinion!

My top 10 snack foods for kidos

Recently I have had a request to blog about what kind of snack foods I feed my kids.  This is always a challenge, especially because most growing kids eat every 2-3 hours.  It always seems like my kids are hungry every time I turn around.  I have mentioned before that we have some food allergies and major food intolerance, so this poses an even bigger challenge.  Again, Trader Joes is my favorite for finding gluten free foods at a very reasonable price.  I know that the one in Nashville is not located close to everyone, but go there once a month and stock up!  It seriously does save you money! 
My oldest daughter is highly sensitive to processed sugar, like High Fructose Corn Syrup, and just plain ole white sugar, so I really try to buy things organic or make them myself with honey.  The organic products still will have sugar in them, however it is usually most often evaporated can juice.  This form of sugar actually still contains the natural minerals found in sugar in nature. 
1.Amazon sells some suckers that I buy a huge bag of, its about 2 gallons worth for $30.  These last me a LONG time and are a special treat! http://www.amazon.com/YummyEarth-Organic-Lollipops-Assorted-Flavors/dp/B000HDK0DC/ref=pd_ybh_19
2.Cheese sticks by Sargento are also a good source of protein, if no one is allergic to milk.  My youngest daughter was allergic for 3 years, but now just seems to be sensitive to certain dairy products.  The colby jack form of cheese she can handle much better than the mozzarella.  Also if you want cheese from grass fed cows, Kerrygold makes a fabulous cheese.  I have found it at the best price point at Sams.  I have also seen it at Aldi recently as well.
3.Fruit, of all kinds!  A good pair in my house is apples dipped in natural peanut butter.  Almond butter is best for me as I am super sensitive to legumes.  Make sure that you buy natural peanut butter where peanuts is the only ingredients.  Organic is best, but often contains added sugar.  Krema, is non-organic, but tastes amazing and I have found it at Kroger.
Cuties are great for kids, they have no seeds and are basically mandarin oranges in their natural form.  I do buy canned mandarin oranges in the off season but only if they are in their own juice.  No syrup!
4. Popcorn, I buy the organic kernels at Trader Joes (this is also non-GMO) and pop it on the stove top in coconut oil.  I even pop this ahead of time and keep it in a zip lock bag for easy access.  We do also have an air popper that my 7 year old can pop some corn for herself if she wants to.  This version is even healthier!
5. Applesauce squeezers- again I buy these at Trader Joes.  They have a carrot/apple one that the girls really like.  I also get the strawberry /apple and plain apple too.  Be sure to read labels, because not all squeezers are "clean".
6. Raw veggies- I make a ranch dip using plain greek yogurt and they enjoy dipping baby carrots and sugar snap peas.  They also like cherry tomatoes and the seedless crispy baby cucumbers with a sprinkle of sea salt.
7. greek yogurt- chiobanni, makes a kid yougurt, called Champion.  All of the flavors are good.  My kids like the chocolate chip kind best and I let them eat it sometimes in place of icecream!  I have only found this at Publix.
8. Keifer ice cream- Lifeway makes a delicious strawberry flavor.  It seems expensive at first, but I think of it this way...its a special treat.  We only eat it on occasion, so its the same as if you were taking your kids out for an ice cream treat.  You would pay the same if not more.
9.Other ice cream treats- So Delicious makes some dairy free treats, and now they also have no sugar added treats as well.  Again, the price seems steep, but these are special treats!  If you took advantage of the Freebie I posted last week.  That ebook listed many websites you could print off coupons for healthier and organic foods.  Also if you shop at Kroger, using your plus card, they will send you custom coupons in the mail for items you buy most often. 
10.Trail mix- I buy the raw nuts trek mix at Trader Joes because it is convenient.  Otherwise you could mix some raw nuts, and dried fruit along with some unsweetened coconut chips and there you have a nice trail mix!
Read the post on my favorite things to link you up to some of my favorite blogs I get other kid friendly recipes from for breakfast items especially!

Stomach Bug? Or just intolerant to certain foods?

My oldest daughter who is almost  8, has had stomach issues her entire life.  I say that with all seriousness.  We even spent 5 days in the hospital after her birth having tests run to see what was wrong with her "gut".  As it was diagnosed, she had immature gut and we were sent home.  From that day on, she has constantly had battles with her stomach hurting.  She was very "spitty" as a baby until about 18 months, then she suffered with constipation until about a year ago.  In 2009, the whole family went dairy free because the tiny Trotter was allergic.  I thought that this for sure would help the older Trotter's bowel issues.  It did seems to improve for a few months, but then it was back to the same issues.  In 2011 she got to the point where she could not eat any starchy carbs without laying in the floor and crying.  Even at restaurants she would do this. I remember a time when were eating out and she had ordered a bowl of mac & cheese.  I warned her not to do it because of the history, but she did anyways, and we were soon in the bathroom because she thought she was going to vomit. 
It was then and there that I decided that we must take action.  We see a pediatric allergist for the tiny Trotter's food allergy issues, so I asked him about the possibility of her being allergic to wheat.  He advised me to simply go cold turkey and avoid all grains and sugar for 30 days.  Then slowly re-introduce one food at a time and see what the trigger(s) were.  So, I decided to do it with her so that she would not be alone.  To my amazement, the first 7 days were so awful!  We were lethargic and she actually did vomit within the first 24 hours almost like an addict coming off drugs.  Unsweetened applesauce with probiotics mixed in was the saving grace for us on that issue.
So after the 7 days passed we had all kinds of energy!  We drank a lot of homemade bone broth to help sooth the gut and calm things down.  This actually helped her get on a regular schedule with bowel movements.  After 30 days, we eased back into other fruits, no problem, and then after about 60-90 days, we introduced Non-GMO corn products back in.  So far, so good.  Next after about another 60 days we introduced whole grain rice (the brown stuff that takes longer to cook than a min) and again we were fine.  All of this took place over the course from March 2012-present.  As of today we still have not introduced wheat.  The very few times that she or I have either had it for a treat or slipped because we didn't know there was wheat or gluten in the product, we have felt terrible.  I usually just feel bloated and very crampy, she on the other hand actually gets sick.  Almost like it weakens her immune system and she either runs a fever, vomits, is constipated majorly, or just lays around with no energy. 
So as a mom, I have to be the one to do the hard thing for her.  Self control on these food issues at her age is so hard!  This past Friday she caved in to some friends offer and ate "gushers" and "combos".  Well, within 12 hours she was dry heaving and having diarrhea.  Then she felt awful and had no energy along with constipation for 3 days following.  Then I gave her a cookie that had been made by someone else not realizing it had wheat in it, and she threw up.  Poor baby!  As of today though, she is not longer constipated and is feeling much better!
So for any of you out there who has a child who always complains of her tummy hurting...I am speaking from experience that in this Genetically Modified Food world we live in, the probability that she has food intolerances are very great and real!  Yes it is hard to not buy prepackaged snacks, and to spend the time making all of the stuff from scratch homemade, but in the end her health and well being makes it all worth while! 

What do I do when my child gets sick?

Well, I'll start off by saying that yes I am a nurse, but I have started to move away form western medicine.  Yes there are times when it is necessary, but for my first defense, I don't choose to use that type of healing.
So what's in my medicine cabinet you might ask?
Oil of oregano
Lavender essential oil
Humidifier
Homemade chicken bone broth
Elderberry syrup
Grapefruit seed extract
Emergen-C
Greens first
Garden of life raw probiotics
Coconut oil
Chamomile tincture
Ginger
Garlic
100% Concord grapes only no sugar added grape juice
Peppermint essential oil
Epsom salt
Raw apple cider vinegar
Fermented cod liver oil
Echinacea tincture
Hydrogen peroxide
Garden of Eden salve
Raw unfiltered local honey
Cinnamon
Eucalyptus oil
Slippery elm throat drops
Sea salt crystals
So now that I have listed all of these things you are probably wondering what some are and what they are used for as well as where to get them.  Well the tinctures I make myself. I order the dried herbs from bulkherbstore.com and their website also gives instructions on how to make a tincture as well as a description for what each herb does.
Immune booster: take at first sign of cold or flu
Oil of oregano (I get mine from my chiropractor, Kestner FamilyChiropractor)
Grapefruit extract (chiropractors office)
Emergen-c (most drug stores, give 1/2 pkt to kids)
Raw apple cider vinegar (I buy Braggs, found at most major chain groceries in health section)
Elderberry syrup (I make my own, however Sambucus is a good sugar free brand)
Antiviral, antibiotic, anti microbial: take once sick
Homemade bone broth (I will post recipe in another post)
Coconut oil (can add to a smoothie or hot tea)
Ginger (detoxes the body, be sure to drink lots of water)
Garlic (for kids I slice off a sliver and put on their feet in their socks at night, a detox)
Echinacea tincture (don't take for longer than 10 days)
Raw unfiltered honey (especially good for sore throats and taken daily for seasonal allergies)
Sea salt crystals (chiropractor) these are good to balance the body's pH. Gets rid of a sore throat instantly and if you feel nauseated, kicks that out as well.
Daily vitamins:
Probiotics (I order on amazon)
Fermented cod liver oil (amazon)
Greens first (chiropractor) use as a replacement to juice
Essential oils:
Eucalyptus, on chest and bottoms of feet for cough or sinus cold
Peppermint, use on forehead for headache or sprinkle in bath when upset stomach
Lavender, good for cuts and scrapes, also to calm and relax, sprinkle on pillow or in bath water
Chamomile tincture I use for a fever reducer, and also to calm and help sleep
Stomach bug:
This is where the grape juice comes in. If you have been exposed but not vomiting yet, drink it 3 glasses within first 24 hours. Prevents the bug.
Once sick, Epsom salt baths, detox the virus, and ginger tea given after vomit occurs by the dropper full warm will stop the vomiting from occurring. Child may still feel bad for 24 hours, but should stop the worst symptom.
Sorry for the complete overwhelming overload. Just wanted to share my tips and what's worked for us. Don't go out and buy all this, just pick a few and try things to see what works for your family.
Oh and one more tip: for fevers, this is a good response that the body is fighting something. In children under 3 months however, seek immediate attention for any fever! From 3-36 months, try to wait and treat a fever unless it is above 102. Anytime however a fever is over 104.5, please intervene with medication or seek medical attention from your doctor or a
ER.
As always please use your best judgement as a parent and consult your doctor if you are unsure.Bulkherbstore.com