Healthy Christmas Treats

We all like to bake goodies at Christmas time, but actually making Healthy Christmas Treats can be a little more challenging.

I'll be honest and say I am not the recipe expert at all.  I can make them, but I'm not usually the one coming up with them.  When one of my readers asked for some ideas for healthy Christmas treats, I sent out a mayday to some of my fellow bloggers asking them for their recipes.

This is what came in.  I am so excited to try out some of these recipes!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

No Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Almost Healthy Jam Cookies.

Raw Pecan Pie

Gluten Free Lemon Bars

Coconut Macaroons

Peppermint Carob Truffles

Healthy Chocolate Date Balls

Raw Caramel Slice

Crispy Nut Chocolate Brittle

Images used with permission from their respective owners.

What is your favorite healthy Christmas treat?  Please leave a comment and tell us!

Healthy Baking Substitutions

Many of you are likely doing quite a bit of baking this time of year.  Here are some Healthy Baking Substitutions you can use to make your goodies more healthy!

Sugar

Replace white sugar with the following:

• Organic pure cane sugar (rapadura) or sucanat (1:1 ratio.  Also, you can gradually reduce the amount of sugar the recipe calls for until you get used to less sugar.  You should be able to get used to the total amount of sugar being cut by as much as half.)
• Honey (Use 1/2 to 3/4 cup for every cup of sugar.  Reduce liquids by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.)
• Maple Syrup (Use 3/4 cup for every cup of sugar.  Reduce liquids by 3 tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup.)
• Applesauce (Cut the sugar in half, then replace the missing half with applesauce plus another 1/3 the amount.  Example: if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, use 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of applesauce plus another 1/3 cup of applesauce. Reduce liquids by 1/4 cup for every cup of applesauce you add.)

Butter

Although real butter is not an unhealthy fat, you may want to replace up to half the butter in your baking recipes.  I use these substitutions often for cost savings or to add a bigger variety of nutrition.  (You can also use these substitutions if you can't have dairy.)  You can use the following substitutions:

• Applesauce
• Plain Yogurt
• Coconut Oil
• Mashed Avocado

Vegetable Oil, Crisco, or Margarine

Please, please do not bake with these products!  These are trans fats, and your body does not even recognize them as food, but will store them as toxins instead!  Use the following substitutions:

• Real butter
• Applesauce
• Plain Yogurt
• Coconut Oil

Chocolate Chips

Most chocolate chips are made with GMO sugar and soy lecithin, which are both harmful to your body.  Instead, use homemade chocolate chips, an organic chocolate bar cut into chunks or Enjoy Life's chocolate chips (I find them cheapest at Vitacost.)

Milk

This one is a little bit of an advanced step if you're not used to it.  I do not drink store-bought milk, but instead use raw milk and the cream off it for any recipes that use milk, cream, evaporated milk, buttermilk, etc.  If you're not ready to use raw milk/can't afford it, etc., at least try to purchase milk that is antibiotic and hormone free. (If you can't have dairy, you can substitute almond milk or rice milk.  Soy milk is not the best option – here's why.)

Eggs

Another advanced step is to make sure you are using farm fresh eggs.  The nutritional content is about 1000% higher than store-bought eggs, and in fact you may be harming your system with GMO's when you eat eggs from commercial chickens.  If you're out of eggs or have allergies, you can substitute ground flax seed and water.  All you need to do is finely grind some flax seeds in a heavy-duty blender and use 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp. of water for each egg you need to replace.

Flour

Today's flour (even whole wheat flour) is a completely different product than it was years ago.  It is basically devoid of nutrition, and actually contains phytic acid which steals nutrients from your body.  So in a way it has negative nutrition.  If you can find a resource for heirloom wheat (such as Tropical Traditions) you will be getting a product that has not been altered through hybridization.  If you cannot get quality heirloom wheat, try to avoid recipes with wheat as much as possible. Instead opt for gluten-free recipes using oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, bean flour, etc.

What did I miss?  How do you make traditional recipes more healthy?

Birth Center Vs. Hospital Birth

It is entirely possible for a mom to have an unmedicated, natural birth in a hospital surrounding.  I know from experience that is true because my first 3 children were all natural hospital births. Yet each one was increasingly more difficult to “hang in there” and not cave to the pressures of medication or unnecessary intervention. I basically labored at home as long as I possibly could so that I could be in my own relaxed atmosphere.  I went to the hospital just in time for delivery. (My first was actually born in the car just before we got to the hospital.  Whoops!)  With my second, I was not at the hospital too terribly long before delivery, but I was miserable the whole time.  With my third I was only there a few hours, but that was long enough to make me so miserable that I wasn't sure I wanted any more children. The longer I sat there, chained to IV's and monitors, with unfamiliar faces rushing in and out of the room, the less relaxed I became.

• I got to answer what seemed like hundreds of questions for paperwork while needing desperately to concentrate on breathing through contractions.
• I got to be poked and prodded for an IV line by a nurse who acted like she was bored out of her mind and extremely inconvenienced by having to care for yet another patient.
• When I was finally left alone, I was told I could be in whatever position I wanted – sit, walk around, etc.  Really???  I have yet to figure out how I was supposed to do that while chained to all that stuff.  Trying to change positions would have been a whole lot more uncomfortable than just staying put and leaving things as they were.
• When the doctor came in to check my progress, he also broke my water before I even realized what was happening.
• When it came time to push, I was basically placed into the position which was most convenient for the doctors and nurses, even though it certainly was not the most comfortable for me.
• After delivery, my baby was whisked away to be washed and weighed, and I was not allowed to move to a recovery room until my IV line was finished. It wasn't until that point I discovered that it was loading my veins with pitocin.
• Once in the recovery room, I was not allowed to leave the hospital until 48 hours from the birth.  By that time I was thoroughly exhausted — not so much from having a newborn, but from having my sleep interrupted every few minutes by nurses coming in unannounced to check this or that or offer me some type of medication.

Now, all those things in and of themselves are not the worst thing that could happen, and I still managed to have natural births in spite of them.  I'm sure a natural birth would be even more attainable if I had a very assertive advocate along with me to make sure everything was done according to my wishes. I could have had another natural hospital birth if I had needed to, and it wouldn't have been the end of the world, but I wanted to experience giving birth at a birth center and see for myself if there was a big difference.   Here's a little about my experience:

• At every prenatal appointment, I saw the midwife who would be there for my delivery.  I wouldn't have to deliver with a doctor or nurses whom I had never met before.  I also met the other midwives just in case my midwife were to not be able to be there for some reason.
• Throughout the pregnancy, I was offered advice for natural treatments for common pregnancy complaints rather than medication.
• When labor began and I arrived at the birth center I didn't have to sit through a long process of complicated paperwork to be admitted.  I was immediately allowed to rest or move around as I wished.
• Throughout labor, I could go wherever I wanted in the birth center.  The bedroom was homey and comfortable, and I was able to relax and sleep a little.
• I did not have to be hooked up to any IV's or monitors; baby's heartbeat simply had to be checked every 30 minutes.
• My midwife had gotten to know me and what I wanted ahead of time. She was ready to help or simply leave me alone. (She knew that I just like to be left alone, and that's what she did, although she was available to support me as needed if I changed my mind.)
• When it came time to push, she encouraged me to get into whatever position felt most comfortable.  After the first push, she thought that position wasn't going to be effective, and offered her suggestion as to a better position. But she didn't make me feel like I had to do it that way.  (She was right, though, and I was glad for her suggestion!  Baby was out in one push!)
• At the birth center, I had my first water birth.  At the beginning of the pregnancy, I wasn't so sure what I thought, but I finally warmed up to the idea, and now I am glad I did!  I wouldn't exactly call it wonderful, because I don't exactly enjoy the process of giving birth no matter where I am, but it definitely felt better than delivering hospital-style!
• 2 hours after the birth, I was allowed to go home if I wished, or stay and rest as long as I wanted.  I stayed for about 5 hours and rested, then went home.  I felt more rested after the first afternoon home than I did after an entire 2 days staying at the hospital.  Sleeping in my own bed, uninterrupted by nurses barging in every time I doze off, has been absolutely wonderful!

I am thankful for the experience of using the birth center, and if we have any more children, I plan on going there again!

One Big Reason Your Kids Are Sick

There are a number of factors that will contribute to the health of your children – including what they eat and how well they practice hygiene.

But here's a big, big thing that contributes to your child's health — or lack of it.

Chemicals.  Lots of them.

Everywhere you go there are untested chemicals (or chemicals that are known in other countries to be unsafe) lurking in food, household products, beauty products, and in the very air you breathe.

Did you know…?

• There are more than 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S.
• Comprehensive pre-market safety testing of these chemicals is not required under any federal law.
• The primary U.S. law that regulates chemicals in every day products hasn’t been updated in more than 35 years.
• In the European Union (EU), 1,328 chemicals have been banned for use in personal care products. In the U.S., only 11 chemicals have been banned or restricted by the FDA.
• Scientific evidence continues to point to the chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives as causing or contributing to the rise in childhood behavioral disorders and diseases.

Every person's health is affected by these chemicals, and children are especially affected — even those still in the womb.

Hormone disruption, allergies, and cell damage are just a few of the consequences of repeated exposure to chemicals.

I recently attended a webinar with Healthy Child Healthy World where there were suggestions given of  simple, affordable actions families can take to decrease chemical exposure.

1. Take off your shoes at the door: 85 percent of the dirt in our homes is
tracked inside on the bottom of our shoes. It’s not just dirt, but toxins like
lead, pesticides, gasoline residue and more. Keep your home safer by taking
off your shoes. It’s the public health equivalent of washing your hands.

2. Buy safer body care: Children are exposed to an average of 27 care product
ingredients on a daily basis that have not been found safe for developing
bodies. Protect your family’s health by avoiding products that ingredients
like parabens, synthetic fragrances, triclosan and more. For a list of the most
toxic offenders, download the free eBook, “Easy Steps to a Healthy & Safe
Nursery” at Healthychild.org/resource-center.

3. Open a window: People spend about 90 percent of their time inside,
but indoor air is typically far more polluted than outside. So, open those
windows! Even a few minutes a day can improve indoor air quality.

4. Eat more whole foods: Processed foods may be convenient, but they’re
also loaded with sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings, and synthetic
preservatives. These lack nutrients and many are also linked to health issues
like ADHD and even cancer. Reduce by eating more whole foods.

5. Ban the can: Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone disruptor that has been linked
to everything from obesity to cancer, is in the plastic resin that lines most
canned goods—from soups to sodas. Avoiding canned food for significantly
lowers exposure. Look for foods packaged in glass or eat fresh, dried, and
frozen options.

Maybe you try to do these things in your home, but what can you do to help protect the children of your friends and family members?

1. Share this information by Hosting a Healthy Baby Home Party!

2.  Alert them to the new NATIONAL availability of Seventh Generation
diapers, wipes and cleaning products at all Target stores. Now it’s
easier than ever to makeover the nursery and cleaning cabinet!

3. Urge Senators to strengthen and pass the Chemical Safety Improvement Act
(CSIA).

Additionally, you can join Seventh Generation for a Twitter party to talk about all-natural baby product options and learn more about the Healthy Baby Home Party.

Did you realize that your children's exposure to chemicals was so great?

What is the first step you think you will take to minimize chemical exposure in your home?

What Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Feels Like

An excerpt from my new book, Farewell, Fatigue: How I Overcame Chronic Fatigue the Natural Way

After the birth of my third child, I thought I was perfectly healthy. My recovery was easy, the baby learned to sleep through the night very quickly, and our expanded family soon fell into a smooth rhythm. I had been dabbling into research and experimentation with healthier eating, and I was sure that as time went on our entire family would begin to feel better and better.

But that was not the case. I soon became very tired all the time. I ignored it at first, thinking that was just life as a busy mom. Then my brain began to feel foggy and I could not seem to think clearly. My kids were all good sleepers, and I began taking the opportunity to sleep ten to twelve hours at night, but I still felt tired when I got up in the morning. I continued with healthy eating habits and experimented with removing gluten and sugar from my diet.

Still I got worse. Life became like a bad dream. Many days I would park the kids in front of a video because I could barely hold my eyes open. If they wanted me to read to them I often had to say no because the simple act of talking made me lose my breath. My heart would often race for no apparent reason. My husband would come home to find me in bed with no housework done or supper made. I became depressed, partially from whatever was going on in my body, and partially as a result of feeling like a failure as a homemaker.

Whenever I went anywhere, my brain felt like it was on overload. I felt like I could not process the things I was seeing and hearing quickly enough, and I would get so dizzy and overwhelmed that I just had to close my eyes and put my head down. The slightest exertion, even something as simple as brushing my hair, would leave me exhausted and out of breath. Many days I felt like my body was not receiving any oxygen. My limbs would feel numb and I felt like I would black out. I became easily agitated at things that should not have been bothersome. Noise bothered me terribly and made me feel either panicked or angry. I often had to go close myself up in a quiet room for a while because I could not handle the noise of my kids talking and playing.

I had a very hard time concentrating and did not enjoy being in social situations because it was too hard to process everything I was seeing and hearing. It was a monumental effort to carry on an intelligent conversation.

On the very worst days I was so weak that I could not move or speak. When my kids would climb up onto the bed and try to hug me or talk to me, it took every ounce of willpower to simply raise my arm a small amount to acknowledge their presence. As tired as I was, I often found it difficult to sleep at night. My legs were restless and itchy, and heart palpitations made me feel anxious…

Praise the Lord, today I can say that I feel like a completely different person!

He clearly directed me to the information I needed to restore my health, and I've shared it in my new book.

Get the book here.

Easy Workout Routine for Busy Women

Raise your hand if you need an easy workout routine that doesn't take long but still provides great benefits to your body.

Are you in bad shape, know you need to get started exercising again, but need something that's not too much for just starting out?

Here is the workout routine that I was doing before I got pregnant and which I will probably start back with after the baby is born.

Do the following for one minute each:

• Walk in place
• High Knees
• Jumping Jacks
• Front Kicks
• Jumping Jacks
• Run in place
• Walk in place
• Lunges
• Hip Raises
• Pushups
• Squats
• Hip Raises
• Lunges
• Walk in place
• Calf Stretches

When I get my strength built up, I will probably repeat this 2 times and do 30 minutes worth. To make it easy to time each thing for 1 minute, I set this online timer for 15 minutes. When it gets down to 14 minutes, I start on the next thing; at 13 minutes I do the next thing, and so on and so forth.

Print the list out here for easy reference.