When a woman is pregnant or is trying to conceive, she is usually told to start taking a folic acid supplement to prevent birth defects. Few of us question that recommendation, but maybe we should. The more I’ve been learning about synthetic vitamins, the more concerned I am by what is in our supplements and our food supply. So, why am I concerned about folic acid? I’m so glad you asked!
What is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is the synthetic (man-made form) of the naturally-occurring vitamin called “folate”. Folate is one of the many B vitamins, specifically B9. It is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that it needs to be consumed regularly. It is needed for quite a few reasons, but the most talked about reason is proper cellular division which is necessary for preventing neural tube defects, a birth defect that occurs between about three and four weeks [...]
~Order my comfrey salve from my on-line store!~
If I were stranded on a deserted island, this would be the herb I’d choose to have with me! Comfrey is the most amazing healing herb I know of and we never allow our supply to get too low. Although we often use comfrey as a poultice (future post topic), I like to have a simple comfrey salve on hand for every day use.
What is Comfrey?
Comfrey is an herb that heals skin, muscle and even bone. We use it to heal cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains, sore muscles and we’ve even seen it work wonders on a broken toe. It has trans-dermal healing properties, meaning that it soaks through the skin, into the tissue and bone. Whatever is injured, comfrey is our herb of choice to heal it quickly. I even used this salve to help [...]
Welcome back to the Raising Health Families series. Join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.
By Beth Ricci of Red & Honey
We spend an average of eight hours a night sleeping. That’s fifty-six hours per week, or about one third of your whole life. It’s even more for babies and children!
Logic would dictate that we would desire a healthy and toxin-free spot to rest our weary heads each night, but unfortunately that can be difficult to find.
Conventional mattresses (and even many labelled “organic” or “natural”) contain toxic flame-retardant chemicals that off-gas continuously. Since you are laying directly on it for eight hours every day, this is most definitely a problem. There are multiple links between the toxins found in our sleeping environments and many health issues that plague [...]
~Ready-made magnesium lotion is available in my on-line store!~
Magnesium is vitally important to over 300 processes in our bodies, but very few of us get enough of it. Even those of us with an excellent, nutrient-dense diet are probably not getting enough magnesium. The problem is that our soil is horribly depleted. When a food says that it contains x amount of magnesium, that can be very misleading. In optimal growing conditions and magnesium-rich soil, it might be an accurate number, but that is seldom the situation. On top of a lack of magnesium in the diet, many prescription drugs can actually deplete magnesium. When we’re stressed, we burn through magnesium at an accelerated rate.
Magnesium is needed for so many things, including restful sleep, digestion of food, heart health, fertility, strong bones, energy and so much more. If you’d like to learn even more about [...]
If you missed them, here are part one (why we aren’t afraid of fevers) and part two (why we think fevers are a good thing) in the fever series.
When our first daughter was born almost five years ago, we considered baby Motrin and baby Tylenol to be gifts straight from heaven! She wasn’t a bad teether, but she was always miserable after getting vaccines, so we followed the advice of the pediatricians and just kept her dosed with alternating Motrin and Tylenol for a few days. I shiver just thinking about it, now. These days, we don’t even have fever reducers in the house. Curious? Here’s what changed our minds.
Acetaminophen (The active ingredient in Tylenol)
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has long been advertised and a safe and gentle way to lower fevers. Even obstetricians will tell pregnant mamas that it is “safe” to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Parents [...]
Before I jump into the meat of the post, I would like to point out that I am talking about why I choose not to lower fevers in my generally healthy children. This series is not “Why You Should Never Lower a Fever”, because I don’t know all of your circumstances. The last two points in my first post were about reasons you might need to control your child’s fever (infants or children with chronic or severe illness or injury). Some people seemed to not read those last two points before commenting. So, now let’s get into why I don’t lower fevers in my generally healthy children!
God Made Our Bodies This Way For a Reason
In a generally healthy person, the immune system is on alert for bacteria and viruses that may cause harm. In most cases (though not all), the immune system reacts to an invader by [...]
It’s true. When we get sick, none of us use fever reducers. Not even for the baby. Sound crazy and dangerous? Read on, my friend!
*Note: This post is in reference to our average, generally healthy family. It is about what we choose and why, it may not apply to all people in all situations. Please read the entire post before commenting, specifically, the final point.*
Will a Fever Hurt Me/My Child?
If it’s due to a regular old illness, such as a cold or ear infection, the answer is “no”. When is the answer “yes”?
A rise in temperature requires medical attention when:
It is caused by over-heating known as “heat-stroke”. I had heat-stroke as a teen and, although no brain damage was caused, I have been unable to tolerate extremely humid and hot weather since then. If I had been treated, it is possible I wouldn’t [...]
I hesitate to use the word “remedies”. People usually understand that word to mean “cure”, but there truly is no “cure for the common cold”. I do, however, have natural treatments I use to speed recovery and reduce symptoms, when needed. This post will be about everything except herbs, the next post will have all of the herbs we use (read that post here!).
Rest
I know, I know. You’ve got so much to do and the kids are sick, too. You need to get things done- no time to rest! Don’t worry. I am not saying that you should curl up under a blanket for the whole day and do nothing (though by all means, do that if you can and want to!!). When I say to rest, here’s what I mean:
Take breaks/naps: even just a 20 minute catnap or rest time can do amazing things! If you’re [...]
Disposables, cloth, “green”, hybrid… My goal in this series isn’t to persuade anybody to any particular method, but to give mamas (or mamas-to-be) the information and resources to make the best decision for their family.
Today, we’re just going to give the basic information about the different options. Last week, we learned about cloth diapering and this week we will be going into the details of each of the other types and talking about the pros and cons for them.
Disposable: Standard disposable diapers are the ones you can get in your average store. Most of the higher end ones work pretty well to reduce leaks and blow-outs. They are what the majority of American parents buy. Cloth: There are a ton of different designs for cloth diapers. Some parents use homemade ones, some buy expensive (and totally adorable!) ready-made ones. There are tons of options, when it comes [...]
Today’s guest post is by Nishoni Harvey- be sure to read her bio at the end of the post!
“Sweetheart, what do you think about using cloth diapers on Sierra?”
Surprise briefly flickered across my husband’s features before he settled into a thoughtful reverie. He sat silently for a few minutes, pondering this request, before finally looking up to meet my questioning gaze. “Cloth diapers, huh? Why do you want to do that?”
“Well…” I had done my research and had my answers ready to rattle off, “They are a lot cheaper in the long run. Children who use them tend to potty train faster. They are healthier for her since they don’t have all the chemicals in them that paper diapers do, and did you know paper diapers have been linked to asthma?! And since we both have asthma and Sierra is at risk for it… Well, it [...]
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