Do’s and Don’t's for Your Baby

Babies are so precious so beautiful, and truly a gift from God.  Therefore let’s talk about some do’s and don’t’s.  There seems to be thousands of books on the subject, some common sense, some not so much.  I would like to share with you some personal tips.

DO’s

• Please oh please breast feed
• Good quality chamomile is great
• Homemade baby food (it’s easier than you think)
• Sweeten your baby food with apples
• Season your baby food with great spices (cinnamon, turmeric, curry, oregano…)
• Please add greens to your baby food
• Get them used to fruit early
• A little bit of Greek yogurt combined with kiwi is great
• Bathe them with gentle soap (Dove or organic soap)
• Give your baby fresh squeezed juice
• Use olive oil as a moisturizer, I’m not joking
• Read absolutely every product’s ingredients before using it or feeding it to your baby
• Cover the head and ears with a hat when outdoors, this is not a myth it is important to keep the head warm
• Maintain a calm environment for your baby
• Read to your baby, it matters!

DON’Ts

• Absolutely no milk that is not organic, trust me it matters
• No honey under the age of 2
• I know this common sense but no nuts
• This might be common sense too but no chocolate
• Again common sense but no caffeine
• This may sound funny, but don’t wash your baby too often.  This is important, you should keep your baby clean but if you wash your baby constantly you will dry out their skin and scalp and remove the natural oils.  I personally would recommend that the shower or faucet you use for your baby have a filter on it.
• Keep scented candles, air fresheners and/or plugins the house.
• Utilize harsh laundry detergents or softeners on their clothes.
• Be too quick to give your baby antibiotics.
• Resort to yelling, screaming, or heaven forbid spanking.

In closing here is my advice.  Read as many books as you can possibly get your hands on  and then use wisdom to discern what information works the best for you and your baby.  The more you read, the more tools you have.  Sometimes it is not as easy as common sense, therefore if we have a library of books to turn to and then use our own judgment, your baby should be healthy and happy.  Most importantly, ensure that what you are feeding your baby is natural and organic and maintain a loving, calm environment.

Fast and Easy Solutions for Meals on the Run

Happy Monday everyone.  I do a great many seminars and I love every minute of it.  I especially enjoyed myself on Saturday morning.  What a great group of men and a jovial bunch too.  I wanted to share the one question that many of them had for me.  The resounding question always is, “What do I do to prevent myself from stopping and grabbing something unhealthy?  I have very little time and a very busy schedule.”  I get this question a lot.  I certainly appreciate the question and since I have the same issues with a busy schedule I really do relate.  My answer is always the same:  “It does take a little bit of work.  Certainly not an enormous amount of work, just a little bit of work.”

A little planning, a little preparation and a few hours on the weekend.  If your health is important enough to you, you will make the effort I am sure.  That being said, I promised this great group of men on Saturday morning that I would follow-up with some pointers for them and anyone else who might need it.  Here are quick and easy solutions to breakfast and lunch during the week.  Most of these ideas you will have to take care of on the weekend but they are fast and easy, I guarantee it.

• Make a dozen hard-boiled eggs and keep them in the refrigerator, combine these with fruit for a great breakfast or lunch.
• Make sure you have avocados, tomatoes and bean sprouts in the refrigerator to make yourself a quick sandwich before leaving in the morning.
• Keep a basket or a large travel container with organic peanut butter, organic almond butter, bread, honey, fruit, raw nuts and your own home-made trail mix.
• Make a large pot of steel-cut oatmeal and keep it in the refrigerator all week (I have advised a great many people to do this and it has sure saved them time in the morning).
• What I like to do for myself personally is saute kale, collard greens, Swiss chard and dandelion greens with extra virgin olive oil and garlic (I keep a large container of these greens in the refrigerator throughout the week).
• I make a large pot of beans and keep them in a container in the refrigerator.
• I saute or grill chicken breasts.  I make enough to keep in the refrigerator so that anyone can make themselves a sandwich on the go.
• Roast five sweet potatoes in the oven, after they cool wrap them in plastic, grab one on your way out the door.  This my friends is the perfect lunch.  If you have not eaten a sweet potato for lunch, you have no idea what you are missing.  Your energy level will be amazing.

If you are absolutely stuck and have found yourself with nothing to eat in your bag of tricks or should I say in your office or car, here are some solutions:

• Run into the supermarket, purchase a piece of grilled chicken and a couple of pieces of fruit.
• No time to run into the supermarket?  Run into a sandwich shop, deli or any place of the like; order an egg salad sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich or a vegetarian sandwich.
• You’re a vegan you say?  Run into the supermarket and purchase some raw nuts and fruit.  Stop at a shop and order a grilled vegetable wrap.
• There are some quick fixes for breakfast and lunch that are convenient.  You can stop and grab a smoothie (just make sure it’s all natural) or a juice.  There are so many places juicing these days, it should not be hard to find one.
• Here is a sure fix, in your bag of tricks, purse, brief case or lunch bag; find a way to carry with you good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  This will enable you to stop anywhere for a salad.  With your own oil and vinegar on hand you have just removed the unnecessary fat, calories and chemicals.

I have a great many more ideas but I try very hard not to make my blogs too lengthy so I shall save them for another day.  To the wonderful group of men that I met Saturday, thank you for your interest and great questions and I certainly hope this blog helps make your lives a little bit easier and anyone else who might be reading it today.  Remember health is like our faith, it is not easy but it sure is glorious when we put a little effort into it.

Not Just Any Ole Chip!

A new pal informed me this past Wednesday that he is eating more kale, that impressed me so much I decided I should liven up his life and yours as well by blogging about the best darn kale recipe you’ll ever run across.

As you all know I adore potato chips, trust me this recipe might rival potato chips.  Ever had kale chips?  No?  Well you haven’t lived!  I am providing you with a recipe for kale chips.  Why not try them this weekend?  This recipe is easy, simple and so delicious it almost doesn’t resemble kale.  Take it from a gal who adores potato chips, you simply must try this recipe.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 2 large bunches kale, washed and dried thoroughly
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Tear apart large potato chip sized pieces of kale, some still on stalk, some not.
3. Place enough kale on large baking sheet so most don’t overlap and lightly drizzle with olive oil (about a tablespoon).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Spread kale out evenly and bake for 10 minutes, shaking pan bake and forth a few times after 5 minutes to ensure they don’t burn.

Listen my friends eat plenty of kale, Swiss chard, collard greens and dandelion greens.  These gorgeous greens will delight your body and make you look younger at the same time.  Do you want to be gorgeous?  Eat your kale chips!