Healthy Halloween Treat

- From RawMom.com

If you don't want to give sugary 'treats' to the little angels and goblins knocking at your door - why not have some fun with your kids making these cute little guys.

Ingredients are per 'pumpkin'

1 clementine
12x12 square cling wrap
1" clear tape
scraps of felt, cut for eyes , nose, mouth, or googly eyes:)
twist tie
silk ivy leaf
green floral tape
glue, if not using self stick felt or googly eyes

Preparation:

1. Wrap clementine in cling film and twist tightly.
2. Secure at top with clear tape.
3. Cover clear tape with green floral tape, snip to desired length.
4. Attach ivy leaf to twist tie with floral tape, cover entire length of tie with tape.
5. Twist leaf/tie around stem as desired.
6. Apply face as desired.

Note: choose self-stick felt for really little children. This is a great one to have the kids make with you...they create the cutest faces!

(Thanks to RawMom.com for this great idea. Click here for some other fun Halloween treats).

GM Foods Dangerous to Children

Excerpts from Mercola.com.

“Swapping genes between organisms can produce unknown toxic effects and allergies that are most likely to affect children.”

--Vyvyan Howard, expert in infant toxico-pathology at Liverpool University Hospital, United Kingdom

An FAO/WHO task force on GM food said that “Attention should be paid to the particular physiological characteristics and metabolic requirements of specific population subgroups, such as infants [and] children.”

In practice, GM safety assessments ignore them.

In fact, industry-funded studies often use mature animals instead of the more sensitive young ones, in order to mask results. Biologist David Schubert warns:

“Since children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems, if the GM food is given to them without proper testing, they will be the experimental animals. If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop.”

To learn more about the health dangers of GMOs, and what you can do to help end the genetic engineering of our food supply, visit www.ResponsibleTechnology.org.

To learn how to choose healthier non-GMO brands, visit www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com.

{Read Full Article}

Motherhood: The Skill Builder

Staying at home to be a mother/father doesn't mean we have to loose our mental sharpness in the world. It is skill building time and allows challenges and opportunities to grow in ways only parenthood can provide.

Here's an excerpt from a great article by Joanne Stern, "Does Motherhood Make You Stupid?"

Motherhood is a powerful training ground for leadership skills. The good news is that every day at home with your kids you are given multiple opportunities to practice being a better leader—IF you notice these opportunities and train yourself to take advantage of them. At home you’re in an environment where you won’t get fired if you screw up. And you get instant results because you can immediately see how well your strategies work with your kids by how they respond to you. Parenting is, arguably, like getting an alternate MBA. So instead of merely slogging through each day putting out fires, squashing conflicts and completing menial jobs until exhaustion overtakes you, open your mind to a higher goal. At home you are the CEO of a small business, and the lessons you learn there not only make you smarter, but they also transfer to your office, making you a more valuable manager at work.

Let’s take just three of the important leadership skills you can strengthen with your kids that will make you a better mom at home and a better manager in your workplace.

1. Building trust

A work environment where people trust each other is essential for people to do their best and most creative work. Otherwise employees are reluctant to offer their greatest ideas or to do more than they’re asked, for fear of making a mistake and being judged. Mindful moms can strengthen their skill of trust building at home.

Create a safe haven for your kids to share their problems and their fears, and then treat their feelings with sensitivity, compassion and respect. Make it easy for your kids to tell you the truth, knowing that it takes great courage to fess up. These are basic guidelines for developing a positive relationship with people in any environment.

Here’s an example. Let’s say your six-year-old sneaks a forbidden cookie from the jar. Rather than accusing him of a misbehavior or theft, let him know up front that you saw him take it, but that you understand how tempting it must have been. You can teach him to tell the truth by taking away his chance to lie about it. It’s okay to impose a consequence, but focus on how much you value and appreciate his honesty. Everyone benefits because you develop a fair, genuine, honest environment at home, and you feel more confident to apply the same principles at work.

Read the whole article:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/does-motherhood-make-you-stupid.html

Neophobics: Picky Eaters

This is an excellent article about how even our best intentions, modeling, and exposures can still be met by our little Neophobics (Picky Eaters). Patience and keeping on our path are still worthwhile pursuits. Hang in there and you'll be quietly high-fiving too!

Neophobia 101: When picky eaters confound Ethicureanish intentions.

Impact of fresh, healthy foods on children's learning and behavior

What happens when you change the food within a school from processed, standard American diet foods to a healthy, vegetarian meals? Watch this amazing 5 year study in an Appleton Wisconsin school.

5 New Food Categories Linked to ADHD

Does the typical Western Diet diet increase the risk of ADHD? According to a new study from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research it does. Food additives have long been a known link, but the culprits have broadened to include:

1. Fast Food
2. Processed Meats
3. Red Meat
4. High Fat Dairy Products
5. Sweets

Wendy Oddy, Associate Professor at the institute explains, "a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function. It also may be that the Western dietary pattern doesn’t provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that a Western diet might contain more colours, flavours and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. It may also be that impulsivity, which is a characteristic of ADHD, leads to poor dietary choices such as quick snacks when hungry."

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-foods-linked-to-adhd.html?page=2

Vaccine-Nation

Are you a parent who has questions or concerns about vaccines? You are not alone. The number of mandatory vaccinations is on the rise. I think there are very valid points on both sides of the issue. Parents needs to educate themselves on what has been going on in the world of vaccinations. I think it is far better to make this crucial decision armed with information. Check out the video below for new insights on vaccinations:




http://www.vaccinenation.net/