Cleaning out the Closet


So, I went three days without eating. I know that's not a big deal to many people who routinely fast or cleanse, but I'm a huge foodie and I usually eat small meals or snacks like every 2-3 hours. So, I thought I would be dead starving for three days, but the humongus amounts of liquid I had to drink for the cleanse definitely kept my stomach full enough! I have to say, I feel great. I felt headachy and sick for the last couple of days, but I'm sure that had something to do with the lack of caffiene. An avid coffee drinker like myself is bound to feel at least a little withdrawl! This was a great start for me because I wanted to stop drinking coffee anyhow as I am trying to concieve bean #3.

Regular detox cleansing is important because although humans may have been "made to eat meat and dairy" (I hear this statement ALOT), we were not supposed to eat it in such large quantities. Especially when it is packed full of growth hormones, antibiotics, and pectides and was fed corn in a factory farm. Nor were were designed to eat processed foods and inorganic sugars and starches. As well, many of the chemicals we come into contact with in our environment come from the air around us or are slathered on our bodies such as off gassing from various plastics, cleaning supplies, and toiletries/beauty products. Cleansing gives our bodies a chance to eliminate some of these toxins and to rebuild an strengthen tissues that have been damaged. It also helps to get rid of built-up waste in our colons which, according to Dr. Christopher and the School of Natural Healing, causes 90% or more of all diseases.


So, now my two children are on a detox cleanse as well. This one is a little different (and much more expensive). I couldn't bare to put them on a juice fast so I bought an herbal detox that allows raw or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. All dairy, chocolate, candy is to be completely eliminated and grains are to be avoided if possible. How do you get a 6 year old and 1 year old to eat only fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts you ask? Well I was prepared for a battle but I explained to Kaden how this cleanse was going to make him feel better and help to rid his body of toxins. It will also help with any medical issues he's having such as enuresis, which was a big motivator for him. Seeing as how the cleanse will also help Mikhail's asthma, he was on board. It also fit in with our current unit on Healthy Living (immune system, vitamins & minerals, foods, vegetarian food pyramid, etc.) that we've been studying. Now this is a kid who cooks himself eggs and toast every.single.morning. He also loves cheese and eggs, things which I've been wanting to cut back and maybe eliminate. Surprisingly, Kaden has been excellent with the strict diet. He has been happily eating raw carrots, salads, smoothies, nut bars with peanut butter, freshly made juices, and low heated veggie soups every day! The cleanse I purchased is specifically made for children and can be used from the very young to teenage years. It consists of 4 seperate herbal formulas: Lungs and Respiratory; Lungs, Gallbladder, and Spleen; Kidney, Bladder, and Adrenals; and Colon and Digestive. More information about this cleanse can be found on DHerbs.com.


After doing some research in both published medical journals and information from natural health practitioners, I discovered (quite accidentally) that milk can actually cause or exacerbate asthma and enuresis. I was surprised! Apparently with enuresis, doctors frequently suggest eliminating milk products to see if it helps. Same goes for asthma as approximately 50% of people have some degree of milk intolerance or allegy. I'm not just talking about lactose intolerance, I'm referring to the protein casien in milk which causes many problems with children who are sensitive to it including acid reflux, asthma, intestinal problems, acne, enuresis, adhd, etc.  In fact, many families who have tried eliminating milk from their children's diet have noticed a vast improvement with their child's symptoms, whatever they might be. I am now considering continuing with the no-dairy diet after the cleanse is complete to see if any symptoms improve.

What I can say is that we are now half way through the cleanse and Kaden's behaviour has been amazing. He is already a great kid, but he seems much more compliant now. I mean, he's eating salads with homemade vinegar/oil dressing everyday with no complaint! In fact he smacks his lips! Amazing!

Next I would love to try one of the many cleanses that Dherbs offers. I am ready to step it up and complete a longer (21 day or so) cleanse. Of course, on one that long, I will be able to eat...so that's sounds great to me!

For more information on detox and for the Children's Cleanse I mentioned, plus many others from Fertility Cleanse, to Green Cell Cleanse, please visit Dherbs.com

Sprouting With Kids


Happy New Year everyone! This post will provide you with a fun new project to jumpstart your healthy New Year resolutions :-)

A fun idea to try with your kids that I have been attempting with Kaden, is to grow SPROUTS. This is a great activity for Spring, although sprouts can be grown any time of year. Kids will love watching the little sprouts start to grow and then be able to eat them. This also may encourage fussy eaters to try a very nutritious treat.

Sprouts are a very nutrient dense food which provides an abundance of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and protiens. Since they are a living food (such as breastmilk, yogurt, etc.), they continue to gain more nutritient qualities even after they are harvested. This does not occur with food that 'die' after they are picked such as fruits and vegetables.  This 'living' factor also contributes to a more easily digestable food source. That is why breastmilk is easy for babies to digest and yogurt is often touted as a food that is excellent for digestion (we'va all seen the TV ads for that 'active' yogurt!).  Sprouting at home is an easy and frugal way to produce an excellent nutritional food source.


You can sprout many many things from nuts to beans (dried), just make sure that they are not too old or they wont sprout. This can be done inside using very simple materials and only requires you to rinse twice a day. Also, since kids can be impatient, sprouting is great for them because you will yield results in a couple of days and the sprouts should be ready in 3-4 days or longer, depending on the kind of sprouts.

The steps for sprouting can be found at these websites:

http://www.cityfarmer.org/sprout86.html
http://www.littleakiko.com/recipes/Sprouts.php




There are many ways you can use your sprouts in recipes. However, I realize that sprouts may not entice your children since they have a funny texture and acquired taste, but maybe, just maybe, they will try them if they helped grow them. Even if they don't eat them, this project can help teach children about plant growth and beginning to garden, as well as the responsibility of remembering to water them.
Try these links for recipes using sprouts once you have your harvest:


Sprout People
Canadian Living Sprout Recipes

Good Luck Sprouting!

The previous post has been adapted from "Sprouting with Kids" written by me in 2008 on my old blog "Generation Global" on Fredmoms.com