Page 2 - Claire Kellerman

“Your body works as well as the bodies of your ancestors, almost none of whom had access to any sort of infant-feeding or birth technology.” ~ Ina May The word “midwife” comes from the Anglosaxon, med-wyf, “wise woman,” as defined in Barbara G. Walker’s “Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets (Harper Collins © 1983). In France, a midwife is also known as a sage femme, or a "wise woman." The general thread in all of the references regarding ancient midwifery is that a midwife was there to support the woman in labor. Labor was perceived as a basically natural process. Proof of midwifery has been found in The Bible, Hindu records, and during Greek and Roman times. Midwives functioned as respected, autonomous care providers to women during their reproductive cycles. Historians have noted that midwifery has been characterized as a social role throughout recorded history regardless of culture or time. We Are Born For Successful Natural Birthing Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding

“Jet with Kids is an easy to read and highly informative guide to traveling by air with children. Ms. Clowers is an RN who has logged hundreds of thousands of miles on airplanes around the world, has moved through airports large and small, and has asked all the right questions wherever she has gone. Now the mother of a young child, Ms. Clowers has reviewed every aspect of flying with children and consolidated her best advice in this book. She demystifies the numerous rules and regulations surrounding travel in our post 9/11 era; provides practical advice for navigating the terrain of airports and airplanes that essentially are not child friendly territory; covers topics as far afield as how to breast feed on a plane and what documentation you need to take a grandchild with you to a foreign country; a section I have just benefited from. The book reflects Anya's love of and comfort with flying and her desire to help others share this. She brings her wisdom as well as lots of great, practical

This Recipe is dedicated to making your airplane travel with children as easy as a picnic on the plane. Picking at airline food can be discouraging. Make it easy on yourself and take along some healthier choices that your whole family can enjoy. Having taken 30 flights in 3 months for work one year, I speak from experience here. The bit of attention and energy it takes to prepare your own food is guaranteed to be returned to you in feeling better during your flight, and having more energy after you arrive at your destination. Drink plenty of water during the days and hours leading up to your flight, and be sure to walk and stretch in flight. Flights are drying to the body and skin, and contracting. Travel security restrictions for liquids can be confusing. To simplify, here are the TSA’s rules at this link on what you can bring on the plane to eat. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm The issues of smelling up the plane with food odors, and

GIRAFFE JUICE: The Magic of Making Life Wonderful By JP Allen & Marci Winters Illustrated by Tamara LaPorte (2009; Follow Your Joy Press; Hawaii, 136 pgs.)

This is a treasure of a book for children and adults, too. Giraffe Juice invites us to experience an adventure story rooted in a game called “Making Life Wonderful.” Eva, a harmonica and guitar-playing 13-year-old girl, and her two school friends, are guided by one very supportive talking giraffe, Marvel. Together, their trials and successes show the practical and miraculous gifts of Compassionate Communication. Their strategy is in using the magic of “The Making Life Wonderful” Game. The 4 simple steps of Compassionate Communication, AKA Nonviolent Communication (NVC), are carefully and thoughtfully illuminated, woven into a story about how children and adults can learn to get along very well. These are the 4 steps suggested for communicating with your children to bring calm, and kindness, to your interactions. You can also

Protein is a vital key to a sharp, clear-thinking brain, and a strong, well-fueled body. Here we discover the ease of grabbing something delicious as well as nourishing, with our bare hands. These beautifully browned muffins are full of protein, alkalizing green veggies that detoxify the liver, and onions, which feed probiotics; the good bacteria that fuel optimal digestion in the intestines. Onions also have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial properties, and can lower blood sugar. These hearty muffins have been tested by family and friends, proving what every parent will love: Starting the morning with Claire’s Eggs & Bacon Flourless Muffins, we can move easily into our fullest day with confidence, enjoying stable blood sugar that will last for many productive and playful hours. Step-by-Baby-Step: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Makes 24 small muffins) Preparation time: Approx. 1 hour = 35 mins. prep., plus cooking time: 11-15 mins.

• 1 - 8 oz. package turkey bacon; cooked to perfection.

For nearly 20 years, Healthy Child Healthy World has selectively collaborated with groups and companies that focus on reducing and eliminating chemical exposure in home products, furnishings, personal care products, and food. In doing so, the organization supports protective policies, and engages the public to take action in their personal lives by making greener, cleaner, and safer choices in simple but meaningful ways. It is a national, non- profit 501c organization headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and distinguished group of advisors and is strengthened by community and corporate partners. (healthychild.org) Transmuting Tragedy into Positive Change “The greatest tragedy is for a parent to bury a child. It’s not natural.” I’ve heard this said repeatedly throughout my life. Just as often, I’ve witnessed the flow of profound love combined with grief, caused by such losses, transmuted and redirected into monumental gifts of service

A quote from Healthy Child, Healthy World encapsulating the book’s message to all families:

“Our design assignment at this moment in our history could, perhaps, be summed up thus: Make a world where we love all the children of all species for all time. If that were the plan, then we’d have no choice but to create a world that is delightfully diverse, economically equitable, ecologically sound, elegant and enjoyable.” ~William McDonough

Healthy Child has been a voice for children’s wellbeing for over 20 years. Their journey to educate parents on establishing a nontoxic environment for their babies and children began with this excellent volume on solution orientation, Healthy Child Healthy World, Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home. This is somewhat of a miniature encyclopedia condensed into one lightweight, easy-to-read, comprehensive reference guide for parents. Author, new father, and passionate advocate, Christopher Gavigan, wrote Healthy Child Healthy World for families

According to Stuart Levy of Tufts University School of Medicine, by contributing to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers are contributing to a list of dangers, including resistance to antibiotics. Other concerns come from a prevalent active ingredient commonly found in antibacterial hand sanitizers, a chemical called triclosan. Evidence of triclosan disrupting the endocrine system and altering hormone regulation has been established through scientific studies using animals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. With these concerns, people are beginning to wonder what’s worse, the germs or the chemicals we use to kill them? Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer for Healthy Child offers this: “We've evolved over millions of years alongside germs and microbes to the point that most germs and microbes are now either beneficial or benign to us. In fact, according to Scientific American: "Most bacteria are well-behaved companions. Of all

Admiration and inspiration are a great place to start any size step onto a new road. Bringing our attention to The Heart of Green Award nominees is bound to elevate our motivation for the eco-evolution underway. The creators of this prestigious accolade are found at dailygreen.com. Their website shares blogs, videos and stories that introduce us to some very special people’s work and how they have influenced others positively, as told by their fans, students and children. Here’s one nomination: “It is my great honor and with great enthusiasm that I nominate Jay Golden for the Heart of Green Award. Jay has a clear purpose of using story peppered with fun and humor to bring a message of hope, inspiration, and information to children. I could go on and on about his web series Gorilla in the Green House, which addresses complex issues such as the pacific garbage patch and mountain top removal through song and rhymes…” The Daily Green, the consumer’s guide to the green revolution, has everything