Blog
March 03, 2011
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,
March 03, 2011
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
March 03, 2011
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
February 02, 2011
Should my baby face in or out in a carrier?
Many baby carriers offer a variety of carry positions, but not all carry positions are safe to use throughout baby's development. This blog will share some of the developmental milestones to look for so you can safely carry your baby though the world.
February 02, 2011
I love February 14th — what girl doesn't — so I start experimenting early with new Valentine's Day recipes. For the occasion, I stocked up at the Farmer's Market on baskets of fresh, juicy red raspberries. I was mashing some with banana as the base for a Valentine's dessert idea I had when Chloe looked at the contents of the bowl and started shrieking "I want some!!! My girl went on to eat every last drop when suddenly, it hit me: what baby wouldn't love this bright, pink homemade puree that's packed with potassium and Vitamin C?
Luckily I had pints more of raspberries on hand, so I quickly mixed up a new batch to taste for myself. What can I say, my daughter has good taste. It was delicious. Even though this recipe is perfect for babies given it's smooth texture and simple composition, there's no reason adults won't love it too. Swirled into plain Greek yogurt or even served on top of ice cream, it's a treat that you can serve your special someone this Valentine's Day or any day you
February 01, 2011
By definition, a baby carrier is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult caregiver. On-the-body baby carriers are designed in various forms such as slings, wraps, and soft structured front, back or hip carriers. Varying materials and degrees of rigidity, decoration, and support are used for carrying the child. Here are a few common types of baby carriers and some considerations for choosing a baby carrier that best suits your family.
Slings
Slings are a baby carrying device comprised of a piece of cloth. The ends of the cloth are linked together, sometimes with a metal ring on one end and known as a Ring Sling. It is "slung over the shoulder and a pouch to put the baby in is formed at the wearer's waist.
Wraps
A wrap carrier does exactly what it sounds like: it wraps itself around you and your baby. A wrap is a long strip of fabric
January 04, 2011
Because of the unusually close relationship that exists between a mother and her baby, especially during pregnancy and breast feeding, all efforts to prevent obesity in your baby will have to begin with you, the mother and to a lesser degree with the father as well.
This fact presents both a challenge, but also some unique possibilities to shape your baby's appetite, digestion and metabolism and to lay the foundation for your baby's lifelong healthy lifestyle.
In this article we will take a look at some general lifestyle recommendations, and we will also discuss some less-known measures and approaches that will help you and your baby stay or become lean.
First of all, if there were ever a time where it would be a good idea from a nutritional point of view - to make sure that your food is packed with anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids, the period when you are either pregnant or breastfeeding your baby is that time. And that means lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, fatty fish,
January 04, 2011
We cherish our children and devote ourselves to serving their best interests in their health, happiness and development. When they are babies, we hold them close to our hearts to nurture our bond with them. In their maturation they insist on freedom and we gradually let them go to foster their independence.
We give them the best guidance we know so they may make the best choices along the pathway of life. Our choices decide the quality of life for generations to come. Our Universal circumstances are now pressuring us as a collective society to choose between health and sustainability or toxins and conventional agriculture
Cotton In Our Everyday Lives
A helpful fact from the Untouched World website (untouchedworld.com) warns "pesticides used in conventional cotton farming can enter the human food chain.
Cotton is grown primarily for its fiber and is regulated as a non-food crop. However, the majority of the cotton plant by weight ends up in our food supply. Cottonseed oil
December 05, 2010
As a part of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, the federal government helps support state and local agencies to provide early intervention services to children with disabilities and developmental delays. Early intervention services serve children from birth to age three and sometimes even up to five years of age, depending on the state. Children receiving early intervention services often have conditions including low birth weight, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, expressive language delays, visual impairment, hearing impairment, autism, or other developmental concerns. Comprehensive Individualized Family Service Plans are developed to provide therapeutic services designed to meet the child's needs. Research shows that the younger a child is when service begins, the better the outcome. Imua Family Services is the non-profit organization that provides early intervention services to our local community here on Maui. They first operated as the Maui branch of the Hawaii Chapter
December 05, 2010
This report is from the symposium on October 10-12, 2010 at Norte Dame University addressing the "Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness . The conference was held to address the potential causes of the current epidemic increases in childhood diseases. These are a few of the many diverse presentations that I wish to present:
A 3-month-old baby conducting her mother's singing of a lullaby.
A vast study demonstrating the links between childhood experiences and health in adulthood.
Monkeys with bad genes that turn out fine when receiving good mothering.
Attending this symposium awoke feelings of both deep concerns about how many parents in the so-called developed countries, including the United States, give birth and care for their babies. It also inspired me and strengthened my dedication to the work we are doing at ERGObaby and also the work that we share in common with the Attachment Parenting International Organization.
The symposium brought a difficult