A walking and talking nursling

Our gorgeous Isabelle

Before Isabelle was born I planned to breastfeed her for 12 months, now she is here, I was convinced that I was only going to breastfeed for 12 months, since having Isabelle and discovering the joys of breastfeeding, in not only the bond it creates but knowing that I can give her all the nutrients she needs and immunity through my breast milk, I have often thought now of 'how long will I breastfeed for?' Im still not sure, I know I want to for at least a year, and after meeting many mums who have breastfeed for more than a year I think I will let Isabelle decide...

This article on breastfeeding has some interesting points about colds and infections for those children who are breastfeed for more than a year...

A walking and talking nursling

I Love my Ergo Baby Carrier!

Sarah & Isabelle!

Wow when Isabelle was born I did heaps of research on which Baby Carrier to buy! I am so happy I purchased the ERGObaby Carrier. It offers hands-free closeness like no other and is perfect from birth, we used the insert! Takes a bit to get it right with the heart insert but once Issy was snuggly fitted she was snoring like a tropper. ERGObaby supports your child in three easy-to-use positions - front, hip and back – promoting healthy spinal development and adapting to your child's growing needs.

Image from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute showing the importance of using a carrier that places a baby in a seated position, not hanging by their crotch. There are plenty of carriers that place baby in the correct position, including but not limited to Ergo, Boba, Beco, Olives & Applesauce and Babyhawk, as well as wraps and ring slings when used correctly.

It disperses most of the baby's weight between the hips and thighs, which helps to eliminate compression of the spine when hanging by the crotch which most other designs require.   Issy is now 7kgs so we no longer use the insert! The best bit about it is the cover as you can see in the above picture I put this over Isabelles head in many situation especially when we go into town, there is way too much stimulation for a little baby so often i use this to cut out the crazy energy of a big city! I love that Isabelle is close to my chest as well!  Definatley recommend one!!!

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead movie

This looks like a great movie. promoting the benefits of juicing!

Hamish recently did a 7 day juice feast and he looked fantastic at the end of it! 

Obviously sponsored by Breville though! Best to use a masticating juicers which are low in speed and practically no friction, and this means that the product is not heated during juice extraction. This saves living enzymes which are necessary for our bodies.

The Breville juicers they are referring to in the movie are CENTRIFUGAL... JUICERs which revolving at a high speed the bolster rubs the pulp of the product like a grater, and because of this the product inevitably heats up. The higher the speed, the more friction, the higher the temperature. This leads to the destruction of useful nutrients, and enzymes, which are sensitive to temperature, and die under heat.

"I am not sick so why should i go to hospital to give birth to my child"

Ever since the birth of Isabelle I have been so interested in watching the birth of babies! It is like something shifted inside of me when I had Isabelle.. maybe an opening into the woman I am!  Isabelles birth was in hospital and I was induced as I was 10 days late! I was planning for a water birth, however as I was induced this could not happen!  Part of me had thought about home birth and part of me was also scared, I remember thinking all I want is my baby in my hands!  But what has transformed inside of me the last few days and especially after watching this video is below is something really interesting..  a lady in the video below says "I was not sick so why did i need to go to hospital to have my child".. It really made me think about birth again, and maybe who knows our next child I will have the strength and insight to know I can give birth at home.






Another great video which insipired me was Birth Into being

Benefits of Wheat Grass

So I (Sarah) am currently breastfeeding my gorgeous little isabelle, and have been taking Raw Multi Vitamins, however every time I take them my body goes into a really weird hyper tension state of an almost anxious state, so after doing a bit of research into vitamins etc.. I decided it was time to get back into wheat grass!

So tomorrow I am going to get cracking at get this wheat grass on the go! I found this great article on the benefits of wheatgrass! Enjoy Sarah :)

Benefits of Wheatgrass
Source.. http://www.hippocratesinst.org/benefits-of-wheatgrass

 So I (Sarah) am currently breastfeeding my gorgeous little isabelle, and have been taking Raw Multi Vitamins, however every time I take them my body goes into a really weird hyper tension state of an almost anxious state, so after doing a bit of research I decided it was time to get back into wheat grass! So tomorrow I am going to get cracking at get this wheat grass on the go!

I found this great article on the benefits of wheatgrass! Enjoy Sarah :)

Benefits of Wheatgrass
Source.. http://www.hippocratesinst.org/benefits-of-wheatgrass

WHEATGRASS JUICE...

Increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

Restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice's abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

Is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

Fights tumors and neutralizes toxins. Recent studies show that wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

Contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds...enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice. Don't cook it. We can only get the benefits of the many enzymes found in grass by eating it uncooked. Cooking destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in food.

Has remarkable similarity to our own blood. The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, president of the Hagiwara Institute of Health in Japan, is a leading advocate for the use of grass as food and medicine. He reasons that since chlorophyll is soluble in fat particles, and fat particles are absorbed directly into the blood via the lymphatic system, that chlorophyll can also be absorbed in this way. In other words, when the "blood" of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

When used as a rectal implant, reverses damage from inside the lower bowel. An implant is a small amount of juice held in the lower bowel for about 20 minutes. In the case of illness, wheatgrass implants stimulate a rapid cleansing of the lower bowel and draw out accumulations of debris.

Externally applied to the skin can help eliminate itching almost immediately.

Will soothe sunburned skin and act as a disinfectant. Rubbed into the scalp before a shampoo, it will help mend damaged hair and alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.

Is soothing and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete's foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so on. Use as a poultice and replace every two to four hours.

Works as a sleep aide. Merely place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed. It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.

Enhances your bath. Add some to your bath water and settle in for a nice, long soak.

Sweetens the breath and firms up and tightens gums. Just gargle with the juice.

Neutralizes toxic substances like cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

Offers the benefits of a liquid oxygen transfusion since the juice contains liquid oxygen. Oxygen is vital to many body processes: it stimulates digestion (the oxidation of food), promotes clearer thinking (the brain utilizes 25% of the body's oxygen supply), and protects the blood against anaerobic bacteria. Cancer cells cannot exist in the presence of oxygen.

Turns gray hair to its natural color again and greatly increases energy levels when consumed daily.

Is a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin.

Lessens the effects of radiation. One enzyme found in wheatgrass, SOD, lessens the effects of radiation and acts as an anti-inflammatory compound that may prevent cellular damage following heart attacks or exposure to irritants.

Restores fertility and promotes youthfulness.

Can double your red blood cell count just by soaking in it. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen found that no other blood builders are superior to green juices and wheatgrass. In his book Health Magic Through Chlorophyll from Living Plant Life he mentions several cases where he was able to double the red blood cell count in a matter of days merely by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Blood building results occur even more rapidly when patients drink green juices and wheatgrass regularly.

A Guide to Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

I found a great article today on Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

Source: A Guide to Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms


"Green smoothies are great meals when you’re doing a challenge or a detox! Adding greens will help your body to release toxins from your system, give you an energizing and nutritional boost, and allow for healing. But for pregnant and nursing moms considering a green smoothie challenge or detox, what are the considerations?


We went to Joanna Steven, author of Well Rounded: The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Raw Food Pregnancy, to find out what pregnant and nursing moms need to know about green smoothies to make sure their adventures with greens are safe and supportive.

Are Green Smoothies Safe During Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding?

green smoothies detoxification and pregnancyWhenever we wonder about the safety of a certain food, we need to break it down to its simplest components. What is a green smoothie?

In its purest form, a green smoothie is simply a blend of leafy greens such as spinach, and fruits, such as bananas. Nothing more, nothing less. Would spinach be harmful during pregnancy? Not at all, greens are an important part of a healthy diet at any age, because they are so high in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), minerals (important for the development of the fetus), and more. Rich in folate, they are also critical in preventing spina bifida, a developmental birth defect.

And what about fruits? There is absolutely no reason why one should restrict fruit intake, in reasonable amounts of course, as they are rich in fiber, vitamins, calories, and more. This shows that green smoothies as part of an otherwise healthy diet during pregnancy and while breastfeeding are not only safe to consume, they are also extremely beneficial.
Is a Green Smoothie Detox Safe During Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding?

But, what about detox diets where nothing but green smoothies are consumed? Opinions will vary on this topic, especially within the raw food community, as staunch low fat raw foodists will argue that anything but fruits, greens, and extremely minimal amounts of nuts and seeds are truly the only way to go.

hemp chia and flax seeds are healthy fats to add to green smoothiesI personally disagree, and I would caution against a diet exclusively made of green smoothies, as an adequate consumption of fats (especially omega 3 fatty acids and other essential fatty acids) are important both for mom and baby. Studies showed that a lack of omega 3 fatty acids can lead to anything from depression during pregnancy to low visual acuity in children born of omega 3 deficient mothers. I personally made a point of consuming at the very least 600 mg of DHA daily.
How many green smoothies are too many?

A good rule of thumb is to equate “too much” with “not enough of other essential foods”. If you are drinking so many green smoothies that you end up low on calories, healthy fats and certain nutrients such as selenium, zinc etc., then you are drinking too many green smoothies and should cut back.

I drank around 3-6 cups of green smoothies daily, for a total of around 3-4 cups of greens to 5-7 cups of fruits. I also ate my greens in salads, which are different in that they also contribute healthy fatty acids to my diet in the form of hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, healthful dressings and more.
What about toxins passed on to babies?

It is an undeniable fact that toxins spill onto breast milk. But, our breast milk is not as toxic as we think, even if we follow a “normal”, non-organic diet which would also include milk, dairy etc.

breastfeeding and detoxA study from Ohio State and John Hopkins universities found that there are more pollutanst in the air we breathe than in breast milk! Because of its amazing health promoting qualities which will influence a child’s lifelong development, toxins should not be an issue when it comes to breastfeeding. Regardless of our diet, breast is always best. Still, we as mothers want what’s best for our kids, and therefore try to avoid potentially hazardous factors such as VOC paints, cigarette smoke etc.

So, what about green smoothies? As I said earlier, green smoothies are greens and fruits, which are very beneficial to us and, as a result, our babies. They are not harmful as long as they do not constitute one’s sole source of nutrition (and the harm would then be from missing nutrients, not from the ingredients themselves).
What are some alternatives that can be put in place to increase nutrition safely?

Granted, it is true that chlorophyll is detoxifying, but it is much better to avoid environmental pollutants and consume high mineral, high vitamin green smoothies than to keep living the same relatively toxic life while avoiding healthy food.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and are drinking green smoothies daily, great!

If you currently follow a processed diet, I would still recommend adding green smoothies to your daily routine. All you need to do is start with one cup a day, gradually building up to 3-6 cups a day as your body adjusts to the new ingredients and high quantities of easily absorbed nutrition.

If you still want to increase your nutritional intake in the meanwhile, as you should, I would recommend adding a variety of healthy ingredients in small quantities, so that you can increase them as you would increase your intake of green smoothies.

For example, you can add hemp seeds to your smoothies, or sprouted brown rice protein. Both are raw, and while you will not have a “pure” green smoothie as a result, you will still have a very healthy, power packed, easy to digest food that will leave you energized. That way, you will not be consuming large quantities of any single food, thus not overloading your system, but will still be improving your diet.
The Bottom Line: Why are Greens Important for Mom and Baby?

The benefits of greens are mind boggling. They are antioxidant powerhouses, have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, are rich in minerals, and they are detoxifying. Moms need them to stay healthy during pregnancy and when breastfeeding, when our nutritional needs go up dramatically, and fetuses need them to develop properly. Breastfeeding babies need the nutrients to keep up with the many growth spurts they will go through during their infancy. And, green smoothies might ensure that mom keeps up with her fluid intake – it is easy, in our busy lives, to forget to drink enough, so we might as well get our fluids at the same time as our vitamins and minerals!

Green smoothies are a very healthy food for mom and baby, and they should be consumed regularly as long as they are part of an otherwise healthy and varied diets which includes essential fatty acids, more protein than for regular individuals (70 grams of bio-available protein is good), and certain nutrients which are available in larger amounts in nuts and seeds, like zinc and selenium".