Strengthening the Immune System, step one

I was talking with a friend the other day.  She was telling me that last winter, her family was sick from December to May!  They just kept passing the same bugs around.  She's frustrated and confused, and desperately wants to avoid that scenario this year, even as she can see it rearing its ugly head all over again.  She cleans and cleans, using bleach and vinegar, and wonders what she can do to keep this from happening all over again.

I feel for her.  I have a relatively healthy family.  I know that when we do get sick, generally for a few days at a time, two or three times a year, it's HORRIBLE.  I can't imagine the horrors of taking care of a sickly brood, while being sick myself, for weeks or months on end.

So, in all my wisdom and eloquence, I kindly suggested that what she needs to do is not to stop the contamination, but to strengthen their immune systems so they are no longer succumbing to their "bugs."  It was wonderful - like watching a light bulb flick on inside of her.  She suddenly "got it!"  So she said to me, "Oh, yeah, you know all about that stuff!  How do I do that??!"  To which I replied, "Ah, well, ah, wow... where to start..."  Wisdom? Vanished.  Eloquence?  Out the window.  So long.  See ya.  In her presence, I bumbled and fumbled over my words, not knowing where on earth to start.  Truthfully, it IS a big piece of knowledge to chew.  But I DO know where to start. 

As with anything overwhelming and large, we start at the very beginning.  When climbing the stairs of health, we start with step number one.  Today I am going to write about the first step.  Most Americans who eat a SAD (Standard American Diet), sad, diet need to change their ways.

Step number one: Cut the sugar.  If you devote your life to only one dietary change, cut out sodas.  If you must, and I mean MUST, allow yourself one real-sugar soda per week.  None of this corn-syrup laden junk that most of us are giving ourselves, and definitely NOT more than once per week.

Ideally, you will cut out all processed, highly sugared foods, all corn-syrup, and anything with more than 5 ingredients on the label, or words you need to slowdown your speech to pronounce.  Oh, and cut out ALL man-made sugars.  I mean it.

Most people probably fall somewhere in between eating very healthy and eating solid junk.  We are told that we should be people of moderation.  Well, I am telling you that drinking a soda once per week, once per month, or once per year, is doing soda in moderation.  It is true that cutting back from drinking a 2-liter per day to only a 20-oz. is an improvement.  And you would likely receive benefits from making such a change.  But not enough.  Our bodies are not meant to take the abuse of daily poisoning, and they will not last long if we treat them that way. 

In place of your junk, you should eat the natural equivalent.  Here, I use the term "equivalent" loosely, as an orange is nowhere near the equivalent to a bag of fruit snacks, but eat the orange instead.  A handful of baby carrots is nowhere near the  equivalent of a candy bar, but eat the carrots instead. A cup of green tea is not the equivalent of a soda, but drink the tea instead.  These foods and beverages do not claim to be equivalent.  They are far superior to their junk-food counterparts. 

If you have not already done so with your diet, I urge you to make the change of cutting the junk.  No sodas, no processed foods, no fake sugars.  Pick a day (today sounds good) and do it.  See if that one change doesn't make a huge difference on your path toward wellness.

sleeping buddies

I'm excited to confess that I sleep next to a studly guy all night every night - what I lucky girl am I!  He's cute and cuddly.  He's sometimes hot and sweaty.  He snorts and snuffles all night long... (ugh)! 

I didn't start out on my parenting journey thinking I would ever be a person who sleeps with her baby.  I remember the first days, weeks, and months as a new mom.  In my delirium, I would get up in the night to help my little one's hunger and sleeplessness.  I would sit up in my bed nursing him, eyes reluctantly peeled, staring at the clock, waiting (impatiently) for my sweet little man to fall back to sleep so that I could do the same. 

Then I discovered nursing in the "side lying" position.  Still, I would lay there, nursing baby, eyes peeled so that I wouldn't break the code the hospital and all the parenting literature told me I must not break - I mustn't fall asleep with my baby!

Then I did.  Guilt insued.  But I got over it.  Still, baby number 1 slept mostly in his own bed, but sometimes spent time in mine, as well.

Then came baby number 2.  He liked to nurse every hour and a half to 2 hours ALL NIGHT LONG.  If you do the math, you will quickly ascertain that if I did not sleep with my baby, I would rarely get more than one hour's worth of consecutive sleep at any given time per night.  This baby started out the night in his own bed, only to spend most of it in mine.  And I grew to prefer it that way.  At least I didn't have to get up to feed him every time he needed it!  What a relief it was to embrace the OKness of co-sleeping. 

Along came babies 3 and 4... not nearly as demanding as number 2, but wowie!, was it nice to be able to lay in my bed while meeting my baby's needs for milk and comfort.  And I could allow my tired body and nursing hormones to lull me into slumber.

Four years came and went before we had baby number 5.  I had no intentions of keeping any other sleeping arrangements with this baby... until I held her at bedtime.  And I just couldn't lay her down in in her bed.  What was one night?  She was so sweet, how could I lay her down all by herself?  And so began my true co-sleeping love.  Even when baby woke, I'd "hook her up" to nurse her, and we'd both fall right back to sleep.  Even though I may have to feed her several times through our long night together, we were both surprisingly well-rested.  I had the joy of snuggling with her all night long, and she had the same.  Better yet, she never actually had to cry at night.  I knew when she was ready to eat before she needed to cry to let me know - thereby not waking fully and not struggling to fall back to sleep. 

I was so pleased with this arrangement that I have been co-sleeping with sweet little baby number 6 since the day he was born.  I get to hold his chubby body, smell his sweet baby scent, and breathe in the joy that pours forth from his soul even as he sleeps.   I'm a lucky, lucky girl!  

Little Promises to My Children

I am your mother.

God gave you to me.

 

It is my honor to raise you.

 

I will do my very best to inspire you to use your brain, your creativity, your conscience, to go out of your way to be a blessing to others; not to be selfish or foolish with your time, talents, or money.

 

I will make you clean your room, help around the house, eat your vegetables, go to church, be kind to others, talk to adults with respect in your tone, obey me, and apologize when you hurt others.

 

I will discipline you when you break the rules, limit your privileges, make you earn your own money, teach you love God and man, and help you to make good choices.

I will fiercely protect your heart, your mind, your body, and your soul.

 

I will love you with every ounce of my being, every day of my life.

 

No matter what.

 

Because I am your mother,

 

and God gave you to me,

 

and it is my honor to raise you.