Creamy Coconut Milk

My newest experiment in the kitchen is making coconut milk. I used the recipe from the Wellness Mama blog, and coconut I ordered from Azure Standard. I used a loosely woven kitchen towel to strain out the pulp. It drips through pretty slowly so some squeezing with my hands or pressing with a spoon was needed. The recipe makes a quart.

Don't throw away the pulp, it can be eaten or used in baking! I have been making it into makeshift muffins with mini chocolate chips, but there's no official recipe to post yet.

The homemade coconut milk was very sweet and great for making hot chocolate. 

The cream will rise to the top, and in the fridge it hardens to a solid. The cream can be eaten by the spoonful, melted back into the coconut milk if you heat it when you use it, or just chopped into small pieces that will end up in your glass of milk or bowl of cereal.

A 32 oz. carton of So Delicious brand coconut milk costs a little over $2 at Walmart or Winco, so I estimate that homemade costs less than half of purchasing, plus you get the leftover pulp to use.

New Items @ Soaps, Stitches & Such

Soaps, Stitches & Such is a favorite Etsy shop of mine. The soaps, body butters, and other items are made from skin-friendly and safe ingredients.
I chose a variety of soaps for Christmas gifts and had a fun time deciding who would get which scent. I really wanted to keep the lemongrass soap but I resisted! And I was also tempted to eat the chocolate mint soap because it looked so fudgy. And my niece actually did lick the cupcake soap (currently unavailable, but more cupcake soaps are coming soon).

One of the new products that I would love to smell is the grapefruit body butter. Our family just finished eating our way through a case of yummy grapefruits and I am missing the smell already.

The soaps and body butters look like great gift ideas for end of the school year teacher appreciation, Mother's Day, or Earth Day. If you are in the Tri-Cities, WA you can arrange for local pickup to save on shipping.

If you would like to be alerted to special offers from this shop, you can sign up for their mailing list and get a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $10 or more. In case you are just skimming at this point, I re-awaken you with the word COUPON. Enjoy!

FREE Vitamin D: getting more without taking more

Vitamin D is not a pricey supplement, but taking larger doses over a period of time can add up, and some people just don't see very good results even when taking high doses, or are hesitant to take larger doses.
I take 5,000-10,000 IUs a day and my blood levels recently tested around 40, which is considered sufficient (although maybe not optimal according to some research…there is a wide variety of what is considered enough). Many local friends report experiencing the same thing.

These are the ideas I've run across lately could help people get optimal blood levels of Vitamin D without having to add more supplements.

1. Live further south. This Harvard Study says that people living further north than the 37th parallel make little to no Vitamin D from the sun, except in the summer. It has to do with the angle of the sun, not necessarily how many minutes you spend outside. So if you live north of San Francisco, you are likely to need a good supplement in the fall/winter/spring. If you are looking for an excuse to take a winter vacation to somewhere warm and sunny, this might be it! Take me along too. Time outside can also help during the summery parts of the year.
2. Take Vitamin D with your largest meal: The fat in the meal helps the Vitamin D be absorbed. Participants in a study saw 50% more benefit from their supplements when they took them with their largest meal. I currently take all my vitamins with breakfast, so if I remembered to take them with supper I'd probably be better off.
3. Get enough magnesium: Magnesium has a lot of roles in the body. A lot of people do not get enough from their diet, and some medications, including types of antibiotics and birth control pills, tax the body's magnesium reserves. Being short on magnesium has effects such as muscle cramps, blood sugar problems, and sleep disruptions. Being low in magnesium and Vitamin D is also associated with preterm labor. Magnesium is needed for Vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals to be used in the body; they all work together. Some people report side effects like headaches when taking large doses of Vitamin D, and this is likely because absorbing that much Vitamin D into the body uses up a lot of the available magnesium, leaving the person feeling yucky. Leafy greens, whole grains, and nuts and seeds are good food sources, and it can be taken in supplement form as well. 

I get teased by a certain person about my "old person" pile of vitamins in the morning, so I might try following tip #2 and taking Vitamin D with a larger meal and keep the dose the same or slightly smaller.

Don't know if I'll be remeasuring levels to get any official results, but it might be interesting to try anyway!

Guest Post: Cultured Foods

I think that cultured foods have a lot of health benefits with very little financial investment, as well as being fun and interesting.
If you're interested in learning more, hop over to the Medi-Share blog where my guest post on cultured foods is posted today.

My Kitchen Slaves

No, I'm not referring to my sons. Although knowledgeable and enthusiastic in many kitchen-ey things, especially pizza, they aren't coordinated enough to be super helpful in the kitchen yet.

I'm speaking of these: chunky colonies of microorganisms known as water kefir "grains".

After our family's first bout of pneumonia and antibiotics, I thought now was a good time to put my new year's resolution of kefir into action. And to be honest, I've always liked a good science experiment. Kefir is a probiotic culture (like yogurt), and probiotics are good for everyone, whether or not you've been on antibiotics. I picked up some grains, which are actually little colonies of specialized bacteria and yeast, from a friend (you can also purchase them in a dehydrated form) and put them to work.

The finished kefir is a little like pop: a bubbly sweet beverage. The starter ingredients are sugar/molasses, water, and the culture/grains. You can add flavoring as well. A lot of the sugar gets consumed by the bacteria but it is still sweet. The grains are removed before you drink the kefir and used for the next batch.

For now I'm keeping track of each batch (ingredients, how long it ferments, etc.) so I can tell what makes a good batch. The first two batches (berry tea and sweet cherry juice) have been good flavors with a mild fizz.

Considering that a bottle of kids probiotic pills ranges from $8-$23 for about a month's supply, I'm happy to have these little kitchen slaves on my countertop manufacturing virtually free lactobacilli for me.

Eczema Experiments

Right around Christmas Malachi's inner knees turned bright pink. Maybe the extra layers of clothing or leggings triggered it, or eating more variety of solid foods, we don't know. Soon it was also showing up on his forehead, elbows, and under his earlobes. 

February 14: the scratches on his face are from a dishwasher incident unrelated to eczema

"Eczema," diagnosed the other moms at church, and sure enough he soon began to scratch at it.
Our first attempt to soothe it was to rub with coconut oil, since that is antibacterial, antifungal, and moisturizing. We melted in a few drops of lavender essential oil too since that is good for healing skin. This mixture seemed to take some of the dryness and roughness away. We still put this on 2-4 times a day.

The next thing we added (around February 12 I think) was a hazelwood necklace, which is supposed to help various problems in the body (eczema and reflux/heartburn are the most common uses I've heard) by absorbing acid and therefore correcting the pH of the body. Depending on the person's body chemistry, they last for around 6 months. Not all eczema is connected with a pH imbalance, but supposedly 70% of people see some improvement with the necklaces. I wanted to make sure that any improvements I noticed were not just wishful thinking, so I took pictures of his knees when I put the necklace on.

February 19

February 25

The necklace has been on for almost two weeks and I think there has been a definite improvement, although it is definitely still itching. The spots under his earlobes that were bleeding and cracking are completely gone, the dryness around the corners of his eyes is also gone (haven't been putting any oil there since it's so close to his eyes), and his knees look somewhat better too.

I hope that we can figure out what is triggering this, or that he outgrows it.

Rotating Meal Plan

Every New Year's Resolution is about food, right? I didn't make any hard and fast actual resolutions, but I do have a few food inspirations that I would like to try...things that sound healthy, fun, or just interesting. Sprouts, mozzarella, bottling a batch of pop, kefir!

But it doesn't help to burn yourself out on an über-healthy meal or project, and then the next day have no meal ideas, does it. I have that problem sometimes. I bet you do too.

I have tried, with varying success: making a meal list (ideas that I have the ingredients for on hand) and crossing things off it as I go, using saymmm.com to plan out a week at a time, freezer cooking for a month, and the old "just wing it" method. For January, February, and March I am going to try a 2-week rotating base meal plan. I can always substitute something "more interesting", but at least I have a default idea to fall back on.

When the seasons change I can either make a new 2-week rotation, or ditch this method and do something else. My goals were to aim for not too much dairy, use a moderate (for us) amount of meat, and try to use things like frozen applesauce that tend to get forgotten about in the freezer. There are a variety of recipes and variations that can be used for some of the things like soup, pizza, and stir fry. It may need some tweaking or juggling around yet, but hopefully it is a good start!

Winter Meal Plan Week A
Monday: make a snack, stir fry and rice for supper
Tuesday: make yogurt, burritos or quesadillas for supper
Wednesday: BBQ chicken or pork sandwiches + applesauce
Thursday: Goulash
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Breakfast for supper (French Toast, Pancakes, Waffles, etc.)
Sunday: Baked Chicken (raspberry, BBQ, basil, or other flavoring) and apple crisp for Sunday dinner


Winter Meal Plan Week B
Monday: make a snack, Soup and bread/biscuits for supper
Tuesday: make yogurt, noodles with chicken or tuna for supper
Wednesday: egg casserole or breakfast burritos
Thursday: Fish + squash or sweet potato
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: lentil taverns or shepherd's pie
Sunday: lasagna

A Midwife Helped Me Out: Birth, Done Right at Home

Previously I wrote about a few of the ways prenatal care with my midwives has been pleasant, personalized, and has contributed to keeping my pregnancy healthy and low-risk. While aiming not to be too graphic, I would like to highlight a few things about giving birth with midwives at home that were healthier, more evidence-based, or more pleasant than my experience giving birth with a doctor in a hospital. Some of these things could be done in a hospital, but were not, and some are specific advantages to giving birth at home.

• No pressure to induce labor. I was "measuring small" again this pregnancy, but it seemed to be that Malachi was up far enough in my ribs that we just couldn't get an accurate measurement, a much more reasonable diagnosis than IUGR (which is what Tobias's records stated, although I didn't know that until I saw Tobias's records during this pregnancy).
• Less exposure to germs such as MRSA or various flu bugs and illnesses during birth and postpartum visits
• Water birth: provides significant pain relief, also lessens tearing and swelling. Laboring in water was encouraged at the Sunnyside Hospital, to their credit, and was beneficial to me, but I had to get out for delivery. And for the curious, babies don't breathe until they feel air on their face. It's pretty cool!

• In the hospital, delivering while laying in a reclined semi-laying position was the default, and I was in no condition to argue. This position contributes to tearing, and also oxygen shortage to the baby, both of which we experienced to some degree with Tobias. Malachi ended up coming out while I was kneeling in the water. I did most of the work, but it doesn't hurt to have gravity on your side too.
• Spontaneous pushing (pushing when/how you feel you need to) instead of directed pushing: again, less risk of tearing and oxygen shortage for the baby. Also, it felt a lot more comfortable and I think was a big factor in how great I felt afterwards (very minimal tearing and no swelling or soreness at all).
• Umbilical cord was allowed to finish pumping important blood and stem cells into the baby. Evidence supports this as the healthiest (reduces risk of anemia and respiratory distress among other things), but my doctor would not allow it even though I asked.
• Comfort/Personalization: we could have Tobias come home and meet Malachi when we were ready (no visiting hours), I got to enjoy hot cider, pumpkin oatmeal muffins, and chicken soup while in labor as opposed to little cans of juice and the food that we snuck into the hospital with us, no riding in the car while in labor, having all the baby clothes and equipment close by instead of having to decide what to pack.
• Home court advantage: being in familiar, safe surroundings and having less distractions (no filling out paperwork or drawing blood during labor) lowers the stress hormones that would otherwise slow labor and make it more painful. Overall, the day was very laid-back (and exciting at the same time!).
• Kristin was very "hands-off" during labor. She did check my blood pressure and listen to Malachi's heartbeat with the doppler, as well as ask me questions about what I was feeling and occasionally listen/watch how I was dealing with the contractions. She stayed in the dining room most of the time. No cervical checks either...it was obvious without them that labor was progressing.
• Choosing which procedures we wanted. For example, we declined the newborn eye ointment because we don't have STDs.
• Thousands of dollars cheaper

As far as disadvantages, some things were more "work": having various supplies, including food on hand for during and after the birth, preparing the birth tub, etc. And those table trays in the hospital that allow you to easily eat in bed...those are kind of nice. Other than that, I can't think of any big disadvantages.

Safety-wise, many large studies show that for low-risk women, home birth is equally safe as hospital birth when you compare the rates of death for mom and baby (one recent Canadian study even reported it to be safer). It is much safer in terms of the incidences of c-sections, infections, etc. that happen in hospitals. Most cases of needing to transfer from home to the hospital are not time-sensitive emergencies. Midwives are thoroughly trained and licensed and carry a lot of equipment/medication with them for more common needs as well as bigger emergencies. Hopefully you all know me well enough that you know I wouldn't do something that is unsafe!

Unfortunately, there are many entire states (including my home state of Iowa) where giving birth at home with a midwife is not even a legal option; CPMs are not allowed to be licensed and there are very few or no CNMs that offer home birth services. Currently about 1% of babies are born at home, but as the number of people choosing and supporting home birth grows, I hope that more states will make this choice available to families.

For those of you who are pregnant or will be in the future: wherever you give birth (home isn't for everyone!), find a caregiver that will listen to and respect you, and insist on evidence-based practices that keep you and your baby as safe as possible!

Please feel free to ask me questions about anything if you're curious or facing some of these same decisions yourself!

Half a Dozen Eggs

Four and a half months after buying our chickens on Craigslist, we have started getting eggs. I was shopping in Spokane when I got a text message from Nate. We rarely text, and I was only vaguely aware that my Tracfone was capable of receiving a picture in a text message, but I was very excited when I saw the picture of the egg, and the caption "one of two". So far we have found 6 eggs in about 8 days. We suspect that Ginger is the one laying the eggs. I'm looking forward to having the other 3 chickens start laying too! The eggs are small, have very dark yolks (that means they're good for you!) and seem to be very tasty. Tobias talks about the chickens and the chicken coop a lot (even in his sleep), so the educational part of the chicken raising process seems to be working as well as the nutritional.

Our eggs aren't technically "pastured" eggs, but we do try to feed the chickens plenty of fruits, veggies, and green things. I found this chart that shows what "store eggs" are missing compared to eggs from chickens that eat a variety of healthy food. Not shown in the chart is the statistic that "pastured" eggs contain 4 to 6 times as much Vitamin D as regular store eggs. Recently, I heard the phrase "you are what your food eats", meaning that eggs, dairy, and meat from animals on a healthy diet have better nutrition in them. So, adopt a chicken, find a friend with chickens, invite yourself over to our house for an omelet, buy eggs from healthy chickens, or at least make sure you're getting lots of extra Vitamin D, E, and A, Omega 3's, etc. from other foods or your vitamins!

(click on the picture to make it bigger if you can't read the words here)

A Midwife Helped Me Out: Prenatal Care

It will hopefully be another 11 weeks or so until this baby is helped "out" out, but I wanted to write a post to all the things I have appreciated so far about my prenatal care with my midwives, especially compared to my experience last time going to a family doctor.

• Appointments are usually 45+ minutes long and cover a variety of topics including any questions I have. When I say "variety of topics", that includes things like chicken-raising advice, tasty ways to cook with coconut oil (fry your french toast in it!), the logistics of flying with a newborn at Christmas, what's going on in my life, etc. Mostly health or baby related, but not necessarily.
• Appointments start on time and I don't have to sit in a waiting room with annoying cartoons on, and with people who might be sick. Tobias comes along and plays in the toy room or "helps" measure my belly.
• They're directly available by phone or e-mail if needed. When I was pregnant with Tobias I had some unexplained abdominal pain (not during office hours, of course) and my choices were to go in to the ER (the ER or OB department understandably can't give any advice over the phone) or wait it out with some extra-strength Tylenol. I haven't had any medical reason to contact them, but Nate did e-mail Lorri asking for a reminder on which Chinese restaurant in Prosser she had recommended during childbirth class. It's the Golden Horse near exit 80, if you're curious! Nate's there right now meeting someone for lunch.
• Nutrition is really important to them. My blood work showed I was low in Vitamin D and probably iodine, so I'm taking supplements to correct those things as well as some other supplements and vitamins. They also give lots of specific advice on healthy eating and haven't stressed or lectured me about my weight at all. Who knows if these changes are why I haven't experienced any leg cramps, bleeding gums, etc. during this pregnancy!
• Kristin stopped by my house for a prenatal appointment when she was in my area, which was nice. If everything continues to go well they will both be here at my house for the birth too, and postpartum checkups. I'm looking forward to not taking a 1 week old baby in to the doctor's office for a checkup...I remember Tobias screaming with hunger while I tried to fill out a bunch of paperwork. But I'm getting ahead of myself there, this is supposed to be about prenatal!
• With many tests and procedures I am presented with the pros/cons and all the options, and then I can decide. For example, since I am at low risk for gestational diabetes, I chose to test my blood sugar with Holly's meter after a meal rather than spending time and money on an official glucose tolerance screening.
• Thousands of dollars cheaper. I'm guessing the prenatal care and birth will come to $3150. Even if for some reason the baby had to be born in the hospital, I think $3150 is a great deal for such excellent prenatal care.

Doctors' knowledge and experience can be crucial, which is why the Midwives Model of Care includes "identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention". However, since I am currently very healthy and low risk, I can't imagine going back. Why pay more for less?

Vitamin D: You Make Me Happy When Skies are Grey

Vitamin D: a fat-soluble vitamin that can be manufactured by the human body in the presence of sunlight, and that has many functions within the body.

With my prenatal bloodwork, my midwife had my Vitamin D levels tested, and it was 31. Levels of less than 30 are considered deficient, and many experts believe that 50 or above is much better, with 80 or above being great. I was surprised to be "low" since I was taking vitamins that included D (approximately 600 IUs, which is marked on the vitamin label as 150% of the recommended daily allowance) and do spend time outdoors without sunscreen.

She recommended a supplement of 5,000-10,000 IUs a day to help me catch up, as well as a smaller supplement for Tobias, since I was likely deficient during the last almost 3 years in which I have been pregnant and/or nursing. I am curious what a few months of this supplement will do for my Vitamin D levels, and I plan on getting them re-tested if it is not cost-prohibitive. (Update: after taking daily supplements of ~8,000 IUs, my Vitamin D blood levels rose to 50-something a few weeks before my due date)

Why is Vitamin D important?

• Important for bone health
• Good for the immune system. Low levels of Vitamin D during the winter due to less sunlight may be one of the reasons for "flu season".
• Babies born with low Vitamin D levels are six times more likely to get RSV. Taking a supplement while pregnant can reduce the risk of this happening.
• Babies born with low Vitamin D levels are more likely to experience childhood dental problems. Tobias has some tooth decay between his front teeth that will likely require some pricey fixing (at his age they would have to put him out to fill it); perhaps Vitamin D supplements during my pregnancy with him would have made this less likely to happen.
• Levels of higher than 40-60 ng/ml are likely to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
• Low levels of Vitamin D contribute to high cholesterol and cardiovascular problems

Supplement, Salmon, or Sun?

• The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that adults take 1,000 IUs per day during the winter.
• This article from Harvard Medical School states that if you live above the 37th parallel, you are not getting much Vitamin D from the sun, except in the summer months.
• Salmon, mackerel, and tuna provide 200-360 IUs of Vitamin D per serving
• Your body can generate 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D during a day at the beach. Vitamin D is an oil-soluble substance that is manufactured on the surface of your skin, and soap breaks up oils so they can wash away. Avoid soaping up your entire body after your beach adventure, or you might lose a lot of the benefits. Water will not wash away the Vitamin D.
• Older people's skin is not nearly as efficient at producing Vitamin D, and dark-skinned people also do not get as much from the sun.
• If you're not sure whether or not to supplement, you can always get your blood levels tested. All the published incidences of too much Vitamin D involved doses of over 40,000 IUs a day, so it is unlikely you'd get too much by taking a supplement.
• Vitamin D supplements are available in an inexpensive, almost tasteless drop form.

I wish I had found out more about Vitamin D sooner! I'm glad that it is such an easy and cheap thing to improve about our family's health. We don't like to think about it now, but the dark winter months always follow summer, so look into Vitamin D!

Letter to Sioux County Board of Supervisors

On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, the Sioux County Board of Supervisors will meet to make a decision on whether or not to allow a gun range to be built at Sandy Hollow. This is my letter to them; I encourage you to write a letter or e-mail (board@siouxcounty.org) if you would also be affected by this decision, or to sign the petition if you have not already.

To: Sioux County Board of Supervisors: John Degan, Arlyn Kleinwolterink, Al Bloemendaal, Mark Sybesma, Denny Wright

I am writing concerning the NIOSC application and my correspondence is for the record. I lived in the vicinity of Sandy Hollow for many years and now visit my parents and family there a few times a year. I am concerned about how the proposed NIOSC shooting range would affect myself, my family, friends and former neighbors in the area.

The first thing thing that would affect me as a regular visitor is the level of noise. I have one toddler who loves spending time playing outdoors and another child on the way who doubtless will as well. My husband and I like to spend time playing games, gardening, grilling, sledding, doing photography, and enjoying the fresh air at my family's house.

The noise of the shooting, especially so close to the Sandy Hollow driveway, would make it unlikely that we could continue such activities at the level we currently enjoy. Walking down the Sandy Hollow driveway to get to the playground, campground, or bike trail would expose my children to levels of noise that would be frightening and could damage their hearing (an estimated 105 decibels, the level of a rock band). Even in the yard of my parents' residence and in their home, the noise would be enough to disrupt conversation and activity, and would likely even disrupt sleep. A decibel level of 45 is considered enough to make it difficult to sleep, and in my experience, kids can be very sensitive to unexpected noises while trying to fall asleep. Gunshots would be louder and much more surprising to a child than the "whoosh" of a car going by or muffled conversation through the walls. Of course, with two kids and possibly more in the future, I know that sleep is important for a child's health, and for their parents' well-being as well!

The noise from a shooting range is the reason the NRA strongly recommends a 1/2 mile buffer between the range and nearby residences; there are 70 residents within a 1/2 mile of Sandy Hollow, in addition to businesses and farms. Many of these are in areas zoned as "residential" and they deserve to have the residential character of their beautiful homes and yards protected. The level and frequency (2500 shots per day at half capacity, more during busier days or tournaments) of noise generated by a shooting range would not be tolerated in an area immediately bordering a city residential housing area, and Sandy Hollow area residents deserve the same respect. In addition to the 70 residents in the immediate 1/2 mile area, there are an unknown number of people within 1-2 miles that would certainly hear the shots while trying to enjoy their own yards, and there are many people who currently enjoy the fishing, biking, and camping opportunities at Sandy Hollow that would choose not to visit there if the shooting range were to be built. Many people would be negatively impacted.

I am convinced that a shooting range does not mix well with a family recreational area, for safety reasons. With the shooting stations so near to the edge of the proposed range, nearer than recommended by the NRA, I would avoid walking or taking my children along the Sandy Hollow driveways and trails during shooting hours even if it were not for the noise. Accidental shots do happen, and a buffer safety space around shooting stations is recommended for legitimate reasons. I think a site should be found that can accommodate those types of safety recommendations instead of trying to squeeze a shooting range into the Sandy Hollow site.

In addition, the airborne lead dust and lead shot deposited by the shooting range would pose a health and safety risk. The ideal level of lead in humans is zero; it serves no purpose to the human body. Lead poisoning, even at low levels, can cause symptoms such as fatigue, behavioral problems, raised blood pressure, headaches, reproductive problems, and anemia. It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of such symptoms, meaning that children or adults with lead poisoning can suffer for an extended amount of time and incur permanent damage. As a mom and a teacher, I am glad that our society has taken steps to eliminate lead in fuel, paints, and toys. Allowing a shooting range so close to crops, water supply, residential and recreational areas is a step backwards that would be hard or impossible to undo.

Please make the sensible choice that benefits and protects the whole community: reject the NIOSC application.

Signed,

Hannah Vander Wilt

P.S. Read Heather's letter too, or browse them all.