Ultra-Processed foods are making us sick and no one cares

It's completely normal to eat ultra-processed foods. Despite mounting evidence these foods are dire for our community health, none of the major food producers in Australia, or the world for that matter, are making changes, and there's little in the way of government support to educate Australians on making better choices.

An ultra-processed food often resembles a natural product but on closer inspection it contains substances that have been extracted from foods. They have ingredients that are synthesised and not available to the home cook. Things like hydrolysed protein, gluten, invert sugars or additives and flavour enhancers. Have a look at the ingredients list on your packaged products; If you see ingredients you can't put in your pantry, you can classify it as ultra processed. These are different from traditional processed foods which include foods like cheese and sausages. These come from natural foods but have have been prepared with ingredients like oils, fats, sugars or salt. A whole food (not processed) comes directly from a plant or animal source and is not processed or prepared only with other ingredients that come from nature.

I'm a big believer in the bodies ability to heal itself and overcome adversity. Sure we can handle some of these foods, weekly, possibly daily in small amounts. It's not like we can NEVER eat them. Truthfully we've been eating these foods for years and we're ok, aren't we? Perhaps not.

A study gave one group of people access to a wholefood unprocessed diet, and another group access to only ultra processed foods. They were permitted to eat unrestricted, using their autonomy to decide when they were satisfied. The group that ate ultra processed foods consumed an additional 500 calories a day, while reporting the same level of satiety. Even more alarmingly, other research has shown that a diet high in ultra-processed foods lends itself to the development of a gut environment that favours the wrong kinds of microbes which produce a myriad of inflammatory disease. In other words, bad, disease causing gut bacteria flourish on an ultra-processed diet.

It is clear, over time, an ultra-processed diet will inevitably lead to weight gain . And while there's nothing wrong with a bit of meat on the bones, the low fibre and low nutritional value of a ultra-processed diet, coupled with the increased inflammation associated with obesity leads to a frightening list of illnesses including heart disease, dyslipedemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gastrointestinal illnesses and an assortment of cancers.

These are the salty, sugary fatty foods which are chemically formulated to be hyper-palatable and keep you reaching for more. This stuff is addictive. Ultra processed foods train you to eat more and more. Our children are learning how to eat on this stuff. Their little brains are developing neuronal pathways that prefer synthetic foods.

Kids are among the biggest consumers of ultra-processed foods. I'm guilty of feeding it to my fussy eaters also. Packaged breads, cereals and snacks for kids are amongst the biggest contenders. And actually, in high income countries, such as the US, UK and Australia, ultra-processed foods make up more than 50% of calories for the average person. That's scary. And we are not really to blame. The powerful marketing, high availability, cheap (often subsidised) prices and palatable nature of ultra-processed foods make them truly hard to avoid. Many are marketed as healthy, when they’re really not. Some are worse than others. Packaged bread, for example is ultra processed. A couple of slices of wholemeal toast amongst a diet of mostly natural foods is not as harmful as sugary, salty and fatty snacks morning noon and night. And conversely flour is considered an unprocessed food, but foods made of refined flour cause your blood sugar to rise steeply, and when on repeat day in day out, elevated blood sugars drive inflammation and disease. It is wholly possible to eat unhealthily on natural foods by baking flour, sugars and lots of fats together and consuming it all too frequently.

I'm not trying to guilt you into throwing out all the food in pantry. I am encouraging you to fight back one snack at a time with mindfulness. Choose to add in more natural foods, thereby crowding out foods that are not so wholesome. Endeavour to make meals from scratch in your own home. Teach your kids to cook. It takes a bit more planning but the rewards are delicious. What you eliminate from your diet is going to create the biggest gains for your health in the long term. Your body will thank you for it.

References

Fardet, A (2016) Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: a preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods.  7, 2338–2346.

Monteiro et al (2019) Ultra processed foods; What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition. Cambridge University Press

Kids, Stress and ADHD

If you, your child, or someone you love has been diagnosed with ADHD, you will be familiar with the memory problems, anxious thoughts, difficulty concentrating, agitation, moodiness and irritability.

These are also signs of stress in (apparently) neuro-typical individuals. Children with ADHD particularly are more prone to stress than other kids which can compound symptoms, making symptoms worse and increasing stress further still. This is because executive function is located in our prefrontal cortex, which is especially vulnerable to the elevation of brain chemicals caused by stress. The prefrontal cortex matures later in childhood. This maturity is delayed in kids with ADHD. In short, stress makes ADHD worse.

Reducing stressors is an absolute must for all beings, but especially our neuro-divergent loved ones, particularly our children. Spending time in nature with our feet in the grass or sand. Fun and laughter. Interaction with friends and family. Daily exercise in the sunshine. Avoiding processed foods, artificial colours and flavourings and prioritising good sleep are essential for healthy brain function and development.

This is where adaptogenic herbs can gently help reduce stress response and improve cognition, memory and learning. Depending on the individual, there are a range of nutraceuticals that also show good results in improving ADHD symptoms. You can read about some of these here. It’s pertinent to note that there are a range of pathologies and intolerances that contribute to ADHD, or that may exist as a co-morbidities to ADHD, and taking a bottle of vitamins off the shelf may include ingredients that elevate symptoms rather than calm them.

Natural medicine is effective at improving ADHD symptoms. If you’d like to explore the options available to you please book an appointment. Through Wild Grace Health you can access extensive testing and a full health assessment to determine a personalised treatment plan for you.

The Covid Diaries - a naturopaths experience of Covid with kids in Perth

Monday 7 March 

Day 1

We were finishing up the long-weekend down south. I sat on the beach in Yallingup as the kids played with their cousins in water the colour of a fluorite crystal.

John John had been sniffling with itchy eyes and had a few sneezing fits but otherwise we were all fine. 

Tuesday 8 March

Day 2

On Monday night Evie had a sniffle and when she came to me with a sore throat Tuesday morning I thought we'd better do a RAT test before sending her off to school. 

It was the day I was going to be moving into my own healing space, a goal that had been years in the making. I just had a feeling though that the planets weren't quite aligned. 

So with this perceived blockage smothering all that lay ahead of me that day, I was both surprised and not surprised at all when Evie returned a positive Covid test.

Hmm, Andy did one which came up negative. We did Evie again just in case it was a false positive, as an acquaintance of mine had experienced several weeks earlier. Another positive. I was feeling a bit foggy with hints of a cold myself. 

Lining up for a covid test in the car, in the heat, the air con and radio blasting. My throat sore ,my head getting heavier.  

I was grateful I'd already been taking licorice and korean ginseng in my herbal tincture for their anti-viral and immune enhancing properties. Making up a medicine tea for this situation I look longingly at my yarrow jar which is completely empty. How wonderful some yarrow would be right now for dispersing the heat I feel in the back of my throat. I blend together rosemary, sage, licorice root, eyebright and elderflower. 

Wednesday 9 March

Day 3

Receiving my positive result via text message as I lay propped in bed the next morning, scrolling my phone. 

I made up an acute coronavirus blend personalised for my needs. Licorice, baical skullcap, nigella, kudzu, korean ginseng, wild yam. All of these herbs are active against coronavirus infection but Wild Yam, for the aches and pains.

A friend drops off some fresh ginger so I can grate it into my herbal tea. 

WE also had a zinc and c powder every four hours. We topped up our vitamin d. Lactobacillus rhamnosis also seems to show some benefit so we took our probiotic as well.

We’d been staying with the kids Grandmother over the weekend, she's in her 80's. The kids played with their cousins extensively.  The cousins were sniffling. Who else have we infected with this thing. Feelings of guilt. Evies' and Andys' positive result came a few hours later. John John, my 5 year old tornado, was negative. He was doing flips off my bedhead as I lay there feeling disgusting. A mountain of groceries were delivered and I had to organise the fridge and put everything away as well as make dinner and all the regualar clean up that goes with parenting and living in general. It was hard. 

Day 4

Thursday 10 March

I had a nasty cold. There was lots of heat and mucous in the back of my throat and sinuses. There were aches all over my body.  I wasn't coughing but I was in and out of fever. 

On thursday morning the pain was so bad I had some panadol which gave me immense relief. But there was a new kind of pain, the familiar pain of shingles in my side, a feeling I recognised instantly from several years earlier. Please no,  I made a telehealth appointment immediately. Had the doctor prescribe the shingles anti-viral and the 'good' codrals. Had a friend pick it up.

The kids were in perfect health, tearing up the place. “Mummy you’re too hot 🥵!” Said my little one when he cuddled me.  I needed to cook and clean and parent and mother of course. The codral helped me through the evening and have a restful sleep at night. 

Friday 11 March.

Day 5

Wow, I felt so much better. I'd been taking my herbs. I'd started the anti-viral, the aches were gone, as was any trace of that shingles feeling. No need for a panadol today or even a codral. My sniffles had dried up considerably. I was on the mend. Andy spends a lot of the day working from home in the back studio. The kids watch tv, fight, play. scream. play. fight, and have lots and lots of cuddles. Evie loses a front tooth and now has a big gaping gap. She is immensely excited about it and keeps asking how much the tooth fairy pays for front teeth. 

I order some flowers to brighten up our space, impatient for them to be delivered the next day. 

Saturday 12 March

Day 6

I open my eyes to the swing of our iron gate and a light knock on the door as I lay in bed still. The flowers had arrived. They were magnificent.

I'm still taking it easy But feeling 100 % more energetic. This was so much better. I become acutely aware that we have way too much stuff as I seem to be spending a lot of time straightening everything up and trying to coerce the kids to help me. We need to find a rental property as our renovation plans are finally approved and it's looking like we'll be moving out in a month. A friend goes and checks out a property on our behalf, face-timing a walk through for us. 

I bake peanut butter cookies with the kids. The keto plans will have to wait. 

Sunday 13 March

Day 7

IT's interesting how the universe has given me all this time off. First with the tear in my calf muscle and now this. I feel like I can get back to business. I'm ready to move forward. Hanging to get my health back. The flowers sit on the kitchen table softening  and uplifting the space and my mood each time I catch a glimpse of them.

This concentrated time of family feels really nice. I don't mind being with my kids and my husband 24/7. They are so loved and cared for.  It feels solid and safe, everyone being together. The children are being  affectionate and sweet and Andy seems well rested.  We have lots of play fights and tickles and laughs. "Mummy I love you more than anything" says my little 5 year old so sincerely and he really is the sweetest thing. 

We decide the peanut butter cookies would be better with dark chocolate smothered all over them. We melt some down and pour it over. 

Monday 14 March

Day 8

Trying to limit television for the kids while getting some work done and also keeping my sanity  means sometimes ignoring my kids arguing and trouble, just letting them work it out by themselves.  Evie goes through the drawers of our tv cabinet and pulls out an ancient DVD of Barbie Fairytopia obtained at a garage sale years ago. The dvd wasn't actually in the case but she turns on the tv and manages to find the exact program on one of the streaming platforms. John John hears the tv is on and comes running. He disintegrates into tantrum however when he sees it's barbie fairies and begs to watch something 'we both like'. He comes to me and puts his chubby hands on my face and pleads for me to change the program. I tell him to let Evie watch the fairies and he can choose something next. He's upset about this though and continues his tantrums. I go back to whatever I was doing on my computer. Next thing John John has picked up the dvd case, lying on the lounge room floor and throws it at Evie. It misses and hits the TV screen, creating a spider web like crack. The TV was messed up. That's the third broken tv in about 4 years.  A dark vapour falls over the house. Andy tells the kids he's not buying another tv. 

I was upset for a few hours. Not only at the expense of replacing the TV yet again in this time of renovations when every dollar counts, and not only because I would miss TV personally, which I would, but because this incident shows how quickly things can go wrong. How accidents can cause irreparable damage that can't ever be reversed. How impulsive behaviour can be fatal. how precious and fragile life is. 

Today it was a TV he broke but what if next time he breaks himself? I went over the moments before the incident and asked myself what ifs. what if I'd responded differently when he held my face in his little hands and begged to watch something else, this was his way of telling me he wasn't coping with the situation. Now it was too late. 

One of the more prominent roses from the arrangement looks at me with her petals creating an almost perfect spiral, reminding me of the nature of life. 

Tuesday 15 March

Day 9

It's the last 'official' day of isolation but I'm feeling a bit deflated today as we still have symptoms of covid. My sore throat has returned. Tomorrow we are supposed to be free but not if this residual slight snotty nose and sore throat remain. It feels like this virus is like four colds in one. I introduce thyme into my blend. I gargle my tea with lots ginger. The tea seems to be helping the most.  Evie picks some yellow roses from the garden and places them next to the flowers from the florist, our floral installation is growing. 

Wednesday 16 March

Day 10

We decide to stay in isolation as we are not yet completely better but my spirits are up because today many exciting things may happen. We may get the final set of house plans for our reno, we may get an offer of a rental we're hoping to secure. The kids are really getting over it now and are begging to go back to school. My sore throat is gone but I'm still blowing my nose when I get up in the morning. By the evening we decide we're probably good enough to emerge from isolation into the world again. 

Thursday 17 March

Day 11

That's better. i go outside and check my car which had been parked around the corner and out of view for the whole week. It was ok. The kids put on their school uniforms and help make their lunches. They're ready for school half an hour early. Andy and I still want to take it easy. We head to the beach and I move my furniture - still in boxes - into my herbal healing clinic to be assembled the next day. I order an A-Frame sign for the street and some business cards. We're offered the rental property we applied for. The kids spend the afternoon playing with friends at the park. Freedom. 

Telehealth consults are available for anyone who needs some herbal support through Covid, and all mail orders are delivered express. 20 minute immune appointments are available for acute illnesses (like Covid). Please book through this link.

6 household items you should lose to enhance your fertility

Plastics, and in particular BPA, build up in your system and can affect your fertility. The good news is that studies have shown that by reducing exposure, the amount of BPA in your system decreases significantly, and other kinds of plastics will likely reduce also. 

Head to your kitchen. Many kitchen utensils are made of plastics that break down when exposed to heat - directly into your food, and this is what you want to avoid. 

Replace all the following items with ceramic, glass or metal. 

• Reusable food storage containers - Ikea have some fabulous glass containers with timber lids

• Microwave safe bowls (don’t put plastic in the microwave all together)

• Reusable plastic water bottles and cups 

• Plastic tea kettles

• Colanders

• Blender containers that have been used with hot soups 

Although many plastic kitchen items in store are labelled BPA free, often the manufacturers have replaced BPA with a similar compound such as BPS that isn’t as well researched and may be just as damaging. In our society, until plastics are proven unsafe they are assumed safe. Perhaps they are, but then, asbestos was once assumed safe also, and with substances such as BPA proven to adversely affect fertility, it’s wise to err on the side of caution. The Handmaids Tale comes to mind (eep).

The plastics used for bottled water and food products on the supermarket shelf do not contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s - the fertility damaging components of plastics) and you don’t need to stress as much about it. Reduce where you can and only drink bottled water when absolutely necessary. Tinned foods are more problematic than other shelf foods as the cans are lined with plastics. Although some are labelled BPA free, there’s no way to know what the replacement lining is, and whether it’s benign or not. In particular it’s important to avoid tinned tomatoes, as these are quite acidic and are therefore much better at leeching fertility damaging plastics into their juices. It’s easy enough to dice up your own tomatoes thankfully. Try and use fresh foods instead or products jarred in glass.

While preparing to conceive, ideally, you’ll be focusing on whole foods prepared from fresh ingredients and steering clear of processed foods. Not only are processed foods more likely to contain EDC’s, they’re also more inflammatory and overloaded with bad fats, sugar and salt.  You need a rainbow banquet of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, protein and wholegrain to nourish your body and optimise your maturing eggs and sperm, so shopping at the farmers market for fresh produce and bulk food stores for nuts, dried beans and grains is not only better for the environment, but better for your future baby as well. 

Gorgeous baby image via upworthy.

Are everyday items destroying your fertility?

We’re nearly at the end of plastic free July, but saving the planet isn’t the only reason to get rid of plastic. Many, if not most, plastics out there have some form of endocrine disrupting chemicals (ie, they mess with your hormones and normal bodily function)  or persistent chemicals that hang out in your fat cells forever. In fact, in one analysis, 500 plastic products labelled ‘BPA free’ were analysed for endocrine disrupting chemicals. 90% were determined to contain endocrine disrupting chemicals and in some cases at higher and more damaging levels than BPA itself.* 

Whenever plastic is heated, frozen or exposed to the elements in any way it breaks down in tiny amounts and you end up ingesting it, such as from water bottles and take away containers, from water pipes in the ground, or through your skin from creams and cosmetics. 

Further to this, during pregnancy and breastfeeding your body will dump any plastic residues from your tissues into your baby while in utero and into breastmilk while breastfeeding. Alarmingly, pregnancy and lactation are the most efficient way for your body to detox these nasties - straight into your baby. Little is known on how much these chemicals affect the developing foetus however animals studies indicate there is a measurable negative effect on gene expression and health of the foetus as she grows to adulthood. 

I’m not here to alarm, don’t panic. Your body is wise and brilliant and can overcome these hurdles. For example getting plenty of folate in the diet has been shown to negate the negative effects of BPA. So there’s ways around it!  But please be wary and reduce usage of plastic products now. 

If you’re planning on starting a family, it’s wise to consider a full detox program approximately 6 to 8 months prior to first trying to conceive, especially if you have been exposed to a higher level of environmental toxins through your work, lifestyle and living environment. A detox takes approximately four to six weeks, and then you can start a preconception care program of approximately four months. You want as many nasties eliminated from your system as possible before starting your conception journey. 

*BPA has been proven to significantly disrupt fertility. Women with high levels of BPA are 87% more likely to suffer a miscarriage than women with low levels of BPA. 

Giving your baby your very best genes

Have you heard of epigenetics?

You may have a genetic pre-disposition to a range of conditions. 

But not all genes are expressed automatically. 

Your lifestyle affects whether genes are expressed or not. So for example you may have a gene for varicose veins. Your mother and grandmother each developed varicose veins from an early age. You may also have the gene, but with the right diet and exercise the gene may not be expressed at all or until much later in life.  

With optimal health during the preconception phase when the egg and sperm are developing, the healthiest genes possible will be passed on to the new baby. 

If you’re interested in becoming pregnant soon I’m currently putting together an online course to make the pre-conception care journey as simple as possible for you. You can sign up for updates here through this link, and score a free digital download on ovulation while you’re at it.

Wishing you well,

Libby

5 things to try when your kids are driving you crazy

Roll out your yoga mat and stream a yoga class. 

After weeks of a particularly bad, clingy, tantrummy, destructive terrible twos phase (here’s hoping it’s a phase) I was starting to be worn down and cracks were beginning to show. In a particularly frustrating moment I found myself yelling at my kids and saying things like ‘don’t come near me’ feeing exasperated at the 78 things to be exasperated about. Anyway ‘don’t come near me’ …this is heartbreaking for little people to hear. 

I knew I’d gone way too far and after big cuddles and apologies I sat down to an online yoga class where the teacher asked us to sit in the self-awareness mudra (legs crossed, index fingers to thumb resting on top of your knees) and set an intention. Today’s intention was about giving ourselves a compliment. It was unnatural to give myself a compliment in that moment feeling terrible as I did about my angry mummy self, but also exactly what I needed. I set my intention. “I am a calm, loving and wonderful mother” 

Immediately after a few moments of peace with the intention, my two-year-old interrupted me for something or other, but I already felt so much better. Sometimes he wants to be cuddled for the entire yoga class, and I just do poses around him as best I can. 

I use gaia.com for yoga and I particularly love the ‘yoga every day’ series on Gaia but there are other paid yoga streaming services and free classes on you tube. Find one you like

Get out of the house to the park. 

I prefer parks where the children are fenced in so they can’t run away and force you to chase them. If your kids are past the running-away-to-potential-death phase, then the world is your oyster. Children absolutely thrive in nature. Fresh air, breezy trees and safe places to jump around and socialise. There are other parents for you to chat too. What’s not to like. 

Garden.

Hands on planting, weeding and especially watering with tiny little watering cans, connects you to the earth and brings peace and calm. Plus kids are so cute when completely absorbed in their little gardening tasks that you completely forgive them for being massive pains in the ass. 

Surrender.

Sometimes just lying back on the couch and reading them stories for an hour, running around and playing games and following their lead is the best thing you could possibly do. Forget the housework, and what YOU wanted to get done that day, just be. Janet Lansbury, my go-to toddler parenting guru, says that children are the best directors of their own play. The games and activities they come up with are exactly what they need for their growth and development at that time. So listening to their ideas and following that lead is the best way to go. Requests for screen time apparently don’t count as development though, so when this happen, redirect, wait it out and distract with toys and other games… or just put paw patrol on and have a goddam break for 45 minutes. 

Get Childcare

Give them to their other parent/relative/friend/ babysitter for a couple of hours and take yourself on a date with yourself, for yourself. Long soaks in the tub, art gallery, the movies, or one of my personal faves, staying in bed with books, magazines, netflix and cups of tea all day long. You freaking deserve it. 

An ode to breastfeeding

I once read in the comments section on facebook, that ‘breasts are for sex and for feeding children.’ This was quickly followed up by guffawing of other commenters “Ahem, breasts are for babies!'

After four years of continuous breastfeeding, I can assure you breasts are most definitely for babies. Everything about their design, the softness, the lumpiness, the silky nipples that are such a joy for babies to grab onto, babies love fondling tags on toys, and nipples on boobs. the squishiness, their warmth, the position on the body so you can hold the child to your breast, lie with them and stroke their little heads. The love hormone oxytocin release stimulating bonding between mother and child, all for babies.

When my milk first came in about two days after giving birth to my daughter I looked like I’d had a boob job. They were so big and round and sat up just so. Now I understood that what my culture agrees to be the perfect breast, is the look of a breast engorged with breast milk, and completely capable of sustaining new life. It made sense, I forgave mankind a little bit that day. I hoped my boobs would stay like that, they didn’t.

My time of breastfeeding is drawing to a close. we have no more babies planned. For over four years my boobs have been at the beck and call of my babies. First one, then both, and then the other one.

Now my son is 2 and a half and the weight of his body and the feel of his latch tell me instinctively that it’s time to wean. My daughter, who is 19 months older, was also 2 and a half when I weaned her. I breastfed them both - as in at the same time tandem style, yes one one each boob, - for almost 12 months. They offer the best of convenience, delicious warm milk on demand, comfort when sad, bonding and togetherness, play and enjoyment. A remedy when hurt. My children both loved their boobies.

Breastfeeding hurt at first. They tell you it doesn’t hurt if the latch is right. Not true, it hurt. It hurt no matter how many times I had my child's latch checked and assured it was fine, no matter how many times I ‘made my boob into a burger and squeezed it in her mouth', breastfeeding hurt. They say that fair skinned red heads feel the most pain when breastfeeding. I’m a fair skinned brunette so perhaps I come in in a second or third on the pain stake. My nipples became sore and cracked and bled. By day 11 feeding was agony but I gritted my teeth. I was determined. I used a nipple shield for every feed for three days out of necessity. I healed, and then it never hurt again.

My milk sustained them and though they both were born rather skinny, they grew chubby very quickly. Fat little rolls over their thighs, up their arms and on their cheeks.Sweet little smiles and shiny eyes, only for mummy.

I love the snuggly closeness, the shared bed convenience. How easy it was to stumble out of bed at that first wake up cry at 5.30 and climb back into bed with them, warm and cosy, feeding away. The beautiful smells of my babies head, their chubby little hands, their innocent sweet eyes taking in all around them, always happy to be on the boob.

They say not to feed to sleep, but feeding to sleep was one of the most relaxing parts of my day, and personally one of my favourite things about breastfeeding. Feeding to sleep absolutely saved me when I was home alone with two babies who needed to nap. A chance to lie down and often snooze with my little one. And in the evenings, guilt free time scrolling my phone amidst the dinner/bedtime routine and then the clean up grind.

My child was safe, happy and warm in my arms with all their needs being met.

With my first baby I tried following a sleep routine to get her in the habit of 12 hour nights by three months old. A 12 hour night didn’t happen until she was way over 18 months. I couldn’t follow the advice, it went agains all my mothering instincts: “let baby feed for 40 minutes, otherwise they’ll be hungry and wake up sooner” My child wouldn’t feed longer than 15 or 20. Don’t feed to sleep, put baby down relaxed but awake, yeah right. Being separated from her boob wasn’t relaxing for my baby or for me. Leaving the child on the boob was much more relaxing for everyone involved.

Even now, removing my toddler from the boob isn’t relaxing. We’ve cut out the snuggly wake up morning feed, and my mornings are much more accomplished because of it. Next we’ll cut out the night feed, and last of all, the midday nap feed. This one is last because I’m not convinced I’ll be able to get my son to sleep in the day without breastfeeding, but we shall see.

As I write this, I’m relieved I still have breastfeeds left to give, because the thought of stopping completely will mark the end of my baby-mummy years, and that’s sad. It’s also beautiful, as now I have gaps in my days to create and accomplish what I could never have done with two under two, or even two under three. Coming out the other side of extreme baby years is like rediscovering who you are all over again. And I still get to cuddle (and sniff) my children every day. There’ll be no risk of my child pulling out my breast in public. And I’ll be keeping the necklines of all my clothes intact.

This was the first major family outing I’d been on since giving birth to John John. We’d been driving for about half an hour and the kids were both losing it. We stopped for a booby break.

Healing Constipation in Children + Bliss Ball recipe

Constipation is quite common in children. Up to 28% of children experience constipation at some stage.

If the staining and difficulty with passing bowel movements continues past two weeks and causes considerable stress to the child please seek help from a medical professional.

In the meantime try these simple remedies to see if you can get things moving along.

Bulk laxatives are ideal for treating childhood constipation. Linseeds, slippery elm, psyllium and chia seeds attract and hold onto water, moistening and adding bulk to the stool for easy elimination.

Linseeds and slippery elm are gentler and are better suited for younger children

Slippery Elm dosages

Slippery elm is to be stirred into water or you can use juice to make the remedy more appetising for the child

In children

infants: 1/4 tsp in breastmilk or formula up to three times per day

10 - 20kg 1/2 tsp three times per day with meals

20 - 40kg 3/4 tsp three times per day with meals

40 kg + 1 tsp three times per day with meals

Psyllium is more abrasive and not recommend for smaller children. in older children it an be dosed similarly to slippery elm above.

Chia or flaxseed can be added sprinkled on breakfast cereal, stirred into yoghurt or added to smoothies.

Prunes and Figs are wonderful natural laxatives. Be sure to include them in the diet.

Eat: lots of high fibre food such as fresh fruits, raw green leafy vegetables, whole grain oatmeal and brown rice. Asparagus, mussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, garlic, kale, okra, peas sweet potatoes and whole grains.

Include foods that contain high levels of soluble fibre such as adzuki beans, barley, dried beans, oats, and some fruits especially apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, figs.

Eat Insoluble fibre: Fruit and vegetable peel is a excellent source of insoluble fibre as are grapes,peaches and prunes. Other insoluble fibre foods include cereals, seeds, wheatbran, and wholegrains.

Drink more water: Children ages 1- 3 need 1.3 litres - about 5 glasses of water a day. Older children should be drinking more.

Consume foods high in pectin: apples, carrots, beets, bananas, cabbage, citrus fruits, dried peas.

Minimise soft drinks,meat, white flour, highly processed foods, salt and sugar These things typically have little fibre and stagnate. + Nutritional healing Phyllis A Balch

Lets Get Moving Bliss Balls.

There is no easy or appealing way to use the words ‘constipation’ or ‘balls’ in the same sentence. However these energy snacks are intended to appeal to your child and help their bowel motions along. They also packed with minerals have some extra goodness for brain health with the hemp and walnuts.

Of course they work for adults too.

To make a nut free version swap out the walnuts for pepitas or more sunflower seeds and swap out the almonds for another 1/2 cup of hemp seeds.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup walnuts, chopped

2/3 cup sunflower seeds, chopped

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

1/2 cup hemp seeds

1/2 cup porridge oats

2/3 cup chopped dried apricots or try other dried fruit*

2/3 cup of figs

1/3 cup dates

2/3 cup chopped pitted prunes

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons cacao powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup (90g) desiccated coconut for rolling the balls at the end

Add all ingredients except the coconut to a food processor and process until there are no large pieces and the mixture is sticking together nicely.

Scoop the mixture out with a teaspoon and roll into balls. Coat in the desiccated coconut by tipping the coconut onto a plate and rolling the balls in it.

these should ideally be consumed with a big glass of water.

*Ideally you would use sulphite free/and organic dried fruit with no added vegetable oils. The sulphites are a preservative also found in wine. They stop the dried fruit from going brown. Dark raisins or prunes don’t usually have sulphites, nor do dates. Sulphites commonly irritate little bellies. The vegetable oils are added to stop the fruit from sticking together, however they can become rancid and are an unnecessary and inflammatory addition to your child’s diet. Check your local health food store to see what’s available.

If the best you can do is the regular supermarket variety of dried fruit, and your child doesn’t seem to react to dried fruit usually then please go ahead with what you have available.