I finally took a photo of a gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin pie this year! Two different times! The crust was largely hazelnut and rice flour with all the spices of pumpkin pie. I used coconut oil and put a little vanilla in with the cold water, using this crust recipe (with mostly nut flour/meal). I baked…
Holistic Health
Planes, trains and governors, oh my!
This post originally appeared on DC Metro Moms on November 17, 2009 Planes, trains and governors! Who am I? “He was so good!” praised the woman sitting behind my son during our flight from Reagan National to Detroit Metro as we stood waiting to exit the plane. Usually I’m a descriptive praise sort of gal,…
Healing a Face Wound (and more?)
Almost a month ago, I went to the grand re-opening of Holeco Wellness Medi Spa, the first holistic/wellness medispa recognized by Green America as a Green company and listed in their Green Pages. The owner is a wonderful woman who recently spoke at a Holistic Moms meeting. They are in a building that just underwent…
Heavier than air
After attending a screening of the new film Fresh and seeing Joel Salatin and Sally Fallon speak as part of an amazing panel discussion to a standing-room only crowd at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, I never want to eat anonymous meat again. Fresh gives just enough insight into factory farming to help the…
The kind of health coverage I want
“This is why health care costs are so high,” hissed my endocrinologist when she looked at the results of the labwork my holistic physician had ordered. To her, the additional blood tests were a waste of time and money. But the information – a full, more complete picture of my thyroid levels and antibody levels–…
Traditional, GFCF, and Low-Carb Eating 101
I just attended a local hospital’s women’s health expo and spoke to a diabetes nutrition educator who was horrified that I would pursue a low carb diet. “Why would you do that?” she asked. I dropped a lot of names, none of which she was familiar with. I just wrote her an email and decided…
Traditional, GFCF, and Low-Carb Eating 101
I just attended a local hospital’s women’s health expo and spoke to a diabetes nutrition educator who was horrified that I would pursue a low carb diet. “Why would you do that?” she asked. I dropped a lot of names, none of which she was familiar with. I just wrote her an email and decided…
Gym childcare: mandatory TV?
This post originally appeared on DC Metro Moms on November 6, 2009 Gym Childcare: Mandatory TV? When a huge new gym with a low monthly fee opened a mile from my house, I was excited to try it out. During the tour, I asked about the TV in the childcare room. In my previous gym,…
More evidence about gluten’s potential harm
It took me three hours to get out of 20 miles worth of DC traffic and the rest of the 70 miles to Richmond, but I am so glad I made it to see the West End Gluten Intolerance Group’s evening presentation with two doctors and important researchers on the effect of gluten on the…
Mama’s nose
Where did that glass door come from? I could have sworn it was open. Oh, that’s just another piece of glass there for show? Right. Thanks. My nose and its new scar really appreciate the optical illusion. “But why wasn’t there a doorknob?” my son asked when I explained why I had a cut on…
Balancing action with rest
I had a fabulous week last week of attending three (partial) days of the NVIC conference and then all day of “Perinatal: A Symposium on Birth and Reproductive Rights.” But now, instead of volunteering at the Holistic Moms Network table at the Green Festival, I’m home with a slight fever. I don’t feel that bad,…
Where are reporters when you want them?
I just attended three (partial) days of an amazing conference where doctors from around the world were presenting fascinating information, including explaining how they came to question practices they’d had for years — even decades — before something caused them to question what they were doing. There were a few camera crews, and I’m told…
Vaccine conference: Dr. Lawrence Palevsky
Seeing Dr. Lawrence Palevsky made me appreciate my pediatrician even more than I already do. The basic message of both is that we want symptoms to be expressed because they are a way for us to understand what is going on in our bodies. It’s crazy to expect kids to be well all the time….
From the vaccine conference
Among the information I learned today at the National Vaccine Information Center’s Fourth International Public Conference were the following: -The majority of flu-like illnesses — 86% — are not caused by the influenza virus. The flu vaccine addresses only 14% of flu-like illnesses that are, in fact, caused by the influenza virus (as opposed to…
In another mom’s shoes: vaccine injury really happens
This post originally appeared on DC Metro Moms on October 2, 2009 In another mom’s shoes: vaccine injury really happens Imagine your 14-year-old daughter going from a competitive cheerleader with a 4.0 average to someone who has daily seizures, partial paralysis and a drug regiment of 33 pills a day. I’ve been attending the National…
Looking to learn: vaccine conference
It’s too late to be up when you’re planning to be at a conference at 8 a.m., but I just have to say how excited I am to be attending the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC). There is lots to learn! One place to start: To…
Helping children with aggression
“But he showed remorse,” said my kind friend when I called her crying to apologize that my son had bitten hers at school. “What more could you want?” Um, for him to not do it at all? Really, what I want is for my son not to feel that kind of out-of-control anger. I know…
Fighting the flu naturally
I haven’t been pro-vaccine for a long time, since I got the flu vaccine in my 20s and felt terrible. Now that we’re facing a potentially bad flu year, there is a lot of talk about vaccines for flu and specifically for H1N1/Swine Flu. I’m hoping that the alternative folks are right that the best…
Birthdays — the key part is the “happy”
This post originally appeared on DC Metro Moms on August 31, 2009 Birthdays — the key part is the “happy” My mom and I used to get giddy about our almost-shared birthdays, which are two days apart in early March. But in 1987, nine days before my 14th birthday — a week before my mother’s…
Let patients get the full picture
This post originally appeared on DC Metro Moms on August 19, 2009 Let patients get the full picture “This is why health care costs are so high,” hissed my endocrinologist when she looked at the results of the labwork my holistic physician had ordered. To her, the additional blood tests were a waste of time…