• Balancing beneficial intestinal flora should be a first line of defense.  Probiotics such as  Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, and/or Bifidobacterium are available as powders, tablets, or capsules from health food stores; soy yogurt with live L. acidophilus cultures can also be eaten.   Because dairy products are generally harder on your digestive system, I recommend non-dairy yogurt, especially when your immune system is stressed.
• Fasting or a liquid-only diet can be beneficial for food poisoning.   Most likely your body has let you know this already by ridding itself of everything you attempt to ingest.  Sometimes even plain water seems like too much for the affected stomach to take.  I've found that electrolites drinks stay down easier; such as vitamin water, or even water with a little lemon.  Just sip slowly for best results.
•  Homeopathic treatment can work very effectively in the treatment of Salmonella food poisoning. Some examples of remedies commonly used are Chamomilla, Nux vomica, Ipecac, and Colchicum.  Consult a homeopathic practitioner for correct dosage.
• Pharmecutical grade charcoal tablets can help absorb toxins and remove them from the digestive tract through bowel elimination.  These can be foud at your local health food store.
• Bentonite clay works much in the same way as charcoal in that it is poreus and locks toxins in itself like a sponge.  Can cause constipation though, so drink plenty of fluids if you take this.
•  Natural sugars in breast milk (and some fruits and vegetables such as bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic and wholegrains ) could be an effective treatment for salmonella and other food poisoning bugs, scientists say at Telegraph UK.  This could explain why my 16 month old nurseling who also ate the Peanut Butter Larabar was unaffected.  Breast milk contains prebiotics which are sugars that feed the beneficial bacteria in the stomach.  Salmonella can not be transfered to the baby through the mother's milk.

Remember that unprocessed, plant based foods in their whole form such as fruits, vegetables and grains; when properly washed have the least risk of carrying food-borne illness.  I used to think that only meat and dairy products were at risk for poisonous bacteria; but as we've seen in recent years, many vegetable fields are being contaminated by runoff from factory farms.  As with the General Mills/Larabar incident, even processed vegan foods are not guarenteed to be free of harmful bacteria.  If you buy produce locally when possible and wash it yourself, those extra measures will help safeguard your health.

Peanut Butter Recall

Micah and I were hit with mysterious flu like symptoms last week that lasted only half a day or so. I tucked him into my bed with me and put a towel over the blanket which proved to be of great Mommy foresight three hours and 4 towels later. I also brought my thermos filled with ice-water to bed and sipped ever so slightly at it throughout the night to prevent dehydration since I'm still nursing. My gracious husband took the next day off work and cleaned the house, so overall I can say that I benefited from the rest and help. I kept wondering if it could've been something we ate. Then today I got a call from our local grocery store. An automated message alerted me that I should not consume the Peanut Butter Larabars that I bought there recently. Well, a week late and $1.29 short, but I was grateful for the call none the less. I didn't realize that signing up for the local grocery store "club card" would benefit my family in this way, but I am glad to know that I will receive product recall notices on the items that I buy! That's great. "Peanut butter produced by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has been implicated in an outbreak of salmonella." hit the headlines today, affirming my ordeal once more. Specific recall information and natural salmonella treatment suggestions below:Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories,NIAID,NIH Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells.

Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories,NIAID,NIH Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells.

The specific products in this recall include:

Larabar peanut butter cookie

LÄRABAR Peanut Butter Cookie Individual Bar / UPC code number
Individual Bar / 54818-00014-7
Caddy (16-bar sleeve) / 54818-00064-2
6-bar pack / 93759-00298-8
6-bar, 6-pack case / 93759-00299-5
UPC Case Code / 54818-00085-7

JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars / UPC code number
Individual bar / 93759-00212-4
Caddy (18-bar sleeve) / 93759-00213-1
UPC Case Code / 93759-00214-8

Salmonella bacteria is found wherever animals live.  Recently we've seen the rise of vegetable crop contamination due to runoff of unprocessed waste from factory farms.  Tomatoes, cantalopes, spinach, green onions and now peanuts have all been in the media in to past decade or so for serious salmonella outbreaks. 

"During slaughtering and processing, salmonella may contaminate animal carcasses. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, nearly 40 percent of the American poultry supply, 12 percent of the pork and 5 percent of the beef are contaminated with salmonella.
Because fruits and vegetables have now been identified as a source of salmonella, it is important that these food items be thoroughly washed in running water before they are eaten.

Wash utensils and wooden cutting boards thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Salmonella may lie dormant for a year or more and then "wake up" when food is present. They also may live in the cut marks on a wooden cutting board. Use an acrylic board that can go in the dishwasher. Rub down or spray wooden boards with a solution of one ounce bleach to one gallon water and allow to air dry. "
Quoted from: Healthbeat

Natural Salmonella Treatment (found at Health A-Z)

A number of alternative treatments have been recommended for food poisoning. One very effective treatment that is stongly recommended is supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, and/or Bifidobacterium to restore essential bacteria in the digestive tract. These preparations are available as powders, tablets, or capsules from health food stores; soy yogurt with live L. acidophilus cultures can also be eaten. Fasting or a liquid-only diet is often used for food poisoning.  Homeopathic treatment can work very effectively in the treatment of Salmonella food poisoning. Some examples of remedies commonly used are Chamomilla, Nux vomica, Ipecac, and Colchicum.  Charcoal tablets can help absorb toxins and remove them from the digestive tract through bowel elimination.  

Personally, I have used charcoal tablets for food poisoning relief in the past and have had sucess.  Bentonite clay can also be used in the same way.  Follow dosage instructions on the package.

If any of you have eaten the Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar and are pulling an all-nighter with your small children, you have my sympothies and encouragement that tomorrow will bring wellness again.  Until then, keep plenty of towels on hand and get some  rest.

The lesson for me is has been the confimation that whole fruits and vegetables properly washed have the highest level of nutrients and lowest level of poisoning risk of any food we can eat!

So when he was ready to sleep in his own room and bed, I wanted to give him a special blanket that would comfort him and keep him warm and cozy.  I didn't know exactly where to look, but I knew that it had to be just the right size for a three year old, made from organically grown cotton, a soothing color and ultra sweetly soft.

Thats when I discovered the Organic Cotton Fireside Throw from Gaiam. It's name evokes a well deserved romantic self-indulgence, however you mom's will buy one for your kid first and use it as an extra reason to snuggle them to sleep at night.  My husband is the first to covet it for TV time if we  leave one in the living room, although at 6 feet tall it's still just a throw for him.  For a small child however, whose just moving into the big boy world of his first single bed, the Organic Cotton Fireside Throw is plenty roomy enough for nightly slumber.

Micah has been sleeping in his own bed for a year or so now, every night with a rotating snuggle buddy and his special blanket.  I recently got myself one to help lure me out of bed for early morning meditation... "Okay, I'll get up... if I can bring the blanket."    So far it has worked like a charm!

More organic bedding by Gaiam can be found in their Eco-Living section.  My family also enjoys their organic sheets, various pillows, pillow cases and comforters; drop me a line if you have any questions about those!

Source: Nature Conservancy

1.  Coral Reef Protection - Gifts that protect our earth's ecosystems will only become more popular as the need persists. Topping the list of meaningful gifts our family received this Christmas was a certificate from The Nature Conservancy stating that "A generous gift was made to protect the coral reefs of Palau on behalf of your family."  According to the giver (my sister), a $100 donation helps protect 1 acre of this precious ocean habitat.  Learn more about giving this gift at The Nature Conservancy.

2.  Celestial Clothing - A personal favorite gift that I received is a most versital polar fleece vest on a website called the Celestial Shop.   It's the most lively turquoise color which goes surprisingly well with everything I own.  My closet is so full of earth tones that a piece of color cheers it right up. The clothing is designed by a Spiritual Master who uses the proceeds from their sale to fund her associations humanitarian relief efforts worldwide.  I learned about their efforts on a free-to-air satellite channel called Supreme Master TV. As a social bonus, all of their gear is made in Taiwan.

3.  Flowering Tea - What better way to treat yourself to a moment of peace than with a fragrant jasmine flowering tea?  I put some in my own stocking on the advice that "Taking care of mom is taking care of everyone."

4.  Acorn Sox - Another shameless self-stocking-stuffer, I enjoyed wearing my Acorn Sox while also giving them to almost everyone as gifts.  Made from recyled materials,  these vegan fleece wonders are just the right amount of cush and keep you feet warm yet totally breathable.  Polyester fleece used to on my naughty list, but thanks to Acorn Sox and a little research, we have a new understanding. 

 5.  OregaSpray - North American Herb and Spice Co.'s OregaSpray is a true necessity for winter and all year round.  Oregano Oil is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral... it does it all.  As a mother of small children, I keep mine on hand at all times.  I've been known to douse elevator buttons, public train tables, tiny hands and even my own throat if necessary (it's totally edible.)  As a bonus, it leaves that nice pizza smell temporarily wafting in your wake.  Get yours here.

Pregnant with Micah, my first child, my mind entered a permanent state which I can only describe as "excessively tox-spicios."  Once during the roundest month of my pregnancy, my unassuming aunt assertively rubbed grocery store brand lotion on my exposed baby-sphere.  Grabbing the nearest kitchen towel, I wiped fervently at the offending petrochemicals while racing to the shower.

When he was born, I expressed my dedication to swaddling his pure and precious little bum in organically grown comfy cotton diapers until the day he was potty trained.  I did well with a stack of prefolds and bummis covers for the first year.  I was diligent then.  There was no chore more satisfying than a clothsline uniformly hung with cotton rectangles flapping in the wind.  When Micah was 14 months old we stayed with friends for a week during a move.  That's the week that commercial brand diapers found their way into my regimen.  Wow, so soft for paper diapers!  So easy to put on... and those cute little Pooh characters couldn't possibly be indicators of some dark disposable secret.  I was (temporarily) hooked.

With my second baby I stocked up on variety.  Little Meric has been pampered in Fuzzi Bunz, Swaddlebees, Little Beetle, Kissaluvs, Eco-baby, Imse Vimse, Bummis, Hemparoos, Aristocrats, and two dozen fresh prefolds.  (Planning to review them all in future posts.)  My motto became: Whatever you do eight times everyday should be fun, even if it's changing a diaper.  My interesting arsenal of nappies has gotten me through well into the sixteenth month, although I must admit a former addict's fascination with 7th Generation disposables and a brief affair with Little G pants.

Some points of eco-intrest to help you with diapering decisions: (Source: The New Parents Guide)

• It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.
• Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.  (Little G diapersclaim to be compostable, I'll let you know in 90 days!)
• Disposable paper diapers contain sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper.  Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver.

Now some practical tips to help minimize your own diaper-drama:

• Variety really is the spice of life.  Different situations require different diapering options.  Prefolds are fine for spending time at home, but pocket diapers travel well and hold more.
• Washing cloth diapers is easy: 1. run through a cold cycle with no soap to rinse well 2. wash with a small amount of soap on hot to sterilize, add extra rinse cycle 3. line dry or tumble (detailed wash tips at Green Mountain Diapers)
• Oh yeah, and whether using cloth full time or part time paper: ALWAYS put solids in the toilet.  Not only will your house smell better, but this helps minimize untreated waste going into landfills.

My husband still smirks at the look of satisfaction I get when all the cloth diapers are clean and folded neatly into their catagorized baskets.  He also appreciates the stash of "natural" paper diapers I keep around for his mornings with the kids.  Micah remembers everything and once wanted to know why I don't buy the character diapers for his brother.  "Chemicals." I told him.  He understood.

Micah is now four years old.  This morning he asked me "What is Helpful, my baby octopus, made out of?"
"Polyester."  I informed.
"Is is organic?"
"Nope."
"Is it natural?" he inquired futher.
"It's man-made."  I said.  At this he promply washed his hands with soap and water.   Honestly, I couldn't make this stuff up.  I guess tox-spicious-ness is passed on easily to children.  So far, I'm okay with that.