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Why Avoiding Additives is Important in Our Home

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:28:00 GMT

I am thinking that important is the wrong choice of words - necessary is more appropriate.

Here is a little story for you. A few weeks before the end of Term 1 of school, Mr 6 and Miss 8 made a deal together on the sly from mum and dad - they would sneak their pocket money to school to buy from the canteen. While there are a number of areas that needed to be dealt with once they got 'found out' the most concerning was the decline in the behaviour of Mr 6 and his regression in class in all learning areas.

We had noticed that he was not right at home - far more aggressive, moody, irrational, waking through the night, not focusing, frustrated, diarrhoea, headaches, and much more. He had been unwell with croup which did not set off alarms as he is prone to this when the seasons change - we then just put the other changes down to his being unwell. So Mr 6 came home from school after being in trouble at school for aggressive behaviour towards other students and when asked if he had been eating foods he shouldn't, he fessed up then and there. This Mumma was not at all happy to find out he had been having 10 cent drinks from the canteen for nearly 2 weeks - these 10 cent drinks are artificially sweetened cordial which are loaded with colours, flavours, preservatives and artificial sweeteners!!! So it was double hits of probiotics, green powder, detox baths and loads of water for this little man while 'coming down' from his hit - yep a weekend of detox. Seriously, the effects of all of this on his well being are so altering that he may as well have a drug hit!

Luckily for us, Mr 6 has a fab teacher this year who 'gets' the effects of additives on children so once we gave him the heads up on what had happened he said that it explained his regression in class over the past two weeks - that he had been a different child. He promised to ensure that he drank heaps of water that day and would monitor him due to the detox effects.

Our children just wanted to be like their friends who buy what they want from the canteen and sadly our canteen sells a vast array of additive laden foods. After writing a letter expressing my concern to the school I received a letter in return to say that the canteen will be undergoing an independent audit of the foods they sell and their nutritional value to make sure it is within the guidelines they have to adhere to but please understand that these do not take into account food additives. It doesn't matter how 'healthy' they deem a food to be, if it is full of additives and my son eats it then his learning will be affected - full stop!

Our other two children also experience reactions to food additives but they have different weaknesses and reactions as do my husband and I. We want our children to grow up to be happy and healthy and to have the best experiences and opportunities they can in their life and eating wholesome food that has not been tainted with chemicals is a must. When questioned by the 'non-believers' about food additives I often reply that whilst everyone's body is unique and will have different tolerances and that we see primarily obvious changes when our kiddies consume additives, imagine the cellular damage that is occurring while their little bodies and brains are trying to develop and grow..........

Music – Therapy For Your Spirit!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:10:00 GMT

When I was a child, I LOVED music.

I remember being so excited when I was given my first cassette player because I could have it in my room and listen to my music whenever I wanted. Then there was the Walkman – don’t cringe, I know you remember those days!

When I was younger, my music tastes were that of my parents (The Beatles, Elvis, Dr Hook, Abba, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys and so on). As I grew older, I formed my own tastes (although I never let go of Elvis, Abba or the Beatles!!) which including many of the one hit wonders of the 80’s!

If a bad day came at me, music could just melt that bad energy away. You would get pulled into the magic of the song so there was no room to dwell on your worries. The issues that seemed so overwhelming at that time became tiny or even disappear. Music was my therapy for many years; through the stress and pressure of the HSC, the University days, through the nerves and anxiety of starting new jobs and the sadness of relationship break ups. Music was a very meaningful part of my wedding and those songs remain very sentimental today – whenever I hear them, I am taken back to that precious day and the emotions that went with it.

The arrival of our kiddies soon saw the addition of The Wiggles, Playschool and the like to our music collection! I did the ‘Hot Potato’, drove ‘The Big Red Car’, ‘Twinkled Little Stars’ and ‘Open Shut Them’. My personal music choices seemed to get left behind – other than the odd grove when shopping!

Fast forward 10 years and the kiddies are growing up. The Wiggles and Playschool CD’s have been handed on (with the exclusion of a couple stashed in memory boxes) and our CD’s are coming out of the cupboards and loading onto iTunes for use on our iPods. The kiddies love listening to our music, as well as all the new hits. We get some strange looks when we sing along to the remake of an 80’s song – “How do YOU know this song Mum?” Then we get asked to stop singing and dancing because we are embarrassing – bring it I say!!

Music has this way of making me feel alive, with various styles serving various purposes. Relaxing, meditative music is perfect for the wind down at the end of the day or while soaking in the bath, fast beat gives me that extra oomf I need when at the gym, older music that I grew up with helps you escape (I have been known to don my iPod of an afternoon while preparing dinner if the kiddies are out of sorts – seriously it works!) and fun music is just that – FUN! This reconnection with music has been a fantastic adventure that is now part of my everyday routine and definitely therapy for my spirit! Go on, reconnect with your tunes today!

Here is a link for those of you looking for some fun (and a giggle!)

Back to school – to like or dislike?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:49:00 GMT

<p>After 6 weeks of school holidays and the first week back at school here in NSW has just flown by. </p>I can remember when school finished up for 2011 and thinking “these are going to be long holidays”. Six weeks is a huge amount of time for a family of five to be living in each others’ pockets – this was not going to be pretty, or so I thought.

The lead up to Christmas seemed to take forever, with multitudes of functions to attend. All of a sudden Christmas was over and New Years was just around the corner as was a long drive to visit family for a week and a half. By this stage, we were all in ‘whatever’ mode. Lazy mornings, late breakfast and late showers, all leading into later dinners and bedtime routines – the bliss of no schedules! Yes, there was many a sibling rivalry amongst it all, household chores to squeeze in around the kiddies and a few Mummy meltdowns as the brain started to frazzle from very little ‘me’ time but all in all, not having to rush around was heaven.

Before I knew it, the end of January was nearing; school shoes to be fitted for and purchased, school supplies and uniforms to be organised – how did the end of January sneak up like that?! Then it dawned that these kiddies needed to get back into the routine of getting up earlier and going to be earlier to be ready and not overtired. These habits were hard to break and we had many debates: “why do I have to go to bed earlier – it’s still light and school hasn’t gone back yet?” Hmmmm.... these kiddies of mine are growing up and becoming oh so more aware – bugger!

Then the bickering and whinging began – okay, so we had made it 5 weeks – that ‘me’ time when they all went back to school was looking more and more inviting and by the weekend before school returned, I was absolutely craving time out and super keen for them all to head off to school.

So now we have come to the end of week one and boy oh boy did that week fly! The beginning of the week started with all the kiddies settling in quickly with their new teachers and classes and super happy. Then the notes started coming home – class requirements, sports permission, swimming carnivals – oh no, I need to get organised again!!! Not to mention afternoon activities resuming. So it is get up early to get eldest of to school on the bus, get other two organised and off to school (having completed morning jobs they need to do), get my work and appointments done, washing and ironing, prepare meals, groceries, fit in some ‘me’ time, pick up youngest two kiddies from school and have afternoon tea and any homework before picking up eldest off the bus at 4.30pm then washing school containers, cook dinner, after school activities, prepare lunches for next day, clean up kitchen, ensure kiddies do their night time jobs and then fall into the lounge in a heap! I am sure that many of you can relate to this scenario oh so well – some of you will have even more scheduled tasks in there or varied ones but the life of a parent when the kiddies are back at school is pretty much the same – crazy one day and a little insane the next!

I enjoy being able to do all the required tasks in peace (or with some music nice and loud and by peace I mean no kiddies and their endless requests) and my days seems to be far more productive, but I miss the slow paced mornings with a more carefree attitude with no nagging from me about remembering glasses, drinks and so on. There are not as many games being played with the children as there is just no time left in the day, yet I now have more time to do what I want to do. Such a huge contrast but I guess that is why we have 4 terms with the school holidays spread out over the year, helping to maintain the balance – it must have been designed by a parent with the sole purpose of keeping parents sane! So ask yourself the same question: back to school – to like or dislike, that is the question.

Happy Weekend
Melanie xx

Blogging About Blogging!

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:38:00 GMT

It has been way too long since I have last blogged for my own website (as I am often reminded by Mr MM!) but today I have had a turning point so I have made a commitment to myself and Let’s Party Additive Free that I will regularly blog – about anything, just blog!!

I am not sure why I have this fear of blogging but I do. I think it relates to fear – fear that people won’t like what I blog, that there is nothing valuable in my blogs, fear of sharing and hence being vulnerable. It is a self worth fear that only I can overcome.

My turning point came today as Miss 8 was feeling anxious about swimming club tonight. Here is a little background information: Miss 8 has always found trying new things difficult whether it be food, friendships, activities and so on. Miss 8 participates in swimming club, where they are graded into race groups according to their times. Here we have A, B, C and D with A being the fastest. To move up a grade, you must reach the cut off time for that particular swim style. Miss 8 has achieved the time for D in 3 strokes but C for backstroke. While in D grade, swimmers only have to swim one 25m lap of that particular style. Once you are in C grade, you then have to swim two 25m laps of that particular swim style. As this is something new and unknown, Miss 8 has been quite resistant (with the odd meltdown or two!) to participate “why can’t I just stay in D, I want to stay in D!”

Tonight I was explained to Miss 8 that she is in C grade for backstroke because she swims it well and she should be proud that she has achieved a place in C grade. I said that Mummy and Daddy are so very proud of you for trying your best and it is okay to be proud of being good at something. “Trying new things does make you a little scared and nervous but afterwards you feel so good about yourself for going ahead and doing it, even though you were scared. Be brave and be proud” were the words of Mummy wisdom that I gave her. As I watched her line up, waiting her turn to swim in her event I could almost feel her nervous energy as she focused to be brave. She took the start and swam the first lap with confidence and I wondered if she would stop after that lap or turn and complete the second lap. She toughed the wall and hesitantly turned and swam the second lap – not a prouder moment could be had by this Mummy!!! She had overcome her fear and the smile and pride in her face said it all! After a wet hug and a; “I am so proud of you! Well done for going through with it even though I know you were nervous” from Mummy, Miss 8 proudly tells me that she just LOVES swimming club and can’t wait for next week.

So how does this relate to my turning point? Well quite simply, I had just helped Miss 8 through the life lesson of feeling fear but giving it a go anyway because the outcome is often amazing and isn’t this just the life lesson that I need to embrace with my blogging? Feel the fear and blog anyway? The outcome will be amazing and I will love doing it! This is me, feeling the fear and blogging and before I know it, I have written a page!

Children are all too often providing us with the life lessons we need it is just that the fast pace of life sometimes makes it difficult to see what the lesson is. Let’s all take time to slow it all down, even if just briefly, to see what life lessons are waiting for us – they could be just what we need.

Happy learning
Melanie xx

Raw Chocolate Recipe

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:10:00 GMT

Thank you to Celine Margot for sharing this yummy recipe with us.

Our family is trying to incorporate more raw recipes into our diet at the moment so this will be a nice treat with the extra bonus of containing ingredients that have great health benefits. Coconut oil has amazing health benefits including increasing your immunity and aiding your metabolism (for more information on coconut oil, follow this link) Cacao powder is a powerful antioxidant and contains magnesium, both of which are highly beneficial for your health. Agave nectar is a traditional natural sweetener with a low GI but still gives a great sweetness. Peppermint oil is great for digestion. So there you have it, we have a recipe for a chocolate that is good for you what more could a busy parent want than a healthy chocolate recipe that is quick and easy - yippee! Below is Celine's recent post:

"Just thought I'd share this yummy, quick and easy chocolate recipe I just got hold of....mix- 1/2 Cup coconut oil, 3 Tbs raw cacao powder, 2 Tbs agave nectar, and (optional) 1 drop peppermint essential oil. Drop a tablespoons worth into small paper muffin pans, place in freezer and 15 mins later they are good to eat! how easy is that!!! kids loved them and couldn't believe their luck when mum said that this chocolate will indeed 'make them strong!'... they do melt easily so store them in the fridge xxx" Celine Margot

Thanks again Celine, I'm sure there will be raw chocolate being made across Australia this week!

Queen Natural Food Colouring - are they really good for you?

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:36:00 GMT

Queen Natural Extracts

Thanks Rebecca for asking about these food colourings on the market. As you can see below, the Queen website tells us that their products are 100% natural. I have researched the ingredients and below you will find the possible reactions of some of these ‘natural’ ingredients! For food colourings that are totally free of harmful ingredients, head over to Hopper or Hullabaloo for their Natural Food Colourings.

Natural Rainbow Food Colour (4 pack)

Queen Natural Food Colourings provide a 100% natural way to colour desserts, drinks, chocolates – anything you can think of! The pack contains convienient and unique dropper vials with colour matching lids for easy identification.

Ingredients:

Cherry Pink: Water, Alcohol 22%, Glycerine, Cochineal Extract.

Purple: Water, Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Carbon, Alcohol 5%, Cochineal Extract, Gum Acacia, Acetic Acid, Glycerine.

Wattle Yellow: Propylene Glycol, Turmeric Extract (Curcumin).

Garden Green: Plant Extract from Nettle and Spinach (Chirophylis) [contain: Water, Ethanol 21%, Sorbitol, Emulsifier (E433)], Turmeric Extract (Curcumin), Natural Flavouring, Alpha Tocopherol, Inverted Sugar Syrup.

Possible Reactions:

422 Glycerine also known as Glycerin or Glycerol - headaches, high blood sugar levels, eye skin irritation in sensitive people.

120 carmines or carminic acid or cochineal - is a red dye derived from a beetle that is commonly linked to hyperactivity, some studies suggest it is possibly toxic to embryos.

477 Propylene Glycol Mono and Di Esters - this is derived from propylene glycol (propylene glycol - large doses can be toxic, kidney failure, depression of the central nervous system, liver damage, teratogen, on the NIH Hazards list. This is a humectant that is used to coat fruit and vegetables. The USA has placed a total recall of any medication containing this additive yet it is still permitted in food).

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol – while there are no possible reactions, it is the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors; used pure or denatured as a solvent or in medicines and colognes and cleaning solutions and rocket fuel; proposed as a renewable clean-burning additive to gasoline.

420 Sorbitol or Sorbitol Syrup - not suitable for diabetics, infants and young children, liver toxicity, gastrointestinal upsets, prohibited in food for infants and young children.

433 Polysorbate 80 or Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate - suspected carcinogen - more work needed.
Natural Flavouring Flavour - this is a broad ingredients listing. There can be over 50 chemical ingredients to make up just one flavour. These ingredients are often protected as the food companies claim them as their 'secret ingredient' so there is no requirement for them to be included on food labels, as well as the 5% loophole!

Arsenic in Chicken Feed in the USA

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:40:00 GMT

Thank you to Dr Greg Emerson for sharing this link to an article by Science Daily that discusses the uses of Arsenic in chicken feed in the USA.

Now while this refers to chicken feed and production in the USA, I am very weary as our standards here in Australia are no where near as strict in regards to what additives are allowed in our food and that of animal feed. Yes, hormones have been banned in chicken production in Australia for a long time but we would be silly to assume that they would have instantly reverted back to natural, primitive farming techniques.

Considering that additives keep appearing in foods allowed in Australia that are supposed to be banned, one would have to assume that the same may be occurring in animal production used for food.

Have a read and do your research before you decide what is best for you and your family.

Click here to read the article.

Healthy Snack or Junk Food - you decide.

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 02:38:00 GMT

I have just finished reading this update from the Fooducate blog about Kellogg’s announcing that they were adding more fiber to it's Special K cereal bars, and introducing 2 new flavours.

Yes this is an American article again but the majority of the ingredients will be the same (if not worse as the FSANZ has not banned as many food additives as America).

This product is marketed as being a healthy food to consume for a snack but the ingredients listing shows otherwise.

Have a read here and make up your own mind.

A Great Resource for Children With Special Needs

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:43:00 GMT

Naturally Better are now authorized by The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential® to build Brachiation Ladders for families in Australia.

“Brachiation is the ability to swing from rung to rung on an overhead ladder. This activity is extremely easy for a very young child and extremely difficult for an adult. It is a very valuable ability because it helps the child to create a bigger, better chest and as a result he breathes more deeply, regularly and maturely.” – Glenn Doman & Janet Doman, How Smart Is Your Baby

Brachiation Ladders are so much more than custom built monkey bars...! They can make an incredible difference for any child's neurological development. Kristen Morrison from Naturally Better has written about these - what they do and why they are important - click here to read more.

Additionally, on the Grow Foundation website, Naturally Better have published a success story about a girl who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder & Developmental Delay. Her family purchased a Brachiation Ladder last year and over the following 8 months, Allyssa achieved profound results. Her parents believe the Ladder helped her enormously. Allyssa's story can be found here.

The Flouride Deception

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:08:00 GMT

When I first learned about the dangers of flouride and where is originates from, I was astounded.

How can this be allowed in our drinking water? How can governments knowingly convince us that our water should have flouride in it to protect our teeth?

'Flouride is actually a combination of hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride.These two chemical are considered highly toxic by the EPA. They're actually classified as hazardous waste and when packaged for transportation, they must be labeled as poison and handled by workers wearing industrial safety gear.' says Mike Adams from Natural News. TV

If you value your health and that of your families and are against the idea of governments having the ability to mass medicate their population, then this is information you MUST read and act on.

For the full article, click here.

Teething Gel Danger for Infants

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:33:00 GMT

This story published in The Sunday Telegraph 13th February 2011 by Caroline Marcus, highlights how the authorities that are in place to protect our health are not doing their job!

"The authors of a study conducted by two Sydney hospitals and two New Zealand hospitals, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found that chronic salicylate intoxication could occur in children using over-the-counter teething gels, even at intakes close to the recommended doses.

Symptoms of such poisonings include gastrointestinal problems, hyperventilation, tremor and memory lapses, and the risk of death."

In Britain, the ingredient salicylate was removed from Bonjela teething gel after a 2002 study by the Commission on Human Medicines."

When will Australian authorities stop being so pig headed and take on the merits of studies carried out in other countries.

I felt a bit sick when I recalled the times I had given my babies teething gel years ago and felt impelled to share this information so other parents can make more informed choices for their children.

To read the full article and access the link to the study, click here.

How many chemicals are your kids exposed to?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:12:00 GMT

We have limited our use of chemicals in our home as cleaners for a while now and have noticed a difference in our allergies, headaches and general well being.

While I respect that not everyone feels the passion to get on the chemical free bandwagon like I do, I felt that this article was well worth sharing. Consumers deserve to be aware of the use of chemicals in our everyday products so that they can make an informed choice on what is the best for their family at this particular time.

Click here to read to this article titled Super Clean Homes Expose Kids to Chemicals from the Herald Sun November 10 2010. Thank you Naturally Better Kids for sharing.

Do you really know what is in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:21:00 GMT

We live by the 80/20 rule in our home and allow additives into our foods on special occasions such as friends gatherings or holidays. While we still try to make the best choice, we know that at times, we will be consuming additives. As such, there are rare times where we have let the kiddies have McDonald's Chicken Nuggets and chips, thinking it would be a better option than the burgers. Hmmmm not any more kiddies!!!!

I like Dr Mercola's newsletters because he always gives the factual information and then his take on it. What really stood out to me was the below list of ingredients that are used to make McDonald's Chicken Nuggets - I certainly do not use 40 plus ingredients when I make my chicken nuggets (better known in our home as 'McMummy's"!!

INGREDIENTS:

"White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary).

Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch.

Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent."

To read the entire article, click here.

Employees Caught Dancing On The Job

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:43:00 GMT

Sometimes the simple things in life bring the most pleasure. I saw this clip this morning and had to share - a little girl enjoying the pleasures of dancing. A great way to give yourself a feel good start to the day. Enjoy!

Employees Caught Dancing on the Job

The Dangers of MSG

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:47:00 GMT

One of the things I love about my work is that everyday, I come across another passionate being who is sharing information about the dangers of additives in our food. The movement is building and I feel a sense of belonging as I have an inner knowing that this is what I am supposed to be doing.

When I first started the additive-free journey, information about the dangers of additives in our food was not easy to come by and took a lot of research. In the past two and a half years, more and more information is becoming readily available as more and more people ignite their inner passion and stand up for what they believe is right for them. I see people questioning the marketing claims of the big food companies, making informed choices and sharing what they have discovered. FANTASTIC!!

I truely believe that we CAN make a difference and as all these 'truths' continue to spread, become heard and adopted, the tides will turn and society will change and we will become healthier, happier and more energetic human beings like we used to be many years ago.

I read this blog post from The Wellness Warrior this morning and thought I would share it with you as it clearly explains the trickery that some food companies participate in to get MSG into our foods.