Category: Nourishing Food

Menu Plan Monday on a Tuesday

August 31st, 2010 · Vina Barham · Menu Plan, Nutrition + Health 2 comments

So, I decided that we’re not going to do the Gluten-Free Diet after all. Fickle mind I am! We’ll still mostly eat rice and alternative grains, but our family is going to enjoy a little bit of wheat here and there. :) Healthy eating requires that important Pleasure-element that I wrote about here so a bit of moderation on stuff that is not the greatest source of nutrition while focusing on nutrient dense and pleasurable meals that bring fullness to body, mind and soul.

Here is our Menu Plan for the week:

Monday

  • Breakfast: Homemade Granola with Yogurt
  • Lunch: Turkey Sandwich on Sourdough Bread and Sugar Snap Peas
  • Dinner: Roasted Chicken with Red Onions and Prunes, Roasted Potatoes and Summer Salad
  • Snacks: Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: Egg and Sausage Burrito
  • Lunch:  Chicken Salad Sandwich + Kombucha
  • Dinner: Chicken Tacos and Black Bean & Corn Salad
  • Snacks: Carrot Cookies

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: Hearty Muffins + Strawberry Kefir
  • Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich with Bacon
  • Dinner: Creamy Salmon Bake + Green Bean Casserole
  • Snacks: Kale Chips

Thursday

  • Breakfast: Coconut Pancakes + Blueberry Smoothie
  • Lunch: Sardine Melt on Sourdough Bread + Kombucha
  • Dinner: Mac N Cheese with Brown Rice Pasta + Meatballs (with Liver) + Salad
  • Snacks: Oatmeal + Peanut Butter Cookie

Let’s Talk Gluten And Why Life Is Better Off Without It

August 24th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Nutrition + Health 3 comments - Tags:

Photo By Bernat

Let me first put it on the table that I am MUCH more opinionated on this blog than I am in real life. For many reasons, one being that you have chosen to come to this blog to read what I have to say about stuff. And two, well, I get to think through what I am going to say as compared to real life, where I often end up with my foot in my mouth.

Just thought I’d get that off my chest.

Now back to gluten. Gloriously gluey gluten.

It seems that it’s all the rage these days. I often come across gluten free pizza, cookies, and whatever else you can think of. Not only are they ridiculously way more expensive but it seems like it’s the “in” thing to do. I’ve bought a gluten-free something before without really understanding what the heck is so wrong with gluten anyway. Out of curiosity, and well, yes, the desire to be “in.”

I’ve read of other real food bloggers explanation regarding their decision to go gluten-free and it didn’t really resonate with me until I came across a few books that I started to put two and two together. I’m slow like that. (And I’m proud of it.)

So now that I finally get it, I had to quickly make a decision that Life is Better Off Without Gluten. The question is, could I and my family truly live without it?

First: What The Heck Is Gluten Anyway?

Taken from the Primal Body Primal Mind Blog:

Gluten (the Latin word for “glue”), is a substance found in numerous grains such as wheat (durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, rye,  triticale and barley).  It is typically present in oats, too, due mainly to modern processing methods.  What is called “gluten” is actually made up of two proteins: gliadin and glutenin, which make up at least 80% of the protein content in most grains.  Used in baking it gives bread dough its elasticity and baked goods their fluffiness and chewiness.  It is also used as an additive and stabilizing agent in innumerable processed foods and personal care products.  Insanely, gluten is nearly everywhere.  Laws do not require its labeling on all products so the consumer is left to judge for themselves whether gluten may be an additive or not.

And Why Is It So Bad For You?

Many people associate Gluten-Free Diets with Celiac Disease without understanding that the consequences of gluten sensitivity can be quite debilitating even for the rest of us. Gluten may in fact be the silent culprit in many health challenges that millions of Americans face today. In the book, Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous To Your Health, authors Braly and Hoggan claim that gluten sensitivity (GS) is at the root of a proportion of cases of cancer, auto-immune disorders, neurological and psychiatric conditions and liver disease. The implication is that the heavily wheat-based western diet of bread, cereals, pastries, pasta – is actually making millions of people sick.

Want some evidence?

  • A 2002 review paper in the New England Journal of Medicine (Jan 17; 346(3):180-188) found that fully 55 diseases are known to be caused by gluten.  These partly include heart disease, cancer, nearly all autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, irritable bowel syndrome, as well as many common psychiatric illnesses, partly including anxiety issues, ADD, depression, dementia, schizophrenia, Hashimoto’s (autoimune thyroid disorders), migraines, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, ALS, neuropathies (having normal EMG), and most other degenerative neurological disorders, as well as Autism, which is technically an autoimmune brain disorder.
  • A study published in 2009 in the peer reviewed journal, Gastroenterology (July;137(1):88-93) compared 10,000 available blood samples from individuals 50 years ago to 10,000 people today and found that there has been a 400% increase in the incidence of full blown celiac disease.
  • The book, Dangerous Grains, contains more than a dozen case histories of people who have recovered from a wide variety of chronic conditions – back pain, chronic fatigue, the auto-immune disorder lupus – simply by following a gluten-free diet. Both authors claim great personal benefits from such a change. “After eliminating gluten grains,” writes Hoggan, “I realized how uncomfortable and chronically ill I had been for most of my life.”

And here’s the kicker: gluten-containing grains have exorphins which are morphine-like compounds that make them quite addictive. I mean seriously, how many of us stop at just ONE slice of fresh-baked bread?

Side note: Isn’t also interesting that wheat is highly subsidized by the government?

Anyway.

While most Asians and Africans are rarely diagnosed as with Celiac Disease, I suspect that gluten might be one of the other factors in my continuous struggle with insomnia, anemia, bloating, fatigue, and depression. I am way better now than before, after cutting out sugar and switching to a more traditional diet that is high in protein and good fats, but I still eat way too much gluten containing grains. I mean, what is life with croissants?

So is this Good-bye Gluten? Hello Paleo-Diet?

Sort of. I’m not saying good-bye to all grains because let’s face it, I’m a rice-lover and will always be. Plus, my body is probably designed for rice  being that I am from the Philippines. So for now, I think we’re going to give gluten-free a try. If gluten-grains are potentially dangerous for my overall well-being, why even bother ? Besides, that means I don’t need to learn how to make sourdough bread ever.

Oh gluten. LIfe is sounding better off without you already.

The Art Of Nourishing Eating: Bringing Back Pleasure Into The Kitchen (And Consequently Life)

August 17th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Happiness + Growth, Real Food + Eating Well 3 comments - Tags:

I’m a minimalist at heart. The walls in our home are white and bare. Our house is sparsely decorated and furnished only with essentials. And my minimalist philosophy is most evident in the kitchen. I tend to be drawn towards doing the bare minimum especially in things that I am NOT good at, cooking being one of them. My approach has been to eat for health and frugality, and if we are able to, for sustainability and justice. Because these are what I have deemed to be of utmost importance. 

But lately, I’m slowly coming to a different conclusion. That mindful eating is not enough. There’s something MAJOR that is missing from the picture. And that something major is pleasure.

Consider this:

  • About 40-60% of our metabolic power at any meal – meaning our ability to digest, assimilate and calorie burn  – comes from something called the Cephalic Phase Digestive Response – which is a scientific term for taste, pleasure, aroma, satisfaction, and our visuals of a meal.Which means when we only consider the health and frugal aspects of eating, as well as the sustainability and the justice of it all and leave out what I call the pleasure factors which in turn shapes our subjective experience of eating, we cut down our metabolizing rate by 40-60%. That’s a lot.
  • Our bodies are not properly conditioned to digest when we are under stress. And your body perceives distraction as stress. So when we are eating while watching T.V. or emailing, the simple act of attending to two stimuli at once lowers our metabolism drastically. When we are cooking and we are under stress (i.e. figuring out what to do with a toddler yanking on your leg), same thing. When we are chowing down our food so we can do the next thing, same thing. When we have stressful conversations over our meals or when our conversations distract us from paying attention to the flavors and delight of our food, same thing. 

The Italians certainly know the Art of Soulful Eating. This is part of what the author Elizabeth Gilbert of the book, Eat, Pray and Love discovered went she went to Italy after her divorce (haven’t seen the movie but have read the book awhile back!). They take time to prepare elaborate meals, with antipasti, insalata, primo, secondi and dolci. They eat a meal for a long time with others, enjoying not just the food but the entire experience as well. They welcome wine and laughter and most of all, pleasure to grace their time at the table. An everyday feast to look forward to. 

So here’s my desire: that I can truly be a nourishing cook, that I can learn how to make really delicious food that smells great, looks great, and tastes great without compromising the health, frugality, sustainability and justice issues that I try to consider. 

How’s a culinary-challenged mama supposed to do that? Move to a countryside in Italy (or France)? 

Maybe. Maybe.

Tips Of Another Kind Tuesday: An Encouragement For The Domestically Challenged Mom

July 27th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Minimalist Kitchen, Nourishing Food, Real Food + Eating Well 8 comments - Tags: ,

In this blog’s past life (oh, about six months ago), I dedicated my Tuesdays on writing about everything related to Food. I mostly focused on Real Food advocacy because my family was transitioning to a more sustainable way of eating.  I was very much motivated at first to make EVERYTHING we eat from scratch, forego all the yucky processed food and vowed never to eat McDonald’s ever ever again. 

But guess what? 

I have broken that vow a few times and I probably will do so again.  And I don’t make everything from scratch and I sometimes still feed my family something I know isn’t completely healthy. And for a long time, I felt like a complete faker. As if I can only be one or the other: an all-natural-cook-from scratch-granola-loving-grow-vegetables-kind of mom OR a Goldfish-and-Rice-A-Roni-and-Take-Out-kind of mom. 

But I’m neither. I’m somewhere in the between and I’m totally okay with that. 

Because I have learned to accept a few things: 

  • I am not a Martha Stewart and the kitchen is not my most favorite place to be. Which means that the more time I spend making all sorts of stuff in the kitchen, the more crabby I get and the less time I have to do more of what I enjoy of with my family. Which means I need to stick to a minimalist approach to cooking to get the most out of the short time I spend on it.
  • I am a slow learner when it comes to cooking. Which means I have to take things slow and not make crazy goals, like learning how to make kombucha, making my own yogurt and soaking flour all at once. And that I had better focus on the simple but necessary things like  putting a healthy and yummy dinner on the table every night. 
  • I tend to take three steps forward and two steps back. Which means I had better look at my overall progress instead of what I had failed to do this week. Because my overall progress from a couple of years ago gives me a much more accurate picture than focusing on my  one decision to let my little toddler eat Chicken McNuggets at McDonalds: we’re growing some vegetables from our garden, we rarely buy take-out even though it means we might eat the same things that I have in my small repertoire of recipes that I can do well, I’ve learned to make awesome pot pies from scratch, and we rarely have junk food in our house. 

Part of becoming an Authentic Mother is be honest about who you are and figure out strategies that work for you and your family, given your goals. It’s important to focus on the Essentials of Mothering instead of the Ideal Image of A Mother so you can tailor it to how you work best.

Are you a domestically-challenged mom like me? If so, how have you managed to make your house into a home your way? I would love to hear! If you liked this article, you might want to consider subscribing to A Nourishing Home. It’s free!

Learn To Cook Real Food On A Budget: A Peasant’s Feast at The Nourishing Gourmet

June 16th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Nourishing Food, Real Food + Eating Well No comments - Tags: ,

When I was first making my way through that chunk of a book that is Nourishing Traditions, I often turned to bloggers who have already gone before me. Kimi Harris at The Nourishing Gourmet is one of my real food mentors and up to this day, she is still an inspiration to me in the kitchen. Her recipes are simple and frugal, and she hosts Pennywise Platter on Thursdays where bloggers everywhere can link up to offer there nourishing yet inexpensive recipes. It’s a great resource for those of us who are trying to feed our families healthy and yet not break the bank quite.

For those of you who are ready to take your cooking to the next level and learn techniques in the kitchen that pack in the nutrients for less money, Kimi has put together an affordable online learning opportunity, A Peasant’s Feast, a 13-week online course that begins June 28! (Yes, I heard about it a little late, but that’s better than never, right?) I not only love how she has made the course truly practical for families who want to eat more nourishing food within their budget, but she also gives a great foundational overview of a nourishing diet.

Here’s a peak at what’s in store:

  • Week One: Intro to Nourishing Food, How to Find Local Resources, Guide to Nutrient Dense Foods, and How to Find the Right Budget for You
  • Week Two: Why I am not a Vegetarian when Beans are so Cheap, Shopping Guide to Beef, Beef Stretching Recipes and Video Demonstration
  • Week Three and Four: How to Stretch one Chicken into Three Meals, The Health and Frugality Benefits of Homemade Chicken Stock (Recipes and Video Demonstrations)
  • Week Five: Why Seafood? Health Benefits of Seafood and What to Buy, Seven Tips for Saving Money on Seafood, Recipes and Video demonstration.
  • Week Six: The How’s and Why’s of Soaking Grains, Shopping Guide to Buying Grains, Video Demonstration and Recipes
  • Week Seven: Sourdough, How to Maintain a Starter, How to Make Sourdough Bread, Video Demonstration and Recipes
  • Week Eight: Eating Dessert like the French (Fruit based Desserts). Naturally Sweetened, fruit based desserts
  • Week Nine: Sprouting, The Benefits of Sprouting, Sprouting Guide, Pictorial Guides, Video Demonstration and Recipes
  • Week Ten: Lacto-Fermented Foods: The Benefits of Lacto-Fermenting, Demonstrations of two methods, and recipes.
  • Week Eleven: Dairy-Shopping Guide to Dairy, Making Homemade Yogurt and Creme Freshe, Video Demonstration and Recipes
  • Week Twelve: The Joys of Vegetables: Where to buy Quality Produce for Less, Making Main Dish Salads, Homemade Salad Dressings, Recipes and Video Demonstrations
  • Week Thirteen: Meal Planning Tips and Sample Menus.

    • As a loyal follower of The Nourishing Gourmet, I highly recommend Kimi Harris as a down-earth and knowledgeable guide if you wish you give your family the gift of nutrition through real and traditional foods. If you have been following our Nourishing Kitchen over here at our blog, this class is for you! You can click here to register or to find out more.

    Please Don’t Pass Sterility To Your Children

    June 15th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Nourishing Food, Real Food + Eating Well 4 comments - Tags:

    Photo by Kevin Dooley

    Last week, I talked about my determination to be a GMO-free household, and my husband brings home a box of donuts laden with ingredients I don’t even want to think about. Sigh. So today, I spew off some studies I found that I think have convinced him never to touch that stuff again (which means I have to come up with a healthy alternative to all that stuff he likes to eat without breaking bank!)

    Sterility and Oral Hair Growth May Just Make Our Case in Point
    So in case your significant other needs more reasons why it is essential to steer clear of processed food in general and non-organic food items (although I have to make a note here that some farmers don’t go through certification but still utilize organic methods, which is still organic in my book), here are some articles you may want to read:

    A new study done by Russian scientists suggests that Genetically Modified Food may cause long term sterility, that is, sterility in second and third generations. The scientists used hamsters for this research and divided them into groups. One group of hamsters was fed a normal diet without any soy products, a second group was fed non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soy, the third ate GM soy and the fourth group was fed an even higher amount of GM soy than the third.

    “This study was just routine,” said Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov, in what could end up as the understatement of this century. Surov and his colleagues set out to discover if Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) soy, grown on 91% of US soybean fields, leads to problems in growth or reproduction. What he discovered may uproot a multi-billion dollar industry.

    After feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups.

    And if this isn’t shocking enough, some in the third generation even had hair growing inside their mouths—a phenomenon rarely seen, but apparently more prevalent among hamsters eating GM soy.

    “Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others. We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity….These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown.”

    Wait. It Gets Worse.

    So, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I believe. The U.S. Government insists that GMO is safe. Of course, you need to know that Michael Taylor, former Vice President of Monsanto (the Big Guys behind GMO’s) is the new Deputy Commissioner at our lovely Food and Drug Administration (FDA.) Curious, isn’t it? I am not a conspiracy theorist of any kind, but there’s something suspect about this. But maybe not? What do I know, right?

    This Blog is Part of Two For Tuesdays Blog Hop, Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

    8 Easy and Frugal Ways To Make Your Food More Nourishing

    June 8th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Nourishing Food, Nutrition + Health, Real Food + Eating Well One comment - Tags:

    Photo by Catsper

    There’s a season for elaborately done + uber-healthy meals. And there’s a season for simple yet nutrient dense meals that make your bank account giddy with extra change. If you are in the latter, here are some ways to cope with grace:

    1. Simplify With Greens
    Add a simple raw/fresh green salad in place of cooked vegetables to your dinner meals. Skip the lettuce and go for the deep green stuff. Nothing is simpler than throwing a good salad together. Add nuts, cheese, boiled eggs, anchovies? Oh yum!

    2. Eat Your Liver
    Try sneaking in ground liver to your ground beef recipes. Making meatloaf or meatballs? Grind your liver in your food processor and  mix it up with your beef. Try to find organic grass-fed calf liver. Super cheap-er, super nutritious and your family won’t even know what hit them (just don’t put too much in there!)

    3. Go Brown
    Substitute brown rice pasta in place of your regular one. If you eat a lot of pasta, try heading to your Trader Joe’s and stack up on their brown rice pasta for a mere $1.99 per package. It’s the best value I’ve seen and it compares well to more expensive brands like the Tinkyada.

    4. Serve It Smooth
    You can make a smoothie as yummy and nutritious as you’d like. Add greens, a little bit of flax seed oil, a little bit of coconut oil, yogurt/kefir, frozen berries and a bit of maple syrup and voila! Nourishing breakfast on the go!

    5. Stock Up The Salmon
    I read here that canned seafood (as well as canned corn, canned poultry, canned beef and canned beans) at Trader Joes come in BPA-free cans (I plan to confirm this at some point myself). So stock up on their canned wild alaskan salmon for fast nutritious meals and snacks. Who says you can’t afford to eat your Omega 3s on the cheap?

    6. Add The Eggs
    Add it in your salad. Add it to your meat + rice. Add it to your creamy pasta sauce. Or just eat it plain for a quick nutritious and affordable protein. Boil a few and have it handy dandy in the fridge when the hunger strikes. (You read about my take on eggs before, right? Right. Just checking.)

    7. Cook In Broth
    I usually make broth at least once every other week. I like having broth for cooking rice so it can soak up the good stuff even if we are not eating anything soupy for that day. It’s really easy to make chicken broth and here is an article why this needs to be a staple in your diet.

    8. Spice It Up
    Herbs and spices not only add so much depth and flavor to dishes, but a whole lot of health benefits as well. Add cinnamon to your oatmeal, tarragon in your dressings, cumin in your meatloaf, stevia to your tea, fresh basil to your salad and more.

    Did I miss anything obvious? Probably. So chime in and tell us how you make your food more nourishing, simple and cheap!

    Why Fighting For Real Foods is Fighting For Our Freedom

    June 1st, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Nourishing Food 3 comments - Tags: ,

     

    Photo By Found Drama

    I have to confess. I still sometimes buy conventional products and turn a blind eye to foods that are possibly genetically modified for the sake of convenience. And of course, price. I know that corn is probably the most popular genetically modified food and I still sometimes don’t think twice about getting that type of corn when it’s on sale. Only when I watch something like this (please watch it too!) or read something like this do I remember why it’s essential that I bring forth to life my intentions of only consuming real foods. Intentions are worthless if I don’t put then into action.

    And so I turn to you, my dear readers. To help me be accountable for my choices. Because I want to stand up for Real Food in my spending and in my eating. I want to stand up to Monsanto and tell them, enough. I want to stand up and take back from the government the power to choose. I want to stand up for my family, for my children’s family and for the entire world and say that no, the answer is not in a mechanistic view of the world where everything can be manipulated to suit our whims and wants. The answer lies in our ability to embrace and respect Intelligent Design, and that includes caring for the Earth and the food it produces for us.

    If Peasant Farmers In Haiti Can Do It, We Can Too

    I read this article today about how Haitian peasant farmers are refusing Monsanto’s seed aid package and have even threatened to burn them. And they won’t be the first either. Yeah! If our brothers and sisters are able to fight back so passionately, and with so much more at stake, then we can too.

    It’s not just about eating healthy, folks. It’s about fighting for a way of life that spells F-R-E-E-D-O-M. The government and big corporations are driven not by what is nourishing for all. They aren’t thinking, love but profits and power. Money and control. And lest we think this is a battle for farmers and not for us, think about genetically altered seeds, which are then fed to cows, or made into stuff that sweetens or preserves food, eventually makes its way in our bodies through food or drink. 

    How To Fight For Real Foods (And Consequently Our Freedom)

    • Fight with our pocketbooks. Let’s patronize companies that are committed to GMO-free products. Whenever possible, let’s buy only organic foods. Yes, it takes more planning and creativity especially when we have tight budgets but it can be done. I’ll have to write another post for what I’m learning how to make this happen. Here is a Guide for Buying Non GMO Products.
    • Leverage our consumer power. How about rounding up our favorite food products and contact manufacturers to ask whether they are GMO-free or not? Let’s give them a piece of our mind about our intolerance for GMOs. 
    • Reframe our idea of low-cost food. The next time we are tempted to choose cheap over health, let’s ask ourselves at what true cost. Conventional non-organic products may be cheaper in price tag, but in the long run, it will cost us more health wise.
    • Let’s just quit that Kit-Kat already. I’m serious. I haven’t had Kit-Kat in years but in case some of you are still not over those, here’s the list of ingredients:
      “sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, chocolate, refined palm kernel oil, lactose (milk), milk fat, contains 2% or less of: soy lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier), yeast, artificial flavor, salt, and sodium bicarbonate.” Oh my. Switch to Theo Chocolates instead. Yummy Fair Trade Organic Goodness.
    • Avoid the “Big Four” GM Products: Corn, Soy, Canola and Cottonseed. If the product is made out of anything with these products (corn syrup, soy lecithin, etc) and it’s not organic or labeled non-GMO, then it’s probably genetically-altered food.
    • Advocate when we are eating out. How about talking to the restaurant manager and ask if they know whether their sources of food are GMO-free. Let’s express our opinions loud and clear about GMO foods. Here’s an article you might find helpful.
    • Get political. Tell Congress to support Labeling and Safety Testing of GMOs. Tell them you prefer to see stricter measures of control on testing, manufacturing and marketing of GMO products. Send President Obama himself a letter. It makes a difference! Someone in the know said that one letter represents the voice of 10,000 citizens. (Can someone confirm?) 

    Are you in? What do you think? Is this worth fighting for?

    Best Nourishing Sunscreen Options and A Homemade Recipe

    May 28th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Natural + Sustainable, Nourishing Lifestyle, Nutrition + Health Comments Off - Tags: ,

    Photo By MassDistraction

    Summer is coming up and many mothers everywhere are scrambling to get the latest sunscreen protection for their little ones. I was that mother last year. I found mine at Target, Aveeno Baby I think. But every time I dabbed that lotion onto my baby’s precious skin, my gut whispered foul. I was torn. Sunblock was necessary, right? I had to protect her for those harmful UVA rays, right?

    Well guess what? Aveeno Baby made it to the Environmental Working Group’s Hall of Shame. Yikes. (Breathe. It’s okay. It was just one summer. She won’t get cancer. Forgive. Release. Whew.) The more I researched about sunscreens, the more I am convinced of one thing: I’m staying clear of them.

    • 41% of sunscreens contain a type of Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), which may actually increase cancerous skin tumors and lesion. While it’s good to consume vitamin A veggies, not so much for applying on skin. 
    • Most sunscreens are awesome protecting skin from the UVB rays which causes the skin burn, but they virtually leave the skin exposed to the UVA radiation, which penetrates deep into the skin and causes all that bad stuff you truly want to protect them from. Because sunscreen users may feel justified in staying longer in the sun, many may be at more risk of melanoma skin cancer caused by the UVA rays. 
    • Sunscreens block almost all of your body’s Vitamin D production, an essential vitamin for our immune system among other things. For people like me who live North of the equator, are dark-skinned or are likely deficient or have low-levels of Vitamin D as many children nowadays are, we need direct sun contact daily for 10-15 minutes, or vitamin D food sources such as Cod Liver Oil. 
    • FDA is a little bit behind in updating the regulations, so just because it’s being marketed as “safe” for your baby, you really can’t trust the profit-driven industry for saying so. After all, they have their shareholders to report to. 

    So What’s The Best Sunscreen Option?
    I grew up in sweltering hot summers in the Philippines, and now that I think about it, I really don’t remember applying sunscreen on my skin. We simply carried umbrellas around in the heat for instant shade. But who does that anymore? The thing is, that’s the simplest sunscreen option I can think of. And avoiding direct sun contact between 10 am -2 pm. No messing with our skin. Or having to shell out money for cool sun-protective gear like Coolibar . Of course don’t forget those sunglasses. They aren’t just for fashionistas, you know!

    But suppose you have to be out in the sun for an extended period of time, and you really feel like you ought to put at least something on. What to do? You can check out EWG’s top sunscreen options. The most accessible one seems to be California Baby as you can get it from Target. I checked out the reviews on Amazon and many prefer it to Soleo and Naturals, which are also both recommended by EWG. 

    OR. 

    You can just make it yourself .

    Basic Homemade Sunscreen Recipe
    Folks over at the EWG think you shouldn’t mess with this stuff at home, but if you really want to give it a try, you really just need three basic ingredients: (1) Oil a.k.a. The Carrier (2) Beeswax a.k.a. The Water Repellant and (3) Zinc Oxide, the broadest spectrum UVA and UVB reflector that is approved for use as a sunscreen by the FDA and is completely photostable.

    For oil, you can choose sesame oil or coconut oil or make your own combination. Beeswax you can find at your local beekeeper if you’re nearby one, or you can find them also at candlemaking shops or crafts store. And zinc oxide you can get at your local CVS or drugstore.

    Directions::

    • Heat 1 cup or oil in pan over low flame.
    • Add 1 ounce of beeswax. Stir until beeswax is completed melted
    • While stirring, add 2 TBSP of Zinc Oxide very slowly. Handle with care. Do not inhale.
    • Once everything is mixed, pour into a mason jar and let it cool.
    • You can keep it in your fridge to store. 

    Some folks like to add essential oils, but unless you know how the oils react to each other and to zinc oxide, I’d stay clear of that. Alternatively, you can also use your all-natural lotion you use now and add the zinc oxide. There are also other recipes online that do not have zinc oxide as an ingredient. I also hear that even just dabbing coconut oil on your skin gives you some protection.

    My sunscreen option this summer? Staying out of the sun during specific hours and donning my umbrella! What about you? 

    Coconut Series: Coconut Oil and Wrap Up

    May 18th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Nourishing Food, Nutrition + Health, Real Food + Eating Well 2 comments - Tags: ,

    Photo by Daniele Satori

    If you’ve been following this series on Coconut, it’s not news to you that I simply adore this wonderful nut! Probably in part because I grew up with it and have so many wonderful memories associated with it. We often made coconut salad from the freshly grated meat of the coconut we bought from the wet market, coconut pies, coconut popsicles…I can go on and on! But more recently, I discovered just how much coconut is super good for you. 

    The Wonders of Coconut
    I’ve been highlighting in my previous posts the health benefits of coconut, but in case you need more nudging to regularly include it in your diet, here’s some more from Bruce Fife’s Coconut Research Center. (Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. I am only a mom who loves to learn about how to nourish my family better. Some medical professionals, mostly Western, think that the claims below border sensationalism but there are many experts from around the world that confirm many of these findings. )

    • Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
    • Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
    • Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
    • Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
    • Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
    • Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
    • Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
    • Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
    • Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
    • Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
    • Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
    • Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
    • Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
    • Helps protect against osteoporosis.
    • Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
    • Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
    • Improves digestion and bowel function.
    • Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
    • Reduces inflammation.
    • Supports tissue healing and repair.
    • Supports and aids immune system function.
    • Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
    • Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
    • Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
    • Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
    • Functions as a protective antioxidant.
    • Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
    • Does not deplete the body’s antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
    • Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
    • Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
    • Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
    • Reduces epileptic seizures.
    • Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
    • Dissolves kidney stones.
    • Helps prevent liver disease.
    • Is lower in calories than all other fats.
    • Supports thyroid function.
    • Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
    • Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
    • Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
    • Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
    • Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
    • Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
    • Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
    • Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
    • Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
    • Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.
    • Helps control dandruff.
    • Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
    • Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
    • Is completely non-toxic to humans.

    Baby Step #3: Embracing Coconut Oil
    I’ve written about using coconut milk  and coconut flour as two small steps you can take towards welcoming coconut into your life.  But the real deal is coconut oil, my friends. It’s what makes coconut a wonder food. So if you are ready to step it up this week, join me in giving Coconut Oil a go in our kitchen, and beyond.

    How To Incorpoate Coconut Oil In YOur Kicthen

    •  Substitute for Cooking Oil:You can simply substitute coconut oil in place of any cooking oil you’ve previously used in most recipes. Extra virgin coconut oil might retain the coconut taste, so if that bothers you, you might want to try the high quality refined kind. It’s best used in SE/South Asian cooking, since many of the recipes lend well to the coconut taste. Also, because it has a high smoke point, it’s excellent as a frying oil.  
    • Baked Goods and Deserts: Again, you can simply substitute coconut for the butter in the recipe you are using. Coconut oil also works well with recipes using coconut flour. I hear it’s great for popping corn.
    • Drinks: You can add it to your smoothie, protein shakes, cocoa and of course, cocktails!
    • Dressings and Condiments: You can use in place of oils in recipes or blend it with other oils to suit your taste.

    Uses for Coconut Oil Beyond the Kitchen
    Besides its versatile culinary use, coconut oil is also a staple in body care. I love coconut shampoo as well as using it as a moisturizer. I don’t have the time and space to cover everything that you can use coconut oil for, but one thing I want to try in the future is to make this Homemade Natural Deodorant by Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking, using coconut oil.

    Sources of Coconut Oil
    You can buy Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil online from Amazon. They carry Aloha Nu and Nutiva, which are two of the most highly recommended brands. (Below are links to Amazon, which will earn me a teeny weeny commission if you decide to purchase them through this link. Much thanks for the support!) Whole Foods carry their own 365 brand of organic coconut oil as well.

    Wrap Up (And A Favor)
    So in closing, this is probably the most I’ve ever talked about coconut in my entire life. And I hope it served to encourage you to consider this nut as a healthy addition to your life. Of course, all things in moderation, yes? I’d love to hear the different ways you’ve included coconut into your kitchen and elsewhere!

    So, I’ve been thinking about how best to use my time blogging these days. I’d love to write helpful articles, and honestly, writing about food-related posts/recipes is not my strength. But I thought I’d tackle it anyway. But only if they are helpful. Well, are they? I’ll be asking more questions like this in the coming posts, and probably do a survey at some point to better cover issues that are relevant to you, my dear reader, that are also dear to me. Thank you so much for journeying here with me.

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