Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Openeyehealth and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can’t wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we’ll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren’t so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world’s first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond–or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity’s baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don’t do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn’t want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother’s hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya–the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, “I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm.” The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. “We don’t have enough food now…our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues.”

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on–in nine generations of 5x5x5…we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It’s so so simple; here’s what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I’m looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you’re interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn’t wait. She doesn’t wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn’t wait for us to decide if she’s important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on…please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped–you are saving lives and changing history.
p.s. Please don’t move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you’re life is busy like mine, you probably won’t get back to it later. Let’s not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let’s leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

My favorite thing to do in the summer is pack up my beach bag, drive to Lake Michigan, and plant myself on a beach towel for the day. I bring books, magazines, and plenty of sunscreen, but what ends up being the most important are the snacks which help to keep me hydrated, full, and happy.

Packing these snacks ahead of time in a small cooler also usually helps keep me away from freshly fried corn dogs and ice cream on the beach (although we’re all human, right?!) and while these things are delicious I just feel better when I eat healthier foods. Some of my favorite things to bring along are:

• Watermelon (cut into bite size chunks)
• Fresh berries from the farmers market (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• Other in-season fruits like peaches, nectarines, and cherries
• Banana Bread
• Wheat pita bread with hummus
• Salsa with wheat tortilla chips
• Veggie sticks
• Water in a reusable bottle

Now if you are feeling extra adventurous (and prepared!), you could also try packing pre-made smoothies in mugs (like this refreshing coconut lime one) or even fresh stevia lemonade. Just remember when packing that beaches often do not allow glass containers, so sealed plastic ones might be best in this case.

Now if you’re doing a full-on cookout at the beach with a grill and all, check out my guest post over at 1 Mom’s Mission to read all sorts of healthier cookout ideas. Summer adventures can be made healthier with just a little planning!

Photo By: v-jansen

This post is a part of The Healthy Home Economist’s Monday Mania

So yesterday we discussed the body’s physical reaction to stress and how it responds with “fight or flight” (the same reaction as fear). We finished by concluding that a person’s state of mind can influence their physical responses and possibly keep them in a state of chronic stress.

This leads into a more detailed answer to the question, “why would someone live in a way that constantly requires their body to be in “fight or flight?”. It really comes down to what Micah (the Naturopathic Practitioner who presented this information) described as a person’s “core beliefs”, which are often formed at a young age or by experiences. These beliefs impact who we are and how we view the rest of the world.

Do you believe, for example, (perhaps by influence of your parents) that you must follow rules and do everything perfectly in order to be a good person? Perhaps you believe that you must always self-sacrifice and put yourself last? Or maybe you are always on the defense because you expect others to treat you unkindly?

These are examples of core beliefs (different for everyone) and you might ask why you believe them and if you wish to continue doing so. Once we recognize our core beliefs, we can agree or disagree with them, and decide if we want to continue living by them.

A core belief that I discovered about myself after some reflection last night is that I believe that I have to be extremely busy to feel productive and thus be a worthy, valuable person. It wasn’t more than 6 months ago that I was a giant ball of stress, working full-time in a busy customer service position where it was impossible to know if a day was going to go smoothly or be disastrous.

As a result, my reaction was to sweat at work due to the stress, often times I could feel my heart racing, and of course I would notice the heavier breathing. But never once was I ever truly in physical danger. But I was essentially tricking my body into thinking that I was. This was not healthy for me, especially since it lasted for about the full 3 years of this job.

And in addition to my hectic work life, I also always managed to overbook my personal life. If I was at one place, I was already thinking about the next place I’d be racing to. I overbooked myself constantly, didn’t know how to say “no”, and at the time didn’t realize that being busy (outside of my job) was a choice. I’d schedule appointments, time with friends and family, and leave myself no free time or time to even do chores. I got burnt out.

Since I left that job, I have not been nearly as busy and stressed. But the worth and value I’ve felt recently as a person had also decreased. I now recognize this core belief, know that although I am not as busy with this health blog as I was with the job, I am still doing something truly worthy to the world, and will refuse that core belief from now on.

Unfortunately, as with my personal example above, core beliefs can keep a person in a “chronic stress” situation. So once we become aware of them, we can choose to toss them out or continue believing them. Three steps Micah mentioned for this mental healing process are below:

1. Be mindful and aware. Purposely pay attention to yourself non-judgmentally.
2. Go easy on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up mentally. For example, think “whoops, I made a mistake” instead of “I’m such an idiot”.
3. Stop feeling guilty. Micah referred to this as a useless emotion that only brings us down. How true! What does anyone stand to gain from our guilt held inside?!

For awareness step #1, we can ask ourselves the following questions:

• What do I feel right now, in this moment?
• What prompted me to act or react that way?
• How do I feel when –someone- says that to me?
• What am I afraid of?
• What could I be trying to run away from in terms of emotions?

Taking these three steps and becoming aware of why we respond to things as we do can help us change our behavior and our responses to situations.

Also, as part of the physical healing process, Micah recommended stopping the consumption of caffeine, white flour, and white sugar as these already put stress on the adrenal glands. Also, rest and hydration are important as well as specific herbs and vitamins. Meditation, yoga, and tai chi can also be healing activities.

I wanted to finish this lengthy post by leaving you with a few questions to reflect on. I certainly have more to do- I know that was not the only core belief shaping my life!

• Does being busy almost seem like a requirement? Perhaps even like a competition between individuals of who has more to do?
• Does being busy make you feel valuable or important?
• What core beliefs do you believe in and do you want to continue believing in them?
• Have you been letting core beliefs run your life?
• What steps might you take to change any core beliefs and reactions?

Photo By: Chemtec

I had the pleasure of attending a great local Nourishing Ways meeting on Tuesday evening where Micah McLaughlin, a local Naturopathic Practitioner from Continuum Healing, spoke about stress and how it relates to health. You might be surprised by how intertwined the two are!

Before we jump into stress, if you’re not familiar with naturopathy, it’s a really interesting concept that involves treating a person as a whole with the goal of addressing the root cause of a problem instead of just the symptoms. Naturopathy involves the use of herbs, essential oils, reflexology, and more. It also takes into account the importance of preventive medicine.

The outlook of naturopathy really makes sense to me. Treating only symptoms does nothing to actually solve a problem or figure out if something more is going on in the body. And why wait until you have a problem? Preventive medicine is a great way to ensure health long-term and perhaps even less costly overall.

You’ve probably noticed already that these naturopathic tactics sound a bit different than what you might get from a traditional medical doctor’s office. Just remember that the quickest, most convenient solution may not always be the best one!

Now getting into the stress and health discussion, a strong point that Micah made is that stress is the equivalent of fear to the body as it cannot distinguish the two. The body’s reaction is to get into “fight or flight”  mode where in the old days, you would perhaps be getting attacked by a predator and had to decide to run or fight back.

“Fight or flight” is that physical response to stress and every sense in your body dials in. Your heartbeat is loud and fast, you start sweating, breathing faster, your digestion slows down, the immune system backs off a little bit, and your pupils grow large to let in as much light as possible. You are geared for one purpose: survival.

Adrenaline from your adrenal glands (part of your nervous system) surges through your body and overall you are getting blood and oxygen circulating your body faster than normal. This can result in what you have probably heard of as super strength. Once all of this starts happening, even after the stressful event is over, it can take a while for your body to get back to normal.

Now, imagine if this was happening to you every single day as a result of stress, but your body was not truly in immediate physical danger. What a huge tax on your body to prepare for fight or flight, when realistically you may simply have a big project due, a meeting with the boss, or an overloaded schedule. There is no real physical threat to your body!

However, since our bodies cannot tell the difference between stress and fear, the same physical response occurs anyway. But eventually, your body will get tired. Your adrenal glands will get overworked and can succumb to adrenal fatigue. Everyone has limits!

Issues with adrenal glands can cause serious issues such as hot flashes, heart attacks, heart palpitations, allergies, high blood pressure, and more. Even digestion problems can be related. For example, sometimes even if a person is getting enough fiber and good bacteria (probiotics) for digestion, he or she can still be constipated from stress and the flight or fight response.

Specific signs of adrenal fatigue can include:

• Sugar or salt cravings
• Thirst (even when drinking plenty of water)
• Inability to sleep well (perhaps too many thoughts going through head at night)
• Tired all day
• Have a hard time relaxing
• Nervous/anxious
• Hormone imbalance
• Weight gain especially around the waist (even if you eat well and work out!)
• Thin, dry, falling out hair
• Not hungry

Other physical signs you can look for are a wiggly tongue (when some asks you to stick it out it should stay still) and large pupils even when shining light at them.

So taking a step back from the physical responses of stressful situations, you might wonder why a person might live in this manner of allowing stress to affect their life and health. Micah confirmed that this relates to the state of mind. Think about it- stress is mental! You can work yourself up mentally, prompting the physical reaction, or you can choose to not react that way to your environment.

Tomorrow, in a follow-up post, I’ll share more of Micah’s thoughts along with some of my own personal reflection and realizations. We’ll also dig further into the mental relationship with stress as well as different parts of the awareness and healing process.

Photo By: jetmedia

I’m honored to be featured in a guest post today over at Naturally Knocked Up, a great resource for information on increasing the odds of conception through natural living and nourishing foods. You will find lots of recipes, resources, support, and plenty of other information there.

The post that I shared today discusses the abundance of chemicals in mainstream cleaning products and how these can possibly affect fertility. I’ve also noted some of my favorite natural cleaning solutions that are simple and can even save you money.  Hop on over there to get the full scoop!

Photo credit: Lusi

If you do a lot of travel (particularly on long flights entering different time zones), you’re likely familiar with the effects of jet lag. Luckily, there are a few simple things that you can do to help prevent or minimize it:

• Schedule your flights to arrive at your final destination in the mid-evening. That way you can make it to your accommodations, eat dinner, and make it to bed at a decent hour (local time).
• Reduce your stress level by arriving at the airport in plenty of time
• Pass on any in-flight alcoholic beverages or caffeinated drinks as these will dehydrate your body even more in an already very dry cabin. Water or at least 100% fruit juices can be a much better option.
• Get involved with your environment right away and begin socializing as soon as possible. This will help keep your body assuming that it’s daytime.
• If you do regular exercises, such as jogging, continue them during your stay. This can make you more alert and get you outside in the sunshine and fresh air.
• Bring a neck pillow to promote comfortable sleep during lengthy flights. Comfortable clothes, an eyemask, and noise canceling headphones may also help with this, too.

Sources:

The Family Home Remedies Collection Curing Common Complaints by the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books

http://www.travelsmartnewsletter.com/po_jetlag.html

http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/jet-lag.html

Essential oils are a very concentrated liquid extract of plant materials such as fruits, leaves, and roots. They can serve many purposes including aromatherapy, therapeutic uses, and even cleaning. Unfortunately, all essential oils are not created equal so depending on what you will be using them for, it is important to select one that is best produced for your needs.

In terms of production, there are a few different ways in which essential oil can be extracted. With distillation, plants are exposed to steam so that their oils evaporate and are passed through a pipe where they are then cooled and change back into a liquid. Cold pressing is usually used for citrus oils as rinds are separated from the fruit and then pressed to release the oils.

In the maceration process, plant matter is soaked and heated in oil (such as vegetable oil) so that the plant oil is absorbed into the original oil. Once completed, remaining plant matter is removed. Lastly, in solvent extraction (which can be used when a plant material is unable to tolerate the high heat of steam distillation), a solvent is added to the plant material to dissolve the oil. Some solvents include ether, ethanol, methanol, hexane, alcohol, and petroleum. Distillation is then used to filter and concentrate it. Finally, alcohol is used to extract the oil from the concentrate and once it evaporates the essential oil remains.

You can imagine that the solvent extracted essential oils are the ones that makes me most nervous in case any of the solvent remains after processing. In fact, one article states that 2-3% of the solvent can still remain in a finished bottled essential oil. Yuck!

If you are looking to an essential oil for healing powers, most say that the essential oils must be unadulterated and as pure as possible. Unfortunately, it is also stated that some essential oils can be diluted with other cheaper oils so price can really be an indicator of whether or not an essential oil was diluted or synthetically produced.

Careful research and selection of essential oils is important and contacting a company for additional information may even be necessary if not enough information is provided on the bottles. Often times, price will be a good indicator of the quality of an essential oil. If you’ve purchased any, you probably noticed that some are very cheap and others extremely expensive.

There are several reasons for the widely varying prices among essential oils:

• Some essential oils require more plant material to produce the same amount of extract. For example, citrus oils such as lemon and sweet orange are relatively inexpensive as they contain a large amount of oil. Lavender, on the other hand, requires a much greater amount of flowers as they simply contain less oil.
• The processing method used can be cheaper for some plant materials and more expensive for others (some plant materials cannot be exposed to much heat, etc.)
• The processing method can also directly relate to the quality of the finished essential oil as some oils are considered therapeutic and others are for perfume or smell only

The two essential oils considered the most adulterated are lavender and frankincense. Unfortunately, the lavender essential oil that is most widely available is a hybrid and cut with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the scent. Frankincense takes at least 12 hours in the distillation process and is extremely expensive unless processed with solvents. Other common essential oil adulterations are listed here.

In my case, for housecleaning purposes, I generally choose essential oils that are the most economical (not organic or necessarily 100% pure) because I know that I will not be ingesting them or actually applying them to my skin. If price was not an issue, I would certainly always buy the best quality ones.

However, if I am using an oil specifically for aromatherapy purposes or to add scent to a homemade body product, I only use organic or 100% pure ones. Whatever your use is, it’s worth taking the time to research the safest oils for your purposes; even the 100% pure ones I sometimes use probably deserve another critical look.

http://www.essentialoils.co.za/maceration.htm

http://www.iamshaman.com/resins/howmade.htm

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-essential-oils.htm

http://www.cherylsherbs.com/Natural_standardized_synthetic.htm

http://www.therealessentials.com/mislabel.html

While we know that the quality of food we put into our bodies is important (as well as the containers we use to store them), another item to be considered is the cookware used when heating. I personally have two stainless steel pans that I use often and a large set of non-stick cookware (which I have just discovered to be aluminum) that I generally use for frying. When I acquired these pans I wasn’t aware of potential health issues surrounding them and thus recently decided to explore the safest options.

To start, I referenced my trusty Nourishing Traditions cookbook which recommends stainless steel cookware and baking pans as opposed to aluminum even though it is more expensive. The book states the reason is that when cooking salty or acidic foods, aluminum (a toxic metal) can be dissolved into the food and thus consumed. Ingesting aluminum is considered dangerous and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Cast iron skillets are recommended as a safer alternative to these types of pans.

Non-stick cookware is also problematic as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a synthetic chemical used in the manufacturing of coatings, is known for producing fumes that can actually kill birds when subjected to high temperatures. These fumes are not something I want to risk breathing in every day! In addition, studies have shown PFOA presenting a danger to exposed workers. I would never want someones health to suffer so that I could have a non-stick pan! In addition, Natural News reports that PFOA has been linked to 150% increase in infertility, an increased risk for ADHD in children, and even the risk for thyroid disease.

While I can’t very well just go out and replace a whole set of cookware at this time, at least I know that when I do (even if piece by piece) there are safer options. I did note some findings where stainless steel is said to leach nickel, but since the overall combination of metals used is more stable than other cookware, there is less chance for this to occur. In addition, iron leaching from cast iron pans is also notable as although it’s an important mineral, some people may be at risk for ingesting excessive iron and may want to pursue other options.

Whatever material you use, it’s important to follow the manufacturers instructions for washing and care. Also, avoid scrubbing hard which can damage the pan and expose buried layers thus increasing the danger of contaminating your food.

I want to hear your thoughts on the different types of cookware. What are your recommendations and are there any types that you avoid in particular?

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=92

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dangers-of-cookware-safe-alternatives.html#

Spring has definitely arrived in Michigan and it is oh-so nice to hear the birds chirping and watch the woods start to come alive again. However, one of the not so welcoming plants, poison ivy, will soon be thriving and maybe with some luck we’ll successfully avoid it.

Just in case though, I saved a neat article from Better Homes and Gardens in June of last year which has natural remedies should you come into contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac this spring or summer. Here’s what you can do for some relief until the rash goes away:

• Mix 1 tbsp baking soda with 1 tsp water and apply to the rash. Once dry, rinse off with warm water. This should help relieve swelling and itching.
• Cook a small serving of plain oatmeal and allow it to cool. Apply to the rash and once dry, rinse off with warm water. This will help to dry the rash for itch relief.
• Rub an ice cube gently on the rash to cool tissues and lessen inflammation.
• Soak in a bath with epsom salts to pull moisture from rash and decrease swelling.
• Apply aloe vera gel (even directly from the plant) to help cool the rash and relieve itching.

If you are looking for even more creative ideas (such as applying apple cider vinegar, banana peel, or a mix of baking soda and vinegar) check out Earth Clinic.

While candles can make for a peaceful, relaxing, or romantic setting, sometimes store-bought ones seem to have overpowering, unnatural smells. I’m not saying that the smells aren’t always good, in fact, I’ve always wondered how they make the “birthday cake” scent smell like one just came of of the oven. But no matter how delicious the smell might be, in the past I’ve been unsure about their true safety and now want to shed a little light (pun intended :) ) on which candles are safest to use for our health and the environment.

Unfortunately, most mass produced candles are produced with petroleum (not sustainable) and full of synthetic fragrances. Burning these types of candles can cause serious indoor air pollution and problems for our health. In fact, the EPA states that when candles are burned traces of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), acrolein (another dangerous chemical), and naphthalene (a neurotoxin and potential carcinogen) are emitted.

They also state that the more scents in a candle, the more black soot is emitted. The soot travels into our lungs and can contain phthalates which are damaging to many organs as well as benzene and toluene (also known carcinogens). A candle will also produce more soot if you blow it out rather than properly trimming the wick (yes, I am 100% guilty of doing this).

To make matters worse, lead wicks have been used to help keep wicks upright in candles when burning. Fortunately, these have been banned from selling in the U.S. since 2003 and most members of the National Candle Association agreed to stop using lead wicks back in the 1970s. If you have a candle you are concerned about, look closely when you trim the wick to see if there is a metal core.

If there is one, it does not necessarily mean that it’s lead (although this type could still possibly find it’s way into the marketplace) as it may be zinc or tin which are considered safe. Contacting the manufacturer to determine the metal would be the best way to find out for sure whether or not it is lead. I did notice on the label at the bottom of one of my candles that the it stated only lead free wicks are used so that is another good spot to check. However, in the future, I think I’ll still try to steer clear of metal wicks and opt for pure cotton ones.

Luckily, there are a variety of natural candle options that are produced sustainably, do not emit harmful toxins, and give off much less soot. Varieties such as beeswax, soy, and other vegetable waxes are much safer and burn longer than petroleum based candles. Natural candles are also often pleasantly scented with essential oils and can even clean air rather than pollute it. These types of candles can be found handmade at local markets, health stores, or on Etsy. I’m happy that again there are great natural alternatives (as there are with so many things) so I can still enjoy candles!