Month: November 2009
Celebrating Pregnancy with Henna!
- by admin
Blogger: Andrea Chapman
www.hennabellies.blogspot.com
Along with healthy eating, drinking lots of water and regular prenatal appointments, many pregnant mommas-to-be are embracing belly henna to as part of their pregnancy and journey to becoming a mother.
Henna is a safe, beautiful way to temporarily decorate an expanding belly. Some women get it done once each trimester and just before their due date to celebrate the different stages of gestation. Henna paste – made with henna powder, lemon juice and sugar and sometimes lavender oil – has natural cooling properties and its application has a calming effect. It is believed to draw good luck and ward off evil. The henna is applied directly to the belly while the momma-to-be quietly relaxes. Application takes between 30-60 minutes. Once the paste has dried to the touch, a solution of lemon juice and sugar is applied to the design to increase adhesion to the skin and prevent the henna from flaking off. Tape or tissue can also be applied to prevent further flaking. The paste should remain for a minimum of 4 hours but will provide a deeper stain the longer it stays on the skin. The temporary design can last 7-10 days and start off a light orange color, darkening to reddish brown, and disappears during your skin’s natural exfoliation process.
The designs drawn with henna vary as much as the artists themselves. Because of its ancient and symbolic qualities, many women wonder about the religious nature of henna. While many cultures around the world use symbols in their designs, henna can be enjoyed for its purely decorative properties, without offending its traditional heritage. It’s more important for the design to be meaningful to the wearer, whatever it may be. Some mommas-to-be request their initials together with the father’s to symbolize their new family or baby footprints celebrating the life is growing inside. Many mommas-to-be wish to include photographs of the hennaed belly in their baby album.
Henna is generally safe to use during a healthy pregnancy, although you should consult your caregiver before application. Beware of “Black Henna” which contains black hair dye. It can cause blistering, scarring and lifelong problems. Henna should NEVER be black or have a chemical smell. It should smell earthy and pleasant (like hay) and be brownish in color. The paste should contain only natural ingredients with the possible addition of lavender oil, and you should feel comfortable enough with your henna artist to ask about and trust their paste.
While this article focuses on belly henna, many people enjoy adorning themselves with 
henna to celebrate weddings, birthdays, or any special event. It can be applied to any part of the body, but tends to last longer on the hands and feet where the skin is thicker. Because it is temporary, it is a fun way to “try out” tattoos and can be enjoyed by both men and women.
Warding off the Flu & Colds this winter
- by admin
Guest Blogger: Jennifer House, First Step Nutrition
Originally Published on November 3rd, 2009 www.firststepnutrition.com
With all of the hype about H1N1 flu this month, each family is trying their best to stay healthy – vaccinated or not! Besides being active, getting enough sleep and activity, and reducing stress, here are some dietary measures to help you and your family fend off viruses this winter:
1) Eat at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phytochemicals. Choose a wide variety of colors, as each color has different nutrients. For vitamin C and betacarotene, choose lots of orange products: squash, carrots, yams, cantaloupe.
2) Choose organic produce, as it contains more phytochemicals than conventionally grown produce. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants, boosting your immune system and fighting free radicals. One theory behind why organic produce contains more phytochemicals is because the plants naturally need to defend themselves against pests without pesticides, and phytochemicals may help to do this!
3) Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help make the intestinal environment strong. They are showing promise in boosting the immune system, as a large part of your immune system is located in your intestines. Eat yogurt daily, or supplement to get probiotics every day.
4) Some researchers link low levels of vitamin D in the winter (due to our northern latitude and lack of vitamin D from the sun), to increased rates of winter viruses. In a large study, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having more colds or cases of the flu. Vitamin D is not widely distributed in our food supply, but can be found in fish liver oils, fatty fish and fortified milk. I recommend everyone take a Vitamin D supplement in the winter: about 1000IU for adults and 400 IU for children daily.
5) All types of tea may boost your immune system. Also make sure you get enough fluid period – preferably water.
There are also certain things to avoid in your daily diet, as they can reduce your immune system’s ability to fight off viruses. These include: alcohol, sugar and trans fat.
Routines & Rituals
- by admin
Guest Blogger: Holly Hykaway, Best Beginnings Educational Consulting
Routine and ritual are words that are often associated with boring and monotonous. That simply is not the case for children. When small children have little control over their environment, the comfort, security and familiarity of routines and rituals are vital for their emotional health.
Routines are patterns or structures children can use to predict how things will go in their lives. For example, a child can predict that he will be buckled up in his car seat after being seated in the vehicle and before the car starts. A ritual is a routine that has special meaning and significance, such as a bedtime routine that includes a special bedtime prayer, and the same way to say “good night.” Both are an important part of the daily life of a child.
Here are some great ideas for turning routines into rituals:
1) Diaper changing time is perfect for singing a special song to your child. It can keep them occupied and reinforce the connection and response they have to your voice. It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember the words. Make them up as you go along! Kids love those songs the best!
2) Make up a special parting ritual that lets them know how much you love them. A great traditional one is, “See you later, Alligator. In a while, Crocodile.” Try coming up with your own special saying or handshake and accompany it with some type of affection such as a hug, kiss or even a wink.
3) Start off the day right with a morning ritual. Say good morning to the sun with your child as you open the blinds and look out on a new day. Greet all their furry, stuffed animal friends and wish them a good morning or play peek-a-boo between the rails of the crib.
4) Good night rituals are just as important. Find a nursery rhyme you can recite about bed time (check out www.mothergoose.com) or say a special prayer and again accompany it with some form of affection.
5) Friday rituals are great! What can you do when the family reaches the end of the work week? Popcorn night? Family board games? Take out night? These rituals tend to be very popular and among the most remembered in adulthood.
It doesn’t matter the time or the place, making special meaning for your child is what counts.
While gaining from the comfort provided in routines and rituals, children can also learn to be comfortable with the unexpected. Life requires flexibility too! It is also important to build in alternative activities occasionally and help children find coping strategies for times when routines change. There will be days when the routines get tossed out the window, just help them be prepared for it. On those days, having well established routines and a child comfortable with flexibility may just save your sanity as well.