Join Robyn O’Brien –mother of four, activist, and author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick – And What We Can Do About It ,– on a live video chat. Learn her simple and no fuss ways to create non-toxic holidays – both physically with natural ingredients and mentally with stress reduction tips.

You and your mom friends are invited to:

WHAT: Live Online Video Chat and Q&A: “How to have Non-toxic Holidays: Real Solutions From a Real Mom” Hosted by Whole Food Market, Rocky Mt Region
The live chat format allows participants to ask Robyn questions directly from the convenience of their own computer.

WHO: Robyn O’Brien, also known as founder of AllergyKids.com, author and recently recognized as one of Shape Magazine’s 2009 “Women Who Shape the World”
Introduction by Stacee McGovern of Whole Foods Market

WHEN: November 10, 2009; 10 – 11 a.m. MST

HOW: Log in on for FREE on Nov. 10:
If you are a Facebook user, click this link to interact and ask questions during the chat: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171712706300&ref=mf
For Non-Facebook users, simply follow this link to listen in: http://bit.ly/RobynOBrienLive

WHY: One in five Americans are worried that holiday stress could affect their physical health[1] and while moms are busy year-round, 45 percent get no more than a few minutes a day to themselves during the holiday season. That’s a 48 percent reduction in “me-time” from the rest of the year.[2]
Imagine a holiday season with less stress, more convenient shopping and better-behaved family members. Visit www.wholefoods.com for how-to videos, recipes and online ordering system to make this season easier on all of us.

GIVEAWAY: One lucky participant will win at copy of the book Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress by Lee Woodruff (http://www.leewoodruff.com/imperfect.php)

This event is made possible by Whole Foods Market and is free and open to the media and public. Please contact Jen Marshall jen@freshideasgroup.com with any questions.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

On Sunday, my 5-year-old came home ill. She had thrown up in the lobby of a movie theater and immediately left without seeing the movie. Luckily, the theaters are close by and she was home, cleaned up, and tucked into bed in less than 15 minutes. She had a headache, a minor fever, chills, and a newly running nose.

“It’s the flu,” one of my family members with a medical degree pronounced with certainty.

Yes, I had to agree; from her symptoms it would appear to be one of the flu strains going around, be that H1N1 or not. I decided to treat it as such.

As soon as she walked in the door we headed for the bathroom, where we brushed her teeth, washed her hands and face well, and gargled with warm salt water.

The salt water gargle will rinse away germs from this entry point as well as soothe a swollen or irritated throat.

A few minutes later, I emptied a vial of homeopathic Boiron Oscillococcinum Pelletsunderneath her tongue. (We actually had to divide it into several doses for her little mouth, but she took them all within 20 minutes.)

I consider Oscillococcinum as a natural form of Tamiflu; the sooner you start using it after seeing flu symptoms, the less extreme your case will be. The box says it’s recommended to alleviate “symptoms of flu: fever, chills, body aches and pains.”

Oscillococcinum (if you know how to pronounce this, please enlighten me!) comes in little vials that you dissolve underneath your tongue and in your mouth every 6 hours up to 3 times a day. As with all homeopathic remedies, you’ll want to stay away from food or drink for at least 5 minutes before taking it and afterward, too.

Because it’s homeopathic, it is safe for everyone including babies and nursing or pregnant mothers. You can still use it even if you have been vaccinated or you’re taking Tamiflu or other medications as it won’t affect them.

My little one tossed and turned and dozed on and off and sipped some hot mint tea to calm her stomach that afternoon. At dinner time she ate a decent portion of chicken stew with garlic that my hubby had brewed up in the crock pot (he’s the crock potter in our household — I don’t have the forethought or the patience for such slow cooking!), but by evening she was complaining of a bad headache and chills. Her fever felt a little hotter, but I still considered it mild.

I gave her a second vial of Oscillococcinum and tried to put her down for what would be a restless night with many awakenings for both of us.

The next morning she was up early and very hungry. I kept her home from school to see how she fared and found she took an unusual nap around 3pm for about 45 minutes (not surprising, given how little sleep she and I had the night before!), but otherwise was just about back to normal.

Did she have the flu and did the Oscillococcinum nip it in the bud? Or was it just something she ate that didn’t agree with her? Who knows.

All I know is that she showed flu symptoms on Sunday afternoon and by Tuesday morning she was 100% recovered.

We are very relieved.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

Second only to the daily grind of figuring out what to make for dinner is the “what to pack for school lunch” dilemma.

With all of my son’s food sensitivities, our choices are limited these days. While I understand the lure of pre-made packages like Lunchables, where you get crackers, Velveeta, and lunch meats in a plastic clamshell, I would rather recreate the idea myself and use quality ingredients that I feel good about (and he can eat!) rather than the processed cheese, high-fat and trans-fat filled crackers, and low-quality made-with-corn-syrup lunch meats those convenience packages offer.

One of our current favorite build-your-own-lunch concepts uses Justin’s Nut Butter Natural Classic Almond Butter Squeeze Packs.

I pack two slices of bread (for him it is Spelt bread), a packet of almond butter, a little container of jam, and a plastic knife for spreading. I’ve been saving those little plastic condiment containers that come with take-out for this purpose, though pictured here is a larger plastic tub I had. The bread and butter packet are nestled inside a non-toxic stainless steel container that I place in his lunchbox.

My first grader is empowered by the idea of making his own food this way and he will eat more of a lunch like this than when I pack it already constructed.

Justin’s has other yummy flavors of single serving nut butters like Honey Almond Butter and Maple Almond Butter.

My kids both like to simply suck the nut butter directly out of the packet as a great snack-on-the-run. It’s a convenient, sugar-free dose of high-quality protein for their active, growing bodies that can be grabbed and eaten in the car or on a plane. I confess: I get my share of them, too! I like to snack on nut butter smeared on bananas or apples, or with chocolate sauce. Yum!

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

Spooky Finger Appetizers

My son – then almost 6 – was all fired up and we went right out to get the ingredients.

We got one of those rolls of pre-made crescent roll dough, popped it open, separated the dough along the perforations. Then we twisted each triangular segment and baked them to create the fingers.

For the dipping we had hummus sprinkled with a few sliced roasted peppers for blood spatters.

I think when we make this dish for our 7th birthday party on Halloween day, we’ll use marinara sauce instead of the hummus.

Some of the other fun and spooky Halloween recipes I’ve posted over the years include Bloody Monster Heads (Brussels sprouts) and a Jack O’Lantern Pizza.

Robin Miller, by the way, was so kind as to write the killer testimonial that is printed on the back cover of my current cookbook! Thanks, Robin!!

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

A new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Pretty Scary, reveals that some children’s face paints contain lead, a neurotoxin, as well as nickel, cobalt and chromium, which can cause lifelong skin sensitization and contact dermatitis. Creepier yet, these metals were not listed on the products’ ingredient labels and some products had misleading claims (”hypoallergenic”), so parents are hard-pressed to find safe face paints. To learn more about the tests on face paint check out the full report, and for tips to limit your favorite goblin’s exposure to toxic cosmetics this year visit the page with the Campaign’s recommendations (find recipes there, too!).

While this is particularly concerning for parents at this time of year, these products are used year-round at farmers markets, fairs, dress-up and play, and the lack of cosmetic safety standards is a problem that extends to all cosmetics sold in the United States.

Sign the Petition for Safe Cosmetics calling for the removal of toxic chemicals in all cosmetics and personal care products–from face paint to baby shampoo, from body lotion to deodorant. Shouldn’t we be able to trust — or at least see on the label — that the products we buy don’t contain items known to harm us?

Read the full report on lead in Halloween face paint.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

Made with all organic nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and honey, these bars are unbelievably scrumptious and nicely satisfying from all the protein. My mouth is seriously watering as I write this, just from the memory of the delicious flavors.

Forget your average dense energy bar or rock-hard granola bar: Bora Bora bars taste better, seem lighter, and won’t sit like a rock in your stomach for a few hours.

Here’s what I look for when I read the labels on products like snack bars:

1. I want all ingredients to recognizably come from nature. The less processed these are, the better. I want to be able to pronounce and identify everything listed.

2. The fewer ingredients, the better. Don’t junk up my snack bars with a lot of extra stuff. Don’t add MSG or gluten fillers to my granola bars. Don’t add protein where it doesn’t occur naturally. And, please, don’t give me “artificial flavors,” because synthetic flavors are a huge turn-off to my taste buds.

As long as you’re not allergic to nuts, peanuts, or honey, Bora Bora bars are an awesome option for an energy bar, healthy snack, or even an occasional lunch-on-the-run guilty pleasure. I keep a few in my purse and car to stave off hunger between meals. Even though they are made with honey, they are not too sticky-sweet. My kids love them.

I get my variety box of Bora Bora bars at Costco, but it looks like a better price on Amazon.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

We are holding firm in our family and are determined not to get this dangerous vaccine, or the regular flu shot, either. Instead, we are opting for preventing the flu and swine flu with natural remedies and common sense hygiene practices.

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) with more than 20 years of clinical experience. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memoria, etc. Presently, he heads the Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre in Malad, India.

Dr. Goyal notes that the only portals of entry for the virus are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as the proliferation of the virus in your body can be.

In order to prevent proliferation of the virus, aggravation of symptoms, and development of secondary infections, you can take some very simple steps while you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection. Instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu, consider these preventative measures and avoid the whole shebang.

1. Frequent hand-washing (this practice is well highlighted in all official communications from the medical community). In our house, washing your hands comes immediately after removing your shoes in the entryway. Just as shoes track germs from the outside world in through your house, your hands will bring in anything you’ve touched and deposit it on your doorknobs, fridge handle, computer keyboard, etc. Wash your hands before you touch anything or anybody.

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap), recommends Dr. Goyal. Slap? Slapping may be more common in other cultures than our own, but we have a rule against that, too, in our house. Not touching your face is a good habit to get into anyway since your fingers can deposit dirt and grime along with bacteria and viruses, all of which can give you some pretty nasty breakouts. So no hands on the face.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population. Personally, I’m a fan of Sinus Rinse and use it all the time to stay healthy.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Some good ones are kiwis, strawberries, citrus fruits, acai berries, and rosehips. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it is a full-spectrum C (not just ascorbic acid) and also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm. Since it has decided to snow here already, this is not a problem for me! 

To Dr. Goyal’s list let me add a few more disease prevention remedies I have found work well to stay healthy during flu season:

7. Take probiotics regularly. When I start my kids off with a shot of Good Belly probiotic drink every day I notice they miss fewer days of school and are generally healthier.

8. Don’t skimp on sleep. A run-down body is more susceptable to colonization by detrimental agents like viruses.

9. Wash towels and sheets regularly in unscented detergent. Artificial fragrances can irritate sinus cavities and make them more hospitable environments for germs to thrive.

10. If you start feeling sick, drink some garlic tea as soon as possible. Repeat as often as necessary until symptoms subside. Feel free to add some fresh ginger to the mix for an added anti-viral/antibacterial boost. Garlic tea has never failed me.

Now, let’s get out there and stay healthy!

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

I had to be helped off the floor and hobbled over to the back with an ice pack for about 10 minutes. Then, I went back into class, albeit gently, which was probably not the smartest move, but I still had range of motion and I figured it was better than letting it stiffen up.

By the time I slowed down again in my day — after I got dinner on the table and my husband asked me how it was feeling, forcing me to stop and actually take a look at it — my ankle had swollen up to the size of a baseball. Oops.

Funny how I had been moving so quickly during my day that I hadn’t thought about it beyond the hassle of limping, but once I got a look at it my stomach started turning and I had to go lie down and put the foot up. It appeared I had strained a ligament pretty well. The power of mind over matter.

Homeopathic Arnica

At this point, it was time to start treating it seriously.Hyland’s Arnica Montana, 30X, Tablets, 250 tablets (Pack of 3) “>

I took a dose of homeopathic Arnica Montana for muscle bruising and swelling and a dose of homeopathic Ruta Graveolens to support the ligament itself. I also coated the area with Arnica Gel

Then I wrapped the whole thing in a castor oil-soaked flannel and a low heating pad to help it soak in. Castor oil can help pull swelling out and speed healing.

By the next morning the swelling had gone down dramatically and I’ve been walking around on it for a week now with steady improvement. I’ve stayed away from heels (a hard one for me these days — seems like all of my shoes (or at least all of my cute shoes!) have very high heels. The challenge of being a short person, I guess!), and high-impact aerobic activity, though I did do a pilates class on Saturday.

The ankle still feels tender and I know that it could strain again very easily, so even though I’m headed to Jazzercise this morning (staying away for a week is enough already! I’m jonesing to dance and move!), I’m planning to keep it low impact and watch the twisting. Wish me luck!

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

If you are concerned about your child’s weight, or just want to learn tips for raising a child that values health, attend this 7 session FREE tele-summit. You will learn, from experts, how to nurture your child physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually so they grow into adults that know how to “BE” healthy and not “do” diets.

The sessions are at 8pm EST:
Oct. 6 – Sylvia Rimm, PhD, New York Times best-selling author of Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Overweight Children.

Oct. 8 – Dharlene Marie Fahl, Lean Teen Self-Esteem

Oct. 13 - Carol S. Dweck, PhD, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist and author of Mindset

Oct. 15 – Frances M. Berg, internationally known authority on weight and eating and author of Underage and Overweight

Oct. 19 – Charlotte Reznick, PhD, LA Times best selling author of The Power of Your Child’s Imagination

Oct. 21 – Dr. Christine Wood, a practicing pediatrician and author of How to Get Kids to Eat Great & Love It!

Oct. 22 – Pat Altvater, host of the tele-summit and creator of the Women Outsmarting Weight System.

Attend as many of the sessions as you’d like, listening on the phone from the comfort of your home. Visit Healthy Talks for Moms to register and receive call information.

Childhood obesity is on the rise – adult obesity is through the roof!

My colleague, Pat Altvater, the tele-summit host, works with overweight adult women, including many that were heavy children. Altvater notes that being overweight as a child has long lasting effects, including, vividly remembering the snide remarks and names they were called as a child as well as the isolation and rejection they felt when they were put on diets.

Altvater’s preliminary research findings, from interviews with women who were overweight as children, indicate that the habits and beliefs they acquired early in life lead most to a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. As adults, they are caught in a cycle of trying the latest quick fix or diet program, failing to take consistent action, and then judging themselves harshly for their failure, which typically just diminishes their self-esteem and adds more pounds to their overweight body.

Children need to know how to “BE” healthy and not just how to “do” diets.

Benefits for moms:

• coping with childhood obesity
• learn how to raise children who value health
• tips for how to have a healthy Halloween

Attend one or attend them all!
Register for the series and you will receive the call-in information as well as bonus gifts, valued at over $150, such as positive self-esteem MP3 songs, a natural foods cookbook, eating tips for kids, as well as reports and books to help you, the Mom.

Receive these bonus items provided by our experts and partners just by registering!

For more information about the strategies that will be covered by each expert and to register for the FREE series, go to Healthy Talks for Moms.

Once you register, you will receive the dial in information and the valuable bonuses.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.

Oh, how wise she was.

In “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness,” Marcus Buckingham researched and found that the happiest women at some point in their lives simply made a choice to be happy.

He offer four points upon which women either choose the happiest path or not, and he’s devised a quiz for women to help determine the roles in life that make them happiest. (see below)

Think about it: his research showed that it mattered less what it was that made them happy, and more that they had decided to be happy regardless of whether they had that or not.

In other words, happiness is a state of mind rather than a state of matter.

There’s a lot of power in deciding to be happy. After a bout of depression in my early twenties, I decided I’d rather be a happy person no matter how low my life felt at that time. My first step was to stop feeling like a victim in my life. I took Tae Kwon Do and shooting lessons, got out of a dead-end relationship, quit my job and moved.

After I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis just before my thirtieth birthday, I had to search again for the choices that led toward happiness rather than despair. My cookbook is one thing that came out of that time.

I have to say, both times I was much happier afterward and since.

I don’t think that choosing to be happy has to look as drastic as it did for me. In fact, Buckingham sees it more as daily and lifestyle choices of not striving for perfection or that elusive “balance” that doesn’t exists. Happiness, he says, is more about self-acceptance and appreciating the small moments in life.

We choose to be happy… or not. It’s an empowering concept.

©2009 Effortless Eating. All Rights Reserved.