The Skinny On January

The Unassisted Birth of Our Baby

January Harshe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:34:17 +0000

Everyone has been asking for our birth story. I was so excited that I was going to write it all out and post it right away. Every time I opened up a fresh, “add new post” page, I became frozen. When the baby was a few days old, Brandon and I were watching a movie that was kind of emotional. When it ended I began to cry and some feelings came out (this happens a lot post partum!).

I realized that my birth was so special and sacred this time that I can’t just post it, details and all, on a blog for the whole world to read. It was too intimate for that. If you haven’t had a natural childbirth, you may or may not understand. I didn’t before this birth. And I even had a VBA2C last time, but it wasn’t intimate and natural!

So, I apologize if this is a let down. I am going to share how the birth went, but the details and beauty of it I am keeping to myself. If I know you and begin talking to you and feel comfortable sharing details with you, then I will, but not like this…on the internet!

Here is an overview. It still seems like I am sharing a lot, but there was so much more!

My labor was 20 hours long, beginning Tuesday morning at 9 am after nursing my 20 month old. This is very short for me in comparison to my last 2 labors. It was perfect actually. I labored on my own all day. Brandon took care of the kids. I did whatever felt natural. I layed down a lot and rested, ate, went potty, etc. The contractions were about 5 minutes apart all day.

I just relaxed like I had practiced with all the prodromal labor I had for weeks previous. I visualized and practiced positive self talk (to myself.) It was amazing to just give over and relax. My labor was NOT painful at all. It could have been. I really learned with this birth that it is mostly mental. It’s not about tolerating pain, it’s about giving over to the process of birth and having no fear!

Once all the kids were in bed and asleep (about 9 pm), I layed down with Brandon and we rested. I labored between my bedroom like that and in the kitchen leaning over our high counter. I received a text from my friend Tiana and saw it was around midnight. At this point things were picking up more. She was the only person I told I was in labor. A lot of people called me that day actually. I was on their radar! We didn’t want anyone to know we were in labor. Tiana just text me at the right time, I guess, and I felt better after texting with her.

All day I groaned and moaned through my contractions. I was getting a little more vocal and tired in the early hours of the morning. I started to question things. I realized I must be getting close to transition. This is when Brandon’s support really helped. He prayed for me a ton and talked to me and would help center me. This is also when I realizied that I had to COMPLETELY give over so I didn’t stall my labor like the last two times.

I finally got in the tub. After Brandon and I prayed and talked, I mentally went into myself. You know how you see or hear of women being SILENT, that was me!!! I just went into the contractions and after a few of these, my water broke in the tub. It was so cool.

I got out of the tub and was having a hard time relaxing. I was getting shaky and kinda questioning my sanity! LOL. On the flip side of that though, I also told myself that I was in transition. I knew what was going on. I continued to trust in birth, trust in God and trust myself. I believed in my body and knew everything was OK. The baby was moving all throughout my labor (she was high and working herself into a good position) and I never once felt I would need to transfer. What faith!

I got back in the tub and went back into myself. I got silent again. After a while, my feet starting getting numb, so I got on hands and knees and it was INTENSE. I got out of the tub and went potty. All of a sudden the contractions were super intense! I couldn’t continue being silent. I worked really hard to breathe through them, but I was pushing too! I couldn’t believe it because the baby had still been high.

Our 20 month old woke up and she and Brandon watched me as I breathed and pushed. There were only 6-7 contractions like this. After about 3, we felt and her head was in the birth canal. After about 2 more she was crowning and in one more contraction she slid out into Brandon’s waiting hands. I birthed her standing in a half squat. It was amazing. The details of this part are so emotional and beautiful. This was just a quick summary. For this blog though, I will share that we were ecstatic and of course in a “we did it!” excitement. She was purple and took a minute to pink up. She was just so quiet. It was extremely peaceful. Our 20 month old was yelling “BABY! BABY! BABY!” and loved it. Brandon announced she was a girl.

I birthed the placenta easily and we had to work a bit to get my bleeding down. This was the first time my body gave birth with NO INTERFERENCE! I continued to have faith and my body got the hang of it. After getting all cleaned up, Brandon, myself our 20 month old and baby bonded. No one to poke, prod and place fears on us. The older 2 children woke up a few hours after she was born and were so happy we were home. Our oldest cut the cord about 3 hours after the birth (we had promised her she could). Our son was ecstatic because he was right…she was a girl!

It has been an amazing experience, to say the least. Being in my own home with my family and bonding with our new baby has been relaxing. No trauma, no outside interference. Just birth.

Here are Brandon and I just hours after her birth. I have more pictures on my family blog for those of you I know in real life.

WE DID IT….AN UNASSISTED HOME BIRTH!!!

January Harshe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:45:47 +0000

So, I am tired (of course). For now you will have to do with our Facebook Updates. LOL. I will come back soon and write the birth story! Amazing!!!

January:

I DID IT! Had an UNASSISTED HOME BIRTH this morning!!!!!!! We had a sweet baby girl, who weighs in at about 9 lbs. I am in shock and thrilled. I’ll post the birth story on my blog soon! Thanks everyone for the amazing amount of support, love and prayers…I needed and appreciate them all!

Brandon:

FINALLY!!! January gave birth to a 9 lb baby girl at 4:50 am this morning… no MD, no midwife, no nurse, no doula, no hospital, no epidural, no pitocin, no fears, nothing!. All natural, no interference by anyone or anything. Amazing what happens when you trust in the innate intelligence of the human body. I am in awe…

Perks Of An Unassisted Pregnancy And Birth

January Harshe — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:11:05 +0000

I had someone suggest to me that I plan something as if I’m not pregnant. Like, really plan it down to the details. I said I’d go on a trip with my husband. He said plan it…now! Forget about the birth, put all your energy into planning this trip. Well, I kinda planned two!

We are going away this weekend to see a very good friend of mine who I have not seen in nine years! We talk daily (usually on Facebook…lol) and I miss her. I can not wait to see her and her family. I haven’t met her sweet two year old son yet and she can meet my children as well!

I don’t think many women would take a weekend trip at 42 weeks pregnant! Why not though? I don’t have to be close to an OB or a midwife. No one is pressuring me to induce (natural remedies or not). No one is ‘dropping me’ from care. There isn’t anyone I am allowing to put fears into my mind about it. So, we are packing up and heading out this afternoon! Brandon is totally up for it to. Something other than chiropractic and birth!

So, I’ll pack a bag of birth supplies, let go of the birth even happening and enjoy my weekend with a beautiful friend! Ahhhh…the perks of an unassisted birth! I am ecstatic, because this is so me…to do something spontaneous and crazy. I hope you all have a great weekend as well! When I get back I’ll let you know about mini trip number two.

Working Through Birth Trauma Via A Dream

January Harshe — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:00:25 +0000

Last Saturday night I had another birth dream. It was actually fantastic, but there was a part of it that made me dig deeper.

In my dream we had a successful unassisted birth. We were in our apartment and it was so clear. It was just Brandon an myself. The parts about the dream that had me excited were that we had a successful unassisted birth, we had a beautiful baby boy who I saw in detail and there was so much support and love from friends and family. It was very exciting and encouraging!

After waking up and processing the dream further, I realized there was something off. As I was birthing my baby (in the dream), I checked out. At the moment the baby was making its presence into this world and during all the afterbirth, I was passed out in the dream. Brandon had to take care of it all. After the birth, when I came to, I had to ask Brandon the details of what happened, because I missed it all. He told me how and when the placenta was birthed, how he cut and tied of the cord and etc. I told him in my dream that even though that was not ideal, I was so happy he was there because I knew he did everything how I would want him to. Then, I met my baby boy. It was kind of cute because then we weighed him and he was 10 pounds!!!

Why would I not be present for that part of my birth in my dream? After thinking through it, discussing it with my amazingly supportive husband and a really good cry, I realized it was because of the birth trauma from my last 2 births. Birth trauma is real. I don’t think most women (or our society for that matter) either know or recognize it.

With my last pregnancy and birth, I was strong and determined to have a vaginal birth after my previous two c-sections. I labored at home for a very long time. There were many factors as to why I went to the hospital. I won’t get into that now. The point is that my control was stripped from me. Everything was a fight. I was not ‘allowed’ to squat to birth like I wanted, I was threatened with a c-section, I was treated like I didn’t have any say in how I wanted to birth.

The CNM showed up during crowing and started meddling and interfering. She pulled on my baby and helped me tear horribly. The room turned into chaos. There was no place for my husband in the process. Yes, I birthed vaginally. Yes, that was amazing. However, it was masked by the nurses being rough with my baby, with being hooked up to pitocin after the birth without my permission, with the CNM pulling out my placenta and making me bleed out, not to mention the poking and prodding that then occurred for 2 days on my sweet baby.

This was all followed up by a visit from social services because as the CNM put it, “I was making her tired”. Poor thing…she had educated patients that had an opinion and wanted to be informed. The success of our VBA2C was stripped away. I was left with serious birth trauma. I was paranoid about the social services incident (which they of course walked out of the room thinking the whole thing was ridiculous after talking for a few minutes). It left its mark.

With my second birth, my son was taken from me after the c-section. Brandon had to finally put his foot down and tell the nursery nurses after hours that he was taking our baby to his mother! I kept waking up in my room alone and drugged and yelling out, “Where is my baby?!” My son and I had attachment issues for weeks. Through love, co-sleeping, baby wearing and time, luckily that is no longer an issue.

So, I can clearly see why after my birth in my dream I ‘check out’. It’s always been very traumatic for me. Brandon and I discussed all this in detail yesterday and he helped me to realize many things. First of all, I did things perfect. My body did things perfect. Even through everything, I birthed my baby vaginally after 2 cesareans and on my back in a hospital! It was all the outside interference that was the problem. With this birth, there will be NO INTERFERENCE. There won’t be anyone to tell me how how I can or can not do things. No one to poke and prod. No one to try and take control.

Also, I am not a victim and I need to stop being one. Only I can make myself the victim. I am the one that allows others to take control or hurt me.

Brandon also helped me remember that this is my past. It is my thoughts keeping this alive in my present. Those experiences are not happening now. This is a different pregnancy and different birth and I have a say how this goes! I can not live in the future either. There is only NOW! My main fear that I had left to work through in this unassisted pregnancy was the fear that for some reason I would end up back at the hospital. That I would go through this abuse again. Brandon asked me if I knew that could be true and I could only answer, “NO.” There is no way to know that. Why would I need to go to the hospital? As of now, I don’t! Right now, everything is perfect!

I am a perfect daughter of God. It is Satan who wants me to believe otherwise…he wants me to fail. I can choose to have faith, to know my body can birth perfectly with no interference. I know that I am surrounded by all the love and support I need. My birth trauma, while it is real, does not need to be part of this experience. I am blessed to have this opportunity and a wonderful husband to share it with.

Practicing What I Preach

January Harshe — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:02 +0000

Recently I was called a hypocrite.

Let’s start with the definition of a hypocrite according the the Webster Dictionary online:
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
— hypocrite adjective

For number one: I am who I am and what you see is what you get. Also, my religious beliefs are pretty clear. I am LDS.

Let’s move on to number 2 then, shall we? Let me state my beliefs. Maybe I haven’t been clear enough in my blog posts. I am going to state my beliefs on health care, since that is what has been attacked.

I believe that the allopathic model of medicine can and does save lives. I believe that it is and only should be used for emergency care. Further more, I believe there are other ways that we can take care of our bodies, prevent disease and live a healthy lifestyle. I feel that these things will keep myself and my family from needing allopathic remedies most of (if not all of) the time.

I will give a little run down of the the main things I believe will help my family. First and most important in my opinion is chiropractic care. What I am referring to is the absence of any subluxations, especially at the atlas (C1). I truly believe that without nerve interference our bodies can function in amazing ways. I do believe that this needs to be as specific as possible. You can read more about Upper Cervical Chiropractic at Brandon’s blog.

Other things I believe help more to heal the body than drugs and surgery are nutrition (hands down and this is probably a whole other post) and other natural remedies such as sleep, and using things such as aloe vera and colloidal silver. For example, if my baby starts to show signs of a little diaper rash, I put on some olive oil and within 1 diaper change we are all cleared up! These things are not as easy as popping a pill. They require responsibility, not looking outward, but inward and not being a victim.

If one of my children get sick, I actually get excited. They rarely do, so when it does happen I think it’s great that their body is having a chance to build its natural immunities! Our oldest used to get ear infections when swimming. She’d get them often and sometimes in both ears. Every single time, she needed her atlas adjusted and every single time after the adjustment and a little rest the infections cleared up within hours (at least the painful symptoms). The only other things we have used to help fight ear infections are blessings/prayer when really bad and some garlic oil. We never freaked out and ran to a doctor to get antibiotics. We let her body do what it does best. We removed interference and let it do it’s job.

Now, if I was a hypocrite, I’d be talking about all of my opinions on health care and then running to an MD or hospital the minute we get sick, right? I don’t. I practice what I preach. Always. I don’t tell others what to do. I don’t force my views on other moms and dads. My biggest issue is about being self educated and making decisions that is best for you (and your family’s) health. Not freaking out, getting scared and making decisions based on fear or because someone else told you that you have to do it their way or else (fill in the blank).

How does this apply to birth? Am I a hypocrite because I have stated that if something does go terribly wrong (which it won’t) that I will go to the hospital? I thought I have made it clear that I am practicing what I preach. I do not believe birth is a disease. I believe it is normal and beautiful. I believe God created my body to birth a baby perfectly. I know that I can have a safe birth at home without intervention and giving up control to someone I barely know. I believe that hospitals are for EMERGENCIES.

So, if I believe that, then wouldn’t I only go in the case of an emergency? Is that me being a hypocrite? If I have so clearly stated that the allopathic model of medicine and hospitals can save lives and is for emergencies only and if I only use it for those rare cases, then I am no hypocrite. I am strong in my beliefs and doing what I say I believe in. Period.

I have practiced the type of health for my children that I have stated. None of them have ever had an antibiotic, none of them have ever had over the counter medicine (with the exception of infant tylenol with my first a few times). My youngest 2 have never needed to see a pediatrician. Their primary care provider has and always will be a chiropractor. If an emergency came up, I would take them to see someone my husband and I feel we may need help from.

Someone accused me of teaching my kids “this garbage!” I laugh at that. My kids have no interference in their bodies. They are healthy and happy. They don’t have side effects from medications, they don’t get whatever ‘bug’ is going around at the time. It’s phenomenal. They are blessed to have informed parents who take the time to care for them the way we do! My husband had to explain to our 5 year old what diarrhea was for goodness sakes. She had no clue. None of our children have had it. When one of them has ever had to throw up or they have a little fever, they think, “Hey, that is great! Our bodies are doing what they need to.” What an amazing mindset to grow up with!

I love my children dearly. I want what is best for them just like every other mom. For me, that is taking the time to educate myself on what is best for their bodies. It is me being responsible for their health. It is us staying away from shots and drugs and trusting that God make their little bodies perfect, especially when there is no interference. Also, it is recognizing that we are blessed to live in a country with great emergency care in the case of an emergency only!

Yep, that is where I stand and that is me practicing what I preach.

Yep, Still Pregnant and Why Due Dates Are a Lie!!!

January Harshe — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:57:08 +0000

I am officially ‘due’. I am in my 40th week. Now, this is no surprise to me. I birthed my son in my 42nd week of pregnancy and my last baby was born via VBA2C at almost 44 weeks.

The only thing that is tiring is I am having a lot of warm up stuff and nothing ‘active’ yet. That gets old. But, I am grateful for it. I know my body is getting ready for a great birth!

So, because I am tired and very pregnant, I am going to direct you to read about why due dates are a lie here! (thanks Jen B.) It’s a short article that explains how the ‘due date’ came about and why it is so not accurate! Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions, Comments and Answers

January Harshe — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:07:53 +0000

OK, I am still here. I was kinda not in a good mood after last weekend and thought I wasn’t going to post again until the baby arrived. However, I think this post is worth it.

Disclaimer: This is a very feisty post. If you are easily offended, skip it.

Being a 9 month pregnant women, you are subject to many questions and comments. People just do NOT get it. On top of that, being a mama who is having an open unassisted pregnancy and birth…well, I’ll just let you use your imagination because right now I might not be so nice.

So, let’s begin:

“You are still pregnant?”

Really? No freakin’ way. I totally didn’t realize. Come on guys…if you see the huge belly and no baby in my arms, do you really need to ask or point it out?

The infamous…“When are you due?”

Now, this one is fun for me. I have been telling people, “In June” and leaving it at that. So, for all of those who really want to know I am “due” June 7th. Now, due for what, I don’t know. My response is going to be, “Yesterday” (or however long ago it was). Then I follow up with, “But I always go late”. That seems to reassure people and is easier then me getting into a long drawn out explanation and education series on how ‘due dates’ are a bunch of CRAP!

Followed up by…“They must have gotten your dates wrong” or “I think they got your dates wrong”

First of all, who the heck is they and why do they have a say? No, we were not wrong about our due dates. They are based off your last menstrual period. We were trying to get pregnant, so we know within the week. However (and I’m not going to go into details of all the ways due dates can be wrong), I could ovulate late. So, yes, there is a little grace period even with me knowing.

I will tell you this (and you nosy, gossipy people will like it b/c it’s totally too much information), I know without a doubt this time when my ‘due date’ is because it is based off my actual ovulation date. And since they weren’t in my living room when my husband and I were conceiving, then they don’t know what they are talking about and I do (because I was there!)

Oh, and even still, I’m not a ticking bomb. I am growing a baby. This baby has it’s own ‘due date’ and only he/she and Heavenly Father know it.

“So, when do you think you’ll have the baby”.

“When do you think I’ll have the baby?” “I don’t know, when he or she is ready”. Wow, what a concept.

“What are you going to do with your other kids when you are in labor?”

We have a closet with a lock. No, seriously though, we don’t know. If they are resting/sleeping then we’ll leave them be. If they are awake, well heck, they live here too! This is their home, their baby sister/brother and honestly, they want to be here. So, we’ll see and let you know after. K?

“Are you ready to pop this kid out?”

I think if someone asks this again I might just pop them. Of course I am ready, but this is not about me. This is about my baby. It is the baby’s birth, not mine. This isn’t going to happen until he/she is ready, not when I’m ready!

“Are you worried/anxious”

As much as any other (almost) 40 week pregnant woman. I’m not an alien. Actually I would be more worried if I were having a hospital birth. Yes, I know things can happen. But, they can happen anywhere and it’s been my experience that more ‘bad’ things happen in the hospital then out of one.

“Do you have a back up plan”

“Yes, I do live only 5 minutes from a hospital. And that is what they are for…emergencies”. If everything is normal, I don’t need to be in one. If something is wrong, then I do. Just because I don’t choose to start out in one (because I think birth is normal and safe), doesn’t mean I’m going to stay home at all costs. Geesh.

Moving on…

Now, the stares really get me. All the people in real life who know me and just stare. They are comfortable talking about it behind my back, but not to ME! Blows my mind. Hello!!! I am blogging about it. You can talk to me.

Maybe people don’t know what to ask when the regular questions don’t apply to an unassisted birth. For example, “Who is your doctor?” “Which hospital are you delivering at?” “Will you get induced if you go past your ‘due date’?” “Are you getting an epidural, episiotomy, internal monitoring, and slip in any other hundreds of interventions”.

However, because I am so ‘different’ why not ask different questions? If you are just too uncomfortable or worried because of your own fears of childbirth, then you can just keep reading the blog, staring, whispering and praying. I do appreciate the prayers at least.

I am here, I am pregnant and I am faithful. I am looking forward to and excited about a great home birth. I am not crazy, just educated and opinionated about what happens to my body and my baby. I adore my family. I have a stronger relationship with the Lord because of this journey. Does that make it easy and perfect? No. It makes my journey full of growth, excitement and fulfillment. I’ll take it!

If I didn’t answer a question or address something, by all means, ask away in the comments (at your own risk)!

Affirming the Truth

January Harshe — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:45:00 +0000

I trust my body, my baby, my spirit, and my Heavenly Father.

I know that my body and my baby know exactly what they are doing.

I am allowing them to work together and let this process unfold.

I trust and have faith in my Heavenly Father. I am in tune and close to The Holy Ghost.

I am educated and have a strong intuition. I am listening to both.

Fear is not of the Lord; FAITH is.

My body is getting ready for the wonderful day that will bring the birth of my baby. I am OK with this and WELCOME all this brings.

My body and my baby are working in harmony to ensure a painless, smooth labor and birth experience.

I have all the support and love I need surrounding me. I am very blessed in this.

My Innate Intellegance is turned on and I am intune with this.

I am confident. I know my body works. I know God created my beautiful body to birth. I know that my baby knows how and when to come earthside.

I am having an unassisted birth and trusting in this. I am excited and know this to be true. There is no reason for it not to be.

I am blessed to have a confident, supportive husband on this journey with me.

I am getting out of the way….

Why Unassisted Pregnancy And Childbirth This Time Around?

January Harshe — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:24 +0000

(Editor’s note: This is a guest post by my husband Brandon Harshe. He blogs about Upper Cervical Chiropractic at The Atlas of Life.)

I know a lot of people read this blog and are intrigued by the idea of someone deciding to birth a baby without any outside help, be it an MD, midwife, doula, etc. I know it comes across as VERY unorthodox, even insane for someone to pass up regular, routine prenatal care.

Everything we do seems to be unorthodox and against the grain. We joined the Mormon church in 2003. We have never gotten our kids vaccinated. I chose chiropractic as a career, and more specifically, Upper Cervical Chiropractic. We have three kids and are expecting our fourth. We are planning an unassisted childbirth. Get the idea?

Why An Unassisted Childbirth?

January asked me to write this post so everyone could get an idea of what goes on from my end of all these crazy shenanigans. January did not make this decision on her own, and I would not expect her to. This has been a calculated decision on both our parts, and one we did not make lightly. Though I was more into the idea at first than she was.

Baby #1

With our oldest, we had the easiest birth experience. We lived in Tucson for almost all of it until right at the end when circumstances dictated that we had to move back up to Phoenix.

While in Tucson, we went to the birthing center for January’s regular checkups. During the course of her prenatal care, we had all the routine tests and screenings done. We had appointments with all three midwives at the birth center.

As January got closer and closer, the midwife at each appointment would palpate her belly and say “Yep. Head down.” Over and over we heard that, so obviously we thought everything was okay.

At 36 weeks, January had a second ultrasound and we found out that the baby was frank breech, meaning her head was up, as well as her feet. Needless to say, we were shocked.

Long story short, January and I moved back up to Phoenix and got under the care of a high risk OB/Gyn that she knew. He suggested we opt for the c-section, seeing as how our baby was breech and it might cause complications. We agreed, but not before putting together a birth plan (no silver nitrate in the eyes, no Hep B shot, etc.). He signed off on it and we had the c-section.

Altogether that was our least stressful experience. However, the nurses did not leave us alone at all. Neither of us could get more than an hour of sleep at a time. One particular nurse kept barging into the room and doing everything as loud as she could. That was exhausting and frustrating.

Baby #2

Once again, we went with a midwife with our second child. This time January went into active labor. We bought the birthing tub and everything else you can think of. We used it all, but none of it really helped. January was in labor for three days. I supported her as much as I could, sleeping only when she slept and encouraging her the rest of the time.

As time went on, and as January didn’t dilate past 2 cm, I started to grow concerned. My point of most concern was when the midwife asked me what I thought we should do. Now someone reading this might not think this is a big deal, but to me it was.

I was in my third week of tri 2 at Parker (basically still in the very beginning of the chiropractic program) and I didn’t know much about pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. I was so focused on supporting January that it wasn’t in my consciousness to know what to do. That’s why we paid over $3,000 to a midwife – so she would know what to do in this situation.

We ended up going to the hospital and found out that January had an infection. What kind? We don’t know… the doctor and nurses either didn’t bother finding out or didn’t tell us. Our doctor was some lady who looked and acted like she was strung out on three pots of coffee. I remember this doctor telling January she could never have a vaginal birth after this.

Again, January had another c-section. This time our baby had a 102 degree fever. The doctors and nurses kept him to monitor him until his vitals stabilized. I stayed with him the entire time, talking to him and stroking his little arms and shoulders. After an hour he was fine and I was able to bring him to January.

The whole time we were at the hospital, it was a constant fight for anything we wanted. They fought with us over taking our baby to do the tests. We had them done in the room. The pediatrician was rude to January. I know I am probably forgetting some things, but you get the point.

Overall, this experience was very stressful.

On the day we were to leave, we had to wait for the doctor to check us out. That didn’t happen for three hours. When it did, the nurses told me I couldn’t carry my own baby to the car, that they had to do it and show me how to buckle his car seat. Literally, they told me that was the way it was and I didn’t have a choice. I told the nurse that we already had one child and I knew how to buckle a car seat. She shook her head. It did not matter.

At this point, I was so pissed that I carried baby #1 in one arm and baby #2 in his car seat in the other and told the nurse I was carrying him. I gave her a look that said “Just try and take my son and see what happens.”

From our room to the elevator, through the lobby, and out to the car took about five minutes. Now think about doing a sustained isometric contraction for five minutes holding a car seat at an awkward angle, arm slightly flexed the entire time. By the time I set baby #2 down in the car, my right arm was about ready to explode. I was so angry with this place and those nurses that nothing was going to get me to put my son down, including an exploding biceps muscle.

Baby#3

We went the midwife route once again for baby #3. Once again, it was a big mistake. We were in Arizona at the time, as this was when I took a leave from school.

Our midwife dropped us from care when January hadn’t gone into labor at 42 weeks. As it was, our midwife was seeing us ‘under the radar’. In Arizona, it is illegal for a midwife to attend a home birth for a woman that has had a c-section. She wanted January to do things to induce labor, but January wouldn’t. I think she was fearful of what would happen if something went wrong. I understand that. However, she probably should not have taken us on as clients in the first place.

So what did we do? We found a certified nurse midwife (CNM) that would take us that late. Because our home birth midwife had been “breaking the law” by caring for January, we couldn’t tell the CNM that we actually had prenatal care. We promised to protect our midwife and we held true to that promise. From the CNM’s standpoint, we probably came across as very irresponsible.

When she went through her protocol, though, she found out that January was actually very educated. Who knows what she thought then. According to her calculations (due to a late ultrasound), January was actually only 38 weeks.

One thing I will say about January: she knows her dates and when conception was, without a doubt. There was no way she was only 38 weeks.

When January went into labor, we were going to see if we could go the unassisted route, although this was never our plan. January had really bad back labor the third time around. Again, I slept only when she slept and supported her the best I knew how. The unassisted thing didn’t work out for us then. It was a choice we made on the fly, not with weeks and weeks of mental preparation.

Eventually, we decided to go to the hospital. Again, the usual routine: fighting with the nurses and doctor about everything. It was different though. This hospital was in central Phoenix where these nurses and doctors were used to dealing with non-English speaking teenage mothers (this is according to one of our nurses). While January is not that, there was still the feeling that the nurses and doctors thought very little of us.

Eventually, January was able to start pushing. Remember the first two were c-sections, so this was her first real birth. Everything was going fine… until the CNM showed up.

As our baby was being pushed out, she reached in, grabbed the baby by the neck and pulled. She then proceeded to reach in and severely tear January. Instead of letting everything happen naturally, she meddled and made things worse.

Over the course of the next couple days, they wanted to run every test under the sun, such as a GBS test, a blood sugar test (a diabetes screening test), etc. Baby #3 was born 5 lbs 9 oz at 43 weeks 6 days. Obviously, she was not diabetic. Not wanting a repeat of our experience with baby #2 , I belligerently refused all tests. January eventually caved in because she was so tired and didn’t want any problems.

Because of this, the CNM called social services on us for refusing all tests. When January informed them that we (she) had in fact agreed to all tests, and proved it, they left us alone. The CNM called them because she was tired of being bothered by other nurses coming to her, asking what they should do whenever we questioned (or initially refused) a test.

She came from the standpoint that we were uneducated and irresponsible. Those are the type of people she was used to seeing. Instead of investigating the situation, even just a little, she jumped to a conclusion about us.

I can truly say I have zero respect for that woman.

Baby #4

Needless to say, after four failed experiences with a midwife and three stressful experiences with a hospital, I did not want a repeat.

I know not all midwives are bad, just like not all chiropractors are bad, or lawyers, etc. With the combination of not finding many midwives that will take on a client that has had two c-sections, plus the fact that I personally don’t have enough faith in a midwife to pay one $3,000 or more, that route has not been an option for us this time.

Last fall, I went to a Lunch and Learn at school. The speaker was Dr. Jeannie Ohm. She is very instrumental in the success of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). She and her husband had six kids, the first four being at home, unassisted and unhindered.

This really, really made an impression on me. What also made an impression on me was the fact that she was so young and naïve to all the external negative factors that “could happen” at childbirth with her first four. It really hit me that we have been making childbirth a complicated thing and we didn’t need to.

So I came home and told January that I thought we should have an unassisted pregnancy and childbirth. At first she was shocked and not open to it. Ironically, she brought this up to me when she was pregnant with Annabelle and I was shocked and not open to it then, until the very end when we were doing everything to avoid going to the hospital.

But as time went on, she eventually agreed and that decision has brought us here. Her health has been monitored the whole pregnancy. In the past, I remember the midwives coming over, checking January’s blood pressure, listening for the baby, and then chatting the rest of the time. I can do, and have done, all this without spending $3,000. We’ve made sure January has been under Upper Cervical Chiropractic care the entire time, so that she’s holding her adjustments and her body is staying balanced and aligned.

Overall, January and I are doing this because we both need a healing experience. Not just her, but me, too. Just once, I would like to actually enjoy and revel in the magnificence of my beautiful wife as she gives birth to our fourth child, free from the interference and fears of MDs, nurses, midwives, and doulas.

That is why we have chosen to go the unassisted route.

My Body and Mind Prepare for an Unassisted Birth

January Harshe — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:27:47 +0000

The last few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Here’s a recap.

Week 36 consisted of serious nesting, reorganizing, cleaning, and getting ready.

Week 37 included a panic attack, up and down emotions,and feeling that the birth is so close. I also experienced the baby moving down last Thursday. I had a lot of tightenings along with pressure in my things. My shape has changed a little. I still want everything in order too. Messes are driving me nuts.

Physically, I’ve been wanting to drink and eat more and I’ve had loose bowel movements and urinating often (too much info, I know). I had a dream about losing mucous plug on the morning of Thursday May 21st and in the evening lost a little, but not enough to get too excited about.

38 weeks is well, now. It’s been an interesting few days. I am not doing well in groups of people. I pick up on others’ energy easy and it’s too intense for me right now. I am good one on one and that’s it. I have had a lot of tightenings, have felt the baby moving down a little more and a ton of pressure in my upper inner thighs. Today specifically has been the most intense and very tiring! I felt like I haven’t had a choice but to sit and rest.

I am focusing on how I’ve wanted a nice and easy labor (be careful what you wish for…lol). That seems to be what I’m getting. I am having a lot of warm up for birth going on. It’s not painful or anything, but it is getting harder to concentrate and take care of my daily things. When I start to wonder how much longer this may last, I remember to focus on NOW, because really that’s all there is to do. Worrying about the future does no good.

It is exciting to think that one day or evening soon, this is going to kick into an active labor and my husband and I are going to be meeting our new baby. That just the two of us will be there to welcome our sweetheart. There won’t be any unnecessary interventions or other people’s fears meddling in our birth. There won’t be anyone to poke, prod and scare. It will be peaceful and healing! Now, that is something to look forward to!

Sorry if this post seems to the point and not too involved. I am really having a hard time concentrating!

Anxiety Of An Upcoming Birth

January Harshe — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:57:49 +0000

I think this is normal no matter what kind of birth you are planning. I had a very intense week (last week) of nesting that ended in me having an overwhelming feeling that this baby is going to be here very soon.

It was a hard week to go through these emotions (both mentally and physically). Brandon had part lV boards. Our week revolved around this test(s). He had to be studying and it seems like it’s all we talked about! In the meantime I moved our whole apartment, threw out a bunch of crap and reorganized. I didn’t ask help with anything because I knew what he had on his plate and I wanted to be supportive. By this last weekend I was exhausted. Instead of being able to focus on what I wanted to, I was a single mom. That is what did me in.

Monday morning I let it all out (at Brandon of course). Tons of feelings coming up and out (at him). It all ended with me in a panic with some hardcore sobbing and not able to catch my breath (in the bathroom of course…I am always crying and praying in the bathroom)! I realized it all came down to me having an overwhelming feeling of the birth being right here. I can feel it in my soul. It is so close. I am not nervous about anything specific. Just overall. I felt like there are things I still needed to do to prepare (and needed Brandon to do now that our whole lives don’t revolve around his school).

After a good prayer and talking to my hubby more, I feel much better. We were able to connect and get to the core of what I was truly feeling. It has taken the past 3 days to get to this point. I need to hear how Brandon is feeling about the birth as well. I need to know why he is confident, what his vision of our birth is and his faith in me. I need him to get on a soap box with me and talk about how birth is in our country and how we want it to be for us. I need all of this from him and with him, because it is the only thing I have to deflect everything else that is coming at me surrounding birth.

I think most people mean well. They talk about their births, their fears, ask me questions, give opinions and tell of birth stories or things going wrong. I filter as much as I can, but it is EVERYWHERE and in EVERYONE. What is ‘it’ I am talking about? FEAR, misguidance, not being educated on choices, little faith in the body of a women and the birth process. I don’t think people necessarily see it as these things, but they all come down to one of them (mostly fear). I can recognize and appreciate everyone being on their own journey. However, I need my way to not let it effect me. This is where I need my husband.

After us talking, yelling, crying and talking more, we got to the bottom of this. Brandon doesn’t feel he needs to read any books to know me. I need to know that he feels this way! I need him to answer me with more than “Fine” or “I have confidence in you” when I ask about our upcoming birth. What I need to hear is what he told me today (I won’t go into detail, but it was amazing). It was a heartfelt testimony of his faith in me and birth. He shared how he envisioned our birth in detail. He went on to talk about birth in our country, his feelings about it and how we are going to have an amazing experience that most unfortunately do not have. These things are my shield, my support, and what I need right now! Thank you honey for finally ‘getting it’. Stay on your soap box, because I am listening! It’s you and me babe.

Why We Are Choosing To Have An Unassisted Pregnancy And Childbirth

January Harshe — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:00:42 +0000

Apparently this blog is reaching more and more people. Word is getting out as to what we are up to. That’s OK. Actually better than OK! I started this blog for me. As a confidence booster. I’m not the type that does well keeping things bottled up and worrying about what others think. With each post, my confidence is magnified. Also, I do not want to be quiet like a lot of UCer’s are (rightfully so). I want to speak up and let others know that this is a choice. I want people to know that women do have unassisted births and that it may not seem ‘normal’, but it actually is!

Everyone chooses the type of birth they want to have for different reasons. This goes for an unassisted pregnancy and birth as well. Even in the scope of UCer’s we all do it different. Some couples choose to have care for their pregnancy, then have an unassisted birth. Others, like myself, choose an unassisted pregnancy and birth. I’m going to shed a little light on why my husband and I have made this choice for our current pregnancy and upcoming childbirth.

*This is me in labor for my last birth. Having contractions in between pushing my other sweet children on the swing set in the backyard.

With my last few births, we hired midwives. Without getting into long drawn out details of each situation, I will clump the experiences together a bit. Basically, I do not feel we have ever chosen a care provider that has given us the care and support we felt we needed and deserved.

I am not anti-doctor or anti-midwife. I am not here to say my way is the only way. Basically, our journey has brought us here. With my last experience, we were planning a VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 cesareans). We found a midwife who respected our wishes. Unfortunately, when it came down to it she still had her own fears. Those fears interfered with her giving us care, literally. She “dropped me” at 42 weeks.

We had enjoyed a very hands of prenatal type of care with her. When she dropped me, it put me in a bad situation. I couldn’t just hire any midwife at this point. There were liability issues involved (that’s a whole other post). So, it was either an unassisted birth or go to a CNM that delivers at a hospital and lose my home birth. I didn’t know what to do. I was not mentally or physically prepared for an unassisted birth. I knew about it as an option, but did not feel comfortable with it (which is why I hired a midwife!).

So, I saw the CNM. I labored at home for 48 hours and without getting into a whole birth story, I went to the hospital when I knew I needed to. I had my VBA2C, but the overall experience was disappointing. My home birth and hospital midwife BOTH let their fears get in the way of giving me the support and care I needed.

Fast forward almost a year and we find out we are pregnant again. What are we going to do this time? I didn’t want to plan any birth, truth be told! It was Brandon who decided. He came home from a meeting at school. It was given by a chiropractor who had 4 unassisted births and 2 midwife assisted births. Brandon got in the car and said, “We are having an unassisted birth!”. I replied with an “OK” as I tried to wrap my mind around it. He was the rock in this decision. How lucky am I to have such an awesome husband. He has not looked back once!

The next question that came up was what about the pregnancy? Do we hire a midwife or an OB for prenatal care ‘just in case’? Do we tell them of our plans? Do we lie and then not call for the birth and say ‘it went too fast’? Neither one of us was comfortable about lying, so that wasn’t an option.

Every time I thought about going to see someone for a prenatal appointment it turned my stomach and stressed me out. It just did not feel right. When I thought about having an unassisted pregnancy I had a feeling of peace overcome me. We decided an unassisted pregnancy was right for us. Heck, I’ve had 4 pregnancies in 5 years! I’ve had all the tests, I know what to look for and I am very self educated.

I knew I had some work to do mentally if I was going to have an unassisted birth. I started reading and reading and reading. Books, websites, forums, you name it! I worked through my fears. I have to say it’s a relief not to have to worry about anyone else bringing their fears into my birth when I’ve worked so hard to get rid of mine!

I have read up on how to get a birth certificate for an unassisted birth, how to check the baby’s blood type (I am Rh-, so Rhogam is something I have to consider), how to clamp the cord, what to do in the case of a breech birth, shoulder dystocia, what do do in case of tearing, how much blood is normal and how much is too much and what to do in that situation, etc. I am not going into this blind. I am also not going into this trying to be a midwife. I am preparing to give birth as a responsible, educated parent. I am actually probably taking more responsibility and educating myself on a higher level than I would if I had care with a doctor or midwife! We are also taking a neonatal resuscitation class this week, which I am looking forward to. Brandon is with me on all of this, learning by my side.

That brings me to another reason I will share. We want a healing, intimate birth. We have a lot of birth trauma from our past two births. Brandon and I have grown as a couple in ways we never would have by choosing to be on this journey together. Having an unassisted pregnancy and planning and unassisted birth has brought us closer in amazing ways. We are confident in each other, supportive and excited about this upcoming birth. I know we will be closer than ever before after this little one joins us.

I also want to say this. I don’t know if we are going to have more children. If we do, I can not say that I would chose an unassisted pregnancy and birth again. This is what is right for us this time. However, we may be somewhere else on our journey and each pregnancy and birth is different. Like I said, I am not anti-midwife. I just haven’t found the right one for me. If I had met a midwife that said, “Awesome! I think UC’s are great. I totally support that”, I would have hired her on the spot. I have yet to meet a midwife like that where we live. I know they exist, I just do not live by one. You see, if a midwife trusted birth and a mama enough to support unassisted birth, then I know she would truly support me, respect my wishes and not bring fears into my pregnancy and birth!

One last thing. I don’t know how this is all going to turn out. I am very in tune and extremely prayerful about it. I will listen to any answers the Lord gives me, even if they are answers I don’t want to hear (learned that with my last baby). I feel great about things and there are no worries at the moment. Right now I am feeling anxious about getting things in order. I don’t feel I will go post dates this time. I am wanting to get all my supplies and CPR class done this week! I am at peace about having an unassisted birth, but still think, “Wow, we are really doing this!” I don’t consider myself brave or special. This is just where our journey has led us.

OK and for those of you who know me in real life. If you are reading this I want you to know that it is OK to talk to me about my unassisted pregnancy and birth. Really, I won’t bite your head off! It’s not like it’s a big secret anymore. If you have something positive to say, are just curious or even have a concern you want to talk to me about, I am open!

Leaving Comments

January Harshe — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:00:47 +0000

Just a quick post about comments. Leave them!

OK, I’ll say a little more. If you are reading this, leave a comment and let me know. People (me) love comments on their websites and blogs. It’s fun to know who’s reading and it is interesting to read your thoughts.

If you like what I’m up to, let me know. I am getting so close to having this baby. Any positive feedback and comments will be awesome!

If you think I’m nuts, that’s OK too. Say a little prayer that all goes well and according to the Lord’s will.

This is an exciting time for us and I love sharing my thoughts and experiences as I go through this amazing journey called Unassisted Pregnancy and Birth!

So go now…down there at the bottom of this post…and leave a comment. Then do it again on other posts, and again and……..

*Kinda interesing… I wrote this 2 days ago. Then yesterday people starting leaving more comments! Keep it up. I am feeling the love.

A Day In the Life of a 9 Month Pregnant Mama!

January Harshe — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:00:49 +0000

I had a day where I felt pregnant in every sense of the word! I am completely nesting. I have never had such an urge to reorganize and de-clutter. Seriously, ask my husband. He is so graciously staying out of my way except when I ask for help, which he complies to my demands without question. Smart man!

In all seriousness though, I have moved furniture, thrown out bags of papers and junk, bought tons of bins and am making everything look neat, tidy and as chic as possible (on a student budget, with 3 small children in a 900 sq ft. apartment).

I had a friend over today and we gabbed while she helped me organize the clutter all over what used to be my dining room floor. I also tried to relieve some of her fears concerning my unassisted pregnancy, but don’t think I succeeded. That’s OK, like I told her, they are her fears and not mine. (Love you Becky!)

I cuddled on my kids, but by late this afternoon wanted a break. It was a “no go” as my hubby fell asleep on the couch (darn those Part IV National Boards). So, I loaded up the kids and went to Target for more bins. I felt I was going to go crazy if I didn’t buy them today so I can finish organizing.

This evening I started having some mad cravings for Lebanese food. My family is Lebanese (OK, my great grandfather came over on the boat, so I have some Lebanese mixed with who knows what else). I LOVE Lebanese food though. My mom made it for the holidays when I was growing up and my grandmother pays a Lebanese woman to cook it for the holidays now. I don’t have access to that, so Whole Foods had to work.

I went to Whole Foods all. by. myself. It was wicked! I don’t get out enough! I went straight for the dolmas and started eating them right away (hey, they are already weighed and priced). I grazed through the store, after grabbing 5 containers of dolmas, for other food as well. I bought some of the yummiest food. Here is a plate of my (second rate, but worth it) Lebanese food. Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), hummus, yogurt, pita and an olive tepenade!

I just had that ‘glow’ about me tonight. It felt refreshing to get out, take care of ME and buy food I was craving. I was giving off great energy and receiving it in return. One lady walked by me and said, “You look beautiful!” It was touching. I was waddling around, proudly sticking my belly out and enjoying each moment!

I will leave you pregnancy and birth junkies with a 36 and 1/2 week belly pic. Yes, I am huge and no there are not twins in there! You can also see the mid stages of my organizing in the background!

Vaccination Debate on the Doctor’s TV Show

January Harshe — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:00:11 +0000

So, I am not going to personally post about this too much. For two reasons. The first is that I get too worked up about things like this, especially when pregnant. I just don’t have the energy to do so right now. The second is because my husband has already done a beautiful job of it on his blog.

I will share these thoughts about the clips:

I had to ask Brandon if one of the doctors was really a doctor. He sounded very uneducated and should not be representing his field. On the other hand, maybe he truly is the representation of those administering vaccinations. Unresearched and just doing what he’s told to do (and believe).

I love that finally someone on national TV was able to call out these doctors. That he knew the research better and once again, there was no educated answer from the doctors! It was fabulous.

Go here and read about it and watch the clips!!!!!

Random Posts

My Health at the End of My Unassisted Pregnancy

January Harshe — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:19:04 +0000

As I have mentioned before, this pregnancy was an unexpected surprise. Simply put, I was not ready. That is kind of a funny statement to make, because in this life and on our journey God has given us the opportunity to ride out on Earth, things do not always happen when we want them to! That is the beauty of it all!

When I became pregnant I was in a selfish mode mentally and physically. I was going back to school to live my dream and be a chiropractor and I was still losing weight from my last pregnancy. I seem to have an issue embracing what is given to me sometimes, whether it be homeschooling my children or a precious new life growing in my womb. These are blessings of course, but in my limitations as a human, I can forget this. Reconnecting with God and MY spirit reminds me that I am incredibly blessed!

This all leads me to the roller coaster I have put myself on the last 9 months or so. I am now 36 weeks pregnant and not in the pristine health I would want. I have no one to blame but myself of course, but that does not make things better. I blame myself too much for things!

Two nights ago I was finally relaxing on the couch and noticed how swollen my ankles were. I have not had swollen ankles in my last three pregnancies, but I do often this time. As I was thinking about the puffiness of my feet and ankles, I noticed my feet were splotchy as well. Then that led me up my legs and the wonderful varicose veins I have popping out as well. All of this along with how tired, weak and impatient I tend to feel about did me in!

I am not supposed to feel this way! Do not get me wrong. This pregnancy has been great physically in a lot of ways and overall I feel great. That does not mean I feel at my optimal health though. I mentioned this on Facebook the other day and someone teased me by saying I should find a good chiropractor! Well, that is the one thing I do have right! There are a few more I want to grasp too.

You can not make others change. Period. They have to hit the point where staying the same hurts more than changing. As I sat with my legs reclined the other night, I realized it is hurting more to keep my bad physical and mental habits than it would be to change them! I have been in a very healthy state before and due to a whirlwind of life circumstances (ask my hubby), I lost the importance of taking care of myself. No more!

I went to Whole Foods and Sprouts yesterday. Oh the joy! I restocked on my New Chapter PreNatal vitamins. I also bought a good Magnesium Supplement via the advice of my friend Henny. It may help with my weakness and mood. When Brandon and I checked my prenatals, we realized it was very low in Magnesium. This probably would have helped me months ago! We looked at the probiotics as well and decided to buy a case of G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha instead because it is full of probiotics among other amazing properties. The last thing on my list was Cod Liver oil. We used to take this everyday until it started grossing me out. It is being added back in.

As far as nutrition goes, that is getting a makeover as well. I added green smoothies back in this week. Yesterday we stocked up on fresh, vibrant fruits and vegetables and treats such as raw cheese, organic dressings and organic dark chocolate. I have to say, I love looking at my fridge right now!

Now, I wish I had made myself more of a priority much sooner, but I have to let the thought go at that. I can not beat myself up over what I should of done, but instead feel good about what I am doing now!

I recently read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Health (I prefer his book Eat to Live) and have read other articles on this same subject. He was talking about ’super seniors’ or centenarians in other cultures. They all have the same things in common:

They consume the majority of calories from fresh produce.
They have an optimistic outlook on life.
They maintain a social circle of friends.
They stay physically active.

I am already taking steps to change the first one. A plant based diet is what I am embracing. I plan to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible, make healthy meals and if I want a treat eating something like organic dark chocolate instead of processed ice cream or chocolate chip cookies (although they are yummy).

An optimistic outlook on life. I think this is the one I need to work on the most. I have been: beating myself up over everything, having a hard time making decisions, not thinking or doing good things for myself and stressing too much. I am now going to focus on doing things that are good for my physical and mental health by making myself more of a priority instead of last in my family. I am going to focus on my good qualities. I am going to have Faith in the Lord that things will work out instead of stressing and worrying too much (I have actually been doing this already and it is awesome!).

I have been making some good friends that are healthy friendships. Women who love and support me for who I am even if we do not agree on everything. I used to choose friends who were self destructive and judgmental. How is that going to be a positive thing in my life? It’s actually detrimental for me! Also, the most important person to have a healthy relationship is my husband. We have been making us a priority and it has been great.

With the other changes I am making, I know I will have the energy to be more active once again. I used to walk miles a day and now I have been sedentary! The nutrition and physical activity obviously go hand in hand!

I did not post for almost 2 weeks and now I cannot stop writing! There is a lot to ponder when a mama is pregnant and getting ready to birth a baby, but I think even more so when she is taking all the responsibility by enjoying an unassisted pregnancy and preparing for an unassisted birth. I am enjoying the changes I am already making and looking forward to the better physical and mental well being I will have through these postive changes.

A Friend’s Unassisted Birth

January Harshe — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:12:51 +0000

I know I haven’t posted in over a week. So sorry. I actually enjoyed a girl’s weekend with my sister and then this week has been super busy with us buying equipment for our practice and B studying for part 4 boards!

I will post soon. In the meantime, read about Henny and Sean’s Unassisted Birth here. Their son joined them earthised a week ago! This is Sean’s perspective of their experience. They are awesome!

Upper Cervical Chiropractic from a Mom’s Perspective

January Harshe — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:46:17 +0000

I had a mama ask me on a private forum what UC chiropractic really is. I tend to make recommendations that moms and their kiddos get checked quite often. This is how I answered. To those chiropractors, upper cervical docs, Green Book junkies and philosophy diplomates, remember this is from a mom’s perspective and explanation! One mama trying to help another (and her children).

An Upper Cervical Chiropractor adjusts (usually) only the C1 and/or the C2 (the atlas or axis) bones. They take VERY SPECIFIC x-rays and find out exactly how your atlas or axis is (or if it is) misaligned. Then they adjust VERY SPECIFICALLY to the right degree and angle to set the bone back in place. Thus, allowing proper nerve flow to be restored from the brain stem down!

Upper cervical docs don’t ‘crack or pop’ anything. The body then does what’s called ‘retracing’. The rest of the spine realigns now that the top two bones have been properly realigned. You know, any complaints someone has about a chiropractor or chiropractic just doesn’t apply to upper cervical care. They stick to what chiropractic started as.

You also don’t see patients needing to be adjusted 3 times a week for a year. Most people (depending on the person and situation it can take a different amount of adjustments to start holding) will hold their adjustments for a long period of time. They go in to be checked, but don’t always need an adjustment. My husband for example received an upper cervical adjustment over a month ago and it’s still holding. People can hold for a year! Because the adjustment is so specific it really does remove nerve interference and people have AMAZING results. I usually don’t hold a ‘regular’ adjustment for a day! LOL. I hold my upper cervical adjustments for about 2 weeks right now. I’m hoping after I have the babe they will hold longer. (I also have been breaking the habit of ’self adjusting’ )

There are a few different upper cervical techniques. A few use tools and a few use the hands. I prefer the hand techniques. The adjustment is super fast and gentle. You can look them up on my husbands blog at http://theatlasoflife.com. He has some videos on there I believe and in the links he has the different technique websites listed.

Also, here are 2 patients that had such amazing results, they now dedicate their work to getting the word out to other people. http://www.whattimetuesday.com/ and http://upcspine.com/ (you can find a doc in your area on this one).

OK, I hope I explained that well. I’m not a chiro, just a mama who is passionate about it.

Off Topic: The Swine Flu

Braxton Hicks Contractions, Nesting and More

January Harshe — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:00:35 +0000

This post is not a rant or educational (or maybe it will be to someone). It is just a post about a little of this and a little of that.

I am 34 weeks pregnant now and am FINALLY in the place I have been struggling to get to for the last…oh, 34 weeks! I feel wonderful about being pregnant, I am definitely more in tune, I am eating how I feel best and I am ready to birth this baby!

I am in a mode right now where I am ready to get everything prepared and ready for my birth and I want my house clean at ALL times. Some may refer to this behavior as nesting. It is bad though. If there is any clutter or dirty dishes or toys out, I tell my husband, “I don’t want to live like white trash, I need this clean!”. LOL. Somehow I have equated a little mess with living like white trash. Ya, I am hormonal.

We are going to be taking a CPR/Neonatal resuscitation class and ordering a few birth supplies soon. Oh, and I am going to be getting maternity pictures this time. I am very excited about that. I will of course share.

I am really feeling that I am going to have this baby between 38-40 weeks. Now, if you know me, this is almost ridiculous. Laughable, really. I had my last baby VBA2C at 43 weeks and 6 days and my 2nd baby at 42 weeks! The main reason I am feeling I will not go so far post dates is because I am so mentally sound and ready to have this baby at home with just myself and my husband present. I have let go of all fears. I have faith that this is going to be a beautiful, healing experience.

Now, on one hand I hesitate to make that claim. I know mothers who say they thought they were going to have their baby “early” and then go ‘late’. We all cook our babies different and each baby comes when he or she is ready. So, in that sense there is no late or early. This baby will come when he or she is in perfect health to meet us! On the other hand, I can be very in tune, so we’ll see what happens!

About Braxton Hicks contractions. Also referred to as practice contractions or false labor, etc. They really are none of the above in my opinion. I refer to them as “tightenings” and I LOVE them! They let me know my uterus and body are exercising and getting ready to help assist my baby in coming earthside. Also, they are mentally preparing me for birth.

I have been reading Hypnobirthing. Brandon is now reading it as well. I’ll have another post dedicated to this book. But for now, I just want to say that I use my tightenings as an opportunity to relax. I truly feel my last two labors were so long and painful ( 72 and 54 hours active labor) because of 2 reasons. First is fear. Second is tensing up and fighting my body in what it is trying to do best…birth a baby! Contractions are associated with fear and pain in our country. I had the hardest time just relaxing and letting go.

So, even when I get these practice tightenings, my first thought is pain. Tense up January, oh that hurts. Now that I know more and have let go of fears and misconceptions of what birth ’should be’, I just breathe through them and enjoy them. Sometimes my whole belly gets tight. Other times I feel it in my ligaments. My body is awesome and it is working with my baby already!

I am curious to see if these tightenings turn into a more regular prodromal labor at some point. I had this with my last baby for about a week. That can be a little more tiring as they can be a tad bit more intense and regular. I know many mamas who can experience this for weeks! I hope that this time, if I am to experience prodromal labor, I can continue loving the process and letting go.

One other thing to mention. There is one part of me I am looking forward to having back after I have this baby and that is my amazing patience. This pregnancy and my last have been hard for me when it comes to being patient with my children. I know it’s hard on them too, because they are used to a very laid back mommy. I have very high expectations of what I should be like as a parent and it kills me when I do not feel I am living up to that. So, that is the only thing that I am wishing were different. I’ll take it though. I have a beautiful family, a healthy pregnancy and a wonderful birth to look forward to!

Fear Mongering of Natural Birth

January Harshe — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:00:23 +0000

I do not even know where to begin. Actually, I am going to go away and come back because I am too emotionally worked up right now to write a coherent post about this!

OK, I have calmed down. A little. Today, my emotional fire about birth began with an email. I emailed a doula friend of mine and asked her if she would be willing to support a mama who wanted an unassisted childbirth. This doula is awesome! She truly trusts birth and honoring the choices of the pregnant/birthing mother.

Her reply informed me that she could not due to personal things going on in her life and that she did not know of anyone to recommend to support this mama. Apparently everyone is ‘jumpy’ as she put it. The state they are in is cracking down on midwives and doulas who ‘honor women’s birthing choices’.

WHAT?! Since when does the goverment get to tell a woman how to birth and tell other women that they can not support the birthing mama?! So, here is a mama wanting an unhindered birth and having a hard time of finding any support at all. She wants to birth how God (or nature or whatever you believe in) made her body to birth with no interference from people coming at her with fear (or knives) and no one can or will becasue they are afraid of their butts getting prosecuted for it. Hmmmm, should we get out the stakes and start burning those who are different once again?

We live in a time where it is all about ‘tolerance’. Tolerance for all races (which I agree with of course), for gay marriage, for pornography, abortion, etc. “To each their own”. We live in a day where doctors, the AMA, and the media can push the fear of death all over the place when it comes to things like birth and the swine flu! We live now, right now, when pharmceutical companies jump on these opportunities to make BILLIONS of dollars from the fears of others. We tolerate all of this. But, if someone wants to tune out the media, wants to educate themselves, wants to keep drugs out of their bodies and believe in their innate intelligence, have faith in God and wants to have an unassisted birth, there is NO tolerance! Are you kidding me?!

Fear mongering. That is the best way I can describe it. Fear is contagious and it catches on more quickly than any ‘deadly’ disease! I am not about to be man handled (literally) again because of fear. I have worked through my fears. I have faith in myself, my body, my baby, my God! I know I can birth this baby without having my vagina cut. Without someone pulling on my baby’s head, without DRUGS! The interference is what causes most problems.

Infant mortality rates are still high in our country because of premature babies being born too often. My last baby was born at 44 weeks! If I had just given into fears or listened to any doctor and even some midwives, they would have wanted to cut me open at 38-40 weeks tops! That would have been 4-6 weeks to early for that baby! Can you imagine? As my chiropractor at the time put it, “She would have been severly compromised!” Good thing I fought for what I knew was right.

I do not care who supports what I am doing and who does not. I do not care what others think. I have to live with my birth experiences, no one else. And especially not the government or some doctor who does not know me. With my last birth (my VBA2C), the doctor who I had never met before this, came into my room, looked at me, gloved up and put his hand in my vagina! No introduction, didn’t ask, nothing. He thought because I was a woman on my back in labor that he was in control of me. I literally yelled at him, “GET OUT OF ME”! And he did.

In my opinion home birth is much, much safer than hospital birth. For me, the safest birth option at this point is an unassisted birth. To all the birthing women and any man who may support a birthing mama, read this again and again: EDUCATE YOURSELF, FIND YOUR VOICE AND DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE MAMA AND BABY! This will be different for everyone. Do not look to others, especially doctors and hospitals for this answer. Look within. Once you find what the right thing is for you, DO NOT WAIVER. EVER.

Off Topic: The Swine Flu

January Harshe — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0000

OK, I got myself way too worked up today about birth. So much so, that I just couldn’t write about it. I need to calm down, digest and sort through my thoughts and come back to it.

In the meantime, I want to gag every time I check my mail on yahoo. There is always a pic of someone with a useless mask on their face. This whole thing is ludicrous!

So, go here and read what my hubby has to say about it. I totally agree and am wowed by the statistics he looked up!

In the meantime, we’ll keep our bodies free of interference in this family and not worry about it!

Upper Cervical Chiropractic from a Mom’s Perspective

Position of the Baby

January Harshe — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:14:07 +0000

This little peanut has been hanging out breech and transverse. How do I know this? Well, my first answer is I just ‘know’. My intuition has just said so. I am not an expert in palpation and I am not an ultrasound technician. However, I am a mother and I do have a beautiful blessing from God growing inside of me and that does make me the expert.

Breech Baby

If you are the type of person who needs a little something more concrete, then I will give another reason. I have been able to tell by palpation and the baby’s movements. I have felt kicks, and not gentle ones, but more like football field goal kicker-type-kicks, in my lower left abdomen. This baby has strong feet and he/she has made me very aware of this fact. Also, sometimes while the baby is kicking on my left I feel movement on the right (no, I don’t have twins in there). I think this has been due to a transverse and/or breech position. Also, at the top of my abdomen I have felt a little round ‘noggin.

My first baby was a frank breech presentation. She loved that position and did not have any want or need to turn. We tried it all. The Webster technique, standing upside down in the pool, and even a manual external inversion (ouch!). Her little head was stuck. This was my start of cesarean sections and my journey towards my VBA2C and now unassisted birth.

So, it has been on my mind that I want this little one to get into a more favorable head down position. Am I comfortable with a breech unassisted birth? Ya, actually, I am. I would prefer a head down presentation. I do not want to have to worry about any complications that comes with a breech birth. I have of course read up on how to handle this if it does happen during my labor/birth!

I had another birth dream about a month ago. The actual dream itself was not a birth dream. It was one of those dreams that is all over the place…lots of people and places. At one point though, I found myself in a movie theater (one of my favorite things to do) with my hubby (one of my favorite people). The baby started moving around a lot. I knew in my dream that the baby was moving from a breech position to head down. In my dream, I told Brandon that the baby had flipped!

I awoke the next morning feeling very comforted. I knew after this dream that my baby was letting me know he/she intended to flip when ready! My faith has been strong in knowing this to be true.

Two days ago, the baby moved ALL DAY! When I say all day, I really mean it. Never before has one of my children moved so much in one day. This sweetheart did not stop jumping, flipping, kicking…you name it! Today I was feeling my belly and realized the baby has turned! I no longer feel the kicks in my lower left abdomen. Up top it feels like a booty/body! I am not sure which way the baby is facing (not good at figuring that out), but I am feeling less movement.

head down presentation

The movements went from strong, all over the place to slow and relaxed. Think of the movie Nemo. The movements I have been feeling went from Dori…fast, all over the place, sporadic, high energy, little crazy and are now more like the turtles…totally chill, slow, go with the flow, dude!!!

I am feeling confident and happier with myself. I am getting more intune once again and having faith that my baby, my body and God know exactly what they are doing.

Going Inward For An Unhindered Birth

January Harshe — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:36:11 +0000

This was a hard week. It started out with a horrible headache that did not want to go away. My adjustments were not holding either. All of this was due to lack of sleep. Our bodies are amazing, but they do need rest. God rested a season after the Earth was created! Well, my body needs to rest as it creates this life growing in my womb!

My husband went out of town yesterday, I was exhausted, still had the headache and just needed someone. I do not have family I can call for support and I was left feeling like I wanted a mom to call. Someone to listen or someone close to come love on my kids while I get a much needed break. My pregnancy hormones kicked it and I cried and cried more.

When these feelings arise, I start to feel despair. This is when Satan likes to creep in. He wants me to feel down, hopeless and fearful. I question everything including and especially my unassisted pregnancy and birth. Yesterday, this led me to contacting a midwife whom I like in the area. She asked me via email what my actual plans were. I was honest and so was she. She does not support my decision. I understand.

This has left me feeling like I need to go inward, not outward. When I am feeling down or upset I always go outward for help or to get reassurance. It is nice to have support and love, but that is different than not trusting myself. This pregnancy has been full of emotion and I am at a point where I either need to give over my responsibility and trust to someone else (i.e. midwife or doctor) or need to love myself, have faith in the Lord at all times and go inward. I need to focus on a relationship with my unborn child. I need to tune in to my intuition. I can not do this by looking to others, including a midwife or doctor. I have done so in the past and was left feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Last night I went to bed at 10 pm and slept through the night! I feel so much better this morning already. Sleep is key to great mental and physical health! So, this is going to be my focus right now. I am going to take time to relax, pray and meditate. I am going to turn to my scriptures and the Lord when I am feeling like things are crazy! Last, but not lease I am going to eat and get sleep. I need to be like a child…having childlike faith and listening to my body. When my kids are sick, they rest and eat healthy food. They listen. They go inward. Sounds good to me!

*An afterthought is that by getting in a place of trust and faith, I can then know if and when I really do need help and I can know when things are well and gestate in peace.

Sometimes Babies Die: Unassisted, Midwife Assisted and in Hospital Births

January Harshe — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:30:06 +0000

http://www.momlogic.com/2009/04/home_birth_advocates_baby_dies.php

This article was shared on an LDS forum I visit. I went ahead and read it despite the warning that it involved a stillborn death of a baby recently. I just read it last night and I can not get it off my mind. I have to write about it.

When I first read the article, I felt really sad for her. To lose a child and to have to deal with all this criticism. That would be more difficult than I can comprehend. I think the article is crap. It is very, very biased. No where does it state how many babies die in the hospital vs. how many die at home. There is no information what really happened during and after her labor. Also, I want to note that I don’t think most women who suffer the loss of their baby in an unassisted birth (though rare, it happens) normally go through this. It is because of her status and being outspoken about unassisted birth, etc that has made this so.

“But her decision to forgo medical care entirely — even after her labor continued for a week — is tantamount to reckless endangerment of a child.”

This is the fear inducing talk and beliefs that I can’t stand in our society. Many women have long early and even active labors when left to labor on their own without interventions like pitocin. With my last baby, I had prodromal (early) labor for a week with contractions 10 minutes apart. It wasn’t painful, but exhausting. I was in active labor for 48 hours before I went to the hospital! So, a longer labor may have been very normal for this mom.

“In the past century, childbirth has gone from being the single most dangerous event in a woman’s life to something routine. We can thank Western medicine for that.”

This is a ridiculous claim too. Birth was the single most dangerous event in a woman’s life? Are you kidding me? The BIRTH wasn’t the dangerous part, but the conditions surrounding the birth. I do have to say that I have read (just recently in Hypnobirthing) where Western medicine was also responsible for causing a lot of those problems (i.e. deaths). When births started moving from homes to hospitals, there were some places where death rates went up because the hospital staffs were spreading infections among the birthing women!

My goodness, you know why the infant mortality rate is high in our country (it still is people)? Because of all that medical intervention. Because all the premature babies born. NOT because of free birth. There is no mention if the baby would have lived if born in a hospital. There really aren’t any good details or facts in this article in my opinion.

“It doesn’t empower women to take control of their own bodies. It sends them and their babies into the dark ages of medical care – where women give birth with no medical care at all and face the very real possibility of death as a consequence.”

And yes, it can be empowering. No wonder women don’t take responsibility themselves (if they want to). It’s all FEAR, FEAR, FEAR.

This article didn’t make me afraid of my UC, it made me want it even more.

After thinking over it last night and this morning, I also started thinking about Western medicine and how it specifically applies to birth. I have many opinions on how overused it is and how much I dislike interventions and the fear placed on birth in our country. With all that said, I do want to say that I do believe it has its place and can be a good thing.

What it comes down to in my opinion is women need to make informed choices by educating themselves. I would never say that all women should birth unassisted or even at home with a midwife and never in a hospital. Women just need to have the right to choose what is best for them and have the birth she wants!

Birth Dream About the Gender of the Baby

January Harshe — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:04:02 +0000

by Dana Peters

I had my first birth dream a few months ago. It was a few weeks before I was 20 weeks pregnant. I had been playing with the idea of find out the gender of the baby this time around. We took a peek with our first two children. With our last angel, we waited until she was born. The first thing Brandon did was look at the baby’s parts and yelled “It’s a girl!!!!”

This time I was on the fence because it was a hard adjustment emotionally being pregnant. I wasn’t quite ready and here I was trying to connect to this tiny blessing the Lord decided was time to give us. I thought that knowing the gender might help me connect more.

I read Laura Shanley’s, Unassisted Chilbirth and she talks a bit about birth dreams. I had quite a vivid one myself! In my dream, there were friends wanting to know ‘what I was having’. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell. Then, in the dream, my tummy was peeled down like a veil and there was my sweet angel. The baby looked like an 18-20 week old fetus and was breech so that it was looking up at me. I had my arms around my belly and the baby as to protect it while this veil was down. Looking into my baby’s eyes, I know that it didn’t matter if this blessing was male or female. Quite frankly I felt like, in my dream and after waking, that it was none of mine or anyone else’s business. The veil was lifted again so that my baby could grow in comfort, safety and peace.

The next day I awoke and pondered my dream. I felt more connected to my baby and completely okay with not knowing the gender. I am so excited about finding out when I birth him or her. The surprise isn’t ruined!

My Unassisted Pregnancy

January Harshe — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:56 +0000

I am 32 weeks pregnant and am currently enjoying an unassisted pregnancy and looking forward to my unassisted birth with just myself and my husband present. I am going to share what that entails for us right now and how I feel about it.

I know what the tests given to pregnant women are for and personally (this is going to rustle some feathers), I think they are not needed on a regular basis. I think they cause more problems overall than anything. However, if I truly feel I need a test, then they are there to check things out. How I feel though is that I’ve had 3 pregnancies, I kinda know ‘how’ to be pregnant.

With my last pregnancy I had a midwife, whom I hired at 26 weeks. It was very laid back prenatal care that consisted of listening to the heartbeat, palpating and mainly just talking. Well, we can do those things at home if we want. I don’t need a test to tell me I’m not resting enough, eating right, etc. My body can tell me that (and it has). There are other ways to know. If there is something wrong with my baby (genetically mainly), that problem will be there even if a doctor or midwife is seeing me. It won’t change anything.

With my last pregnancy, I was planning a VBA2C. I had to go completely against everyone and everything we are taught in this country about pregnancy and birth.

Now, this is where I want to address intuition. You really can be so in tune with your body and baby that you don’t need unnecessary interventions (that is most things to me). It really can be like that. Not always, not every pregnancy and not with every woman, but it can be. And it was like that for me with my last. I felt implantation, I felt extremely connected to the baby and I was very in tune with my body, my wants, my needs, etc. I was also very, very prayerful through the whole pregnancy and I knew when to get help and when not to. I knew when I needed something and when I didn’t. I did have my VBA2C (in the hospital, b/c my home birth midwife dropped me at 42 wks when I wouldn’t take anything to induce at home… it felt wrong and I was right). For example though, I prayed and meditated on what I should do at 42 weeks and I got the answer to get an ultrasound, so I did. It ended up helping me in the long run (long story).

With all that said, it has been hard for me to get into that place this pregnancy because I wasn’t prepared to be pregnant again. I wasn’t ready on many levels. I am just now getting there.

For this pregnancy, I have mostly read, read, and read more. I have read many books including :

I have read other books in previous pregnancies. Books I still want to get my hands on are:

I have also studied up on information on websites, have read hundreds of birth stories, etc.

I had a sonogram at 11 weeks because of bleeding. Everything was perfect. The placenta looked great. There was one, very active baby jumping around in there!

We have checked my blood pressure a few times, when I feel something is off and I want to verify.

I also receive Upper Cervical Chiropractic Adjustments of my C1/Atlas.

I can feel my baby moving (a TON) and every time I try to get a ‘position’ on the baby, I give up because this little one is moving so much I can’t keep up!

The main focus for me this pregnancy is the fact that I haven’t been resting enough or eating enough. I have been rectifying those the last 2 weeks. I actually feel I’ve been reading and looking to outside sources too much and not going within myself enough! I am not as in tune as I was last time and this bothers me. I have a high expectation. I need to let that go and realize I am in THIS experience now. I also want to spend more time at the Temple and be as close to the Spirit as possible so that I can hear and listen to promptings, no matter how subtle!

Let me just say this. We are all on our own journey. We are growing at different paces and in different areas of our lives.

My biggest thing is EDUCATE YOURSELF (with anything in your life). If you look into different birthing options and all the risks this way or that and choose a hospital birth with all the interventions, by all means, I respect that. Don’t do it because “they” told you that you have to or because you are afraid and have fears (this is another topic all together). For me, this is where my journey has brought my husband and myself. My last 2 births were traumatic and mostly due to midwives. My husband wouldn’t pay a midwife a dime after all that. Any and all ‘complications’ I had last time with my VBA2C (bad tearing and part of the placenta breaking off/bleeding, the way we were treated) were because of the midwife, not because my body didn’t know how to birth.

Also, I am of the mindset that our bodies do know how to birth. It’s all the fears, interventions and testing that takes us away from birthing the way God intended. That is my opinion and I’m sticking to it!

A Response About Pre-Natal Care

January Harshe — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:16:45 +0000

I had a friend post a response to me about my thoughts on pre-natal care. She expressed her thoughts about how it is valuable and how mortality rates have gone down because of such care. She also pointed out how some women even need help getting pregnant. I could probably write 5 separate posts to answer all of that, but for now, this was my response.

“Friend, I knew I would get some input from you b/c I know about your situation. And I am so glad there is care there for you to have! And that is also why I put at the end of my post that this is based on my experiences and my journey.

I think there is a place for medical help and intervention, I just think most of the time it doesn’t know its place and it is WAY overused. I know in your case you needed that extra help. I actually like high risk OB’s better, b/c they know what high risk is and is NOT.

There is so much fear surrounding birth in our country and it is my opinion that most problems are caused by these fears and interventions. NOT ALL, but a lot. I had a c-section with my first child and have no regrets. NONE. But, the amount of interventions given to me the last 2 times were ridiculous and the way I was treated was horrible. I can’t tell you the countless number of stories I read about women’s births and how they were treated. It is so sad.

It has gotten to the point that when a woman does stand up (like myself) and say, “I trust birth! I trust my body! I trust it will know when to go into labor! I trust my uterus will know how to birth my baby even after 2 c-sections!”, she gets crap. People put their fears on her. They freak out and tell her she can’t do it or she can try but this, this, and this may and can and will go wrong.

I went thru that when I was pregnant with my last baby. I went 4 weeks past my due date and had a VBA2C and no one ‘let’ me. I did it. I fought for it and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me any different. And I can see why many women don’t bother. I didn’t need to be induced. It wasn’t that “my body doesn’t know how to go into labor”. It knows exactly how to and with patience, I let it when it was ready!

Now, if something were to come up, would I get help? Of course! I have in the past and I would again. I am just not going to start getting put through the ringer for no reason if everything is going well.

OK, I need to turn this into a post! LOL. And Friend, this wasn’t directed AT you! It was already on my mind. I just haven’t posted about it yet.”

OK, now I am off to look up maternal and infant mortality rates since the introduction of prenatal care and interventions of birth!

My Thoughts About PreNatal Care

January Harshe — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:23:20 +0000

A friend asked me today: “How do you know you don’t have any complications if you haven’t seen a midwife or doctor”.

Really? Are you serious? Because I just know!

Then she asked, “How do you know you don’t have gestational diabetes if you haven’t taken the test?”

Really? Ummm, even if I was seeing a midwife, I’d refuse that test. I’m not drinking that crap!

Do any other women believe in their bodies? Are any women in tune with how they are feeling? How their baby is doing? To know when she really does need care or not? Or realize that nothing is perfect no matter how much you try to manage things? Sometimes things do go wrong no matter what you do and having a doctor isn’t going to make you feel better about it. Or how about that fact that any and ALL complications I had last time was BECAUSE OF the CNM! When I was left alone things were well, when I was ‘managed’ and ‘cared for’ I was hurt…A LOT (physically and emotionally).

I will admit it has been harder for me this time than my last pregnancy to get in tune and feel at peace. I wasn’t prepared ahead of time to get pregnant like last time. I have a lot more on my plate and I am more tired. BUT I still trust my body and birth! If I feel I need help, I will get it. In the mean time, leave me alone! Let me gestate in peace! Don’t put your fears on me.

*This is for me and based on my journey and experiences. I understand some women need care, but most women and babies would be fine if left alone! And if I feel I really needed help, I will get it!

*I also want to say that I love this friend and all of my other friends. I think they care and that is where this is coming from. I am using this example because it is the most recent.

I’m Back

January Harshe — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:29:03 +0000

This blog has been sitting here, ignored and lonely for quite some time. With a move, my husband in school, a family blog I keep up on, 3 kids ages 5, 3 and 18 months and a baby bump…you get the idea!

As much as this blog might like to be uplifted and put to good use again, I need it more! I need a place to really say what’s on my mind. A place to let out exactly how I feel and not hold back! I have hesitated for some time now just letting go. Why? Simply put…I care too much what others think.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she said something along the lines of, “You know January, I was thinking about this, and for someone who does things so different and against mainstream, it’s odd that you care so much what others think!” I laughed and told her, “I know! I am exhausting! You should be in my head!”

It’s true. Somewhere along the path of my journey, I started caring that others were judging me, gossiping about me or didn’t agree with how I do things. This is silly of course. Even though I’ve had some hard lessons to learn and have realized that people, even good friends, really are doing all of those, I can’t care to the point of not being myself.

I went on a walk yesterday to clear my head. I am not alone often. It was a gorgeous day out and I love being in nature. I walked a few miles (stopping off at Walgreens to pee…this is an every 30 minute need at this point). I realized at one point that people are going to talk no matter what, so I might as well give them something good to talk about!!! I would venture to claim that I am quite educated in several subjects, especially when it comes to my family, my children and health. Why do I act insecure? I need to be confident in these things!

So here it is. The Skinny on January, the low down on what’s really on my mind, no holding back! Hold on to your panties!

Random Posts

Falling Off

January Harshe — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:39:04 +0000

Yeah, that’s right, I totally fell off program. Why you ask? Let’s just say a mini break down, melt down, crisis, whatever you want to call it. When I only had 2 children, I felt like something or someone was missing. Long story short, now that I have 3 children, I don’t feel that way anymore. I have reached an "inner" limit of what I can handle for now. Does that mean no more children for us? No. What is means is that right now, to be the awesome mother I know I am I need to do something for me. I’m working that out right now.

In the meantime I am finding my patient self again, thinking of going back to school, trying to find what is true to myself and keeping up on our family blog! See, I have this habit of letting other’s opinions influence me to a fault. As my friend Staci recently told me, "When you are around people who want lots of children, you want lots of children. When you are around people who are working and earning money, then that is what you want to do. You need to figure out what you want to do and stick to it no matter what others are doing or telling you to do!" Thanks Staci, I needed someone other than Brandon to be blunt with me. Brandon and Staci are right and I need to get real with myself and get back to living what is right for me, my core and my Spirit.

Good news…I walked 7 miles this week pushing the kids in a jogger and carrying Annabelle in the Baby Bjorn. Wow, I felt It might as well have been 14 miles! I’m starting to really care about what food I am putting in my body again. I’ll post some pics and recipes soon!

Random Posts

Day 14 on Weight Watchers

January Harshe — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:10:17 +0000

Thoughts Before Weigh In

I want to write my thoughts down before weigh in. This way, no matter what the results, I will have written how I am feeling without the influence of the nasty scale. I am proud of myself. I started exercising again. I have done well sticking to less points this week. I am making better choices and enjoying eating healthier foods. When I have wanted a treat, I have had it, but don’t go overboard. I’m getting back to good habits, finally!

No matter what the scale says tonight (man I should go to a morning weigh in!), I know that I have made positive changes the last few days. Keeping up this way and improving even more will show me healthy results.

Pictures

Ok, I took some gross pictures before Weight Watchers. I can’t bring myself to post them. I will post them when I have had some weight loss and can compare the two. Sorry to disappoint.

Not Just About Being Skinny

Brandon is right, I can’t only focus on weight loss. Before, I only focused on being healthy and the weight came off as a side effect. One of the biggest things I want to change right now is how I feel. Every morning I wake up and feel so old. My body aches. Part of this is probably lack of sleep, but I have never felt like this before. I want this extra weight off of me, because know I will have more energy, won’t feel so achy and feel younger again!

I am noticing that I really do need to start taking care of myself. I can see it in pictures of myself lately. Taking care of my skin, getting sleep, doing things for myself, exercising and eating good foods are imperative to my well being right now. I know when my kids are grown I can focus even more on things I want to discover and experience, but for now I can at least make myself a little more of a priority.

Weigh In

My mom-in-law just called and told me she lost 2.5 lbs her first week! That is awesome! She was diligent and has completely stuck to her points and started exercising again. Way to go mom!

OK, no more putting it off. The verdict is in for week 2. I lost 3.4 lbs! Oh ya baby! So, I lost the 1.2 lbs from last week and another 2.2 lbs, which is my total weight loss for 2 weeks!

Random Posts

Recap Days 6-13 Weight Watchers

January Harshe — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:46:55 +0000

Man, having 3 kids is a hoot! Finding time is like trying to escape mosquitoes in the humid heat of Dallas, Texas. Ugh!

Days 6 and 7

I had frustrated feelings come up these days. I had thoughts along the lines of, "Why am I even in this situation?" "I shouldn’t have weight issues." "I’ve already gone thru losing weight before, why again?" "Ok, I know I had a baby, but still, this sucks."

It was no fun, but it was emotions coming up that I had to face. I know that the person I am on the inside can show on the outside. It is no fun not feeling comfortable in your own skin. Literally, I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin. It just does not feel right.

Weigh In For Week 1

Now, I followed points for 7 days, with the exception of one meal at the Olive Garden. I went to weigh in with my mother in law who just joined. I get on the scale and as I look down at what the nice old lady is writing down, I am in disbelief. I want to crawl into a (big) hole. Gained 1.2 pounds?! What the freakin’ heck? Are you serious? I was so ticked off. Really, I was not OK with that. I write down everything I eat, am counting calories (points) and I GAIN weight? I sent a text to my friend Staci, "Gained 1.2, this sucks."

My Reaction

Days 8, 9 and 10 I kind of go off of counting points. Typical, right? I’m totally irritated and start having the feelings of, "If I’m gonna gain, then why am I doing this? I may as well eat whatever the hell I want." It doesn’t make it any better that my skinny, health conscious husband wants to have a "cheat" day. After Chic-fil-a and Peter Piper Pizza, I’m beginning to wonder what I am doing. I mean, I want to be skinny and healthy. This isn’t about "The Fat on January", right? Or is it?

Anyways, I am remembering that a calorie isn’t just a calorie. If you eat 2000 calories of good fats, grass fed, natural meats, fruits, veggies and raw milk and cheese, well, that is different than 2000 calories of a value meal at a fast food joint. Obviously, the nutrients taken in with the healthier foods is more beneficial, but even pound for pound you’ll be eating more food the healthier way. You will be more satisfied, have less cravings and lose more weight. Yeah, OK, it may not be as fun at first, but after a while, your taste buds don’t change, they become alive again! I know in my example I start to crave the healthier foods.

Inspiration

On Sunday I saw a woman at church that I had not seen in about 3 years. I did not recognize her and had to ask someone who she was. When they told me it was Sister Donner, my draw dropped to the floor. As I picked it up I managed to ask where half of her went. I waved her down and after telling her how amazing she looked, I asked here how she lost half of herself. She said it was Weight Watchers. No way! "How much have you lost?" I asked. She said, "Eighty seven pounds. I can’t believe I had that much to lose on me!" She has been counting points and changing eating habits for a year now. She faithfully attends meetings and says, "It’s the only ‘diet’ that truly works". Now that is inspiration (and maybe a sign) at its best.

Days 11 and 12

I got my big booty back on track. After getting thru all of my emotional ups and downs, I decided to stick this out. I am not where I was when I lost the weight by myself in Texas (literally and mentally). I need the support and accountability. I figure if I go to weigh in every week (instead of ignoring what I’m eating) and have a gain, then eventually I might do something about it. I also decided to cut my nursing points from 10 to 5. Now, my allowed points will be 37, not 42. I’m going to see how this effects my milk, if at all, and my weight loss.

Exercise

Brandon asked me 2 nights ago if I wanted to go on a walk in our neighborhood after the kids were in bed. I was surprised that some lame excuse, such as I need to clip my toe nails, didn’t come out of my mouth. Instead a simple "yes" slipped out. So, I charged up my ipod and walked for 35 minutes listening to the Step Up soundtrack. Fun times. I stretched afterwards and felt great. The best part about exercising again after being sedentary for so long, was the mental changes. I started to feel, well, HOPE again. I thought about all I wanted to do, accomplish, be and remembered how great it feels to exercise. It was great. I love walking. Also, there were no kids hanging on me. That in itself was totally worth it. Oh, it was worth 3 points, which I did not use.

Yesterday, I took the kiddos to the zoo. We were there for 5 hours!!! It was all outside walking and I am feeling it today. I am so sore. I calculated that I did 2 hours of low intensity walking and that was worth 7 points. I did end up using those though. I ate more yesterday because I really was hungrier. It was great to be more active and to be able to listen to my body’s true hunger signals.

Day 13

So, I am here at day 13, still counting points and plan on walking again tonight. I have weigh in tomorrow night. I’m not sure if there will be a loss, b/c of my straying, but I am looking forward to the week after that and the many weeks to come. I love making small changes and becoming healthier. This is a journey and I am enjoying the process!

An Interesting Read if You Have Some Time

Brandon Harshe — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:31:06 +0000

I just got done reading a post on Tim Ferriss’ blog. If you don’t know who Tim Ferriss is, he’s the author of the 4-Hour Work Week, a book I highly recommend. Anyway, he conducted a post in which Dr. Michael Eades, an obesity treatment doctor, compared two different dietary studies and how they apply to losing weight.

You can read it for yourself here. I recommend reading some of the comments, too.

Let me know what you think.

Random Posts

Day 5 on Weight Watchers

January Harshe — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:07:54 +0000

Hump Day

Well, it was not necessarily the middle of the week. Let me explain. Today was that day. Whenever I make a positive change, there comes a day (usually around day 4 or 5) that it is just hard. It is that day when my mind starts playing tricks and my body follows suit. I was hungry today! Really hungry! I wanted to eat and eat. It was interesting though. Instead of panicking and having an overload of negative self talk, I just allowed it be what it was. In the past I would have over binged on food, then said, "Well that’s that! I might as well eat whatever I want. I’ll worry about eating healthy later."

I have learned by now through past experiences to not give up. This is not all or nothing! I will eat better tomorrow. This is life. If I see this as just a diet, that is temporary. I don’t want to see me getting healthier again and losing weight as temporary. This is a permanent change I am making here. I may change my approach or strategy, but I am no giving up. No towel to be thrown in here!

What I Ate

I have to admit I am embarrassed to share this, but I know if I were reading it, I would want to know. I seriously decided earlier this evening that I wasn’t going to write out what I ate. As I write this post though, I know I should. I’m just going to list today’s food. It won’t necessarily be in order.

My regular oatmeal breakfast
3 oranges
A small handful of pecans
1/2 avocado
Chic-fil-a chicken sandwich
Side salad w/low fat honey mustard
Popcorn with olive oil and sea salt
Chocolate chips
Raw cheese
1 cup brown rice cooked in chicken broth and water, sea salt and pepper. Served with a little butter
Organic cookies and vanilla soy milk
2 McDonald’s ice cream cones ("shame, shame" I say as I shake my head!)

Total Points: 52 Ouch!!!
Used 10 Flex Points
Total Flex Points used for the week: 21/35

What Tomorrow Will Bring

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I know that I will feel great that I did not give up. I will focus on the changes I have made and look forward to finishing up the week on the Flex Plan. I also look forward to the Core Plan. I weighted in last Wednesday night. I started the Flex Plan on Thursday morning. I will weigh in this Thursday night for week one. I am switching meetings. My mother in law is joining me, so I’ll be attending with her.

Day 4 on Weight Watchers

January Harshe — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:07:53 +0000

What I Ate

Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal with 2 tbsp. raw agave and 1/2 cup organic, wild blueberries.

Mid-morning Snack: an orange and raw cheese

Lunch: garden veggie soup, and about 2/3 avocado,

Afternoon Snack: an omelet with 3 eggs made in coconut oil, mushrooms and spinach, salsa

Dinner (I snacked) :popcorn with butter, chocolate chips, an orange, 2 servings organic cookies dipped in vanilla soymilk

Total Points: 42 (exact amount allowed)

Thoughts

Today was good. I was actually happy it was Sunday because we don’t go out on Sundays and that meant no ice cream cone. I wanted a reason to stay home and not have that treat. I ate pretty healthy and snacked when I felt I needed to. I’m starting to get a feel for how much food is allowed with my alloted points. I’m curious to see how much I lose in a week eating this many points.

Plan

I plan to switch to the Core Plan next week (week 2) to compare the two plans Weight Watcher’s offers. I am excited to do this. The Flex (points) Plan is great because it’s so flexible, which I needed right now. The Core Plan is just simply healthier I think. Week 3, I am going to switch back to the Flex Plan and add in exercise. I will also see after this first week if I need to adjust my points. Then week 4 I will go back on the Core Plan with exercise. I can not wait to see the results.

Weight Watchers- Day 3

January Harshe — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:48:06 +0000

A Healthy Breakfast

Today was pretty good. I like our usual breakfast. The oatmeal is filling and according to our friend Ryan, via his wife Staci (can’t wait until he gets his site up), it is the best grain in that it contains a lot of magnesium and helps to heal the gut. When I was in Utah visiting my great friend Staci, she made oatmeal every morning and served it with blueberries. I picked up this good habit from her and we have been making it every morning since then. I use raw agave (love this stuff and got the idea to use it on oatmeal from her as well) instead of brown sugar. I also like that I get a serving of antioxidant-rich blueberries every morning. It’s just a great breakfast! So, I at least start every morning "on the right foot".

Going Out To Eat

We went to Chompie’s today for my brother’s birthday. If you want to have a heart attack, that is your restaurant! Even the "healthy" choices were full of unneeded calories. I attempted to eat a vegetarian sandwich. It was made up of 3 layers. So, I took off one piece of bread and attempted to make it a normal sandwich. After the first bite, I realized I was going to drown in veggie cream cheese. After 5 minutes of trying to scrape enough cream cheese of, I gave up and pushed it away. It would not my my choice for a Weight Watcher friendly place to dine. Yes, there was a fruit platter and we ordered it, but it left much to be wanted. It wasn’t that great. The desserts are so full of crap that is what they taste like…crap! Sorry, but it’s true.

If you are going to be watching calories or doing points, then I’d go to a much friendlier place to eat. The Dining Out Companion that WW has made is helpful. If you find yourself needing to eat out, then you can quickly look up the lower point options.

I also made the soup again today and enjoyed that. I wonder what I’ll replace that with when I get sick of it. Maybe a different soup or bowls of fruit or veggies. Having a low calorie/low point snack around helps a lot. I fill up on healthy foods while not over eating.

What I Ate

I’m going to break down my points today for you. I mean, that is what Weight Watcher’s Flex Plan is about, eating and keeping track of points, right?

Breakfast:
2 cups oatmeal- 4 points
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar- 1 point
1/2 cup wild organic blueberries- 0 points

Mid-morning Snack (this was Chompie’s):
1/2 small bagel with butter- 5 points
2/3 cup home fries- 5 points

Lunch at Home:
a little over 1 cup of home made fried rice: 8 points
an orange: 1 points
one of grandma Ellen’s rolls: 4 points (honestly, this is a guess)

Afternoon Snack:
another roll: 4 points
a banana: 1 point
a McDonald’s ice cream cone: 3 points

Dinner at Home:
the garden veggie soup: 0 points
blueberries and blackberries: 1 point
one more roll: 4 points

Total points: 41 points
1 under my allowed points.

Overview So Far

I did pretty well today. I liked that I have the soup at 0 points and then can have my points to eat a roll with it. That works out great! I am liking that I am more aware of what I am eating and that I am being more accountable and responsible. I got so used to just eating whatever I wanted while I was pregnant. When I was pregnant with my second child, Trent, it was opposite. It was like an automatic portion control set into my body. That was wonderful. During this last pregnancy though, I ate a ton! Literally! I would go out to eat and order an appetizer, 2 meals and dessert, just for me. I didn’t think twice about it or feel bad about it either. I thought it would subside after I had her, but once my milk came in and I was fully nursing it continued.

I also notice that I am becoming more health conscious again. I am stopping to think about what I’m eating; what it’s made up of and if there is anything harmful in it. I might still eat it, but hey, I’m starting to care again.

Day 2 on Weight Watchers

January Harshe — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:31:20 +0000

How Day 2 Went

So, today was interesting. I went over my points, but I was able to recognize why. For one, I didn’t have the soup today. That was such a great help. I became really hungry before lunch and ended up making home made cheese quesadillas. While they were darn tasty, the were not filling. After that I went on a serious carb craving binge. It could have been worse, but I noticed I just was not satisfied.

What I Ate

Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal with 1 tbsp raw agave and 1/2 cup organic wild blueberries
Morning Snack: banana, orange and 1/2 avocado
Lunch: 2 tortillas with raw cheese and salsa
Snack: hot chocolate with whipped cream, 1 roll (Grandma Ellen made rolls and brought them over…dangerous!), Air popped popcorn w/2 tbsp organic butter
Dinner: 1/2 serving of Chic-fil-a chicken*, small fries, few sips lemonade, my McDonald’s ice cream cone
Snack: an orange

Total points today was actually 52! I went 10 over.
I have spent 10/35 of my extra free points for the week.

*This is the first time I have eaten chicken in months. I go through spurts of no chicken, because I read about how nasty it is processed, then I’ll give in and eat it for a while. When I am eating meat I really try to eat it from local farms where I know they are raised, what they are fed and how they are killed. I guess it makes me feel better.

What’s Up For Tomorrow

Make the soup! Seriously, I need the soup. OK, this is starting to remind me of Seinfeld. "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" I fell better having the treats when I’m eating more fruits and veggies, plus they fill me up and are low in calories.

Weight Watchers seems to knock ya for higher fat, but I like fat, especially when it comes from raw dairy. I’m gonna focus on eating good fats and protein. We’ll see how it goes.

Weight Watchers; A 30 Day Trial

January Harshe — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:30:16 +0000

The Low Down

That’s right, you read it right. I have officially signed up for Weight Watchers. If someone told me a year ago that I would join WW I would have told them to get off the crack! Seriously, I was eating healthy and on top of the world. When I lost 60 lbs before becoming pregnant with Annabelle, I had it good. We spent about $1200/month on food. We were members of 4 farms and 2 organic produce co-ops, shopped at Whole Foods and Central Market. We ate all raw dairy, sprouted grains, mostly organic and a ton of delicious produce. I walked 6 days a week with Tatum and Trent in a double jogger with a friend or my husband. It was great. I was at a really good place.

Then we moved. I didn’t realize it would have such a big impact. I did know the main thing (besides some great friends) that I would miss about Dallas was the good food we had there. After being back in AZ over 8 months now, I am just beginning to get the resources I want and they are nothing like TX. That’s OK though. Also, I don’t have the same support. I am at home, with 3 kids and no car. Bummer.

I would normally tell you I don’t believe in counting calories. Interesting and humbling that I find myself in this position. I just haven’t had the motivation to stop and look at what I’m eating. I have taken all my good habits, crumbled them up and thrown them out the window, while opening the door to crappy old habits. So, I’m searching in myself to find those great habits I had formed. Why not do that with some support and with a breath of fresh air?!

Weight Watcher Plans

Right now, WW has 2 plans. The Flex Plan and The Core Plan. They give you a run down of what they are on their website. You can choose either plan and actually switch back and forth between them week by week.

The Flex Plan is their one and only Points System. It’s just like counting calories. Each food is given a point value based on calories, fat and fiber grams. You can use a slider given to you when you sign up and use the label to figure out the points. Also, there is a food companion and dining out guide you can buy to tell you the points of thousands of foods. Let’s say you eat a tortilla at a restaurant. They take 3 tortillas and average the nutritional value of the 3 and give you the points of the average. Pretty nifty, huh?

So, you are given a point value based on things like gender, age, if you are nursing (oh ya baby, I get extra points!), height and so on. You add up your points throughout the day and try to eat them all with out going over unless you are using some of your extra 35 free points you get for the week.

Then there is the newer Core Plan. Now, I personally think this rocks, because it is basically how I ate when I lost weight before. On the core plan you get a freakin’ awesome list of healthy foods that you can eat all you want of. You get 35 points for the week to use for things that aren’t on the list, like bread and ice cream. This way you can have a treat and not go nuts that it’s not on the list!

Personally, I think the Core Plan is healthier, but the Flex Plan is by far easier. I’m starting on the Flex Plan this week and counting points.

The Break Down

All right, I get 42 points (32 normally and 10 for nursing). That’s right, I’m fat. Get over it. That’s why were here though, right? Because I need to get skinny, not because I already am. If I was skinny, then maybe I could have named this, "Ha ha, I’m already skinny and you’re not". Just kidding. That would feel nice though, I won’t lie.

I weighed in at 246.6.pounds. OK, that totally sucks. It sucks bad. I want to scream at that. Did I mention it’s sucky?

Size 20.

First Goal is supposed to be 10% of your weight, so that will be a loss of 24 lbs for me.

My Healthy Weight starts at 160 pounds according to WW.

My Personal Goals is to get to 200 again and a size 16, then get to 150!

Day One

Today was fun. Of course it was, because it’s all new stuff. It’s like opening a new present that you get to mess with and play around with. The problem with something like this is that you can get bored of it just like the novelty of the new present may wear off. That’s what’s supposed to be great about WW though, is that you go every week and get support to stay on track. Actually, WW says that people who attend all their meeting and use their etools online are 50% more successful.

I actually ate 11 points under what I’m supposed to, finishing the day at 31 points eaten. I wasn’t going to post what I eat, but isn’t that what you really want to see?

Here goes:

Breakfast: 1.5 cups oatmeal, 1 tbsp. raw agave nectar, 1/2 cup wild organic blueberries
Morning Snack: an orange and a small banana
Lunch: Garden Veggie Soup (recipe by WW and 0 points), crackers
Early Afternoon snack: handful of pecans and handful of grape tomatoes, small banana, a little later I had a McDonald’s vanilla cone (only 3 points)*
Late Afternoon snack: G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha, another bowl of the veggie soup, few bites of a tortilla
Dinner: tomatoes, sea salt, basil, fresh and minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil all baked and served on multigrain pasta.

*Somehow McDonald’s vanilla cones have become my weakness and treat right now. I’m such a hypocrite, I’ll admit it. Don’t start throwing the stones though, I am human. They need to open a Paciugo’s here, like NOW!

What’s Next?

I was right. Doing this made me stop and think about what I was eating. I didn’t have my usual 10 handfuls of chocolate chips today. So sad. That’s OK, I can have them if I want to use all my points/calories on them! What’s the fun in that though? I also think the soup is great, because I get my veggies with very low calories and it’s a filler.

I didn’t like my meeting. My leader was an old lady that had no spunk. She’d ask a question and you could hear the crickets in the back ground. I answered a few times out of pity. I’ll be finding a different meeting.

On to Day 2…

Carnival of Holistic Nutrition – February 22, 2008

Brandon Harshe — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:03:10 +0000

Welcome to the February 22, 2008 edition of carnival of holistic nutrition.

Spencer Jones presents Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA Infections posted at Colloidal Silver Secrets, saying, "Antibiotic-resistant super-pathogens such as MRSA have been in all of the medical news headlines lately, because these infections have increased over 100% in the general population over the past five years. Fortunately, recent clinical studies demonstrate that the mineral silver — particularly in the form of colloidal silver — cures these deadly infections even when prescription antibiotics fail."

Mike Remer presents Celebrating! | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

James Chambers presents Celebrating! | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

James Chambers presents Fad Diets Do Work posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Anwar Daniels presents 10 Ways To Break Out Of Your Workout Rut posted at cannedfitness.com, saying, "If you are bored with the monotony of your current workout routine, try these ten alternatives to help you stay healthy"

healthy personal development

FitBuff presents 5 Benefits of Dark Chocolate – Facts You Need to Know Before Enjoying posted at FitBuff.com’s Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "But, before you go rummaging through year-old Halloween candy and stuffing your face with Snicker’s and Tootsie Roll’s, there’s a few things you need to know…"

Alvaro Fernandez presents Posit Science Brain Fitness Program 2.0: Open Questions posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "Open questions to help consumers and institutions navigate through this emerging landscape of "brain fitness gyms" and separate what is real today from what is promising and may be real tomorrow."

James Brausch presents Costa Rican Food posted at Costa Rica HQ.

Amanda Harris presents Chamomile Mint Toner posted at Nature’s Bath and Beauty.

holistic nutrition

James D. Brausch presents Trying Something Different: Supplements posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Carole Fogarty presents The Authentic Chocolate Facial: A Superfood for your Skin: posted at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE, saying, "Uma Thurman, Madonna and Victoria Beckham are all reported to indulge in chocolate facials. Raw cacao (cocoa) powder is now considered one of the worlds most beneficial super foods emerging in our world today. It has four times more antioxidants than goji berries, ten times the antioxidant level of blueberries and thirty times the antioxidant level of green tea."

holistic weight loss

Kavit Haria presents Easy weight loss by counting your calories posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of holistic nutrition using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of holistic nutrition, blog carnival.

Carnival of Holistic Nutrition – February 15, 2008

Brandon Harshe — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:30:36 +0000

Welcome to the February 15, 2008 edition of carnival of holistic nutrition. We have a lot of submissions to choose from so don’t be shy!

James D. Brausch presents Bathroom Scales posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Frederic Patenaude presents The Benefits of the 24-Hour Fast posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "It is amazing what fasting 24 hours will do for your health!"

mmter presents Detoxing for Fitness and Health posted at My Road to Wellness Blog.

Frederic Patenaude presents The Five Tibetans posted at fredericpatenaude, saying, "great pointers to use each day"

Mike Remer presents Oh, Oh! Here Come the Holidays and the Cold Weather | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

James Chambers presents Hyperhidrosis Causes posted at Hyperhidrosis.

Roger Haeske presents I’ll Be Eating At A Steakhouse Tonight posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

James D. Brausch presents Does The Switch Diet Work Long-term? posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Finally the Truth About Diet – The China Study Review posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Finally, here’s an authoritative diet and nutrition book based on hard science and exhaustive research. This revealing book is written by one of the world’s most respected authorities in the field of nutrition. In his own words, he has been “in the system for almost fifty years, at the very highest levels, designing and directing large research projects, deciding which research gets funded and translating massive amounts of scientific data into national expert panel reports.” There is so much useful information in this book, I consider it one of the most important books I have ever read and give it my highest recommendation. Change your diet and change the quality of your life. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus song selections with lyrics related to each article – all free"

Rob Moshe presents Live Your Best Life By Serving Others posted at Rob Schaumer, saying, "This is not necessarily a fitting post for your carnival. Once the project starts, each day I will recognize a fellow blogger that "Helped""

Shaheen Lakhan presents The Huckabee Diet: A Flawed Model of Health Advocacy posted at GNIF Brain Blogger.

Spencer Jones presents Why Take Colloidal Silver? posted at Colloidal Silver Secrets, saying, "Sometimes exercise and proper nutrition are not enough. In this age of strange diseases, the body occassionally needs nutritional supplementation, particularly where infection and related diseases are concerned. One of the easiest ways to help protect the body during times of stress when immunity may be low and infection can set in, is with a safe, natural nutritional supplement known as colloidal silver."

healthy personal development

Sunny presents Continuing to Hope in the face of Disappointment posted at Dandelions and Daydreams, saying, "Disappointment can be hard on your heart. This post is about continuing to hope and moving past disappointments."

Jenn Givler presents Is it wrong to be abundant AND spiritual? posted at Create a Thriving Business.

Roger Haeske presents Why Your Gym Membership May Be Wasting You Over 2 Hours A Week posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Mike Remer presents Wish Exercise wasn’t so Hard? | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

Samuel Bryson presents Breaking an addiction: posted at Total Wellbeing.

Alex Blackwell presents Five Good Reasons to Exercise posted at The Next 45 Years.

Roger Haeske presents Your Infinite Power To Master Yourself posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Launching an Employee Wellness Program posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Byteful Project presents My Journey into The Master Cleanse (Day 1 of 10) posted at Byteful Blog, saying, "I did this life experiment back in August to see its effect on my creative output, but my experience with the Master Cleanse diet will remain relevant as long as people try the diet. It’s helped many regain control over their eating habits. Overall it was a fascinating experience!"

Christian Goodman presents Tired? It could be Fibromyalgia posted at Christian Goodman, saying, "Fibromyalgia has no known cause. Doctors all over the world suggest several catalysts for the syndrome, some conflicting with each other. Others even think it’s all in the mind. But simple exercises can heal Fibromyalgia."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Mindfulness and Meditation in Schools for Stress and Anxiety Management posted at SharpBrains, saying, "Several recent news pieces have reported on an emerging trend: schools using techniques such as yoga and meditation to help students manage anxiety and stress. To better understand what is going on, we are pleased to bring you this article thanks to our collaboration with Greater Good Magazine."

Mike Remer presents Wish Exercise wasn’t so Hard? | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

Alex Blackwell presents How Much is Too Much? posted at The Next 45 Years.

Anmol Mehta presents Free Online Hatha Yoga Poses Galleries posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "Free online e-book of illustrated Hatha Yoga poses and exercises to help you start or deepen your Yoga practice."

Karl presents Self Hypnosis: Handle Stress with Self Hypnosis posted at SELF HYPNOSIS: Weight Loss, Quit Smoking Self Hypnosis!.

Sam Zoranovich presents Love What You Eat, Eat What You Love posted at Unapologetic Genius, saying, "Forming relationships with the food you make, preparing it passionately, and eating it with gratitude make deciding what to eat easier and healthier."

Freddie L. Sirmans, Sr. presents Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis? posted at Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis.

Alfa Mercado presents How to make your smile more attractive posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Todd Goldfarb presents 4 Pillars of Effective Personal Growth posted at We The Change, saying, "hey there– hope I made the deadline! Here is an excellent piece on 4 "Pillars" of effective personal development from We The Change…enjoy!"

holistic nutrition

Hueina Su presents My Young Living Story and Exciting News posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul, saying, "Ever since a health scare last summer, I’ve found holistic ways to help me regain my physical & emotional health. My husband and I are amazed at the turnaround I’ve made since last winter. Here’s my healing journey and some exciting news to share."

Edwin Casimero presents Why the american indian quit the raw for 30 days program posted at My Family Health Blog.

Edwin Casimero presents My Eczema Cure: Complete Story and Photos – This raw foodist is not necessarily vegan posted at Eczema Cure.

Samuel Bryson presents Kangaroo Meat – Good For You AND the Environment: posted at Total Wellbeing.

Chris presents Don’t Snooze In Your Cubicle: Here Are Four Ways To Snack For Higher Energy posted at The Healthy Snacks Blog.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Is Food Your Medicine or Poison? posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, "Food is not what it used to be. In the relatively recent past, food was universally recognized as the fruits and nuts that grow on trees, the vegetables that grow out of the soil, plus some fish and game. If you were to take a ride in a time machine and show our ancestors what we eat today, they would recognize very little of it. For the most part, it’s over-packaged, over-processed, over-rated and under-nourishing. Every day, we choose our future health and vitality by what we choose to put in our mouths. Three times a day we have the opportunity to act upon our resolve to experience optimum health and vitality . . . at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bon appetit. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus song selections with lyrics related to each article – all free.)"

Mitch McDonald presents All Natural Home Remedy for Acne Breakouts posted at FYI About.com.

Randy Powell presents Good Fats! posted at Eating-Veggies.com: Alkaline Diet blog.

Jamie McIntosh presents Winter Strawberries posted at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog, saying, "Avoid nerve-damaging organophosphates by eating organic produce."

James Chambers presents Types of Hyperhidrosis posted at Hyperhidrosis.

Frederic Patenaude presents How To Beat Candida: Understanding the Real Issue posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks.

Frederic Patenaude presents Candida, Sugar & Fat: Understanding the Issues posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "The Raw Food expert explains the correlation between yeast infections and raw food eating contrary to popular opinion that it is sugar."

Phil B. presents 5 Small Nutrition Tips That Make a Big Impact on Your Health « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "The foods that we eat play a large role in the outcome of our long term health."

Frederic Patenaude presents Problems with a High-Sodium Diet: An Important Diet Tip posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "An interesting article on how all forms of salt (even "healthy" ones) are not good for us."

Alfa Mercado presents 10 reasons you should drink wheatgrass juice posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents 5 reasons to go RAW! posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Five awesome ways to improve breakfast posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Kavit Haria presents Facial Yoga – Get rid of your wrinkles faster posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Miguel Wickert presents Nutrition « The Pursuit of Excellence posted at The Pursuit of Excellence, saying, "The article provides 3 reasons for consuming Carbs, which will lead to a balanced and healthy lifestyle."

holistic weight loss

Joshua Seth presents Your 1 Day Weight Loss Challenge posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, ""Are you willing to take the steps that are necessary to improve your health so you can improve your life and live your dreams? If so, then here’s something simple you can do today to improve your health and make you more fit than you were yesterday. Just for today, promise yourself that…""

James D. Brausch presents Five Gifts For Those Losing Weight posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Mitch McDonald presents Weight Loss Exercise And Weight Loss Motivation posted at FYI About.com.

Becky Gillaspy presents How to Tell if You’re Really Hungry? posted at Weight Loss without Worry, saying, "Physical hunger is a call by the body to fill a need for fuel. Physical hunger is satisfied by food. Head hunger is a desire by the mind to fill an emotional or perceived need. Head hunger is not satisfied by food. To lose weight effectively you must learn how to tell the two apart."

Maria Fernandez presents Weight loss myths demystified posted at Health and beauty – blog, saying, "This post gives you an assessment of long-held myths about dieting, and tips of how to lose weight successfully."

Joshua Seth presents Your Weight Loss Mindset | posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, ""Answer these four questions to start improving your health today. By doing so you’re taking the steps to do something good for yourself, as well as the people who love you. You’re taking charge of your health and your life. The greatest gift you can give yourself and those who love you is good health. Why wait any longer? Answer these four questions now…:""

Christian Goodman presents The New Way To Lose Weight – How It Works posted at Christian Goodman, saying, "Virtually all weight loss programs out there focus on reducing body fat by dieting or sticking to low-fat meal plans, or increasing body heat by working out. There aren’t any programs that advocate weight loss through increased oxygen intake."

Christian Goodman presents How Being Overweight Increases the Risk of Hypertension Christian Goodman posted at Christian Goodman, saying, "Hypertension and obesity are the two most serious health threats we face."

Frederic Patenaude presents 24-Hour Special for Lightning Speed Fitness Program posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "This is a blog entry for a program which makes fitness easy (with some effort) and affordable. No more fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships….for the average "joe" who wants to stay in decent shape, these exercises help you to use your own body weight to achieve fitness. The exercises can be done anytime, anywhere, within roughly 15-20 minutes. Convenient and efffective!"

TheNourisher presents A Life Unburdened: Getting Over Weight and Getting On With My Life by Richard Morris posted at Nourished Magazine, saying, "What happens when a fat man who’s failed at all the diets stops blaming his lack of willpower and figures out that all the expert advice on dieting is wrong? You get a truly practical road map to successful weight loss."

Mike Remer presents Celebrating! | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

James D. Brausch presents Fad Diets Do Work posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Technorati tags: carnival of holistic nutrition, blog carnival.

Carnival of Raw Foods – February 15, 2008

January Harshe — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:00:59 +0000

Welcome to the February 15, 2008 edition of carnival of raw foods. There are a ton of great articles to read. Enjoy!

Wenchypoo presents Affordable Health Care on Every Corner posted at Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Re: using produce as a means of health care insurance."

Mike Remer presents Wish Exercise wasn’t so Hard? | My Path To Fitness Blog posted at My Path To Fitness Blog.

Roger Haeske presents Why I’ve Barely Worked Out Lately and? posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Tiffany Washko presents Eat Raw More Often posted at Raw Food Blog.

Frederic Patenaude presents The Benefits of the 24-Hour Fast posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "It’s amazing what fasting 24 hours will do for your mind, body, and soul!"

Roger Haeske presents I’ll Be Eating At A Steakhouse Tonight posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

James D. Brausch presents Does The Switch Diet Work Long-term? posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Frederic Patenaude presents Staying a Step Ahead of Aging posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "As we age, intensity of exercise is essential to gain optimum benefit."

Tiffany Washko presents Get Your Antioxidants – Eat a Salad posted at Natural Family Recipes Blog.

raw foods

Andrew Michaels presents Helios Or Bust: Forget Cancer, The Sun Is The Cornerstone Of Life posted at Lifecrafting, saying, "This article talks about how the link between cancer and sun exposure is ridiculous, and states the the sun is one of the most important aspects of health. Written by a raw foodist."

Roger Haeske presents What it Feels Like to be Free of the Overwhelming Desire to Eat Cooked Food posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Wenchypoo presents The Return of NNR Food Scores (L-O-N-G) posted at Mental Wastebasket.

Wenchypoo presents Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket: Here It Is–The Scoop on Longer and Healthier Living posted at Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Written back in 2005, but now I finally have a carnival for it."

Lovelyn presents Raw Kale Greens Recipe posted at The Art of Balanced Living.

Abdulrasool Sumar presents Gardening & Good Diet Leads to Less Lung Cancer Risk posted at Mesothelioma Cancer, saying, "Cancer scientists at the The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center say that by simply eating 4 or more servings of green salad a week, and doing their gardening once or twice a week, people (both smokers and non-smokers) will be able to substantially reduce their risks of developing lung cancer during their lifetimes. This is a matter of doing physical exercise by gardening, and having good nutrition by eating green salads and other healthy meals."

Chris presents Don’t Snooze In Your Cubicle: Here Are Four Ways To Snack For Higher Energy posted at The Healthy Snacks Blog.

Roger Haeske presents Your Infinite Power To Master Yourself posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Frederic Patenaude presents The Power of Rituals: How to Build Positive, Energizing Daily Rituals posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "Great tips about using rituals to achieve goals"

Justin presents Raw Food, Weight Gain posted at Raw Food Today, saying, "This article will help those who are new to raw plant foods or eating vegan to be able to put on muscle while living this lifestyle!"

Lovelyn presents Raw Apple Pie Recipe posted at The Art of Balanced Living.

Freddie L. Sirmans, Sr. presents Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis? posted at Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis.

HealthyTips presents Health Tip #19: Healthy Cashew Balls recipe for dessert or snack posted at Healthy Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle, saying, "Here’s a healthy dessert recipe using only raw food ingredients."

Frederic Patenaude presents How To Beat Candida: Understanding the Real Issue posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks.

Frederic Patenaude presents 32 Seemingly Unimportant Things That DO Matter in Your Health posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "32 hidden aspects of health."

James D. Brausch presents Fad Diets Do Work posted at Weight Loss Dude.

Frederic Patenaude presents Candida, Sugar & Fat: Understanding the Issues posted at Frederic Patenaude Talks, saying, "Candida is something I struggle with and I thought this was a great article explaining that consuming excess fat is the issue not sugar."

Alfa Mercado presents 5 reasons to go RAW! posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Todd Goldfarb presents The 5 Greatest Foods For Your Health posted at We The Change, saying, "here is a great article about the best raw foods (except quinoa). From We The Change…enjoy!"

raw foods taste

Abdulrasool Sumar presents Eat Fruits & Vegetables – Prevent Cancer and Stay Healthy posted at Mesothelioma Cancer, saying, "If you read our article on how Gardening & Good Diet lead to Less Lung Cancer Risk, you will see that good diet & gardening can reduce your risk of developing lung cancer by 40 – 46%! In this article, we explain how to set up your diet so as to maximize the number of fruits and vegetables you consume in any given day. The American Cancer Society suggests that you eat 5 servings of these foods every day. Here is a sample menu to incorporate to your diet each day without taking on extra expenses."

raw foods trial

Alfa Mercado presents Wellness junction posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Roger Haeske presents Stench of burning flesh; what is hell? posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living.

Justin presents Some Good Raw Food Goals. Direction Determines Destination… posted at Raw Food Today.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of raw foods using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of raw foods, blog carnival.

Idea Brewing

January Harshe — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:58:27 +0000

Hi! I’m still here. Sorry I haven’t posted in a bit. I have had a very hormonal week! Seems like 4 months after having a baby isn’t enough time to be back to "normal" again. Thinking about it though, what is normal?

I have a 30 day trial I am brewing right now. I am deciding what I want to do and how to do it. I will be back soon to post about it and to get started!

January

Random Posts

Finding Balance for an Inner Peace

January Harshe — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:57:56 +0000

Yes, I ate a McDonald’s ice cream cone yesterday and I loved every minute of it. In fact my daughter didn’t want her’s so I had 2! You can call me a hypocrite, crazy, or say good for you! I don’t care. I need a balance between being healthy and enjoying life! When I became healthier and lost weight before I would still get treats, but always the best. I used to eat Pacuigo’s gelato once or twice a week! I had found a good balance that worked for me.

It’s this balance that I am struggling with now. I’m in a different state (TX vs. AZ), environment, around different people, the elements of my family have changed (a new baby), my body is different (another pregnancy and now nursing). Finding the right balance can be a bit tricky. It’s kind of touch and go until one day you realize things feel right. You feel great, look great, have a good rhythm to your day and your family is happier. This is what I am working on now. This is where my journey is at the moment. It’s kind of exciting actually. I get to write my life. I am the author with a pen in my hand (or a keyboard in front of me) getting to decide not only what is going to happen today, but also what the next chapter will hold for me.

I am ready Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace. Now that’s quite a bit to ingest at first. To tell you the truth it’s a pretty book. That may sound strange, but it really does feel good to have around.

Chapter one or the first secret is to "Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing". That is a big concept to grasp. To do this, you must let go of all conditioning, preconceived ideas and what you have learned to be true. This is so much more to this life, this world, than we know. What we know is nothing, but a tiny piece of a bigger picture. Anything is possible. Anything! If you realize that you know just about nothing about anything, then you will see that there is no reason to have a closed mind about anything.

Since anything is possible, and there is much to this universe we don’t know then you can create anything you want, right? Have you heard the quote, "With God all things are possible."? I love that Wayne Dyer used this in his book. It is so true. If you do not think that you can do anything your heart desires, then you do not believe that with God all things are possible. It’s that simple. Do you believe or don’t you? Break down those barriers and layers of crap and get to your core. Have the faith of child. Believe!

How can you be open to everything? Wayne Dyer makes a bold statement. When someone suggest something to you that goes against you conditioning, instead of saying, "That’s ridiculous or impossible", say, "I’ve never considered that before, I’ll think about it!" Try doing this for a week and see if it opens your mind. You might realize that you are more negative than you think of yourself to be.

Another statement to make you think is this. "Let go of your attachments to what you’ve been trained to believe. Open your mind to all possibilities, because whether you believe something is possible or impossible, either way you’ll be right."

He believes that your attachments are a source of all your problems. You can be attached to things, people, the need to be right, to win, etc. By being open minded you can resist these attachments and have inner peace and success.

So, how do you release attachments? Change how you see yourself. There are two sides to people. Their ego and their spirit. Taming your ego and letting your spirit shine through to guide your life is key. Be a witness in your life. Have peaceful thoughts and then you’ll have peaceful emotions. You can still desire, but don’t be attached.

One more thing from the book. Let’s say you have two wands. With Wand A you can have anything physical you desire and with Wand B you can have a sense of peace for the rest of your life regardless of anything that comes up in your life. If you pick peace then you already have Wand B. Think about it. If you can love someone enough for them to be what they choose to be without any expectations or attachments from you then you will have true peace in your life. "True love means you love a person for what they are , not for what you think they should be. This is an open mine—and an absence of attachment"

That is awesome! It is very inspiring. Thank you Dr. Wayne Dyer!

I’ll give an example of how I had to let go of a physical attachment just a few minutes ago. I received a birthday present from a good friend. Something I had wanted that was cute and just for me. It just arrived and I pulled it out of the package. I had used a pair of scissors to open the package. I walked away for a minute to grab something and my 4 year old daughter jumped up on the counter, grabbed the scissor and cut the beautiful ribbon that went across the present. The ribbon was not on the packaging, but was actually part of the object. My first reaction was to be upset. I wanted to feel sorry for myself because I had just received it and already it was "ruined"! I wanted my daughter to feel bad, to have remorse. Then I stopped myself. It is a thing, an object. Does it really matter? Why am I attached to the point of being upset over it? So, I grabbed the scissor and cut off the ribbon and left the pretty bow and no one will even know.

It is interesting to me how attached we can be. Here are some things I am going to work on not being attached to:

-Anything physical in my life including bags, clothes, our TV, computer, and my phone. I learned that it was easy to live without a phone this week as I had left it in Utah and haven’t had an alternative. It wasn’t so bad. More peaceful actually!

-My hurt feelings and pride.

-Food

Are there any attachments you can let go of to strive for inner peace?

Accomplishments of the Day

January Harshe — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:50:20 +0000

A Realization:

Yesterday I realized I was beating myself up with self talk in my head. "You shouldn’t be eating so much." "What’s wrong with you? You should be losing weight." "You know what to do." Then, I stopped. I had an epiphany that I really did just have a baby, I’m nursing a ton and I am listening to my body! I dropped 30 pounds right after I had Annabelle. I have not lost or gained any since. I think I am trying to force something that is not ready to happen. I really do need to get back to only focusing on being healthy. I know I need to stop worrying about weight loss because it’s not the right time. I need to think only about putting healthy food into my body for me and Annabelle, then I will be much happier. This is a step towards me eating the way I want, becoming healthier and yes, losing weight. This is not an excuse to not care, but actually to care more. To care about nourishing not only my body, but my mind and spirit because I am listening to my body and putting a stop to negative self talk.

Nourishing My Mind and Spirit

I am a different person (a better me) when I am taking time to listen and read good material. When I am taking time to reflect and pray.

I am in the middle of listening to Wayne Dyer’s Your Life Begins Now. He talks about ego verses spirit or your intuitive self. I’ll come back to this as I finish the CD’s

I have also been having down time to watch my favorite parts of movies like Step Up. Hey, I have to have fun too. Just because I’m a wife and mother, doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a hot dance movie! Brandon bought me one of my all time favorite movies, Dirty Dancing! I can’t wait to get a moment to watch it!

I have decided to read Proverbs in the Bible. I was reading chapter 20 and a few verses stuck out to me.
Proverbs 20:7 "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." This scripture says a lot to me. I know that if I (and my husband) are walking with God, then our family will be blessed because of it.
Proverbs 20:9 " Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" A good reminder to keep my heart clean and pure.
Proverbs 20:11 "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right." We are known by the value of our work. What we do really does effect us, our spouse, our children, our friends and everyone we know. Is what I am doing positively effecting people or not?

I am always conversing with God telling Him that I want to be one of these amazing people that is all loving, forgiving and accepting. Well, when we ask for something it doesn’t always come how we expect. I have been recently put into situations where I can choose to be those things or I can let my ego or my analytical side or what I perceive to be true and hard, or what I have been conditioned to think, dictate how I respond. I have been given an opportunity to show unconditional love and forgiveness in circumstances which would normally not be easy to do these things. If I truly want to be a person at true peace, this is my time to be it. This is my time to love, forgive, accept, help, pray for others around me that I am finding myself in these situations with. It’s quite profound and an interesting place to be. I think it takes a lot to even recognize that I am being given an opportunity to be a better person and Christ-like instead of just focusing on my hurt feelings and wounded pride.

I have a constant internal struggle. I find myself wanting to feel hurt and wanting to think of how I’ve been "wronged". Now, I simply stop my mind from continuing and think about how blessed I am and how I feel better from the inside out letting the negative feelings go. Why do people chose to feel hurt? Yes it is a choice. We are capable of so much more. We can truly be amazing spiritual people walking around this Earth loving and blessing all of those around us! It takes letting go of all the layers of crap that has been passed down generation to generation. It takes constant work and remembering that we are human. It takes remembering why were are here and that this is a journey, a positively progressive one if we make it so. Think about what you are truly capable of. Why haven’t you done it or why are you not being it? Is whatever you are answering really true? Or is it what you believe to be true? Let it go. Be who you want to be, do what you want to do. It really, really, really is that simple! It is our limiting beliefs that make it difficult. What limiting beliefs can you let go of?

Today I am choosing to be the person I know I want to and can be. I am all loving, forgiving and at peace with my choices. I will choose this all day. Then, tomorrow when I wake up I will chose this again. This is more important than what I am eating and how I am exercising. Those things will come as I change habits!

I have been eating these kinds of foods:

A large bowl of organic oatmeal with raw agave and a little bit of wild blackberry honey
Glass of raw milk (hee hee…makes me so happy)
Raw cheese, dates, raisins and raw pecan pieces
Snacking on plates of fruit (apples, oranges, banana)
Smoothies
Air popped popcorn with olive oil and sea salt
Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter and blackberry honey
Brown rice, red lentils, organic veggie medley, soy sauce, curry, and tumeric
Canned diced organic tomatoes, garlic, sea salt, basil baked and served over corn chips and topped w/raw cheese
Water
Vitamin C, Multivitamin, Iodine

An Insightful Raw Interview

January Harshe — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:00:04 +0000

This interview is was with Andy on December 21st, 2007. It was nice to have an interview with a male raw foodist. I appreciated his thoughts about how to transition to a RAW diet. Thank you Andy!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am an avid (recumbent) cyclist but not hard core enough to ride in the snow (this is Michigan ya know). I usually ride between 2 – 3000 miles a year. If you look up the personality traits of a Virgo, which I am, they pretty much fit me to a tee. I love being active, especially outdoors, and doing research on natural health type topics like those associated with being raw.

Are you male or female?
Male

What is your age?
43 going on 33 ;-})

How long have you been eating RAW?
Officially, I started consciously transitioning since March of 2007.

How did you learn about RAW?
I was surfing You Tube and came across a video of the Tyra Banks Show in which she had Alissa and a couple of other nutritionists seeing who could help two people lose weight using their preferred diet plan. Alissa’s team was second due to one of the two on her team not sticking to the diet as I remember.

What does eating RAW mean to you?
It means that as far as my health goes, I can have the ‘best day ever’, (David Wolfe) everyday of my, hopefully, prolonged life. I can eat the best foods without guilt or worry of it making me sick or unhealthy and I can do so without worrying about whether my food choices are causing a negative impact on the planet.

Why did you choose to eat RAW and why do you continue to do so?
Because after all of the things that I have experienced and learned in my 43 years on this planet it is the only logical way to eat.

How did you transition from SAD to RAW?
I have been transitioning to raw on an unconscious level most of my life. Officially, I suppose it has been since March of this year when I found Alissa’s website.

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why? How does that effect your RAW lifestyle?
Vegan. If you read any up to date non-bias literature on the affects of dairy on the human body, you would be too. I’ll admit that for now it is a little inconvenient until I learn to make more raw dishes but I have never been a cheese eater, other than on pizza so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

What benefits have you personally noticed from eating RAW?
I have much more energy and have gotten back into walking/jogging which I haven’t done in a number of years. My mental clarity is improving and my stamina has been steadily improving. My compost bin fills up faster than my garbage can due to my foods being encased in a natural, often edible, wrapper instead of non-biodegradable plastics and wax coated paper.

What is your favorite RAW food or recipe?
The next one that I try.

What advice do you have for others looking into eating RAW?
Start out at a level that is comfortable for you. Some people can/need to jump right in and do it 100%. Others need to transition slowly. However you can get there, do so. Yes, it does mean getting out of your comfort zone. Yes, you will have friends and family that think you are crazy. But, you will also be giving yourself, your family, your friends and the planet something great……You! The best you that you can be for a longer more enjoyable life.

Do you have a blog or website you would like to share?
I have a website but I am not currently doing anything with it. If I get the time to put some effort into it again I will let you know what the address is.

Peace,

Andy

Random Posts

A List of Things To Do

January Harshe — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:31:37 +0000

I’m here! So sorry I did not post last week. I went out of town kind of on a whim to visit a great friend and her children. It was a lot of fun and I’m happy I was able to make the trip. You would think I lost a lot of weight running around with six children ages 4, 4, 2, 2, 5 months and 3 months! LOL. It was a riot! The highlights of the trip were getting to see a good friend, the beautiful mountain views, going to the movies (one of my favorite things to do), eating at the Bear Paw, checking out Colorado City and finally getting to buy some raw cheese and milk!

Actually, I got sick while I was there. I ate some food on Tuesday night that did not settle well and Wednesday I felt horrible. Okay, Staci is going to pee her pants when she reads this, but I was burping sewage out of my mouth! I’m not kidding. Her husband finally lit candles. All I could do was crack up that I was having the nastiest burps any human could possibly have. Gross! On Thursday, my body finally decided to dispose of things in the toilet instead of out my mouth! I don’t remember the last time I had bowel movements like that. My kids also didn’t feel well. This is just not "normal" for us. Why am I sharing this with you all? While I was sitting, staring at the toilet, thinking I was going to barf, I just couldn’t believe I was there. There was no one to blame but myself. Why do I do this? I know what is good for my body and what is not. So, why do I continue to eat foods that are not life sustaining? Why am I not fed up enough to progress to the next level of health? These are the questions that have been on my mind.

I am home and getting back into the swing of things. While I was gone I had time to reflect on what I was doing and more on what I was not doing. I know that I am not making the improvements in my life that I truly want. Brandon and I had time to discuss this on our seven hour drive home. It is obvious to us that I have somehow lost some of my spark. I care too much what others think and I do not do what I need or want to for myself while taking care of my family first. I am never going to be at my optimal level of health (mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually) if I don’t change this.

Finally, I asked my husband to make a list of things he thinks I could be doing to improve my life and become my best self.

Here it is:

-Meditate about visualization in the morning and gratitude in the evening

-Read 2 chapters a day of personal development material

-Listen to 1 CD a day of personal development material

-Read 1 chapter a day of scriptures

-Eat a vegetarian diet with no white flour, white rice (my love!), pasta or sugar

-Do 30 minutes of cardio a day and work my way up to 45 minutes to an hour (start at 3 times/week)

-Do pushups, crunches and lunges every other day

-Set a goal of how many blog posts I want per week and write them. I can do them all in a day, just decide what is best for my and stick to it

-Get a success journal and write down good points on things I have read, listened to or think of. Write in it every day. We can do this together and share if we want to.

We discussed each thing and I feel they are all great. My only thing is finding time to do all of these things being home with three small children. That is not an excuse, just something to work around. We decided that I should start with doing one of these things today and work my way into all of them. They all have to become routine and habitual. My days will eventually be shaped into a rhythm of doing all these things.

I am adding these to the list:

-Pick up and keep the house clean. The kids can help

-Do more activities and crafts with the children.

-Have more reading time with me and the kids.

-Start scrap booking again (get that 3rd bedroom organized!)

I am realizing that I have to integrate all of this. I can have reading time with the kids where they look at their book while I read my few chapters and when I’m finished I can read to them. I can set them up with a craft at the table an work on it with them while listening to a CD or posting a blog. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it’s just a matter of finding the right flow for us.

I hope to report back soon on my success starting and continuing to do these things. I also hope that Brandon can give me great support, because my biggest thing to improve is following through.

What are some things you have done or are going to start doing to get to your best self?

The Skinny On January’s Whereabouts

Brandon Harshe — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:00:37 +0000

I thought I would let everyone know that January and the kids have been out of town this week. She and the kids went up to visit some friends in St. George, UT. She hasn’t been able to get to a computer, so it might seem that the namesake of this blog is slacking. That’s not the case at all, so don’t fret. She’ll be back this weekend, and I have a feeling she’ll be blogging away like nobody’s business. Sorry you’ve had to put up with me so much this week.

Random Posts

Don’t Just Sit In Front Of The Computer… Exercise!

Brandon Harshe — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:00:24 +0000

We’ve all done it from time to time. Sitting in front of the computer for long, extended periods of time.

In fact, at the time of writing this, I’ve been at the computer for quite a long while, redesigning a new theme for this site. I can definitely tell I’ve been at the computer too long. My vision is a little blurry, and my butt and neck are sore.

When you sit in front of the computer for too long, you tend to hunch over… kind of just slouching in your chair. That is not a good thing for your spine.

Here’s Why

You have two main curves in your back: a lordotic curve in your lower back (the spine curves toward the stomach) and a kyphotic curve in the upper back (spine curves away from chest). The curve in the neck is lordotic as well, but bad posture can straighten that curve very easily.

Ideally, you want to sit in a chair that is ergonomically correct i.e. a 120 degree angled-tilt with a 5 cm pad in the lower back area to preserve natural lordosis in the lower back.

What actually happens is most people do not sit in an ergonomically correct chair, and as such, they don’t sit straight on their own, either. They slouch, which causes hyper-kyphosis in the upper back (extra curve) and some hypo-lordosis in the lower back (less curve). This in turn leads to a person leaning their head forward, which eventually causes a tremendous amount of strain in the rear neck muscles. For every inch you lean your head forward, that’s equivalent to adding 16 extra pounds of tension to your cervical spine. This kind of posture is what leads to tension headaches in many people. They neck muscles are fatigued and strained and they spasm slightly, which can lead to a strain of blood flow in that area, thus causing a headache.

How To Avoid Bad Posture, Headaches, and Obesity

Get up and move around. Period.

Pick fun activities that you feel will be worth time away from the computer. Some examples are to take a walk around the block, chase your kids around the house, or start up the Darren Rowse exercise routine!

Doing anything that requires some kind of exercise is great for all of us. Exercise releases endorphins all throughout our body, making us feel better. Exercise gives us more confidence as well. And if you have kids, most importantly, you’re setting the example for them.

The Lord knows kids in this country need any kind of help they can get. With obesity levels soaring above 65% in this country, what percentage of that do you think is below the age of 18? Try 15% between the ages of 6 and 19. Type II diabetes anyone? Heart disease? Going once, going twice…

Just by going out and running and/or doing push-ups and pull-ups at the house, the kids want to exercise with me. Tatum wants to go running with me, but I have to explain to her that I’m running "very far." But that’s okay. One day she’ll be able to go with me, and that will be a thrill for me.

I know in this day and age that sitting in front of the computer is what most of us do a lot of, whether it’s for work or play. But that doesn’t mean we have to confine ourselves to a life of continuous bad posture and subsequent structural problems with our spine.

So get off your butt and go skip around the block like this happy couple.

Carnival of Holistic Nutrition- January 15th, 2008 Edition

Brandon Harshe — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:00:41 +0000

Welcome to the January 15, 2008 edition of Carnival of Holistic Nutrition. There are some really good posts here, so get busy reading all of them!

Aparna presents Beauty and Personality Grooming: Yogic diet posted at Beauty & Personality Grooming, saying, "Are you what you eat…. or is it the other way round? Whatever it be, there is no denying that food habit plays the most important part in the constitution of our body. Ancient Yogic texts as well as modern research have time and again confirmed the fact that food governs mind and thoughts."

Damongligaw presents What is Hallelujah Diet? posted at Daddy! I have some questions..

Healthy Personal Development

Lucynda Riley presents Its not how much were eating its what were eating. posted at A Public Diet.

Steven Aitchison presents The GOYA method for Personal Development posted at Change your thoughts, saying, "How to push yourself for personal development"

Wenchypoo presents More False Economies posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.

Alfa Mercado presents 5 Ways to Get Rid of a Cold posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Healthy Eating When You are Dining Out posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Kingsley Tagbo presents HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION IN 8 EASY STEPS : THE FASTEST WAY TO LEARN TECHNICAL SKILLS OR GET A JOB posted at HOW TO LEARN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FAST OR GET A JOB EASILY.

GWN Lifestyle presents Quick Image Fix for 2008 posted at GWN Lifestyle, saying, "A great lesson on posture and confidence through the minds of children."

Todd Goldfarb presents 6 Practical Tips For Increasing Energy Using Food posted at We The Change, saying, "Hey Brandon– here’s a good article on holistic ways to get more energy from food….enjoy!"

Holistic Nutrition

Lucynda Riley presents Ham Bone Soup posted at A Public Diet.

Akemi presents Link Love Wednesday: Eat Your Way Healthy This Year! posted at Gratitude Magic.

Vreni Gurd presents wellness tips » Hospital food – an opportunity waiting? posted at wellness tips, saying, "Feeding sick people overly cooked, poor quality food does not help them recover. Hospitals are missing a huge opportunity."

Vreni Gurd presents Food-Guide Fallacy posted at wellness tips, saying, "Our food guides are colossally wrong. We need to go back to eating like our ancestors did to rediscover health and wellness."

Alfa Mercado presents 5 Healthy Tips You Can Do To Avoid Energy Slumps posted at Wellbeing Coaching for Busy Professionals | Greg Hollings.

Bridget Chaney Lennon presents Balance your Diet ~ Balance your Life posted at MyYogaMentor, saying, "Balance Your Diet ~ Balance Your Life Using Mindfulness & Anna Yoga to bring balance to your health and life."

Samuel Bryson presents Why Diets Don’t Work: posted at Total Wellbeing.

Holistic Weight Loss

Andrew784 presents Project Weight Loss posted at Personal Hack, saying, "Please help support me to lose weight by implementing healthier eating and exercising habits. You can support me by checking out this blog post which includes my public weight loss commitment and leaving a comment, thank you "

Anmol Mehta presents Free Online Yoga Breathing Exercises (Yoga Pranayama) E-Book posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "Collection of powerful yoga breathing exercises to help you lose weight, cure diseases and get fit."

Dan Taylor presents Getting Lean: Taper Your Late-Day Calories posted at The 45-Year Old Six Pack.

Alfa Mercado presents How to cut the fat and feel good posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Wellness junction posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents How to add more tofu to your daily diet posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents 5 things you can do each morning to have more energy posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Create your wellness plan for 2008 posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents The January 2008 Wellness Challenge posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Alfa Mercado presents Four reasons to eat your food slower posted at Wellness Junction by Kavit Haria.

Technorati tags: carnival of holistic nutrition, blog carnival.

Maintenance Issues

Brandon Harshe — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:00:21 +0000

For those of you who have been visiting this blog lately and getting only a blank screen, we apologize. Our theme has been chappin’ our hide, big time. I upgraded to the new version of Wordpress and, hopefully, that takes care of the problem. If not, then I’ll have to work on another theme that doesn’t go down all the flippin’ time.

Once again, sorry to inconvenience you.

Random Posts

Baby Got Back…

January Harshe — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:12:22 +0000

Yep, that’s right, I have too much junk in this trunk! That is why I’m doing this blog, right?! I’m never gonna lose some of this booty if I don’t move it! I know this. So, today I went on a 2.2 mile walk with all three kids. I’d like to report that it was uplifting and wonderful, but let’s be real people. Walking with 3 kids that are 4 years old and under is crazy. The 70 pounds I pushed in the jogger ensured I got a workout! Carrying the baby in the sling made me thankful that that 12 pounds wasn’t a part of me!

The best part wasn’t the kids fighting or Tatum trying to talk to me over the busy traffic, but I wore the wrong shoes. What was I thinking when I put on a brand new pair of Sketchers? Are they walking shoes? NO! I have great walking shoes. I was thinking about them fondly as my toes were going numb walking home today. Hey, the Sketchers matched my outfit. Isn’t that important when you are exercising trying to lose weight? So smart, I am!

You know what, I would love a great gym membership with a great child care. I would love a second car to get to said gym. That is not my circumstance at the moment. So, instead of sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I’m going to be grateful I have a double jogger and a sling and the use of my legs. I’m going to get exercise how I can right now. Sure, it will take me an hour to get out the door. Everyone has to be dressed (I think the neighbors might have an issue with naked toddlers in a jogger), we have to have snacks for the kids because riding in a jogger takes up a lot of energy, the baby has to be fed before we leave, water bottles for everyone made, oh I have to be dressed as well, keys, phone, blankets if it’s cold, etc. That’s OK though, it’s worth it, right? Please somebody tell me it’s worth it! If I’m going to tell others there is no excuse not to get exercise, then I have to throw all my excuses out. Bummer.

I am happy to be able to exercise. I am grateful I can walk. I am happy to be able to get out with my kids. Exercising lifts my mood, helps my spirit and helps my body. That is something to appreciate. Also, when I exercise I want to eat better, because darnit, I don’t want to undo the 2 hours it took me to get 45 minutes of exercise! If I invest that much time to work off calories and heal my body, I want to keep all the benefits! Tomorrow is Saturday, so I’m making the hubby go with me. Two days in a row would be great! I’m feeling healed from the birth, so I’m up for it!

So, if I can do this, then don’t even try to tell me your lame excuse! What are you doing for exercise right now?

Being Right: It Won’t Make You Popular

Brandon Harshe — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:00:49 +0000

My last post really garnered quite a response from one particular reader. I made some statements about some things that this reader didn’t agree with or felt that I was wrong about and let me know. I responded that this reader was the wrong one, and this began a chain reaction of back-and-forth nitpicking. It was getting to the point where we started sniveling about how each person worded something in particular or what they really meant or blah, blah, blah.

I finally realized that we were both attempting to be right, and that proving the other person wrong wasn’t going to endear us to one another.

I recently read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. One of the cardinal sins mentioned in that book is trying to prove you’re right. No one wants to be around someone that always wants to be right. When you have to prove that your stance on a certain issue is the right one, all that does is make the other person defensive. And trying to get anywhere with a person already on the defense is a tough task.

Chuck Gallozzi said it perfectly in his article Being Right:

"There are many reasons to give up our addiction to being ‘right.’ First, consider what we are doing when we make pronouncements that you are either for me or against me, or that it’s my way or the highway, or that I’m ‘right ’ and you’re ‘wrong.’ Aren’t we being arrogant, combative, self-righteous, presumptuous, judgmental, narrow-minded, and alienating? Aren’t such attitudes divisive and dysfunctional? Don’t they disrupt harmony and peace and lead to conflict and suffering?"

We all want to be right at some point or another. I would say it’s one of my worst traits. Just ask January. She will gladly tell you how annoying I can be sometimes. Heck, it even annoys me at times… like with the example I gave at the beginning.

What does being right have to do with a blog about health and losing weight? When you are focused on getting healthier and/or losing weight, it’s good to have a support system you can count on to assist you through the difficult times. If you are someone who needs to be right all the time, your support will quickly dwindle because people don’t want to be around someone they always have to be on the defensive with.

In the long run, does it really matter if I think MSG is dangerous and you don’t? Or if I co-sleep with my kids and you don’t? Or if I you vaccinate your kids, but I don’t? Or if you enjoy smoking, but I can’t even stand a whiff of that stuff?

Perception may be everything, but only you can perceive things the way you do. We each have our own life experiences that lead us to the beliefs we have. Tearing someone down from their beliefs only to prop yourself up with correct facts is no way to be. That is, unless you want to be lonely.

I truly believe that’s something we can all take to heart.

Me included.

Eating a Raw Diet and Breastfeeding

January Harshe — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:22:57 +0000

Wow. OK, where am I at? I ate all raw for 4 days. I was loving it. I had made a decision and had no problem sticking to it this time. I have bigger goals in mind to worry about not eating cooked food. So, what happened?

I love being a mom. I adore my children. They are a blessing from God and I am grateful every day that they chose me to be their mother. With motherhood comes many responsibilities as you know. Right now one of my responsibilities is feeding my newborn baby girl. Before going raw, Annabelle (she is 3 months old now!) slept really well through the night. She usually wakes up once or twice to nurse and then drifts back to sleep. The four days I was raw, she was up ALL night snacking and not able to get satisfied and back into a deep sleep. Also, I pump extra breast milk for a friend’s baby. As she says, it’s usually like cream. I make super power milk! While I was eating all raw, though, my pumped milk was very light in color and more of a water consistency. I also was making less milk. My baby was not getting what she was used to.

I spoke to another friend about it. He is very knowledgeable about nutrition and eating a raw diet itself. We talked about what I was eating. He pointed out how I was not eating grains, oats or lentils. These foods, in his opinion, are necessary for sustainability and health. I was not prepared to sprout and eat these foods raw. I was just going to not eat them for now and work my way up to that. So, I either had to find a way to get them now or eat them cooked. I decided that I would introduce some cooked food that day and see what happened. After having Ezekiel bread with lunch and a falafel pita at dinner (along with the other raw food I ate that day), my supply went up. Also, my pumped milk was creamy again and Annabelle slept normal that night (thank goodness). Coincidence, you ask yourself? Maybe. I don’t think so. Everything changed with me changing what I ate when I started all raw and when I ate some cooked foods. I do want to say that this does not happen to all breast feeding moms. This was my experience and mine alone. It was based on what I was eating and may be different if eating other raw foods.

So, back to the responsibilities of motherhood. I am not privileged at this time to make selfish decisions. Decisions just for me that don’t effect others. What I eat right now has a direct effect on my baby. This is actually one of the reasons I wanted to eat all raw. So Annabelle could be getting the best breast milk possible. I can not be in a state of detox ( I was) and not making enough milk. It just won’t work. I was totally bummed. For once I was really doing this. I was not looking for any excuses to stop. Something out of my control came up.

I would like to look into sprouting beans, grains and lentils. Also, Alissa Cohen sells raw oats. If I can be more prepared and have these foods on hand, then maybe it would work. My breast milk supply and make up may not be negatively effected. I wonder if part of the reason there was a change was also because not enough calories. I was eating as much as I could though being on all raw. Obviously, I would have to go about an all raw diet differently than I did.

So, this morning I decided that doesn’t mean I have to eat a SAD (Standard American Diet). I (and my baby) can still benefit from a high raw diet with some cooked grains, beans, lentils and oats. I do have to admit though, this morning I had to consciously tell myself, "January eat a raw breakfast. This is not an excuse to eat crap". So, with it on my mind, I ate raw and cooked today. I am still going to pay attention to how I feel eating both.

I still feel a vegan all raw diet, is the superior way to eat. I am looking forward to getting myself there again. In the meantime I am going to enjoy the health benefits of eating a lot of raw food and the pleasure benefit of eating the cooked foods I love.

So What Did I Eat Today?

Fresh orange and carrot juice and a banana for breakfast made in Jack La Lanne juicer

An apple and raw cheese for snack

Jasmine rice (probably 2 cups cooked) with soy sauce for lunch (the rice cooker is great)

Cut up slices of cucumber and raw cheese for snack

Jasmine rice with soy sauce and Bragg’s dressing

Pasta with organic sauce and roasted tomatoes (olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, sea salt)

I had raw fruits, veggies and cheese today along with rice, pasta and cooked tomatoes. I don’t know what the percentages are of raw and cooked. I did feel good today. I love jasmine rice. I know it’s not brown rice, but I just love it. I think the biggest challenge for me is to make sure to still get in high raw even though I’m eating cooked as well.

I want to take this blog in a new direction. I am going to bring information about all types of health related topics. I am going to finish my birth stories and get support and information for VBAC moms! I am going to have an international cuisine category. I love culture, traditions and food. I want to bring some of that here! We will continue to write articles about food, thoughts and personal development. Let’s not forget that I will continue to get healthy and in shape in the process!

An Interview With A Raw Mom

January Harshe — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:35:56 +0000

With all this talk about a raw lifestyle, I think another raw foodist interview would be beneficial and interesting!

This interview is with on December 22nd, 2007 with Ginger. She is a mother who is very informative about raw food. She has helped me with deciding whether to go all raw while breastfeeding. Thank you!

Tell us a little bit about yourself (3-5 sentences).
I am a stay at home mom and I unschool my daughter who will be 5 on Christmas in a few days! I am one of those spiritual but not religious people, into astrology, numerology, meditating, LOA and all that super neat new age stuff! I have a raw website that I have big plans for in the not so distant future, I am very exited! I’m just itching to share what is in store but you won’t be getting a word out of me till it’s ready.

Are you male or female?
Female

What is your age?
I think 29?

How long have you been eating RAW?
Since the summer of 2002. I go all raw off and on.

How did you learn about RAW?
I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter in the summer of 02. Drove by a place here in Las Vegas called The Raw Truth cafe and juice bar. Decided to check it out and as soon as Bob (owner) told me what it was all about it was like a big light came on in my head and I realized I had finally figured out what was wrong with the world. It just instantly clicked for me the moment I heard it. Like common sense. I was struck by the fact that I had never stopped to think about it on my own all my life. It’s strange how something so obvious could be so effectively hidden right in front of us.

What does eating RAW mean to you?
Lifeforce. Capable of producing and sustaining life. Just can’t do that eating dead and altered stuff.

Why did you choose to eat RAW and why do you continue to do so?
It just makes sense. Eating cooked food is totally absurd and very extreme if you stop to think about it. Just because something is common does not mean it’s normal. Like that saying.. If 10,000 men do a stupid thing, it is still a stupid thing.

How did you transition from SAD to RAW?
I didn’t. The day I learned of raw I went totally fully raw on the spot. Stayed that way until a month later when my life was totally unstable and I had to move 4 times in only a few months. I was pregnant and working a full shift plus taking on extra hours when I could. Life was quite challenging between being so busy and ending a relationship and moving so much and I ended up falling back into eating standard food. Shortly after my daughter was born I went vegetarian and I was vegan before she was 3 months old because my eating dairy was causing her problems. I decided to go raw again when I could and have been all raw off and on since. Hope to stay raw eventually.

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why? How does that effect your RAW lifestyle?
Vegan now although on two occasions now I let some things creep back in for awhile. I grew up eating standard foods but mostly junk food and fast food. A home cooked meal in my house was usually just as processed and almost as bad. I always liked salad though. With croutons and bleu cheese and ham or shrimp.. yeah I was never into health until I was pregnant! Never crossed my mind until then. Weird huh? Why am I vegan? Pick a reason! There is no valid reason not to be. Mostly health reasons though for me.

What benefits have you personally noticed from eating RAW?
The cloud lifts, everything heals, and the world is a better place. I have never had another abscessed tooth since changing my diet, and I used to get them constantly like every few months. My period is the complete opposite of what it used to be, it’s now hardly even noticeable, it’s very light, lasts only 3 days tops and no cramping no emotional stuff no nothing. The only way I know when I’m about to get it is that my body wants to fast the day before and the first day I have it. I totally lose my appetite. I lost all my pregnancy weight in 3 months raw eating whatever and whenever I wanted so long as it was raw. Later gained it all back and for some reason I now have to watch my fat intake even when I’m all raw but that’s another story. I never get sick anymore AT ALL. I could go on & on about all the benefits I notice, I notice with my child and my mother (she healed her cancer) but let me just mention one last thing! I had a neat thing happen, totally unexpected. My tooth that I had chipped when I was a kid GREW BACK! My self my family and my friends were floored. Didn’t know it was even possible, it just happened when I was eating all raw for about 6 months. I gave up using toothpaste because turns out it is harmful to teeth. I started using toothsoap instead or just water and a natural bristle toothbrush.

What is your favorite RAW food or recipe?
Soooo many! I love food! It is always changing so I’m going to say salad because I could eat a different salad every day and be perfectly happy the rest of my life.

What advice do you have for others looking into eating RAW?
Try it. Really. Just try it and if something isn’t working your body will tell you so you can adjust things to make it work for you. Raw works for everyone, it is just not true that not everybody can eat raw. Some people just don’t want to eat raw and that is fine, but it’s not because they can’t- it’s that they choose not to. You may have to get creative depending on your diseases or allergies etc but it can be done and you will benefit. It is the way we are all designed to live.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about eating RAW?
There is a saying that totally fits here.. You don’t have to change your life to eat raw, but eating raw will definitely change your life!

Do you have a blog or website you would like to share?
My main site: http://therawpath.com/

Veganism: How Healthy Is It Really?

Brandon Harshe — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:06:24 +0000

Obviously, there’s a lot of talk around here about going all raw and/or vegan. For goodness sakes, there’s been all sorts of talk about that stuff in our household, too. I feel like it’s everywhere. That’s good, though. I like being surrounded by people and topics that force us all to look at our health and how to constantly improve it.

However, I do have one monkey wrench to throw into the whole vegan thing. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think going vegan is bad. I think it’s actually a great thing… if you do it a certain way.

What do I mean by a certain way?

Whenever I hear a vegan talking about his/her diet, it seems to me as if he/she is trying to substitute everything they would normally eat in a non-vegan diet. Things such as bacon, sausage links, hot dogs, turkey, chicken, beef, ice cream, etc. When someone goes vegan, to me, that means you concentrate on sticking to whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, etc. When I think vegan, that’s just what pops into my head.

But, many, many vegans choose to substitute their meat products for processed vegan products. This is where my "beef" lies. Take Tofurky, for example. I looked at the list of ingredients for the "Foot Long" Veggie Dog off of the Tofurky website. This product’s first questionable ingredient is isolated soy protein, which very often contains monosodium glutamate (MSG). Then you get to natural vegetarian flavors and natural smoke flavor. These two ingredients can very often be umbrellas for a concoction of up to 300 different ingredients, of which can contain excitotoxins like MSG. Next up is yeast extract. This is a sludge-type concoction that almost always contains MSG.

If you don’t already know, MSG is a salty food additive used to make foods more flavorful. MSG is an excitotoxic ingredient that can penetrate the blood brain barrier and destroy brain cells in a chain-reaction-type effect. Considering vegan or vegetarian items can taste terrible sometimes, the reasoning is understandable. But the methods are questionable at best.

Next, I looked at the Chipotle Franks. Some of the same stuff, except now this contains autolyzed yeast extract. This is similar to yeast extract, except that it is more processed and is guaranteed to contain MSG.

Next, I looked at the Beer Brats. These contained textured wheat protein. Any protein that gets a "textured" in front of it, always contains MSG.

In all fairness, a lot of the Tofurky products look okay, but the fact that they use these ingredients in some of their items definitely raises my suspicion.

I also checked out StarLite Cuisine, which makes some meatless chicken taquitos that are actually quite good. I ate these once, before looking at the ingredients and was disappointed at what I saw. They contained the dreaded yeast extract. Darn it! I liked these things, too.

You’re probably wondering how all these ingredients can actually contain MSG. Well, the FDA made it legal for food companies to omit MSG from their ingredients if the substance that contains it contains less then 90% MSG. So if a preservative contains 89% MSG, according to the FDA, you don’t need to know. If you want to know more about MSG and other excitotoxins, I recommend Russell Blaylock’s book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. You can actually buy it from our website if you look over to the right of this post.

My point is this. I think being vegan is cool, but if all you’re doing is substituting meat products for meatless products, the food companies have to make you want to eat them again somehow. Whereas sticking to a whole foods diet really is the best bet.

I, personally, am not vegan. I can live with vegetarian, but I don’t really have the desire to label myself one or the other at this point in my life. I love to eat 2 organic eggs every morning cooked in coconut oil. And although I haven’t had it in a while, I’m still eating fish. Especially since you can only get the important Omega-3 oils, EPA and DHA, from fish, unless you can find a spirulina or algae supplement that actually contains EPA and DHA. Oils like flax seed oil only contain ALA, which is good, but doesn’t nourish your brain cells like EPA and DHA. Besides that, I eat mostly raw fruits, veggies, nuts and/or seeds throughout the rest of the day.

If you’re a vegan who’s not a raw foodist, I’m curious to see if you eat these items or not. If you do, does this kind of information bother you at all?

Day 3 Eating All Raw…I’m Still Here!

January Harshe — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:03:38 +0000

I am happy to tell you that today I am feeling much better! No headache! My congestion has turned into sneezing and draining. It feels good to know my body is releasing all the crap! Last night I had the headache, bad breath, gas and I was terribly bloated! Today I feel lighter, and have more energy, even with my lack of sleep! This is why raw is awesome! I also had a rash on my left arm that started about a week ago. This morning it is almost all gone. Just like that …overnight!

I also need to bring you some bad news. My husband can’t hack it! That’s right, the food machine can not eat all raw. It’s too hard for him. You have no idea the joy this brings me. That’s right…joy. For the first time in 10 years I am the better example and have the superior diet. I made him say it. "January, yes you have a superior diet". Oh ya baby! I don’t think him eating high raw is bad, it’s great, but I am better. LOL.

I think most people can benefit from a high raw diet, that’s obvious. To eat all raw, you have to want it. It’s not something to take lightly. We don’t live in a raw world. I have a fault (one of many). I can not make decisions and stick to them…usually. In the rare cases that I do make a decision, I become hard core about it. When I decided to have children instead of going to school and have a career (want to be a Dr.), I decided to put my all into being a SAHM (stay at home mom) . It may be hard when 3 kids are screaming at me, but I know it’s right. When I decided to never have another c-section (or surgery of any kind) again, that was it. I fought damn hard for my VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 c-sections). I have finally made the decision to eat raw. Since I have made the decision, I have not been tempted to eat anything else. I feel strong and powerful in my choice.

These are pictures of my 4 and 2 year old helping me make fruit salad. We actually had a lot of fun. They ate some, then I snacked on it the rest of the day! It was very good. I don’t normally like blueberries, but with bananas and raw agave they taste better to me.

What I Ate:

-Fruit Salad: blueberries, blackberries, banana, raisins, and raw agave nectar

-2 kiwi

-Chopped up celery, radish, tomatoes and baby cucumbers mixed w/Bragg’s

-G.T. Synergy Kombucha

-Dried organic mango

-Small handful raw almonds, grape tomatoes, sprouted raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, sea salt (I usually eat this with avocados and not almonds. Unfortunately when I went to prepare it, my avocados were not ripe. I was so bummed.)

-Few bites of peanut butter, raw cocoa, and raw agave nectar

-Banana

-3 organic dates

I drank more water today, but I think I still need more. I can just feel it in my body. I don’t feel hydrated enough. I think the dried mangoes are causing too much gas (I know, too much information, but that’s what this blog is all about!). I did feel much better today, like I expected (maybe that’s why I felt better, b/c of my expectation!). Towards the end of the night, the headache came back. I think this is from lack of sleep though. I almost feel like I have allergies. I am welcoming all of it though.

Moving on to day 4!

Day 2 Eating All Raw

January Harshe — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:07:58 +0000

Today sucked. Yes, that is how I am starting this post! I woke up feeling congested, tired and had a headache. After breakfast and getting ready, I realized I was also very impatient. My poor kids! After getting frustrated with my daughter, I had to stop, breathe and get control. I put my head in my hands and said, "January, you are detoxing. It is causing you to be impatient. Don’t let it. You have control, be nice to your kids. Welcome the detox, let it do it’s job and ask it to leave when it’s finished." I felt much better after this. Becoming aware of and admitting what was happening gave me peace. I had a few close calls, but handled myself well.

I did have to eat a lot though. In the middle of the day I was feeling kind of sick and that headache would not go away! I got adjusted and grabbed the almonds! I figure I need to eat more calories, fat or whatever I can to make me feel like I can function right now! So that’s what I did. I think it took me 2 hours to eat lunch! I am not kidding. My jaw hurt.

I had a headache until 11 pm. It finally started to subside. Thank goodness. I just keep telling myself that "Tomorrow is going to be an awesome day! I will feel great!"

What I Ate:

Everything! Honestly, today I ate a lot of each thing I had.

-1.5 apples

-2 baby cucumbers, 2-3 handfuls of almonds, a banana, berries, 2 dates

-dried mangoes…I wouldn’t normally eat so many, but I needed it today

-Kombucha

-Home made guacamole: onion, garlic, grape tomatoes, avocados mixed in the Vitamix

-Raw Crackers

-Kombucha

Hmmm. After writing it out, it doesn’t seem like as much as I thought. I guess you can eat a lot of fruit and veggies, but it’s still not a lot! I do think that I need to be drinking more water. I am going to make sure I up my intake tomorrow.

I went shopping at Costco and Whole Foods today. Here is what I bought. Remind you, this is for a family of 4. Although I am the only one who is all raw right now, my husband and children eat high raw. We go through produce like it’s going out of style (well, it kind of has, but we are bringing it back!).

Costco:

3 blackberries (2 lbs. each)
3 blueberries (18 oz. each)
1 package/3 long seedless cucumbers
1 organic mixed greens
2 grape tomatoes (2 lbs. each)
1 Roma Tomatoes (2 lbs.)
1 bag minneolas/tangerines (8 lbs.)
1 bag Cara Cara oranges (8 lbs.)
1 box clementines (5 lbs.)
1 container large kiwi (4 lbs.)
1 bag avocados (5)

Total Cost: $91.12

By the way I went to Costco 3 days ago and still have some of that produce. Mainly oranges and apples. It goes fast around here!

Whole Foods:

4.98 lbs. organic red apples
.22 lbs. organic garlic
.18 lbs organic dates
.60 lbs onion (1 onion)
6 count G.T.’s Strawberry Kombucha
2 pirates booty (for kids to snack on while riding in the cart)
.83 lb organic dried mango (which I ate most of yesterday afternoon)
.95 lb. organic peanut butter
.29 lbs salad bar
cheese pizza (also a treat for the kids)
1 organic Ezekiel bread

Total Cost: $56.63

Total Cost of Costco and Whole Foods: $147.75

Now, I will have to report back to you how long this actually lasts! 3 days maybe? I would like to work up to all organic, but for now having all this fresh produce is amazing and such a blessing!

I am looking forward to Day 3!

Kombucha

January Harshe — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:04:04 +0000

A good friend of mine told me I need to join “KA” or “Kombucha Anonymous”! I love this stuff. I drink G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha because I am too lazy to grow it myself. I like their brand because it is organic, raw and they mix them with a little juice. Some people say it tastes too much like vinegar or wine to them, but I enjoy it very much.

Personally, I have seen some positive effects from drinking it. Before I became pregnant with my daughter, I would have very heavy and crampy menstrual cycles. I would drink 1-2 Synergy Kombuchas and it would lighten them and the pain would subside. It helps me with appetite control and cravings. Also, it has a relaxing effect, which with a 4 and 2 year old and a baby is a miracle. I also drank it during my pregnancy. This was to ensure I was getting enough probiotics and vitamins. (If you are not already drinking it, it can cause detoxing effects, so be cautious when starting while pregnant or nursing). This is also my most mellow baby. Hey, you never know.

Kombucha itself is a microorganism. People mistake it for a mushroom, but it is actually a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, also referred to as a SCOBY. It looks like a big pancake. It is usually always prepared with sugar and tea, then fermented. You can get cultures and starter kits to make your own. Then you can continue making it with the mother and baby cultures. There are a ton of sites containing information about where to get starters and how it’s made. As with anything, research it out for yourself and decide what is best for you!

I just want to add some health benefits that people claim they have received from adding Kombucha into their diets. I am not quoting research, but personal experiences.

-relaxation
-clearer mind and sense of wellness
-help heal their cancer
-aids in weight loss
-help with many infections and disease!

Looking on the back of my G.T.’s Synergy Strawberry Komucha, it says it contains 95% organic raw kombucha, 5% strawberry puree, and 100% pure love! It may contain less than 0.5% alcohol due to fermentation. For 1-8 oz serving (2 servings per bottle), it has 25% Folic Acid, 20% Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12. It also has a probiotic content of 1 billion organisms of Lactobatcillus Bacterium and S. Boulardil. Let’s not forget the amino acids and organic acids. 100 mg. L-Theanine, 10 mg. Glucuronic Acid, 25 mg. L(+) Lactic Acid and 30 mg. Usnic Acid.

Here is a great site I found that has more information on the health benefits of Kombucha. OK, all this talk about Kombucha makes me wanna go grab one.

First Day All Raw Foods

January Harshe — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:40:27 +0000

I mainly focused on just eating nothing cooked. There are different ways to eat raw. I was recently reading where people eat "mono" meals. Meaning they eat only one food at a time. So they will have a mono meal of bananas. After that’ s digested they may drink water and later have a mono meal of clementines. I think everyone feels different about how to eat their raw food, because everyone reacts differently to the foods they eat. Some combinations of food may make Suzy feel great, but give Harry really bad gas. Poor Harry. So Harry eats mono meals or only fruits together and fats separately.

Right now I just eat what sounds good at the moment. If I get really hungry, I eat a meal with avocados and/or nuts. It is higher in fat and more filling. If I just want a pick me up snack and apple will do. If I want to make a meal with a lot of nutrients, I blend up the green smoothie in my Vitamix. I am a "go with the flow" kind of person. (Just ask my friend Staci, she’ll tell ya!) I just have as much produce available and some raw snack for those cravings. You can check out what a typical grocery list is for me (Totally Raw Grocery List) and even see pictures of what I eat in my kitchen (A Raw Kitchen).

What I Ate:

-A glass of juiced oranges and carrots

-About 1.5 apples cut up

-A bowl of raspberries and blackberries with a little raw agave nectar drizzled on top

-A bowl of sliced in half grape tomatoes and about 1/3 cup sprouted raw pumpkin/sunflower seed mix

-Home made raw guacamole: onion, garlic and tomatoes in Vitamix, then stirred in avocado, lemon juice and sea salt

-Raw Crackers (dipped in guacamole)

-An apple dipped in raw peanut butter

-A green smoothie at the request of my 2 year old: large handful of spinach, banana, orange, lemon, frozen strawberries and distilled water

-G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha

-I drank large glasses of distilled water throughout the day.

I’m not going to lie. I was hungry. I have to find the right balance and combination for me. That’s what the first few days are for. Each time I felt hunger, I just grabbed another snack/small meal. I have read people eating 10 clementines or 10 bananas in one sitting. I have never imagined that possible. I need variety and smaller portions. I can not see myself sitting down to eat 10 of anything! Maybe 2 apples. That’s why smoothies are good for me. I can get a lot of fruit and veggies down at once. Easy, fast and nutritious!

My sweet husband has decided that he is going to eat all raw with me. This was a hard decision for him, just like anyone else. Actually, it’s kind of surprising he found himself in a position where he didn’t want to give up certain foods (cooked). He is usually a damn machine when it comes to eating. He sees food as energy…something we need to survive. He thinks food is like air and water. Do you crave air, do you say, "Man I am craving some sweet air!?" No, you just need it to survive. Same with food. We just need it to survive. Now, me on the other hand, I LOVE food! I don’t care what the man says. Food is pleasurable, enjoyable and lovely. However, it can treat you badly, so you must have your boundaries! I guess eating all raw foods is quite a boundary!

I am looking forward to day 2. So far I have eaten apples! I have a wonderful day ahead of me and it’s filled with delicious live foods. I need it too. The baby had me up ALL night, so I need all the help I can get!

Smoking: If It’s Cool, Then Don’t Be Cool Around Me!

Brandon Harshe — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:00:38 +0000

What is with all the smoking these days? I feel like everywhere I go lately, the chemical-laden scent of cigarette vapors seek out my nostrils. Why is that? I’m just minding my business and next thing I know, I’m breathing in someone else’s second-hand smoke, which is actually worse than inhaling it first-hand.

I remember learning that the reason why is that when someone is inhaling it first-hand, the heat from the lit-up tobacco will neutralize the different substances in the cigarette, while the smoke that drifts away into someone else’s lungs hasn’t been totally heated to the same temperature. That makes second-hand smoke sound wonderful, huh?

I don’t condone drugs, legal or illegal, in any way shape or form. But when someone says they want to smoke some weed, I understand why. They want to get high. I don’t, but obviously, they do. What’s the point with cigarettes? Why do people start out smoking? What are they trying to accomplish? Maybe it’s to smoke more than one cigarette at a time like this winner to the left. Or maybe it’s the cool thing to do. I don’t know.

What I do know is that cigarettes contain a lot more than tobacco. Take a look at these wonderful ingredients:

-Benzene (petrol additive)

-Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)

-Ammonia (toilet cleaner)

-Acetone (nail polish remover)

-Tar (yummy)

-Nicotine (addictive drug and an insecticide)

-Carbon Monoxide (car exhaust fumes)

-Arsenic (rat poison)

-Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison)

What in the world is cool about inhaling this stuff? Not to mention the possibility of pulmonary diseases like emphysema, strokes, heart attacks, Beurger’s disease (this is where your fingers and toes eventually need to be amputated because blood stops circulating in those areas). You get yellow, rotting teeth, yellowed fingernails, and you smell like a raunchy chimney! Not good!

So, if you’re into being cool, and you smoke, then just call me the biggest nerd you’ve ever met.

I’m okay with it. Really.

Random Posts

A New Year Raw Lifestyle

January Harshe — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:10:50 +0000

Last night, my husband and I sat down and had a talk. This is not what you think. It was actually wonderful. These moments are few and far between with three small children and we cherish them (the moments…OK, the children too). We talked about a few things, but I’m going to discuss what is relevant here.

At dinner last night, we were eating home made fried rice. My husband and children love a good cooked meal. Well heck, so do I. We started talking a little bit about how I feel when I eat raw vs. cooked. He said if it’s what I feel like I should be doing, then do it! That’s as far as we got, because our four year old daughter was sitting in a box acting like a dog and wanting us to watch her eat her eggs. My son was standing on the table in his superman underwear asking us for another egg and the baby was sitting there watching it all unfold. We laughed and rolled our eyes. What could we do?

After the kids were in bed, we actually got into a conversation. My wonderful "self development guru" of a husband is very into visualization. As he should be. If you can see it, then it can be true. He wanted to know if I can visualize myself a hot sexy mama! I told him when I think about eating raw vegan, then yes I can. We discussed other reasons I wanted to do this as well. There are things in my life and goals that I have that are dependent on my mental, physical and spiritual growth. I’ll have to indulge you with the details later as they are personal and need their own time to reveal themselves.

Even in the raw world, raw foodists all eat different. The lifestyle itself is as original as each individual. Why some will consider raw nuts raw, other don’t think they are truly raw because of how they are processed. Some people think eating Bragg’s dressing or the like is OK, while others shy away from anything that is not in its true raw form. There are many raw foodists who own a dehydrator. With this, they can make meals that remind them of their SAD days (Standard American Diet…isn’t that interesting how that acronym works out?). If you "cook" something below 118 degrees (some say 116, 108, 105…just depends on the person again) that it will hold onto all of it’s nutrient and enzyme properties. I do not own a dehydrator yet, so will remain simple right now. I think making these meals helps people with their cravings from their SAD days.

I do own a Vitamix and a Jack La Lanne juicer. With these I can make fresh juices, smoothies and even warm soups. Also, nut milks, raw guacamole, raw nut butters, etc. There’s nothing like fruit and greens blended up in a Vitamix. Green smoothies are refreshing, energizing and nutritious.

What I Will Eat:

-I plan on eating mostly fruits, especially in the morning. As I am coming off a fast from the previous nights sleep, I want to eat simple nutritious fruit. This way my body can digest and heal.

-Salads and cut up fresh vegetables with Bragg’s dressing will be another staple. I plan on making my own dressing, but for now Bragg’s will suffice.

-I am going to go easy on nuts and seeds. When I lost 60 lbs eating a high raw diet, I hit a plateau. I realized it was the huge bowl of nuts I was eating every day. I calculated it and realized it was about a 1000 calorie snack. I cut that out and started losing again. I think with a raw diet, your caloric intake is low, so having some nuts and seeds for calories and good fats is fine. I’m just not going to eat a huge bowl of them. I have a bag of organic sprouted raw sunflower seed and pumpkin seeds. Right now almonds are pasteurized and not available raw.

-When I have a craving I will probably eat some raw crackers or make a treat with raw nut butter and raw cocoa. For me, this is necessary right now. I have too many cravings and need to kick my sugar addiction. These "treats" will help. You can buy raw crackers at your local Whole Foods. I also will eat sprouts when I am in the mood. I have been looking into sprouting my own. I think this would be fun for the kids.

As far as my husband and children are concerned, that will unfold on it’s own. Just a few minutes ago, my husband said, "Wait, I don’t want you to be healthier than me!" With all joking aside, he is very supportive of all my adventures, this one included. He is deciding if he wants to eat all raw or just high raw. My children will be high raw, but they will have raw cheese and Ezekiel bread products, etc. At least for now.

I am very excited about this journey. I am looking forward to 2008 being a RAW year and all the health and clarity I will receive. I have many goals and am finally going to take charge of my life. No more blame, no more excuses. It is time to live and love living!

I will be posting pictures from today and my health goals in posts to come. I can not wait to see how my body changes. I also am looking forward to the changes I will have in other areas of my life from this change. Eating an all raw diet is not just about the food you put into your mouth, but also the thoughts you put in your head, the words that come out of your mouth and the actions you take in life!

Wearing Fitting Clothes

January Harshe — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:17:49 +0000

Basically, when you are overweight, wearing fitting clothes sucks! I have been wearing my loose fitting pants from when I was pregnant. Not very flattering. Actually, Brandon has been waiting for the opportunity to shred them and throw them away. I’m going to have to find a hiding place under a floorboard for when I want them on a bum day! He’ll never know!!! Ha Ha Ha!

We went shopping on our date the other night. It was our first date in over a month and much needed. We hit up Macy’s and Old navy. My husband actually enjoys taking me shopping. He likes to spend money on me, but more importantly he wants to make sure I pick bright colors. That’s right, the man has a strong opinion on colors of clothing. He says I just buy white, black and brown. Well, it’s true. They match everything! So, now I have a closet full or bright orange, yellow and green. I’m not kidding. I’m the big sun walking around.

What size am I? Well, my tops are anywhere from XL to XXL to XXL not even fitting. It just depends. I am in-between a size 18 and 20 for pants, so I bought the 20. Totally a bummer. I can now see all my rolls and pooches. Lovely. I am very uncomfortable. However, instead of getting depressed, I am using my very lousy feeling to get on top of this! We don’t make changes until we are too uncomfortable with our situation. I am squirming with discomfort! Time for a change.

Back to the Basics…Uncomplicating Things

January Harshe — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:57:18 +0000

Apparently I have been complicating things. That is according to my husband and a good friend. See, when I lost the weight before I just did it. Unfortunately Nike already coined and patented the phrase "just do it", because it’s a darn good one! It’s true though. There doesn’t need to be labels, guidelines, etc. I have been over thinking things. I have been told by these wonderful people in my life that I need to get back to my basics. I don’t need to be vegan or 100% raw, but do what feels right to me.

This picture was from my journey last time. Oh, and that is my adorable daughter! When I became healthier before, that was my goal, to become healthier. Honestly, it really is what I thought about. I wanted to be able to get down on the ground and play with my kids in comfort. I wanted to have more energy and better moods. I wanted to make sure that I would be here to chase after my grandkids and their children! People asked me how I did it and my response is always "I walked 6 days a week and ate healthy…there’s no secret". I just ran into an old friend last night and that is exactly what I told her.

I literally thought, "Is this good for my body" when deciding what to eat. Healthy to me meant the following:

-No artificial colors, flavors or anything else man can think of.
-No MSG. This includes yeast extract, carrageenan, and many more. (Brandon is going to do a post on this!)
-No "natural flavors" or "spices" unless it listed exactly what they were in parentheses afterwards.
-Nothing with hydrogenated anything.
-No white foods…flour, rice, etc (with some exceptions here or there).
-Only raw milk and cheese.
-When I had a treat I got the best. Oh man, there was a gelato joint in TX that was outstanding called Pacuigo. Irreplaceable! Oh my gosh, I just looked and they are having a franchise here in Phoenix in Spring 2008. Watch out! That is sweet!
-Only Ezekiel bread products (for toast, sandwiches, grilled cheeses, used the tortillas and raw cheese for homemade pizza).
-Sometimes raw whole wheat tortillas that we’d cook at home.
-Only rice or Ezekiel pastas.
-Home made smoothies from all fruit and home made soups in the Vita Mix.
-Fresh, raw juice from our Jack La Lanne juicer.
-Beans, brown rice and yummy dishes like fried rice or chili.
-As many raw fruits and veggies as I want.

I never told myself I could not have something. If I really wanted it, I ate it. I used portion control naturally though, never forced it.

So, why am I not doing this now? If it worked before, why am I trying to fix something that’s not broken? Is it in my nature? Am I just trying to find a better way" Who cares. I think I’m just going to do what worked before. I felt great and I lost weight because of it. The lost weight was actually a great side effect of getting healthier.

With all that said, I’m going to take a break from writing out what I’ve eaten and trying to label myself. I’ll still be here, posting away. I want to be healthier, less weight on me and to help people do the same. That’s not going to change!

It Will Actually Take Longer If You Rush

Brandon Harshe — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:00:19 +0000

We’ve all had those days where we woke up late and had to rush our way to work, school, etc. Maybe the power went out to your house during the course of the night, and when it came back on, the time on your alarm clock was way off. Or maybe one of your kids woke up in the middle of the night, say 2am and stayed up until about 4am. You went back to bed and were so exhausted, you ended sleeping through your alarm. Or maybe you turned it off and thought to yourself “I’ll stay in bed just ten more minutes” only to wake up two hours later.

We’ve all had those things happen. Instead of just embracing the extra sleep (obviously we needed it) and calling in or rescheduling, we have the habit of panicking instead.

The first reaction is to jump out of bed and scream “Son of a… I’m late!” The first thing you do is stub the crap out of your toe as you run to the bathroom. You growl in pain and anger, looking down to see that your pinky toenail is cracked and bloodied. Great.

You then hobble into the bathroom and start the shaving process; depending on sex, either your face or legs. During the course of shaving, you cut yourself bad. The bleeding doesn’t stop. You grab a big piece of wadded up toilet paper and apply pressure. The blood soaks through and you have to grab even more toilet paper, wad it up and press it hard against your wound. Five minutes later it eases up… a little.

Then you hop into the shower and turn on the water. As you turn the knob, it breaks. How are you going to turn the water off now? Usually the water takes a short time to warm up, but today it’s not getting hot… at all! So you suck it up and grit your teeth through a forty-second freezing shower. When you finish it takes you a couple minutes to figure out how to shut the water off. By the time all‘s said and done, you’ve spent about twenty minutes in the bathroom when you meant to spend five.

After you dry off, you run to your closet to get dressed. Then you remember… you were going to get up early and iron a shirt. You don’t have anything clean without wrinkles in it. Now you’re screwed, right? Another ten minutes goes by as you iron your shirt. But then, you can’t find any socks that match. What’s going on today? Argh! By the time you find some socks that somewhat resemble each other, you’ve spent about twenty minutes in your closet when you meant to only spend about one.

At this point, forget about eating anything. You don’t have the time to even grab something to go. You go to grab your car keys, but you can’t find them. Where’d they go? They’re around here somewhere! Then you remember… your kiddo was playing with them last night, but you don’t know where the rascal hid them. After thirty minutes, you finally find your keys in the oven, of all places! Makes you realize that maybe you should get some duplicates made in case this happens again.

Then you get into your car. You start your car, only to realize that the gas light is on. You’re just a hairline over empty. You remember that since you were going to get up a little early, this wasn’t going to be a big deal, considering you didn’t feel like filling up on your way home yesterday.

When you get to the gas station, every pump is occupied. You wait several minutes until a pump finally opens up. But this one has a note over the keypad where you slide your debit card into. It reads “PLEASE PAY INSIDE.” You slump your shoulders in dejection as you go inside and wait in line. But that takes forever as well. The lady in front of you needs Powerball tickets. She buys thirty tickets… and wants to pick the numbers all by herself. Argh!

By the time you leave the gas station, you’ve spent twenty minutes there when you meant to spend about three.

As you get onto the freeway, you see that traffic is backed up. At this point, you just want to go home and forget about your destination, but you can’t. You’re stuck in gridlocked traffic on the freeway. After twenty minutes of inching along only a mile, traffic picks back up. You see flashing lights and police cars and realize that there was an accident in the opposing traffic lane, and the reason it took you twenty minutes to go a mile was because everyone on your side of the freeway was rubbernecking to see the accident. Argh!

By the time you arrive at work, school, etc., you’ve spent nearly two hours panicking and stressing as you rushed and rushed to get to where you needed to be at a somewhat decent time. Instead, you are way too late, really frustrated, and freakin’ hungry. Remember- you didn’t have time to eat.

We’ve all been through this kind of morning and it’s no fun. So what do you do in this situation? What if you wake up late and have to be somewhere right away?

What you should not do is worry. So you slept in. It happens. Your teacher or boss has done it. Everyone has. So who cares? If you have to call someone and let them know the situation, then be responsible and do it. Let them know when you’ll be in, and when you do, make sure you give yourself enough time to do what you need to do without stressing. You shouldn’t have to rush through shaving, showering, eating, and just dealing with life, period. Things happen, so give yourself the time to deal with those things. But don’t rush. It never pays off. It only creates stress, panic, frustration, anger, irritation, negativity, etc.

Have you ever heard the saying “go with the flow?” There’s more to that saying than you think. Life is all about flow. The minute you have to force things or rush things, they never work out how you want and you just get frustrated, among other things. If you can learn to offer zero resistance to things that come up in life, and instead just deal with them as they come, one situation at a time, chances are you’ll have a more peaceful existence.

I’ve since learned how to do this and I can tell you, honestly, that my demeanor is much more relaxed and laid back. I used to be a rusher, not just in a situation like this, but all the time. It’s no fun, very unproductive, and the stress is very detrimental to your health, both physically and mentally. Life is not meant to be lived that way.

Just go with the flow. You’ll get there when you get there.

Random Posts

Blog Carnival on February 15th, 2008

January Harshe — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:36:43 +0000

We’ll be hosting another blog carnival on February 15th, 2008. This will be a carnival about anything raw foods. So if you have a blog post that has to do with raw foods, then submit it here. Can’t wait to read it!

Random Posts

Eating Raw and the Holidays…an Update!

January Harshe — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:21:49 +0000

OK, so you are probably thinking, "Man, starting a raw challenge right at Christmas time is not too bright. This girl must not think things through!" Well, I have no shame in telling you that you are right! I’m giving myself a big smack on the forehead for you!

The Saturday before Christmas we went to my Dad’s house. I was all prepared to eat raw food, so I thought. The crunching of chips and bright colors of the cookies form the local French bakery would not leave me alone. They followed me all around the house and pestered me until I gave them a nibble. Well, I couldn’t just tease them, so I had to go all they way. After 5 Christmas cookies and a sugar rush that had me racing around and jumping up and down, I thought, ‘Hmmm. Maybe not so good". After they were fulfilled and got what they wanted they left me! They left me tired, unfulfilled and bloated! I was so tired that night, I had to keep my eyelids open with toothpicks. The next morning I could not get out of bed until 10:40 am! This is someone who is up at 6 am with her kids every morning. When I eat all raw, I do not feel anywhere near this. I was cranky all day too. Ask the hubby. It was not a good day. Sunday and Monday I focused on eating high raw, but not 100%.

I had the yummiest vegetarian Lebanese food on Christmas. My grandmother is part Lebanese and she pays a Lebanese woman to make our family recipes every year for Christmas. That’s right, grandma pays someone else to do it. Christmas Scottsdale style! It was so delicious. I’m not going to lie. I’d eat it again! The day after Christmas I started all raw. While everyone else ate the leftovers, I had 2 huge salads and veggies. It was actually really good. Then my evil aunt brought over cookies again. Damnit, it’s like an affair that won’t end!

Something that I am concerned about it my daughter. She is 11 weeks old and I think all these changes are effecting her a bit. When I eat all raw, I wonder if I am releasing toxins in my breast milk. I can not be sure if she wasn’t feeling well on Christmas because of eating raw or eating cooked. I can not tell how long what I eat effects my milk.

I have been thinking of eating a high raw diet and transitioning into all raw. I know that after eating 2 days all raw, I feel like a different person. I feel healthy, happier, more energy and there’s not bloating/gas. I have to find how I can do this while nursing and taking care of a family that doesn’t want to be 100% raw. My husband eats vegetarian and raw to support me, but he doesn’t mind cooked foods and some meat. He wants them sometimes. Which is fine. Also, I have my kids to think about. They look at me in the afternoon, with a look that says, "Woman, how about a real meal here? You are starving us!" I guess this is all part of my journey, right?

So, for now I am putting the raw challenge on hold. I am going to do what worked last time I got healthier and lost weight. I ate a very high raw diet, with healthy vegetarian cooked meals. I ate raw dairy as well. And…..I walked.

So, that is what I am going to do. It may change tomorrow, so stay tuned!

*I didn’t have a picture of me exhausted, so I thought a picture of Brandon and the kids passed out would do. I don’t know how he feels about that though. LOL

Upcoming Blog Carnival on January 15th, 2008

Brandon Harshe — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:00:45 +0000

We’re hosting a blog carnival here on January 15th. If you’ve never heard of a blog carnival, this is how it works.

You go to blogcarnival.com and find our carnival. Our carnival is under the medicine, health, & fitness category under the name of carnival of holistic nutrition. Read the requirements of the post carefully. After you do that, go ahead and submit your blog post info related to our carnival. Make sure to do it by the end of the day on the 12th of January.

Once you do that, just come back and check out our blog on January 15th for your post and the other posts as well. And don’t be afraid to Digg or Stumble that post.

Raw Foodist Interview

January Harshe — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:29:53 +0000

I interviewed people who eat mostly or all raw diets. This is to give you an insight on why and how they live this lifestyle. I will be posting them periodically for you to enjoy and will also have an interview category so you won’t miss any! These are obviously the opinions of the person being interviewed, so use your head and do what is best for you. (Am I supposed to tell you to seek the advice of your health care professional here? Well, if in doubt go ahead and ask them!)

This interview is with SmilingRawDancer on December 20th, 2007. I know her from rawfoodtalk. She was kind enough to be my first interview! Thanks!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a college student in California. Pre-raw I craved all foods, all the time. Despite the fact that to others I was a "healthy eater," I was overloading on Splenda, low-carb candy, powdered milk, fat-free egg replacers and non-nutritious items. I rarely ate vegetables except iceberg lettuce, and was well on my way to being an obese health food eater. As I became raw, I learned more and more about vegetables, preparation, how to cut various items, and realized how little real food I ate pre-raw. Now people in the grocery store talk to me ALL THE TIME, and ask me questions about the huge amounts of bananas and Thai coconuts I buy.

Are you male or female?
Female

What is your age?
19

How long have you been eating RAW?
Since early summer, 2006.

How did you learn about RAW?
I happened across it while desperate to find some truth about health. It was God’s gift to me.

What does eating RAW to you mean?
It means everything. It means eating REAL food, avoiding illness, being a good example to others, and saving animals and the environment.

Why did you choose to eat RAW and why do you continue to do so?
It just made sense, and the food is SO yummy…I don’t think I could stop if I wanted to!

How did you transition from SAD to RAW?
Cold turkey. I just made the decision, went out and bought some romaine, mushrooms, tomatoes, apples, bananas, ACV and walnuts…the rest is history.

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why? How does that effect your RAW lifestyle?
I’m a Vegan, I found that Alissa’s method made the MOST sense. There are just so many nasties involved in raw dairy. Cows milk is meant for cow babies. It doesn’t affect my raw lifestyle, really, except that I don’t eat dairy or anything that comes from an animal.

What benefits have you personally noticed from eating RAW?
Initially I lost about 20 pounds, but since then I’ve had the stamina to run, bike…live my life. I don’t get sick often, I don’t take antacids or Ibprofrin, I no longer have severe toe infections, and my eyesight has gotten a bit better too.

What is your favorite RAW food or recipe?
I LOVE young coconuts, so anything involving those. Raw desserts are just awesome.

What advice do you have for others looking into eating RAW?
Just do it. It’s not hard. Just shop at the produce department, buy frozen fruit, and begin researching…don’t view it as an ALL OR NOTHING situation. Sometimes you have to ease into something as you acquire more knowledge about it.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about eating RAW?
It really is easy. People like to make things complicated, but picking up an apple, or making banana ice cream is simple, and inexpensive. And you DON’T have to eat organic to be raw, do what you can.

Do you have a blog or website you would like to share?
I have a raw twitter, www.twitter.com/missraw

Need A Map To Our Site? Read This!

Brandon Harshe — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:30:36 +0000

If you’re new to our site, that’s okay. You have to start somewhere, but we want to keep you from getting lost.

The best place to start is on the homepage. This is where you’ll find the most up-to-date articles that January and I post.

Next, I would advise you to check out January’s Journey. This is where January chronicles her journey of weight loss, including posts on thoughts, emotions, and exercising.

After that, go to the topic Keeping Track. Here is where January keeps track of her progress during her journey.

Then, go check out Brandon’s Bulletin. That’s where I write things that I think are important and pertinent to the subject of health and weight loss.

The last section I would really urge you to look at is Positive Thinking. Here, you’ll find articles that we write to help inspire you to do better in your own journey.

Also, you might want to check out the other topics, like VBAC if you want to read about January’s birth stories, Reading Food Labels, Recipes, and Poisons. As time passes, we’ll have more and more for you in these subjects as well.

Enjoy!

Perception Alteration vs Plain Old Will Power

Brandon Harshe — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:30:12 +0000

Let’s face it… dieting is just way too difficult. With so many diet books out today, it seems like there should be one that works, right? I’m sure there is, but the majority of them lack one key element.

To successfully lose weight, or get healthier, or more athletic, you have to address your mindset and how you think about your health. In other words, you have to educate yourself.

People have all sorts of self-limiting beliefs when it comes to their health. I know… I talk to these people all the time. They say things like "That’s too hard," or "I could never eat like you do." Everyone thinks you just have to be disciplined and strict with your diet and exercising, otherwise it’s not possible. People live in extremes. They either do nothing, or they do too much and burn themselves out.

What they don’t understand is that it has nothing to do with will power at all. It has to do with a change in perception.

My current perception is that if I eat anything unhealthy i.e. sugar, grease, excess fat, etc., I will feel like hell. Yesterday was a good example.

January and I have been eating mostly raw foods for the previous three weeks. I’ve also been in the midst of a goal where I’m running every single day for thirty days. Yesterday, we went down to Tucson so the kids could have Christmas at my father-in-law’s place. He got us stuff like salad and veggies to eat, but let’s face it, the cookies and chocolate-covered popcorn looked pretty darn good… and they were.

But when we got home, all that crummy food really hit me hard. When I got out of the minivan, I felt like I had been hit by a bus. My sinuses tickled like they do when I get sick, my right oblique muscle was extremely sore, my upper back muscles were extremely tight, and I felt really worn out. I didn’t feel like that when we left Tucson at all. It got to the point where I couldn’t even move. So my goal of running thirty straight days went out the window ( I had planned on running when we got home). At one point, I felt like I was getting the chills, so I took a really hot bath, which I fell asleep in. I eventually got out and went to bed, and when I woke up this morning, I felt much better. However, I can still tell I ate too much sugar yesterday. It gives you a little bit of a hangover feeling. Seeing as how sugar ferments and turns into alcohol, and too much alcohol gives you a hangover, you get the point about eating too much sugar.

When I was in high school, my perception was that I could eat 2 Burger King croissant-wiches for breakfast, $5 at Taco Bell for lunch (which back then bought you about two tacos, two bean burritos, a tostada, and a double-decker taco), and a whole pepperoni pizza or more Taco Bell for dinner, and I would be fine. Actually, I’ll go so far as saying I thought I was healthy back then. Never mind that I got sick all the time. I felt like I was getting a cold every month. That was my perception, as it is for many, many people in this country.

The best way to get healthier and lose weight is to educate yourself. That’s what I did. I learned a lot about exercise and how it affects the overall physiology of our bodies. I learned a lot about food, good and bad. I learned about all the preservatives used to preserve and enhance the taste of food. I learned about vitamins and minerals and why our bodies need them. After I learned all these things, my perception on food and health was/is totally different. What I learned was important enough for me to make the change my body needed to be healthier.

That’s it. No magic dust, no magic pill, no diet books.

It’s all about the education.

A Raw Kitchen

January Harshe — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:49:52 +0000

I am so happy with how I ate yesterday. I love coming into my kitchen and seeing the abundance of healthy food I get to eat! The deep red bowl of the tomatoes next to the bright yellow box of lemons just makes my taste buds get all excited. Seriously! I can grab a handful of raw nuts or make a green smoothie in my Vita Mix. If I want something sweet I can just grab the raw agave and raw cocoa and whip something up.

I don’t even know what I’m doing people and I still love it! I don’t have a lot of recipes. I know over time I’ll try new things, but I can’t get overwhelmed with that now. I don’t have a dehydrator or food processor or a gadget to make squash spaghetti. That’s okay too. Maybe I’ll want to try those out soon. For now I’ll buy my raw crackers instead of make them. I don’t have a sprouter, which I want one of these so I can do it with the kids, so I buy them organic at the store for now! OK, now I think I’m going to go whip up some nuts/tomatoes/sprout and Bragg’s!

I loved coming home and putting groceries away the other night that I just had to take pictures. This wasn’t professional or set up. I just put the food on the counter and snapped away. It was beautiful!

In the top picture you can see my Vita Mix which I am in love with. There’s also coconuts, raw almond butter, raw tahini, Lara Bars, carrots, grapes, mangoes, lemons, tomatoes, avocados, nuts, apples, oranges, clementines, sprouts, wheat grass, pineapple, goji berries, raw agave nectar, Bragg’s dressing and olive oil. On the shelf is raw cocoa powder and nibs, raw crackers, sprouted raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and coconut oil! Can you say scrumptious? In the picture below is my fridge the same evening. On the top is where I keep my sprouts and wheat grass and then I have fruit and veggies stuffed everywhere!

Day 2~ I Am What I Eat

-Green Smoothie: spinach, banana, orange, frozen strawberries, grapes (I want to work up to more greens here)

-A lot of blackberries and a few bites of a banana

-Almonds and pecans

- grape tomatoes (cut in half), an avocado (cut up), sprouted raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, organic fenugreek sprouts, natural radish and clover sprouts, Bragg’s dressing.

-Nut butter/cocoa treat

-Water, Synergy Kombucha

-Home made guacamole: grape tomatoes, avocado, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt…mixed in my Vita Mix and raw flax crackers

It feels like I ate so much more than that. I was full! Maybe because I do not worry about how much of each thing I am eating. In all reality though, it’s not any more (if not less) than what I usually eat. How awesome is that?!

OK, Did I Exercise Today?

I had to do something! I stretched a lot. I haven’t stretched in a long time and I think this is so important! I did push ups (on knees of course), squats, calf raises and abs. I can do all of these at home. I focused on my arms,chest and back during the push ups by squeezing any muscle I could! The squats I did slowly and the others are self explanatory.

What’s Going on Tomorrow?

We are traveling about 90 minutes to visit my dad, sister, aunt and grandmother for the holidays. I told them some kinds of food they could serve. Who knows what will happen when an 18 year old that doesn’t have a clue about health, much less raw and vegan, is doing the shopping! I love her, but I will be bringing snacks for the kids, home made hummus, crackers, and fruit for me, just in case!

My First Surgical Birth

January Harshe — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:32:08 +0000

My first child was born September 5th, 2003 via elective cesarean. See, when I was about 36 weeks pregnant and planning a birth center birth, I felt I needed an ultrasound. Listening to my intuition, I had one and found out my baby girl was breech. This was after four midwives told me she was head down. I was devastated I did not know much about breech babies and how it would effect a natural vaginal birth. I started to research and found that she was in a "good" breech position, being frank breech. After calming down, I decided to try whatever I could (with knowledge I had at the time) to get her to turn. I did handstands in the pool, rocked on hands and knees, massaged my belly in a rotating motion, and even stayed with chiropractors in Phoenix (I lived in Tucson at the time) for a few weeks on their son’s race car bed. I stayed with them so that every other day Dr. Ramsey could give me an adjustment and do Webster’s Technique. In the meantime at 39 weeks pregnant my husband and I decided to move from Tucson to Phoenix due to other circumstances. I had to find a provider and find one fast. Being that I had a breech baby, my options were limited. Luckily I found Dr. Foley who delivered my chiropractor’s babies. I had to get past the office staff and talk to him directly about not just doing a c-section. He agreed to see me.

Finally, at 39 weeks, I chose to have an external cephalic version (ECV) to try to get our baby girl to turn. Another doctor in the practice performed the "procedure". I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this, because of possible complications, but I really did not want a cesarean section. I was desperate. After the doctor and intern tried to turn her clockwise, the doctor said he would try one more time and then he was calling it quits. He did not want to hurt her. They decided to try counterclockwise this time. With the doctor on her head and the intern on her bum they pulled and pushed until veins were bulging in their arms. This time I jumped and screamed it hurt so bad. She was stuck and was not going to move!

I had just joined the LDS church and when we moved, we attended our new ward. I had a blessing that day by a Priesthood holder with my husband and a few other men, along with a girlfriend. During this blessing, the Lord answered me and calmed my mind and lifted my burden. I knew that for some reason my baby was breech, wasn’t going to turn and vaginal birth was not an option. I kept this to myself. I was at peace.

My husband and I went in to see Dr. Foley a few days past 39 weeks. He was very understanding of everything we were trying to do to turn her. He also was okay with me waiting to go into labor and giving her time to turn. He offered his opinion. He did not think, with everything I had already tried, that she was going to turn. Nowadays, this would upset me, but at the time I already knew it to be true in my heart. He was worried as well that if we waited, one of the other 16 doctors in his practice would attend our birth, instead of him. We went over our wonderful birth plans (vaginal birth, c-section birth, and care of baby) and he agreed to everything. He had us sign them and he signed them as well (and later made sure to give to the nursing staff). He suggested we go over to the hospital and have her that day! My husband turned white and his eyes bulged out of his head. He was not ready! LOL. To this day he says he wished he could have just gotten one more great night of sleep before having children. I told them both I already knew it was going to happen and had my bags packed in the trunk of the car. My husband, was like, "Huh?". Dr. Foley said great!

We went over to the hospital, called a few family members and friends, and were soon prepped for the surgery. I was nervous when receiving my spinal, but then Dr. Foley came in and helped me. I calmed down. Brandon was prepping still. When I was put in the surgery room as I call it, they tried strapping down both my arms. Well, because of the crap they had already begun giving me, I was throwing up. Being numb from the chest down and throwing up is a bad combination. I felt like I was going to choke to death. All I could do was turn my head and puke into a little bin. I pulled my arms out of the straps, because that just wasn’t going to work for me!

Just as I started to panic, Brandon came into the room. His presence made all the difference. We were about to have our first baby. He had run down to the gift shop and bought this cheesy disposable camera to take pictures.

Then they began the surgery. I could tell because I could smell the burning of my flesh as they cut me with their laser. It was interesting because the doctor had a hard time getting her out at first. He said she really was stuck in there! After a few minutes, Tatum Elaine was born. She came out wide-eyed looking around the room at all the bright lights and after a minute (seemed like 10) she let out a cry. He brought her to us first (like we asked). She was then handed over to the pediatric team. Our doctor made sure she was not given any eye gel or shots, etc. They did put a tube down her throat to get out any mucus since her lungs were not squeezed like in a vaginal birth. Poor baby. Finally, she was handed over to us.

We specifically put in our birth plan that she was never to leave our side, and she didn’t! The nursing staff didn’t know what to think, because never before had a baby stayed with a mom in the transition room after a c-section. HA! It was great. We stayed a few days while I healed and the staff was respectful of our wishes for the most part. It was tiring though, because they were constantly coming in and wanting to check everything. I know it’s their job, but come on, I need sleep! Tatum stayed in our room the whole stay and we began to bond right away.

Healing from this surgery was not as bad as it could have been. I had to get up and walk right away of course. I used a pillow over my abdomen because it felt like my incision would come open and my insides would fall out! It was painful. I did not want to be on drugs. By the time I got home, I was off the prescription pain pills and a few days later done with Tylenol. I was getting adjustments at the chiropractor and had positive thoughts. I knew that I could have a VBAC next time and I wasn’t going to beat myself down.

Overall, for a cesarean section, the experience was as good as it could have been. I’m thankful for prayer, the Lord, a great doctor and a detailed birth plan! I was enjoying motherhood and looked forward to a home birth for my next birth.

A 30-Day Raw-Diet-Transition Challenge

January Harshe — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:31:46 +0000

I have decided to start a 30 day challenge for myself. This can help me finish my transition to a raw food lifestyle. As you know I have gone back and forth, but every time I read about eating raw, I get excited. I feel drawn to it. So, here goes. I’m about to make up for a life time of a diet lacking in fruits and veggies. My healthy diet before probably won’t be able to compare to what I about to embark on!

JOIN ME!!!

Start anytime during the 30 days! If you want you can email me (january@theskinnyonjanuary.com) with your thoughts, ideas and a sample day of what you are eating and I might just post it on our site.

Day One- I Am What I Eat:

-A green smoothie made up of banana, orange, spinach, grapes, frozen strawberries. I call it a green smoothie if I happen to get anything green in it at all. Some people like to make sure to get half and half. I’ll work up to it!

-Nut Butter/Chocolate Balls (recipe filed under Recipe category to the right!) These saved me today.

-A cut up mango

-Raw crackers

-Fruit salad with bananas, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, raisins, raw agave,,,this was so tasty!

-Homemade hummus…I made this w/garbanzo beans, raw tahini, lemon, garlic and cumin. The beans weren’t "raw", but I am ok with that. I can’t go crazy at first b/c then I won’t stick to this change.

-Did a drive by on almonds and pecans every so often

-Small serving of a green smoothie. This one had orange, clementine, banana, frozen strawberries and organ wheat grass!

-Synergy Kombucha

-Drank water all day

-I made the salad in the picture a week or so ago. It has sprouts, radish, carrots, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, spinach and Bragg’s. It was yum!

Thoughts of the Day:

Well, I think that if you are going raw, you should have a raw dessert on hand. When I was like, "hmmm, I need something yummy" I went to the fridge and had the nut butter/cocoa balls. Also, when I got the munchies I had the raw crackers. Other than that I ate fruit and veggies all day. I felt totally satisfied and enjoyed everything I ate.

Tomorrow:

Continue to eat raw and move my freakin’ a**!!!

Totally Raw Grocery List

January Harshe — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:30:28 +0000

I was at Whole Foods the other night (yes, anyone that knows me is familiar with this being my FAVORITE store ever!). I ventured into their raw foods, scouring the shelves for anything labeled RAW. I bought whatever I could find. When I checked out, my bill was $163.35. "Not bad," you say, "for Whole Foods." Well, my husband would disagree. See, he has a problem with spending that kind of money on groceries when he opens the fridge or cupboard 2 days later and there is NO food.

So, tonight I did a little experiment. I wanted to see how much food I could get at Costco and Sprouts for about the same. This is what I found. The advantage is I get a ton more raw and healthy food for myself and my family. This will help me to stay eating raw. I won’t get hungry and feel like I have nothing to eat. The downside is I have to give up having everything organic for now. Hopefully not for long, b/c I do feel organic is important. After writing out the grocery lists, I realized I wasn’t able to get a lot of organic at Whole Foods either. So, if you can’t get all organic, buy the non-organic at a place where the quality is still good, but cheaper!

I think this is another step towards me becoming 100% totally raw and vegan.

Just for kicks and because I have nothing better to do (ok, I am rolling on the floor laughing my butt off at that one), I am going to post all 3 grocery list receipts. This will give you an idea of what I was able to purchase. If you don’t find it interesting, at least you can find it amusing that I am doing this instead of sleeping while my children are all sound asleep.

My shock at Whole Foods;

Produce and Floral:

Navel Oranges: 94 cents
Medjool dates: 2.34 (this was for 5 dates)
2 avocados: 3.98 (not the organic ones…those were 2.99 each baby!)
Seedless red grapes (local, but not organic either, 2.49 lbs.) 12.43
Organic bananas (2.21 lbs): 1.97
Bananas (2.17 lbs.): 1.50
Seedless watermelon (1/4 of a watermelon): 3.75
1 lb. strawberries: 6.99

Grocery/Bulk/Dairy

2 Strawberry Synergy Kombucha: 6.78
Holiday cocoa display (this is hot cocoa "coal" for my brother): 1.99
Lite raw shredded coconut: 1.69
Raw cacao chocolate powder: 8.99 for 8 oz.
Raw cacao power nibs: 8.99 for 8 oz.
National raw goji berries:14.99
Instant flax oatmeal (for kids): 2.99
Organic soy sauce: 2.49
Raw organic sprouted pumpkin seeds: 14.99 OUCH! Maybe I need to get the regular kind!
Raw organic sprouted sunflower seeds: 10.99
Raw organic flax snax (crackers): 8.99
Jalapeno Raw organic crisps (crackers): 4.69
Raw organic hickory paprika crisps: 4.69
Raw organic sunflower flax snax: 8.99
Raw almonds (.89 lbs): 14.23
Raw pecan halves (.54 lbs): 6.47
Raw/dehydrated sliced mango (.50 lbs): 6.50

Total: 163.35

Yummy, but expensive for sure!

So, on to the experiment.

Sprouts

Bulk/Dairy

Basil leaf: 44 cents
Vanilla Beans: $3.49
6 Synergy Kombucha: 20.94 (Maybe I need to learn how to grow my own, what do you think?)

Grocery

2 Raw Blue Agave: $8.18
Bragg’s extra virgin olive oil : 5.99
4 Raw Lara Bars: 6.36
4 Bragg’s salad dressings: 13.56

Produce

4 Coconut: 5.16
Naval oranges (6.33 lbs.): 1.58
8 Red mangoes: 2.00
Organic wheat berry sprouts: 1.69
2 Organic wheat grass: 3.38
Bananas (2.44 lbs.) 1.22

Total: 84.98 (This was with stocking up on dressing and agave as well)

Costco

2 12 oz. raspberries: 7.98
Frozen strawberries: 8.29
5lb bag organic baby carrots: 4.79
2 24 oz. blueberries 15.98
A golden pineabpple: 3.49
2 bags avacados (about 10 large): 11.98
2 lbs grape tomoatoes: 4.99
8 lbs bananas: 2.60
5 lbs lemons: 6.99
"Transitional" Gala apples
4 lbs red seedless grapes: 8.49
2 18 oz blackberries: 9.98

Total: 93.55

Total of Costco and Sprouts combined: 178.53

WOW!!!

I can not even tell you the difference! That’s why I took pictures! I think Costco and Sprouts win for now. I spent almost the same amount of money and received so much more awesome, yummy food.

I’m so sorry Whole Foods, but I have to break up with you. It’s not you, it’s me. OK, not really. It is you. Maybe we can have a fling on the side every now and then for old times sake. When I can afford you and be your sugar mama, we can talk again about something serious. For now, there will always be a special place in my heart for you. I will love you forever.

Nut Butter Cocoa Treat

January Harshe — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:47:46 +0000

This is simple, yummy and will satisfy a sweet tooth!

You can play around and change this to your liking or work with what you have on hand.

Here is a plate that I made. I rolled them into balls for a single serving size. I rolled some in coconut and left some without.

1 cup raw nut butter of choice (I like peanut and almond).
1/2 cup raw maple syrup or raw agave or raw honey (you can do some of each or 2 of them).
1/2 cup raw cocoa powder.

Mix together in bowl. Put in fridge and grab spoonfuls, make balls and roll in coconut. Use your imagination. I like it cold.

Enjoy!

Random Posts

Successful VBA2C

January Harshe — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:33:12 +0000

VBAC MAMAS

Part of my healing journey was a successful vaginal birth after 2 cesarean sections. My first 2 children were "born" via c-sections. I hated it. I want to have a section on my blog devoted to VBAC’s.

We have fun with getting skinny", but in reality we are of course about becoming healthier. I had to become healthier physically, emotionally and spiritually to accomplish the hardest thing in my life (the second hardest is my weight). My daughter is now 10 weeks old and I’m still processing this amazing feat.

I am going to write out my VBAC journey hoping it will inspire other mamas to take charge, stay strong and have a natural, vaginal birth if they so desire. It will probably be written in 3 parts over the next few weeks. Writing it out will help me heal, help inform others, and give me a chance to see what I was able to do!

A great place of support is the pregnancy forum on mothering.com. These mamas are inspirational and full of insight!

The Skinny On January

The Unassisted Birth of Our Baby

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