Keeping your Children Healthy While Working

One of the best kept secrets for healing to ward off cold and infections during the cold season for children is, Elderberry syrup. When my youngest child was in preschool a mother shared with me this natural herbal remedy which is particularly good for children. It's no wonder as it has a sweet, pleasant syrupy flavor. As I did some research on the Elderberry it became clear that Elderberry in its purest and most concentrated forms is safe to give children and to boot it has a tasty flavor that will likely have kids asking for more. I dont endorse a particular brand but do encourage mothers and caregivers to be highly selective in choosing a brand and doing all your research before jumping on the Elderberry bandwagon. It is expensive but compared to taking days off from work and missing days out of school, it's worth the investment. Dont feel like you won't get your money's worth, the syrup is also a cooking aide, you can use it for pancake syrup, sauces, and as a sweetner. More bang for your buck for SURE! This is definately a remedy to keep close at hand during the season and throughout the year to help working mothers keep their children healthy and well.

Here's what www.herbwisdom.com has to say about elderberry:


Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.

Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not.

Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries. According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage.


Elderberries were listed in the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs as early as 1985, and are listed in the 2000 Mosby's Nursing Drug reference for colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.


At the Bundesforschungsanstalt research center for food in Karlsruhe, Germany, scientists conducting studies on Elderberry showed that elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease. Further research indicated that anthocyanins found in elderberries possess appreciably more antioxidant capacity than either vitamin E or vitamin C.


Studies at Austria's University of Graz found that elderberry extract reduces oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is implicated in atherogenesis, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease.


Check out this website for additional information:


http://naturalmomhealthychild.com/my-favorite-things-elderberry-syrup/


DISCLAIMER: Always check with a physician before starting any remedy. This information is for informational purposes only and it not intended for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition or illness.

Who say's You HAVE to cook everyday?

It is well intentioned that we aspire to cook a healthy and balanced meal everyday and plan meals for the week, for the ,and all the stuff that the magazines tell you, but really who has time? We have to be realistic with ourselves, how many meals can you cook during the week that are cost-effective, nutritious, and delicious? To be honest it can be done with a little planning and a little help from those sources and philospohies which are in alignment with our own.  One idea is to gather all your friends on a Saturday and have a cook and swap healthy meals party (casseroles, quiches, salads, soups, etc.)

Let me be the first to say that I often lack the energy and motivation to cook everyday. Take tonight for instance, my husband suggested we go to EarthFare (a healthfood grocery store) for groceries. It's Thrusday and I compltely forgot that kids eat free on Thursday with the minimum purchase of a $5 adult meal. Now they are talking my lanuage because not only does this store give great weekly coupons and freebies during the week (when you sign up for their email list), they also want to feed your whole family for nearly free! To boot we had warm cider while we shopped for groceries afterwards. They get an "A" for the day in my book because Thursday's are now a no brainer for dinner. Our adult dinner total was $11.71. I spent $40 in the store but the trade-off was worth it (I can be lured with good free food-LOL).

I say all of this to say, make dinner a priority but also make it easy and inexpensive by signing up for coupons, email lists, and checking to see who's offering free meals for the kids. Also, WholeFoods has a kids membership where kids sign up and earn a free snack each time they are in the store. Can somebody say "afterschool snack" made easy and free! Hello out there, we can eat good, eat free, and be healthy all in one. Any more ideas, please share on the blog as we build a strong network support of working moms! Don't forget to pencil in that family walk from time to time and to keep up prayer : )

http://www.earthfare.com/FamilyDinnerNight.aspx