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The Upside of a Cold

BLUuuuuuuuuurgh.  cough.  cough. hack.  bluuuuuuuuurgh.

I came down with the wicked wickedest of colds this week.  Like a hum-dinger of a cold.  The kind where you hack all night long and wake up more tired than you were when you went to bed.  More specifically, I think this would be called a Viral Respiratory Infection (involving the chest), since the common cold doesn’t typically involve a chest congestion (Plus, I had one once and went to the doctor and she said Viral Respiratory Infection and it felt exactly like this except with a fever.  In case you’re curious, that doctor said: go home and get in bed; this will last about a week.).  At any rate, Ick.  pregnancy + cold = miserable. It came on Saturday, and I spent Sunday through Tuesday in bed.  I admit I freaked out a little about it, being as there is an epidemic of Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in California, and I have been hearing a lot of propaganda about newborns and pertussis vaccinations (that’s another post) from pediatricians.  For me to freak out about a slight illness is not normal, and entirely pregnancy-induced. I called the Midwife in a slight panic on Sunday morning:

me: I have a cough do you think I have Whooping Cough?
her: No.  It’s probably just a cold.  Several people have called me saying they have a cold in the last few days. You would know if you had Whooping Cough because it’s very violent coughing.
me: Are you sure because I googled the symptoms and it starts out looking like a cold and you get a runny nose and sneezy and then it progresses to a….(and so on)
her: Stay in bed. Eat hot foods.  Soup would be good.  Send Jordan to the grocery store.  Tell him to make you ginger chest compresses.  Always have a pot of tea with honey by the bed. You can take some Robitussin at night so you can sleep, and elderberry syrup during the day. If you’re not feeling better by Wednesday then we’ll make you an appointment with the acupuncturist. Don’t worry.
me: ok (feeling somewhat reassured, but still suspicious, and occasionally covertly doing more googling).

Three days in bed.  Hubs made an enormous pot of soup (God bless Hubs). Then Wednesday I get up.  I’m feeling more peppy.  Still coughing but the cough has turned a corner and is now a productive cough, and is altogether less coughing.  Wise German Midwife was right.  I’m still staying close to home, because I do not play around with pregnancy and a compromised immune system.

I attribute my catching of the cold to my immune-suppressed pregnant state, and my frequent use of public transportation, despite my somewhat obsessive hand-washing and use of herbal hand sanitizer.  And I was feeling really rotten about getting a cold (I hate getting sick, or any kind of less-than-ideal health status) until yesterday, when I was telling my chiropractor about it.

She reminded me of that a cold can actually be a detoxifying mechanism for the body.  The body uses the opportunity to expel mucous, dead cells, and other toxic materials via the respiratory passages.  And often when we fast or cleanse intentionally, we get cold and flu-like symptoms as part of the cleansing process.  So, theoretically, a cold can help us detox, and a detox can cause a cold.  And being as pregnancy has rather slowed down my normal elimination mechanisms (i.e. pooping), that my body may be in need of a detox makes sense to me.

So here I stay, at least until the sputum stops flowing.  At home.  Drinking tea.  Eating soup. Letting the thing run it’s course and trying not to feel too bad about it.

Posted in health, pregnancy/birth | No Comments »

Bill Clinton Goes Veg – For The Win!

Concerned about his ongoing arterial blockages, Bill Clinton took charge of his own health, did some research, and learned that PLANT BASED DIETS CAN REVERSE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE.  So he went veg.  Here’s a link to his CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer.

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The Weekly Bake: Pumpkin Scones

Oh, pumpkin, you inspire me.  The weather is basically the same here in San Francisco – apparently it’s always this way – but I still feel fall when I go to the grocery and see a pile of pumpkins and squashes in the produce aisle.  I have been waiting for pumpkin.  And finally, the canned kind is in my Trader Joe’s.  I know, I’m lazy;  but I quit using canned beans, so that makes up for it.

Anyway, the pumpkins inspired me to make this week’s bake Pumpkin Cranberry Scones adapted from Veganomicon.  I love scones.  I love pumpkin.  I love cranberries.  How could I not love these?  They are very moist, for a scone – not your flakey, biscuity kind, but rather a cakey, muffiny kind.  yum.  toasted.

The recipe calls for fresh cranberries, but those have not arrived in California yet, so I used dried.  And I used ALL whole wheat pastry flour, instead of just part.  And I only used 1 cup of sugar, instead of 1 1/3 cups.  And I used (you guessed it) coconut oil instead of margarine.  And I stuck some in the freezer for a Babymoon treat.

If you don’t have Veganomicon yet, you are missing out.  You should go out and buy the first (secondhand) copy you see.  Then look up the recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Scones.  Then make some.

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Book: Your Money or Your Life

I just finished (well, I’m almost finished) reading a book called Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, and have been pretty inspired by it.  I don’t think I’m at a point where going through all the (fairly exhaustive) steps makes sense, but I do think it has helped me think through some things I’d already begun thinking about some time ago.  In particular, Hubs and I have talked a lot over the past year and a half or so of how to make our life the life we want to live, that involves people and activities we enjoy, aligns with our spiritual, emotional, and ecological values; and doesn’t require us to be enslaved by money or jobs we don’t enjoy.   This book speaks to all those things and gives practical steps for thinking it all through – your past and current relationship with money, and how to get your finances to a point where they are serving you; you aren’t serving them.  And it also gives advice about how to figure out how much is *enough* for you, and how to live happily within your *enough*, and talks about the lost art of frugality (not to be confused with asceticism, miserliness, or “cheapness”)

The Simple Dollar already wrote a pretty detailed review of it, so if you’re interested, pop over and read the post.  Or pick the book up at your library and give it a browse.

Also, if you’ve read other books about these issues with regard to personal finances or have thoughts about living within your means, enjoying *enough*, smart saving strategies, smart investing, or financial independence; leave a comment about it!

Posted in finances | 1 Comment »

Charley Horse

I was awakened from a dead sleep this morning at 5 a.m. by a monstrous charley horse in my calf.  Oh, it was so painful!  I awoke with a whimper, which alarmed Hubs, who sat straight up too.   Somehow my mind was functioning well enough to actually tell him what the problem was, and he was able to rub it away after a few minutes.  I immediately got up and took 400 mg of magnesium citrate.

What causes leg cramps, aka Charley Horses?  In pregnant women they’re usually caused by mineral depletion. At this point, in 3rd trimester, baby is growing rapidly and ossifying (hardening/developing) her bones and hogging the minerals I take in.  But they can also be caused by electrolyte imbalance (sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate) and dehydration, as well as muscle overuse.

Yesterday I was out all day, walked several miles, and probably didn’t drink enough water; so these factors combined with having a little mineral thief in my belly, are likely the cause of my leg cramp.  To prevent another one, I’ll be sure and do the following things today:

• drink plenty of water – for me this is about 3 liters.  A good rule of thumb is to drink about half your weight in ounces plus some to accommodate for any exercise, excessive sweating, or elevated metabolism (such as occurs in pregnancy). The more water you drink, the more your body will learn to tell you when it’s thirsty for water.  People who drink a lot of soda or other non-hydrating beverages often don’t recognize when they’re thirsty for water.
• eat mineral-rich food – whole fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, nuts, fermented soy, and especially greens, as well as some fermented dairy and eggs.  This will ensure that the diet is rich is potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
• supplement with at least 400 mg of magnesium citrate
• supplement with at least 1000 mg of calcium citrate
• take a dose of Blue Ocean Minerals
• use whole (full-spectrum) sea salt – whole sea salt contains a range of trace minerals, not just sodium and chloride, which is what table salt is.  I salt my food to taste.  I find if I crave salt, it’s because I need it.  Try Real Salt or Himalayan Crystal Salt.
• rest and stretch periodically

These preventative measures don’t just apply to pregnant people.  Athletes are often plagued by muscle cramps, as are folks who are significantly overweight or significantly undernourished (overweight and undernourished often go hand-in-hand).  If you’re having muscles cramps, your body is telling you that it is in need of nourishment and attention, so it’s best to listen.

Posted in health, pregnancy/birth | No Comments »

You Know What I Love?

Bulk Bins!

What are you looking at?

navy beans
garbanzo beans
black beans
lentils
split peas
hemp protein powder
raisins
baking powder
demerara sugar
evaporated can sugar
panko bread crumbs
vital wheat gluten
instant refried beans
rolled oats
tapioca pearls
whole wheat pastry flour
cornmeal
thyme
rosemary
coriander
cumin
chipotle chile powder
oregano
tarragon
mama-to-be tea
shredded coconut
chocolate chips

…Just a sampling of what you can get in a well-stocked bulk section…

Posted in Budget Eating, Food-related | 4 Comments »

The Weekly Bake: Yeast-Free Bread

This week I was in the mood to make bread.  Plain old hearty wheat bread.  But alas, I had no yeast.  And I’m trying to limit trips to the store.  So, what did I do?  Improvise!  I made yeast-free bread from a recipe I found online.

The great thing about yeast-free bread is that it’s QUICK.  No kneading.  No rising. No punching down, etc. It doesn’t turn out with that fermented fluffiness, though – it makes a denser, cakier bread that happens to be very yummy for breakfast with jam and butter or almond butter.

If I were doing this recipe over, I’d add a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed and honey to the dough for fiber and flavor.  I’d also make two loaves instead of the one, and freeze the second.

If you want to make a similar gluten-free loaf, try this recipe.  I haven’t made it, but I’d imagine it would turn out with a similar density and mouthfeel, even though the flavor of the grain would be slightly different. Many gluten-free bread recipes are ingredient-heavy and not-so-simple, but this one is very straightforward.   If you make it, post a comment and let us know how it is.

Posted in Budget Eating, Food-related, gluten-free | No Comments »

New Favorite Thing: Good Guide

I am loving this new online tool I discovered for helping determine which commercial products are safe, non-toxic, environmentally sound, and socially responsible.  Good Guide has developed a rating system for products based on their ingredients (whether or not the product contains known carcinogens or irritants), environmental impact, and the manufacturer’s commitment to socially responsible practices.  They have an overall 1-10 rating system, which is further broken down into categories of “health”, “environment”, and “society”.  Their database contains over 65,000 products, which you can search through on their site.  They also have an i-phone app (sadly, only for i-phone 4 *boo*), which lets you scan a products barcode while you’re shopping to see if the product is good or not.

I discovered, not surprisingly, that the Maybelline Great Lash mascara that I’ve been using for years only gets a score of 5.9 from Good Guide, mostly due to its containing “one or more ingredients that raise a medium level of health concern.”  Guess I’ll be switching mascara now.  I was very surprised to find that my favorite Desert Essence Bulgarian Lavender body lotion doesn’t get a great rating from Good Guide — it contains a few ingredients “of low level concern” and the company doesn’t score well with regard to social issues.

I think this is a great tool to help make decisions regarding household and personal care product purchases, and even some foods.  If only the app worked on the i-phone 3GS.  I’ll be spending more time checking up on my toothpaste, laundry soap, and other items.

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

Fiber-licious Oatmeal Cookies

I hope everyone’s Labor Day weekend was as lovely as mine! We had the most lovely weather here in San Francisco.  I didn’t do any cooking the whole weekend – just enjoyed some great SF restaurants.  But my sister-in-law did make up a batch of oatmeal cookies from a recipe my mom sent us.  They are super yummy and fiber-licious, and kept us all “going” over the weekend.   Here’s the recipe:

The Dry:
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tbsp ground flaxseed

The Wet:
1/4 cup plus 3 tbs coconut oil, melted
1 & 1/4 cup unrefined brown sugar…..or coconut sugar
2 eggs
4 tbs warm water
1-2  teaspoon vanilla, or a combo of maple flavoring and vanilla

Mix The Wet ingredients in a bowl, and The Dry in a separate bowl.  Then mix them together.

The Additions:
3 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (or regular rolled, if that’s what you have)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Fold The Additions into the dough. Place dough by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 – 12 mins at 350 degrees…….more or less if you like chewy or crispy.

We actually made them with a combo of almond and maple extracts, because my bottle of vanilla accidentally fell out the window last week (oops, freak accident), and they were good that way too.  I can’t wait to try these with a can of pumpkin sometime this fall; I think this would let me cut back on the sugar in the recipe, as well as add fiber and phytonutrients.

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

The Weekly Bake: Vegan Bran Muffins

Lately, in an effort to save money by buying fewer pre-made breakfast products like cereal, english muffins, and sliced bread, I have been baking every week.  Seriously, I have baked some type of healthy breakfast item at least once per week for the last five weeks.  You may recall the whole grain scones, but I’ve also been making things like Banana Walnut Muffins, Gluten-free biscuits, gluten-free Blueberry-Apple Spice Muffins, and today: Bran Muffins! Would you believe I’ve never made bran muffins until today?!

Here’s the recipe, adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking:

First:
4 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water

Beat these two together with a hand mixer or food processor until they’re gooey.  Set aside.

The Dry:
2.5 cups wheat bran
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or white whole wheat flour
2.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed unrefined brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

The Wet:
2 cups nondairy milk, warmed
scant 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk the wet ingredients together with the gooey flaxseed.

The Fruit-n-Nuts:
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Fold the Fruit-n-nuts together with the wet ingredients, then add The Wet to The Dry.  Mix thoroughly, but don’t overmix.  Pour batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake at 400-degrees 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven.  Makes 16-18 muffins.

These babies are like scrub brushes for your intestines, a yummy way to get part of your daily 35 grams of fiber, totally vegan, and totally delicious. They are everything a healthy muffin should be: fiber, omega fats from the flaxseed and walnuts, healthy saturated fats from coconut oil, protein from the walnuts and bran.  By my calculations, each muffin has about 7 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

Happy Baking!

Posted in General | 3 Comments »