Category : Local and Organic
My readers that follow the Mommy Footprint fan page are aware of my latest chapter of research and have been very helpful with suggesting questions & information on the topic of greener dental care. I’ve been working on research since last Spring and because I’m not a dentist or doctor, I’m having a tough time finding research or a subject matter expert I trust. But like any new journey, I’m going with my instincts but please know I’m writing this series as a parent – not a subject matter expert. With such a small percentage of dentists actually practicing holistic or ‘green’ dentistry it seems to be an uncharted area of parenting. What started with questions about sealant to use on cavities my kids have has become a huge topic of research. The first change I’m making in routine dental care for my family is switching toothpastes. I had seen sites talking about how bad fluoride is for health, but I assumed I didn’t need to worry since all my kids used Oral-B kids toothpaste (made and marketed for kids!). Because there is a Winnie The Pooh character on the front I guess sub-concisely didn’t think any bad ingredients would exist in the tube. I know…I’m slow to the dance. After quickly checking the medicinal ingredients, fluoride is listed. And for those (my husband) who might think I’m paranoid, have you ever wondered why all toothpaste tubes warn you not to swallow & only use a pea size helping of paste? If you read up on fluoride…you’ll actually find very little that it provides health benefits…it’s actually the opposite. I’m a pretty high strung parent and Googling fluoride did nothing to help my confidence in parenting. It is suggested it’s quite toxic in nature & linked to many diseases, bone cancer, brain development, muscle disorders, etc. I have a son that complained of body pains on a regular basis last year so this information really freaked me out. Finding reports on fluoride being one of the biggest medical frauds in medicine is not a good feeling when your children have always used it in their toothpaste.
If you look closely at your bottle of traditional toothpaste you’ll notice warnings not to swallow toothpaste & only use a pea sized amount. Yet commercials encourage these sorts of visuals for toothpaste measurements (image below)!
It’s all enough for me – I’ve pulled the traditional toothpaste from our house & made the following changes. I’ve been trying different brands of organic toothpaste with the kids & the hardest part is finding a brand that tastes good to them. I’ve also learned of an ingredient I want in my toothpaste called xylitol because it’s known to strengthen teeth in lieu of fluoride. My biggest concern of not using fluoriated toothpaste anymore is suddenly having a huge cavity problem on my hands because I’ve also cancelled fluoride treatments at our dental checkups & checked with my city to find out if our drinking water contains fluoride (it doesn’t). So without any fluoride will my children’s teeth be okay?
After talking with a super helpful person at Planet Organic, I learned about xylitol and the benefits of this natural sweetener that is naturally occurring in many of the foods we eat. Xylitol gum or mints you can chew after each meal stops acid attacks that would otherwise cause cavities. For more information on this process click here. For people reading this that are very prone to cavities or have weak teeth it’s not a good idea to go crazy with xylitol – 6 to 10 g is enough. I’ve read that too much will give you diarrhea & this sweetener is not good for animals.
How else to strengthen kids teeth if you replace fluoride? Brushing teeth, flossing teeth, extra calcium for teeth & bones, xylitol in toothpaste, xylitol brands of chewing gum/mints form for after meals, and overall diet. These are the steps I’m taking to be proactively removing fluoride from my children’s bodies, hopefully without causing future problem with cavities…but after researching fluoride…I’m happy with having xylitol in my arsenal to help keep their teeth stronger.
What brands of natural toothpaste am I currently using? I like Grants made in Australia for myself. The tea tree oil ingredient gives a refreshing taste & the mint oil is similar to the traditional toothpaste ‘taste’ I’m used to. My kids are not huge fans. I think it’s important to support the Canadian made Green Beaver brand too. I would have purchased it, but I didn’t see xylitol listed as an ingredient on the packaging. The Green Beaver website and Gwen from Nayla Naturals confirms that Green Beaver toothpaste does contain xylitol so I will buy this brand next – hopefully they have a more ‘kid friendly’ tasting flavor. Another thing I like about the Green Beaver website is their category called “Ingredients to Avoid” and why. You will find many of the ingredients to avoid if you read the ingredients on the toothpaste you are using right now: sodium lauryl sulfate for one. Read why here and check out this handy section of their site. So with toothpaste well in hand, next up is to try the xylitol mints & gum I found (they are expensive) at Planet Organic for some extra help with cavity prevention after meals. I know my kids will happily oblige popping a goodie after meals.
The next article on greener dental care will be what I’ve learned about dental sealants. Children get cavities – what options are there for sealing a cavity?
Simply known as ‘The Grind’…anyone from the West coast knows what you’re talking about. The Grouse Grind is a challenging hike that is 1.8 miles up the side of Grouse Mountain with over 2,830 stairs and *cough* me and my boys completed it yesterday. It was truly a summer highlight and since my boys are ages 7 and 9 – I’m more than a little proud. And if we’re including me in the celebrating, I’m a little proud of me too. I had some great advice from friends on how to approach the mountain with two children and the best advice – which can really pertain to any summer hiking – was the following:
Water – lots of it. I packed up three stainless steel bottles with tons of ice and at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 marks of finishing the Grind, we would finish a bottle. It was glorious because it meant we were resting, but also my backpack got so much lighter!
Heat – don’t hike with children in the heat. The trail is probably most popular when it opens early in the morning, because hiking in mid-day heat would be tough. The weather was overcast and slightly cold which made for perfect hiking conditions.
Proper footwear – Sandals or Crocs are not a good idea for mountain trails. We wore just average running shoes with socks and didn’t have any twisted ankles or problems with the rough terrain of the mountain.
Don’t look up – it was funny advice when I read it on the Grind For Kids website, but what great advice! On very steep terrain…don’t look up. Much better to look to the left, right, and down at your feet. Enjoy the surroundings and keep a close eye on the rocks, stairs, and tree roots!
Keep it fun & light! During our 1:45 hr hike up the Grind, my boys and I had plenty of time to comment on the experience and our surroundings. My boys noticed people that were trying to make it up the mountain and maximize their workout with amazing speed and we all know everyone loves bragging about their ‘time’ on the Grind. But we agreed at the beginning of the hike that it was about the journey…nothing more. At every stop we drank our water, commented on how beautiful the mountain is, and chatted with other people as there’s a very cool vibe among all 1st timers of the Grind. Experienced hikers were also very supportive and had sweet words of encouragement for my sons – it was just a lovely experience. I know why so many people complete this hike on a regular basis. You pretty much make the hike what you want to. I remember doing The Grind 15 years ago in my 20s. I got a really good time since I was in great shape, but when I got to the top feeling sore all over I hadn’t maximized my enjoyment. I had the opposite reaction with my sons. I remember getting to the 3/4 marker and feeling sad it was almost over – I wonder why nobody tells you how much more you’ll enjoy everything once you have children!
Thank you Grind For Kids for the helpful tips and next summer my kids will participate in this great program. The Grind For Kids program is you ask friends to pledge $1 for each time you complete the Grind between June and September. When you sign-up for this program, you pay $20, receive a timer card that you swipe at the bottom and top of the mountain (records your hiking time & info) and guest services will take your bag up the mountain for you so you can do the Grind without anything weighing you down.
And of course once you’re up the mountain, you will spend one of the best days of your summer. During the summer months, Grouse Mountain offers the hilarious Lumberjack Show, peak chair, Birds in Motion, and the majestic Grizzly Bears that were rescued as orphans and brought up to live on 2 acres on the Mountain – Coola and Grinder. We visit Grouse Mountain every summer and it never disappoints. Really quality family entertainment once you’re up the mountain…my kids have deep belly laughs during the Lumberjack show and it’s awesome to teach them that the wind turbine that you can see at the top of Peak is now powering 25% of the resort’s operational electricity annually.
I hope the hiking tips help any family new to hiking. It is a family activity that I’m enjoying more and more; absolute quality family time to bond with nature without computers, phones, and interruptions to get in the way. Thanks to Grouse Mountain and Grind For Kids for the tips & summer highlight for me and my boys. Enjoy these pictures of our day!
At the top!
One of my biggest pet peeves is when a company starts manufacturing their products locally, then without telling their customers, moves their manufacturing overseas. We know why they do it…money. It costs way less to have stuff produced overseas and this is normally the case in the clothing industry. But it’s still something that bugs me and I’ve been keeping a secret for months about a West Coast yoga apparel company that is the same prices as traditional yoga apparel companies (we know who they are) BUT is designing and manufacturing their clothing on Canada’s West Coast. For the same price or maybe even less! Oh – and also using organic cotton, hemp, soy, and bamboo fabrics too. Sorry to keep this company under wraps, but until only last week I haven’t been able to actually try out their clothing, but I found a lovely little boutique called Mint Your Health close to my home and purchased the yoga shorts I’ve been coveting from the Salts Clothing site. And they are awesome! The materials that Salts uses are super high end, the clothes is well made, and designed to hold everything in place. Am I a yoga gal and just never mentioned it? No, but I’m a super busy mom that loves getting some help with keeping things tucked into the right places with clothing. And isn’t that why we all love yoga gear? The comfort and style combined for a laid back and relaxed life style…while helping our ‘problem areas’ look a whole lot better than they actually are.
Salts Clothing is made on Vancouver Island. How has Salts managed to keep this formula for success since 2005? Only they can tell you, but for now, check out this eye candy of locally made goodness. My favs are the tank, screen printed hoodie and my awesome grey shorts are included in this photo round-up. All photos belong to Salts Clothing:
I’m slowly learning to always ask questions with my precious consumer dollars. It’s why I truly prefer to shop online rather than the Mall because I just can’t get my questions answered. When I ask my normal round-up of questions in this scenario with Salts Clothing, I’m a truly satisfied consumer “Where are your clothes made?” “What are they made from” “What is your company purpose” And this last question I haven’t yet answered, but I’m going to quote this answer directly from the Salts site: “The name Salts comes from a love of the ocean. Salts has long been used as preservatives, I hope our clothing will help preserve our Earth home as well. I am inspired to make clothing that is eco friendly in honor of my children and their future children.“ An awesome quote by Salts owner Jennifer – totally inspiring and clothing that makes you feel good to support.
Follow Salts Clothing’s latest designs via their Fanpage on Facebook – they are always turning out awesome new clothing designs: Salts Organic Clothing and Studio Boutique.
Many parents look back and wish they made different choices with their children or babies. For me, I reflect quite often at the amount of Infant Tylenol I gave my twin daughters. I’m sure it became almost a placebo – where I believed if they had Tylenol in their systems we would all sleep better and I was always told by my family Dr. to give Tylenol for pain. Well fast forward a few years later and I realize that infant Tylenol (along with a lot of recall scares) is filled with a chemical in the preservative that I now avoid – parabens. Two parabens in the Dye-Free Tylenol are called butylparaben and propylparaben. In addition to these chemicals, the other infant Tylenol liquid drops contain red dye, blue dye, high fructose corn syrup, and sorbitol solution, to name a few. So we’ve clarified that Infant Tylenol is not to be taken lightly, which I didn’t fully understand with my girls. A product that I’ve seen gain momentum with parents wanting holistic methods to treat their children are called Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces. Amber is a natural painkiller and has been used for centuries to treat and soothe teething babies. I know I would have tried this product for my children if I had been aware of it so I want to share. The beads caught my eye with my sponsor My Little Green Shop and my only reservation about putting a necklace on a sleeping baby was also eliminated because they have a bracelet/anklet version of Amber beads that can be placed on a sleeping baby. This was my toughest hour with cranky, teething twins, so the anklet design would have been an amazing investment.
How do they work? As mentioned, amber is a natural pain reliever and is a resin fossilized from prehistoric pine trees. When amber beads are worn against the skin, the warmth from the skin releases healing oils through the resin, which gets absorbed into the bloodstream. The anti-inflammatory properties are greatly recognized in homeopathic medicine and are a wonderful solution for moms looking for natural solutions for teething. Of course we know a wash cloth in the freezer or frozen banana is a great tip for fussy teething infants, but you can’t do that at night. These are the hours I found most difficult with my twins because I knew they would wake up very unhappy, with only breast milk to help sooth them. A natural remedy in my arsenal for helping ease teething pain would have been wonderful.
I don’t have babies anymore, so I passed testing of the Baltic Baby Amber Teething Anklet for this review to my friend Tannis and her little boy who has been showing signs of irritability and discomfort from teething. Tannis is a regular mom, rates herself a 7 on the ‘green meter’, and is trying to make healthier choices with her family. She was a perfect candidate to try these beads from My Little Green Shop and the review has been positive. Here are Tannis’ thoughts on the bracelet:
When the beads first arrived he had the red cheeks, chewing on everything and we had a bad few nights of waking every hour. His first tooth finally popped thru 10 days ago so obviously that was what it was. It was just a few days after that we started the bracelet. He’s had no teething symptoms other than drooling and red cheeks. Today I felt and his 2nd tooth has broken thru the skin! He hasn’t woken at night or anything!! Seeing as he had such discomfort with the first tooth I can only assume that this bracelet works!! Evan has had a few fussy moments here and there but no waking at night crying or anything… I’m usually so skeptical about these types of remedies but I think the bracelet really works.
Thank you Tannis for helping review this product! I know when I used Tylenol to ease teething discomfort for my kids, there was never a night I was convinced it worked. It was the only product I knew about and recommended from my Doctor. I now know there are options and they don’t always come in the form of a bottle or pill – they come from years of tested remedies that are slowly finding their way into families across North America. I hope you learn from my journey and question many of the traditional ideas we are given from family, Doctors, and friends and find chemical-free alternatives that can help our children.
I have a love/hate relationship with the granola bars my kids have eaten for years. I love the fact they are convenient. I love the fact my kids love eating them. I especially love the fact – and this one’s important – that they are stamped with the little ‘nut-free’ logo. I’m sure you now know the type of granola bar I’m talking about because it’s with this last point that they are in every school lunch/snack bag across the country. Most schools have banned food containing nuts because of the high number of children with allergies. Now I’m sure you’d like to know what I dislike about traditional granola bars. Well I know they are not particularly healthy – filled with artificial flavors, preservatives, and don’t provide any sort of ‘fulness’ after eating. I really think many of the crappy convenience ‘snack’ items that dominate the market for kids lunches, do so simply because they are marketed as ‘made in nut free facilities’. I went to my local heath food store and could not find a granola bar that didn’t contain some type of nut so I literally gave up on the quest of finding a healthier bar. But recently my oldest son started eating Clif Bars – organic adult energy bars – before one of the many sports he plays. It occurred to me to ask the people at Clif Bar & Company if any of these bars were actually nut free so I could occasionally pack them in his lunch. As it tuns out – several of the flavors are nut free! Excellent news only you shouldn’t pack an energy bar into a child’s lunch every day as a regular staple item. They are heavy in carbs and protein which makes them an excellent source of energy for adults but not suitable for regular use by children. BUT WAIT! Clif Bar & Company does have the answer to my problem…and it’s in the form of a bar called Clif Kid!
So just when I thought I’d be destined to pack traditional granola bars for school lunches forever (groan… or start making them myself), Clif Bar & Company has released Clif Kid!! Here is the answer to my convenient snack problem only it’s not available for sale yet in Canada. But with cross border shopping and many of my Mommy Footprint readers being from the US, I’m thrilled to have found the kid version of the Clif Bar. I compared the nutrition facts of the Clif Kid Zbar with a traditional granola bar and there are some pretty big differences with the Clif Kid bars containing Potassium, higher Fiber, Iron, Calcium, and higher Protein. Again, I’m not a nutritionist, but in my mind this is important – especially the Fiber. And do you want to know what Clif Kids didn’t contain that the traditional bar did? Artificial flavors, Preservatives, Sorbitol (why is that in a kid’s granola bar!!?), corn syrup, or citric acid. Instead, the first ingredient listed (which you really taste in the bars) in the Clif Kid bars is organic rolled oats and the list of ingredients stays strong without the junky additives. Read the list here.
I was so excited to find Clif Kid I asked them to send me a box so my children and I have tested this product. Let me start by saying I have very picky granola bar children. They’ve been raised on the chocolate chip traditional bars so after trying one myself, I was concerned my kids wouldn’t like them. I’m thrilled that all four loved these bars and once I start getting them on a regular basis from over the border, these will be the new staple in our lunchbox.
The Allergy Information section of the Clif Bar site is an amazing resource. With so many kids having problems with gluten, various types of nuts, dairy, etc., the allergy information is very helpful. Although I don’t have children with allergies, I’m very sensitive with the items I pack in my kid’s lunches or snacks. There are several children at both of my kid’s schools that have severe nut allergies. I called my local school board today to talk about peanut policies because although the Clif Kid bars are nut free, they are not made in a peanut free facility so I wanted to make sure I’m recommending something that is safe to bring into a school. The school board assured me that making sure products are nut free is the appropriate measure. So this product is safe to bring into a school, however these bars are not a snack option for children with nut allergies since trace amounts might exist in the facility where the bars are manufactured. The Allergy Information section of the Clif Bar& Company site explains it well for anyone with concerns.
I did mention earlier that the Clif Kid bars aren’t available to purchase within Canada yet….but with the wonderful world of the internet, can be ordered online. For both Canadian and US residents, they can be purchased online:
REI
Amazon
Can’t wait to try more of the Clif Kid items – they also have twisted fruit that is another kid-friendly snack item. When you need convenient snacks, it doesn’t always need to be filled with junky ingredients…I was so happy to discover the Clif Bar & Company product line!! What are some of the healthier convenience type foods you’ve discovered? Please share them on the Mommy Footprint fan page.
