Coconut Banana Muffins

Give Up Grains? No Way!

So often when I talk to people about the GAPS diet, their biggest obstacle to getting started is the fear of what on earth they are going to eat.  To be honest, when I first read about the GAPS diet, I thought to myself, “There is no way I’m giving up all of these foods!”

The benefits of this healing protocol really do outweigh the temporary restrictions you go through.  I’ve seen such great improvements in my health over the past year on the GAPS diet.  Fortunately, as awareness of this healing diet increases, there are more and more resources available that help make that transition a little easier. [Read more...]

A big thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway for the The Eczema Cure ebook!  And the winner is…

Amanda M!

Amanda, I’ve sent you an email confirming that you won and that your email is valid.  You have 48 hours to respond to that email and then I’ll send your name and email on to Emily of Holistic Kid so that she can send you your ebook.

If you didn’t win, you can still get your own copy!  This is a great resource for anyone who struggles with healing their eczema or knows someone who does.  Click the link below to get the introductory price.

Click here to get your copy of The Eczema Cure.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.  Holistic Kid is providing the free copy for the giveaway.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

Emily Bartlett

I recently had the pleasure of “chatting” with Emily Bartlett, author of  The Eczema Cure.  If you’ve been over to Emily’s blog, Holistic Kid, at all, you know that she is very knowledgeable about how to nourish and heal yourself with traditional food.  She also obviously loves to help others figure out how to heal themselves, too.  It’s been a real treat for me to get to know her a little better.  I hope you enjoy learning a little more about Emily, too!

[Read more...]

Yesterday, I shared my review of The Eczema Cure with you.  Today, I’m excited to be able to offer you a giveaway!  I’m giving away one copy of The Eczema Cure by Emily Bartlett of Holistic Kid.  I know you’re going to love it as much as I do! [Read more...]

You can heal your eczema naturally.

My Eczema Story

A red, itchy rash would randomly show up on my arms throughout my childhood and teenage years.  Sometimes it would get a bit scaly, sometimes it would just be a few spots.  We had no idea what caused it and the solution was to put some cortisone cream on it.  It would go away for a while, but would always come back again.

Fast forward to my mid-twenties when I discovered I had multiple food intolerances.  I found that after removing foods, such as wheat and dairy, I only had eczema on my arms if I ate some of those foods.  I finally knew what caused it in the first place!

These days, unless I increase my probiotics too quickly, my eczema has been reversed.  It’s such a relief to not deal with the rash on my arms and to know that the cause of it is being treated rather than just the symptoms.

How to Cure Eczema Naturally

Do you struggle with eczema or other skin issues?  Fortunately, you can reverse and heal your eczema, too!  I recently had the opportunity to read The Eczema Cure by Emily Bartlett of the Holistic Kid blog.  She’s put together a wonderful resource for doing just that.  I wish I had this available years ago so that I could have avoided all of the cortisone cream I kept slathering on my arms.

What causes eczema, anyway?  If you’re thinking it has something to do with your gut, you’re right!  Emily says,

Eczema occurs when allergens enter the blood stream and create an inflammation reaction that appears on the skin. But why do some people get eczema when others do not?

Some of the factors that contribute to a personʼs susceptibility to eczema include genetic predisposition, immune system weakness and/or overload, and stress. But the root issue involved with eczema is almost always underlying digestive weakness. Even if you donʼt experience tummy upset, your digestive system may be impaired due to poor diet, stress, or other factors.

The Eczema Cure, p.7

The key, as with so many things, is to heal and seal your gut.  You may be thinking, ”Can’t I just do that with the GAPS diet?”  You certainly can!  That’s what I’m working on right now, which has led to the healing of my eczema.  However, the GAPS diet is a big commitment, and if you’re not quite ready to take the full plunge, The Eczema Cure may be just right for you.

You may also not even need to try the GAPS diet to heal your gut, and therefore your eczema, with the steps outlined in Emily’s book.  This is just what Emily did to help heal her young daughter’s eczema.  You can see the difference from the pictures below.

Should You Read this Book?

If you’re already doing the GAPS diet, then you may not need this ebook.  There are some great GAPS-legal recipes that Emily shared, along with several others that could be easily modified to work for GAPS.

This ebook is really ideal for those who want to:

• treat their eczema without resorting to steroid creams.
• follow an easy-to-read guide for healing their gut.
• learn how to gently detoxify their body.
• help ease their little one’s discomfort from eczema.
• find which supplements and nutrients will help their body heal.
• heal their gut while eating all sorts of delicious food, such as pizza, Thai curry, carnitas, and ice cream!

Click here to get your copy of The Eczema Cure

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

Photo Credit

This post is part of Eat Make Grow Thursday, Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday.

Heather and her beautiful family

I recently had the pleasure of “sitting down” with Heather Dessinger, author of Nourished Baby, to chat.  If you’ve been over to Heather’s blog, Mommypotamus, at all, you know that she is a fun, knowledgeable gal who is passionate about real food.  It’s been a real treat for me to get to know her a little better over these past few weeks.  I hope you enjoy learning a little more about Heather!

Interview with Heather Dessinger

Mindy: What inspired you to write Nourished Baby?

Heather:  Three things:

• The memory of my mom standing over the bed where I was gloriously napping with my newborn and saying “Uh, hon, why is your car running in the driveway?”
• The time I washed all my son’s baby clothes with the hangers still on.
• And of course the constant hunt for eyeliner (freezer, cutlery drawer, or bookshelf???)

Okay, maybe not these things exactly, but my general experience as a mom with lots of demands on my time and attention made me want to create a concise but thoroughly-researched guide to real food and babies.

I wrote it for the mama who gets back from a trip to pick up cotton balls only to realize she went in barefoot, and the mama whose baby is past the newborn stage (and sleeping better!) but still feels overwhelmed by all the conflicting data about introducing “allergenic” foods like peanuts, etc., and of course the mama who is so **over** baby food and is looking for easy recipes the whole family can enjoy!

Mindy: What understanding do you hope readers of Nourished Baby will walk away with?

Heather:  How incredibly powerful food is, and how we as parents wield that power for our children. I spent waaaaay to much of my childhood staring at fish tanks in the waiting rooms of pediatricians, ear-nose-throat doctors and more. My mom was told I just had a weak constitution, but we both agree now that my misery was the result of a poor diet and excessive antibiotic use. My kids, on the other hand, have never had an ear infection and are free of chronic problems like eczema, asthma and attention disorders. They do get sick from time to time, but I think that’s a good thing!

Nourished Baby is more like a field guide than a textbook – it’s specifically designed to empower parents rather than overwhelm them. Can’t remember the guidelines for babies and salt? That’s okay! Just type it in to the subject search bar and you’ll have your answer in a jiff. No need to memorize everything for every stage, the answers are there whenever they’re needed.

Mindy: What was your biggest challenge when you were first learning how to nourish your own children?

Heather:  Patience. As I wrote about here, some children are ready for solids at 4 months, but some wait until 14 months! My kids were on the later side of the scale

Mindy: What are your kids’ favorite nourishing foods to eat?

Heather:  Katie and I just created a food pyramid for Nourishing Our Children together, so this will be easy! They love sweet marrow custard, butter, bacon, grass-fed pot roast, raw goat cheese with raisins and honey, and homemade sour gummy stars made with grass-fed gelatin.

Mindy: Thanks again, Heather, for telling us a little more about you and your ebook!

Recipe from Nourished Baby

Heather was also kind enough to share one of the recipes from her ebook with us.  I think you’re going to love this recipe as a great replacement for store-bought crackers.  Enjoy!

Honey Cinnamon Crackers 

• 1 cup crispy sunflower seeds
• 1 cup coconut shreds
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• cinnamon for dusting
• about 2 tablespoons water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend sunflower seeds in a food processor until the seeds resemble a dense flour (about 2-3 minutes)
3. Add the coconut shreds and honey. Pulse to mix.
4. Begin adding in the water – 1 tablespoon at a time -until the seeds all clump together in a ball.
5. Between lightly oiled parchment paper, roll out the dough as thinly as you can. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and slide the remaining parchment paper with dough onto a cookie sheet.
6. Dust crackers with cinnamon.
7. Cut into rectangles with a pizza cutter or butter knife.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes- or until golden brown. Allow to cool while still on the cookie sheet, then break along scored lines.

When to introduce: Because it contains honey it is recommended to wait until after one year.

Nourish Your Children (and Yourself)

Heather is offering a 20% discount off of her ebook now through August 31st.  Click the link below and type in SUPERMAMA to get your discount!

Get your copy of Nourished Baby today!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

This post is part of Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Eat Make Grow Thursday.

A big thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway for the Nourished Baby ebook! And the winner is…

Delicia B!

Delicia, I’ve sent you an email confirming that you won and that your email is valid.  You have 48 hours to respond to that email and then I’ll send your name and email on to Heather of Mommypotamus so that she can send you your ebook.

If you didn’t win, you can still get your own copy!  This is a great resource for anyone who has children, is planning on having children, or knows someone with children. (Is that pretty much everyone?!)  Be sure to check out my review of Nourished Baby.

Heather is offering a 20% discount now through August 15th.  Click the link below and type in SUPERMAMA to get your discount!

Click here to get your copy of Nourished Baby.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.  Mommypotamus is providing the free copy for the giveaway.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

As a continued celebration of one year on GAPS, I’m excited to be able to offer you this giveaway today!  I’m giving away a copy of Nourished Baby from Heather Dessinger of the Mommypotamus blog.  You can read my review of this e-book.  I know you’re going to love it!

How to Enter

I’m using the Rafflecopter widget below for all entries.  You will need to complete the first mandatory entry in order to be eligible to win.  I will be verifying all entries so be sure to actually do them!  The giveaway starts today and will end at 12:01 am EST on Wednesday, August 8, 2012.  I will announce the winner on Thursday, August 9. (Oh, and you can earn an extra entry EVERY DAY by tweeting about this giveaway.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

This post is part of Fight Back Friday, Freaky Friday, Monday Mania.

I want you to think back on your childhood for a few minutes.  What kind of food was typical while you were growing up?  Was it more likely that you had cereal for breakfast or eggs and bacon?  Dinner from a box or grassfed meat with vegetables?  Did organ meats make a showing?

Was this your typical breakfast growing up?

I don’t know about you, but processed foods were definitely a part of my diet.  My guess is that they were also a big part of yours.  I feel fortunate that my mom did typically cook dinner from scratch and that soda didn’t make a regular appearance.  That being said, the combination of a less than ideal diet with lots of antibiotics, among other things, have led to an unhealthy gut in my adulthood.

Now I don’t want you to sit there blaming your parents (and I’m certainly not)!  Our culture as a whole has lost its traditional relationship with food.  While many good things have come out of our industrial ingenuity (hello internet!), some have not been quite as great (can you say denatured foods?).

Nourishing Our Children

While I don’t personally have any children, I’m definitely surrounded by lots of friends and family with kids.  I’m the proud aunt of three little nephews and enjoy spending time with them.  Also, as a baton twirling coach, I’m teaching young children every week.  All of that to say, I want to see the kids in my life have a better opportunity for health and wellness than I did.

The challenge is that there is so much misinformation out there about what is actually healthy for children to eat, particularly when they are very young.  With more and more food intolerances showing up in children these days, learning how to nourish our children correctly is crucial.

But where to start?  It can be overwhelming to sift through the vast amount of information available to us so that we can come up with a healthy plan for feeding our children.  Fortunately, there is now a terrific resource available to help you do just that!

A Look In the Nourished Baby Ebook

Heather Dessinger of the Mommypotamus blog has recently published an ebook called Nourished Baby.  Even if your “baby” is now sixteen and clamoring to get behind the wheel of your car, I think you’ll find this ebook to be extremely helpful as you begin to incorporate nourishing foods in your diet.

Heather does a fantastic job of laying out how you can nourish your baby from birth, through the toddler years, and beyond.  She covers how to ensure your baby’s gut is being populated with all the beneficial flora it needs to be healthy.  This time of information tends to be quite scientific, but she makes it easy for the lay person to understand.

Nourished Baby lays out a plan for first introducing solid foods that will give your child the nourishment he or she needs to grow into a healthy adult.  For those of you with older children, there’s no need to despair.  She’s included some great tips on how to nourish older children who already love junk food.

The last section of the book is filled with over 50 pages of delicious and nourishing recipes.  Even if you don’t have children, you’re going to want to get the ebook just for the recipes!  She includes typical categories, such as Meat & Seafood and Veggie Sides, but she also has sections that include Fermented Foods and Nuts & Seeds.  I’m looking forward to incorporating her recipes into my upcoming meal plans!

You can take a look at an 18-page sample that Heather has made available for those who would like to get a taste of what Nourished Baby offers before purchasing their own copy.

Let’s Get Started!

I don’t know about you, but I want to make sure the children in my life have the best start possible.  This guide is a great resource for accomplishing that and makes a great gift for the parents in my life.  Let’s all work together to make sure we’re nourishing the children in our lives!

Heather is offering a 20% discount now through August 15th August 30th.  Click the link below and type in SUPERMAMA to get your discount!

Click here to buy your copy of Nourished Baby!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook for review, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  There are affiliate links in this post.  If you purchase this ebook, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you for supporting my site!

This post is part of Monday Mania.