"eat the rainbow"

we had some friends over for lunch the other day and i put out a colourful plate of fruit and vegetables. i often tell my patients to "eat the rainbow" on a daily basis, meaning eat a variety of different foods with a wide spectrum of colour. i think we did pretty well! 

in the bowl is applesauce. i bought organic apples at 50% off as they were a little brown (but perfectly ok to bake) and simply baked organic apples in the oven for 20 minutes once cooled i took off the skins and pureed. delicious!

the power of 7

it's hard to believe 7 years ago yesterday, this little baby boy entered our universe. he caught us by suprise as he came 3 weeks early but on novemebr 13th at 6:02 pm weighing 6 lb 2 oz. he started our family.

the thymus gland is part of our immune system and is located in the upper chest cavity in front of the lungs. it educates the T lymphochytes on how to eliminate bad cells in a process called apoptosis and these cells will be doing this job for the entire length of the person's life. the amazing thing about the thymus is that it peaks at the ripe age of 7.  the thymus is largest and most active during pre-adolescent years and when the early teen years begin the thymus actually begins to atrophy and becomes replaced with fat tissue.

so our little boy's immune system is currently at it's peak!  some people believe this is the best time to vaccinate children as their little bodies are at their strongest. the waldorf philosophy (i am by no means an expert!) follows a 7 year cycle and is often called the "first adolescence" where children are trying to gain independence. a number of different beliefs on the power of 7! one thing is for sure, he is one very happy 7 year old!

planting time....

it's garlic time again.

here's hoping for a good crop come summer.

me and my little helper.

snack time...

i have been feeling really tired these days.  the days are darker, the little one is moving constantly, disrupted sleep, busy with work.....and so on.  i am trying to build up my reserves and have been snacking on dried fruit and nuts daily for the last month to help build up my stores.

here is a sample of what i have.

dried figs: high in fiber and minerals, specifically calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron

pumpkin seeds: high in zinc which is great for the immune system and thyroid gland

walnuts: i love when food looks like the body part they are good for!  walnuts have 2 hemispheres of the brain and are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, so important for healthy brain function. i eat a handful of these a day.

goji berries (also known as wolf berry): rich source of vitmain C. way more than an orange!

shown to a little girl and snatched away!

i also often have hemp hearts for their omega 3 properties and 3 brazil nuts rich in selenium.

orange....

i made a squash pear soup today. our little guy, kai is a geat eater. the other two hardly opened their mouths when it came to food but this little guy loves to eat. i am not into making different meals, so today i made this soup and we all gobbled it up, even kai! squash is very high in vitamin A and also has a good dose of vitamin C, which are really great for the immune system and that is a good thing since the baby has about his 8th cold (one for each month of his life!) 
remember i am a one pot girl, so here is what i did.
i baked the butternut squash for about 45 min. until it was soft.
i sauteed onions in a little olive oil for a few minutes. then grated in some fresh ginger, garlic and a tbsp of curry powder. i continued to cook these for a few more minutes.
i then added in the squash, 3 cut up pears (skins included)

topped with 5 cups of water and a veggie boullion cube (msg free and no hydrogenated oils)
i cooked it for about 30 minutes and blended. it was really yummy and the little man ate a bowl full. so good.

here he is just munching on the squash

 and at my feet watching me cook. (even his diaper is orange, how fitting!)

A Warm Cup of Tea

You know when things are busy and emotional and all you want is to sit with a warm drink?  I savoured this cup of warm tea, a rarity these days.  The mug was made by a good friend, a sister like friend, and when I was at her house months ago and commented on how I loved the mug, she quickly and swiftly said it was mine.  It made my day then and I enjoyed a nice warm cup of earl grey in it this morning. Earl Grey has a mild caffeine load and the bergamont has been noted for its relaxing and soothing properties and helps you de-stress. Ahhhh. Hope your Sunday is a relaxing one.

I'm Back....

well time sure has passed by fast! not sure where it went but here we are a month later in mid-october. september was busy! work, kids, appts, life...... all good things, just hectic.

i am often encouraging my patients to breathe. yes, i know we all breathe but do you consciously breathe? as soon as you bring awarness to your breathe you slow it down. this helps to lower your blood pressure, and pulse rate, calm your mind, improve your mood and help to de-stress you overall. you also cleanse your body as with each exhalation you breathe out carbon dioxide which is toxic to the body. with my busy month i was trying to take my own advice. 

so, in the midst of all this craziness i started a yoga class. i took this same class when i was pregnant with kai and it was so wonderful to stretch and breathe. i equally find it wonderful now, to stretch and breathe. i'm a doer. i like to be busy and often have my hands in many different pots (is that the saying? you know what i mean...) the yoga class is taught by this israeli woman, sarit, and it is in her house just a minute away. her sweet nature and accent and the way she translates words to english from her native hebrew is equally sweet. i also get to practice some hebrew, which i have re-discovered since my trip to israel. i am even trying to speak a bit with the kids and they are starting to learn a bit here and there. 

here is a a picture of our smiley little guy from last month...this baby is so different than the other two. he is big and long and has already cut a tooth. oh my, he truly is his own.