Blue Cheese Herb Spread

I found this recipe in a small allrecipes magazine (p.16) I received and I just had to try it. I figured with this combination of herbs, cream cheese, and blue cheese, I had nothing to lose. Result? Wow, it was just as I hoped! One of the best cheese ball-type dips I've had. And my three-year-old must take after me in his love of blue cheese because he loved it as much as I did. So this is destined to become a new favorite...

Note: The original recipe calls for 2 Tb. walnuts, which I did not include because my mother is allergic to them and I don't like them.

Blue Cheese Herb Spread

2 Tb. chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 Tb. dry parsley flakes)
2 Tb. chopped fresh chives
1/2 c. blue cheese, crumbled
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cold

Place parsley and chives in bowl, add blue cheese and mix.

Place cream cheese in bowl of food processor (or small mixer) and process until smooth.

Add herb mixture to cream cheese and process until thoroughly blended.

Noe: Can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered tightly.

Surviving the 1st Trimester

(source)

The first trimester is always extremely difficult for me just to get through. And it hasn't gotten any easier with subsequent pregnancies. I thought last time, pregnant with my first boy, was the worst I'd ever felt. This time it was even worse. The extreme exhaustion and constant nausea hit me with a vengeance and I had to keep reminding myself to keep breathing and that I would survive this again. At least, I hoped I would! Each day I couldn't wait until (a very early) bedtime when I could escape my misery for several hours in sleep.

With that said, I know women who are so sick (some of them the whole pregnancy) that they have trouble keeping any food down and sometimes end up in the hospital with IV fluids. I am very grateful never to have been that bad off and greatly admire those who somehow survive such experiences.

Having used essential oils for years, I was hopeful I could combat some of the nausea with ginger, peppermint, or lemon this time. But I found out in a hurry that any smells, no matter how good or natural, didn't help at all. My sense of smell was just too heightened. So that remedy was out.

Every pregnancy, in my efforts to get myself feeling better, I learn a lot about what my body needs. Last pregnancy I learned that I was hyper-sensitive to MSG and that if I avoided it (in all its many forms), I would feel a whole lot better (see post here). After pregnancy I was no longer as sensitive but because I had already developed the habit of avoiding MSG, it was easy to maintain that healthy change to my family's lifestyle.

I am now officially in the second trimester (phew!) and have felt considerably better the last couple weeks, which has been the greatest relief in the world! But I'm noticing that certain things in foods still affect me and if I'm not vigilant I may pay for it for a day or two afterward. I'll get into that a bit later...

Because the first trimester this time around was so terribly yucky, I learned a lot about what is happening inside the body and what the body needs to recover from everything required to grow a baby. Many thanks to my friend, Emily, who supplied me with the needed information to start me on this journey! I offer these insights, suggestions, and tips in an effort to help others. I realize not everything will help everyone, but I feel compelled to share, hoping these ideas may improve another expectant mother's quality of life. (Note: The below remedies were in addition to my healthy, whole foods diet--although, during the first several weeks, diet becomes a matter of whatever I can tolerate, which isn't much):

1- First of all, in my frequent, small snacks I learned I needed salt! Often. I craved it many times a day, which is not normal for me (except during the first trimester of pregnancy). Interestingly, I learned that at about 5 weeks (see this site) the placenta begins to fill with amniotic fluid, which is of the same makeup as ocean water, even with the same minerals in the same amounts! Suddenly I understood why my body needed extra salt during those few weeks.

2- Besides salt, my body needed lots of water, of course, since it was producing that amniotic fluid. And this will continue to be the case throughout pregnancy, as the fluid changes and increases over time. I always stay very hydrated, but I noticed that water wasn't helping me feel better or more hydrated by itself. I still felt a lack of something. So learning that the amniotic fluid also contains electrolytes taught me that I needed to add electrolytes to my diet somehow. I was happy to learn that instead of guzzling sugary Gatorade or other sports drink I could get  a small bottle of electrolytes to add to my water, a mere drop per glassful. It doesn't have a taste or smell, but it has made a difference for me, so I continue to drink it in all my water. (You can easily find Elete online on Amazon.)

3- I found myself craving orange juice and potatoes every day for a while there, so it was no surprise when I found out that both foods contain lots of potassium. It was therefore logical to conclude that my body was deficient in Potassium, which is an electrolyte. I felt better when I drank orange juice and ate potatoes, even though otherwise I was mostly surviving on Saltine crackers. :(

4- Another thing I learned a lot more about was cell salts. These are mineral salts that can be absorbed directly into our own body's cells to help repair cell dysfunction and restore the balance of minerals in our cells. (See this article for more information on how cell salts work.) For expectant women who can't keep food or water down, cell salts can be particularly helpful. For me, they did lessen my nausea--in fact, I'm still taking them every day for a while longer. I purchased all 12 of them (Hyland's brand) online. If you would like to know the proper daily regimen for morning sickness, please leave a comment or email me. It's a little involved but very worth it.


5- Even after doing all of the above, I was feeling more stable, though not perfect, and was concerned that with all my food aversions I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed from my food. And for the first time I also wasn't taking a prenatal vitamin because they make me sick during the first trimester and I've been trying to weed out synthetic vitamins from my family's lifestyle. So I talked to my friend, Tonya, an herbalist at the School of Natural Healing. She recommended that I take a certain number of Dr. Christopher's Vitalerbs capsules as well as wheat germ oil capsules every day. (Leave me a comment or send me an email if you would like to know my prescribed regimen.) It took me a couple weeks before I was able to swallow as many of them as I was supposed to, since I had an overactive gag reflex for a while, but once I started I could tell they were helping me. I felt a little more stable, reassured that I was getting much of the greens I needed but couldn't tolerate eating yet, and--hallelujah!--they were even helping my constipation.

6- The next thing I found that helped was having an NAET treatment (see my article about NAET here). During that treatment I wasn't at all surprised to find out that my minerals were "all out of whack." My provider balanced my minerals and I felt considerably better. Since then I haven't craved salt like I did and only need orange juice a couple times a week instead of every day. I also feel like I'm doing much better getting the nutrients I need from my food and assimilating them properly, which I wasn't doing before.

7- While I was at my NAET provider's, she also did some Emotion Code work on me (see my article here). That always helps, without fail. It also reminded me that I need to be doing the Emotion Code on myself more regularly, since I can and it works.

8- A couple weeks later I went back for another NAET/Emotion Code/Energy treatment as a follow-up to my last appointment. I was doing much better by then but was still having trouble assimilating protein. I felt like anytime I ate protein other than dairy, my whole body shut down to digest it. That is a very uncomfortable, unnerving experience! Plus, it's not convenient for a mom of three young children. My provider helped with that and I've been concentrating on adding more varied proteins back into my diet, such as (fresh) eggs, chicken, turkey, red meat, nuts, and beans. (I haven't done well with the latter yet, which used to be one of the staples of my diet, but I did successfully eat and enjoy hummus last week, so we're making progress!) I really do feel much more stable when I eat the proteins my body needs.

© Remyrw | Dreamstime Stock Photos

9- Finally, I've been noticing that I don't have a good reaction to products with processed soy, corn, or other GMO foods. We don't eat many processed foods, but for those we do eat I've been watching labels even more closely for soybean oil and ingredients made with corn--which are in almost everything. I've had to pay extra for non-GMO tortilla chips and even forego eating the delicious corn on the cob we've receive that isn't organic and therefore almost certainly GMO. Sadness... But it's worth not feeling crappy the next day.

10- The last thing that has helped recently, on days when the nausea returns, is the Sea Bands my sister sent me. I'd never used them before a few days ago and I've been impressed! They really do work to reduce nausea, and quickly. My sister-in-law wears Psi Bands during pregnancy, which are another type of acupressure band, and they really help her also. I wish I had known about them 10 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first!

So there's the saga, forever documented before I forget! I hope at least one of these ideas helps you or a woman you love who is suffering with the effects of "morning" sickness. And if it's you, hang in there! You're not alone and you will get through this. :)

Garden Planner

Are you tired of planning your garden with pencil, paper, and a really, really good eraser? I certainly am! So this week I've been having fun trying out something new: Garden Planner. This great program is free for 30 days, and you don't input any credit card information to try it out, so a subscription won't automatically start. It's helping me see my future garden much more vividly, which makes it easier to see how I should arrange my various herbs, vegetables, and berries. It's also helping me think of new things to plant which are appropriate to my area, and includes details on each plant, like where it grows best and when to plant it. And when I'm finished planning, I can print off my "garden map" to use outside while I plant it all. Check it out here!

Essential Oils Disclaimer

I have posted a few times about how wonderful and effective essential oils can be. The more I use them (now daily), the more I realize how I depend on and appreciate them.

But--

A couple of things that have happened lately have made me realize I need to say this: Essential oils do not cure or effectively treat everything. And, at least the company who makes the oils I use, doesn't claim that they do. In all the classes I have been to, the presenter always says something to the effect of: "Oils are very empowering because they help you treat yourself and your family and improve your health, without paying to see doctors for every little thing. However, use discretion; the medical community is there to help us when oils can't."

I firmly believe that. Because, I believe:

1. God created plants and herbs for our benefit, both nutritionally and medicinally.
2. God inspired people to understand more about the human body, disease, and how the body responds to chemical compounds, and to create modern medicines that help us recover from illnesses.
3. Both need to be used in wisdom and order. Moderation in all things.

One occurrence that brought this on was that, a while back, someone found out about my last summer's fight with pneumonia and, knowing that I use essential oils, asked, "Didn't oregano work?" (For those who don't know, oregano is a powerful, natural antibiotic and anti-viral herb, and is particularly potent for respiratory ailments.) I didn't have oregano yet at that time, so I couldn't use it for pneumonia. But when asked the question, I didn't have to think twice to know that it wouldn't have worked for me for that particular ailment. After all I went through, I know now that I waited too long to go into the doctor, and too long to go to the hospital after that. Pneumonia is one of those illnesses not to fool around with! If I had seen the doctor earlier on, so much would have gone better and been easier. Maybe there are people out there who get a mild case of it and recover quickly. But I've found that in one way, having had pneumonia is like having had a miscarriage: you have no idea how many people have been through that harrowing experience until you talk to others about it. And everyone who has told me their pneumonia story, has completely empathized with me: "Now I can understand how someone could die from it." "I kept thinking I would feel better in the morning, but I never did." "It was all I could do to work up the energy to go to the bathroom." "I wanted to die." "It took me a year to fully recover." As powerful as oregano is, for someone with an illness as bad as pneumonia, it isn't equipped to combat this kind of nastiness--especially when it turns into something even worse (Legionnaire's Disease), like mine did. (Unfortunately, nasty illnesses require nasty antibiotics, which often carry nasty side effects, and I experienced that too. But, it was better to be alive and experience them than the alternative!)

Again, the medical community is there to help us when oils can't. And another side to the coin is that oils are there to help us while we're waiting for drugs to kick in, since oils often start working more quickly--but might not work as long or as effectively, depending on the drug and the oil.

I always lean toward natural treatment, and I really don't like antibiotics, but there are times and places for both. Case in point: my sister is a nurse who works in a large and very good hospital. Just the other day she reported to me that sometimes they have people come in for treatment who have been using all kind of essential oils hoping for a reversal of symptoms who, as a result, wait so long for doctors' care that things only become worse and are harder to deal with. Don't be like that! Know your limits, know what works for you, and listen to what your body and your gut feelings tell you.

Staying Healthy as Fall Begins

Many of us around the country are beginning to sense the coming of autumn as days shorten and temperatures begin to cool. I have already noticed that with that change of season, people are getting sick--including sniffles already at my house. So I've been thinking about what we should be doing better to prevent illness as much as possible, and looking back at prior posts I've realized how many things I've already written that address this. So I thought I would re-link you to them, in case you need the refresher, like I do:

• My list of 7 things to do to prevent illness

• The healing properties of Echinacea

• How promoting healthy guts improves your immunity

• How using essential oils promotes wellness and healing

• Honey's role in promoting wellness (and its curative properties)

• The importance of adequate sleep to our health

• And even the many health benefits of fasting (If you haven't read this information, you really should--it's quite fascinating!)

Reglan

This recent experience with pneumonia taught me a few things, one of which was about Reglan. I became very, very sick before I went into the hospital, and one thing that added to my stress and worry was the fact that I was drying up. I knew how incredibly important the antibodies in my breast milk are for my baby and how crucial it was for him to get those so he didn't contract my pneumonia. Even though I didn't really have the energy for it, I nursed him more often than usual, but with the combination of my fever and lack of appetite (and accompanying inability to eat much at all), I could tell my baby wasn't getting enough milk. Once I even let him suck for an hour and a half, and when I finally took him off, he cried with hunger. That broke my heart. It also gave me new empathy for those mothers I know who have dried up long before they were ready to wean. It's a terrible feeling!

In desperation, I had my husband call a local lactation consultant (who also happens to be my friend), and instead of giving me all the pat answers that I have memorized, and knowing that I have breastfed twice before, for a year or more each time, she recommended the herb, Fenugreek. I had heard of this herb but didn't know of its milk-enhancing properties. She also told us about the drug, Reglan, which has similar properties, and recommended that we ask my doctor for it. When I was admitted to the hospital later that night, my husband asked that I be given Reglan, in addition to my other IV meds, and they complied. An added benefit with Reglan--which is what it is most often used for--is it reduces nausea, which I was also having trouble with.

I mention this herb and drug in the hope that it may help someone else in a similar situation. Without those regular doses of Reglan, I probably would have dried up completely. I was very grateful that my husband was able to take time off his summer job to be with me in the hospital, and was able to bring our baby with him so that I could nurse throughout the day. That, besides the Reglan, are what saved my milk because I didn't have enough energy to pump more than once a day, in the evening, after my baby had left. (Did you ever realize how much more energy it takes to pump than to let the baby do the work?) There were so many times during the worst part of my illness when I despaired of being able to continue breastfeeding. It would have been so much easier to give up and just resort to formula, and I was often tempted to do so. But my knowledge of the importance of breast milk for the health of my baby, and my commitment to breastfeeding kept pushing me to keep trying, though I really didn't have the energy to even nurse him lying down. (It was alarming to be that weak, let me tell you!)

Now we are back to exclusively breastfeeding and I can tell my baby is once again getting enough. I can't tell you what a relief that is, to be able to provide for him myself again! How grateful I am for an informed lactation consultant, and modern medicine. (I still want to try the Fenugreek sometime, though...)

Evening Primrose Oil

The last few weeks of my last pregnancy, my Certified Nurse Midwife suggested I add Evening Primrose Oil to my daily regimen of Red Raspberry Leaf. She explained to me how it can help soften and ripen the cervix and prepare it for labor. Being an herb person anyway, and knowing from my first labor experience how much help my cervix needs, I was game. And I believe that it, along with the Red Raspberry Leaf, are part of the reason my second labor was so much more effective and productive and went so much better and faster. Going from 22 hours to 4 hours felt miraculous, as you can imagine. And instead of my cervix never even getting to a 10 (like the first time), the second time I was at a 9 before I realized it.

I can't find where I wrote down anywhere my CNMs suggested dosage (and I now have an OB since, sadly, there aren't any CNMs in my town), so I've been doing the research again to figure out how much I should take. I remember waiting until 36 weeks to begin taking Evening Primrose Oil last time, and the information I've found online confirms that. So last week I started to take it orally, two or three capsules a day. I will increase it weekly thereafter, and at about 38 weeks I will also begin inserting a capsule(s) vaginally at bedtime (which is actually the most effective method).

For others who are interested in learning more about this natural way of helping to prepare your body for labor (which, by the way, studies indicate it will only do if your body is ready to be helped), and what Evening Primrose actually is and contains, check out the following sites:

Pregnant Health
Families.com
Passionate Homemaking (which also discusses its other, non-pregnancy uses)

More About Red Raspberry Leaf

Now that I've reached the last four weeks of my pregnancy, it's time to again increase my intake of Red Raspberry Leaf. So I've been doing some more research on it, and once again I am amazed. This is truly an incredible herb.

I've posted twice before about RRL (here and here), but I recently found some more information about it at this blog that is even more extensive than what BirthSource.com lists. And let me reiterate that while it is especially beneficial for pregnant women--for many different reasons--it is not only for pregnancy, nor is it exclusively for women. (For example, one cool thing about it is it can lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.)

This time around I loved learning (or relearning) that RRL has:

-Rich concentrations of vitamin C
-Vitamin E
-Easily assimilated calcium and iron
-Manganese and magnesium
-Vitamin A
-Vitamin B complex
-Many minerals including phosphorous and potassium

Also, I learned that "Studies show that women taking RRL have a reduced incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps delivery, or cesarean." Awesome!

In addition, the author of the above blog lists ideas of where to buy RRL (whether you prefer loose leaf tea, tea bags, or capsules). Like me, the author believes that tea is the most easily assimilated and immediate method of ingesting RRL, and she also gives directions on the proper way to make the tea, if you've never done it before, as well as a general guide of how much to drink. (Oh, and she even wrote a followup of the dramatic difference she experienced between the labor experience of her first child and that of her second, due in large part to RRL.)

So, whatever your stage in life, whether you are male or female, if you don't know the specs about Red Raspberry Leaf, educate yourself today! Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks this stuff is fascinating...

The Many Benefits of RRL

Several months ago I did a post on Red Raspberry Leaf (RRL) and told you how it had helped my last pregnancy and delivery and how I was then taking it to aid my fertility. Since I am now in the second trimester of my fourth pregnancy (one ended in miscarriage) I have been re-reading the information on Red Raspberry Leaf and re-committing myself to drinking my daily RRL tea--in the right amount for this stage of my pregnancy. And it amazes me all over again how many benefits this herb provides! It is no wonder that so many women add it to their daily health regimen and why it is now even being recommended by many regular OB/GYNs (and not just CNMs). Here is my previous post with a basic list of the many health benefits of RRL and links to direct you to more complete information.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and Women

For the past three years or so I have taken a daily amount of Red Raspberry Leaf which has depended upon the stage I'm in: newly pregnant, close to delivery, breast feeding, or--like now--struggling with secondary infertility. In an effort to strengthen and tone my uterus as well as regulate my cycles, (in addition to all its other benefits) I currently drink a quart of RRL tea (no caffeine) every day. (Because this high amount made me go through tea bags much too quickly, I ordered a bunch in bulk and now use it loose. Don't worry, I strain it.) There is something about it that is so satisfying, that my body craves, and I can feel it is good for me. It has a pleasant aroma by itself and a very mild taste for an herbal tea, but I like to make it more interesting and tasty by adding a couple spoonfuls of frozen juice concentrate or a spoonful of honey.

Here are some amazing facts about this versatile, mild herb from Birthsource.com (an excellent prenatal resource):

The leaves of the raspberry plant have been used as a medicinal herb for centuries... It is believed that raspberry leaf, if taken regularly through pregnancy and labor can:

• Ease the symptoms of morning sickness
• Sooth and prevent bleeding gums which many pregnant women often experience.
• Relax the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting (Burn & Withell, 1941).
• Assist with the birth of the baby and the placenta.
• Calm cramping of the uterus.
• Provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. The magnesium content is especially helpful in strengthening the uterine muscle.
• Raspberry leaf also contains vitamins B1, B3 and E, which are valuable in pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf is also used for the following:

• To aid fertility.
• To promote a plentiful supply of breast milk.
• To help stop excess bleeding after birth.
• To treat diarrhea.
• To regulate irregular menstrual cycle and decrease heavy periods.
• To relieve sore throats.
• To reduce fever.

It is thought that around one fifth of pregnant women take some form of raspberry leaf. Women believe that it will shorten labor and make the birth easier. The use of this herb for remedial purposes dates back to the sixth century and its benefits in childbirth have been recorded as a proven aid in maternity in the most ancient of herbal books.

RRL can also be taken in capsule form, which is how I took it up until a few months ago--just make sure you drink plenty of water with it so your system can absorb and assimilate it. I took it before and after the birth of my second child and, though I had made a few other changes that time around as well, I believe RRL helped shrink my laboring down from 22 hours to 4 hours and have no issues with my milk coming in late or not being plentiful enough. Now if it will just help with its current intended purpose...