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My journey in raising happy, healthy, organically-grown kids

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Food Allergies in the Hospital

March 4, 2015 By Kerry 9 Comments

Finn recently spent 80+ hours in the hospital. For a child who has been incredibly healthy his entire 5 1/2 years, this was a miserable experience for him.

After waking up Monday morning with a swollen knee which he would put no weight on, a low fever, and looking like he hadn’t slept in days, we knew we needed to do something. Our family doctor couldn’t see him until the following day so we shipped off to the walk-in clinic, a first for our kids.

Walk in

After 5 hours at the walk-in clinic, we were sent to the OR/ER at a local hospital for further evaluation. What we thought was a twisted knee or some type of viral inflammation wasn’t.

Long story short, Finn had a bacterial infection in his knee. He was put through a lot. This was not his jam. At one point he even screamed, with clenched fists and neck veins popping, “you already took my bloooooood! No more blood until heaven!” Heart crushing.

Night 1

After an x-ray, numerous blood draws (lots of screaming), conscious sedation to test the fluid causing the inflammation (terrible reaction to that medicine), full anesthesia to go in and drain/flush the knee which included stitches and a wrap, Finn was mad. He didn’t understand what was happening (nor did we fully), and simply wanted to go home.

Every bit of natural healing desire in me struggled with what was happening, but I understood this was one example of a situation when western medicine was very important. We wanted our happy Finn back and trusted the doctors had his best interests at heart. I have to say, the doctors and nurses we encountered (and there were lots) were really fantastic at answering questions and explaining what was happening. I am grateful to them as I had lots of questions!

When the orthopedic surgeon who did the flush came for Justin and I in the waiting room to tell us Finn did great and they were able to flush out all of the infection, I couldn’t speak. I just hugged him and then lost it… again.

Day 2

One of the things that most bothered me in the hospital was the food. What was offered was abysmal, at best.

The first night, Finn was sent chicken broth and this drink. The order didn’t come from us, so I’m not sure who sent this.

Drink1

I instantly thought this looked like a strange drink. Artificial flavor? What else was in this? It looks like a weird apple juice, right? Turn the box…

Drink3

Oh yes, sugar, more processed sugar, and dairy followed by “natural” and artificial flavors and a long list of other ingredients I can’t pronounce. My eyes bugged out of my head! Not only was this not appropriate for my dairy-allergic son, the list of ingredients would not be helpful to a single person, regardless of allergy concerns. A sugary, chemical-filled drink to help make a sick person well?

Drink

It was almost 48 hours before Finn was able to eat. He was hungry and he wanted food. I opened the hospital menu and again, my eyes bugged out of my head. (Hospital logo covered with images below.)

Not only were less than a handful of items safe for him to eat, nearly zero items were healthy. When I asked the nurses what other options there were, they shrugged their shoulders with that look of, “sorry, this is all there is.”

Essentially, we were then responsible for bringing food in that would be OK for Finn.

Menu1

We did order a sliced apple for Finn. He pushed almost half of it aside and said, “ewe,” as there were chunks of brown, bruised apple.

Menu2

I couldn’t help but think of some of the families I met on the floor.  Some had been there weeks and would be staying weeks longer.  What if those kids had special diets? What if those families came from hours away for treatment and were staying at the hospital with their child? In addition to the day-to-day stress of being in the hospital, the stress of what lies ahead for your child, and the stress of the forthcoming bill, you are having to navigate food options. Perhaps that means running to the grocery store on a regular basis or finding a location to make real food, because as any allergy or real food parent knows, you can’t eat out of boxes and cans long-term for health.

Food. A simple piece of daily life that all the sudden becomes a major concern in a hospital, of all places. We can’t get healthy, and we certainly can’t heal quickly, when we don’t have quality nutrients pouring into our bodies.

My heart sank as I thought of all the friends and family (and YOU, as readers) who would be in such a terrible position if something like this came up. I felt sick thinking about the reality of it for people like my goddaughter who cannot eat dairy, soy, gluten, dyes, and so on. What would they do if they were 2 or 3 hours away from home for anything more than a day or 2?

I asked all of you about it on Facebook (Feb. 19) and read so many stories of things you’d already experienced. What is happening is not ok.

Thankfully, we are home and on the mend. Getting into our own house quickly changed Finn’s demeanor and the healing could officially begin.

HOME

 

But for all those other families, ugh.

Have you dealt with food allergies in the hospital? Real food issues? What have you done about this? What can we do about this? 

 

Review: The Food Babe Way

February 10, 2015 By Kerry 2 Comments

When Finn was first diagnosed with a dairy, egg, and peanut allergy in 2010, I was stunned. My world was literally rocked.

“How could this precious little body reject food? Why does he break out in hives, vomit, and start an anaphylaxis reaction when certain foods enter, and sometimes simply touch, his body? I don’t understand!”

We visited an allergist who gave the standard reason for food allergies, but it didn’t sit right. And so I started reading and researching and studying. Justin thought I was losing my mind because I would stay up so late with my nose inches into books and research. What I learned turned my shell-shock into a mama-bear-sized anger.

We had been duped. We had been lied to. We had been sold garbage about the health of our “food” in the name of pure profit. And it hurt my son.

Along the way I found some amazing allies in this fight for clean food, including Vani Hari, best known as the Food Babe.

Vani

I remember feeling freedom and relief as I read through her posts. I remember not feeling so alone in these “strange” beliefs that our food system had contributed to the food allergies of my sweetest first-born. And most importantly, I was reassured I had a voice and that is was important, just like yours is important and needed in this fight for real, clean food.

Fast forward five years and Vani’s first book, The Food Babe Way, is out!

FBW

Two major mainstream media outlets have already indicated they can’t promote the book because of their advertisers. Unfortunately, I’m not shocked. This simply reinforces the power of money in this country and the stronghold that Big Food has on what we understand of our food system.

The Food Babe Way contains the 21 essential habits that Vani used in order to take control of her health. She used to be an overweight, pill-dependent, sick young woman. True story. But changing her diet changed her life.

Pre Health

In this book, Vani will walk you through the simple changes you can make in your life to live a more energetic and vibrant life. This isn’t a “diet,” it’s a lifestyle.

Hyman

The book features ways to:

  • Avoid the top 15 ingredients that wreak havoc on your weight, beauty, and health
  • Spot manipulative marketing and manufacturing techniques the food industry uses to get you to eat processed foods or hide questionable ingredients
  • Replace the foods that make you fat, look older, and zap your energy with healthful, delicious substitutes
  • Prepare dozens of additive-free meals with easy and delicious recipes

The book walks you through the ways we’ve been duped, the chemicals in our food and what they are doing to our bodies, healthful food habits, tips to navigate the grocery store, and offers dozens of additive-free recipes.

Eat Organic

I most resonate with Vani on her endless work to expose the chemicals used by Big Food and how the FDA has turned a blind eye to what has transpired. The word technology and inventions should not be used in the same sentence as food. Food is food, not a science experiment, not a petri dish concoction that needs testing.

The FDA allows roughly 10,000 chemical additives to be used in our food. And yet, there are no credible studies to show that these additives are beneficial, or more importantly, not harmful.

“We do not know the volume of particular chemicals that are going into the food supply so we can diagnose trends,” says Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Food at the FDA.

Taylor continues, “We simply do not have the information to vouch for the safety of many of the chemicals…”

And yet, we’re told again and again by our doctors that our food is safe and has nothing to do with food allergies, intolerances, asthma, and a host of other health concerns on the rise, particularly among our children.

The Food Babe Way is a must-read! Add it to your book list now and dig in. You won’t be disappointed.

The Food Babe Way is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Park Road Books (signed copy), Books A Million, and Indie Bound.

Grocery Shopping Staples: Trader Joe’s

November 19, 2014 By Kerry 14 Comments

Hands in the air if you’ve heard Garth Brooks new song, “Mom.” If you haven’t, the song starts around 2:25 in the video below.

I think in the addition to the lyrics, the reactions of the women watching is just the best! Just sheer weeping! 🙂

Garth Brooks holds a dear place in my heart for so many reasons. One reason is one of my favorite memories from high school.  A group of my 6 best girl friends and 4 best guy friends all road tripped to Lincoln our senior year to see Garth Brooks on his farewell tour. We had nose bleed seats until (long story short), some old, strange man came up behind us, started chit-chatting and offered the girls FRONT ROW SEATS. (Sorry, dudes!)

Can I just say this was the concert of concerts?!?!  We were all hoarse by the time we drove back to Omaha and on cloud 9 for months after. Heck, I’m still on cloud 9! (Sweet corduroy overalls, right? I’ll just say it for you!)

Garth

Anyway, I was reminded of that story as I heard 2 gals talking at Trader Joe’s the other day about going to one of Garth’s shows up in Minnesota recently. One of my favorite 17-year-old memories!

I used to shop more regularly at Trader Joe’s, but now probably only go once every 6-8 weeks. It seemed when I was going on a regular basis, they were ALWAYS out of something I needed and I ended up having to make a trip to another store… the whole issue I’d been trying to avoid.

So, I have my TJ’s staples and usually buy 3-5 of each when I go there so we are well stocked until I return.

Ezekiel Bread: While I normally buy this at Hy-Vee, this is $1 cheaper at Trader Joe’s, so I always buy a loaf or 2 while I’m there for the freezer.

IMG_9877

Buns: There is a whole wheat hamburger and hot dog bun at Trader Joe’s that have far better ingredients than those at Hy-Vee (and that the kids will eat). I usually buy a few bags and throw them in the freezer, especially in the summer.

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Shrimp: Wild caught shrimp is insanely expensive, but I refuse to buy the farm raised Thailand crap that seems to be everywhere. (This is basically fish from the sewer.) This shrimp has gone up $3 in the last year. Trader Joe’s used to carry wild caught scallops that we loved, but they have been out for at least 9 months. Augh. (Beware of that seafood blend in the image. I think those are farm raised. Much of the cooked shrimp is also farm raised.)

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Animal Crackers: Finn loves these animal crackers like it’s no one’s business! Again, certainly not the most healthy option, but not filled with high fructose corn syrup and strange additives.

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Organic Pops: The kids LOVE suckers, but I always cringe when I see the long list of crazy colors added to them. This version doesn’t have that, so the kids don’t bounce off the walls and lose their mind after a sucker. It’s a treat I actually enjoy giving them. (By the way, the kids equate the bank with suckers, so I keep a stash of these in the car for when we hit the drive-thru.)

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Crackers: I don’t really understand why these are “reduced guilt.” Usually anything like that (low-fat/no-fat), I’m suspicious of  because they’ve normally replaced the real flavor (real fat) with fake flavor (fake fat). Maybe I’m missing something on these? They also say 50% less fat than their original woven crackers, which I’ve never seen. Do you have the original in your store?

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Crackers: The kids aren’t fans of these crackers, but I love them!

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Chips: Totally calling my husband out, he DEVOURED these recently with avocado and salsa and then declared, “these are the best chips ever.” Maybe he was just super hungry?

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Banana Chips: Every once in awhile Evie and I love to snack on banana chips in the morning while Finn is at school. Sweet and crunch all rolled into one.

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Olives: My obsession with black olives continues…

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Spaghetti Sauce: I always have a few jars on hand of this clean sauce for an “oh crap, what’s for dinner” night. It’s great with noodles or a sauce for chicken. The mushrooms are tiny, so if you’re anti (like my kids), you won’t even know they are there. Win win!

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Black Beans: Awhile back I started soaking beans overnight for dinners. Of course there are plenty of times I’ve forgot to soak them, so I always have a few cans on hand for last minute additions to dinners.

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Soup: While this soup is not dairy-free and OK for the kids, it’s a staple for me in the winter months especially when Justin is away or for quick weekend meals for the adults. It’s not chunky, just incredibly smooth and rich in flavor.

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Mustard: Lots of mustards have weird ingredients and colors. This is a better option.

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Ketchup: Like mustard, so many ketchups are filled with lots of sugars and high fructose corn syrup. This is a better option. (Note: beware of “sugar-free” ketchups as most store bought sugar-free ketchups are replaced with another corn product that is likely GMO and what I would consider the cousin of HFCS.)

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Pickles: Like olives, I love me some pickles! So do the kids. Most pickles are filled with crazy colors to give that bright, neon green color. These are not.

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Almond Butter: While we’ve started making our own almond butter (“super butter”), there are times we are in a pinch and need to have a pre-made jar on hand. I always have a few for those moments. The Trader Joe’s brand is far less expensive than any almond butter at Hy-Vee.

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KerryGold: I love KerryGold! Not only does it come from my motherland (fun fact: I was named after County Kerry, Ireland), the cows are grass-fed and the cheese is delicious. We love the Dubliner. (If you belong to Costco, this is also available cheap.) Although I try and limit my dairy intake, I do like some cheese every now and again. This cheese with the woven crackers and some apples slices – heaven!

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Oatmeal: The kids are on an oatmeal kick. Nearly every morning when I ask what they’d like, the answer is “OATMEAL!” This is my go-to oatmeal (it’s also gluten-free for those who need a GF option). The kids favorite additions are chia seeds, coconut flakes, almond butter and local honey. Every so often I make an extra serving for myself!

Oatmeal

Whole Foods staples to come.

What are your Trader Joe’s staples?

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Meet My Wise Mom

The world encourages a certain way of life for our kids. Lazy bodies, chemically laden nutrition, and poor manners. I'm a mom on a mission to teach my kids more. This is my journey in raising happy, healthy, organically-grown kids. [Read more]

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