Dear PKIA,

What is up with dairy, and do you eat it? My son is 2 years old and every time I go to the pediatrician they ask how much milk he drinks. I feel squeezed to fill his sippy cup and I myself don’t drink it.

Signed
Feeling like an Udder

Dearest Udder,

I hear you on the milk front and what goes down at the pediatricians, however my kids don’t drink milk either.  Lola had the worst eczema ever and once I removed the dairy, her skin cleared up.  So, every time I go to the pediatrician’s office and they ask how much milk my baby drinks, I say NONE – they eat their calcium. So here I am, arming you with a list (click here for the list) to cook for your babies and to serve up some info to your doctor. Remember that it’s all about empowering yourself and digging deep. Once you have all the information, you can make the right choices and won’t feel so squeezed when the doctor gives you the “dairy speech.”

So check this out, today we were workin’ away at our favorite coffee shop – Frothy Monkey – and we love their coffee, but they don’t carry rice milk or almond milk, only soy milk – a couple months back, I told them about the problem with soy milk – carrageenan. (For those of you who follow this blog, you may remember my post “The Digging detective” a few months back…if you didn’t get a chance to check it out, do so by clicking HERE!)
Today, as I go up to order my much needed cup o’ joe, the Barista proudly announced that he had taken my advice, and started searchin’….and guess what, he found all the info about carrageenan, went to Whole Foods to research and found the Silk Almond Milk brand, which they now serve at the coffee shop, so you see it’s all about empowering ourselves with our choices.  I LOVE the emails and comments that folks share, ’cause it means that this site is doing what it set out to do INSPIRE!

First of all, I don’t eat ANY dairy, not because dairy is BAD, but because it forms a mucus lining in OUR digestive tracks that block the absorption of nutrients from other food. Use this as an example, if you have a really snotty nose due to an awful cold and then you drink a big cup of milk what happens?  You become more congested, well the same goes for our intestines – they too suffer from congestion!

I also happen to have an intolerance to dairy since birth, when I was 9 years old, my mother began to re-introduce dairy, I didn’t seem to have immediate pain so therefore we thought I was good.  If I had paid attention and maybe only had tiny increments of dairy I probably would have been good, however lactose, casein and other milk proteins are in just about every package of processed food on the planet and even if I didn’t drink glasses of milk or eat mounds of cheese, dairy found it’s way into me and over time, a build up was forming.

I hear all ya’ll giving me the “well how do you get calcium and vitamin D?”  The answer to that is eating greens…if we ate 3/4 ’s of these veggies our calcium levels would be through the roof!  Plus our levels of inflammation would be at all time LOW numbers.  So, every time I go to the pediatricians office and they ask how much milk my baby drinks ,I say NONE, they eat their calcium. Vitamin D is something that is ADDED to MILK and is naturally absorbed via the skin, so if you live in a cold climate like I do, take a supplement & give them to your kids.  The now have tiny vitamin D’s tablets that melt under the tongue!

I’m not against dairy, I just think that once again we need to read our labels and NOT how many calories are in the box, but what is in the box and then pay attention to what ingredients we are feeding ourselves over and over again.

Remember, back in the day (I’m talking ANCESTRALLY) folks didn’t have tons of cows, if any at all and that milk they got was saved and used sparingly. Most folks drank goats milk and in the Middle East, Camel milk is used for infants that are not nursed (the belief is that Camels milk is the closest to human milk).

When I first changed my eating habits, I was really uptight about my girls eating dairy, my new approach is when we are home we don’t have it, if they attend a party and there is pizza than they can have a slice.  BALANCE & MODERATION is the key….

Sincerely,
Princess Know It All

Dear Princess Know It All,

Every where I turn people are talking about giving up gluten and wheat, what is the deal…What is it and is it bad for all of us or just some and who are those some?

Signed
Gluten Confused……

Dear Gluten Confused,

This is what I’ve come to understand and experience regarding gluten: first of all gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. The purpose of gluten is to help make bread elastic and the gases that are released during the fermentation of the dough make it that it can rise before it’s baked, the gluten also helps the bread keep it’s shape.

Folks with Celiacs disease have an autoimmune response to gluten – NOT an ALLERGY, this means that their immune systems freak out when the gluten protein hits the blood, the body sees this gluten as an enemy and attacks!  One theory and one that I tend to believe wholeheartedly is that we are loaded with gluten, our original or “Ancestral Diets” did not contain tons of gluten, wheat was not the main grain let alone the one thing we ate every day.  Our current society is inundated with wheat/gluten, if you read your labels just like you did with the sugar challenge that I wrote about, you would see just how much wheat/gluten is entering our bodies on a daily basis.

If you suffer from any type of intestinal, autoimmune, inflammatory illnesses (by the way asthma and arthritis are inflammatory). I would say step away from the wheat/gluten.  Give your joints and organs a break, wheat is a tough grain for anyone to digest, let alone folks in poor health.

If you are healthy and raising healthy kids, be MINDFUL of how much wheat/gluten you are stuffing yourself and them with, example: cereals, cookies, crackers, bread (sandwiches), pasta’s etc.  I believe that the basis of most digestive disorders is wheat, sugar and dairy overload.
ALL of our bodies are on unnatural food overdose.

Wheat/Gluten is NOT BAD, it just happens to be in almost every processed can, box and frozen bagged food, read your label and pay attention to just what you are putting in your body.  A cut-back is a good thing for all of us!

The one thought I want to leave you all with is this: These are only 3 grains that we can’t eat ALL the time. Instead of seeing what we can’t have look at all that we can: WILD RICE, MILLET, CORN, BUCKEWHEAT, AMARANTH, QUINOA, TEFF, OATS, SOYBEANS AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS.  What this says to me, is that our world can get BIGGER if we expand and seize the opportunities to try something new!

Do yourself and your family a favor and make BROWN RICE pasta or try QUINOA!

Sincerely,
Princess Know It All

Dear PKIA and Yoga Momma:

This is embarrassing, but I’m gassy and constipated. Can you recommend any poses for my belly and bowels?

Sincerely,
Windy in Wyoming

Dear Windy in Wyoming:

Dang I hear you, I’ve just moved into a new phase with my intestines and it’s all about GAS!!! I’m telling you I suffer something fierce at times.  What I’m doing personally is bumping up the probiotic and being sure to take a big old heaping spoon full a day mixed in my juice or water.  The second thing I’ve done is called my gal pal Michelle – My Yoga Momma and asked her how we can get down physically to help move this gas through!

Here is her point of view and what we can do:

Both of your issues can be helped with forward bends, twists and inverted poses. One pose that I would recommend specifically for moving the gas is Happy baby Pose (Ananda Balasana). Lie down on your back and bring your knees in toward your chest. Grab the outside edges of your feet and press your knees into the armpits, keeping your feet flat toward the sky. Keep your knees as close to 90 degrees as possible. Take 10 slow breaths then release gently.

A good pose for the bowels is Wind Removing Pose (Pavanmuktasana), which obviously works for the above mentioned ailment as well. Start by lying on your back. Bring your right knee in toward your right shoulder, using both hands press the knee in as tight as you can toward that shoulder. This massages the ascending colon. Repeat with the left leg, pressing toward the left shoulder. This massages the descending colon. Then bring both knees in, hugging them to your chest while trying to keep your entire spine on the floor. This massages the transverse colon. Repeat this series of movements two times.

There is also an easier alternative which can help called Child’s Pose (Balasana). Child’s Pose is done by kneeling on the floor (tops of the feet flat against the floor) and resting your abdominal on your thighs, try to keep your bottom touching your heels. This pose can be done with your arms stretched forward in front of you (a bit more active) or with your arms by your sides (a bit more relaxed).

If you do these poses regularly, your digestive system will thank you.

Sincerely,
Princess Know It All and Yoga Momma Michelle

Dear PKIA and Dr. Carolyn Ross,

Is it possible that girls as young as 7 years old can suffer from Anorexia?
Also, I heard that most eating disorders stem from some form of abuse whether sexual, physical or emotional – is this true or is it the pressure society puts on women and girls to be thin?

Signed, When does the fight to be thin begin

Dear When Does The Fight To Be Thin Begin,

This is a great question and I love that you wrote us!  As you know I am the mother of two young girls, one is 7 years old.  I am careful not to discuss my personal opinions regarding my physical appearance in front of them.  I also do my best to constantly share with them just how perfect and lovely their bodies are.  We also talk openly about the beauty of all bodies that grace our vision throughout the day.
So the next time we are getting dressed and think those awful thoughts about ourselves you know: “Gosh I look like shit, or dang I’m fat” Stop yourself, because it not only hurts the little ears that mimic this thinking, it really hurts our own self image, and no matter how old we are, we are still fragile beings in development.
According to my friend Dr. Carolyn Ross, MD (check out her website by clicking here!) there has been an increasing number of children being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, some as young as 7 years old.  Any child this young with suspected anorexia should be evaluated for medical conditions which may mimic anorexia.  It is true that a history of abuse MAY be associated with anorexia nervosa but not everyone with this diagnosis has abuse.  It’s important to take into account 1) the influence of genetics and 2) the influence of our culture’s focus on thinness.  If a child has a close family member with anorexia, for example, she or he has a 12 times increased risk for anorexia and 4 times increase risk for bulimia.  Many very young children are being exposed to fat phobia in our culture and to the media message that you have to be thin to be happy and healthy.  This has caused little girls as young as five to feel they are fat even when they are normal size.  There are other issues that can trigger anorexia in children including abuse as you mentioned, but also problems in their families.  Many individuals with the genetic predisposition for anorexia may begin to restrict in response to emotional upsets such as a divorce or death, moving to a new school, or other life changes.  Certain sports that emphasize thinness such as gymnastics, ballet dancing, wrestling can also trigger an eating disorder.  If you feel your child may be anorexic, the first step is to talk with his or her pediatrician and to consider an evaluation by a therapist specializing in working with young children who has a background in treating eating disorders.  It’s also important to just talk with your child about your concerns in a gentle way and mostly to LISTEN to the kinds of stress, fears and emotions your child may be experiencing in their lives.   Trying to gather information without alarming the child is an important first step.

Be sure to check out this weeks podcast with Dr. Carolyn Ross, MD as we followed up on this question!

Sincerely,
Princess Know It All and Dr. Carolyn Ross, MD

Dear PKIA and Dr. Sage Breslin,

I’m having a super tough time, I’m married and a mother of two young boys and my husband has a 20 year old son from a previous marriage.  The holidays are coming soon and I dread spending them with my husbands family not because of them but because his son will not stop talking about when his parents were married and how “His” grandmother is his.  I find the entire situation annoying and would love to tell him to zip it, however I don’t want to make the situation worse.

signed,
I don’t want to hear it!

Dearest I Don’t Want To Hear It:

Blended families are chock full of challenging situations, and many seem to arise around holiday functions!

From your description, it seems like the worst part is having to be exposed to your stepson’s constant storytelling.  If that’s the case, then I’d suggest that you find a moment when someone else can watch your boys and you can take your stepson aside for a private conversation.  In the most loving way that you can, I’d suggest that you tell your stepson how much you respect his experiences and his love for his family.  I’d also suggest that you relate how uncomfortable it is for you to listen to the stories that involve people with whom you haven’t shared experiences.  Then, I’d ask if there is a way that the two of you can focus more on enjoying the current circumstances.

To some degree, you have no control over whether or not your stepson story tells about his parents and family.  Given that, you may also want to take a look at why it is so unsettling for you.  The times that he is reveling in were times that he experienced as enjoyable and have nothing to do with you.  This may be an opportunity to listen, and learn what he has taken from the past 20 years, rather than feeling defensive about a marriage that existed long before yours.  Your husband is married to YOU now- does your stepson’s nostalgic prose really have an imp act on that?

I totally agree with Sage!

I too have step daughters and after years of learning how to have direct conversations I’m able to speak with them in an open format, they now appreciate it and rise to the occasion by receiving my side of things with kindness!   Fo’sho the grandma situation is understood too, it’s in the same league as sharing dad – however speaking up and letting the air out of the bag brings some fresh oxygen and empowers them – guiding them with tips of consideration is  a cool thing to offer.

Sincerely,
Princess Know It All and Dr. Sage Breslin