An Excursion to Paradise

Last weekend, my husband and I went into Mount Rainier National Park and to Paradise. Above are a few pictures from that excursion.

I can't think of a more beautiful mountain to possibly have so close to home. It's medicine for the eyes, and the soul, to drive and hike through the GREEN, and the BROWN, amidst the BLUE of the clear sky.

The view from Seattle just doesn't compare to the majesty that you can practically TOUCH as you meander through the park. Even the view from southbound highway 167 kicks the butt of any view from Seattle proper. With the pollution and clouds to mar the view, any, “ah, isn't that nice” you might get from further north is humbled into jaw-dropping wonder as you get closer and closer.

We hope to settle ourselves closer to this force of nature. It feeds us something that no amount of extra income or convenience in Seattle can ever do.

Some people can't relate to this, or understand this. We all need different sources of medicine and sustenance to get us through the day. I'd rather be surrounded by wild meadows, forests of emerald, and clear skies, and close to a mountain that could blow any year or month, than the city streets of gray and the attractions of the town. Our area is one that could experience many forces of nature with little or no warning. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions are a few of the big ones, and no amount of concrete or nicely-constructed buildings can do anything to stop them.

I am reminded by something a favorite teacher of mine from school said once (and I'm paraphrasing): I'd rather be in the middle of the wilderness, with no idea of what's going on in the world, making a minimal impact on nature, than anywhere else. Sure, I'm a born-and-raised city girl with much to learn, but does that ever sound like music to my ears.

The Forces of Food and Stress

I haven't been perfect in my avoidance of wheat, as of late. Instead, I've been faithful to regularly ingest some source of probiotics (good bacteria), in an attempt to support my body's natural defenses and maximize my digestive capacity. My hope is that, by doing this, the wheat won't get to me later.

I still think I do better without wheat, but on those days when I haven't prepared enough other whole-foods treats in advance, the seductive convenience of that slice of bread sitting so innocently in the refrigerator, combined with some smooth butter and a little jam, has a powerful effect on me. I've been lucky so far, but I know I need to be better disciplined.

Without proper allergy testing, all my theories on my body's needs are just that, anyway – theories. My thinking that I have a problem with wheat is based primarily on personal experience and intuition, which I like to think are generally close to the truth anyway, but which may be ignorant of many important points. One of these days I'll have to get the real thing done, and compare the results to my previous assumptions.

It does make me wonder about the impacts of stress on the ability of the body to do with ANYTHING with what it is fed. Too much of any one thing can become a burden to the body, if its digestive abilities are compromised. Mix poor digestion with stress and you have a recipe for disaster, such as compromised immunity, illness, and harmful overgrowths of bad bacteria and yeasts, etc. I guess I have managed my stress level and supported my digestion well enough to allow my body to take those dietary compromises in stride.

But my body needs both: A proper management of stress AND good nutrition. I can't expect a compromise in one of those areas to be completed balanced out by extra efforts in the other – that is, I can't expect the effects of a high-stress lifestyle to be completed negated by great nutrition. But it is appears to be true that such attempts DO HELP. Nothing remains in perfect balance, anyway, but continued efforts to obtain adequate play time and rest, and to consume a varied diet, pay off in the end, I think.

So may the forces of food and stress be tuned and directed to create a “harmonious symphony!”

Popping Pills

I'm taking iron supplements. I started out pregnancy taking a prenatal complex with iron in it, but when my first blood test results came back, my midwife said I just below where she would want my iron levels to be and that I needed to take iron supplements free of competing minerals (such as calcium, zinc, manganese, and nickel).

I was a bit surprised. I have no fear of red meat and consume meat with gratitude on a regular basis. I try, as much as possible, to limit my consumption of meat to that which has come from animals I can trust have been humanely treated and raised primarily on grass. I might average one or two of ounces of meat every day. As a result, I assumed my iron levels would be “just fine.” Granted, for years I have never once had my iron levels tested and didn't figure I could be losing THAT much in my monthly menses. Ah, ignorance is bliss – but then it goes away!

Of course my blood volume HAS expanded and the need for iron has increased. It may have been I wasn't deficient to begin with, but that I hadn't compensated for the growing blood volume with adequate changes in my diet.

So I immediately began taking a iron/folate/B12 complex recommended by my midwife twice a day. I tried to be careful to take it away from high-calcium foods (as it competes with iron for absorption) and take it with vitamin C (as it boosts iron's capacity for absorption).

After another blood test, my levels had dropped slightly, as expected, but were still just below where I needed to be. So I was instructed to take the iron three times a day.

I think the horror of imagining my baby running out of the iron it needs to develop normally fired me up to pop these pills religiously. Thank heavens the body puts to baby's iron needs above my own, and that the baby can just take all it needs from mommy until the supply runs out! Iron deficiency in women – especially in pregnancy – is so common, I guess any pride or denial I may have had went right out the window. I don't want my baby's cognitive development to be hindered by my ignorance or neglect.

Not that I believe a pill is the answer to any question or problem, nor that I wholly trust every test result, either! It just seems as though, if I am a far cry from toxicity levels – and am not even yet within normal ranges – supplementation may just be the extra help my body needs to get the iron necessary for normal fetal development.

We're planning on testing my levels again at my next appointment, and hopefully the pill-taking will have proved itself worthwhile. Like with the glucose question, it seems that common sense paired with mindfulness and education SHOULD be the answer. But we'll see how it goes with me!

Orange Sugar Water

At my last prenatal visit, my midwife had “gestational diabetes” on the agenda of things to take care of. We had already talked about it in an earlier visit, so by the time it came around to officially accept or decline the glucose tolerance test, I felt ready to answer with confidence. I declined.

You may or may not be familiar with the risk factors for developing gestational diabetes. They include being over 25 years of age, having had gestational diabetes in a prior pregnancy, having a BMI over 25, having delivered a baby over 9 pounds or a stillborn baby, having a first-degree relative with diabetes, spilling glucose in the urine, and being of Hispanic, African, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander ethnicity. You also may or may not be aware that only 50% of women with gestational diabetes experience 1 or more of these risk factors. So, while I checked myself off as free from the listed risk factors, statistically I could still develop the condition. So why did I turn down the test?

I think it comes down to me not wanting to abuse my body, just for the sake of a test. I mean, come on – what is natural about stuffing an obscene amount of glucose in your system at one time? Granted, they are careful to ensure you have been eating well before taking the test, but still. It smells a bit fishy to me.

Apparently the glucose challenge test has re-entered the arena of discussion as of late. Apparently some doctors consider this testing as creating more problems than it potentially solves.

It is true that women who have had gestational diabetes during a pregnancy are at greater risk for developing normal Type II diabetes later in their lives. But it is also true that many things change in a woman's physiology while she is pregnant.

I wonder if, in women who are fairly sensitive to sugar, this test might put them “over the edge.” That is, it may create imbalances in bodies who are already a bit more vulnerable to such imbalance. Take myself as an example. I've struggled with yeast imbalances in this pregnancy, and know that a bottle of sugar water is the last thing my body needs to maintain its wellbeing. Not to doubt the ability of the body to recover and compensate for the “abuse,” if you will, but it still seems unnecessary. I don't know. Maybe next time around I'll have a different opinion.

It seems like, no matter your family history of diabetes, it is always good medicine to keep sugar intake minimized. And that doesn't mean using Splenda or Equal instead. It just means minimizing intake of refined sweet foods, and maximizing intake of whole food sources of fiber, protein, and natural complex carbohydrates. It means balancing the ingestion of a sweet whole food – such as a raisin, an apple, or a banana – with a fat, or – even better – a protein food. It means being sensitive to the fact that your body doesn't like sugar in big quantities, and prefers the natural sugars found in real plant foods with a “skin” to those in a powder or a jar.

Maybe next time around I'll feel differently. For now, I don't feel it is right for me. We can only wait and see!

The Time for Silence

Right after beginning my education at Bastyr, my righteous indignation regarding America's food supply seemed to multiply in force. All of a sudden, I felt powerless to resist the knee-jerk reactions of, “That food is horrible for you,” and “Oh my, do you know what is IN that?” As a result, I shared more than my fair share of opinions regarding “good” and “bad” foods with my defenseless family members.

It took at least a few quarters for this near “better than thou” nutrition mentality to be shamed by a refreshing voice of humility. In a field where experts often come across as haughty and self-righteous, and in which tempers flare and collars are ruffled with remarkable ease, this voice of humility was quite a shock to MY pride! This voice said that, when it comes to nutrition, it's nearly always best to just keep your mouth shut until people ask for your opinion – ESPECIALLY if the people around you know that you are studying it, know something about it, and/or just care about it.

I struggled – and still struggle – with this. At first, when I began to put this silence into practice, I felt a load lift from my shoulders, as if, all of a sudden, I didn't have to try to “fix” the problems I thought I was seeing around me. But, with the passing of time, a greater weakness revealed itself to me, in the area of keeping my responses controlled when I WAS asked for advice! Once someone asked me in an email for advice on adult acne and dairy-free sources of calcium and I nearly wrote a book in response! I loved the process of research and discovery for the sake of someone else's wellbeing – and the chance to get patted on the back, too, I suppose! – and got rather carried away with my reply.

Too much of a good thing just isn't so good any more. Nutrition advice seems to be a bit like chocolate – it's best in small bite-sized pieces. Not only can people not process information they don't want and aren't actively seeking, but the amount that can be absorbed is limited, as well. Change can't happen overnight, and is most meaningful in small amounts. How long will it take for me to get this?!

May the small steps forward continue – God willing, with compassion and humility!

Hot and Spicy Memories

In the attempt to methodically control our monthly food bill, staples like dried beans and rice have become more frequent guests at our table. Last week, a few of the items I cooked in bulk included Mexican-spiced aduki beans and rice. Homemade salsa from canned tomatoes and jalapenos and toppings of plain yogurt and Tabasco rounded out our plump bean and rice tacos (corn for me, wheat for hubby). They were filling and delicious.

But then I had my first run-in with acid reflux. I experience heartburn once a year – if that – so having the sensation of a lump in my throat for a few days was mildly alarming. It took me several more days to figure out that, more than likely, the Mexican spices had triggered this reaction. Since spicy foods don't consistently give me heartburn, I guess I was reluctant to acknowledge that the Mexican seasonings may have caused such a fuss. But given that I haven't had any other pregnant run-ins with heartburn aside from this experience, I guess I have to admit the probable truth!

A school buddy told me that acid reflux can be made worse if the mother is eating something the baby doesn't like. That is, if the baby doesn't like something you've eaten, you might experience more acid reflux than normal. An interesting thought that I could only pretend to know the answer to. I'll have to jot that question down for investigation after the baby is born!

Lesson learned, though: Take it easy on the spice. Given that half the time I indulge in spicy foods, I'm merely trying to keep up with my spicy-food-fiend husband, I suppose I should spare the baby the playful competition! Poor thing has limited-enough say in what mama eats, after all!

To Drink or Not to Drink

Coffee, that is.

When I realized I was pregnant, I immediately banned all caffeinated drinks. Felt pretty proud of myself, too! Coffee was gone and teas were carefully selected to ensure both caffeine and harmful herbs were not present.

But you can guess where this is going. At about four and a half months along, I let myself indulge. My husband and I were taking a short road trip to Bellingham and, as coffee beans had not been seen in our house for quite awhile, we decided to treat ourselves and made a stop by the local – well, not really local – Starbucks for drip coffee on the way out of town. (We had a gift card, so we thought it'd be okay!)

I got a “short” drip coffee with plenty of room, so I could load it with half and half and a little sugar (I was hoping for rice milk, but they didn't have it and I didn't want to be one of THOSE Starbucks customers that makes being a barista sound like an absolute nightmare). It took me about two hours to get through the whole thing! Before pregnancy, I would have devoured it in 15 or 20 minutes. But now, not only does coffee taste a little less “good,” but it also seems really special. (A strange combo, huh? Less “good” and really “special.” I don't know how to explain it!)

Maybe subconsciously I was thinking that, if I drank it really slow, the caffeine would affect me and the baby in a gentler way. (And I was snacking as I drank it, too.) But that's been the main thing that's kept me from drinking coffee regularly while pregnant: the caffeine, and the uncertainty of its effects on the baby. I've actually read that decaf may, in reality, be worse for babies than caffeine, but my midwife simplified the matter by saying that we don't really know WHAT the effects of either are on babies in the long run. But she did assure me that an occasional coffee with friends would be fine.

So I've broken my streak, and I'm okay with that. I wonder how many babies growing up today – or in the past – came out of mothers who had drank coffee regularly while pregnant. I wonder if there have been/are/will be any long-term effects on those who did. I'm not yet wholly convinced either way – I mean, before pregnancy, I was an addicted regular coffee drinker myself! I guess I just figured it'd be safest to avoid it, and therefore tried to do so until the extremism wore off. It does seem as though, with the baby being so much smaller than me, whatever I DO put in my mouth has the potential to affect them in ways I might not consider or imagine!

Now the question, “to drink or not to drink” ALCOHOL is another matter entirely – and probably one that with a little more evidence behind it!

Abundance

Lately my husband and I have been evaluating our spending habits and expenses, and have been slightly shocked to see how much we spend on food. Granted, there are “three” of us now, instead of just two – but still!

I'm one who thinks that, in general, Americans spend a disproportionately small amount on food compared with material goods (like cars, TVs, and fancy cell phones). That is, they spend nearly all they have – and more – on STUFF, and then “cut back” by grocery-shopping at Wal-Mart.

I realize not everyone falls into this category. But statistics do show that Americans spend a much LOWER percentage of their income on what goes into their bodies compared with many other countries. It's clear that we value a bargain at the grocery counter.

So when I say we were shocked by how much we spend, it wasn't with TOO much regret, for the percentage of our income spent on food is still pretty low. It's just that, stacked up next to other living expenses, and with the knowledge that we “indulge” on a fairly regular basis – when there is still plenty of dried beans and rice in the cupboard – it was clear we needed to change some of our habits.

We both value quality and prefer wholesome foods to more questionable ones, with the odd enjoyment of a frozen pizza, a restaurant-bought hamburger, or a box of Hostess miniature chocolate-coated donuts. But the reality is we can still improve our utilization of the foods that we HAVE.

So today I began a new exercise. (Bear with me if this is something you've been doing for years and years!) I set limits for ourselves on what we could spend total each week on food, with specific guidelines for categories such as “vegetables,” “fruit,” and “meat,” etc, and then let those figures guide my decisions in the grocery store. When I got home, I recorded what I actually ended up buying in each category and then went through the kitchen to see what all we had on hand. I brainstormed what I could do with those ingredients in the week to come and was pleased to come up with quite an impressive list! I was amazed with how much food we had “hiding” in the cupboard, just waiting for me to pay attention to it, and how many things I could think of to make throughout the week – all while making CUTS to our overall weekly grocery bill. I can now plan what days I will attempt to make those dishes, for what meals, etc. And hopefully end up sailing through the week with ample ready-to-eat dishes on-hand without needing to make another trip to the store.

We truly live in a land of abundance, even IF half of the food in our local supermarket comes from the other side of the continent, or even halfway around the world! I'm guilty of abundance hovering right under my nose, with myself completely oblivious to it.

Free Water

One thing about living in Seattle is the amount of “free” water we get. This isn't always a good thing, as rivers can flood and homes can be severely damaged by excess water. But if you have a garden, from time to time you may breath a sigh of gratitude that nature is taking care of watering your plants for the time being. Especially for a newbie gardener like myself, still nervous about over- or under-watering my container plants, it's a slight load off my shoulders when I realize that, for the next few days, I can lay the responsibility elsewhere. After all, unless we are surprised by snow or a hailstorm, I can feel fairly confident that in our mild climate, the plants should be able to tolerate whatever nature throws at them.

One concept that has grown in popularity with the boom of interest in permaculture is the idea of water collection. It makes perfect sense with the amount of rain we get here. Setting out buckets under gutter runaways or anywhere exposed to the sky allows some of the rainwater to sit and slowly evaporate while we get to use it to water our plants, at no expense to our tap.

I realize this has nothing to do with eating and being pregnant, but as I've begun to attempt growing a very small amount of food for my family, I have grown increasingly impressed by and tuned-in to those plants' need for moisture. Similar to my own body's need for water, made all the more important with the baby inside, the plants need adequate amounts of water to survive and grow. Making use of what nature gives to us “free of charge,” if you will, is stunningly simple and rewarding.

Now as I think of buckets and jars to use to collect rainwater with during our next shower, I think I'll go pour myself a glass of water. We are so blessed.