The Itsabelly Blog

The Big "O" - Ten Good Reasons to Go Organic

From the Organic Trade Association, The O'Mama Report

TEN GOOD REASONS TO BUY ORGANIC

Organic products meet stringent standards

Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

Organic food tastes great!

It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.

Organic production reduces health risks

Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

Organic farms respect our water resources

The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

Organic farmers build healthy soil

Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.

Organic farmers work in harmony with nature

Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

Organic producers are leaders in innovative research

Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.

Organic producers strive to preserve diversity

The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.

Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy

USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.

Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike!

Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.

Two Mamas Fight to be Green & Lean

We did it with frost bitten toes and fingers!  Last Sunday morning was Portland's 5k Shamrock run and we crossed the finish line with flying colors (ok, truth being we had a hell of a time jogging what was a slight incline (it really felt like a killer hill) at the 1.5 mile mark).  It was a bit crazy starting our day at 5:30 am, getting our babies bundled up with parents in tow (we freezed our bunz off).  We took the Max train which is our local light rail public transportation downtown so we didn't have to worry about parking.  There was a record 14,000 people celebrating the Shamrock Run's 30th anniversary at the race participating in events like the children's 1k to a 15k run.  People dressed with green fedoras, green/white striped Dr. Seuss hats, four leaf clover tights and apple green tutus filled the waterfront park area where the event kicked off.  The cool thing about this event is that a portion of the net proceeds from the 2008 adidas Shamrock Run benefits Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation.  So, not only did we burn some calories but Itsabelly is helping a great cause!

This was my second 5k run/jog and I finished it in 36.25 minutes.  Still boasting a S-L-O-W 12 minute mile and proud :)  Moe (my sis-in-law) was right behind me, yahoo!  I'm very proud to have been her partner in this race especially because she just gave birth to her first baby 3 months ago!  Now, isn't that something to high-five about!  Right on!!  And our hubbies and babies they completed their 3.5 mile walk so high-fives all around (dads survived all of the melt downs & feedings without us, that's the real accomplishment).

I truly believe in setting goals and striving to accomplish them. This helps keep me accountable and focused on the end result.  Signing up to do the last two 5k runs has totally helped me to stay fit and lose most of that dreaded baby weight. 

So, if you haven't gotten up off your behind yet and signed up for a fitness goal do it now!  Stay tuned as I sign up for my next race...anyone want to join me?!  Share with us here what your next fitness goal will be.  If you enter a comment you may be the lucky winner of an organic Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift Basket or an iPod Shuffle.  Don't miss out!

A Challenging Way to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

I've been training for the last few weeks to run (jog) the Shamrock 5k Run here in Portland which is on March 16th.  I'm proud to share this is my second 5k run...I completed the Race for the Cure last September.  Infact, I'm the captain of the Itsabelly Team which consists of ten members who are walking and running different events.  Thanks to Moe (my sis-in-law) for partnering with me on my 3.1 mile journey to hyperventilation and a beaten down body :)  Props to Pauline for actually kicking off sign-ups - I know you'll do great on your 8k run!  This will be a fun event because we have some of our hubbies and babies joining us in the walking event, hurray!

No, I do not love jogging and it's definitely not my favorite type of exercise but I do know it helps me burn a ton of calories which is especially good for getting rid of my gorgeous love handles.  I've always struggled with my weight since I was a child.  I've been as small as a size 5 to as big as a size 14 (LARGE gap isn't it)!  I just want to get back to my normal size 7-8.  I did receive great news from my OBGYN yesterday and I've finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight, YAY!  I was so happy to hear that piece of news because its been a long 19 months since giving birth to Isabella of struggling to eat healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, taking care of my family/household and being an entrepreneur.  If you've ever struggled with your weight you probably feel me here.  Ok, so I thought to include some tips in this entry that have helped me continue on my quest of losing that last 10-15 lbs which is ideally where I want to be! 

Maybe you have other health and fitness tips you want to share.  Or you're setting a new health and fitness goal you want to achieve.  What are they?  Share your comments with us here.

My Health & Fitness Regimen:

• Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water everyday.  I carry my Klean Kanteen bottle around every where
• Eat through out the day (mini balanced meals and make sure to eat a healthy breakfast)
• Eat healthy carbs like fruit and veggies.  If you have to eat rice/pasta choose brown rice or whole wheat pasta.  Eat more whole foods and cut out processed foods.
• Incorporate flax seed into your diet.  I choose to make a fresh berry, banana smoothie with low fat soy milk, protein powder and 2 tblsp of flax seed which I have in the morning for breakfast
• Snack on raw almonds or low fat organic yogurt (we love Trader Joe's Organic Low Fat Yogurt) with 2 tblsp of wheat germ
• Hire a personal trainer and if you can't afford to see her more than once a month cut the cost in half and do some partner training (our trainer kicks our butt, we love her).  I do this now with my friend Jil and it's so helpful to work out various types of muscles.  It switches your fitness routine up instead of doing the same boring thing.
• Set a goal!  I can't stress this enough because if you have a goal it will hold you accountable.  This has been my saving grace by keeping me on track everyday to get my exercise in!
• Grab a partner - whether it be your hubby, girlfriend, your dog or a running/biking group it helps to keep you motivated when you have someone to keep you accountable and motivated.
• Buy the book Runners World, Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott Barrios...  It's a great training book that maps out a plan on how to get you from jogging to running, how to care for your body and it addresses pregnant runners too
• My schedule is to run on M,W,F and I do my long run every Friday, increasing my time.  Off days I'm weight training (abs, legs, upperbody).
• Last but not least - Get some sleep!!  Itsabelly's Marketing Manager, Jennifer and I have tried to commit to sleeping earlier (early to bed, early to rise).  If I can get to bed by 10:00-10:30 pm I will definitely have a more productive and less stress free day ahead of me.

A Healthy Home for Baby & Family (download your free guide)

 

Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting with Sharon Mazel has written a great guide titled "What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home".  It's filled with easy tips to keep your house clean and free of germs.  What a perfect time to start thinking about how to keep germs and bacteria away!

In a season where the cold, flu and sniffles from little noses are rampant this guide gave me some practical ways to make sure I keep my family healthy.  Some of the tips that stood out for me were:

• Sponges and washrags in your kitchen are prone to bacteria so wash them in the dishwasher every night or place them in the microwave for 30 seconds to nuke the germs.  Better yet throw them out every month & replace.
• For baby's bottle and pacifiers you don't need to buy special machinery to sterilize them.  Use the dishwasher or boil them in hot water.
• For your children's stuffed animals you can put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them overnight to kill germs.  Or you can throw washable toys in the washer with hot water & soap every week.
• Wash your hands with soap and water as often as you can - this is the #1 way to stop from spreading the germs and viruses.  "Research shows that simple washing can reduce the number of infections in children under the age of five by more than 50 percent!"
• Bleach and water solution is a great way to disinfect your bathroom and any part of your house.
• When looking for a daycare center ask them how often the kids wash their hands, how often the toys are cleaned, how often the bathroom is cleaned and how many kids are in the daycare at one time.

I found everything in this guide to be really helpful and also reminded me of things I should be doing on a regular basis to keep my family out of the doctor's office.

Heidi's guide is a perfect resource to keep at your finger tips.  Click on this link to download your free copy  What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home

Race for the cure - We did it! (dedicated to Shanthi & Carla)

I've been meaning to post this for a while and finally have a few minutes before I finish cleaning out my office to write this.  Funny its taken me 3 months to write this and it was a pretty significant event for me personally because for the first time in my life I was able to run a 5k!  Yahoo!!  I don't like running or should I say jogging very much.  I literally jog (or should I say walk fast) and for those of you who want to know how slow I move my feet & legs...I jog a 12 minute mile...talk about being as slow as molasses BUT that's quite ok because what counts is that I got my butt up to train for 1.5 months and didn't die of a heart attack in the middle of my race.  Whew!!

I ran my 5k race with two mom friends of mine (Shanthi & Carla).  We would actually train at the crack of dawn (5:45 am which meant I had to get up at 5:15 am to get ready, talk about CRAZY & dedicated!) so that we could get back in time to watch our kids and see our husband's off to work.

It was very inspiring to run the 5k because there were hundreds of people joining the race and for a good cause, to cure breast cancer.  All I remember now is how hard it was for me to keep jogging during the race because I was huffing and puffing trying to focus on reaching my next landmark so that I wouldn't give up.  Shanthi was jogging next to me during the race and it was so nice to have jogging buddies through this experience - it made all the difference having partners! 

Man, I wanted to stop half way through but I kept going and it was the most wonderful accomplishment ever - the feeling of reaching a healthy goal!  I ran (ok, jogged) the 5k in 36 mins (I had runner #6422 pinned to my chest), not too bad for someone who practically hyperventilated half way through.  The sad thing is I haven't really been jogging since and I was all gung-ho to sign us up for another one...the Turkey Trot at the Zoo or the Christmas Run down town...NOT!  Let's chalk it up to freezing cold, rainy weather...  Moral to my story is that setting a goal and having work-out partners really does work so get up off your butt and sign up for race or get a work out schedule going.  Off to my treadmill I go :)

Baby Bottles 100% Free of Polycarbonate & Bisphenol-A - The Adiri Natural Nurser

The baby gear and accessory market is hot with organic products that are safe for your baby and protect mother earth.  I'm excited to see all of the different chemical free products that are coming out now.  I definitely want to try out the Adiri Nurser for our next baby. 

Check out the blurb below and if you decide to try it please send me your feedback.  I'd love to know how it worked for your little one.

"The Adiri Natural Nurser Ultimate Bottle is 100% polycarbonate-free and bisphenol-A free, and retains the features babies and parents love in the Breastbottle® Nurser, as well as offers the latest high quality materials, a graceful design, and the new Fill, Twist and Feed™ system, engineered so that a parent or caregiver can quickly prepare a bottle, even with a hungry infant under one arm.

A sleek cover protects the bottle from getting dirty and keeps the nipple from leaking during transport. The Adiri Natural Nurser comes in three stages for three different flow rates. Each stage holds 8 oz. of fluid and is dishwasher safe! Adiri Natural Nursers can also be boiled or sterilized using a basic sterilizer."
Link:
The Adiri Natural Nurser

The ABC's to an Organic (non-toxic) Pregnancy

 
You're pregnant and you want to provide the best environment for your baby to grow in.  Eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise are just the basics towards a healthy pregnancy.  Now, you're thinking of going green.  How do you know where to start if you want to do more for good health and your growing baby?

Here are simple tips to help you green up towards 40 weeks of organic living and beyond (Happy Pregnancy!):

• Stay away from processed, packaged foods - always eat fresh foods and if possible buy certified organic produce at local farmer's markets.  Find a farmer's market near you through: Farmer's Markets Everywhere
• Do away with harmful house cleaning products, use a natural homemade cleaner like this one: To remove stubborn stains from most surfaces, use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda, one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or wipe clean.  Use cleaning products like: Shaklee Organic Cleaning Products
• Try to be as naturally beautiful as possible - don't use nail polish or color treat your hair.  Use cosmetics that are made with organic ingredients like Dr. Hauschka: Organic Cosmetics
• Keep your clothes clear of nasty chemicals by using organic laundry soap like Seventh Generation: Seventh Generation,
   
• Sleep with non-toxic linens.  Target now offers organic linens at affordable prices: Target Store
• Use non-toxic clothing and towels made out of natural material like bamboo.  Buchic carries great products: Buchic Boutique
• Do not remodel your home to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. If you must paint use no-VOC paint like AFM safecoat: No-VOC Paint
• If you live in an older home (built before 1987) make sure you're not exposed to old lead-based paint.  To test for lead paint call EPA's lead hot line at 800-426-4791.
• Recycle as much as you can - as you prepare baby's nursery ask friends & family if they have used baby items you can use like clothing, dresser or baby gear.
• Check your daily surroundings at the office, home and on the road by looking for areas that may cause you to breath in toxic fumes or harmful chemicals
• Say no to eating high mercury fish like wild bass, tuna, canned albacore and swordfish
• Make sure your drinking water is safe by finding lead testing services through: EPA
• Instead of drinking bottled water where plastic bottles end up in our landfill purchase a reusable water bottle

Training for a 5k.....the Aches & Pains......

I decided to write about how I've been training for a 5k (3.1 miles) which happens at the end of September because my body hasn't stopped aching.  I've been getting up at 6:30 am and jogging with a friend.  Am I nuts or what!  Well, I know it's a healthy thing to do but my body is aching all over.  As I've gotten older my body doesn't hesitate to remind me which muscles hate exercise the most.  In the past 4 days I've jogged about 8-10 miles.  To some of you that probably doesn't sound like a lot but to me it's like climbing Mt. Everest and being able to put a flag on top.  Considering I'm not a lover of jogging and I'm not Ms. Fitness USA this training effort has been a big deal.  However, I know at the end of the day once I accomplish jogging my first 5k for Race for the Cure I will have made a healthy change but also contributed to a great cause - a cure for breast cancer!  Then maybe it's on to a half marathon - wait a minute, let me actually  get through this 5k and then treat myself to an ice cream sundae!

Race for the cure, Race for good health!

A dear family member recently had a critical health issue and it has inspired us to renew our fitness goals.  We feel extremely blessed that our family member wasn't taken from us and has an opportunity to make some lifestyle changes that will nurse him back to good health.  So, in honor of conquering this recent health issue in our family I have decided to register for Susan B. Komen's Race for the Cure 5k Event  on September 23rd.  I was also recruited by Cindy, my sister-in-law to join her in Seattle's Half Marathon in November.  The 5k and half marathon are larger than life fitness goals for me personally since I'm not in good shape (yet) and I'm not a lover of running/jogging.  Right now just jogging 15 mins non-stop is difficult so I have a lot of hard work ahead of me!  But like any challenging goal it just makes me want to work harder to reach it!  Plus since I'm on my way to shedding inches and getting toned training for these events will be a great way to get me to a better body and healthier living!  I'm not really sure how I'm going to juggle my roles as a mommy, entrepreneur, wife and friend with this new physical training regimen but I know I can do anything once I set my mind to it!  So, if this blog post has inspired you to get fit and healthy why not set a major fitness goal for yourself today.  Or if you were thinking about it, then stop thinking and start acting on it!  Grab a friend or your significant other to join you and make it a team effort - it will be more fun.  JUST DO IT!