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Sarah Grace Turns One

A year ago on the 16th of April my beautiful miracle baby Sarah Grace was born. This little baby decided to come into this world later than we expected. So every few days was having to get checked.

My wonderful midwife Deb Bissonette of www.septemberhillmidwifery.com was such a blessing, making sure I had the best possible care. Having a midwife and home birth was a wonderful experience but God’s grace marked this birth as a extra special miracle to me.

To celebrate the life of Sarah Grace and the life of all children I would like to share a few pictures and let you hear in a video I made about the miracle of her birth: http://www.thetotalwellnessdoc.com/the-miracle-of-sarah-grace/

I am recently reminded how precious life is as some of my close friends and family have lost loved ones. Today’s blog is about the story of Sarah Grace’s birth but we must all remember how miraculous all life is and every day we get with the ones we love.

Don’t take any day for granted, we are blessed to have them.Love,
Mary Starr Carter
a Sentimental Momma & the Total Wellness DocP.S. I hope you enjoy the story: http://www.thetotalwellnessdoc.com/the-miracle-of-sarah-grace/

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Sarah Grace 2014

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

“Gluten-Free” Kids’ Birthday Celebrations Around the World

by Claudi 4 Comments

In my quest to teach my children the art of eating well, I’ve decided to do less of sugar and more of wholesome foods. My two kids’ birthdays fall in the same month. As a total wellness doc and mom I’m always looking for alternatives to celebrate.

Birthday celebrations are synonymous to sweet treats, sugar laden birthday cupcakes, cakes and more sugary treats. What do you do if you are looking for ways to celebrate the special occasion of each child without indulging in sugar or baked goods? What if your children are gluten intolerant and suffer from sugar hangovers?

I asked these questions too. So I’m on a quest to seek out “gluten-free” kids’ birthday celebrations around the world.

Germany
In the Middle Ages the Germans came up with Geburtstagorten, the first birthday cake layered with sugar to celebrate Kinderfest – young children’s birthdays. In the 17th century birthday cakes became more elaborate with the introduction of icing and decorations. It was catered for the wealthy.

By the 18th century with the creation of modern cookware, birthday cakes became more affordable and were accessible to all consumers. (Source: Proflowers)

That was the origin of birthday cakes.

China
In the Chinese culture the actual birthday of a child is usually not celebrated in grand scale unless it is the child’s one month and one year birthday. These two days are celebrated with dyed red eggs. It is definitely a sugar-free occasion.

The Chinese believe that everyone turns a year older on Chinese New Year Day. “Birthdays” are celebrated on that day with new clothes, new shoes, new haircuts and children receive money in red packets.

On a child’s birthday, simple bowls of noodles are served during lunchtime because it symbolizes long life. The child in turn has to give respect to his or her parents and the elderly before given gifts of money.

Such tradition has been passed down for generations and the Chinese immigrants in parts of Asia like Malaysia and Singapore are still following the same traditions.

The Netherlands
According to BirthdayCelebrations.net, in Holland a child’s 5,10, 15, 20 and 21 birthdays are also known as crown years. They are the most important birthday celebrations. The birthday child receives gifts and family members decorate a birthday child’s chair at the dining room with seasonal flowers or paper streamers and balloons.

Have your heard of the term “go Dutch”? “Going Dutch” means you pay for yourself. A child will bring birthday treats to school to share with classmates and teachers. An adult celebrating his or her birthday is expected to bring and share a birthday cake, the slagroomtaart with the co-workers.

Slagroomtaart is a layered sponge cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream. It is not gluten-free.

The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania
Africa is diverse in cultures and traditions. The Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania celebrate their children through several rites of passage. They include birth, puberty, “warriorhood” for males and marriage for females.

Early in the morning on the child’s first birthday, the mother chooses a sheep or a cow and the men of the family slaughter the animal.

Then children and women wash themselves and put on the best beadwork outfits. Mother and birthday child will shave their heads. The elderly of the family is responsible in naming the child.

Next important celebration is puberty where circumcision is done. Boys celebrate this rite of passage between the age of 11 to 14 and the girls when they get their first period. You can read more about this from the Southern Nazarene University’s website.

Birthday for the Maasai tribe is more of celebrating the transition or different stages of a child’s life. It defines the moment of manhood, womanhood and responsibility.

Mexico
In Mexico, birthday celebrations include rice and beans for family and friends and a piñata hanging from a tree with treats for the children. No birthday parties are complete without the piñata.

The birthday child is blindfolded and given the honor to hit the piñata until it breaks and have all the goodies flow out. Children attending the birthday celebration will rush to pick up as much goodies as they can.

A children’s book about Rosa Maria, a grandma preparing a birthday party for her youngest grandchild called Arroz con frijoles y unos amables ratones (Rice and Beans and Some Friendly Mice by Pam Munoz Ryan) shows readers the art of slow cooking of rice and beans and an occasion that involves the whole family to celebrate an important day for a child.

Israel
Besides the importance of the 13th birthday, the second or third birthday of a child is important to the Jewish culture. It is celebrated because the child was weaned and the uncertain stage of infancy is over. According to Jewish Encyclopedia, Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

The Chabad organization suggests the birthday child find a quiet place to think about the past year – what went right and what should be fixed and spend time praying. They are to read the Psalms (Psalms according to their age, age 10=Psalms 10), study the Torah and share with friends what they learned.

The birthday celebration includes giving extra to charity, eating a new seasonal fruit, showing gratitude to God and getting the aliyah (blessings).

These days in cities and richer neighborhoods throughout the world, birthday cakes and candles are a norm for birthday celebrations. You can find them in China, Israel, Mexico and a handful of the Masaai tribe.

From this research I’ve learned two lessons that could be implemented at any home celebrating kids’ birthdays.

1. There is no right or wrong way of celebrating kids’ birthdays. We can adjust and make whatever suits our family’s needs. For families who choose to have gluten-free or sugar-free celebrations, there are now options to get gluten free cakes or sugar-free birthday cakes. Here is a sugar-free birthday cake recipe from Dr. Greene.

2. Birthdays are about creating family traditions and celebrating the rites of passage- a time to add affirmation and encouragement. It is also a time to celebrate the child and let him or her know how much you appreciate them and their growth. It is a perfect moment to speak words of life for the next year. Read more about rites of passage from Focus on the Family.

A friend shared about how she celebrated her children’s birthday. Other than the usual gifts and goodies, each member of the family will speak words of encouragement, even to a child who is three. Words like “John, I like how you have learned to share your toys with your brother, how you have learned to keep your toys away when asked and I also appreciate how you encourage me with kind words whenever I lose in our Uno games.”

Another friend has pictures of the birthday child throughout their life up all around and then Bible Scriptures that encourage the child. After the opening of gifts the adults and or kids will say a blessing over the birthday child.

How do you celebrate your kids’ birthdays? Please share. If you would like to know why we are so “hooked” on sugary treats, read more “10 Hidden Secrets Why You Can’t Get Your Hand Out of the Cookie Jar!”

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Financial Peace University Graduation

by Claudi 1 Comment

financial peace university

Last night my husband and I graduated from Financial Peace University. FPU is a 9 week Biblical based class that teaches people how to handle our money God’s way. The great thing is whether you are a Christian or not you can get amazing results following this program.

I’d like to tell you in the past 9 weeks we have paid off all our debt and are sticking to our budget and investing in our future, but that would not be the truth or real life. See most families, couples and individuals are living out of control when it comes to finances. They spend more than they make, they think they can out earn their purchases and they don’t have any idea what they have for retirement or how they will live. We were not much different. In 2007 we were introduced to Dani Johnson’s WAR ON DEBT and have paid of over 6 figures in debt.

Then our income went up, babies came and we made some not so thought out investments that proved to be drains on our family’s income. Bleeding is what Dave Ramsey calls it. When you make a paycheck every month or every other week and have the money to pay your bills, you can many times get careless with your finances and stop looking at them carefully. So many individuals carry debt that BLEEDS your income and takes from your family.

Debt, especially credit card debt, with as little as 8% interest still can rob you and your family or the world from income that could be used for serving others or benefiting your family.

One of the key things I learned from taking this training is that I needed to change my mindset and thinking about debt and start REALLY HATING IT. For me I put it in perspective of helping children in desperate areas of the world get clothing, schooling, and food daily.

Compassion International is a reputable charitable organization that does just that. When I look at just 1 credit card bill, the interest alone could sponsor 2 children a month at $38 dollars each. And let’s not talk about the THOUSANDS I PAID in STUDENT LOAN Interest LAST YEAR. A WHOLE VILLAGE could have food and education for that BLEEDING.

So this is my resolve… HATE DEBT… owe no man nothing:

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. Proverbs 22:7 ESV

I think I have been in slavery for a long time but didn’t realize it because I was earning such a great income. It’s not how much you make but HOW MUCH YOU KEEP.

So this is my new MINDSET and to really take it into practice at a deeper level and a level of accountability, I am going to take the class again. It really is excellent, and usually if you are a graduate you can take it again complimentary. I am very grateful for the men and woman who have gone before me and lived out these principles so I can see the benefits of living a life DEBT FREE, growing WEALTH and GIVING.

Check out Dave Ramsey’s website and find a class near you. It costs around $100 dollars but the average family can pay off about $5000 dollars in debt in 90 days if they get serious.

One of the accomplishments we have started is lowering our grocery bill. I love love love my friend Claudia Looi’s book How to Save Lunch Money and Take Your Family on a Yearly Dream Vacation.

I have been using at least 2 recipes a week out of the book and can save almost $50 dollars a week on the bad choices I was making before including grabbing an expensive salad out, or purchasing 20 dollars in lunch meats a week.

Saving money is FUN, paying off debt is really rewarding and building wealth so you can help someone else or even help entire families is AWESOME!

Let’s get out of debt together. WHO IS WITH ME? Who wants to take the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University or maybe RETAKE IT? I will be doing it I hope you will too. You can get back on track with your money or make it YOUR SLAVE.

God Bless your success,

Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom

5 Healthy Flavors and Cancer Fighting Spices

by Claudi 1 Comment

They say “variety is the spice of life” but could spicing up your food make you healthier? During the past two decades, there has been substantial buzz about the different diet plans, good fats, ethnic foods and ways to add spices to our meals.

European, Asian, Arab and African traders traveled all over in search of spices like ginger, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric and more. Ancient Egyptians, Greco-Roman navigators, Columbus, Vasco da Gama and many other voyagers went on a quest to India, the islands in the Indian Ocean and China in search of spices.

Why did so many men risk their lives for great flavor? Spices were extremely valuable back then and even without the scientific research that we have today, I believe that the people innately knew that these spices were helpful to them. Now that we have the science, it’s even more important that we get some fresh preferably organic spices in our cooking and diet.

Here are five spices to add to your pantry:

Garlic
We are not referring to garlic powder but the real fresh garlic bulb. Garlic has been known to improve health and has medicinal power. Ancient Greeks munched on it raw for immunity. In fact, in recent years the Mediterranean diet that is filled with garlic and olive oil has been proven as a healthier diet.

Garlic has sulfur compounds called allicin that may improve cholesterol levels, prevent liver damage, helps colon health and improves blood pressure. It has antioxidant and detoxifying properties and contains Vitamin A, C and selenium.

You know that slimy garlic skin that is on the garlic after you peel a clove? Leave that on there, it’s where all the good stuff is. Also my trick for not having fingers that smell like garlic afterward handling it is I put a few drops of Young Living’s Lemon essential oil on my hands and fingers rub them together. It works great.

Cinnamon
Used for thousands of years in Egypt and Asia, cinnamon was a prized possession for traders. It was used for treating cough and sore throats, preserving meat during the spice trade era.

Today cinnamon is widely used for flavoring coffee and drinks, baked goods and cooked foods. It may aid digestion, fight congestion and is useful for diabetes and the anti-tumor properties may help fight cancer.

Young Living has Cinnamon Bark essential oil that has antiseptic properties and supports our body’s natural defenses. If you are going to cook with it or add it to oatmeal etc., just take a toothpick size drop.

Essential oils are very powerful but great. Recently Mary Simmons of Better Living Essentials turned me on to hot apple cider in a crockpot with Young Living’s Cinnamon Bark and Nutmeg essential oils… YUM! Warning… it’s got a little kick to it but it’s great!

Ginger
Ginger brings great flavors to foods and drinks and may help as anti-gas and antacid and relieves stomach distress, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion and bowel problems. You can get it in fresh, powdered or oil form. Like anything else, the therapeutic grade oil, fresh and raw product would retain its original properties.

Studies show that ginger has antimicrobial agent and has antioxidant, which may fight inflammation, fever, heal wounds and sores and stimulates circulation. Young Living Ginger essential oil has all the properties of fresh ginger.

Again if you are going to cook with it, use just a little tooth pic drop… Too much oil can ruin a recipe. Ask my husband about the Thanksgiving Pumpkin pie I cooked years ago when I first started cooking with essential oils… let’s just say it was FLAVORFUL.

Turmeric
Turmeric is widely used in Indian and Mediterranean cooking. According to the American Cancer Society,

“Curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds that can protect the body’s cells from damage caused by activated oxygen molecules known as free radicals. Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with several important molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth, and spread.”

Turmeric may protect our liver from toxins; lowers cholesterol levels and improves blood circulation. It has antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Verda Jones of Jones Health Essentials gave me this tip: Take a tsp. of Coconut oil and an 1/8 -1/4 tsp. of Turmeric every day to ward off candida, colds, and flu. You can eat it straight, but we like to add these two to our scrambled eggs in the morning.

Here is a video on how to use turmeric for your cooking:

Cayenne Pepper
The right hot chili pepper in ethnic foods particularly Korean, Chinese and Thai is good for lungs, kidneys, heart and stomach. It may improve digestion, circulation, arthritis and cholesterol.

Cayenne pepper is rich in Vitamin C, B, E, beta carotene, folate, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

It’s a hard one for some to tolerate but it really is a phenomenal spice. It’s used in the Stanley Burrough’s Master Cleanse to help improve circulation and get the toxins out of the body. Cayenne pepper comes in different degrees of hotness if you purchase it directly in bulk from a health food store. Start with a lower number and work yourself up to the hotter.

Also if you can get to a health food store and buy FRESH BULK organic spices, that is best. Take them home and put them in your empty glass supplement containers and just re-label them.

If you have never used these spices, it may be tough to start using them. Start off with one spice at a time and before you know it, you may be reaching out to your pantry for the spices the next time you cook. And that may spruce up your life and health.

Do you have a recipe to share using any of the above spices? Let us know.