Hey Laura, What...?

I just ran across this article in Pediatrics magazine, further establishing the link between the use of acetaminophen and the asthma epidemic in the US.

If you or your kids are at risk (ie: have a family history of, or other significant contributing factors - like food allergies) for asthma, you would do well to find another fever and pain reducer.

In my house, we use the homeopathic remedy by HomeoLab called Kids Relief Pain and Fever Oral Solution. It doesn’t work for every single type of ache or pain (homeopathic remedies are very specific that way), but more often than not, it is just as effective as an OTC drug.

Read the full article of The Association of Acetaminophen and Asthma...

I could have sworn I posted this already, but I can’t find it in my archives anywhere, so I’m putting it up (maybe again). I wrote this for a friend’s website a couple of years ago. She had just read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, and was inspired to clean up her family’s diet. I’ve been on that path for a while already, so I agreed to be her food guru.

Now that I have my own guru website, it’s only fitting that I borrow my article back and post it here!

Clean Food is Dirty!

I have an egg dealer. I found her on CraigsList. Every week or two, I meet her at her downtown office in the middle of the workday for my goods. I slip her some cash - $2/dozen (the best...

I’ll be updating this page periodically as new info comes to me. Feel free to add your own favorite links in the comments!

Pro-breastfeeding info and resources
BreastfeedingOnline: The Importance of Human Milk.

I love this article called “Nursing is more than breastfeeding and every mother can do it.” We hear so much about the nutritive benefits of breastfeeding that the emotional, psychological, and developmental benefits of the breastfeeding-type contact get sidelined. Even mamas who don’t feed their babies from the breast can still engage in a valuable nursing relationship with their babies.

PhDinParenting’s The Scientific Benefits of Breastfeeding and The Economics of Breastfeeding:...

Rumbly in my Tumbly writes:

Hey Laura, my doctor recently diagnosed me with GERD and a possible ulcer. My doctor put me on medication to begin the healing process in my stomach, but I see this as a short term plan.  I’d like to take care of it with lifestyle change as much as possible. What foods might be particularly good for my stomach, and body in general right now as it tries to heal?  Any other advice for dealing with this issue?

This article has a comprehensive overview of peptic ulcers, including both conventional and complementary treatments. Here’s a clear cut article on GERD management.

Dietary measures
Interestingly, the efficacy of “The Ulcer Diet” (ie: bland, non-fatty...

HVW writes:

My son is 18 months old and nurses 4-5 times a day, and seems to be in the process of cutting back on his daytime nursing in the past few months. My husband and I are tentatively planning to try for #2 starting in the next few weeks. My son was conceived on the first “try” but you never know how long it will take. My goal is to nurse my first son for at least 2 years, although at this age I do not mind if I end up having to supplement some with cow’s milk or other dairy products (he does eat cheese at this time but I don’t give him cow’s milk).

I know that often pregnancy reduces or dries up milk supply. I have seen a variety of data on how many women do lose their milk supply...

A friend of mine wrote to me this week, asking me to get some info for her on VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean). She’s watched The Business of Being Born and now needs some “solid, unemotional, unhysterical supported information on the subject” to complete her act of due diligence on researching the subject.

Her doctor refuses to “allow” a VBAC, so she’ll have to find a new care provider if she chooses this route. Her husband feels a little skittish about a VBAC, so a lot of this information is going to help him get his head around the facts about VBACs, too.

Since I want to make this write-up as useful as possible to as many people as possible, I’m not going to go into specifics...

Heather writes:

It seems that every time I make bacon I get a headache shortly after dinner.  I did a quick google search and it seems it might be caused by the nitrates in the bacon.  Have you heard of this?  What else might have nitrates in it I should avoid (I get headaches a lot)?

It could be the nitrates, although there hasn’t yet been a satisfactory study showing a connection between nitrates/nitrites and headaches. 

Even uncured, “nitrate-free” bacon contains naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites from the celery juice or salt used to preserve the meat. This labeling loophole makes cynics out of a lot of folks, but some people swear they feel a difference between the two. This...

Magnolia writes:

I waited to vaccinate my son until he was two and then broke up the ones I could, in order to catch him up. However, my new son is only three months and we are going to Europe when he is eight months on April 30. In order for him to be caught up before we go, I would have to give his 2 months at 4, 4 months at 6 and his 6 months at 8, and I would not be able to break them up. He is very strong and no heath problems but I still am wary of any shots so young. I am so overwhelmed with all the info out there. I would love some good advise and reputable sites that I can build a educated plan from.

Good for you for wanting to make an educated decision. I fear too many...

Leila writes:

What do you recommend doing about Cold sores?

Any recommendations on how to prevent them? Or what works the best to heal them? I usually get them when I’m super stressed and tired. Thus my immune system is down and the virus has a chance to come up and show symptoms on my lip/mouth area.

Thanks!

If you want to do some major reading, here is an extensive article on natural remedies for cold sores like managing your Lysine/Arginine ratios (helpful food chart included), using Zinc or Lemon Balm, and improving your diet to increase immunity.

Someone has already done most of the work for me with this entry on Health911.com. It reviews the typical causes of cold sore...

Carissa writes:

Can you tell me about amber necklaces and the benefits of babies/toddlers wearing them? A quick Google search told me they are to help relieve pain from teething. . .is there anything else? I noticed your girls wear them; what has been your experience with them?

Amber has been used for centuries for its topical analgesic effects. The succinic acid in amber is said to reduce inflammation. Of course, as with many ancient natural remedies, amber has been vaunted as a veritable cure-all with not a whole lot of solid scientific backing to prove it. It does have a very interesting cultural history, which you can read about here.

In my research, I kept coming across the mention...