Juicing For Health & Fertility
I believe what we put in our mouths BEFORE pregnancy is VITAL to the health and nutrition of our future children. If you saw my post "Conscious Conception to Birth-Visualized & Realized", you would have watched the "Cellular Echoes" video where Bruce Lipton discusses how the DNA of the cell structures for the egg and the sperm is IMPRINTING and SET two months PRIOR to conception. This means that how well your taking care of yourself months BEFORE conception defines the health of your future baby. Not what you were eating just the month before.
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| Our GROOVY green 1970's Champions Juicer-Still runs like a CHAMP! |
Below are 3 videos of our morning juice here in our house. Please forgive us for the blurriness of some of the videos. We just recently bought this camera and are still learning how to use it. We're hoping our WONDERFUL audience (you guys) will be patient with us as we learn the camera. :)
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| Apples, celery, carrots, beets, lemons and ginger= DELICIOUS! |
As I state in the video below, one of the ingredients we normally put into our morning juice is beets. Beets are GREAT before conception because they help to increase fertility by increasing good estrogen and removing bad estrogen. Here is David Wolfe describing it quite well. There is a part 2 to this video you can find on You Tube....if your interested.
Getting our hormones in proper balance is good for us and GREAT to promote conception. The majority of us eat VERY poor diets. Poor in nutrients, poor in enzymes, poor in pretty much everything. Aside from the fact that our food carries poor nutrient content, on top of it we are putting all kinds of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc....and spraying these products on our foods. You can read about what I consider the HEALTHIEST diet on my Raw Foods page.
Once we denature something SO much from its natural form, it becomes almost impossible for our bodies to assimilate and absorb our food properly. This might be beneficial for the case of so many poisons being on our foods but when it comes to our health, without proper nutrient absorption and consistent waste excretion we are in a WORLD of HURT. Juicing creates EXTREMELY nutrient dense food matter AND help to expel and eliminate unwanted toxins within our bodies.
How well your digestive system works SETS the stage for your overall physical health and well being. Dr. Christopher teaches their truly is ONLY one disease. Its CONSTIPATION! I completely agree. Without our digestive system being truly clean and fine tuned, we will NEVER have the physical vitality we are looking for.
I absolutely ADORE my morning/afternoon juice. I feel GREAT after drinking it. Its FULL of nutrient, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants....etc. Juicing is an EXCELLENT way to get loads of nutrients in without having to utilize much of the bodies needed energy. With the extra energy, you can take care of needed tasks throughout the day without feeling tired or weighed down in anyway.
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| Mabel and Pratt getting in on the Juicing Action! |
So I hope you enjoy our little videos about juicing. This is just one way I'm preparing to get pregnant here in the next few months. I will be posting LOTS more on how to increase fertility and really get your body ready to create and care for another human life. Juicing is just ONE of many ways to help feed your body with nutrient rich foods that aid in cleansing, rejuvenation and rebuilding of the body.
Its very important that your body is in IDEAL health so no nutrient depletion happens for you while your pregnant. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a toll on your health. When feeding another life, its whats inside YOU that is being withdrawn from your system for you little one. The healthier you are and the better care your taking of yourself will make a HUGE difference with how you feel before, during and after your pregnancy and truthfully, can effect your life long health.
In Peace,
Rachel
P.S. As I state in the video below, I'm a HUGE proponent of organic food. I am MUCH more afraid of chemicals than I am germs. I believe all the chemicals on our foods can actually work AGAINST fertility. Miscarriages seem to be at an all time high and I believe all the unnatural, synthetic byproducts being placed on and inside our foods are most DEFINITELY part of the problem. I will post more on that later. I just wanted to emphasize the need for organic, HIGHLY nutritive foods to help increase fertility. Non organic foods could potentially only do the opposite.
Hemp: The Cure for all Ills
So because I truly LOVE all things healing, especially when it comes to healing through the gifts from Mother Earth, I had to post this today. A friend of mine sent it my way knowing I'm always in AWE at the way foods can truly cure most any physical or even emotional ailment.
Its unfortunate that hemp gets a bad wrap when spoken of as a "drug" in our society. Over the past few years, I have read more and more articles on the POSITIVE benefits of hemp and its PHENOMENAL healing qualities. The information below is just one of many articles I've read about how hemp is curing all KINDS of things. From cancer to ulcers to open wounds!
I'm still at a complete loss as to why, if we are finding so many WONDERFUL results with this plant, that its use isn't being promoted and spread nationwide. I'm not sure as to why we feel the need to remain in such FEAR about this plant. It truly EXCITES me to think that people are striving to spread the word about its use for rebuilding, rejuvenating and restoring the body back to homeostasis.
Its fascinating to realize that the bulk of healing benefits that the plant provides come through maintaining its raw, fresh state instead of heating it. When heated, as stated below, you get far less of the medicinal gifts the plants gives than when ingested in its unheated state. This, of course, makes TOTAL sense to me since I believe all things left in their raw, fresh, organic state are ALWAYS a healthier way rather than heating it.
Read the article below for more details on the subject. Also, I have posted 2 videos on the healing benefits of hemp both in juicing the plant and creating "hemp oil." AMAZING results are being seen with both forms of usage. Let's all do what we can to move past our own fears and beliefs and really open our HEARTS to the results and reality of things. Hemp is TRULY a gift from Mother Earth to aid our human race in many ways. Not only in physical healing but in helping to keep Mother Earth healthy by its use in sustainability products as well. It can be used for MANY, MANY beautiful things and ask that all of us educate ourselves more on the matter and then do what we can to make its use legal for all who may need it for their overall health and well being.
In Peace,
Rachel
P.S. At the end of the article are 2 other links that all of you should read! One article on the life saving benefits of hemp and the other on how the chemical structure of hemp mimic our own chemical brain structures. VERY fascinating stuff if you ask me!
Juicing cannabis miraculously saves lives after physicians declare the battle lost
(NaturalNews) At 16, Kristen Peskuski was suffering from joint inflammation and an array of autoimmune conditions which made her organs and other tissues swell, including interstitial cystitis and lupus. She was prescribed over 40 different anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and painkilling medications to combat the symptoms. Still struggling to bring the symptoms under control, Kristen developed steroid toxicity. She was told that the most she could hope for was reduced discomfort, and with luck, she might make it to her 30th birthday. Seeking alternative treatments, she began juicing raw cannabis leaves every day, and within two months, Kristen's back pain had been eliminated, and she had stopped using any other painkillers.
Meet Amber
At two years old, she was diagnosed with terminal brain tumours. Her mother was told that with treatment, Amber had a 10 percentchance of survival. After surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the tumours were still spreading. Her parents were advised to take their child home, make her comfortable, and prepare for the inevitable. A month later, her parents reported a startling change. The tumours had decreased in size and number. The family had been juicing cannabis leaves and feeding their baby a few ounces of the juice each day.
Up in smoke
A typical first reaction is to associate marijuana consumption with its psychoactive effects. However, THC only becomes psychoactive when heated, like when traditionally smoked or cooked. When used raw, cannabis isn't psychoactive. The marijuana's abilities as a painkiller are generally perceived to be the result of its psychoactivity - so much so that the intensity of a plant's psychoactive effects is often used as a gauge of its medical potency. Contrary to intuition, this isn't true! The medical properties of marijuana are actually destroyed when heated or aged, as it becomes psychoactive. Heating converts 600mg of non-psychoactive THC acid into 10mg of psychoactive THC. Here's where the exchange for medical effects occurs. While the 10mg retain some medicinal effects, there is only a fraction of the THC left. In simplified terms, in the raw plant, THC acid isn't psychoactive, but acts as a very powerful medicine, up to 400 times more powerful than when smoked.
Healthful communication
Scientific American, in 2004, published an article called "The Brain's Own Marijuana", in which they asserted that the brain releases chemicals that are structurally and functionally similar to cannabinoids - the reactive property in marijuana. THC is the cannabinoid that people are most familiar with, but this is only one of 80. In normal synaptic nerve function, the signals are uni-directional, and the receiver forwards the signal, but never notifies the sender that the message has been received. Cannabinoids maintain communication with the original transmitter so that it is aware that the message has been received and is being worked on. For example, if a neuron sends a pain signal, normally it would just keep sending the message until the message becomes false. The cannabinoids turn every cell into a manager with increased oversight.
Sources for this article include:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. In 2010, Michelle created RawFoodHealthWatch.com, to share with people her approach to the raw food diet and detoxification.
Mom Catches Her Own Baby During Cesarean Delivery
Cesarean sections are the MOST common surgery performed in the world. There does seem to be quite a bit happening in the world of cesarean sections right now. I'm not saying that because I'm excited in any way about their overuse. But it seems that some doctors and hospitals are making more of an effort to create an environment where Moms, Dads and babies can bond immediately after birth. This is an effort I am ECSTATIC about and hope others will get on board as well and pass all this wonderful information along.
I'm not a fan, in the least, where our c-section rate is in America. 33% is WAY to high a number. After we reach about 15% in c-sections rates, we stop seeing mortality rates change which means just because we're doing more of them doesn't mean we're saving more lives. I do recognize though that there is a time and a place for them. Absolutely! How WONDERFUL it is that c-sections CAN and DO save lives.
On top of that, c-sections are safer than they've ever been. Now, there is a down side to that. That being that women are feeling more comfortable requesting a c-section (because of fear of birth really) believing that because its safer many of the risks won't happen to them. But, unfortunately they still do.
Below is an EXCELLENT video I show in my childbirth classes. Of course, the changes that are taking place to help bonding with families during a c-section are happening in the UK but my hope is that this can also happen in the United States. I even thought about downloading this video and passing it along to our local doctors here with the hopes they might investigate a more natural approach to c-sections.
My hope is that an awareness of how we're treating Moms and babies during c-sections will open for those performing the c-sections. My hope is doctors/nurses/hospital staff will recognize and apply in action the importance of emotional stability and clarity ESPECIALLY for the woman being given the c-section.
I remember when I spent a month in the ICU, I was IMMENSELY grateful for the doctors/nurses who compassionately explained to me what test they were doing BEFORE they did. I think its easy to forget, in our society, that our babies are living, feeling, sensational beings who are entering this world hoping and expecting to be LOVED in a gentle way. To treat them otherwise is nothing less than abuse. And this abuse imprints on their brains and their systems as LOVE. They then spend the rest of their lives believing that abuse equates to love.
All of the withdrawing our babies from their mothers and then returning them only after tormenting them is TRAUMATIC for both Mom and baby! It instills LIFE LONG pain and wounding that can take YEARS to work through.
I understand that there are times when a c-section is very needed but I believe it doesn't have to be so harsh and cruel. That we can be tender, gentle and kind. Its IMPORTANT that we all REMEMBER that ANY test on baby can be done RIGHT in the mother's arms. There is NO need to take babies away from Mama's.
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| Chris skin to skin RIGHT after birth with Mabel |
Even when resuscitating a baby, you can leave baby right next to Mom. In fact, keeping Mom close by with the umbilical cord intact can stimulate a quicker response from baby to breathe. Babies actually regulate themselves when they are skin to skin with their mothers.
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| Mabel resting skin to skin with Daddy |
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| Dean holding Mabel skin to skin |
This is the information as stated in the Natural Cesarean video below. I appreciate how well he/she states the importance of creating immediate bonding between Mom and baby.
"Although much effort has gone into promoting early skin-to-skin contact and parental involvement at vaginal birth, caesarean birth remains entrenched in surgical and resuscitative rituals, which delay parental contact, impair maternal satisfaction and reduce breastfeeding. We describe a 'natural' approach that mimics the situation at vaginal birth by allowing (i) the parents to watch the birth of their child as active participants (ii) slow delivery with physiological autoresuscitation and (iii) the baby to be transferred directly onto the mother's chest for early skin-to-skin. Studies are required into methods of reforming caesarean section, the most common operation worldwide."
HERE is a link to a very informative transcript where a doctor named James Prescott, Ph.D. called "The Origins of Love and Violence and the Developing Human Brain." James is discussing the effects of withdrawing an infant monkey from its mother immediately after birth. It does have LONG term effects. I recommend you go and read the whole transcript.
"We often miss the impact fear and anxiety have on human development. Fear has been used by our religious systems for centuries to control pleasure. Today the medical and scientific community use fear very effectively to keep woman, her pregnancy and birth under their control. We force them to do all sorts of unnatural things.
Having her lay flat on her back during delivery, for example. No other mammal gives birth on its back. We know that premature cutting of the umbilical cord is damaging and the benefits of placing the infant to the breast of the mother right away, and of maintaining close physical body contact.
But the medical profession routinely intervenes and takes the baby away from the mother. Deny direct contact with the mother and we set the stage for fear, anger and rage right at the start. No other mammal separates the newborn from its mother at birth."
Isn’t this what Harlow did back in the 50’s - he separated mothers and infant monkeys at birth with devastating consequences?
"We need to begin before Harlow. Rene Spitz, John Bowlby, and Wayne Dennis noticed that many children reared in orphanages or institutions had arrested emotional, social and intellectual development. Bowlby found a link between these early separation experiences and later delinquency—findings that my cross-cultural studies, which we will go into later, supported.
Spitz noticed that these many of these institutionalized infants, who had the best medical and physical care but no “mother love”— nobody touched, held or hugged them, had depressive and autistic-like behaviors. Spitz called this Marasmus—sickness and death due to depression associated with loss of mother love. With deprivation of physical affection and body contact, which is the biology of love, these infants and children withdrew into their own world and in extreme cases, they gave up and died."
HERE is a link to an article called "10 Tips for Avoiding a First Time Cesarean." Her tips are right on and very helpful to avoid a c-section. You should find it very helpful to aid you on your journey of creating a BLISSFUL birth experience.
Just as we strive to make birth, in and of itself, more compassionate for all involved....I believe c-sections should be no different. Even in the rush and anxiety with a baby in distress, we can open ourselves to a tenderness that is VERY needed for the survival of the life that is striving to be saved.
My prayer is that we not forget who we REALLY are as human beings. That we are truly deeply feeling and connected people who LONG for soft touch, warm skin and arms ready to envelope and LOVE us at any moment. As we remember this, I believe we can change ourselves to help create a more peaceful, giving, loving world.
In Peace,
Rachel
Delivered safely by caesarean with his mother's hands
(Click words above to go directly to the article)
Assisted caesarean: Naomi Chapman just seconds after using her own hands to give birth to her son, Thomas.
Photo: Eamonn Mcnulty
April 15, 2007
How I helped deliver my baby boy
Fat is NOT Where Its At-Medicating Our Unborn Babies for Obesity
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| 25 weeks pregnant with Mabel, our 5th child |
I recently purchased and watched a movie called..."Simply Raw-Reversing Diabetes in 30 days." They took 7 people, who has moderate to severe diabetes and had been on insulin for years, to a raw food retreat in Arizona where each person ate only a 100% raw foods diet for 30 days. Within 2 weeks, all but 1 person is COMPLETELY off their insulin. Within a month, the 1 person that never fully got off his insulin, had lowered the amount he was using by more than half. This really is a MUST SEE movie.
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| I'm in the brown jacket with the short hair. I'm about 15 lbs. overweight here. |
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| This is after I had 2 kids. Notice I've put on more weight |
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| The day before I delivered out 1st son, Dean |
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| Chris and I on our wedding day |
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| Just barely pregnant with our 2nd. The edema isn't so severe yet. |
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| Notice the swollen ankles and feet. Ouch! |
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| Just a month or so before delivery. Notice the swollen neck and face |
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| Not sure why I had such a BAD haircut! |
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| A few month before getting pregnant with our 3rd daughter, Millie |
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| Millie's Blessing Day-a month after delivery |
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| My 2 youngest, Pratt and Mabel, helping to make our morning juice |
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| 2 weeks before delivery with our 5th child, Mabel |
I still got my usual morning sickness but it wasn't near as bad as it had been with my other kids. It was over sooner than with my other children. Plus, I was able to still exercise some during that time where in my last pregnancy, I usually took the first 3 months off from exercising because I feel so gross.
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| 1 week before delivery of our 5th child, Mabel |
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| Beginnings of Active Labor with Mabel |
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| An hour before delivery of Mabel |
There are dozens of free health related movies on Netflix, along with the 100's of blog posts and studies online about health, nutrition, diet and exercise. There really are NO excuses as to why women aren't taking the necessary steps FOR THEIR BABIES to take care of themselves.
Please know, I don't mean to sound harsh here. I just have a POWERFUL belief that women are STRONG! That women are able to make any changes that will benefit them and their babies life long health and well being. That when women choose to find the JOY and BLISS that pregnancy offers, they will do ANYTHING to get it.
We've come to terms with what we think pregnancy is. We share our stories about how awful our pregnancies and birth was and then we BELIEVE these stories enough to create the same in our own lives. We've become complacent in it by not moving forward through exercise and diet to be healthy and happy. I say its time to change that! Its time to let ourselves feel our own POWER to make change. I promise you, you won't regret it! And neither will your baby!
Unborn Babies Treated for Obesity in Womb
Apr 02, 2012
While the researchers argue that they’re trying to protect the future health of children, the trial—the first of its kind in the world—has sparked unease about resorting to drugs during pregnancy for a problem that could be safely treated with diet and exercise. What’s more, if this strategy succeeds, detractors worry the treatment could become widespread within five years and cause tens of thousands of overweight, but otherwise healthy, moms-to-be around the world to want the treatment.
Soaring Rates of “Sumo Babies”
The trial is part of a hotly debated National Health Service trial, launched in an attempt to curb the obesity epidemic, after a 50 percent rise in births of so-called “sumo babies” (newborns weighing more than 11 pounds) during the past four years in the UK. These large babies have double the risk of becoming overweight as adults.
There’s also a growing trend of big babies in the U.S., with a spate of such births recently making headlines. A California newborn tipped the scales at nearly 14 pounds last month and a Texas woman delivered a 16-pound boy in July, CBS News reports. While those babies entered the world by C-section, an astonishingly stoic Iowa woman gave birth to 13-pound, 13-ounce boy in January without surgery or painkillers.
Preventing Large Babies by Reducing Blood Sugar
In the trial, researchers from the University of Edinburgh will give 400 obese expectant moms the oral diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage). The idea is to cut blood sugar levels because obese women are often insulin-resistant, a prediabetic condition in which the body becomes insensitive to the insulin produced by the pancreas. If untreated, this may lead to a rise in blood sugar and ultimately to type 2 diabetes.
Overweight and obese women are at higher risk for developing gestational diabetes, which can result in jumbo babies because the main nutrient that fuels a baby’s growth in the womb is sugar. If untreated, this temporary form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy can have lasting effects on the baby, as kids born to women with the blood disorder have double the risk for obesity.
Read about the history of type 2 diabetes.
The #1 Pregnancy Danger
As I reported last year, a recent study shows that obesity—not the mom’s age—is the leading threat to a healthy pregnancy. A British study recently reported that maternal obesity has doubled during the past 20 years, with one in six pregnant women in the UK facing extra health hazards, including heart disease and increased risk for birth defects and stillbirths.
In the U.S., where one in three women is obese, there are now medical centers specializing in caring for morbidly obese pregnant women, with such equipment as larger, sturdier operating tables. These patients are more likely to require a C-section, often due to large babies, who can face a wide range of health risks, including nerve damage, broken bones, or even brain damage during a difficult vaginal birth.
Is Diabetes Medication Risky for Obese Moms-to-Be?
"Metformin is a drug already taken by women during pregnancy if they have diabetes, so we know that it is safe," said Dr. Fiona Denison, of the Queen's Medical Research Institute in Edinburgh. One of the most commonly prescribed diabetes drugs in the world, it’s approved in both the U.S. and U.K., and falls into the FDA’s pregnancy category B (not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby).
However, in rare cases, the drug can cause a serious or even fatal condition called lactic acidosis, in which lactic acid builds up in the bloodstream. It is more likely to strike people who have liver or kidney disease, congestive heart failure, dehydration or a severe infection. Less serious metformin side effects include headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and belly pain.
What’s the Safest Way to Prevent Obesity in Babies?
While it may be tempting for women who are already overweight to turn couch potato as their baby bump starts expanding, a recent study shows that regular, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise during pregnancy can modestly reduce the birth weight of a baby—without medication.
In the study, researches randomly placed 84 first-time expectant mothers in one of two groups. One group worked out five times a week in 40-minute sessions on a stationary bike; the other group did not exercise at all. The babies of the women who exercised were on average 5 ounces lighter. "Given that large birth size is associated with an increased risk of obesity, a modest reduction in birth weight may have long-term health benefits for offspring by lowering this risk in later life," said the study's authors.
Pumping up fiber intake also helps reduce risk for gestational diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetes Care. This pregnancy complication was rarest among women who ate an average of 26 grams of fiber daily. That’s because high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are absorbed slowly, helping keep blood sugar on an even keel during pregnancy.
Link to the article above is...HERE!
What Easter is REALLY All About-Candy, Toys & MONEY
So we had a SUPER time this weekend visiting our good friends in California. The weather was 90 degrees. The sun was SHINING! And our friends have an AWESOME swimming pool. Since we recently bought a new camera, Chris has been trying it out. He's been filming minute segments at a time...not sure why. But here's some of the FUN stuff we did for Easter!
Below is the video where I'm actually walking to the restroom and Chris asks me what I'm doing. A little awkward but I thought I'd post it anyway.
In this next video, we have the kids describing what they plan on doing for their Easter egg hunt. The night before I was SO tired (yes, from doing absolutely NOTHING) that I couldn't get up the strength to go place the Easter eggs out. Luckily, Lupita and Joanne LOVE me enough that they did it. Thanks GUYS!
Now the hunt is ON! Remember only 14 eggs per child. I noticed in some of the other videos that the kids are shaking the eggs to see if they have money in them or not. If they don't, they just throw them back down. Listen for little Shane announce that she found an egg with money inside it. I'm now wracking my brain as to why we didn't think of this money idea LONG ago! Obviously its a HIT!
Here we have Mabel counting her money (which you see her do again in the video underneath this one) to see if she's rich or not. In the next 2 videos, she's either so ENTHRALLED with her loads of money that she can't even answer a question OR she snarling at the people coming to talk to her about her money. So the question still remains....should we be afraid of the ugly faces in regards to the money?
Here we have ALL the kids counting their money and their eggs. Sophia comments that she has 16 eggs but remember the rule...only 14 eggs so her brother, Gabriel, quickly chastens her demanding she give him an egg. So FUNNY!
Lastly, we have Mabel and I discussing, yet for the 1000th time, her nail painting. Mabel LOVES to paint her nails and will do it, at least, 5-6 times a day. No joke! I had just gotten done painting her nails and she was waiting for them to dry before she jumped into the pool. It was a LONG wait for both of us!
So this is what the Talley's did for our 2012 Easter. It really was such a WONDERFUL mini vacation! Chris and I pretty much did nothing but sit around, chat with our friends, and completely RELAX. I must give a huge THANK YOU to Joanne and Lupita for putting up with us for 2 days. I sure hope we can come again VERY soon!
In Peace,
Rachel
National Rally for Change in Birth
This looks WONDERFUL! You can read more about what is happening to create this rally at Improving Birth.org
I have signed up to be a rally coordinator. If you live here in Utah and would like to help join as well, SIGN UP! We will need ALL the help we can get to make the needed changes in the world of birth.
Above is a sign that is on the wall in front of one of the busiest local OB/GYN offices. You might even have seen it. It was circulating the internet awhile back. Many, many families were in an UPROAR about it. They felt this doctor was striving to control birthing women and he even had the arrogance to post a sign to show it.
I must be honest, I have absolutely NO problem with this sign. In fact, I'm quite grateful for it. Why do I feel that way, you might ask? Because I believe that there are many doctors who feel the same way as the doctor above but do not put signs in front of their offices warning women of the personal beliefs on birth. Now the doctors who aren't doing that....are the ones to be even more concerned about...in my opinion. They can then say one thing but when they enter the space of birth....actually do another.
No, I'm not worried about the doctor above, in the least! Now I am very concerned about his sign. But my concern is about something else entirely. My concern is that we live in a world where, even when a doctor makes it VERY clear how he sees birth and what he expects from his patients, women are STILL entering his office in the droves asking for his services.
I'm not only concerned by that fact, I'm very disheartened and disappointed that FEAR has pervaded the birth scene to the extend that, as POWERFUL women, we will hand over our births to someone we barely know and who has very blatantly shared with you HIS expectations of your birth experience. That if you want HIM as your provider, you must be willing to hand over all your rights as a birthing women, all in the name of being afraid of birth and/or struggling to believe in yourself and your baby.
Please feel free to let me know if there is some other reason I am missing here, If FEAR really isn't the prevailing factor in our decision making as birthing women. So, if your not afraid of anything going wrong with your birth, then your MOST definitely afraid of the pain. Either way your afraid of something and making choices based upon that fear.
I've said it before and I will say it again OVER and OVER until everyone is so sick of hearing me say it, that just maybe they'll sit down and REALLY think about it. Making ANY choice based on FEAR is most likely NOT the best choice to be making. The reason I say that is because ANY time we make choices based on FEAR, we inevitebly make concessions with what we really want only to feel dissatisfied when all is said and done.
The video above gives me HOPE! It give me hope in women. It gives me hope in babies. It gives me hope in fathers and most importantly, it gives me hope for BIRTH! I hope ALL of you will ACT NOW!
YOU are the ones who create the change! I can sit here all day long rambling about how I think birth should and needs to change. I will even show up for the rally and do my part in whatever regard I can.... But its YOUR voice that makes that difference. Doctors are a business! Yes, I believe doctors care and want to do what's best but they are also a business, striving to make money just like the rest of us.
Any good business will strive to MEET the NEEDS of their customers. I'm still racking my brain trying to figure out what went awry that in the world of birth, it seems to be the opposite. We actually PAY our doctors/midwives to do things we didn't appreciate or like. Even worse, they might have done things that looking back were down right abusive or mutilating. But we still PAY them for it.
If we want our cars fixed, then we take them in with the hopes they will get fixed the way we need them too. If that doesn't happen then we...A. take our car someone where else to get fixed the way we need. B. DON'T pay the person who didn't fix it properly. I'm at a complete loss as to how we got here in the world of birth. How we still pay someone for services that were potentially hurtful for the Mom or the baby.
When we want change to take place, especially when we are currently where we are at in the world of birth, then WE as women and families need to be willing to PEACEFULLY stand up for what are our human rights. Our health care rights! YOU make the change by saying you will have NOTHING LESS than EVERYTHING YOU want in your birth experience.
If you want to have your baby in a hospital but want it the way you want it....then EDUCATE yourself. Take classes. Find out what hospital protocols and routines are. Create a DETAILED birth plan. Talk with your doctor about what your options are and what you are wanting and MAKE SURE they support it. You can change health care providers at ANY TIME in your pregnancy. You are NEVER stuck with the one you have. PLEASE remember that!
If you have a midwife or even having a home birth, again...make sure she provides EVERYTHING you are wanting for your birth. You don't have to make concessions with what you want in ANY setting. Your birth is UP to YOU! No one else. To believe someone else is making decisions for you IS nothing less than giving over your power to someone else. And when we do that....we are NEVER happy! Believe me...I've tried it OVER and OVER again in my life. The only results I've found are where I feel discontent and even frustration over letting someone else dictate what I felt passionate about in the first place.
Lastly, Go and sign up for the national rally above. Do your part to help change birth. To help change mamas, babies and families experiences so that EVERY person giving birth has MANY options laid before her and she CHOOSES what she wants and how she wants it.
Don't forget...in order to STAND UP for birth...first you need to TRUST birth. You need to have FAITH in you, your body and your baby! You need to believe in the inherent safety of birth and start moving forward from that place!
I believe ALL women should desire for change in birth. If they are NOT desiring for change, they have yet to feel the GLORIOUS empowerment, bliss, joy, ecstasy, and LOVE that are present when a women takes FULL responsibility of her pregnancy/birth experience. I'm not saying they weren't satisfied with it. I'm talking about feelings ABOVE and BEYOND satisfaction.
My prayer and hope is that all WOMEN long for a level of connection, understanding and charity that they are currently not be given by their care providers. That they recognize their own strengths, gifts and clarity to educate themselves about birth and make conscious choices based only out of faith and peace.
But I'm not telling you all anything you don't already know I wish for. :)
In Peace,
Rachel
Orgasmic Waterbirth-BE THE CHANGE!
Just another small example of how simple birth TRULY is! Notice the husband gently massaging her back. I think what I LOVE most about this video is how UNAFRAID he seems to be. He seems to be completely at PEACE! There is no tension in his voice. No stress shown in his body language. In fact, it feels as if it is quite the opposite. He's telling her to relax with a very gentle and serene voice.
This is birth! Birth is a normal, natural bodily function that women's bodies are performing EVERY DAY around the world. As I stated in my post...Fear-The Thief of Birth....the stories that we tell and what we believe about birth FULLY integrate itself in our psyche. Our own birth experience tells the FULL picture of how we will feel about birth. How open, receptive and responsive we are to our own intuition and knowing. Or the opposite....how afraid, tense, and contracted we feel about pregnancy and birth.
HERE is a link to an EXCELLENT video where Joseph Chilton Pearce (whom I adore ALL of his work) is discussing fetal life and evolutionary effects that have shifted pregnancy and birth to where we are today. Joseph believes the vast majority of babies being born today are born in a constricted manner. The actual brain structure is smaller which means these babies are being born with brain structures set in survival mode instead of expansion, enlightenment and open hearts and minds!
The FEAR that is present in the mother's psyche and in her system can potentially forever effect the later life choices her infant will make. How he feels about himself, how he see others around him...can he trust them, what food choices he will make (yes, what we eat also has a HUGE effect on the dietary choices of your child later in life), his ability or inability to let love in and give love freely.
All because his limbic imprint is one where the "fight or flight" hormones present throughout pregnancy/birth define how this infant will see his world. His DNA decides what mechanisms in his system are MOST important solely for his survival instead of his setting the stage where his reality is one of serenity, tranquility and unconditional LOVE!
The baby in the video above was born into a space of calm and serenity. This DOES effect how he views his world. What his perceptions are of the people around him. His birth imprints in him his beliefs about the world and how to view it.
Imagine if all of us were born into a space where we heard and felt our father caressing and holding our mothers in a sacred space during labor. If our mothers were instinctively listening to us and their own bodies to understand how to birth us and how we wanted to be born.
Imagine if the first hands to touch us were those of our mother and father. If the first voice we heard was theirs with comforting and soothing words to welcome us into this new dimension. Imagine if no one withdrew us from our parents immediately after birth. If we got to feel only warm, soft skin and suckle to our hearts delight. Imagine if that was the view we had of the world. That we would be cared for, unconditionally loved, if all our needs and wants were met immediately.
Being born bathed in OXYTOCIN...the hormone of love and having its presence STRONGLY imbedded in our systems and that of our parents can make ALL the difference in our birth experience. Oxytocin bonds and CONNECTS us to each other and is at its HIGHEST levels right AFTER the birth of a baby.
A baby born in the description above would only feel his world is full of support, giving, caring, kindness, ecstasy, and PEACE! His held beliefs of the world would then extend OUTWARD in his actions toward himself and others. His self esteem would be high and his love for human kind would be shown as he grows in the choices he makes and the way he chooses to treat others. Imagine a world FULL of people who hold these ideals, beliefs and thinking patterns! Our world would be a VERY different place indeed.
Babies being born now are connected deeply with the ideals, beliefs and thought patterns of their parents. The majority of people I know carry the reality of a dog eat dog world where there are many, many things to fear and even more people not to trust.
We carry these beliefs because it is the way our parents believed. Or at our birth, the trauma we felt, instilled itself into our limbic brain only to rear its ugly head throughout the rest of our lives merely striving to get released and healed. Only after to understand what true LOVE is and reestablish the new reality of a world where people can be trusted and each and everyone of us is doing our BEST and longs for WORLD PEACE!
Even though the video with Joseph Chilton Pearce is 2 hours long, I recommend you take the time to watch it. What he teaches, I believe, can truly change human kind. What he teaches, if we all learn how to apply, can potentially shift the ways our infant/babies learn, grow and succeed with love in this world. I deeply believe that only by our releasing our own negative thought patterns about the world we live in and our reality can we then see the shift in our children.
Children disorders of ALL kinds are at the HIGHEST they ever been. Suicide is at the highest between the ages of 7-19. Why in the world would our children be killing themselves? What pain, heartache, and wounding are they carrying that creates the self loathing and low self esteem issues are children are having today?
It is our obligation to look only at OURSELVES to find the answers. It is our obligation to make the needed changes to stimulate DNA shift and change in our unborn children. Our children are carrying our pain with the hopes they can help heal it. In the end, it is only causing suffering and more pain for humanity as a whole to deal with. Until we take responsibility, it will become difficult to create the JOY and PEACE in the world around us. But especially within the hearts and souls of the future of humanity!
Gandhi sure said it right...."Be the change you want to see in the world." Let us all strive to BE THE CHANGE we strive to see in our children.... with the hopes our changes only make a better world for the next generations to come!
In Peace,
Rachel
Giving Birth by Suzanne Arms
The video below goes RIGHT along with my last post. I LOVE how Suzanne says that birth is THE most SACRED experience a family can have. It is, other than death, the ONLY time where the physical and the spiritual worlds collide for ALL to see. It isn't just one persons experience of the uniting of both worlds, its a COLLECTIVE observation and sensation for ALL who are present.
This is what makes birth what it is! That this level of BLISS can be felt by ALL present, not just the mother, or just the father....but everyone who is asked to share the birth space with the couple or family. I have seen and felt over and over the engagement, shift and even healing that takes place when others are able be part of a new life entering our earthly realm. It does FOREVER change us and in many ways!
You can see in the video...almost feel...the surprise that the woman has who is birthing her baby. She's shocked at her own ability and has to repeat to herself that she has actually DONE IT! She went further inside of herself then she might ever go and then produced an experience that went above and beyond what she thought she was capable of.
One of the most BEAUTIFUL moments in the birth process is when I see THE SHIFT! Now what is...the shift...you ask? The shift is when a women goes from believing she is nothing more than a bystander in the birth experience to realizing she is IT in the birth experience. She is the ONE who has to find IT somewhere deep inside of herself to give birth to this new life.
I tend to see this more with the 1st time Moms I work with. Its almost as if they believe that someone might just reach in and pull their baby out for them. Its tends to happen right about the time transition is ending and pushing is beginning, sometimes I've seen it a bit earlier in labor as well. Its when the light bulb turns on and then you see THE SHIFT all over their faces. The moment the energy of both the Mom and baby work this harmonious dance of bringing this life here. Its MAGNIFICENT! Truly GLORIOUS to behold.
You see the POWER within women. You feel the LOVE they have for their unborn child. Most importantly, you see a BRAVERY and DETERMINATION you really don't see at many other times in life. Its RARE! But when you are blessed with the opportunity to watch THE SHIFT, you feel for that definite moment the world is a GRAND place to be because we have women and families like THIS! Couples who are consciously choosing to parent in such a way that the new life coming feels only acceptance, trust, love, joy, peace and comfort!
I wish I was better with words and could really express what I'm saying in a more eloquent way. For those of you who have seen the shift, you know what I'm talking about. For those who have yet to experience it, you will know what I'm talking about immediately when it happens.
I can't imagine living in a world where I would never be able to see the power of the human spirit in birth. That power is changing the WORLD! That power is nothing but PURE, unadulterated LOVE! If we can harness that more each and every day, if we can recognize it for what it is and then help to feed it into the psyches of all women and families, then the world will begin its transition (like so many families are already doing) into a place where only PEACE resides.
In Peace,
Rachel
Conscious Conception to Birth-- Visualized & Realized
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| Just one week before delivery |
Is Placenta Encapsulation Just a Fad Or Does It Really Have Health Benefits?
Mad Men's Star Eats Placenta, Fad or Health Benefit?By Deborah Mitchell on March 29, 2012 - 6:11am
When Mad Men’s star January Jones recently announced she has been taking capsules containing the placenta (afterbirth) of her recently born son, Xander, she shed light on placentophagia, a common practice among non-human mammals, yet among humans…not so much. While there are many thoughts that can race through your mind when you think about eating the placenta, near the top of the list is “why?” Is this a fad or are there health benefits?
Placentophagia has possible health benefits
Without scientific proof that consuming the afterbirth has health benefits, women who want to pursue this practice are left with anecdotal evidence, and that appears to be enough for some new mothers, like January Jones, who are turning in increasing numbers to having their placenta dried and encapsulated as supplements.
Pfenninghaus’ desire to encapsulate her placenta is an approach that has been taken up by women like Jodi Selander, who started Placenta Benefits in 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The purpose of the organization “is to educate women and professional communities about the benefits of placentophagy (placenta ingestion) for postpartum recovery.”
Kristal M et al. Placentophagia in human and nonhuman mammals: causes and consequences. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 2012 Mar; 51(2)
Placenta Benefits
You can find the link to the article above.... HERE.
The Twin Birth-Whitney & Tyler's Experience
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| Tyler and Whitney's Wedding Day |
Whitney is my dear friend who gave birth to her twins last Wednesday. I wrote all about her preparation HERE and then the actual birth from my perspective HERE.
Below is her PHENOMENAL birth story and how she feels now. Tyler's (Whitney's husband) Mom commented on the post of the twin birth and I wanted to just share it here with everyone so you can also see the perspective of others who were present soon after the birth happened.
"My husband and I (Tyler's Mom and Dad) are still shocked and amazed at how this birth took place! I, particularly, am in awe of how Whitney delivered these adorable twins and of Tyler to have delivered them! They are my heroes! We visited the family shortly after the births and expected to see a bit of chaos, given the fact that they also have two other young children.
To our surprise and wonder, everything was calm and peaceful. Whitney was walking around as if she had not just given birth, the older children were playing quietly and marveling over their new brother and sister, the twins were bundled up together sleeping quietly and Tyler was relaxing with a gigantic grin on his face I think, marveling about his growing family and what they had just accomplished. Bill and I are very proud of them and what they have accomplished. May they continue to be blessed. We love them so much"
You will hear me say this over and over but, in my opinion, this IS the REALITY of birth. This is what it is meant to be. Nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to fuss over. Nothing to believe other than what YOU want from your birth experience and then moving forward, making changes, to create IT! This is where intuition kicks in. Where inner knowing stimulates proper preparation and inspiration on how to create a PEACEFUL and BLISSFUL birth!
So here it is! I hope you relish in it as much as I did. I hope it renews your FAITH and TRUST in birth. I hope it inspires you to take responsibility for your pregnancy/birth experience. Most importantly, I hope it triggers a CALM and TRANQUIL feeling in your heart that YOU are NO different than Whitney. That YOU can also CREATE an ECSTATIC birth!
In Peace,
Rachel
P.S. At the end of her story, Whitney comments that she "can't wait to do it again!" She actually wrote this story only 3 days after giving birth and had decided before delivery that she was done having children. Hopefully, as you read this story, you can feel the PROFOUND effect this pregnancy/birth experience had on her.
Fear- The Thief of Birth
I'm pretty sure I've posted this before and you can find it on my Emotional Healing page but I still wanted to post it here again. Attending Elena's retreat was truly TRANSFORMATIONAL for me! A NEW part of myself truly was REBORN over the 2 weeks I was there. A plethora of fears were released and replaced with new thought processes and truths and beliefs that brought only PEACE, GROWTH, FULFILLMENT and JOY to my heart and my life.
I remember taking Sandra Bardsley course on "Creating a Joyful Birth." There she gave us the acronym she created for the word FEAR!
F=False
E=Evidence
A=Appearing
R=Real
When it comes to birth, this acronym is TOO REAL the majority of the time. We create and stimulate our own fears and feel pain, then proceed to make choices for our birth experience based upon those fears....that MOST of the time are NOT reality for our GIVEN situation.
I am saddened by the stories we pass to each other about our personal pregnancy/birth experiences. These stories tend to be HORRIBLE in how they portray birth and how scary they believe it to be. These stories pass false information about birth by merely sharing their personal birth experience. When hearing these stories, it becomes difficult (mostly because of our lack of understanding and education surrounding birth) to weed through and find the truths from the lies.
How often do we hear someone share their birth story like this..."Hey there, I want to tell you all about my AMAZING birth! We decided to have our baby at home. We prepared ourselves in a variety of ways by educating ourselves about the pregnancy and birth. We read information daily on the subject. We ate super healthy and made sure to exercise. I did a lot of work emotionally about my birth experience and fears I had. Then when the birth came it was MAGICAL! I had a water birth. I caught my own baby. I held him/her skin to skin right away. I am a NEW WOMEN because of how I chose to birth. I'm sharing this you so you can realize you can have the same thing!"
I believe that once these stories are passed regularly, that ideas and beliefs surrounding pregnancy and birth will change as well. There are 1000's of women who birth in PEACE and BLISS and feel afraid to share these stories for a variety of reasons. The more women share their WONDERFUL birth stories....the more each women will believe in herself, her body and her baby!!
I teach in my childbirth classes about how outcomes can change when fear is present especially in the birthing environment. HERE is a link to an article about childhood FEAR and a made up entity called "The Beast."
"The current study examined the effects of negative information on the enhancement of childhood fear. A large group of normal primary school children aged between 4 and 12 years (N=285) received either negative or positive information about an unknown, doglike animal, called ‘the beast’. Children’s fears were assessed at three points in time: before, directly after, and one week after the information about the beast was provided (i.e., pre-, post- and follow-up assessment). Results showed that type of information changed children’s fear of the beast in the predicted direction with negative information increasing fear levels and positive information decreasing fear levels. This was not only the case directly after the experimental
manipulation but also at one week follow-up. Furthermore, fear of the beast appeared to generalize, that is, children who became more fearful of the beast after receiving negative information, also became more apprehensive of other dogs and predators."
This is an example of how sharing a story can effect us both positively or negatively. And unfortunately, it is the stories we heard when we were children, just like this story above, that shapes and defines our images and ideas regarding pregnancy and birth.
I believe its VITAL that each of us work through our own birth trauma, along with fear, phobias, myths and lies we believe surrounding birth. As a midwife, I believe its part of my job to work through my own fears and birth trauma as well. A midwife can carry her own birth phobias into the birth experience of one of her clients and deeply effect the birth. I have spent the last 10 years thoroughly conscious of what I need to work out so as not to have my personal energy shift outcomes of Moms and babies.
I heard of a study recently...that I can't find online at the moment....where they took a dog and placed it in front of something that a dog would naturally be afraid of. They then placed other dogs surrounding the 1st dog but the other dogs could not see the thing the 1st dog could see that was stimulating fear in the 1st dog. The 1st dog then proceeded to bark and bark and produce HIGH levels of adrenaline. Within minutes, all the surrounding dogs, who could not see what the 1st dog could see, were repeatedly barking and producing the same levels of adrenaline without even KNOWING the source of what to be afraid of.
This same scenario, in my opinion, is played out in the birth environment over and over and over. The doctor/midwife starts to see things he/she feels afraid of and then once the adrenaline enters her system...it then proceeds to enter the systems of all others present. This creates a vicious circle where it seems impossible to break free from. It seems as if the more the fear escalates, the more potential complications could arise. The way that this happens is through creating self fulfilling prophesies. A belief/fear is held about pregnancy/birth. That fear is then held in place OVER the reality of the situation and eventually the very thing we fear comes about.
An example of this would be how I was sexually abused when I was young. When I am making love to my husband, he is always tender, thoughtful and kind. But because of my beliefs regarding my own sexuality and those beliefs are stored in my system or the limbic brain, I struggle at times to really see that I am not being abused any longer and my fears that I project on my husband are completely unfounded.
My hope is that ALL of us who are striving to make positive change in the birth world will look greatly at ourselves and how we might be effecting outcomes. I do believe that the majority of creative energy present in the birth scene does come from Mom, baby, Dad and close family members but I will not deny my emotional part and the energy I carry into it.
Birth is NOTHING to be afraid of. Birth is inherently safe! I choose to hold strong to this belief and only carry that into the world of birth and ask all of my human family to strive to do that same thing. This isn't the first time I've said this and it won't be the last. PEACE on EARTH truly BEGINS with PEACE at BIRTH!
In Peace,
Rachel
Omar's Rawtopia...Because its DELICIOUS!
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| Omar's Rawtopia is the BOMB! |
So because my twin mama lives VERY close to Omar's Raw food restaurant, and I was delivering her placenta to her last night, Chris and I had to head over and eat at his place last night! Omar's food is quite MAGNIFICENT. A place I highly recommend! You can learn more about raw foods HERE!
His flavors are OUTSTANDING. I have eaten at MANY raw food restaurants around the United States and have WHOLEHEARTEDLY decided that Omar's food is VERY much the BEST!
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| Beautiful Omar |
I have known Omar since the very beginning of the opening at his first location. When I started my raw food journey 10+ years ago, there was NOTHING available in terms of quick, organic raw foods you could purchase. I look now at where we've gone in 10 years and realize how much easier it is to go raw NOW then it was when I first started. There are so many fast raw foods there were unavailable in years past.
With that said, you can imagine the EXCITEMENT of those of us in the raw community when we found out there was going to be a raw food restaurant opening in SLC. But then when we actually drove up and tried the food, a whole new WORLD of EXCITEMENT opened to us. I could now go on a Friday night date with my husband and actually purchase food I eat. And its so DIVINE that even Chris enjoyed it. (even though he wasn't eating an all raw diet until 6 months ago)
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| Perusing through the raw food recipe books sold at Omar's |
The only sad part for us down here in Utah County is that Omar's seems so FAR away up in SLC. I will admit, it is SO very much worth the drive. I was ALL anxious to create a video while we were up there but then cowered out since we're still in the process of getting the video camera up and going and I still feel like a camera retard! (which means I'm not comfortable with someone video taping me in front of other people eating)
I have tried EVERYTHING on the menu and I'm going to be completely honest here (I have a hard time being anything else)....I haven't tried one thing on the menu I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Now some things I like more than others but not ONE THING on the menu did I think tasted gross or even not very good. Its all GOOD. Its actually all MORE than good. The majority of the food is HEAVENLY! Seriously, life altering. You have entered another dimension when you eat his food. No joke!
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| Omar's Chalk Wall Menu~LOVELY! |
The funnest part about eating at Omar's is you can purchase an appetizer, an entree and a dessert and still feel light, satisfied (not overly sick or full like you feel so often after eating out) and more energized than BEFORE you ate. On his menu, he lists the ingredients for each entree but then adds an extra ingredient to each and every item. That ingredient is LOVE! It says it....right on the menu. LOOK for yourself. I'm telling you his LOVE makes all the difference in his food. You really can feel it when you eat it!
I remember once Omar telling me he was an organic snob. Yes, he is and that's one of the main points I LOVE about Omar. He makes sure ALL of his food comes from an organic source and better yet, strives to purchase as much as he can locally. How COOL is that. I figure if he's gonna go to that much work to offer such an IDEAL product, I'm going to make sure I support HIM! This is how we grow local, organic businesses. We buy from them. We support them. We do what we can to help them so they can produce more of what is truly life giving and HEALTHY!
I was ALL ready to interview Omar when we got there but alas, he is visiting his home town. I am hoping to go back up and interview him so you can all feel his HEART when he speaks. He is so SINCERE and GENTLE his approach to life and he takes that sincerity and gentility into the food he creates. Only a true chef can accomplish that, in my opinion.
Here I am with my 3 favorite dishes. Its hard to say they are my favorite, really. They are on my top10 list of EXCELLENT food at Omar's. Let's just leave it at that. On the far left is his SPICY CURRIED SEAWEED roll. You can NEVER go wrong with spicy, curry or seaweed. But then when you mix them all together....you can seriously hear angels singing. Its really the sauce that makes this dish. I'm still unsure as to how he does it but OH...he does something that makes it sing to you soul!
In the middle is the PIZZA! Now when it comes to raw pizza, its very difficult to satisfy the cooked pizza craving we have but Omar's pizza does it EVERY TIME for Chris. His red sauce on the top tastes like a fresh, basil infused tomato sauce and the little crunchy things on top....which I have NO idea what they are....make the whole thing scrumptious!
On the far right is probably my FAVORITE dish. It is his Falafal Bowl. It has lettuce, tomatoes, HUGE chunks of avocado....topped with a tahini/parsley dressing. Oh, I almost forgot the crunchy goodness crackers he puts on top. They are green and truly sublime!
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| Me eating the Spicy Curried Seaweed Roll...don't be too JEALOUS! |
Lastly, I am posting some picture of the desserts he offers. His chocolate balls taste like rich, chocolately goodness. His pies can full any taste bud that they really can't be that healthy for you, but don't worry....they really ARE!
I still remember when I was pregnant with Mabel how many times Omar's food saved me from rushing to the local grocery store and buying CRAP I knew I shouldn't be eating. Chris loved me enough to take me there as often as I needed. Mabel adores Omar's food to this day. I will be discussing more about raw foods and pregnancy VERY soon. A raw food diet is a WONDERFUL way to eat during pregnancy!
Head on UP to SLC when you get the chance and try Omar's food. I PROMISE you will NOT be disappointed! It is worth every penny, every long distance you drove and every effort you made to taste ONLY the GREATEST raw food EVER!
In Peace,
Rachel
Singing Plants....You MUST hear!
I decided to post this just because I thought it was BEAUTIFUL! I already believe that plants speak and really teach us about Mother Nature. But this went above and beyond that! I adore when she talks about putting 4-5 plants together and creating songs with dance. That just SUNG to me! Literally!
So next time your in your garden, remember that plants have a spirit that resides in them. A spirit that helps give life to us through the excretion of oxygen. That helps to feed and nourish us in more ways than just through digestion. How all of life helps each other in miraculously ways!
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did and ponder the life all around us and truly strive to LISTEN to what its saying with reverence and respect.
In peace,
Rachel
The Twin Birth~My Perspective
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| Roman Tyler and Hazel Reid |
So the twin birth did happen. Oh, it happened!...this morning at 10:26 am and 10:27 am. They came only 17 hours after my post yesterday.
I really don't have words to even describe the JOY that filled the air as this birth was taking place. The birth was PHENOMENAL! That's really the only word I can even think of. PHENOMENAL!
My dear friend contacted me late afternoon yesterday to let me know she was contracting but they were only slightly uncomfortable. No pain. She was contracting about every 10 minutes. I contacted all the other WONDERFUL midwives who were supporting and helping. I let them know I believed the birth would be happening very soon.
On Monday, I felt inspired that my friend would deliver in the next couple days. So when she texted me telling me she was contracting, I wasn't surprised in the least. After receiving the texts from her, I recommended that she try and sleep just in case labor started up full force in the next few hours or even the middle of the night. The last text I received from her yesterday was about 10 pm.
I ended up not sleeping very well last night expecting that she would call me at anytime. We had our weekly prenatal set for today at 11am. I awoke this morning and frantically cleaned my house before prenatals.
At 10 am, my phone rang. It was my dear friend. She was calling to let me know that her water had just broke and her contractions were finally getting a bit more intense. I was EXCITED! I asked if she wanted me to come now and she said yes...that she thought it was time.
I spent the next 15 minutes quickly getting everything together and loaded in my car. I called the 4 other people who were going to attend the birth with me. At 10:15 am, I hopped in my car and headed on my 45 minutes drive to her home.
Within 10 minutes, to my GREAT dismay, I hit traffic caused by all the LAME construction in our area. I was still in the process of making phone calls for all the attendants when I soon realized I had a voice mail. I rushed to get off the phone and listen to my voice mail. The time the voice mail stated it was sent was 10:26 am. I then proceeded to hear my friend's husband's voice on the other end with LOUD baby cries in the back ground. Her husband was stating that Hazel, the first baby had been born. I was aghast!
I called her husband back immediately only to find that both babies had been born. Tyler was as calm as could be, letting me know (through the exceeding loud cries of both babies) that Hazel and Roman were doing GREAT! Both were strong, crying, and pink!
As I calculated the time frames from water breaking and intense contractions to birth....it had only been 26 minutes! You read that right....26 minutes from beginning of labor to birth and to top it off.... with a set of TWINS!
It still took me another half an hour to get to their home. During that time, I talked with her husband to help him know what to look for with any signs of postpartum bleeding (which there were NONE) and how to help her release the placenta. By the time I arrived, both babies were being held close, skin to skin, in the arms of their mother with the placenta sitting in a bowl between her legs.
This was one of the most MAGNIFICENT scenes I'd seen in a very long time. Truly GLORIOUS to behold. It was written all over my friends face, the AWE of the experience and the LOVE she felt at the moment. Once we entered her space, the endorphins, the oxytocin....the CONNECTION that was palpable we could ALL feel! We sat for a moment and basked in it. I'm still relishing in it!
Both babies were doing perfectly! Pink as could be...lying peacefully in their mother's arms. Ready and willing to latch on and nurse at any moment, which we helped to make happen within the few minutes after we arrived.
I will now reiterate what I stated yesterday....THIS....THIS description of the WONDERFUL birth above is how birth should be. I understand that this is not always the case and accept that but to believe anything else about birth, about the GLORY surrounding it....is truly a lie!
My dear friend worked VERY hard to prepare herself for this experience. She used her pregnancy as a time to open herself to all potentialities, growth, shifts, and changes. She opened her heart to her babies. She opened her heart to herself. She opened her heart to the WHOLE experience. She pushed away the lies and myths about birth and fully removed them from her psyche. She trusted the Divine. She trusted BIRTH!
Please check back soon because she will be writing up her pregnancy/birth experience and I will be posting it here. We will also be video taping her for future film footage in which we are in the process of putting together.
My dear friend's situation is not unique. Women all over the world are trusting birth and birthing in peace and bliss. YOU CAN TOO! If there is anything you take from this post, I hope its a recognition that YOU have all you need inside you to birth your babies in UTTER LOVE, PEACE and CALM!
In peace,
Rachel
