Stress and Wellness

That the mind and the body are interrelated, interactive, or perhaps just different names for the same thing, is by now widely accepted and supposedly understood by most - at least in theory. But in practice there is a strong persisting tendency to split the mind from the body and to devote to each an entirely separate approach and mode of understanding. Best results for all treatments of every kind of condition or illness, whether of the mind, the body, or of some unspecified mixture of both, follow from the balanced, comprehensive, nuanced attention to the total welfare of the person in his environment. The so-called holistic or biopsychosocial approach to illness and coping is perhaps still more honored in the breach than in the observance - but it is only common sense that the overall condition and well-being of the individual ought to be kept in mind and enhanced as a fundamental basis for any particular treatment of a specific condition. The stress of life is unavoidable - but it can usually be managed and shaped to produce the optimum health and happiness for the individual under the existing circumstances. Broadly definable in terms of the classic 'fight or flight reaction,' stressful states in modern man typically arise and are perpetuated in conditions where neither fight nor flight is realistic or acceptable. The result may be a state of chronic and unresolved tension and stress affecting both the physical and emotional well-being of the person. The adverse medical consequences of chronic stress and tension are well-known and amply documented, including an increased incidence of many chronic medical illnesses to a more guarded prognosis in those cases which are compounded by ongoing and unrelieved stressful life conditions. Reduction of inner and outer stress is therefore a fundamental and paramount element of basic self-care which not only lessens the unpleasant subjective consequences of neglected or mishandled stress but also improves the basic tone and physiological health of the human organism. States of emotional and psychological distress are inherently stressful and thus tend to build on themselves and establish classic 'vicious circles' in which individuals experiencing transient disturbances of coping or functioning may find themselves caught in a downward spiral of progressively ineffective or impaired self-care at the very time they most require their full health and personal resources in order to surmount the problems they are encountering. A wide variety of proven stress management and reduction techniques exist and constitute a powerful therapeutic armamentarium which can assist the re-establishment of psychological as well as physical health and homeostasis for individuals swept away by the turmoil of their inner and outer lives. All stress management begins and remains grounded in basic principles of self-care with strong behavioral(action) overtones, e.g. (1) don't do things that are bad for you, and (2) do do things that are good for you. But because the susceptibility of human beings to mental and physical stress is closely related to attitudes and ways of thinking about oneself and life, examination and change of such often unexamined assumptions figures prominently in individualized personal stress management programs provided by skilled stress management consultants.

Behavioral Medicine Associates Comprehensive Modern Mental Health Services (c) 2009 by Behavioral Medicine Associates. All rights reserved.

Highly toxic chemicals are found in laundry detergents, dryer sheets, deodorants, perfumes, soaps and other household products

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/001061.html#ixzz1SwMOuDpV

As part of National Poison Prevention Week, health officials are warning parents to keep their children away from household poisons. That's good advice, of course, but sadly very little attention is paid to slow-acting poisons and toxic chemicals found in personal care products that slowly (but surely) kill both parents and children by the millions. I'm talking about the toxic chemicals found in everyday household products that, when absorbed through the skin (as practically all chemicals are), lead directly toliver toxicity, nervous system disorders, andcancer. Let's take a look at the list:
The bathroom is one of the mosttoxicrooms in the house for most American families. People usedeodorantscontaining aluminum (Alzheimer's disease), shampoos containing harsh solvents (livertoxicity), toothpaste containing non-organic fluoride (osteoporosis), mouthwash with aspartame (brain tumors) or saccharin (cancer), and to top it off, most people slap on a dab ofperfumeor cologne containing highly toxic cancer-causingchemicals. In a laboratory analysis, one popular perfume was found to contain more than forty chemicals classified as hazardous to theliver, and yet the FDA still does not require perfume manufacturers to warn consumers about thetoxic chemicalsfound in their products.
And the bathroom is only the beginning: the laundry room is also highly toxic, containing the same chemicalperfumesin both the laundry detergent and especially thedryer sheets. Dryer sheets coat all your clothes with a layer of toxic chemicals. When you wear those clothes, your body moisture causes those chemicals to come into contact with yourskinand be absorbed directly into your bloodstream. It's an easy way topoisonyour system with cancer-causing chemicals.
The kitchen is also highly toxic:consumerspurchase antibacterialsoapproducts made with a potent nerve chemical similar to agent orange -- that's what kills thebacteria. They also use automatic dishwashing detergent containing yet more chemicals and toxicfragrancecompounds that coat the plates, glasses and silverware with a thin layer of cancer-causing chemicals. Subsequently, families then eat off those dishes and ingest the chemicals.
In the yard, people use horrific quantities of pesticides and herbicides with seemingly no care whatsoever about thehealthconsequences of doing so. I had a neighbor once who couldn't stand themolestunneling through his back yard, so he coated his entire yard with a chemical (purchased at a local home & lawn store) that would poison and kill all the worms. With the worms gone, the moles had to look forfoodsomewhere else. In the mind of my neighbor, he solved the problem! Of course, he was oblivious to the fact that he wiped out the all-important biodiversity of his lawn and would thereafter be dependent on a long list of chemicals to battle one lawn disease after another, arising from the fact that all the worms were dead. (Your lawn needs worms to be healthy.)
Some people just don't get it. They think chemicals solve these problems, and they have absolutely no regard for nature. You see the same thing in organized medicine, of course, where doctors and pharmaceutical companies push chemicals onto patients in much the same way that my neighbor used chemicals to kill all the worms in his lawn. Yes, you could say the ploy "worked" in one sense, but only in a very narrow-minded, short-term way. Modernmedicineoperates with much the same mindset. I've always said that ifmodern medicinewere responsible for treating lawns, they would diagnose a shortage of water as "yellow grassdisease" and prescribe "green lawn paint" at $100 / gallon to make the lawn look greener.
But getting back tohouseholdpoisons: the most dangerouspoisonsare not the ones labeled as such. Most people aren't even aware that their perfumes and colognes are poisons. They have no clue that most deodorants causeAlzheimer'sdisease. They're not even aware that dryer sheets coat their clothes in a thin layer of chemicals that promote liver cancer. So they keep buying and using all theseproducts, day after day, oblivious to the reality. Product manufacturers, meanwhile, absolutely deny the health consequences of their products. They acknowledge that the chemicals are present, but they claim the skin doesn't absorb them. That's nonsense, of couse: the skin absorbs practically all chemicals. That's why the "patch" medicines work in the first place: the medicine is absorbed through the skin.
Spread the word. Send a friend this article and let them know to avoid these products. Here's what to use instead: fordeodorant, make your own with 50% baking soda mixed with 50% corn starch. It won't stop the sweating, but it will stop the odor unless you follow a terrible diet, in which case you will need to probably stopeatingred meat and drinking cow's milk before the stink will subside. For soap in the shower, use Dr. Bronner's soaps (find them athealth foodstores). For laundry detergent and automatic dishwasher soap, buy Seventh Generation products at a health foodstore. Make sure you buy all these as "fragrance free" products. Fragrance is the source of many toxic chemicals. You'll want to avoid fragrance at all costs. For perfumes and colognes, you'll have to buy natural products made exclusively with essential oils, not artificial chemicals. These can be very, very expensive. So you might consider just wearing no perfumes at all. I'm sure everyone around you will greatly appreciate it anyway, since most people put onfar too muchfragrance as their senses are dulled to the smell of their selected fragrance.
Fragrance actually dulls the mind and the senses, by the way. That's a completely different topic, but the short version is that if you wear perfume and use fragrance in your laundry, your mind is dulled. By using only fragrance-free products, you will literally become more intelligent. No kidding.

For a safe family, home, and environment go to:
www.WahmQueen.com
(disregard the work from home, if only interested in over 350 everyday essentials)

Parenting Sober

How becoming a mom helped me overcome addiction

By Sarah Bregel   |  May 16, 2011

In the past fourteen months, the age of my now-sleeping daughter, I have been so stressed, anxious, overwhelmed by feedings, diapers, all of the needs of my beautiful little girl that I have lost a large piece of the person I used to be. All mothers must feel this way I think, but I can truthfully say now that I don’t think it’s possible to remain the person that you once were, even in part, when fully embracing motherhood. That sounds terrible and anti-feminist, but what I mean is that you grow into someone different completely.

I was not prepared for this — not in the slightest. I had just turned 24 when I got pregnant. That doesn’t sound very young, but for me it felt young. I had only been dating Piper’s father for about 8 months, although impulsive as we once were, we were already living together. The two of us spent our days and nights drinking massive amounts of alcohol that now makes my stomach do a flip to even think of. The combination of our personalities was an addict’s disaster. When I thought about having a baby, I of course didn’t understand the reality of it, as my mother persistently pointed out to me. I didn’t understand the “full-time” aspect of the new role. Though I had no close friends with children, I knew of parents that seemed to still go out, party, and have a great time. I didn’t realize then, that for us, everything had to change, and it has taken me this long to truly realize it.

I was a mediocre student, artist, employee, and drinking was mostly to blame. I did not want to be a mediocre parent.

From the time I had been old enough to be interested in drinking, I had never thought about living without it. At 14, I looked forward to weekends spent tromping around alleys with my girlfriends, swigging pints of vodka. In college, it was daily happy hours that often turned into sleepless nights and sitting on our porch, day-drinking. The list of addicts in my family goes back a long way, and my life had revolved around drinking for 10 years straight. I don’t think I really knew who I was when you got rid of all that. I’m not sure I do now, but I’m learning.

When I got pregnant, my most frequent and beloved activity was taken away. We were broke and scared, but I quit drinking cold turkey — and pretty effortlessly, due to the nausea that persisted until the minute I pushed Piper out of my body. But I had also become anti-social. People expected the glowing mother-to-be, but I was nothing of the sort. I didn’t want to be around people who were drinking, and my friends became reminders of a life I was leaving behind.

At the time I gave little thought to the effect that taking away my biggest stress-reliever would have. I pushed my feelings down so deep in order to do what I needed to do — be a mother — and I was determined to be a good one. So determined, in fact, that around 7 weeks post-partum I actually gave myself heart palpitations, which I still have today. In the same week that I went to the emergency room, Piper came down with infant botulism, a rare and dangerous disease, and we spent two weeks in the P.I.C.U. I was having daily panic attacks that made my chest tighten up and my heart pound. I kept telling myself, “You’re just stressed; you’re just overwhelmed.” But why didn’t I have the capacity to deal with these things better? Probably because I had spent 10 years drinking away any anxiety that ever came into my life. What seemed to me like normal teenage behavior I now know had a huge impact on my ability to handle stress, not only emotionally but physically.

Throughout my life I had been okay with being mediocre at a lot of things. I was a mediocre student, artist, employee, and drinking was mostly to blame for that mediocrity, because it always came first. But what has been the most life-changing discovery is that I did not want to be a mediocre parent. I couldn’t let drinking come first anymore.

Almost two years since seeing the plastic strip say “positive,” I finally feel that I am embracing and settling into this new life. I am inspired and joyful once again and I have my daughter to thank. Perhaps I never knew what real joy was and am only learning it now, because it feels different than ever before. My numbness and sadness and yearning for an old life that was slowly killing my body and my mind is surely going away and being replaced by an active person who lives her life with intention.

Formaldehyde now officially listed as cancer-causing chemical; here are the top sources of exposure...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 by: J. McDonough-Horton

(NaturalNews) Formaldehyde is present in relatively benign quantities in nature; however its presence in manufactured goods is a major health concern because according to a significant body of research, it is a known carcinogenic substance.

Recently the U.S Department of Health and Human Services released a report on newly designated carcinogens that included formaldehyde. The report went on to suggest that people in certain industries were especially vulnerable to the effects of exposure such as those workers who worked in nail salons, in the funeral industry, and in industries which useformaldehydeto produce commonhouseholditems includinghomefurnishings, cleansers andpersonal care products. People who are exposed to concentrated levels of formaldehyde are more likely to develop certain cancers such as nasopharyngealcancerand myeloid leukemia.

While some effort has been made to limit the quantities of formaldehyde used in manufacturing, such as restrictions recently placed by the US in The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, thistoxicchemical remains a significanthealthrisk especially in confined spaces for prolonged periods of time.

Formaldehyde is classified as a volatile organic compound or VOA. This term is used to describe compounds that are under significant vapor pressure and are easily expelled into the air. Because formaldehyde is readily vaporized can be a serious indoor pollutant.

Products which may contain formaldehyde include:

* Wood composite furniture including; resins used for office furniture, couches, babyfurniture, particle board, pressed board, plywood, and softwood.

* Building materials such as acoustical ceilings, mineral wool, decking, composite core doors, industrial glues, foam insulation, paints and paint thinners.

* Household cleansers such as floor polishes, scouring cleansers, disinfectants, liquid cleansers, laundry aids, air fresheners, carpet cleaners.

* Household items such as wall hangings, carpets or throw rugs, coating on paperproducts, textiles, plastics, and upholstery.

* Personal care products such ashairstraightening products, hair rinses, and cosmetics such as nail polish and hair gel often contain formaldehyde. Baby products including shampoos, creams and bubble bath are frequently laced with formaldehyde. Toothpaste andbodywashes are also potentialsourcesof this carcinogenic ingredient.

* Clothing that is designated wrinkle free or preshrunk frequently contains formaldehyde. It has also been found in baby clothes and bedding.

* Formaldehyde is also a key component in the familiar newcarsmell of recently purchased vehicles.

* Car exhaust and cigarette smoke also contain formaldehyde.

* Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant in laboratory settings, and is also used in the embalming process.

There are ways to reduce exposure to formaldehyde including buying products that are formaldehyde free. Another important way to reduce exposure is to be certain to properly ventilate the house. Here are some other suggests to reduce formaldehyde exposure:

1. Frequently air out the house. Formaldehyde concentrations in the home may alsoleadto allergic reactions may contribute to asthma attacks and contribute to other respiratory problems, rashes, irritation to mucus membranes, and fatigue. Children may be especially vulnerable.

2. Formaldehyde may be more readily released into the air in hot and humid spaces. Keep the area cool and dry in summer weather if possible.

3. Pressed wood products or composite wood frequently contains resins made with formaldehyde. Avoid purchasing these products or look for products that are listed as containing no formaldehyde or low formaldehyde. One example of a product labeled for reduced formaldehyde content would be a C.A.R.B phase 1 or 2 compliant product which is The California Air Resource Board endorsement. California has long recognized the carcinogenic properties of formaldehyde.

4. Wash all new clothing before wearing it. Clothing manufacturers in the U.S and some other countries are not required to label materials containing formaldehyde though many of their products do.

5. Do not allow smoking in the home. Smoke from cigarettes is a leading cause of formaldehyde exposure and indoor pollution.

6. When refinishing or sanding an old piece of furniture or woodwork wear a mask and use adequate ventilation. Sawdust from these items may contain high levels of formaldehyde.

7. Combinations of cleansers can be deadly so don't mix them. Use proper ventilation when using ordinary household cleansers. Although many of them smell fresh and clean they are chemical cocktails that frequently contain formaldehyde.

8. Use low-VOC or no-VOC paints.

9. Buy only personal care and baby care items that are formaldehyde free. Be especially diligent with nail polishes, hair straightening products as both of these items may contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde.

The recent addition of formaldehyde to the list of known cancer causing agents may lead to tougherlawsregulating its use in consumer products and is a significant step to protecting the welfare of the public from this toxic substance. Until laws change however, it will be up to consumers to take steps to protect their home and families from formaldehyde.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032765_formaldehyde_carcinogenic.html#ixzz1SkJsP8RP


For 100% safe products that are harmless to your family, home, and environment go to 
www.wahmqueen.com 
(disregard the work from home if only interested in products)

Domestic Enemies of the Special Needs Mommy

This post is brought to you by Stark.Raving.Mad.Mommy who is awesome and amazing.  Her blog is incredible and hilarious and if you haven't read it, you really should. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wrote about my little corner of Mommyland (which is called either Special Needsville or Yes My Child Rides the Short Bus Damnit) last year in a post called A Rant from Special Needs Mommyland. However, I am still fielding jackhole questions from random muttonheads, so apparently I need to be even more specific about the Domestic Enemies of the SPECIAL NEEDS Mom. Do you know some of these people? Feel free to share this post with them. If we all work together, we can cure Jackhole Comment Disorder in 2011!

The Nosy Parkers

I was well-familiar with the Nosy Parkers before I even had Little Dude. My first two babies are twins, and believe me, people have no qualms about asking questions like "Do twins run in your family?" when what they really mean is "Did you do fertility treatments?" Which, in turn, actually means "please tell me about the most emotionally difficult time in your life so I can compare you to Octomom later when I tell my friends about it." (For more about jackholes and multiples, see the excellent post Domestic Enemies of the Multiples Mom.

Now that we have Little Dude (and now that my twins look so different that no one thinks they're twins), the questions have changed.

How about I just answer all the questions right now?

• No, he is not "just like" Rain Man.
• Yes, I know he doesn't "look" autistic. (I'm not sure what people think autism looks like. They seem to think this is some kind of compliment. It's actually just confusing.)
• No, praying really, really hard will probably not "cure" him.
• Yes, I know he's really cute. It turns out the Special Needs Fairy doesn't care.
• Yes, we do discipline him. But no, we're not going to "spank the autism right out of him."
• Also, please know that if you ask me if I took antidepressants while I was pregnant, I may punch in you in the throat.

The Parenting Experts
Little Dude is five, and not toilet-trained. He often needs to be carried; usually this is because he's overwhelmed by his surroundings. The Parenting Experts like to ask back-handed "helpful" questions, like "Isn't he getting a little big for Pull-Ups / being carried / having a meltdown on the floor of Target?" The thing is, he's autistic, not deaf. And while he's emotionally 36 months old, academically he's seven years old. So he knows what you're saying, jackhole. And you putting pressure on him to change things he has no control over? Does not help us one bit. 

Here's a pro tip: If you see a kid who looks "too big" for diapers, believe me, the parent a) already knows his/her child is in diapers; b) is not lazy (it's actually a lot of work to change diapers year after year); and c) has already tried every suggestion you have. Telling us your 18-month-old child potty-trained in two days because you used a sticker chart is not helpful advice; it's showing off. Shut. Up.

Then someone says, for example, "Isn't he getting a little big to be carried?" they're actually saying "put that kid down and stop spoiling your child." The thing is, when I'm holding my freaked-out, 50-pound child while simultaneously pushing a grocery cart, it's not really the best time for me to stop and explain about autism, sensory integration, frustration tolerance and how overwhelmed and terrified he is right now. I'd hand out little cards to explain it, but I'd need a third hand for that.

I honestly don't understand why anyone gives a crap if, when, why, or how long I carry him. It's not like I'm asking the Random Muttonheads to lug him around. It's also an excellent upper-body workout for me, and Maude knows I don't have time/money to go to a gym. And yet, it inexplicably bothers some people tremendously to see me comforting my child in this way.

A family we're friends with has a son with microcephaly and ataxia (loss of motor function). Because he's obviously profoundly disabled, most people have the good sense to just shut the hell up. On the other hand, because he's obviously profoundly disabled, sometimes people think he has no idea what's going on around him, which isn't true. It would be awesome if you didn't ask about his life expectancy in front of him.

Speaking of horrifying comments, I also have friends with a daughter with both autism and a degenerative mitochondrial disease. They have been asked, "So how long are you going to let her live like this?" By actual nurses. Um, holy crap. On a less chilling note, these parents also constantly get the "isn't she getting a little big for pacifiers?" Really? You want to take away the one thing that, oh I don't know ... pacifies a child who's in almost constant pain? Bite me.

The Medical Experts

Autism is in the news a lot. Sometimes it's in the news because a celebrity has written a book about their autistic child and how he or she was "cured" through the use of prayer / ABA Therapy / chelation / organic zucchini / oxygen chambers / leeches / Eye of Newt imported from Transylvania. 

The one thing scientists know for sure about autism is that it can't be cured. There are therapies that help, but no one therapy helps all autistic people. Lots of kids feel (and behave) differently depending on their diet; going gluten-free, for example, seems to help some families. The important take-home message here is that reading a review of a celebrity book in People does not actually qualify you to give me advice.

The Actual Medical Experts

Sometimes the actual medical experts are more annoying than the faux medical experts. I've read enough studies on things that might cause an increased risk of autism, thanks. Also, we've had enough studies that conclude that girls are slipping through the cracks of autism diagnosis. How about you get back to me when you've figured out a better way to diagnose them?

Also, a lot of medical specialists like to play a little game called Pass the Annoying Incurable Buck. Neurology would like you to see Orthopedics, who sends you to Psychology, who tells you to see the Feeding Clinic, where they tell you to see Gastroenterology, which sends you to Allergy, which recommends Neurology. By this time, Mommy needs to see both Psychology and a Financial Advisor.

The Starers

When Little Dude has a public meltdown, it's a spectacle. I get it. And if you're under the age of, say, ten, go ahead and stare. I'll just smile weakly and wave. But if you're a grown adult, you don't get to just stand there, mouth agape, and stare at my son. Yes, I know he's kicking the floor, crying, and screaming incoherently. The starers are thinking either "get control of your child" or "just go ahead and buy him the Snickers bar already." You know what those thoughts get you? A sure bet that your next child or grandchild will be the meltdown-havin'est baby evah. So good luck with that.

 

 "There's nothing to see here, folks. 
 Just a child having a meltdown.  Move along."



Next time you see a mom at Target with a melting-down child, here are some alternatives to staring: Smile. Nod knowingly. Offer the "we've all been there" commiseration. (On the other hand, if you see a child with a melting-down mom, you should do what Kate did.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Don't forget to check out Stark.Raving.Mad.Mommy - she's awesome! 

Tattoos and Parenting

POSTED BY DANIELLE625 ON JULY 14TH, 2011 AT 8:42 AM

Yes, I have Tattoos and a two month old! 

In the past couple weeks I have seen a couple posts, and publications around the internet talking about Moms with tattoos. I have to say, I didn’t click on any of them because the titles alone sent my blood boiling as I am the main character in their outlandish tales – A Tattooed Mother.

So I started thinking about what could really be said, and what kind of assumptions could be made.  I mean, in reality we know what happens when you makeassumptions too!

But does having a tattoo instantly make you a bad parent, or does the ink that was placed into your skin suddenly make your parenting choices, and judgment clouded?  I mean really people, are we going out on that limb?

I am sure there are people out there who have had momentary lapses in judgement that have resulted in a stupid tattoo they hate a month after the fact or let their better judgement slip when deciding on a piece of artwork… but the majority of us who do have tattoos took serious time to sit down and plan them, design them, and have meaning behind them, the same we do with the choices we make while parenting our child.

In life, we all have bad choices we have made, whether it was a past relationship or just a friendship that ended the way we wouldn’t have liked it to… but does having regret send us into the bad parent category?   Of course not, because then we would all be bad parents!

Why not start from birth teaching our children acceptance of others, whether they choose to have children, and tattoos, or may just dress in a manner we never would ourselves.

To answer the new question, and Mom war du jour … Yes Moms can have tattoos and be awesome, responsible, loving mothers to their children!

Is this just another example of ridiculous mom wars?

By: me

Yes, I understand that people have opinions on everything, but when someone questions parenting skills on tattoos, I really just think it is more of judgement more than anything else.

It is the parents without tattoos who actually think that body art or the expression of art is a direct link to how someone parents.  

My sister is one of those people.  She is a straight laced lawyer (who is great, and I love her), but we are as different as night and day.  She doesn't judge me for my tattoos, but she did ask me a question when she started having kids:  "What do I tell my kids about your tattoos and tongue ring?"  My response: "People are different, and express themselves in different ways."  And to me, that is all it really is.  I dress nice, I work in a professional field, I volunteer at my kids school and helped out with a community center, so there is no way that my expression of body art is in anyway influencing the way I raise my kids.  

When I asked my friend Monica what she thought about parenting and kids her response was "Their like kids in the sense of they like to multiply."

That my friends is the opinion of parents with tattoos and the most amazing children in the world.

Natural Foodie: Kids & kale?

Anyone who believes preschoolers won't eat broccoli or kale, let alone try tempeh or quinoa, needs to take a trip to the Youth & Family Outreach daycare center in Portland.

click image to enlarge

Five-year-old Nunga Zangada recently tried gazpacho for the first time. "I liked it a lot," she said. "And I ate the fruits and I liked the salad."

She's not the only one enjoying the new foods.

"The feedback from the parents has been, 'I can't believe my child is eating this,' " said assistant director Michelle Greenlaw. "It's inspired them to serve some of these foods at home."

This is no surprise to K Yacks, the center's cook.

"Kids do eat kale," said Yacks, who has a degree in urban agriculture and political economy from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., and worked for years as a chef in high-end restaurants in Chicago, New Orleans and Seattle. "We're developing palates for this food."

LOCAL ON A BUDGET

Sure, you may be thinking, this is all well and good for the children of yuppies and foodies, who regularly dine on sushi and spinach salads. But it's not going to work if the children aren't used to these foods.

The majority of the children at the daycare do not come from privileged backgrounds.

"Seventy-nine percent of our families are low income," said Camelia Babson-Haley, the center's director. "Everybody should be able to eat local, whole, healthy foods."

The appeal of processed foods comes from both their convenience and the fact that foods loaded with trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup are relatively cheap.

But even with weekly trips to the Portland Farmers Market and purchases of organic food from Maine farms and suppliers, Youth & Family Outreach is only averaging $20 more per week in food costs.

"I want to go through a year and see if it really went up," Babson-Haley said of the weekly costs. "Some of the meals are really inexpensive, like rice and beans. And if you're eating in season, you're eating what's cheaper."

The center's food budget is $15,000 per year, which feeds 40 students and eight staff members five days a week.

"Our budget is really tight and getting tighter," Babson-Haley said, noting that both grant money and government reimbursements are shrinking. "For example, it costs $300 a week to take care of an infant, and we get $200 a week from the state."

It costs between $186 and $230 per week, depending on age, to send a child to the daycare center. Low-income families pay between $167 and $200 per week, which is generally covered by the state.

"One of the things that has made it more affordable for us is not eating meat every day," Yacks said.

Meatless meals include dishes such as roasted chickpeas with turmeric potatoes, Costa Rican beans and rice, pesto pasta with black bean tempeh, and enchilada lasagna with local beans, cheese, sauce and spinach.

In addition to being budget conscious, Yacks needs to cater to a variety of special diets.

"We have dairy, egg and nut allergies" among the students, she said. "We also have some kids who don't eat pork, and five vegetarians."

When meat is on the menu, it comes from Hannaford's Nature's Place brand, which doesn't contain antibiotics or growth hormones. Yacks serves it in dishes that include turkey sloppy joes and baked chicken breast with quinoa and steamed broccoli.

Breakfast brings offerings such as whole grain blueberry muffins, fresh fruit, cold cereal, hot oatmeal or whole grain vegan pancakes.

While whole foods and fresh vegetables abound on the menu, one thing in short supply is sugar. Sugary drinks and even 100 percent juice were eliminated years ago, and these days Yacks keeps a sharp eye on the amount of sugar in her recipes.

"I use 1/3 of a cup of sugar when I make 43 muffins," Yacks said.

Birthday celebrations take place once a month, and rather than cupcakes, the kids enjoy fruit smoothies or fruit kabobs.

MAKING FOOD KID-FRIENDLY

"K has really worked with the teachers to help present the food," Babson-Haley said.

A good example is the Thai chicken salad. The first time the toddler group was served this meal, they balked. But Yacks realized if the salad was separated into its constituent parts of rice noodles, chicken and leafy greens, the youngest students would be more willing to try these new foods. And it worked.

"It becomes, 'Oh my gosh, my food is fun,' " Yacks said.

One of the first changes the center made involved its bread purchases.

When Yacks took over the kitchen post, she discovered that the only breads in the organization's price range contained high-fructose corn syrup, a highly processed sweetener that has been linked to obesity in medical studies.

She found a Nature's Place bread that didn't contain any artificial ingredients, but it came with a $2.99 per loaf price tag.

Then she met the folks who run the Portland-based Bomb Diggity Bakery, which employs people with intellectual disabilities to make baked goods using all-natural ingredients. Yacks was able to work out a deal to buy whole grain bread at the wholesale price of $2.25 per loaf.

The purchasing agreement has since been expanded to include granola bars, English muffins, wheat rolls and hamburger buns. All the baked goods are free of dairy, eggs and nuts.

"I don't use ketchup on anything, and I'm making all the salad dressings from scratch," Yacks said.

Since those scratch-made dressings include miso-thaini and buttermilk ranch, it's no wonder the youngsters are gobbling up their veggies.

Changing to minimally processed foods has also required some creative maneuvering.

"When we switched to natural peanut butter, we had to put it in a Skippy jar for the first month," said Greenlaw.

Babson-Haley sees another challenge in maintaining such a high-quality meal program.

"We can't afford to pay K what she deserves to be paid," Babson-Haley said.

At the end of the month, Yacks will be leaving her post to move to New York City. Babson-Haley intends to look for a similarly minded person to carry on the innovative food program.

RESTORING FOOD CONNECTIONS

The Youth & Family Outreach students tend a series of raised beds along Preble Street, and the fresh vegetables they grow show up in their lunches.

"One of the big issues with food is we've lost the connection to where food comes from," Babson-Haley said.

The center's new food program wants to restore this connection by introducing the children to farmers and food suppliers and teaching them how to compost.

"Our compost goes to the farm, and the farm's produce comes here," Yacks said. "They're seeing the full cycle."

Lual Maker, 5, appreciates knowing where his food comes from and where it goes.

"I like when they bring the English muffins," he said of the deliveries from Bomb Diggity Bakery.

Lual, like many of the students, has become an expert composter. When asked what can't be put in the compost bins, he doesn't hesitate before saying, "no milk, no meat and no water."

As Yacks said, "This is the future of our food."

 By Avery Yale Kamila akamila@mainetoday.com

Staff Writer  The Portland Press Herald