Fun Filled Friday

Ballet Class

Start with stretches to warm up (this takes about half the class because it takes so long to get all the little girls to get it right.  lol!)

Practice positions

Now we get to dance!

Dairy-Free Biscuits

1. Sift together
         1 cup unbleached white flour
         1 cup whole wheat flour
         2 teaspoons baking powder
         1/2 teaspoon salt

2. Cut in
         4 Tablespoons shortening

3. Gradually add
         3/4 cup plain rice milk
4. Knead for 30 seconds, roll to 1/2 inch thick, cut using any shaped cookie
   cutter or small glass.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

(Why didn't I think to use a heart shaped cookie cutter before?)

Eczema and Food sensitivity

We've been struggling with Buddy Bear's eczema since he was about 5 months old. You can see one of the spots on his forehead, and he gets it in other places all over his body as well.  Mostly we are able to keep it under control by using Renew lotion daily (Renew is a Melaleuca product.  For more information email me.), and we already have eliminated strong scents and harsh chemicals thanks to Melaleuca and their laundry, household cleaner, and bath & body lines.  But even with a prescription ointment, we still struggle at clearing up his face.  At Buddy Bear's last doctor appointment, our new doctor suggested that the trigger of his eczema might be a food allergy or intolerance .  She suggested that we try a dairy free and wheat free diet to see if it makes a difference.  A what?!  Dairy free isn't that bad (but means no graham crackers and milk, no cheese, no ranch dressing, no yogurt, just to name a few of our favorite foods!).  But wheat free?  Yikes, that's a little more overwhelming!  We've been dairy free for two of four weeks now (in most cases two weeks would be enough to see a difference, but since I'm still breastfeeding Buddy Bear, the proteins take two weeks to clear my body then two more weeks to clear his, at least so I've read).  I'm waiting to do a little more research before doing the wheat free test.  Really, this has opened a whole new can of worms for me.  I'm especially intrigued with information on Sue Dengate's website Food Intolerance Network.  Check out this list of some of the symptoms of a food sensitivity:

Airways: Asthma, Stuffy blocked or runny nose/ nasal polyps, Frequent nose bleeds,  Catarrh, chronic throat-clearing, Sinusitis, Frequent ear infections,  Frequent tonsillitis, Frequent colds and flu, symptoms of Samter’s Triad Skin: Eczema, Urticaria (hives), Cradlecap, Other skin rashes, Angioedema (swollen lips, eyes, tongue), Geographic tongue, Pruritis (itching), Allergic shiners (dark circles under eyes), Pallor (pale skin), Flushing, Excessive sweating, Body odour, Sore vagina in children  Digestive system: Recurrent mouth ulcers, Indigestion, Nausea, Bad breath, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Stomach ache, Bloating, Reflux in babies, adults, Constipation, Colic in babies, adults, Sluggish bowel syndrome (feeling of "more to come"), Soiling (sneaky poos)  Bladder: Bedwetting, Daytime incontinence, Urinary urgency, Recurrent inflammation (cystitis)  Skeletal: Growing pains, Arthritis  Eyes: Nystagmus (involuntary movement), Blurred vision  Muscles: Low muscle tone, Myalgia (muscle pain), Tics (involuntary movement), Tremor, Heart: Rapid heart beat, Heart palpitations, Cardiac arrhythmias, Pseudo heart attack (feeling of impending doom, chest pressure, pain down arm), Tachycardia (fast heart beat), Angina-type pain, HHT  Central nervous system: Headaches or migraines, unexplained tiredness, Chronic fatigue, Feeling 'hung-over', Confusion, Dizziness, Agitation, Tinnitus (noises in ear),  Hyperacusis, Paraesthesia (pins and needles), Dysaesthesia (numbness), Hypoglycemia, Epileptic seizures, Sensory symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Symptoms of lupus  Anxiety: Panic attacks, Depression, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, actions  Impaired memory: Vague or forgetful, Unable to concentrate, Won't persevere,  Unmotivated, Disorganised, Easily distracted, Difficulty reading and writing  Speech: Loud voice (no volume control), Speech hard to understand, Speech delay, Selective mutism, Stuttering, Repetitive noises, Talks too much (empty chatter)  Coordination: Poor handwriting, Poor coordination, Frequent accidents  Sleep: Difficulty falling asleep, Restless legs syndrome (RLS), Persistent night waking, Insomnia,  Nightmares/night terrors/sleepwalking  Mood: Mood swings, Premenstrual tension, Grizzly or unhappy, Cries easily or often, Irritable, Uncooperative  Oppositional defiance: ODD, Loses temper, Argumentative, Refuses requests,  Defies rules, Deliberately annoys others, Blames others for own mistakes,  Touchy, easily annoyed, Angry, resentful  Other behaviour: ADHD, ADD, Autism, Aspergers, Inattentive, easily bored, unmotivated, Restless, fidgety or overactive, Head banging, Fights with siblings, Difficulty making friends, Destructive, aggressive, Unreasonable, Demanding, never satisfied, Disruptive,  Discipline is ineffective. (http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/)

Many of the things on the list describe symptoms of my other children as well.  According to FoodIntol.com 75% of people have a food intolerance, so I continue to play detective to see what (if at all) my children are intolerant too.  Has anybody else suffered with a food intolerance or know of a good elimination diet and guide?