getting greener

So quick update before we get to the main part of this post:  Cannen is still perfect and Eric is still handsome.  Nothing much has changed around here! ;)  Cannen is learning new things everyday.  He now pretty much sits up by himself, rolls over, communicates well, and has been teething a bit.... even though we have yet to actually see a tooth.  Annnd he's STANDING UP (well, standing up holding onto the couch or something)! He is so uninterested in crawling, he's just decided to work on standing up! He's such a chill baby too. Even when hes fussy, he's never that fussy.  His new thing that we are working to break him of while he's young is separation anxiety.  Ohhhh the separation anxiety.  When I walk away from him he has a mini breakdown until he sees me again.  When I put him on the floor with toys and don't sit with him... breakdown.  At first it was super cute because he just loves me that much but now it's just annoying.  Other than that, Eric's job is going great, I'm still happy everyday with my great life, and Cannen is healthy and happy and that's all we can ask for!

Now for my real blog post.  This isn't just for mommies-- keep reading.
When becoming a mama you just become SO much more aware of the things around you and your baby.  I think before I eat anything (mostly because I'm breastfeeding) and I'm EXTRA particular about food. I also read labels on most everything-- food, baby products, toys, cleaning products, clothes tags-- and I research everything.  Is this okay to clean the table with?  Is this okay to give baby to play with?  Is this food going to give baby an upset stomach?  I'm not to an obsessive level and I'm not too annoyingly particular with things, but then again compared to other people maybe I am.
Mostly, what I've learned is that I wish I had known half this stuff before I was pregnant because I would have implemented some of the it a looooong time ago.  I feel like there are so many things out there that people don't know about so here are some tips for healthier living:  (Note: this isn't a lifestyle change-- it's just little things you can add to live healthier everyday)

HEALTHY FOOD:  Here are my two priorities when buying food:

Buy Organic:  Buying Organic has been a growing trend but it REALLY IS IMPORTANT.  Whether you're worried about the environment, your health, or animal welfare, it matters.  I personally agree that those three things intersect importantly.
What does Organic really mean?  If it's a fruit or legume, it wasn't sprayed with toxic chemicals and farmers couldn't use GMO's (genetically modified seeds). (p.s. GMO's are banned in all of Europe because of their toxicity... the FDA hasn't banned them because, well, mass, fast production is the name of the game these days. Gross.)  If it's meat, the animals weren't given antibiotics or hormones and were fed an 100% organic diet.  I don't want that in my body and it can have bad, lasting effects when eating all that modified food.

Here's something scary:  Synthetic Pesticides, which are sprayed on most all conventional produce, are among the TOP TEN chemicals associated with increases in autistic children and learning disabilities. Buying all organic all the time is impossible and expensive so just choose the produce with the highest content of pesticides to move over to your "organic" list.

These dirty items are:  

Apples

Celery

Bell Peppers

Peaches

Strawberries

Grapes

Lettuce

Cucumber

Blueberries

Potatoes

Green beans

Kale/greens

My second priority is Buying Local:  Think about the fruit you're buying from the grocery store in January.  Most of it was shipped from Chile or China.  It takes four to seven days to GET to the grocery store which is about a week of being hauled on nasty freight trains or trucks.  Produce starts to lose it's nutritional value the MINUTE it's picked.  If we're honest, you'll go crazy trying to find/buy everything on your grocery list locally so ofcourse there will be the quick pick-up from the store BUT the more you visit and get to know your local farmers markets you'll be able to gradually move more and more of your foods over to your "buy local" list.  PLUS, and just as importantly, buying local helps out your small business owners and farmers.  The same amount of money for healthier produce AND helping the local economy?-- DO IT!

Here are some links to some favorite farmers markets around Richmond:
http://www.lakesidefarmersmarket.net/
http://growrva.com/
http://byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com/

If you DON'T live in Richmond, go to this website, plug in your zipcode, and it will tell you where your local farms and farmers markets are!--   www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets

To find out which vegetables are the best and most "in-season" at any time in YOUR area, go here and plug in your zip:  www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal


I'm going to make this into a little series.  Next post will be Friday and I'll cover a little bit more on healthy living. I'm hoping you all can learn a little bit and start eating and growing and living healthier!!!