Children’s Toothpaste And Artificial Sweetenters

I can’t remember exactly when I started brushing my son’s teeth/gums, but I believe it was sometime during the later part of his first year. I was a Gymboree Play & Music class and we used to have a “question” time as part of each class where the teacher would ask a question and all of the moms would go around the room and answer it. This week’s question was on brushing your child’s teeth. All I remember thinking was “Am I supposed to be brushing his teeth?” The thought had never occurred to me! So I went to the store, bought some “children’s toothpaste” and started the routine.

Well, my son is now four and in an effort to encourage “independence” while brushing his teeth, we have gone back to the “toddler toothpaste” which he loves. He will brush away as long as he can lap up all of the yummy berry flavored toothpaste.

One day, while he was brushing away, I was a little bored and started reading the ingredients on the back of the toothpaste container. We used the Orajel Toddler Toothpaste in the Thomas tube. I was shocked and extremely dismayed to realize that the toothpaste that my son was using – specifically designed for young children – has SACCHARIN in it! Not just any artificial sweetener, but the very one that was banned for so many years because it was determined to cause CANCER!

WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY CHOOSE TO PUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS IN CHILDREN’S TOOTHPASTE??

I can’t believe I have been using this toothpaste on my son’s teeth for 4 years (on and off) and never before did I even dream to CHECK THE LABEL to see if it had anything bad in it. It is DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN after all! So I went to the store and checked out all of the brands of toothpaste targeted at children – EVERY SINGLE ONE contains SACCHARIN. Recently I was in Canada and stopped in a drug store there too. I thought for sure Canada would have a ban on saccharin in children’s toothpaste, but to my dismay, they are all full of saccharin up in Canada too.

Just the other day I was at my local grocery store and asked one of the employees to help me find an organic toothpaste that was fruit flavored (I can find the mint ones, but my son hates those) and didn’t contain fluoride (because my son still swallows the toothpaste) and also was FREE OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. Well, we looked all around the toothpaste aisle and the only saccharin free brands had fluoride. So this sweet girl helping us said that there were other toothpastes in the baby aisle. So we trekked over there and found that low and behold – they do exist – there were actually TWO different brands of toothpaste that were free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and fluoride! And they were fruit flavored too!
I let my son pick which one he wanted and he picked the JASON’S Natural Products Organic Kids’ Only toothpaste. He loves it! And I love it even more because it is free of all of the hazards that most companies are putting into products targeted at children!

Here is the description:

* Kids Only!
* Wheat and Gluten Free
* Sulfate, fluoride and Saccharin Free
* No Artificial Colors or Flavors

Jason Kid’s Only! Toothpaste delivers fun fruity freshness and an easy to squeeze tube. Delicious Natural Orange flavor keeps the kids coming back for more. Calcium Carbonate keeps teeth clean and healthy.

When was the last time you looked at your children’s toothpaste? Have you found other resources for healthy alternatives to the ‘big name’ brands?? Please share them by leaving a comment on this post.

Have The Best 2010 Possible – Tips For Moms

By Tracy Liebmann

I want you to start living the Life of your dreams! We are all amazing a divine people, who sometimes get off track or loose sight of our souls purpose. I believe every bit of change starts within us and I’d like to draw your focus back to the source that is within you.

2010 can be the first year of the rest of your life!

As Mothers we work hard 24/7…365! We care for others and sometimes forget ourselves. That strategy does not *really* benefit anyone.

“In trying to satisfy all, I may be able to satisfy none” ~Gandhi

So let’s get the focus back on our very important selves this year, it is not selfish to care for self…it is wise and necessary…especially for Mothers!! Let’s explore things we can do for ourselves as a whole divine person; let’s break it down into three very important parts!

Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit

Body

• Rest! Our bodies need a certain amount of rest to function well. I know for Mothers this can be a challenge, yet it needs to be a top priority! Sleep deprivation can have a serious negative impact on how well we are able to care for ourselves and our family!
• No excuses…look for solutions to your sleep issues and get more REST!!
• Diet/Nutrition. Let’s talk diet first, since this is the time of year that everyone thinks about the great new diet plan they will carry out in 2010. I would like to remind you to come from a place of self love when considering dieting. Dieting from a place of self hatred will never end well. You may lose the weight, but it will be back – Love yourself enough to eat well, not from hating your big butt, but from loving yourself!
• Exercise. Getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine, with your heart pumping and your lungs filling with sweet air is very important not only for your waistline but also for your brain. I will say the same thing I said above…Exercise out of love for Self, not from a place of hatred or punishment. Go out with the kids and play kick ball, take a walk or run with the stroller. Enjoy life…Enjoy your body!
• Water. Drink lots of water! That’s all I’m gonna say on that subject, you know why!
• Massage. This is not just a fabulous way to spend a Saturday afternoon. It is actually good for you. It releases toxins, and keeps your body working well from the inside out! Caring for self is a necessity, not a luxury! OK, I just have to say…I don’t care what your husband thinks (gasp)! Do it for yourself, show yourself love and nurturing…your worth it!!

Mind

How do you care for your mind? How do you “clear your head?” Caring for your mental health is *very* important and needs to be done on a daily basis!

• Quiet. Everyday find a way to quiet your mind. I know quiet is a valuable commodity for a Mother! Every valuable commodity is worth seeking right?! It can look different for everyone. Some people take 15 minutes to meditate; others may break their quiet time down to 5 minutes in morning, noon and night. Some may breathe deep, close their eyes and relax while a child is nursing. It’s all good – Find a way to quiet your mind daily!
• Support. Mothers need loving support! Find other Moms that you have a lot in common with; with similar parenting styles and plan weekly meet ups. Hire a Life Coach that has similar philosophy about family and children as you do. However and whereever you can, look for and find loving support. Again that is an act of self care and you are important enough to receive it!
• Ask For Help. We really don’t have to do it all!! We can ask for help. If you are feeling like you have no one to ask…start looking for solutions. Find a babysitter you can trust, hire a cleaning person, even ask the kids and Husband where they would be willing to help.
• Body. If you take good care of your body; getting enough rest, exercise and nutrition your mind will be functioning at its best, so revisit that subject and ask yourself what your mind needs to feel better.

Spirit

To me spirit is about heart and soul; for Mothers this is a very powerful part of the body, mind, and spirit paradigm! Taking good care, listening to and honoring our spirit is extremely important!

• Spirituality. For some this means religion and church going; for others it means we are all connected and one with source and lots of in between! So I am writing this in a general way. Honor your beliefs, even if they are different than others that are close to you. Life is an individual journey that is connected to others for the reasons of love, support and growth. Make time for yourself to honor your beliefs; go to church, join a group, meditate and/or pray. Care for your spiritual side.
• Authentic Self. *Knowing* ourselves at the deepest level and honoring who we are is especially important to feeling our best. If we are not following our inner voice or true selves we will feel unhappy and out of sorts because we are going against our highest good. Often through years of societal conditioning we lose sight of who we really are. We have lost our Authentic (true) Selves. If this is striking a cord for you, and you are feeling like; yes this is what is happening to me. Following the suggestions already mentioned here in this article will help…yet you may also desire some extra support. This is my *passion* to help women find their Authentic Selves, please e-mail me and I can send you more articles and information that will help you uncover what the layers of life have buried.

Tracy Liebmann is an experienced educator, Certified Family Life Coach, and Author. She believes deeply that great communication is the key to better connection with your loved ones. She mothers her two teenaged children from the heart, knowing that is where the truth lies when it comes to parenting. Her coaching clients describe her using words like; compassionate, caring, understanding, patient, insightful and intuitive. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband of 19 years, her 2 children and many interesting pets. She enjoys being with her family, cooking, anything outdoors and being with her horses! You can learn more about her and her coaching practice at www.transformingfamily.com or you can get parenting advice with heart at www.asktracy.wordpress.com Tracy is a regular contributor to this blog, so stay tuned for more great parenting articles from her! To receive A Special Tool, Gifts and to be entered in a drawing to win a Coaching Package with Tracy worth over $750! Click here.

Three Steps to Better Health

by Beth Egan

As we approach the holiday season, keep these three simple steps in mind – your heart and your body will thank you!

1. Proper Nutrition: a diet of whole, organic foods is essential to good health. Plenty of foods rich in antioxidants, healthy beverages, nutritious, brightly colored vegetables, and a balance of the right fats, proteins, complex carbohydrates, and oils for whole body health. Limit or eliminate processed foods, saturated fats, and meat consumption. Definitely eliminate artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup from your family’s diet.

2. Hydration: drinking enough water is essential for the health of your digestive system, kidneys, liver, and skin. Dehydration causes headache, fatigue, weakness, and a variety of other symptoms. If you drink water and it tastes sweet, or you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Consider purchasing some sort of filtration system for the water you use for drinking and cooking. Even purchasing a pitcher that filters your water is helpful in removing some chemicals and contaminants. Stop buying bottled water, it often contains impurities, plus the plastic bottles cause environmental issues.

3. Exercise: exercise should happen on a near-daily basis. The best ways to exercise are whole-body holistic models, such as yoga and tai-chi, both of which include meditation and personal/spiritual aspects. But a brisk walk of 30 minutes or more 3 times per week has great benefits as well.

Beth Egan is a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 4. As a former teacher, Beth enjoys educating others on the importance of living green and removing the toxins from your home and the environment. She does this through articles, guest blogging, volunteering for the Healthy Child Healthy World Organization and her business with Shaklee. As a supporter of the Healthy Child Healthy World organization Beth will be posting articles frequently to this blog to alert you to current news on this topic and give ideas and information about making changes that will benefit all of us but most importantly the future, Our Children.

What are you doing to stay healthy? Please share your tips and tricks by leaving a comment on this post.