The First Year of Raising Twins: 9-12 Months

by healthnutmama on February 26, 2010

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Be sure to check out the first 3 posts in this series:

Every stage was fun, but this one was special. Maybe it’s because they were both crawling and goofing off more.  They were pulling up on things and having tons of fun in the walker.  Neither one of them walked until after they turned one.  Nathan was 13 months old and Lucy was 14 months old.

The babies were playing a little more independently but not as much as I would have expected.  Seems one of them still wanted to be held all the time or something always came up.  I was getting up and down all the time and was looking forward to the time when they would just play together and let mommy rest.  =)  They do now and it’s lovely.

Things that we did/used the most during this stage….

  • We had play dates!! My friend Mandy and her sister Lacy and I got together with their little ones and mine.  Sometimes we had another mom or two to make it even more fun.  This was great to look forward to every week.  We switched houses every week and the host usually made a small snack for the mommies to enjoy.  The kids loved seeing new toys and each other.  I think it’s good to get them socializing at this age too.
  • Since the babies weren’t walking yet, we still used the walker.  The Johnny jump up had pretty much retired by this point.
  • Walks walks walks! Still used my Schwinn double stroller all the time.
  • Went to Noni and Grandpas a lot to take pictures and to see the animals. The twins would say “da” for dog.  This is where the walkers were so they had tons of room to run around.
  • We still went for an occasional swim at my brother’s house because the weather was nice.
  • Tupperware fun! The kids aren’t allowed to get into any cabinet but the tupperware cabinet and they just love it!  They can pull it all out and make a mess.  I think it was around one year old that I started teaching them to put things away that they took out.  I usually clean up the tupperware because I need to stack it to make it fit, but if they knocked something over, they learned to “put it back”.  Now at 16 months old, they clean up their toys every night before bed.  =)  We all have fun cleaning together.  Mommy, Daddy, and Nathan and Lucy all join in.

Their diet wasn’t as pureed anymore either.  They were eating cereal and sandwiches cut into small pieces, stew, spaghetti, and other chunky things.  They started to get picky about what they were eating, so I cut out the afternoon snack and that pretty much took care of it.  They were hungry enough for dinner to eat it.  They do well now eating anything from ratatouille to Lima beans.  But I try to make things yummy.  I don’t want to make them dread meals.  I spice things up to have lots of flavor.  And they still get to enjoy fruit and yogurt daily.  They LOVE fruit!  Pretty much any fruit I’ve tried.  And I don’t buy sweetened yogurt.  I buy plain and add a little applesauce to sweeten it, or they just eat it plain because they like it that way.

We had a simple but fun birthday party at my Mom and Dad’s (aka Noni and Grandpa’s).  The kids enjoyed opening a few gifts and playing with the wrapping paper.  And they got a kick out of the jack-in-the-box that was really a horse-in-the-box to the tune of “Home on the Range”.  Nathan jumped a mile every time the horse popped out!

I put a lot of pics in this post!  I couldn’t narrow it down.  Hope you enjoy.

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One of their first fights.  I had to get a picture before intervening.

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Lucy just got done with a bath.

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Not really into taking pictures that day

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Wrestling match

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Nathan trying to kiss Lucy while she made a fish face

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One of our play dates with little Jonathan and Anna

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Nothing like bath time

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A favorite past time:  looking out the back window

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Mommy and Lucy

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Mommy and Nathan

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One year old!

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And they couldn’t wait for the cake!  My sister made this fluffy white cake from scratch using honey instead of sugar.

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Nathan’s first kiss.  And the lucky girl was Anna!  ;)

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She’s modest though.  Look how embarrassed she got.  =)

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Josh had just come home from drill and Nathan was in his camo too!

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Adorable

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Combating Morning Sickness

by healthnutmama on February 22, 2010

I’m still struggling with my all day morning sickness and it’s still hard to do anything productive.  I’m thankful the twins have started playing better together for longer periods of time.  I have been reading other peoples’ experiences with morning sickness and have heard from some close friends and family what helps them with morning sickness.  Here is a list of things that could possibly help with morning sickness.  The thing is, sometimes nothing helps and you just have to wait it out.  But you may run across something that your body responds well to.  I hope something on this list turns out to be a help.  When I was pregnant with the twins nothing helped.  And I tried everything that was suggested to me, including pretty much everything on this list.  I hardly kept anything down for the first 19 weeks.  I was throwing up at least once a day but more often it was 2-3 times every single day.  I’m just happy the twin pregnancy is over.  This one isn’t quite as bad.  But still, it’s never fun.

  • Peppermint:  Altoids, peppermint tea, and peppermint gum
  • Take your vitamins and get B6 vitamins
  • Ginger:  Ginger pills, ginger tea, ginerale
  • Nibble on Crackers
  • Drink enough water.  Add lemon or lime to the water to help with nausea, or drink lemonade
  • Sniff or lick a wedge of lemon or lime
  • Suck on lemon drops
  • Sea bands that you put on your wrists for sea sickness
  • Don’t let yourself get hungry….eat several tiny meals throughout the day
  • Get enough sleep
  • Eat beans
  • Get enough protein
  • Brewer’s Yeast
  • Eat plain crackers or dry cereal before you get out of bed in the morning
  • Open windows or turn on exhaust fan when cooking to minimize the “gross” smell of food
  • Don’t drink too many fluids with your meals
  • Take your prenatal vitamin later in the day or before bed if you can’t hold it down in the morning

One of the best things for me has been to eat TV dinners because I don’t have to see it being prepared nor do I have to smell it cooking (or I barely smell it).  I know they are not the healthiest thing to eat as far as keeping things natural and/or organic, but sometimes you just gotta make exceptions.  I’ll probably end up doing a post on why you shouldn’t eat TV dinners later.  ;)   When I’m pregnant I’m not as picky about ingredients as when I’m not pregnant.  You would think that I would be even pickier because I’m pregnant, but ladies, let’s face it:  it is so hard to eat something that sounds unappealing when you feel sick!  Sometimes you just have to eat what you can stomach, right?  This time of sickness doesn’t last forever.  On days that I do feel good, that’s when I’ll eat the healthiest food.

Another good tip is to prepare as many meals as you can and freeze them before the sickness sets in.  I wish I had done that.  I knew I was pregnant for 2 weeks before I started getting sick.  I should have made better use of that time.

One of my biggest worries is not how I eat but how the twins eat while I feel sick.  Normally they eat lots of veggies and a variety of food, but lately I’ve been giving them less of a variety and not as many veggies.  I’ve found that they like steamed Lima beans with a little butter, so that’s an easy thing to prepare.  Lots of spaghetti, chicken from the freezer, and peanut butter and jelly.  Those things aren’t bad but I don’t want them to only eat that or they will lose their taste for healthier foods.

I would love feedback from you.  Please share your advice too!

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Guest Post At The Unexperienced Mom

by healthnutmama on February 20, 2010

Today you can find my post at another blog!  Tamara has a great blog that you need to read.  She has a “I Had a Mommy Moment” feature for guest bloggers to write about their experiences with motherhood.  Go check it out!

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Follow the link to see my guest post at The Unexperienced Mom.

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Out of Commission

by healthnutmama on February 7, 2010

Dear Readers,

I’ve been feeling sick all day long for over a week now from the pregnancy and have had zero motivation to get on the computer.  I hope you will check back later this week though because I hope to continue with some quality posts soon.  Right now I just want to curl up on the couch and wish the time away.  And I wish I had a nanny.  And a cook and also a house cleaner.  Until then, I’ll just stay curled up on the couch and cook the simplest meals possible.  Ugh, don’t even talk to me about food right now.  Anyway, please don’t give up on me.  I’ll be back!

Love,

Megan

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Being Honest

by healthnutmama on February 3, 2010

photo credit: yomi955

Here I am.  Here I am at my favorite coffee shop sipping on a thick vanilla chai frappe with whipped cream.  Yes, even I like to indulge.  And you know what else?  I love ice cream!!  And Coke from the fountain! And tirimisu!  In fact, I just love sweets.  =)

I don’t want to give the impression that I only eat healthy food all the time, because I don’t.  I’m not strong all the time.  I strive to make sure my diet consists mostly of healthy, wholesome food, but I’m not a fanatic about it.  I enjoy going out to eat with my husband from time to time and eating an occasional dessert, or enjoying a sweet coffee drink.  I just don’t do it all the time.  And when we do go out to eat, I try to choose healthy items on the menu and avoid things that are really bad.  Sometimes it’s choosing the lesser of two evils.

I think one of the keys to healthy eating is being mindful of ingredients and staying away from processed and sugary foods as much as possible.  But allowing occasional indulgences seems reasonable to me.  Most of the time I don’t even crave “unhealthy” foods.  I find that the better I eat, the better I want to eat.  Just like the more I exercise, the more I want to exercise.  It’s amazing how that works.

Right now, I’m almost 6 weeks pregnant and I’m starting to feel the ickyness that comes along with it.  I’m afraid of gaining too much weight and eating too much unhealthy food because when you are pregnant and feel sick, you have to eat what sounds good.  Because not much does.  Fortunately I haven’t had many cravings yet, but pizza always sounds good and so do pancakes.  So I’ve been making whole wheat pancakes from scratch and we ordered Papa John’s pizza last night.  I need to keep the ingredients on hand so I can make my own.  I think I’m going to make a bunch and freeze it for moments like last night.

I know I shouldn’t worry too much about the weight I gain, but it’s hard not to.  I have to eat extra throughout the entire day or I get so sick I could throw up.  So the only way to cure that is to eat.  I’ve been working out, but my critical eyes have tended to see the negative.  I need to keep some almonds on hand for a quick protein snack.

So you see?  I love to blog about health and natural living stuff, but please don’t think that I’m strong all the time or that I never want goodies, or that I have it all together.  I don’t.  I do want to take care of my body though.  And I want quality of life.  And it’s just the truth that I feel so much better when I’ve put good things into my body.  I love having energy!  Knowing how good I can feel makes it a lot easier to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I like that each new day is a new chance to do things better.  Sometimes health information and natural living options can be so overwhelming and you don’t always know where to start.  But I think that some changes are better than no changes. A few healthy choices can still make a difference.

Anyway, wish me luck with eating right during this pregnancy!

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Vitamins Explained: Vitamin E

by healthnutmama on February 1, 2010

almondsphoto credit: dano

Be sure to check out the previous posts on Vitamins Explained:

Rainbow Light’s Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin can be found at iherb.com.  This is the multivitamin that I take and I am  doing a brief overview of the importance of each vitamin on the label.  I’m learning as I go and love to share it!  If you decide to purchase anything from iherb, put in the coupon code, TOL704,  and get $5 off your first order.

About Vitamin E….

  • It is a fat soluble vitamin, which means the vitamin is stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body.
  • It’s commonly found in vegetable oils.
  • It is an powerful antioxidant (protects cells from free radical damage), which helps to fight against cancer, other diseases, and the effects of aging.
  • It is great for the skin as a moisturizer and nurturer to scared or burned skin.
  • Boosts immune function
  • Believed to reduce cholesterol and plaque buildup reducing risk of stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD)
  • Has anti infammatory properties and is used to help reduce arthritic pain and improves joint mobility

Some food sources of vitamin E include:

  • wheat germ
  • vegetable oils
  • avacado
  • egg yolk
  • nuts
  • peanut butter
  • liver
  • whole grain products
  • leafy vegetables

Too much of any fat soluble vitamin can lead to toxicity in the body so be careful.  Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the fat in your body, and the build-up over time is what can lead to toxicity.  Find out how much you need apart from your food sources.  Eating a balanced diet containing these fat soluble vitamins is the best way to go and won’t cause a problem.  It’s always wise to check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.  And that especially holds true if you are pregnant or nursing.  Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin contains 100IU.

Possible overdose symptoms include:

  • nausea
  • fatigue
  • diarrhea
  • headaches
  • gas
  • abdominal pain
  • increased risk of bleeding

Wow, this is a very list oriented post!  At least that makes it easy to read.  These are just basic findings to give you an idea of why we take certain vitamins.  Information like this is easier for me to remember when it’s simplified.

Next up, vitamin K!

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The First Year of Raising Twins: 6-9 Months

by healthnutmama on January 28, 2010

Post image for The First Year of Raising Twins: 6-9 Months

Check out the first two posts in this series:

It was during this three month period that Nathan and Lucy started to sit up on their own, crawl, and get teeth.  Lucy got the teeth.  Nathan was closer to 9 1/2 months when he got teeth.

At 6 1/2 months old, they finally started sleeping through the night, but only because I enforced it.  Up until that point they were still eating two times during the night, which is ridiculous.  10pm and about 2am  were the two times I was nursing.  And then again at around 5am.

Eliminating the nighttime feedings was hard.  We lived in campus housing and I was afraid of upsetting my neighbors over screaming babies, but I finally got over that and let them cry it out.  My only regret is not doing it sooner.  It took about 3 nights of one crying session each night and then it was over.  They slept through the night, and I felt like a new person.  I woke up refreshed and so did they.  We’ve never gone back.  And it turns out that my neighbor said even if they could hear the babies, it was a very distant sound and didn’t bother them.  However, I was under the impression that my crying babies were very easy to hear through the walls and ceiling, or else I would have done this earlier.

By six months old, I had already started giving my babies some solids.  I know, I know, it’s  advised to wait until 6 months, but I was desperate for sleep and thought that the twins would sleep better at night if they were getting more substantial food during the day.  I had so much trouble breastfeeding in the first few months, that I didn’t think I was going to nurse for long anyway.  Plus, I wanted to have them completely weened by 7 1/2 half months, so I was slowly working up to a stable solid food schedule.  I had a plan of which feeding I would drop and when.  And I knew which feedings I was going to replace by meals of real food.  It all worked out great!  Weening was not that difficult and the babies loved food.

A word about baby food:

When the babies first started eating solid food, we started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk or goat milk.  Next, we started mixing in plain yogurt because yogurt is easy to digest.  Along with the yogurt, we added in mashed ripe bananas because bananas are also easy to digest.  Then we started adding foods one by one with a few days in between each new food to make sure the babies didn’t have any allergic reactions.

Baby food is ridiculously expensive.  So I started steaming or cooking my own vegetables and pureeing them.  I put the puree in ice cube trays and only took out what I needed for each meal.  I was always careful to give the babies a good variety of vegetables and some type of beans for protein and extra fiber.  Usually I added a cube of banana puree to make the meal just slightly sweet because they ate it better that way.

Their breakfast consisted of baby oatmeal made with water and goat milk with bananas added to it.  They still eat that, but now I use old fashioned oats.

We continued to walk a lot during these warm months.  The babies also had their first swim!  They went under water, holding their breath like pros.

It was still difficult to get out a lot when I was by myself.  I guess that’s always difficult until they are walking very well and don’t need to be held every moment.  Nathan and Lucy still needed me to be by their side pretty much all the time.  Sitting up on their own took a while to get the hang of and it was impossible to get back up without mama’s help if they fell over.

With every month that went by, they occupied themselves for longer periods of time.  I loved that!  We had them watching “Your Baby Can Read” since they were 3 months old, but by now, we could tell that Nathan had a serious crush on Alika, one of the sweet girls in the video.  Every time she introduced the film with, “Hi, my name is Alika…” Nathan would get a huge grin on his face and kick his legs all about.

We were still using the Johnny Jump Up, the Baby Walker , and our Schwinn Double Jogging Stroller pretty much all the time.  I took the stroller everywhere.  It’s easy to fold down and load up.  I was still able to meet friends at coffee shops this way.  =)  I’m a sucker for coffee shops.

It was near the end of their 8th month that I finally retired the Twin-Nursing-Pillow.  I have it in a closet for the next baby!  It was a wonderful while it lasted.  Not only was it great to nurse twins, but it was a great support for one baby sitting on the floor, as in the photo below.

Nathan 7 months

Lucy 7 months

twinsAlso 7 months

7 months old and still having trouble sitting up on their own.

But not at 8 months!

Bath time is their favorite!

schwinnUsing our Schwinn all the time.

When Josh had to leave we sent him this to let him know how much we love him.

The babies enjoying my Eagle’s Nest Chair.

Proud owner of two teeth.

Chewing on a teething biscuit.  These are great!  At first it would take the babies nearly 45 minutes to finish one of these.

And all I had to deal with was two messy faces to clean up.

That’s just a brief overview of the 6-9 month age. The main thing that changed was how much real food they were eating.  I’m sure I’m leaving something out.  But tell me about your experiences with this cute age!

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Vitamins Explained: Vitamin D

by healthnutmama on January 26, 2010

sunphoto credit: GKS

We are now on the third vitamin listed on the label of the multivitamin that I take.  It’s called Just Once, Women’s Multivitamin by Rainbow Light.  There are tons of vitamins and other supplements to choose from at iherb.com which is where I get most of the supplements we take.  If you order from iherb, put in this coupon code to get $5 off your first order: TOL704

Check out the previous post on vitamin C.

Vitamin D is a pretty amazing vitamin!  It is thought that getting enough vitamin D can help to fight against almost every disease that you can think of.  It is a huge component to a healthy immune system.  Not only does it boost your immune system, it helps regulate it making sure that it doesn’t overreact, which can be dangerous.

There is so much to be said about vitamin D, and I’m not going to say it all here.  This will just be an overview of things that stick out to me.  You can google the “health benefits of vitamin D” or read this great article from Dr. Ben Kim.

Vitamin D comes in a few different forms:   vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

  • D2 is synthesized from plants
  • D3 is synthesized by humans in our skin when exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from the sun (the very best way to get vitamin D!).  It is thought that it takes as little as 10 minutes per day in the sun to get enough vitamin D to not be deficient.  Here is an interesting fact that I just read from Dr. Ben Kim:  If you live above 35 degrees latitude north or below 35 degrees latitude south of the equator, the sun’s UVB rays can’t reach you during the winter months because of the angle of the sun’s rays.  Also, you can’t get the vitamin D you need through glass or with sunscreen on, so go outside into the fresh air and soak up some sun!

For the sake of simplicity, suffice it to say that vitamin D3 (as opposed to D2) is what should be taken when buying supplements.  Vitamin D3 is the more natural form because it is closest to the vitamin D that the sun provides.  Vitamin D2 is not as easily absorbed by the body, but vitamin D3 is.  In the case that you go to buy vitamin D supplements, if it is not specified “D2″ or “D3″, look on the label and you should find either of these two words to indicate which is which.

  • vitamin D2 = ergocalciferol
  • vitamin D3 = cholecalciferol

Top food sources of Vitamin D3 include:

  • oily fish such as wild salmon
  • cod liver oil (I take gel tablets)
  • mackerel
  • canned tuna
  • egg yolks
  • fortified milk

Vitamin D…

  • helps to prevent inflammation in the body including autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple schlerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • regulates blood pressure
  • is needed to better absorb calcium in the gut
  • regulates calcium and phosphate levels
  • helps to maintain strong bones and teeth
  • helps to protect against all types of cancer
  • is so good for the immune system!
  • helps to prevent against diabetes type I and II
  • fights colds, flues, tuberculosis

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.

Too  much vitamin D can lead to too much calcium absorption which can then be deposited into soft tissues and organs reducing their ability to function.

My multivitamin contains 800 IU.  There are a lot of different medical opinions out there about how much vitamin D to take, so ask your doctor.  I take my multivitamin, plus another 1000 IU a few times a week based on recommendations that I’ve read by real doctors that I respect.

Next up is vitamin E!

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Don’t Go Green…

by healthnutmama on January 23, 2010

potatoesphoto credit: maesejose

…At least not when it comes to green potatoes. =)

This is one of those things I haven’t known for very long.  Maybe not even two years.  But you should also know that green potatoes are toxic and can make you sick.

Have you ever started peeling a potato and found that it was slightly green instead of white under the skin?  Or have you ever dipped your hand into a bag of potato chips and pulled out a green tinted one?  That green color indicates the presence of a glycoalkaloid poison called solanine.  Glycoalkaloid poisons are found in species of the nightshade family, the family to which potatoes belong.  The green you see is actually chlorophyll but its presence tells you that solanine is also present.  The potatoes become green from exposure to light, producing stronger concentrations of the solanine.  The solanine is found in the skin, sprouts and tubers of the potato.  The chlorophyll itself is not bad for humans, but the potato will produce the solanine at the same time.

This might sound confusing, but I’m trying to give you the correct terms while also trying to simplify it.  I don’t know about you, but big scientific words that are names for chemicals and such all run together for me and I forget what they are.

Solanine can cause gastrointestinal disturbances and neurological disorders.  If it’s ingested in large amounts it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and paralysis to the central nervous system.  Don’t freak out and throw away all your green potatoes because it’s not that uncommon to find green on a few potatoes in every bag.  Unless, of course, your potatoes have hardly been exposed to light since they were picked out of the ground.  It suffices to peel off all the green. Plus, it takes quite a bit to become sick.  Most sources say you would have to eat about 4 1/2 lbs of green potatoes to get sick.

The best thing you can do is keep your potatoes out of the light.  As soon as you bring them home from the grocery store, find a cool, dark place to store them, and don’t forget to peel away all the green before you cook and eat them.

Once you’ve made sure your potatoes are safe for eating make my delicious roasted potatoes and add some extra onion and bell peppers in there.  =)

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Vitamins Explained: Vitamin C

by healthnutmama on January 21, 2010

orangesphoto credit: sonictk

We are going through the label on the daily multivitamin that I take (Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin by Rainbow Light) and today we are discussing vitamin C.  If you are interested in this vitamin or any other brands, check out www.iherb.com.  Be sure to put in the promotion code TOL704. You’ll get $5 off your first order.

Previously we discussed Vitamin A, so check out that post!

Vitamin C, aka, acsorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin which means that it does not need fat to be absorbed by your body.  However, that also means that it is not stored in your body like fat soluble vitamins.  A water soluble vitamin will pass through your body in the form of urine if it was not all absorbed.

Vitamin C is a complex vitamin that covers a lot of ground.  Here is just a small tidbit of information on the amazing health benefits of vitamin C.

It is:

  • required for the growth and repair of all tissues in your body
  • necessary to produce collagen which is a protein that makes skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels
  • an “anti-aging” agent
  • an antioxidant
  • necessary for speedy healing of wounds
  • needed to help the body detox
  • when paired with vitamin E, can lower risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease
  • great for our immune system and is involved in white blood cell production
  • a defense against colds and flu

It has been know to help with many forms of cardiovascular disease, cancer, eye disease, liver disease, thyroid and lung disease.

Vitamin C is highly sensitive to air, temperature and water.  You lose part of the vitamin C content through freezing and unfreezing fruits or vegetables, canning and reheating, and during cooking processes.  When cooking vegetables that contain vitamin C, it is very possible to destroy most of the vitamin.  Because most of the vitamin C is found in the watery part of the vegetable, it is easily lost in the cooking water.  Your best option is to lightly steam your vegetables to preserve as much of the nutrients as possible.  Better yet, just eat them raw.

Vitamin C is usually absorbed withing 2 hours of consumption, and leaves the blood in about 3-4 hours.  It is commonly suggested to take vitamin C in 4-hour intervals for this reason so that, essentially, you don’t pee it all out.

I take buffered vitamin C apart from my multivitamin.  Buffered means that the vitamin C is accompanied by minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium that help us to absorb the vitamin C and minerals better.  They work together to make each other more effective.  Also, buffered vitamin C may be preferred by those with sensitive stomachs.

Top Vegetable Sources of Vitamin C:

  • Red and green bell peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Tomatoes
  • Mustard and collard greens
  • Kale
  • parsley (herb)

Top Fruit Sources of Vitamin C:

  • Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes
  • Rose hips
  • Acerola cherries
  • Strawberries (get organic because they are typically heavily sprayed with pesticides)
  • Papaya
  • Kiwi
  • Cantaloupe
  • Blueberries

Signs of vitamin C deficiency include:

  • dry, splitting hair
  • gingivitis (inflammation of gums)
  • bleeding gums
  • dry, scaly skin
  • decreased ability to fight infection
  • easy bruising
  • nose bleeds
  • anemia
  • swollen and painful joints
  • scurvy, a disease caused by severe deficiency of vitamin C (very rare in countries where fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available)

My multivitamin contains 120mg of vitamin C.

Next up vitamin D!

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Vitamins Explained: Vitamin A

January 19, 2010

I would like to do a series on the different vitamins that we commonly take or should take to stay healthy.  I want to take a look at natural food sources for vitamins and talk about their health benefits.  I am going to hit on the most common uses and needs of vitamins.  I won’t [...]

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The First Year of Raising Twins: 3-6 months

January 15, 2010

Be sure to check out my first post on this serries:  The First Year of Raising Twins 0-3 Months.
3-6 months is fun!  They become more interactive, make funny noises, and get a lot pudgier.  =)  My 12 week mark was a milestone for me because Nathan finally got the idea of breastfeeding and I was [...]

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Elderberries and Elderberry Syrup

January 12, 2010

photo credit: me’nthedogs
I just ordered some Elderberries from More Than Alive.  I’ve been wanting to make my own elderberry syrup for a long time now but I just haven’t taken the time to search for a good source.  I found this site and compared prices and quality and they are the winner!  Click on the [...]

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Moth Ball Alternatives

January 11, 2010

photo credit: marcusrg
I was very disappointed when I pulled a never-before-worn wool sweater out of my closet that Josh got me last year, only to find that a moth had feasted on it, leaving not one, not two, but three holes in it.  I bet I can find more if I look more closely.  But [...]

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TGIF

January 8, 2010

There’s nothing like a Friday.  Somehow the world around me has a different feel to it.  The weekend is here and it’s time to wind down.  The snow is falling, the heat is blasting, the coffee is brewing and fluffy socks are on.  The dawn has broken and it’s a beautiful day.
Let me just tell [...]

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Back On Track After The Holidays

January 6, 2010

It seems like right around this time of year we can look down and notice just a bit more pudge on our belly or thighs than we could just over a month ago before Thanksgiving.  Just thinking back to all the extra goodies I’ve eaten since the 4th week in November…lots of gravy, pumpkin pie, [...]

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Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

January 3, 2010

A few days ago I set a goal of taking at least 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar …every day.  Maybe more, if I can stand the taste.  I’m taking a weekend vacation and I forgot to bring the apple cider vinegar, but I’ll get back to it tomorrow.  The health benefits are incredible.  I [...]

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The First Year of Raising Twins: 0-3 months

December 27, 2009

This blog is not just about health.  It’s about me being a mommy and wife too.  My babies and my husband are part of who I am.
I hope that someone out there who is about to have twins or has infant twins can benefit from my story.  I want to share with you the way [...]

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Fitness

October 1, 2009

I joined the YMCA a few weeks ago!  It feels so good to lift weights again!  I do my cardio on the elliptical machine right now, but I must say, I’ve never been one for indoor cardio workouts.  I don’t enjoy being on the treadmill or any other machine for that matter, but I sure [...]

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Delicious Roasted Potatoes

September 21, 2009

I make these often because it’s just so easy!  I never measure but I did put approximate measurements for you.  Adjust however you see fit.
Ingredients:

5-6 medium potatoes (I use red or russet)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
sliced bell peppers (if desired)
sliced onions (if desired)
salt
herbs de provence, or Italian seasoning
rosemary sprigs if desired

Cut the potatoes [...]

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