New mystery virus affects children across Midwest

Already sick and the flu season is not even here yet. The new virus called Enterovirus EV-D68 is affecting kids all over the country. My poor baby got it, his friends too. The weird thing is they all got different symptoms. We got flu like symptoms with lose stool and at one point vomiting for few hours. His cough was really bad but got better for about a week. My friends kids got only flu like symptoms with high fever and that was it for few days. Usually it is suggested to get vaccinated, wash you hands and stay home. My question is how can we stay home when we have few sick days a year, how can we vaccine if there is no vaccine, and well, we can wash hands...I wander if everyone will blame unvaccinated kids for this outbreak although there is no vaccine for it. This is always the discussion.

But anyway, we passed the sickness although it is never pleasant. I would advise everyone to take vitamins, honey and eat healthy to help the immune system pass the virus quicker. The outbreak is huge and the virus spreads the usual way, so avoiding large shopping centers (I know it is hard) for example will be a good idea. Stay healthy!

Mysterious virus outbreak









Sources: http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wls/images/cms/299529_1280x720.jpg

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Benefits of Bee Pollen

Bee products are consirdered as one of the most benefitial foods. Bee products are used in beauty products, supplements, anything you can imagine. Today I would like to point out specifically Bee Pollen. It is usually sold in the form of powder or granulas. I am not going to go into details what bee pollen is but bee pollen is full of protein, antioxidants,  minerals, Vitamin B, C and E, amino acids, enzymes and coenzymes, and essential fatty acids.  Some of the benefits include:

• Regenerative and Antiaging benefits
• Improves Energy
• Improves skin (good for pseriosis or exsema)
• Helps with respiratory issues (asthma)
• Improves the immune system
• Good for digestive system, respiratory system, infertility, sexual function, prostate.
• Can even stabilize blood pressure, insulin levels, cholesterol levels
• Reducing weight.
• Reducing cravings and addictions
• Is known to help for severe allergies (if not allergic to the product of course).
• Balances hormonal disbalance
• Even helps cancer/tumor 

I include a pinch of bee pollen in my baby's breakfast. I also take it with yogurt or cereal.  I found couple of recipes online:

•  Mix 1 tbsp pollen with 1/2 cup yogurt  

           or

• Mix 1 kg of honey with 100 gr of pollen that needs to be left for 7 to 10 days and then take 1 tsp or 1 tbsp in the morning before breakfast. 

Even if pollen is add in the juice or cereal still will be beneficial. It is important to keep bee pollen in the bridge for preserving quality.

Please post questions, concerns or just opinions.

Bee Pollen

Research Sources:
http://www.fineline.bg
http://www.bb-team.org/articles/3228_pchelen-prashets
http://abiconic.dir.bg/bees/prashez.htm

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe

My baby is already 2 year old (it is still hard to believe) but I continue to puree some of his meals.

Every morning I puree:

1 Banana (or fruit of your choice)
2 Strawberries
2 Blackberries
Handful of Blueberries
1 tbs of homemade yogurt (I will get to that on my next post).
2 tbs of Earths Best whole grain oatmeal cereal
I add his morning multivitamins and a pinch of Bee Pollen Granules (or Powder).

I know some  people will be a bit skeptical about bee products since it can have allergic reactions or other side effects. Make sure you or your child is not allergic to bee products and buy the products from Whole Foods or other stores that sell organic products rather than online.

Feel free to share your healthy recipes.  

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Cleaning solutions

I know it has been a long time, but I guess that is motherhood - busy, busy, busy. I just had to share this and maybe start being more active in my blog.

So, I have this nice Rachael Ray oil dispenser, it is fancy looking, does not leak and I love it. However, there is one main problem with it - there is no way you will be able to clean it. Whatever I did, it still smelled bad and was still greasy. I was thinking to trow it away but for some reason decided to put some  of my baby's bottle cleaner foam, and it worked. I left it to soak for awhile with water and Babyganics dish and bottle soap. When I washed it (it takes time), was clean and did not smell bad anymore.
Just decided to share this.

BabyGanics soap

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Homemade Rice Cereal

Hello everyone,
my baby boy is now five months, so I decided to start giving him juice and rice cereal. I bought simple and cheap Juice Extractor and started giving him carrot and apple juice. Then I decided to move on to give him rice cereal as my pediatrician recommended. I bought organic rice cereal from Whole Foods that cost at about $4.00 and brought it home. The same night I was watching the news and what do I hear? High levels of arsenic found in all rice cereals even the organic ones. Whaaat? So, I returned the cereal I bought and decided to be on the save site, and make my own homemade cereal.
Organic Brown rice grind into powder until starts to look like flour powder.

1/4 cup of brown rice powder boil in about
1 cup of water for about 15-20 minutes.
Mix it with breast milk, so the baby will have familiar taste, because rice cereal has no taste and little peanut will probably not be trilled to eat something tasteless, new and unknown.

Homemade rice cereal

Make sure the rice boiled so well that it becomes creamy not granola looking.
The first time I made it I did not boil until creamy but it was granola looking, so I have to do it again. Baby will not eat all of it so the rest you can put in the refrigerator for a while or even to freeze it.

I hope that helps all baby mamas that worry about what they are feeding their babies.

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