Soda or Water: Which do you choose?

I hate that I have these huge expanses of time between some of my posts. I just get busy and distracted. I will do better. Anyway, on to today's post...


All parents want their children to make better choices when it comes to their diet. It's only natural that you start getting concerned when they think the food groups are candy, Ho-Hos, fish sticks and Kool Aid.

It's not enough to say, "Now, Billy, eat your green beans before you finish that bag of M&Ms." *Spoken in your June Cleaver voice*

You need to make sure you're not eating a bag of M&Ms, too. Children can only eat what is in the house. It seems a lot of parents want to eat one thing, but magically expect their kids to eat another. It doesn't work that way.

"Yes, I know I drink a soda with every meal, but you need to drink water. Soda is icky!" *Said while making a really exaggerated "icky" face.*

They follow in our footsteps. They eat what we eat. Take a second to open your fridge and cabinets and see what you have. If you see the types of foods you want your kids to eat, you're good. If your cabinets look like an oversized vending machine, something needs to change.

It can be overwhelming to try to completely change your eating habits over night, so start small. Make it a point not to buy anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup. (That alone will be a challenge since companies seem to put it in everything.) After that, cut out artificial dyes. (If it's electric blue, it's a no-go.) Then continue to make cuts as you go along, but don't rush yourself. You have to find your own balance and do it in your own time in order to make a lasting change.

Some parents complain that healthier food is more expensive and harder to come by. This is true, but it is worth it. A lot of us obsess over the cute little clothes we put on the outside of our children. Why not obsess over what we put inside?

Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail
nadirahangail.com

Why I love Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding was never an option. In my mind, it was just what you do when you have a baby, period. I watched my mother breastfeed my younger brother and my other relatives do the same, so it just came naturally. It wasn't until I was older that I learned that only about 36.2% of American moms breastfeed up to 6 months (CDC, 2003).
I've known some people say they tried breastfeeding, but gave up after a day or so because it was too hard. Others say they don't have the time. Others, still, simply aren't interested, and I understand that. Parenting is all about choices, and breastfeeding is a choice that mothers may or may not choose. For those that choose it, yea for you. For those that don't, I encourage you to give it a second thought. It's not nearly as hard as it seems.

It does require a commitment (like anything else in life worth doing) but the worst part is getting past the first few days. For most women, it's a new experience to have a little person sucking on you, so it definitely takes some getting used to. And it doesn't help that the baby's sucking triggers contractions in your uterus. After just delivering a baby, the last thing any new mom wants to feel is another contraction, but it's actually in our best interest. The post partum contractions help the out-stretched uterus to shrink back down to its normal size. (Can you say flat stomach?) Breastfeeding also helps reduce your risk of breast cancer, and it’s insanely healthy for your little one.
If you’re a busy mom who is thinking “All that sounds great, but how am I supposed to breastfeed and work?” Know that it is possible. If you can’t keep your baby with your milk, keep you milk with your baby. With a quality pump, it only takes about 5-10 minutes to express a bag of milk. You can freeze it and send it to daycare with your child. That way your baby will always feels connected to you.

I can’t explain how close breastfeeding makes me feel to my baby. I LOVE the slurping noises she makes. They’re so loud and expressive, like she’s thinking “OMG! This is the best stuff ever!” I’m amazed by the fact that God has given me a way to feed my child. Everything she needs is literally within me. No matter where we go, if she’s with me, she’s taken care of. I love that feeling.



Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

Green Smoothie Video

For those that are interested, here's a how-to video for green smoothies. Enjoy!






Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

A Little Hair Talk

I know this is kind of random, but I think it could be helpful to anyone struggling with getting more length. Who knows? Maybe I'll be adding more videos if you guys like this one. Leave a comment and let me know. Oh yeah, in my green smoothie post I said the smoothie has helped my skin. In this video you can see how it looks.

P.S. Be on the lookout for my green smoothie how to video!






Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

Green Smoothie, anyone?

Yes, I said green smoothie, and I'm not talking about food coloring. Veggie-based smoothies are delicious and nutritious way to get your daily dose of vegetables.  

I know what you’re thinking. “Gross, I don’t want any vegetables in my smoothie.” I thought the same thing at first. If it weren’t for my mother and her all-things-natural diet, I would have never considered drinking such an unconventional drink.
 I consider myself an honest person, so I have to tell you this: I didn’t like them at first. I didn’t down the first cup and say “YUM, more please!” I said… nothing. I just swallowed the green drink and told myself I was better off for it.


It wasn't nasty; it just wasn’t good. I love vegetables, but had never had them in liquid form. It took some getting used to, but now I LOVE it. I drink one every day.

There are tons of different green smoothie recipes, but I usually stick with spinach or a dark green lettuce (not Iceberg), an apple and a lemon. If you want to up your nutritional intake, use kale. It is one of the healthiest veggies you'll find.

Still not convinced? Let me appeal to your vanity. It is also great for your complexion and hair. I seriously noticed a glow about my face after drinking them for a few days. At first I thought I was imagining things, but my mother noticed it too.

**Update: Added 9/1/09**
Sunday night I was out at an event with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. One of the first things she said to me was "Your skin looks great! The best I've ever seen it." I told her it was the green smoothie.

My just-blended green smoothie. It was delish!

Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

Birthday Green Beans?

My brother thought it was funny that I said I would give Zara some 1st birthday green beans. I guess it does sound funny, but I was serious. It's not like green beans would be the only thing she'd get. I'd also arrange a nice array of blueberries, strawberries, peaches and mango on a platter, but no cake.

Cake is a wonderful thing and I'm sure Zara will get her fair share, but not at age one. When she starts eating food, I want to introduce her to the types of healthy foods I'd like her to eat for the rest of her life. I'm not going to wait until she's 4 (and used to a steady diet of chicken nuggets, french fries and fish sticks) to give her veggies. By then, its practically a lost cause.

That reminds me of a Spaghettios commerical (I think it's Spaghettios) where the dad is trying to read aloud the nutrional information on the label, but can't because the mother keeps cutting him off. She doesnt' want the kids to hear that they're eating something healthy. I guess it's supposed to be a good way to sneak healthy food to your children. I guess its supposed to be funny and cute, but every time I see that commercial, all I can think is "That's crazy that you have to trick your children into eating healthy. And since when did processed pasta become healthy, anyway?" I also heard that Seinfeld's wife has a cookbook for moms that want to hide healthy ingredients in "kid friendly" foods.

I'm not down with all the trickery. If you start them on healthy food early enough and don't corrupt their palette with junk, you won't have to be "creative" and "artful" in your presentation.  The earlier the better. We start them early with sports and ballet. We start them early with school and peewee softball, but why not veggies? So, let this serve as fair warning. Should your children find themselves around Zara on her first birthday, I sure hope they like green beans.



Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah