Tag Archives: children’s health

Parenting According to Dosha

  By Donna DeForbes | August 4, 2015 - 5:00 am | , ,
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Tips for how to parent the dosha of your child | Eco-Mothering.com

The Indian science of Ayurveda is the art of living in harmony with nature. Everything in nature is formed from various proportions of these five elements: space, air, water, fire and earth. These elements are also present as biological energies within us, where they are called doshas: Pitta, Vata and Kapha. What is a Dosha? The three doshas, or mind-body types, reveal our personal energy patterns—sort of like the way Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® identifies our personalities (ISFJ, anyone?). While we each have a mix of all three doshas, usually one primary dosha dominates our personality and health from birth. According to Ayurvedic principles, we can achieve balance in our health and our lives by nurturing our particular dosha. Here is a brief summary of each dosha. Pitta (fire and water; summer/early fall): Hot, intense, sour energy. Pitta people tend to have a medium build, sensitive skin and strong appetites. They … Continue reading →

Beauty Inside and Out: Goddess Garden Safe Sunscreen Review

  By Donna DeForbes | May 19, 2015 - 9:00 am | , ,
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This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood but, as always, the opinion is my own. The recent beautiful New England weather has my family spending more time outdoors, which means it’s time to lather ourselves with Goddess Garden’s safe sunscreen. I learned about Goddess Garden last year, and it’s been our family’s go-to sunscreen ever since. (Scroll to bottom for details on 20% off Goddess Garden products!) As a forty-something woman who knows about the increased importance of skin protection, I want to avoid sun damage. I don’t want wrinkles and pigmentation to keep me from feeling beautiful on the outside. And I’ve learned how external beauty is often affected by what’s inside our personal care products. In the same way you want to fuel your body with healthy foods, you only want healthy products to soak into your skin—both have a direct impact on how you feel and how … Continue reading →

WILD MINT SHOP: One-Stop Holiday Shopping for Safe, Sustainable Toys

  By Donna DeForbes | November 4, 2014 - 5:00 am | , ,
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Wild Mint Shop Toys | Eco-Mothering.com

This post was sponsored by Green Sisterhood. As always, all opinions are my own. Do you have a lot of extra time around the holidays? I doubt it. Do you aim to buy gifts quickly without a lot of hassle or research? Ideally. And can you trust that those gifts are not only bound to put a smile on the intended receiver, but are also safe for their health and for the planet? Ummmm…. Yeah, who thinks of that? Of course you want your kids, nieces and nephews to play with toys that won’t emit formaldehyde or lead to early puberty or cancer. But that simply isn’t front of mind when we’re shopping, is it? We have a list, we have a budget, we pick something off the shelf or online. Wrap it up. Done. And it’s not that we’re cold-hearted or careless. It’s that we kind of want to … Continue reading →

Goddess Garden Organics Sunscreen Review

  By Donna DeForbes | May 1, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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GoddessGarden | Eco-Mothering

This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. As always, the opinion is my own. Answer this question: Do you treat your skin as well as you treat your child’s? The honest answer for me would be: No. Most of my life I made buying decisions based on price and/or convenience. I have to admit that I didn’t start caring much about what lotions and other skin care products I used until I became a mother and began worrying about the potential toxins that could enter my daughter’s skin. When Sofie was a baby, I sought out baby-specific, non-toxic products geared toward sensitive skin… and I still used whatever was on sale for myself. Quality Sun Care for the Whole Family The year that I turned 40, I began to change my tune and realized that I wanted — and deserved — quality too! (Turning 40 will do that to you.) Since … Continue reading →

Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu Season

  By Donna DeForbes | January 21, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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Natural Cold and Flu Remedies | Eco-Mothering.com

It’s cold and flu season again. And while I’ve known many people who’ve been beaten down this winter with some sort of nasty bug, nothing has hit the DeForbes household. I think it’s a combination of Law of Attraction thinking and turning to natural remedies at the first sign of problems. Below, I’ve compiled a roundup of natural cold, cough and flu remedies from my fellow bloggers. Some I’ve tried, others I plan to try. Bookmark this page and use it as a resource for your wintertime medicine cabinet. Preventative Measures Apple Green Tea Tumeric Tonic from A Harmony Healing Avoid Sugar from Eco-Mothering DIY Elderberry Syrup from Happy Healthnut Immunity Mushroom Broth from Real Food Outlaws Keeping Warm from Hybrid Rasta Mama For Coughs and Sore Throat Cayenne Sore Throat Remedy from Pickle Me Too DIY Herbal Cough Drops from The Nerdy Farm Wife Herbal Honey Cough Syrup from Homegrown … Continue reading →

Why You Should Avoid Sugar When You’re Sick

  By Donna DeForbes | November 12, 2013 - 5:00 am | ,
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Why You Should Avoid Sugar When You're Sick | Eco-Mothering.com

This is something I wondered recently when Sofie came down with a bad cold after a string of birthday parties and Halloween activities. I knew that a virus had caused the cold, but I wondered if an excess of sugary treats had contributed to it. Motherly instinct told me to reduce the number of sweets Sofie ate while she was sick (a trying rule to implement during Halloween!), but my suggestion was met with such horror from my seven-year-old that I had to see if there was any foundation for my parental decision. I learned some interesting things. Like how most plants and animals (including cats and dogs) can convert sugar into vitamin C. Now that would be cool. Unfortunately, humans are not one of the lucky animals who can do this. In humans, glucose (sugar) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) compete with each other, so a diet high in … Continue reading →