simple.green.organic.happy.

Author: Robin Strong Elton

  • Add These Vegetarian, Organic Gummy Vitamins to Your Shopping List

    Add These Vegetarian, Organic Gummy Vitamins to Your Shopping List

    These organic gummy vitamins for kids (and adults!) are vegetarian, allergen free, gluten free, and delicious.

    The first wealth is health.

    ―Ralph Waldo Emerson

    I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

    How’s your diet?

    Mine is pretty good, I think. I try to eat my fair share of fruits and veggies; I’m especially conscientious because I’ve cut out the majority of dairy due to intolerance. Dark greens like broccoli, spinach and kale have a decent amount of calcium, but the daily recommendation is 1000mg and you do have to rabbit up a fairly sizable serving of veggies to hit that on a daily basis. Sometimes I do so easily. Sometimes the day is a whirlwind and when all is said and done, I might not have had a green all day. 

    I imagine it’s the same for all of us, and particularly our kids. We do our best, but some days are better than others. Vitamins and other supplements are a good way to feel confident that we are filling those day-to-day nutritional gaps, to keep our energy levels high and our bodies healthy.

    Hero Nutritionals: Makers of the Original Gummy Vitamin

    Through the Moms Meet blogger program, I was sent two different kinds of gummy vitamins from Hero Nutritionals to try: Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamin and Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12. These are the supplements I already take (a gummy multi and a gummy B12). Up to this point, I hadn’t pledged allegiance to any one brand; often I pick them up from Costco but I’ll try other brands if they’re on sale.

    I think I may have found *the* brand.

    The most important factor, for us, is the flavor. It’s no use buying vitamins the kids and hubs aren’t going to take, right? These taste awesome. The B12s are without question the best tasting ones I’ve ever tried. The Yummi Bear multis are like low-key candy; the kids take them without having to be reminded. Delicious.

    Although I’m not currently a vegetarian, I have been in the past and Cass seems to be leaning that way lately, and I remember it being a pain finding vegetarian gummy vitamins. So the next thing that jumped out at me is that these vitamins are made from fruit pectin, not gelatin, which is great.

    Let’s go through the rest of the reasons why Yummi Bear Organics multis and Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12 are smart supplement choices.

    Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamin

    • Yummi Bears were the first gummy vitamins! They were released in 1997, so happy 20th anniversary to them.
    • They are the only organic and GMO-free gummy vitamin for children, with nothing artificial added; instead they use natural strawberry, orange, and pineapple flavors.
    • Contains 16 essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. (What makes a nutrient essential? They’re necessary for body functions, but the body can’t produce them on its own. Therefore it’s essential that you get them through your diet, and supplementation if necessary.) 
    • Fruit pectin based (no gelatin!)
    • Allergen free: that means no gluten, yeast, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, salt, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish or fish.


    Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12

    • USDA Certified Organic and manufactured in an Organic Certified Facility.
    • Also fruit pectin based, and free of GMOs, gluten, and dairy.
    • In addition to a major dose of B12 that uses methylcobalamin (a form of B12 that’s easier to absorb and use), these have 100% of your Daily Value of B6 and folic acid.
    • All natural cran-raspberry and black cherry flavors, organic colors.
    • Also allergen free, with no GMOs, gluten, or dairy.


    Why take B12?

    As I said, I don’t eat much dairy anymore, and I’ve been cutting back on meat pretty hard as well. These are your major sources of B12, along with fish and clams (which I consider meat anyway but I know not everyone does). Add that to letting go of caffeine, and I get brain fog sometimes. Taking B12 definitely makes a difference with that.

    In addition, my husband has ulcerative colitis, and often people with digestive issues like his (Crohns, celiac disease included) have trouble absorbing B12 from food. I can’t say he takes B12s for that reason; it’s more that when he sees me eating gummies he wants some too. But hey, it works, right?

    Taking a B12 supplement that includes folic acid and B6 can help to give your heart and circulatory health a boost, along with improving energy metabolism. Unlike some supplements, B12 is considered to be safe to take— just stick with the noted dose, in this case two “slices” per day. 

    Not all vitamins and minerals are considered to be non-toxic in high doses, though, and some can interfere with the efficacy of medication you might be taking. Generally speaking, it’s highly recommended to see your doctor for well-visits regularly and mention any symptoms that are prompting you to consider a new supplement. They’ll likely send you for a blood test to uncover any deficiencies and help you determine what supplements to take at what doses.

    Where to get ’em

    The really nice thing here is that Hero Nutritionals are pretty readily available. You can find them at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Ralphs, Kroger, Smart & Final, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and Jimbo’s, as well as online at Amazon and at costco.com. Check out the full list of locations here. 

  • When and Where to See Peak Fall Foliage (Interactive Map)

    When and Where to See Peak Fall Foliage (Interactive Map)

    Word on the street has it that Mother Nature is going to put on quite a show. Use this interactive map to find out when peak fall foliage is expected in your area (or travel destination).

    fall leaves

    Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.

    ― Jim Bishop

    Today is the first day of fall, which is my Sunday evening of the year. It’s not that I hate fall, but fall means WINTER IS COMING, which were words that struck fear into my heart even before Ned Stark imbued them with especially ominous meaning.

    For anyone that deals with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) on an annual basis, fall is bittersweet. Around these parts it’s objectively, inarguably a beautiful time to be alive. The leaves are (usually) magnificent, the sleeping weather lovely; all the pumpkin things come out to play; we get to break out the high boots and comfy sweaters and plan for Halloween while tromping through apple picking fields. I love all those bits. I just wish we could go from there to spring with maybe just a few weeks of frost and snow, rather than all those dark, grey days of cold rain and gross slush and sludge— with astronomic heating bills and temperatures that hurt my face— in between.

    In an effort to focus on the positive though: the fall foliage display this year is supposed to be spectacular, especially in New England, thanks to a relatively mild summer and no serious drought or insect infestations. 

    SmokyMountains.com has a simple interactive map that shows you when and where peak fall foliage is expected to take place across the country. Just move the slider from August 13th to October 29th to see the colors on the map change as they correspond to the colors of the leaves changing.

    The site also offers up a very thorough explanation of the science behind why the leaves change color and fall, as well as some cute coloring pages for the kids and a very pretty collage of real-time Instagram posts tagged #autumnleaves. Check it out and get your camera ready!

     

  • All Natural Relief for Motion Sickness and Morning Sickness

    All Natural Relief for Motion Sickness and Morning Sickness

    Nausea is the worst, whether it’s from morning sickness or motion sickness. Acupressure can help.


    I swear, gentlemen, that to be too conscious is an illness—
    a real thorough-going illness.

    -Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground

    I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

    When I was young I went on allllllll the rides.

    One time, I remember, my dad got on one too. Nothing too wild, mind, but maybe the pirate ship that just swung back and forth. 

    Just once. Afterwards, he told me never again. And he totally kept his word.

    I remember laughing at the idea that he would get such severe motion sickness from such a relatively mild ride.

    Getting old, friends. It kind of bites.

    I took the kids to Diggerland and they rode this thing over and over and over and over. Basically it just hurtles you in a fast, tight circle.

    I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

    I couldn’t even do this ride without wishing it would end soon. 

    Heck, last time I was on a merry go round I got a little bit of vertigo. I wasn’t even on a horse! I sat on a bench with one of my little nieces.

    I also can’t ride these windy rural roads with my husband driving. Reading in a moving car, even just to set the GPS or check an incoming text message? Forget about it. You’re on your own as navigator, I’m over here trying to keep my lunch in my stomach where it belongs.

    Riding on a subway or bus when it’s hot and crowded? I’m starting to psych myself out before the thing even starts moving.

    Acupressure for morning sickness and motion sickness relief

    Acupressure is a close cousin to acupuncture, but instead of using needles at certain places in the body you apply pressure. While I’ve never tried acupuncture myself, I know people who swear that it has worked for them. Acupressure is the same principle, but much more practical when on-the-go.

    To combat motion sickness (or morning sickness, or other forms of nausea) using acupressure, you’ll want to apply pressure to stimulate your P6 or “Nei Kuan” points. These are the easiest to locate and handle: on your inner wrist, three fingers down from where your arm meets your hand. You can apply pressure by pressing down with a finger, tapping on the point with a pen, or you can use a specially made wristband.

    ignore my chipping manicure.

    Using Sea-Bands to combat nausea

    Sea-Bands offer drug-free relief from motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy related nausea and post-operative nausea. These are knitted elastic bands (you need to wear both for peak effectiveness) with a plastic bead placed just so so as to apply pressure to those Nei Kuan points. Since there’s no drug involved, they’re suitable for kids, pregnant women and those with medication sensitivities.

    Do motion sickness bands work?

    I didn’t get a chance to try my Sea-Bands on a spinny ride or roller coaster, sadly, but I did wear them while regretting letting my husband drive me on the back roads.

    The science is iffy on how much perceived effectiveness relies on a placebo effect (although a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center study used Sea-Bands acupressure on post-op patients and found that the incidence of nausea was reduced to 10% – a two-thirds reduction). But as I’ve said before: I’m cool with the placebo effect as long as I feel better. Whatever works, man. 

    In any case, within a few minutes of wearing the bands I can definitely feel something happening, and it’s suitably distracting that I wasn’t psyching myself out and having to pointedly control my breathing in an effort to not get sick.

    Motion sickness and morning sickness are truly miserable experiences, especially since you can feel them coming a mile away and worrying about it just intensifies the misery. Sea-Bands might work for you— it’s definitely worth a try!

    Other ways to ward off motion sickness

    Along with the bands, try these tricks:

    • While in a vehicle, face front and try not to watch the scenery rushing by through side windows.
    • Keep talking if you can, to keep your mind occupied so you don’t start psyching yourself out.
    • Open a window and breathe that fresh air.
    • Don’t travel on an empty stomach, but don’t eat anything that’s going to encourage your stomach to do flip flops either. Graham crackers and saltines have been my lifesavers.
    • Some people do well sucking on a mint or other sort of lozenge. Sea-Bands offers these ginger lozenges; ginger is a popular anti-nausea remedy. They’re tasty.

     

    You can purchase Sea-Bands on their website or on Amazon, as well as in pharmacies and drug chains. Let me know how they work out for you!