Why the new name????

I changed the name of my blog as most of you know.

The old name was ‘Random Thoughts From Nicole’.

I didn’t much like that.  As I am living my life and wandering around the world, I have lots of thoughts that float through my head, as I’m sure others do as well.  Being a blog reader myself, I sometimes think, “Ha!  That would be funny to write a blog about!”  So, that is why I thought ‘Random Thoughts From Nicole’ would be a perfect name.

Well, it turns out; I don’t have as many random thoughts as I thought I did.  And the random thoughts that I do have, are just that.  Random!  Not necessarily blog material. 

If you look back on the history of my blog posts, you will see where my head is… health and family.  I’ve got a post on ingredients, one breaking down one of those ingredients, one about the labels, crunchy and granola, another which is just mocking a Chef Boyardee commercial, and so on.  The only one that was really ‘random’, I guess, would be the one titled ‘A spoonful of peanut butter’, talking about a memory from my childhood.

In light of where my posts seem to be headed, and where my passions in life are, I thought it best I change my blog name and url.  It took much mulling over between myself and my panel (aka, my husband, brother, and some other trusted witty friends) to come up with a name that encompasses what my blog will be about most days.  I am passionate about health and helping other people learn the things I know and learning what others know that I don’t.  I home school my kids.  Rest assured, there will be some home school posts!  I am a chiropractor…. One that stays home to raise her kids and home school… but a chiropractor none the less and I am positive I will post here and there about it!  And, basically, just all things ‘natural’ (home birthing, not vaccinating, no drugs, etc).  (I tried “All things natural” and it was taken by someone that has only posted once… like 2 years ago!)

Anyway, lots of great ideas were thrown around… all the good ones taken by other bloggers.  Until I finally got a thought flash… tested it to see if it was already taken, and it wasn’t!  Yay!

Of course, you already know what I chose, because it is at the top of my page! ;)

I’ll tell you anyway… My new name is ‘Some Call It Natural”.

I like this one, because I frequently hear from friends/acquaintances, “Oh yeah, you’re natural” in response to something I am eating… or not eating… or not letting my kids eat.  When these people say this, it stems from so many other aspects of my life that they know, as well.  What most people don’t understand is that most of my close friends have their babies at home, don’t vaccinate, keep their sons intact, don’t have Tylenol in their house, home school, and are avid label readers.  I sometimes forget that other people don’t live that way too!

So, I guess I just feel that the way I live is normal, because so many other people around me live the same way.

However, I know that… Some Call It Natural.  :)

 

Hope you like it...

Okay, kids...

I've got the new name...

Ready????

Here it is...  Some Call It Natural

Alright, that's all the news you get for now.  I will explain more on my first post with the new name!  See you soon!

Nicole

In the Midst of a Name Change

I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post.

I know some of you have been losing sleep wondering what my next post will be about! ;)

Well, the reason it has taken so long is because I am in the process of coming up with a new name for my blog.  I don’t really like Random Thoughts From Nicole.  As it turns out, I don’t have many random thoughts.  My thoughts are fairly well thought out… at least that’s how I write them anyway.  No jokes from personal friends about my well thought out thoughts, please.

So, I need a name that more encompasses what I will actually be writing about on my blog.  Which is pretty much all things natural, plus a little more… Nutrition, Chiropractic, Home Birthing, Home Schooling, Not Vaccinating, and family stuff in general. 

I have been brainstorming and enlisting the help of some friends and family and I am close to the name I like.

I may never come up with the “perfect” blog name that I will be completely satisfied with, but I think that I (and my blog name board members) have come up with a pretty darn good name.

For my followers: I’m pretty sure that when I change the name, you will still be following my blog.  I will make one last blog on Random Thoughts From Nicole just in case that’s not true so that you can keep in touch with me!

 

Within the next few days I will change it officially and you all can get some sleep.

Nicole

P.S. I am open to suggestions on new names!

Chef Boyardee | "Timeout"

This is one of the latest commercials from Chef Boyardee promoting their microwavable bowls of food. Yes, it is a funny commercial, but there are so many things wrong with it. Wanna know what's wrong with it?

Yes, I thought you would.

First of all, they are trying to tell parents that somehow this food is good for their children just because they put some vegetables in it. I'm not entirely sure what they are talking about. I read the ingredients of one of the packages and there are no vegetables in it! Maybe they are classifying tomatoes as a vegetable? Besides that, what IS in it is high fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch, and soybean oil. None of these are healthy to eat. Not to mention the instructions are to microwave the bowl! Forget any nutrients that may have been in it, they are gone now!

Anyway, I'll step off my soap box now.

Again, I did laugh at this commercial for the joke that was in it, but then it just frustrated me that they are perpetuating the poor nutrition education in this country.

Have a look at the commercial for yourself.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Why To Avoid It

In my last post, I listed the top 5 ingredients to avoid when shopping.  In my next few posts, I will give you a little insight as to WHY those five ingredients don’t come in my house.  Today, I will discuss High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

What’s the big deal?  Isn’t it just sugar?  No.  It is a highly refined derivative of corn starch.  I won’t bore you with how they remove the starch from the corn, but you can go here and read all about it. Once the starch is removed from the corn, it is then mixed with hydrochloric acid and heat to produce corn syrup.  This process converts the starch molecules into a sugar.  The length of the process determines the sweetness of the sugar.  The longer they allow the procedure (called acid hydrolysis) to continue, the sweeter the syrup will taste.  To make the corn syrup into high fructose corn syrup, it goes through something called enzyme conversion which will result in a solution that has a fructose level of 55%.

Your body metabolizes fructose differently than it does glucose.  I implore you to do some research and learn about what it does in your body.  I will give you a little preview.  The following are a few of the resulting effects that HFCS can have on your body.

• Destructive to your liver
• Weight gain
• Increases triglyceride and HDL (bad cholesterol) levels, leading to heart disease

On top of all that, it is produced using genetically modified corn, which brings a whole new myriad of problems.  It has also been found to have high levels of mercury.  Again, the problems that can cause are numerous.

So, why do companies use HFCS instead of good old sugar? 

• Longer shelf life
• It is sweeter than sugar
• Lower cost (due to how much sweeter it is)
• Keeps food moist longer

Long story short, it’s just good business.  So sorry if it causes heart disease and adds to the growing obesity rate in the United States!  I’ve heard rumors that HFCS is banned in some other countries, but I couldn’t confirm that with a quick search on the net.  So, feel free to do your own research. then come back here and leave a comment telling me where to find it!

I hope that this helps clear up why you should take HFCS out of your diet TODAY.  Seriously, go through your pantries and check out all your food.  If you don’t want to waste it I understand, but you will at least know for future shopping trips what products to skip.

I know it will be hard to avoid your usual products, but it will be well worth it for your health and the health of your family.  Good luck on your next shopping trip!

Nicole

Top 5 Ingredients To Avoid When Shopping

If you know me, you know that I am conscious of what goes in my kids bodies.  I have been asked by quite a few people what ingredients I avoid.  So, I thought I would make a Top 10 list of ingredients to avoid.  I thought that might be overwhelming for some people, especially if you eat like the average American, so I decided to do a Top 5 list instead.  The following is a list of ingredients that don’t enter my house.  To get you started eating a healthier diet, try avoiding one or more of these.

Here is my Top 5 list of ingredients to avoid

(In no particular order)

1.  High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) also called corn syrup – This one has been getting a lot of media attention lately, which I love.  I especially love the commercials from the corn industry trying to fool a person into believing that not only is HFCS not bad for you, but it is actually good for you!  What a joke!

2. Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Oils – You aren’t going to like me for this one.  This is in lots of foods.

3. Sodium Benzoate – Commonly found in things that are ‘pickled’, such as pickles, banana peppers, jalapeño peppers, etc.

4. Artificial Sweeteners – This can include aspartame, phenylalanine, splenda, nutrasweet, and the list goes on.  This is becoming a long list that I can’t keep up with as companies keep on coming up with new ‘sugars’ in their labs.  When I am looking at a label, I will buy it if it says sugar, evaporated cane sugar, honey, molasses, stevia, or no sugar at all.  That way, I don’t have to keep up with all the cancer causing sugars they are making in labs!

5. Glutamate – This is the harmful component to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – This is probably the hardest ingredient on my list to avoid (and why I listed it last).  The reason I feel it is the hardest to avoid is because it is in so many things and it’s not as simple as looking for ‘Monosodium Glutamate’ in the ingredients list.  Click here for a list of other names/ingredients that glutamate can be found in and you will see what I am talking about.

I will post about each of these individually so you can see why I avoid these like the plague!  

*Update: I have now linked all my individual posts so all you have to do is click on each ingredient above and it will go to the post.  That way you don't have to search through my archives to find them.  I'm all about making things easier for you. :) 

Even though this is just a top 5 list and not a top 10, it may still be overwhelming to some.  That’s okay.  If that’s the case, just pick one.  Start wherever is easiest.  Getting one of these ingredients out of your diet and the diet of your family members will still be beneficial for your health.

The great thing about picking just one is that you will find that by just taking one of these out of your diet you will be taking some of the others out as well, because they travel in packs.  You’ve heard the saying, “Birds of a feather, flock together”, right?  The same usually goes for bad ingredients.

I hope this helps you to get your family on the road to better health!

Note: For my readers who are already going in this direction, I’m sure that you have others to add to this list.  You may even be thinking there is an ingredient or two that is/are more important to avoid than these.  Please remember I am talking to the readers that have never altered their diet in this way and that this is just a starting point for them.  Feel free to leave a comment with your opinions on these ingredients or others that you feel are detrimental to our health.  I welcome feedback.

Nicole