-Guest post by Laura HoffmanBefore I had children, I thought the whole fuss over kids with allergies and eczema had to be exaggerated.So perhaps it was my karma, then, to have a child who struggled with skin conditions and sensitivities from day one. A bit of cradle cap turned into food sensitivities that morphed into bad eczema with food and cosmetic allergies. It has absolutely rocked
Illness & Natural Remedies
What Are the Best Multivitamins?
Last year, a private client of mine gave me the opportunity to look more closely at the best multivitamins. She wanted to know if she should be taking a multivitamin, and if she should be giving one to her children. Of course, she also wanted to know which brands make the best multivitamins. I shared my opinion with the Gimme readership back then, and now am pleased to be able to update you guys.
Choosing a Humidifier for Winter Survival
`This time of year, I get a lot of questions about humidifiers. As temperatures drop outside, we turn up our thermostats for relief. But that warm air is dry, leaving our skin, hair and mucus membranes parched.Add in a cold or flu, especially a sick baby, and you’ll be temped to run out and buy the first humidifier you can get your (very dry) hands on—but wait!The humidifier market is
Should You Do Cord Blood Banking?
Did you choose to do private cord blood banking after your baby's birth? This is one of the first decisions you'll make about something that may affect your child's health, and parents naturally agonize over it.My husband, Daylon, is the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology at Weill Cornell Medical College as well as a embryonic stem cell research scientist. My pregnant friends often ask
February: Detoxing Your Medicine Cabinet with Natural Remedies
This new year, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of January, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks. Each month, we will invite you to overhaul one aspect of your life to reduce toxins, improve health, and increase your peace of mind. Our promise is that these changes will be easy to implement, and we hope will help
Why Your Hand Sanitizer Doesn’t Stop the Flu (and Might Make You Sick)
Despite my longtime annoyance with Purell-toting moms, once I had my own children I found myself--to my horror--becoming something of a germaphobe.When my sons are sick, we all suffer--they miss school, I can’t work, and no one sleeps. I’m judicious with the use of fever reducers and painkillers (here’s why), so some level of misery is inevitable. And in New York City, it’s hard to ignore how
4 Eating Tips to Avoid Fall Illnesses
The season of “school bugs” is upon us. Are you already fed up with runny noses, coughs, and stomach bugs?In my last post I shared five strategies for staying healthy during the school year and promised that I’d follow up with some specific food tips. When it comes to staying healthy and recovering from illness, you really can’t ignore the importance of diet—for adults and kids alike.But
5 Strategies for Staying Healthy During the School Year
Every year when school starts, the runny noses and illnesses begin, too. I used to be a classroom teacher, and I saw it every year.Are you already fed up with the endless runny noses, coughs, and (worst of all) stomah bugs? Do you feel like you’re just bracing yourself for the next illness to strike your family? Do not despair! There are things you can do to help yourself and your family get
Ticks: Do Non-Toxic Repellents Work?
If you know us by now, you know that we are always trying to find products and solutions that keep toxins away from our homes and families.Sometime there are problems difficult enough to make us pay even closer attention. A good example of this is the problems with ticks and the diseases they spread. Ticks & Pets We walk our new puppy, Koa, twice a day. There is a great park nearby with
Two Ways to (Seriously) Not Catch Your Kid’s Cold
Natural Cold Remedies That Actually Work Go ahead and smother your sick kid in kisses--I truly think I've discovered the secret to not catching their colds. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and nothing I'm about to say should be confused as medical advice. I'm simply telling you what seems to be working for me this winter (or "spring" according to the calendar but not the weather here in NYC!). The
