The Choice to Vaccinate

I feel somewhat brave to share my opinion about this much debated topic, but I also feel very obligated to do so.

Of course, having a new baby, there seems to be "expectations" that come along the way. These "expectations" are hardly ever questioned and seem to be done because "that's just how it is." Unfortunately, these shouldn't be expectations at all, they should be personal choices, depending on one's circumstances.  "Expectations" could be things like where and how parents would give birth or how a new mother would feed her new baby. One of the biggest "expectations" that I have found as a new mother is vaccinations.

When asked by friends, family, or even strangers about the subject, they ask things like "When is Ella going in for her shots?" or "When is she due for vaccinations?" These questions merely suggest that there is no question that I am going to vaccinate my child.

But I do question.

Now maybe the vaccine-autism debate has come and gone, but I believe they can still be linked together. Whether or not vaccinations have been disproved to be the cause of autism, well, I'll leave that for you to decide. But as for me, and experiences in my personal life, I think that vaccinations can aggravate this condition.

I question what goes into my body and I definitely question what will go into my kids' bodies. There also have been links to asthma, allergies and eczema to vaccines. Probably because of the disgusting stuff that is in those needles. I find it quite odd that people don't question what goes into their bodies. Aluminum, formaldehyde, mono-sodium glutamate, and mercury have all been found present in vaccinations. Don't believe me? Check out the ingredient list fact sheet listed on the CDC website. What's funny is that this list is right there. In plain sight. It's easily accessible and easy to read.

This is why I choose not to vaccinate. I find the contents on that list appalling. There is no way I would inject that poison into my own body, let alone into my tiny, innocent little baby's.

Just like with my birth choice, there are options. When it comes to vaccinations, there are alternatives. The main one that I have found are homeopathic vaccinations. I have found a lady in my area who does homeopathic remedies. She actually has a degree in nursing but when vaccines made her son ill, she looked for a different route, a different option, a different choice. (www.homeo.ca)

We still haven't decided whether to do this, but it is wonderful to know that there are some alternatives nearby. For now, the breast milk that Ella drinks is going to be enough to provide her with the antibodies to help her stay healthy.

Now, you must understand I do not judge those who vaccinate, so I shouldn't expect you to judge me. We all have our reasons for whatever choices we have made, and this is mine.

RECIPE- Quinoa Salad

Due to individual schedules, Justin and I take turn making dinner during the week.  Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays it's Justin's turn while Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays it is my job. (Sundays are usually a mutual thing.) I admit that I am not much of a cook and I leave the kitchen creativity to my dear husband (for he is amazing) but when I do make something great (or even good in that matter) it is definitely worth a blog post...

So for dinner last Wednesday I decided to try to make a quinoa salad with cilantro and lime. Now, l have had quinoa before, mostly at other people's houses, but I had never actually made it myself so my first challenge was finding the stuff in the grocery store. Okay, it wasn't much of a challenge because (being a type of grain) it was by the rice.

Then I remembered I needed cilantro. I am not much of a cilantro lover so I actually debated whether to skip that step, but in order to achieve my goal to try new foods, I decided "Oh why not?" So off I went to the produce department to find cilantro. They were sitting there with a bunch of other types of green herbs that look quite similar. So found myself smelling all of them to make sure I got the right one. It wasn't until after my smell-a-thon that I realized that each one is actually labelled .. Silly me..

The Recipe:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa (about one package)
1/2 to 1 cucumber, diced
2 cups of corn (frozen or fresh)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1 tomato, diced
1 lime
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt to taste

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Refrigerate for about an hour.

2. Add quinoa to a large bowl and add cucumber, corn, black beans, cilantro and tomato. Mix together.

3. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and add the oil and garlic powder and salt. Mix together and enjoy!

The result:
I am actually quite pleased with this dish! It was yummy and healthy and it was quite easy to make. And not to mention colorful :)
And I must say that the cilantro wasn't at all that bad! (I also cut the tomatoes small enough so I wouldn't really be able to taste them.) This recipe is definitely one I would make again! (oh and Justin liked it too so that's always a bonus!)