Is it considered "pigging out" if it's on vegetables?

I love roasted vegetables.  They are delicious!  A friend loaned me this cookbook and I tried the Asian Roasted Broccoli recipe and I pretty much ate the whole thing.  Yeah, I pigged out......on broccoli! 

Asian-Style Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of broccoli (1 medium head, cut into florets)
2 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot
1 T peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, mix the broccoli with the garlic, shallot, ginger, oil, and tamari and season with the pepper to taste.  Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until the florets are tender but still bright green, about 20 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.


Since we're on the topic of roasted veggies, I also LOVE this recipe for Curry Roasted Cauliflower.  (I made it today as well and pigged out on it too!)

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil  (I don't measure.  Just drizzle it on!)
curry powder (Spinkle as much as you want on top.  I use a LOT.)
salt (to taste)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix everything in a bowl and put it on a cookie sheet.  Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Delicious!

Hot Shots

Here's a hot topic:  shots!  As in immunization vaccines for your baby.  The question is to shoot or not to shoot, or use an alternative shot schedule?  My baby is due in June 7th, so this is a topic I am very interested in. 

Why not use the recommended shot schedule the way it is?
You read all kind of scary stuff about shots, mainly the link between the MMR shot and autism.  People in the medical profession swear up and down that there's no scientific proof that the MMR shot leads to autism in any way.  However, there are SO many accounts from parents who take their baby to get the MMR shot, then they "are different" immediately, and develop autism very soon after.  I know there's no scientific proof to back up these claims, but I really don't think these people are making it up.   A mother knows her baby best, and she would know exactly when a change like that would occur.

In addition to autism, there are claims that all these shots are responsible for the increase we're seeing in autoimmune diseases in children.  (Like athsma, MS, etc.)   Also, there are claims that the increase in behavior problems and ADHD are linked with the mercury levels in shots.  Luckily, this isn't a problem anymore because all shots for babies are now thimerasol-free.  (Thimerasol is the preserving agent that contains ethyl mercury.)  The problem I'm worried about is: what do they use for preservatives in shots now, and are those as or more harmful than the thimerasol?  I've heard they use aluminum and other bad things now.    

Also, the pharmaceutical companies would be out a LOT of money if there were proof that their shots were harmful.  I believe that if it's in someone's financial interest to not find something, then it won't be found!  Who do you think funds the research on these shots anyway?  Of course they're not going to find anything.

....but you still need to get your baby the shots! 
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to be like those crazy people who just don't give their baby any shots at all.  I feel  like that's just irresponsible.  First of all, the diseases that these shots immunize against are horrible diseases that can kill.  Some are making a comeback, like whooping cough.  Whooping cough used to barely even exist, and now there are more and more cases showing up because so many people are choosing not to immunize.  This is a dangerous disease where the babies can't breathe and can die.  Second of all, by not giving your child any shots at all, you are relying on "herd immunization".  This means that your baby benefits from all the other ones getting shots.  This strikes me as very unfair.

Alternative shot schedule 
What I think I'm going to do is an alternative shot schedule.  This seems to be a good "middle of the road" option.  My baby will still get all of her shots by the time she's 5 years old, but we'll start a little later (4 months instead of  2), and we'll spread out the shots (so she won't receive 17 immunizations in one day).  Currently, I'm reading Dr. Stephanie Cave's book on the subject.  It must be said however, that I spoke with 3 pediatricians and they all disagree with her.  They will, however, do Dr. Cave's shot schedule if I sign a waiver.

MMR Separation and evil pharmaceutical companies:
Since the MMR shot is the big bad one, many people want to separate it into 3 shots.  However, the pharmaceutical companies have taken away this choice.  (!)  They no longer make it in separate doses.  The triple combined MMR is the only one they make in the US any more.  They do make it in Europe, but the FDA has not approved it from Europe and your doctor cannot immunize your baby with shots from there.  This makes me so mad!  I don't like big companies making that choice for me.

I have heard some promising news that Merck will be making the separate shots again in 2012.  I hope I can put off the MMR for my baby until then.

What do you think?
This is a really controversial issue and I would really be curious to know your insights in this topic.  Also, if you have any websites or books to recommend on the issue, I would be really interested to hear about them. 

Fertility Diet

Sometimes, miracles do happen.  So, I haven't been posting lately.  I've just had other things on my mind because I am pregnant!  I really did not think this was ever going to happen.  My husband and I tried for 6 years, the last 3 with fertility treatments, and we had started the adoption process.  (We are still going to adopt a baby from India.)  We were on the very last IUI (Intra-Uterine Insemination) procedure before trying IVF.  ...and it worked! 

This was the 9th time I'd had an IUI.  What did I do differently?  Well, at the time I conceived, I was following this Fertility Diet.  I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but it you're having issues in the area it's worth a shot, right? 

This book is based on a extensive Nurses' Study and has lots of good tips.  Here are some the things I did:

1.  Avoid all preservatives, MSG, trans-fats, and high-fructose corn syrup.

2. Take an iron supplement.

3.  Take fish oil supplements.  (Make sure they are mercury-free.)

4.  Stay away from peas.  They contain a substance that affects fertility.  (Who knew?!)  Apparently, they are studying it to possibly create a natural birth control pill!  Anyway, I hate peas so I was only too happy to  give them up.  (Ironic that the cover of the book has a picture of peas on it, isn't it?)

5.  You'll love this one:  Eat full-fat ice-cream!  Make sure there is no skim milk in it.  (Surprisingly hard to find.)   Full-fat dairy helps ovulation.  Skim or low fat dairy has had the hormones altered (it explains it in the book) and it is detrimental to ovulation.  Crazy!  At the time I conceived, I was eating 1/2 cup of Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato with strawberries and blueberries on top.

6.  Eat berries!  Also, dark chocolate, and green tea.  

7.  Limit caffiene.  (Other than green tea.) 

8.  Do Yoga!  I did only 5 minutes of sun salutations every morning.

I wish luck and good ju-ju to everyone who tries this.  Good luck!  :-)