The Green Baby Movement

Good morning! I hope everyone had a good Earth Day. I celebrated mine by attending a very special event: the third official meeting of Beam Green.

Beam Green is a fun, eco-conscious, and inspiring social club for women, devoted to imparting green knowledge to the next generation of parents. It’s goal is “to be a positive eco-educational community for families that will assist in the creation of children who are strong, vibrant, and healthy that they contribute to the world in countless ways.”

What does this mean? It means that each month, the ladies of Beam Green gather at Tavern on the Green in Manhattan to hear some of the foremost leaders in the raw food and health movements—including my teacher, Natalia Rose—speak about child-rearing, from pre-conception through pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond (we also eat some pretty awesome raw hors d’oeuvres). Speakers address such topics as how to live Green before conception, how to have a Green pregnancy, and how to create a Green environment within the nursery and at home.

Why, you ask, would someone like me, who has no immediate plans of child-rearing, be interested? Because Beam Green’s mission and appeal goes far beyond the notion of an imminent pregnancy. More than anything else, Beam Green is a community of eco-conscious women who feel strongly about creating a less toxic world. In fact, Beam Green’s founder, Mary Boehmer, is my age.

You’ll very rarely hear me say that I believe that someone is destined to change the world—I’m not prone to hyperbole—but that’s precisely how I feel about Mary. All of twenty-five years old, Mary has dedicated her life to a vision of children who are strong, vibrant, healthy, and socially-conscious. Mary believes that proper nutrition can help mothers, children, and people of all ages grow stronger and contribute more fully to the world, and she’s made it her life’s work to help educate women in how to eat and live well. As someone who believes firmly that a proper diet can alter the entire landscape of a human life, I can relate to Mary’s mission; as someone lucky enough to call Mary a friend, I’m continually inspired away by her leadership capacities, her commitment to health, her generosity of spirit, and her savvy as a budding entrepreneur. She is nothing short of phenomenal.

I stumbled across an article in Canada’s Globe and Mail last week detailing the alarming rise of cancer rates in teens and young adults. The article cites a study claiming that approximately 2,075 young people aged fifteen to twenty-nine will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and about 325 cancer deaths will occur in this age group. Aside from Leukemia, which has always struck the young, many of these rising cancers are lymphomas (the lymph system is a part of the body’s immune system, and it helps to filter bacteria out of the body and to fight disease and infection). Among females, thyroid cancer is most common, and among men, testicular cancer. The article reminded me of two articles I saw in the British news earlier this year, one of which stated that the overall incidence of cancer among teenagers and young adults was rising, with the biggest increase among twenty to twenty-four-year-olds, and another which stated that cervical cancer rates are rising steadily among women aged fifteen to nineteen. The Globe and Mail article goes on to describe the unimaginable stresses that cancer treatments (and their attendant weight gain, hair loss, acne, and loss of sexual stamina, to say nothing of fatigue and nausea) can take on a teen’s social life and sense of self.

As if acne, weight gain, and self-consciousness aren’t outstanding enough in the teen years? Think back to your own adolescence, and now try to imagine living through it under the shadow of a potentially deadly disease. I’m sure it’s as gruesome a vision to you as it is to me. We’ve all heard plenty about the rise in childhood obesity and diabetes: now cancer joins their ranks in attacking young people.

The articles don’t (as much medical reporting does not) go on to suggest the factors underlying the rise in cancer rates. I won’t attempt to account for the global cancer epidemic in this post—it’s not the time, and I’m not a scientist—but I think we can all offer some intuitive suggestions: an increasingly toxic environment, a rise in hormone exposure through the excessive consumption of conventional dairy and meat (also the likely culprit in increasingly early ages of menarche in women), the use of tanning beds, and, of course, an unnatural diet all come to mind. Does it strike me as surprising that the articles singles out lymphomas as a particular concern? No. When the body is overtaxed with toxins—through environmental exposure and dietary consumption—the immune system and lymphatic system are stretched beyond their capacities in cleansing. When an organ or bodily system is forced into overdrive, it becomes prone to disease.

Cancer is tragic no matter when or where it strikes: as the child of a cancer survivor, I know too well how even the best case scenarios can threaten our sense of safety. But of course nothing seems more perverse than cancer (or other life-threatening illnesses) in the very young: it’s an old cliché, but true, that living unburdened by a sense of mortality really is the great joy of youth. Which is why we all should commit ourselves as fervently as we can to doing our part in the Green Baby Movement—starting with our own bodies, and ending with the way we choose to raise our children.

What thrilled me most about the meeting last night was seeing so many women in their twenties in the room: women who are not yet mothers, but who are starting to make small transformations in their eating habits and lifestyle that will one day be a part of their parenting ethos.

Most of us can probably remember elements of our upbringing that were, in hindsight, not optimally healthy. No matter how well my mother fed me most of the time, I also remember convenience foods and lots of meat and dairy on the table: others among you might remember sodas, candies, sugary cereal, fast food, or a disparaging attitude toward exercise. We’re in the unique position now to give our future children the kind of clean slate we didn’t have growing up—armed with real knowledge about the environment, our diets, and the benefits of physical fitness. So let’s all vow to honor good health, proper nutrition, and an environmental conscience. This kind of awareness will serve us well as we prepare to bring kids into the world—and, with any luck, it will give our kids a chance to thrive.

On that note, some highlights from the meeting!

Mary, giving an opening speech (she was kind enough to bring me flowers and announce my quitiversary! Thanks, Mary!!)

Natalia, who has already lectured on the proper way to eat and cleanse pre-conception and throughout pregnancy, gave a fascinating talk about the birthing process, with details on how to choose your birthing plan (hospital vs. birthing center vs. doula), how to avoid epidural guilt, and how to nurse directly after childbirth. Here she is, with Mary (please forgive the blurry photos, everyone! Was hard to shoot the speakers as they moved around stage):

Next up was Paul Nison, a raw foods educator and author whose new book, The Daylight Diet takes as its starting point the firm argument that eating early in the day is tantamount to eating well. Paul credits nighttime munching with poor health, low energy levels, and digestive distress. He makes a strong case for eating no later than 6 p.m., getting adequate sleep, rising early, and allowing the body adequate time (six hours or so) to digest between meals. I haven’t read the book in its entirety, and I doubt that eating at six would be feasible within my lifestyle at all times, but I do try to eat early as often as I can, and I recommend it to my clients, too (anywhere from 5:30—7:30 p.m. is great). If you’re dubious, try it: make your dinners an hour or two earlier each night, and see if you don’t feel better in the morning!

Here’s Paul (blurry again!):

A photo of me and my friend Cassie, whom you’ve heard plenty about:

Me, Cassie, and Mary (aka, women who want to change the world!):

So, how can you do your part to support the Green Baby Movement? Check out Mary’s website, www.BeamGreen.com. You’ll see a link to join the club in the top right corner. I urge you all to consider membership! If you’re here in New York, you’ll get to attend the inspiring monthly lectures (which feature a scrumptious spread of Liqueteria juices, Babycakes cookies, raw vegan treats catered by a master chef, and herbal teas), participate in raffles and giveaways, and, of course, hang out with me! If you’re not in the New York area, don’t despair: you can sign up as a remote member and watch all the meetings live (and ask the speakers questions) through the Beam Green webcast. In either case, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re supporting the worthiest of causes, and ultimately supporting a green future for all of us.

Have a great day! More tomorrow. xo