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Our Charis Family
Laura Hale
Jeremy and Laura Hale
with their precious children, Jacob and Nora
Hello Charis Family! My name is Laura Hale and I
live in Virginia Beach, VA with my husband of 7
years, Jeremy, and our two children, Jacob and Nora.
I began my CE/Doula certification in September of
this year and could not be more thrilled! But
this is not my first experience with the Charis
family; I am blessed to have two Charis
babies!
In December of 2006 Kristin Schuchmann attended the
birth of my son as my doula and then Christi Jones was my doula
when my daughter was born in December 2010. It
was my experiences with my own births that ignited a
passion for birth and the desire to lead women
through this incredible journey. My husband
saw this passion and encouraged me to pursue
certification.
I knew that Charis was the organization I wanted to
seek education from. I love acknowledging
God’s divine creation and knowing with faithfulness
that women were made for birth. Though I’ve been a
Christian since my teens, beginning this journey has
already taught me so much of who I am in Christ.
I can’t wait to share this knowledge with my future
clients and with my own children. ~Blessings,
Laura
Jacob and Nora Hale, sibling love!!!
My husband and I during my labor with Nora.
I really enjoyed this month's newsletter! (November
2011) Kristin's thoughts and tips on PROM were
so helpful and a great reminder to me that
preconception health is so important, even in my own
life. I really enjoyed reading all of the
Charis Around the World entries and was especially
glad to see Elizabeth Carmichael had a much needed
vacation! Jannekah's thoughts were humbling as
always and show what a servant Christ can make us
into. I am SO excited about the new columns,
Life in the Caribbean and Stories from India. I know
I will be blessed to read about Lauren and Sheena's
journeys as a doula and student midwife. The
cultures of India and Haiti are so different and I
know they will be such a blessing to those around
them. What a privilege to see that part of the
world through their eyes!
~Bethany Striker, Charis midwifery student
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Charis Cuisine
Grammy Ethel’s
Delicious Cranberry Relish
(submitted by Ethel Sinkewitz)
Grammy
Ethel's yummy cranberry relish was featured a few years ago, and
since so many
folks commented on how perfect it is for a Christmas meal, we
thought it lovely to share it again!
Ingredients:
12 oz fresh cranberries (not dried)
1 orange, peeled and seeds removed
1 apple, cored
8 - 10 oz. of dates, stems and pits removed
2/3 C raw walnuts
Juice of 1 orange
Directions:
Place all ingredients except orange juice in a food processor and
process until coarsely chopped. Place in a beautiful bowl and mix in
the orange juice.
Health Benefits of Cranberries
Nutrition, Nutrition and more Nutrition
Though cranberries are tiny, they are potent. Packed with nutrition,
they are high in vitamin C and in fiber. But cranberries, like their
relative the blueberry, also contain antioxidants in abundance which
has antibacterial effects on the body.
In documents that have survived since the 17th century we have
learned that cranberries were used then, not for their nutrition,
but for an assortment of medicinal purposes: stomach ailments, liver
problems, and blood disorders. Cranberries traveled to sea as a
protection against scurvy. Though vitamin content as part of our
daily nutrition was not known at the time, it was the high vitamin C
content in cranberries that was valuable.
According to the USDA's largest study, measuring both the
concentration and the antioxidant capacity per serving size,
cranberries, blueberries and black berries shine as the brightest
stars.
Cranberries are tart to our tongues, but they are even tarter when
confronting free radicals which goes beyond the nutrition of
vitamins. What are free radicals? They are atoms that scour our
bodies' cells, harming them so that the immune system is too
weakened to resist disease. Plant foods provide anti-oxidants which
fight free radicals. Cranberries are among the highest of the
antioxidant plants. Drink cranberry juice, eat fresh cranberries in
season and dried cranberries out of season. Pack in the nutrition.
Proanthocyanidins, also called tannins, prevent bacteria (including
Escherichia coli) from adhering to the urinary tract. We have long
used cranberries as a cure for urinary tract infections. This also
protects the cranberry itself and may have evolved to prevent it in
the damp climate in which it lives.
The major flavonoids in freshly squeezed cranberry juice are
quercetin and myricetin.
Quercetin is found to be the most active of the flavonoids in
studies. Quercetin has anti-inflammatory activity because it
inhibits some of the process of inflammation at the onset.
Myricetin is a flavonoid (pigment) and is considered an antioxidant.
Fighting free radicals, it is thought to have anti-cancer
properties, including the ability to lower the chances of prostate
cancer. Myricetin may also lower cholesterol levels.
Oxalates. Cranberries' are high in oxalates, which can rob the body
of calcium and can be a cause of kidney stones.
Terpenes create the spicy scent and combined with other phenolic
compounds give it its tart, astringent taste. |
