This is a great alternative to motorizing your Wonder Junior. You may already have a heavy duty drill that will work. If not you can buy a heavy duty drill and this attachment for much less than a motorizing pulley and a motorizing setup, plus you can use the drill for more than your grain mill.

We recommend using a variable speed drill so that you can keep the speed low to prevent prematurely wearing out grain mill and making a mess. The manufacturer recommends that your speed should not exceed 160 RPM, about twice as fast as you can crank it by hand.

$29.95 (Free Shipping)

See our other Wonder Junior parts and accessories.


Recommended Drills

For Milling Hard Grains (Like Grains & Beans):

We recommend two drills, but realize that almost any will work. First, for a great low cost option that works well, try the Dewalt 8 amp:

Additionally, for a little more power, you may consider the Dewalt 9 amp:

Either will work well, but the latter has a bit more power behind it.

For Milling Soft Items (Like Nuts & Coffee Beans)

Just about any drill will work for soft item, even a cordless drill will work for milling very soft items. Keep in mind that some drills are hard to keep the speed at the recommended speed.

Warranty Notice

Using this Drill Bit Adapter or any other method of motorizing your Wonder Junior will void the warranty of the grain mill.

From April 1st through April 30th, 2010, get a $45 Rebate on International Shipping Costs (Including Alaska and Hawaii). Purchase any electric mill from 9G Health Foods, ship it anywhere outside of the continental USA, and get $45 back! Save BIG, but act soon before the special ends! See all the details below.

HOW TO PURCHASE:
Visit our Wonder Mill page and add the appropriate voltage mill to your cart. Check out and pay (your mill will not have any shipping charges). We’ll calculate your shipping costs and send you a supplemental invoice for the shipping. Simply pay that with PayPal and your mill will be on its way to you! Contact us with questions.

APRIL SPECIAL DETAILS:
Electric Mills (120V or 240V) purchased from the 9G Health Foods website, by email, or by phone are eligible for a $45 rebate on International Shipping costs (to include Alaska and Hawaii). Not valid on Amazon and eBay purchases (a different rebate will apply). The rebate may not exceed actual shipping costs. Other shipping discounts may not be used in combination with this special. Mills must be purchased between April 1st and April 30th, 2010. Electronic rebate form will be emailed to all purchasers at time of shipping. Forms must be returned either electronically or by paper/mail no later than May 15th, 2010. Rebate will be paid in the same manner as payment (e.g. – PayPal refund for most people). All payments will be in US Dollars. This offer is void where taxed, restricted, and/or prohibited by law. Forms received after May 15th, 2010 are invalid. For those who qualify, rebate will be applied/sent 2-4 weeks after submission. Please contact us before purchasing if you have any questions about this promotion.

Here are three telltale signs that you should NOT eat a particular food again:

1.  Food gives you a headache

2.  Food makes you sleepy or lethargic

3.  You crave sugar after your meal

Have we forgotten what the purpose of food is?  It is to supply your body with the right balance of nutrients and vitamins and it is to provide energy for your body to function at its optimum levels.  Headaches are often caused from artificial ingredients and dyes, dangerous fats (like most that are sold today), and other processed ingredients.  Headaches and lethargy are symptoms of a deeper problem…a system that has taken in more toxins than nutrients.  The body begins to draw extensively from its reserves in order to pass the toxins out of the body and to aid digestion.  To do this, it must slow down other functions in order to give energy to the problem.   Craving sugar or desserts right after a meal is also a sure sign that you are not getting the right balance of nutrition.  Perhaps you view food like a balance (i.e. – “As long as I eat some good stuff, I can add a few sweets to reward myself”).  This is not how you want to view food!  Your meals should be regular, include whole foods, not processed, and have natural sugars.  Let’s contrast two different menus.  You may want to try this as an experiment.  On the first day, eat “Menu 1″, and then try “Menu 2″ and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.

Menu 1

Breakfast – bowl of blueberries with fresh cream (from raw milk), homemade sourdough bread with fresh butter, warm herbal tea

Lunch – homemade beef barley soup (real stock, fresh vegetables that are not over cooked, and grass-fed meat), grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade sourdough bread.

Dinner – pasture-raised whole baked chicken seasoned with sea salt and pepper, steamed corn on the cob with butter and unrefined sea salt, homemade sourdough bread, and kefir wine

Snack – raw milk and carob powder drink (sweetened with maple syrup).  Handful of almonds (soaked for 8 hours in unrefined sea salt and water and dehydrated)

Menu 2

Breakfast – canned fruit cocktail, Wonder Bread (white or whole grain/wheat), margarine, and crystal light drink mix

Lunch – can of Campbell’s beef vegetable soup, grilled cheese sandwich made with American cheese, store bought bread and margarine

Dinner – chicken breasts marinated in a store-bought sauce and cooked in 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, canned corn, Rice-a-Roni, Pillsbury crescent rolls, beer

Snack – chocolate milk and store bought trail mix (usually seasoned with sugar, salt and soybean/cottonseed oil)

It should be obvious which menu is going to provide you with fuel for the day.  However, in our self-imposed busy schedule, we have come to believe that fruit is fruit, bread is bread, salt is salt, and meat is meat.  I challenge you to see for yourself the difference that you can have if you seek out natural sources of food in you locale area.  Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you have to patronize the local heath food store and pay unreasonable rates for unfamiliar food.  It may be as simple as pulling over on the side of the road and picking some berries.   

While in the process of trying to use extra pantry items, I made up this recipe.  My children (and husband) had no complaints!

1 jar Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter
2 cups walnuts
1 ½ cups coconut meat (unsweetened, Tropical Traditions)
1 ½ cup brown rice
1 cup arrowroot powder
a few dashes of cinnamon
1 egg
4 Tbsp. butter/olive oil blend*
1 ½ tsp baking powder (Bob’s Red Mill, aluminum-free)

Preheat to 325-350 degrees.  Blend to a powder the rice, coconut, and walnuts separately in the Vita-Mix.  Mix with other ingredients.  Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper.  Bake till done (15-20 minutes or until lightly browned).

*I mix my butter with olive oil in order to keep it cold and spreadable.  However, butter or coconut oil would work just fine for the recipe. ]]> http://www.9ghealthfoods.com/pumpkin-cookies-wheat-free/feed 0 http://www.9ghealthfoods.com/why-not-to-buy-organic http://www.9ghealthfoods.com/why-not-to-buy-organic#comments Sat, 03 May 2008 20:40:44 +0000 Chris http://www.9ghealthfoods.com/?p=54 With the organic craze going on today in America, you might think it odd that I write an article on why not to buy organic, especially on a health food web site. Let me explain.

It is a noble cause to seek out and consume foods that have been grown in a natural and chemical-free environment, as well as eating meat that is hormone-free way and raised humanely. However, what began as a way to facilitate terminology for such standards, a break-away if you will from the food industry, has been hijacked by government regulative powers. Now, instead of the farmer and consumer determining what is clean food, the government is using the “organic” sticker to dictate a minimum acceptable standard for raising food. For large agri-business producers, this means $$ and not much more! Let’s take a look at some of the vocabulary, taken from the USDA website, that will illustrate what I mean:

Certified
Free Range
Free Roaming
Fresh
Halal
Kosher
Natural
No Hormones
No Antibiotics
Organic

Most of the large companies (six in total that dominate all the products that line the supermarket shelves) have begun to offer one or more products which now sport these various government labels. With the higher prices being commanded by organic foods today, larger companies are flocking to the opportunity to get in on the action. They simply have their staff lawyers research all the rules to get “certified.” They are then able to produce products, side by side to the non-organic ones, using similar production models.

Let me give you an example. On the USDA website, one is told that in order for chicken to be termed Free Range, “producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.” That’s it. So, if you put yourself in the large mega-corporation’s shoes, now you can increase the cost of your chicken by at least $0.30 a pound, and all you have to do is give your chickens “access to the outside”. It doesn’t mean they have to go there. It doesn’t mean they have ever been there. They just have to have access to it. And if they do end up getting out of their cell, nothing says the outside has to be lush green pasture like most consumers imagine. It can simply be a 2′ x 2′ patch of bare dirt. That is government certified free range. Michael Pollan, in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma delineates a much broader picture of these abuses. Purchase the book and walk with him through the aisles of large markets, such as “Whole Foods”, and then go with him back to the “farms” where his food was produced. As they say, “Marketing is everything!”

So, what to do? Well, if you shop for these organic, certified, free range foods in the grocery store, take a close look. See what company makes the food. If the same company has their organic and non-organic lines right next to each other, you can probably bet they have done the bare minimum to slap that label on there. If they truly cared about producing high quality food, they wouldn’t even have the non-organic line. I’ve seen that all the time with ketchup, pickles, flour, olives, eggs, etc. The ones with the organic labels will probably not be any worse than the non-organic version right next to them, but they may not be any better, either. I can tell you this, though…they will definitely be more expensive.

Another great example. I went to the store to buy some milk while on vacation. I found some organic milk on sale (still more than the normal stuff) and bought it. Then I kicked myself when I read the label more closely. The organic stuff was ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurized, thus rendering it deader than dead. I had purchased certified organic dead milk. When I went back later that week, the regular milk, though not organic, was at least only pasteurized, thus was actually a better option. (Though both were far inferior to fresh raw milk). So, just because it says organic, doesn’t mean its good.

So, my advice would be to look for labels from some smaller companies, even if they aren’t organic. Pick ones with only a couple of ingredients you can actually pronounce. I was pleasantly surprised to find a non-organic peanut butter in our grocery store that had two ingredients: peanuts and salt. The non-salted variety only had one ingredient. If your only options are a big company’s organic and non-organic varieties, pick what your wallet can afford. Just realize you may not be getting anything better by paying more.

And, of course, the best option is to raise your own food, or buy from a local farmer that you know personally. You can go visit his/her operation and see how things are running there. I would opt for a non-organic farmer before an organic one, assuming they are doing things the same way, simply because the organic farmer has to waste so much time and money to get his products government certified. There are quite a few farmers popping up that will have this same philosophy. Ask him if his family eats it. If they have a passion about raising good food, they will probably be up front about why they did (or did not) refrain from taking on the organic label. And that’s good. If they’re only using the government handbook to determine what is good, then you probably want to steer clear.

To find out more on this, I highly recommend the entire book line from Joel Salatin, but specifically, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal. He’s thumbed his nose at the organic labels and just raised good food. He’d rather use locally produced grains for his chickens, even if they aren’t organic, than truck in organic grain from hundreds of miles away. But his chickens are happy, they taste good, and they’re good for you.

Happy shopping and eating!

Stick with Whole Foods

If you are not able to raise any of your own foods at home and/or you do not have access to a food co-op, then it’s still possible to feed your family with food choices that are better than others. For example, the best way to stay with whole foods is to shop along the perimeter of the store, in other words, stay close to the wall. At my local grocery store, the wall takes me to the produce, cheese, meat, and dairy sections. Internally, I may buy canned fish, 100% Grape Juice (for kefir), paper products, pinto beans, safflower oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, etc.. Granted, this is not my ideal (which could be a different blog entirely…), but, it suits the place in life that we are in right now. There is always room for growth!

Bulk Foods Worth Buying

For items that are not sold at the grocery store, I buy a lot of items in bulk from the internet (and a food co-op if there is one where we are living at the time). Some of the online purchases I have made include:

50 lbs. dried fruit (un-sulphered apricots, apples, peaches, plums, etc.)
Bulk nuts (e.g. – almonds)
50 lbs. wheat berries, spelt, millet, oatmeal, or buckwheat
Bulk Rice (e.g. – Lundberg Brand Brown Basmati Rice)
1/4 or 1/2 of a grass-fed, all natural cow
Pastured chicken meat
Pastured lamb meat

Keep a Master Shopping List

I used to spend about 1/2 hour each week making a new schedule of what we were going to eat each week. I still had a master schedule with the majority of items that I bought frequently. I would just highlight the items I needed that week. My meals tended to be elaborate and each requiring ingredients that were specific to that meal only. One week I might need: basil, feta, sundried tomatoes and capers. The next, I might need: cilantro, fish sauce, peanuts, hoisin sauce, etc.. The open bottles would then sit in my refrigerator until I felt “inspired” to use them again, thus wasting hundreds of dollars over time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for good food! But when you have four children four and under, it’s not the time to make a cover dish for Bon Appetite, if you know what I mean.

I considered making a meal schedule that repeated itself according to the day of the week, but every mother I met that did this ate really boring foods that were mostly from a box or can, and definitely not healthy.   However, I was eventually able to make a weekly, reoccurring menu to everyone’s liking. After a close evaluation of what we liked as a family, I was able to make a list of foods such as grilled chicken thighs with grilled vegetables and potatoes, whole wheat pizza (that can be frozen) for Sundays, and a host of other meals that we liked. Now, I have one shopping list (I just cross off items that I don’t need), and meals are easier to make.

Bigger Quantities / Less Items

Instead of buying five different fruits each week, pick one or two and buy a few pounds more (we go through about 6 pounds of fruit per week, plus bananas).  This will also cut down your shopping time!  I look for what’s on sale.  Right now, it’s apples, pears, and clementines/oranges.  Instead of five different carbohydrates, I might use potatoes for four different meals (e.g. – garlic-mashed, baked french fries, hash browns, and baked).  I know…I know….potatoes cause cancer when cooked at high temps…I’m not convinced yet, though. Look at the Irish!  Also, I try to keep my vegetables simple: leaf lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and a few others.  I have found that I waste much less buying this way.  Plus, nothing is bought on a whim, thus decreasing the possibility that it will just sit on my shelves.

Hope that helps, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Postpartum Recovery

Arnica Montana – a homeopathic remedy useful for healing…highly recommended.

Cayenne – Helps to regulate bleeding and control the intensity of after-pains. After-pains can be just as painful as labor contractions and may last for up to a week. Cayenne can work as an alternative to pain medication. With my last birth, I took 600 mg of Motrin for the first day and then tried Cayenne. I continued to have labor-like after-pains for 5 days. But, the cayenne really helped and I didn’t have to take the Motrin anymore.

Comfrey Tea – Use as a perineum wash instead of Betadine. Comfrey is especially good if you have torn during labor.

Sitz Bath – If you have a home birth, many birth kits come with a sitz bath package. They may include many other herbs in them as well.

Foods That are Easily Digested

Having foods prepared ahead of time will help to dissuade you from grabbing a box of crackers or a package of pre-made foods that have sugar and white flour. After having a baby, you want to make sure that foods are eliminated easily and will aid your recovery.

Korean Soup is the best option. The seaweed is full of helpful minerals and vitamins, including iron. The homemade broth is important to aid digestion and to hydrate your body as you begin to produce milk and replace fluids lost during birth. Also, the garlic acts as a natural anti-biotic and illness inhibitor. Did you know that there are no known forms of cancer that are resistant to garlic? Koreans will eat this soup for up to six weeks after giving birth. It is usually prepared by the mother or mother-in law for her daughter.

Another easily prepared food is pinto bean burritos made with sourdough whole wheat tortillas, which can be prepared ahead of time.

Drink a sufficient amount of water and/or nursing tea as you desire. I also enjoy fresh smoothies after birth.

Nursing Tea

2 parts Red Raspberry leaf
2 parts Nettle leaf
2 parts Fennel seed – whole
1 part Fenugreek seed – whole
1 part Dandelion leaf
1/2 part Blessed Thistle

The Blessed Thistle has a strong flavor. If it is disagreeable to you, you may want to take it in capsule form. Blessed Thistle stimulates milk production especially well.

Mix together and store in an airtight container. Use about 1 tsp. per cup. Drink 3-6 cups per day.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

First, I would say to take a deep breath and think about what you do have: two loving arms, a gentle voice to sing lullabies, a warm body to keep baby warm, and a built in food maker. What more can your little one want??? Plus, you will find that all of the “must have” items marketed towards your “mother’s heart” can quickly cause a clutter. And, before you know it, the $300 crib is selling for $25 at your garage sale two years later! I remember how, with every child, I asked my husband to put together our crib and bassinet (for the first few weeks before the baby goes to the crib). After our last child, I finally sent it away to storage and will probably sell it. We never used it!! Babies love to be close to their mother! Is it any wonder? Just look again at what you possess. Although most mothers do not prefer to keep their babies next to them when they sleep, I have found that my children valued being allowed to be a baby. Even today, they are still very affectionate to me and sympathetic to other little ones. My children love to be around me, no matter where I am. We talk all day long and learn about life together. I believe that much of this stems from the comfort that they received before they could talk. You don’t have to follow what all of the leading “experts” are saying about caring for an infant. Instead, do what comes naturally. You were made to carry the baby and you have the intuition to understand your baby’s signals. There will certainly come a time when you will need to teach your children what is right and wrong and lay down rules that they need to obey. But, for now, they are just learning the basics: eating, eliminating waste, and taking in all of the fascinating new sights and sound around them. Take time to smile at each other, bond with siblings, and play.

For Baby

A few items your baby will probably need:

Sling such as Moby Wrap or a Maya Wrap
Calendula tincture – use on cord to help it dry out and speed healing
Homemade Diaper Rash Ointment

Diapering Needs

At this time, or at least before age 3-5 months, you may want to begin infant potty training. You will need 8-12 t-shirt gowns that open at the bottom, a small bowl or BabyBjörn Little Potty, 12-20 cloth diapers (covers are only needed when you leave the house), and many little flannel blankets in case of accidents. There is ample information online regarding infant potty training (also referred to as “Elimination Communication” or EC). I have used a combination of elimination communication, cloth diapers, and disposables. I have used Mother-Ease cloth diapers for almost five years with my children. I also sell these…email me for more info. When we travel or are on an extended vacation, I use Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers. EC is good when you are home, but I found that I got a little too stressed out when I was distracted with outside projects, and I couldn’t stay “tuned in” to my baby. It’s OK to do a combination of both or whatever you have time for. EC can also be used only when baby wakes up. They, like adults will usually “go” then. So, that also a good way to start.

Staying home

When we had our first child, I still thought that I had to go places constantly and stay “busy”. Now, I tend to believe that the best place for young ones is in the home for most of the time. The home is the “nest”. It is familiar and affords you the luxury of being close to your basic needs like bathtubs and food, and it has less germs. Too much time in an unfamiliar setting can tend to stress out young children. It’s much more fun to get to know your children than to be on the go all the time. Besides, this is the time to relax. You have just had the marathon of giving birth, and your body needs a rest. Plus, you need to save all the energy you can before your baby becomes an exploring toddler! So, as the old-folks say, “sleep when they sleep!”…and don’t feel guilty!

Family Adjustments

You can go to two opposite extremes when a new baby is born.  Many women are so enthralled with a new baby that they forget to include the rest of the family.  This is most common with a first-time mother.  She forgets that she was a wife (and maybe mother) first.   Her husband may have to take the back seat while she extends all of her love to the newborn.  Another extreme, is that the couple defers many of their responsibilities to a “care-giver” and continues life as normal.  They may frequently stay out late at social gatherings, be gone most of the day, they may even go on vacations without their newborn.

The first thing that you need to realize is that you are going to have to learn to serve instead of being served.  This may be new to many people, but, I’m sure you’ve heard it said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive”.  As a wife, you will have to remember to continue to bless your husband.  Continue to do the things he enjoys, like back rubs (who doesn’t like back rubs???) and intimacy once you are healed.  He is your first love!

Also, let your newborn spend as much time with brother and sister as possible.  You can all sit together on the couch and read, go for walks together, and let them hold the baby.   Let them know that it is their baby too.  You are a family and now you have one more to love on!

And, for your baby, include them in what you do.  They are going to be with you for a long time!  If they always feel that you are pushing them away, how will you ever bond?  Despite what others will tell you, you will have to adjust your life and your schedules around your children.  Everything will change.  But, what’s wrong with a little simplicity: home, relationships, homemade food, slooowwing doowwwwn???

In conclusion, enjoy your baby.  Be prepared, but keep it simple! You are a mother and you know your baby better than anyone else!

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

Walking

Taking a brisk afternoon walk for 15-30 minutes each day helps me to feel prepared for birth. I usually feel more contractions during this time and feel my body getting itself ready for the marathon that is ahead of me. Walking also gives me an extra boost of energy during the last trimester as the demands of carrying a child increase.

Meal Preparation

I find that making at least 12-20 meals (including at least a gallon of Korean Soup) to put away in the freezer gives me a great sense of peace. This way, I know that even if we have a hectic day after the baby is born, we will at least have hot food. For young children, who face so many changes with a new sibling, it can be comforting to still enjoy familiar foods made by mom. Plus, you know exactly what they are eating while you recover.

Stability

To the best of your ability, try to establish a place of birth that requires the least amount of transport as possible. A home birth may be the best place, or a birthing center close to the hospital can be a good option, too. I have had a hospital birth (turned cesarean section), a hospital birth with a midwife. And, my last birth was a home/water birth but at someone else’s home.  Of the three, the water birth was the best. Try to have people around you that share the same perspective on natural birthing practices. Otherwise, when the contractions come, you will most likely be persuaded to have a birth that suits the wishes of others rather than your own. “Natural” childbirth is a very different approach than most people have. As such, you will need to find the best methods to secure your wishes. Home births tend to be the safest places to have a baby. It is comforting, and poses the least risk of infection and emotional disruption.

Pregnancy Tea:

Some midwives suggest that you don’t drink the tea until after 27 weeks gestation. However, some say that the Red Raspberry helps to reduce morning sickness. I prefer to drink it from the beginning of pregnancy.

2 cups Red Raspberry Leaf
1 cup Dandelion Leaf
1 cup Nettle Leaf
1 cup Alfalfa leaf
1/2 cup Rose-hips (for Vitamin C)
1/2 cup Red Clover

The clover is optional. I add it to help boost insulin as well as taking the supplement Chromium Picolinate.

Mix together and store in an airtight container. Mix 3-4 heaping tbsp. for a 1quart mason jar. Strain and drink 2-3 cups per day. If you’d don’t want to get all these herbs, try using just Red Raspberry. It’s good for you uterus.

Liquid Chlorophyll

2 tsp. per day

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.