Definition: It is the study of inherited changes in the phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. These changes may remain through cell divisions through the remainders of a cell's life, and may also last for multiple generations. It is non-genetics factors that make the genes behave differently.
Okay, why am I talking about this. The field of epigenetics is very new, it is actually the new project that will happen now that the human DNA sequencing is finished. It is believed to be more important and exponentially more difficult to map out epigenetics. But, let me explain why I am talking about it. As they begin to study the field of epigenetics one thing that is a common theme throughout is how much impact our nutrition has not only on ourselves, but potentially on generations to come. Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say.. not only you will impact your own health by your healthy food choices, but now, the study of epigenetics is proving that you can impact generations to come. And not just what you eat while you are actually pregnant, but what you eat since you are born and throughout your life will be passed down to your children, and to your grandchildren!
It is a complicated genetic process, with lots of big words to explain. But basically your genes get "tagged" with methyl groups, sort of "on or off" switches based on different environmental exposures.
Let me give one concrete example so you can understand this better. They looked at women who were pregnant living in NYC during 9/11 attacks, and how they suffered stress and fright. Now, these are outside environmental factors that affected their genes. Their flight response, their "stay alert", and on watch genes were tagged on. And their babies were all born with those symptoms, they were much more alert babies, they were more irritable babies, and made up children who were much more "jumpy", and on edge.
Now, one more reason to breastfeed :) , they also found those same characteristics in babies who were not breastfed, they lacked the sense of safety and nurture provided by breastfeeding mothers.
There some information about this field of epigenetics that we've known for a while, for example, that having a diet rich in folate and B vitamins is extremely important for women who want to have children, their direct impact on methylation of genes or lack thereof can impact the next generation profoundly.
If I were 10 years younger and in another path, I would be in a lab studying this stuff! It will change the way we provide nutrition advice and the way we eat. We will one day be able to have nutrition advice specific to a person's gene expression, and we'll have a way to prevent cancer and other life threatening diseases by simply adjusting our diet and lifestyle.
This webiste has very cool reading material on this: there is a really cool example about a Bee's Royal diet! read on...
http://http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/nutrition/
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
More!!!!!
One of my daughters first words was MORE, and it quickly became one of her favorite words as well. She was a good eater from the start, which I did not take for granted, I knew that was a gift. And I still do and feel fortunate. But I do know the need to teach limits from the start.
I know some of you are rolling your eyes and questioning my sanity at this moment. But one of the biggest problems in our society is knowing limits when it comes to food.
Its not the ice cream chocolate cake desert that makes one overweight, but the double, triple, quadruple serving of it. So its important to start young, because kids from a very early age start to learn that the more the better concept.
So I imposed a rule in my house, I will give my daughter a small serving of something that I know she will ask for more, and then to avoid tentrums and fights, when she does ask for more, I will give her another small serving and say: Now this is it, no more. (One more acabo - famous frase in my household, mix of portuguese with english :)
Since we started using this method from the start it works. You have to stick to it. Never break the rules, kids are driven by predictability.
So if I give her vanilla ice frozen yogurt for desert - her most favorite desert which we have on Sundays - I tell her: One more and you're done. Sometimes she will fight me on that, but since she knows I always stick to my rules, she often gives up in less than 2-3 minutes.
If I think she trully is still hungry or wants something else, I will often offer an alternative. A fruit or something else.
Little by little teaching her to have limits and be able to self control when it comes to food. It is something that requires lots of training... after all, to this day.. if there is a pint of Ben and Jerry's in my freezer I have to exercise my self control not to eat it all at once :)
I know some of you are rolling your eyes and questioning my sanity at this moment. But one of the biggest problems in our society is knowing limits when it comes to food.
Its not the ice cream chocolate cake desert that makes one overweight, but the double, triple, quadruple serving of it. So its important to start young, because kids from a very early age start to learn that the more the better concept.
So I imposed a rule in my house, I will give my daughter a small serving of something that I know she will ask for more, and then to avoid tentrums and fights, when she does ask for more, I will give her another small serving and say: Now this is it, no more. (One more acabo - famous frase in my household, mix of portuguese with english :)
Since we started using this method from the start it works. You have to stick to it. Never break the rules, kids are driven by predictability.
So if I give her vanilla ice frozen yogurt for desert - her most favorite desert which we have on Sundays - I tell her: One more and you're done. Sometimes she will fight me on that, but since she knows I always stick to my rules, she often gives up in less than 2-3 minutes.
If I think she trully is still hungry or wants something else, I will often offer an alternative. A fruit or something else.
Little by little teaching her to have limits and be able to self control when it comes to food. It is something that requires lots of training... after all, to this day.. if there is a pint of Ben and Jerry's in my freezer I have to exercise my self control not to eat it all at once :)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Juice - healthy or just caloric?
One of the first things most moms introduce to their babies is juice. Juice has had a long term rap as a great nutritious bevarage to offer our children. And I'm not going to argue that it isn't full of vitamins, but lets really pay attention to what we are offering in that one cup of juice.
For example, one cup of orange juice has:
110 calories, 21g of sugar, 2-3g of protein, 0g of fat.
It does have lots of Vitamin C (120%), Folic acid and some thiamin.
A lot of people like to compare it to a can of coke: 140 calories, 39g of sugar.
The juice is a much better choice when given the two. But the argument here is that it does have a lot of sugar, no fiber and you can drink up a glass of orange juice rather quickly.
What we try to promote as dietitians is for everyone to take advantages of the fruit instead of juice. Because with the actual fruit you will get some fiber with it, more vitamins, and are less likely to consume too much sugar in a few minutes gulping it down.
Lets talk on the mom's perspective here: giving kids juice is a good way to get some extra vitamins in them. They like juice, they enjoy it and have fun drinking it. So we should include the juice, but to avoid giving our little ones two tablespoons of sugar in one glass (one glass of orange juice has about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of sugar!). The best thing to do is to dilute with water, half water. And limit the amount to 2 glasses per day. They should get the rest of their liquids from water and milk.
I can not tell you how many times I've watched mother's put soda in a baby's bottle, or in sippy cups.. yikes! My husband has to hold me back at restaurants and food courts not to go have a little talk with those mothers. Why would you do that to your child! But I digress.. this is another topic all together. For now, just take this message: No soda for kids, even if it is diet! Just no soda, that simple. No gatorade, no crazy waters with extra vitamins, no diet juices. Keep it simple: milk, water and diluted all natural (no sugar added!) juice. When choosing your juice make sure you read the ingredients, it should read: water and the fruit only. Nothing else! (sometimes they add some extra vitamin C, that's ok, just no sugars or syrups).
That was just kids, now for the kids above age of 10-12 and adults. You should really use juice as a once in a while treat. The best thing to do is eat the fruit. That way you are taking advantage of all the vitamins and minerals and also the fiber the fruit has to offer.
The comercials featuring a large glass of OJ with breakfast would do us all a favor if it would just substitute that for 2 oranges instead.
By no means I'm against orange juice, how can I be, Lima is my middle name :). But I like to endorse the fruit instead of juice.
Hint: great summer fun is popsicles! My 2 year old is obssessed with them right now. We make them ourselves to avoid the additives in the store bought ones. Just dilute half juice with water and fill up the molds. Works great and she loves it! For more fun I started dropping a couple of blueberries in the mold too, that way it is 2 flavors in one and she's actually eating the whole fruit while enjoying the popsicle. You may try other fruits too, just cut them up small, strawberries and grapes freeze really well.
Note- juice should not be introduced until the child is at least 6 months old. Before that the only thing they need is breastmilk/formula.
For example, one cup of orange juice has:
110 calories, 21g of sugar, 2-3g of protein, 0g of fat.
It does have lots of Vitamin C (120%), Folic acid and some thiamin.
A lot of people like to compare it to a can of coke: 140 calories, 39g of sugar.
The juice is a much better choice when given the two. But the argument here is that it does have a lot of sugar, no fiber and you can drink up a glass of orange juice rather quickly.
What we try to promote as dietitians is for everyone to take advantages of the fruit instead of juice. Because with the actual fruit you will get some fiber with it, more vitamins, and are less likely to consume too much sugar in a few minutes gulping it down.
Lets talk on the mom's perspective here: giving kids juice is a good way to get some extra vitamins in them. They like juice, they enjoy it and have fun drinking it. So we should include the juice, but to avoid giving our little ones two tablespoons of sugar in one glass (one glass of orange juice has about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of sugar!). The best thing to do is to dilute with water, half water. And limit the amount to 2 glasses per day. They should get the rest of their liquids from water and milk.
I can not tell you how many times I've watched mother's put soda in a baby's bottle, or in sippy cups.. yikes! My husband has to hold me back at restaurants and food courts not to go have a little talk with those mothers. Why would you do that to your child! But I digress.. this is another topic all together. For now, just take this message: No soda for kids, even if it is diet! Just no soda, that simple. No gatorade, no crazy waters with extra vitamins, no diet juices. Keep it simple: milk, water and diluted all natural (no sugar added!) juice. When choosing your juice make sure you read the ingredients, it should read: water and the fruit only. Nothing else! (sometimes they add some extra vitamin C, that's ok, just no sugars or syrups).
That was just kids, now for the kids above age of 10-12 and adults. You should really use juice as a once in a while treat. The best thing to do is eat the fruit. That way you are taking advantage of all the vitamins and minerals and also the fiber the fruit has to offer.
The comercials featuring a large glass of OJ with breakfast would do us all a favor if it would just substitute that for 2 oranges instead.
By no means I'm against orange juice, how can I be, Lima is my middle name :). But I like to endorse the fruit instead of juice.
Hint: great summer fun is popsicles! My 2 year old is obssessed with them right now. We make them ourselves to avoid the additives in the store bought ones. Just dilute half juice with water and fill up the molds. Works great and she loves it! For more fun I started dropping a couple of blueberries in the mold too, that way it is 2 flavors in one and she's actually eating the whole fruit while enjoying the popsicle. You may try other fruits too, just cut them up small, strawberries and grapes freeze really well.
Note- juice should not be introduced until the child is at least 6 months old. Before that the only thing they need is breastmilk/formula.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Everyone told me this day would come...
Today dropping my daughter off at school was the hardest thing to do! Worse than the first day actually. Why? well, today they were having an "Ice Cream Party" to celebrate the end of school. Okay, call me crazy, neurotic, overboard protective, silly.. whatever you want. But the truth is that I have not introduced my 2 1/2 year old to sugar yet.
I believe in introducing sweets and treats in moderation, to slowly teach your child about these things and hope that they can grow balanced and as excited about fruits as they are about candy. My goal, and recommendation with children is to slowly add treats to their diet, and try to make them as healthy as possible. Why? why not! This is their foundation to their food choices for their lives. So if you can teach them now that you can have your cake and eat it too, isn't that better.
When introducing ice cream, add some sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries instead of sprinkles, fudge and M&Ms. It is a good opportunity to get some extra fruit intake and make them just as fun as the ice cream itself. There is nothing wrong with a child eating ice cream, the problem is usually on the additives and the portion sizes.
So yes, I was the annoying mother who had to go and ask the teacher to please give my child just one serving of vanilla ice cream, and please add some banana slices and hold off on any other toppings. The teacher looked at me and said:
WHY? is she allergic or something...
No, she is just a healthy child, with a mother concernced about her health and teaching her child how to eat sweets and treats in moderation.
Sure enough the party today will be fun, teacher told me there will be lots of ice cream, fudge, sprinkles, chocolate, and whipped cream. But my little monkey will be having bananas with her ice cream, and I am happy about it!
We worry so much about which lessons they are learning at school, how the teacher was educated, which educational toys they have available, what the curriculum is like.. but we don't seem to pay too much attention to what they are feeding our kids at school.
I would like to think that today at the ice cream party all of the kids would be having fruit toppings with their ice cream instead of suggary toppings.. but that would require some "Food Revolution" to happen... and I will be the first one at the line of battle if that revolution ever gets here!
Power to all the moms who try their best to control what their kids eat! It is part of our jobs as parents :)
I believe in introducing sweets and treats in moderation, to slowly teach your child about these things and hope that they can grow balanced and as excited about fruits as they are about candy. My goal, and recommendation with children is to slowly add treats to their diet, and try to make them as healthy as possible. Why? why not! This is their foundation to their food choices for their lives. So if you can teach them now that you can have your cake and eat it too, isn't that better.
When introducing ice cream, add some sliced bananas, blueberries and strawberries instead of sprinkles, fudge and M&Ms. It is a good opportunity to get some extra fruit intake and make them just as fun as the ice cream itself. There is nothing wrong with a child eating ice cream, the problem is usually on the additives and the portion sizes.
So yes, I was the annoying mother who had to go and ask the teacher to please give my child just one serving of vanilla ice cream, and please add some banana slices and hold off on any other toppings. The teacher looked at me and said:
WHY? is she allergic or something...
No, she is just a healthy child, with a mother concernced about her health and teaching her child how to eat sweets and treats in moderation.
Sure enough the party today will be fun, teacher told me there will be lots of ice cream, fudge, sprinkles, chocolate, and whipped cream. But my little monkey will be having bananas with her ice cream, and I am happy about it!
We worry so much about which lessons they are learning at school, how the teacher was educated, which educational toys they have available, what the curriculum is like.. but we don't seem to pay too much attention to what they are feeding our kids at school.
I would like to think that today at the ice cream party all of the kids would be having fruit toppings with their ice cream instead of suggary toppings.. but that would require some "Food Revolution" to happen... and I will be the first one at the line of battle if that revolution ever gets here!
Power to all the moms who try their best to control what their kids eat! It is part of our jobs as parents :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf - Fer style :)
First of all I have to ask permission to my awesome sister-in-law to let me post this recipe. She was the one who gave it to me, the original recipe, which is delicious. But of course, as a dietitian and a mom looking for different ways to expand my daily menu I twicked it a little. It is a house favorite now, and you can change it up a bit and get great results!
1 lb of ground turkey (use at least 93% fat free)
1 package of dry onion soup mix (they have it in low sodium now)
1 egg (you may also use just the white, I alternate)
2 tbsp of ground flax seeds
2 tbsp of wheat germ ground
Spinach
Mix ground turkey with egg first, then add all other ingredients. The spinach should be cut up or ground. I found that using the frozen kind and putting it in the food processor for grinding really works. Once you have your meat "dough", put it in a baking dish making it into a meatloaf shape. Cook for 30-45 min at 375F.
My daughter enjoyed it and so did my husband! And of course you can vary the veggie. I have tried it with broccolli and cauliflower as well.
The recipe is a good source of lean protein, it is low fat and high in fiber and omega fatty acids.
Enjoy! And share with us if you changed something or added something else to the recipe, get creative.
1 lb of ground turkey (use at least 93% fat free)
1 package of dry onion soup mix (they have it in low sodium now)
1 egg (you may also use just the white, I alternate)
2 tbsp of ground flax seeds
2 tbsp of wheat germ ground
Spinach
Mix ground turkey with egg first, then add all other ingredients. The spinach should be cut up or ground. I found that using the frozen kind and putting it in the food processor for grinding really works. Once you have your meat "dough", put it in a baking dish making it into a meatloaf shape. Cook for 30-45 min at 375F.
My daughter enjoyed it and so did my husband! And of course you can vary the veggie. I have tried it with broccolli and cauliflower as well.
The recipe is a good source of lean protein, it is low fat and high in fiber and omega fatty acids.
Enjoy! And share with us if you changed something or added something else to the recipe, get creative.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Cereal: which one should I pick?
Cereal is an integral part of our breakfast, up to 85% of American breakfast eaters consume cereal in the morning. Some say that the cereal you pick says something about your personality. I say the cereal you pick says something about your health and that of your family as well. Since it is an item you will be consuming daily you should really put some thought into your choice before you just randomly pick the cute box, or the one on sale that week. But good news is that you should only have to pick one cereal, that's right, the same one for the whole family. There is no need for a separate cereal for your kids and one for the adults. After all, don't we want to serve as good examples to our kids when it comes to food choices.
So put down the box of Cinnamon Crunch and lets look at your choices and how you can set yourself up for a great day by picking the right cereal.
How can you make sugar frosted mini chocolate chip cookies healthy? You put them in a cereal box and put a really big seal of approval in the front of the box saying: "Whole grains". Do not buy a cereal by reading the front of the box, ever! You must read the nutrition panel. They are so good at making something not so nutritious and full of calories sound like the perfect way to start your morning. Be careful, do not let them fool you. You are an informed consumer and manager to your family's health, therefore your decision in the cereal isle is one to take seriously with consequences.
There are some basic and simple rules about picking your cereal. You look at the label and it must follow these rules:
1. No saturated fat, no trans fats, and very little fat at all for that matter. The only fat in there should be from nuts for example. 0-1g total.
2. Must contain Fiber ! This is an important part of keeping you feeling fool, and helping with your digestive health from the start. How much fiber.. the more the better! Fiber One cereal has up to 14g in one serving, but it does look like rabbit food and taste very blend (my sister is the only person I know that actually enjoys them!), so you can always use FiberOne cereal to add fiber to your other cereals, by mixing it up. It is an easy way to get your daily intake of fiber (25-32g/day recommended), and is cheaper than supplements. But you should choose a cereal that has at least 4g of fiber per serving (you can add some fruit to your cheerios to get to 4 g since one bowl of plain cheerios has 3g).
3. Sugars- on the nutrition label your cereal should have no more than 10-12g of sugar per serving. Fiber One for example has 0g, cheerios original has 1g, honey nut cheerios has 11g. There are some exceptions to this rule in particular. Raisin Bran for example will have more sugar because of the raisins, but because of his high content of fiber, it is still a good choice for cereal. This rule is really more for us to stay away from the sugary nutritionally empty cereals. Some cereals also list on the box that now they have reduced the sugar from their original versions, but they are still high in sugar, so the best thing to do is always read the label.
4. Protein- It should have some protein, that is a simple rule. It doesn't matter really how much, as long as it is more than 0g :)
5. Whole grains - should have whole grains, but that is easy since most cereals now do. But be an overachiever! Go for the first 3 ingredients on the box being whole grains, can you do it?
Here are some cereals that made my list of favorites: and there is my little one snacking on cheerios!
1. Caramel Delight Fiber One- it tastes so great you would think it is not a healthy cereal, it has 10g of sugar, 8g of fiber with 3 being soluble fiber, 0g saturated fat.
2. Cheerios, there are many within the line of cheerios that are great. But I like the multi grain the best, and it is also a favorite with my 2year old.
3. Life Cereal is my husbands favorite, and although I would prefer that he would choose one where the second ingredient is not sugar, it still is within my guidelines and way better than most of the cereals in the market.
Last remarks about cereal, as I could go on forever as a cereal lover, pay attention to serving sizes. Just like any other food, you should try to stay within 1-2 servings at breakfast.
Hint- Use cereal as snacks for kids, so much better than cookies and crackers. Also you may crush cereal and use as topping to puddings, frozen yogurt and many other treats.
And if you find a cereal that meets the requirements but doesn't really taste that great, don't give up that easy! Try to spice it up yourself, add some fruit to it, some cinnamon. Just don't add sugar, honey or syrups so you don't rack up the sugar grams and calories.
Remember you should eat your cereal with fat free milk, even for kids starting at two years old.
Have a good and healthy morning, pick a good cereal for your family.
So put down the box of Cinnamon Crunch and lets look at your choices and how you can set yourself up for a great day by picking the right cereal.
How can you make sugar frosted mini chocolate chip cookies healthy? You put them in a cereal box and put a really big seal of approval in the front of the box saying: "Whole grains". Do not buy a cereal by reading the front of the box, ever! You must read the nutrition panel. They are so good at making something not so nutritious and full of calories sound like the perfect way to start your morning. Be careful, do not let them fool you. You are an informed consumer and manager to your family's health, therefore your decision in the cereal isle is one to take seriously with consequences.
There are some basic and simple rules about picking your cereal. You look at the label and it must follow these rules:
1. No saturated fat, no trans fats, and very little fat at all for that matter. The only fat in there should be from nuts for example. 0-1g total.
2. Must contain Fiber ! This is an important part of keeping you feeling fool, and helping with your digestive health from the start. How much fiber.. the more the better! Fiber One cereal has up to 14g in one serving, but it does look like rabbit food and taste very blend (my sister is the only person I know that actually enjoys them!), so you can always use FiberOne cereal to add fiber to your other cereals, by mixing it up. It is an easy way to get your daily intake of fiber (25-32g/day recommended), and is cheaper than supplements. But you should choose a cereal that has at least 4g of fiber per serving (you can add some fruit to your cheerios to get to 4 g since one bowl of plain cheerios has 3g).
3. Sugars- on the nutrition label your cereal should have no more than 10-12g of sugar per serving. Fiber One for example has 0g, cheerios original has 1g, honey nut cheerios has 11g. There are some exceptions to this rule in particular. Raisin Bran for example will have more sugar because of the raisins, but because of his high content of fiber, it is still a good choice for cereal. This rule is really more for us to stay away from the sugary nutritionally empty cereals. Some cereals also list on the box that now they have reduced the sugar from their original versions, but they are still high in sugar, so the best thing to do is always read the label.
4. Protein- It should have some protein, that is a simple rule. It doesn't matter really how much, as long as it is more than 0g :)
5. Whole grains - should have whole grains, but that is easy since most cereals now do. But be an overachiever! Go for the first 3 ingredients on the box being whole grains, can you do it?
Here are some cereals that made my list of favorites: and there is my little one snacking on cheerios!
1. Caramel Delight Fiber One- it tastes so great you would think it is not a healthy cereal, it has 10g of sugar, 8g of fiber with 3 being soluble fiber, 0g saturated fat.
2. Cheerios, there are many within the line of cheerios that are great. But I like the multi grain the best, and it is also a favorite with my 2year old.
3. Life Cereal is my husbands favorite, and although I would prefer that he would choose one where the second ingredient is not sugar, it still is within my guidelines and way better than most of the cereals in the market.
Last remarks about cereal, as I could go on forever as a cereal lover, pay attention to serving sizes. Just like any other food, you should try to stay within 1-2 servings at breakfast.
Hint- Use cereal as snacks for kids, so much better than cookies and crackers. Also you may crush cereal and use as topping to puddings, frozen yogurt and many other treats.
And if you find a cereal that meets the requirements but doesn't really taste that great, don't give up that easy! Try to spice it up yourself, add some fruit to it, some cinnamon. Just don't add sugar, honey or syrups so you don't rack up the sugar grams and calories.
Remember you should eat your cereal with fat free milk, even for kids starting at two years old.
Have a good and healthy morning, pick a good cereal for your family.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sugar and Salt, Again?!
I already discussed sugar and salt as additives to our foods and how we should limit them and avoid them. But I wanted to discuss another issue involving sugar and salt. In the past few years these have become so popular, and many don't really understand what they are and if there is any difference. So I wanted to clarify a little bit and answer the question I so often get: Isn't salt rock better for you? Are natural sugars better to give to our kids?
Salt: More popular on the market nowadays is natural sea salt also known as rock salt. It is often more expensive and can be dangerously used a salt substitute by someone uninformed. It has also been marketed as a healthier alternative. But lets be clear, sea salt and table salt are made up of the same two minerals, sodium and chloride, their nutritional make up and values are the exact same! The only real difference is in their processing and texture. So bottom line, it is still salt and it should never be used as a substitute for someone trying to avoid salt. You should limit sea salt just like salt, keeping it to 1,500 to 2,200mg of sodium per day.
Sugar: There are so many nowadays... raw sugar, evaporated cane sugar, refined white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado, molasses, organic sugar, natural sugar. Is any of these any better for you, or at least less bad? Well, short answer: NO. I love it when they mark up the product by saying: Natural Sugar. So silly because all sugars are natural and all sugars are refined. The difference between all these types are only on how much processing they get and what kinds of process. The organic sugar of course will be produced without pesticides or herbicides. These sugars are in no way more nutritious, your starting product is sugar cane or sugar beets which are not that nutritious to start off with anyways. Our body recognizes all these sugars the same way, they are all chemicaly equivalent. So bottom line, limit them all just like you would white refined sugar. So keep your added sugar to no more than 10% of your total calories per day.
And remember, as you regain your palate to better taste fruits, vegetables and all foods in their more raw and natural form you will be needing less sugar and salt everyday.
Salt: More popular on the market nowadays is natural sea salt also known as rock salt. It is often more expensive and can be dangerously used a salt substitute by someone uninformed. It has also been marketed as a healthier alternative. But lets be clear, sea salt and table salt are made up of the same two minerals, sodium and chloride, their nutritional make up and values are the exact same! The only real difference is in their processing and texture. So bottom line, it is still salt and it should never be used as a substitute for someone trying to avoid salt. You should limit sea salt just like salt, keeping it to 1,500 to 2,200mg of sodium per day.
Sugar: There are so many nowadays... raw sugar, evaporated cane sugar, refined white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado, molasses, organic sugar, natural sugar. Is any of these any better for you, or at least less bad? Well, short answer: NO. I love it when they mark up the product by saying: Natural Sugar. So silly because all sugars are natural and all sugars are refined. The difference between all these types are only on how much processing they get and what kinds of process. The organic sugar of course will be produced without pesticides or herbicides. These sugars are in no way more nutritious, your starting product is sugar cane or sugar beets which are not that nutritious to start off with anyways. Our body recognizes all these sugars the same way, they are all chemicaly equivalent. So bottom line, limit them all just like you would white refined sugar. So keep your added sugar to no more than 10% of your total calories per day.
And remember, as you regain your palate to better taste fruits, vegetables and all foods in their more raw and natural form you will be needing less sugar and salt everyday.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Yogurt - how to choose the best one for your family.
There are so many different kinds nowadays in the market, it can take you up to 30 minutes in front of that cold display choosing which one is best for your kids. You don't want them to have too much sugar that those with the cute characters on them come with, but you also don't want them to have sweetners just yet. You don't mind about the fat content just yet, but most of them are fat free anyways. They also have soy and organic ones.. so much to choose from. So here is what I've choosen for my daughter and it has worked well.
When you first introduce yogurt, which can be done as early as 6 months (although most pediatricians recommend waiting until 7-6 months) you must introduce in its most natural form. Natural plain yogurt, without anything added to it at all. If you have never tasted that kind of yogurt this will be a good opportunity to do so!
The natural plain yogurt is a good base to start with. Once your baby has tasted that yogurt and gotten used to the new consistency and flavor you can start to get creative. You can mix fruit purees with the yogurt for new flavors. My daughter got every single morning about three tablespoons of plain yogurt with prunes puree. She loved it and to this day will eat it as a breakfast.
As your baby grows into toddlers and more flavors are added to their palates, eventually it is ok to use the single packaged flavored yogurt since they are much easier for on the go. But when you pick those off the shelf, don't be fooled by the packaging. Just because it says it is for children does not mean it is the best choice for kids.
The best ones are the ones with the live and active cultures seals on it. It should have no more than 180 calories per 6 oz servings, no more than 30g of carbohydrates, it should have close to 0g of saturated fat and no added sweetners. Bottom line is that if you can stick to the plain natural yogurt, and add your own fruits it will be the best choice. Not only for children, but also for the entire family! Using plain natural yogurt and even if you add some fruit, nuts and your own sugar, usually you are still better off than the store brand that is packed with sugar.
Get creative! - you can use the plain natural yogurt mixed with fruits to make popsicles for the entire family. Also you may use yogurt as a dipping for fruits on the go instead of caramel or chocolate.
When you first introduce yogurt, which can be done as early as 6 months (although most pediatricians recommend waiting until 7-6 months) you must introduce in its most natural form. Natural plain yogurt, without anything added to it at all. If you have never tasted that kind of yogurt this will be a good opportunity to do so!
The natural plain yogurt is a good base to start with. Once your baby has tasted that yogurt and gotten used to the new consistency and flavor you can start to get creative. You can mix fruit purees with the yogurt for new flavors. My daughter got every single morning about three tablespoons of plain yogurt with prunes puree. She loved it and to this day will eat it as a breakfast.
As your baby grows into toddlers and more flavors are added to their palates, eventually it is ok to use the single packaged flavored yogurt since they are much easier for on the go. But when you pick those off the shelf, don't be fooled by the packaging. Just because it says it is for children does not mean it is the best choice for kids.
The best ones are the ones with the live and active cultures seals on it. It should have no more than 180 calories per 6 oz servings, no more than 30g of carbohydrates, it should have close to 0g of saturated fat and no added sweetners. Bottom line is that if you can stick to the plain natural yogurt, and add your own fruits it will be the best choice. Not only for children, but also for the entire family! Using plain natural yogurt and even if you add some fruit, nuts and your own sugar, usually you are still better off than the store brand that is packed with sugar.
Get creative! - you can use the plain natural yogurt mixed with fruits to make popsicles for the entire family. Also you may use yogurt as a dipping for fruits on the go instead of caramel or chocolate.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Product Recommendation:
Thomas Light M
ultigrain English Muffins. I found this product a few years ago and named it my "super muffin". It has improved in taste quite a bit in the last year or so. I chose this product as a recommendation because it fits many of my criteria for favorite healthy foods. It has 0g of saturated and trans fats. It has a good content of fiber: 8g (that is a lot when you compare most breads, bagels and muffins). And for a total calorie of 100 per muffin this makes a great breakfast item. It also passed the taste test here with my 2 year old daughter, my husband (who has refused to eat most whole wheat products I bring home because he says they taste funny) and myself.
I like the muffin as a breakfast item, with a glass of fat free milk, and using peanut butter (I recommend the smart balance kind, or the all naturals without any added sugar or salt - the ones that are just ground peanut), or jelly, or both!
But it can also be a great snack item too. It packs well for lunches and snacks on the road. I have also frozen them and it works. You can take them out of the freezer, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then toast them.
Getting creative! - here is an idea. My daughter is crazy about pizza, so I often think of healthy alternatives. Use the muffin as your dought, cover with a tablespoon of tomato sauce and cheese. You have your own mini pizza.
Good week everyone, and please leave me some comments on things you would like to hear more about or any ideas and questions.
ultigrain English Muffins. I found this product a few years ago and named it my "super muffin". It has improved in taste quite a bit in the last year or so. I chose this product as a recommendation because it fits many of my criteria for favorite healthy foods. It has 0g of saturated and trans fats. It has a good content of fiber: 8g (that is a lot when you compare most breads, bagels and muffins). And for a total calorie of 100 per muffin this makes a great breakfast item. It also passed the taste test here with my 2 year old daughter, my husband (who has refused to eat most whole wheat products I bring home because he says they taste funny) and myself.I like the muffin as a breakfast item, with a glass of fat free milk, and using peanut butter (I recommend the smart balance kind, or the all naturals without any added sugar or salt - the ones that are just ground peanut), or jelly, or both!
But it can also be a great snack item too. It packs well for lunches and snacks on the road. I have also frozen them and it works. You can take them out of the freezer, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then toast them.
Getting creative! - here is an idea. My daughter is crazy about pizza, so I often think of healthy alternatives. Use the muffin as your dought, cover with a tablespoon of tomato sauce and cheese. You have your own mini pizza.
Good week everyone, and please leave me some comments on things you would like to hear more about or any ideas and questions.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Dash of this and a pinch of that
Salt and Sugar - The two extremes, the culprits to so many health complications, from diabetes to heart disease and everything in between. The best thing to do is limit those as much as possible.
Remember that most of the things you eat already have natural sugar and salt. Therefore adding any extra is just going overboard. It is a matter of re-training your palate. I always instruct parents to add no salt or sugar when making baby food. And their first reaction is: Oh, poor baby, its gonna taste so blend. That is completely untrue! Our palates have been overstimulated with extreme flavors for years, little babies are tasting things for the first time. They are learning what sour, bitter and sweet are and how they differ from each other. To add sugar or salt is to take away the natural flavor of the foods you are feeding them. I invite all of you to re-train your palates.
When you cook do not add any salt to your dishes, there is no need for a salt shaker in your house. But many people will say that it is too hard to do that. Well, here are some tips to make it easier. Think outside the box! Start using spices and herbs you haven't before.
For example, garlic and onion really bring out the salty taste in foods. And cinnamon brings out the sweetness of foods. Try adding cinammon to a banana for example, much sweeter.
Explore all herbs and spices, there are so many that I would need a whole new blog to talk about them. The best thing to do is to go to your grocery store isle and start trying different ones.
And yes, you can do that for the baby's food as well as the kids. Its a family effort.
Of course I would refrain from using spice and herbs on baby's first foods, no need, let them taste the foods first.
It is very important also to read the labels of everything you buy. Canned vegetables and soups should be used at a minimum since they are loaded with sodium. Canned fruits are also usually packed in syrup (even light syrup is still way too much sugar, and the ones packed in the fruits juice, make sure there is no added sugar, read the label).
I am not against sugar or salt, I just like to know what I am eating, and being able to control it.
Restaurants use sugar and salt (and butter) more than anyone else. So eating out is a treat and you should balance the fact that you will be getting extra servings of sodium that day.
Snacks are also a big trap for salt and sugar. It seems like even the healthier alternatives are loaded with salt, take pretzel for example. Much better than potato chips, but they are coated in salt! So an alternative are rice cakes, or buying the unsalted hard pretzels (they have those, usually with a heart symbol on the bag).
Children's snacks are a huge trap for sugar! Take one example: those gummy fruits. They have advertised on the box in big bold letters - made with real fruit! Wow, is that suppose to make me feel better? The first ingredient on those are usually sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Why not go back to basics and give kids the actual fruits for snacks. Most fruits pack just as easily as those packets of gummy. You can slice apples and cover them with a little lemon to keep the from browning, grapes are so easy to carry and banana, the ultimate snack on the go! No excuses there.
Lets just go back to basics and try to eat our foods as they are, without adding too much to it. The recommendations for servings of fruits and vegetables per day are now of 5-10 depending on the resource you use (pyramid to avoid cancer recs), the best way to achieve those will be using fruits and veggies as snacks.
All of these take some getting use to, afterall we've all gotten used to the prepackaged ready to go meals and snacks the industry offers us. So take it one step at a time. I always tell my client/patients, if you try to completely change your routine in one day you will most likely fail. It is too much to do all at once. So start substituting one snack per day for a fruit or veggie, start with one meal a day cooking without salt or sugar. Take baby steps. It doesn't matter if it takes you 3-6 months to change your entire day into a more healthy eating routine. It is better to start and move slow than to continue to do nothing about your health.
Tip - for the summer try freezing grapes for a snack, make your own fruit popsicles for the kids! You can use a bbq stick and pile on the fruits like pineaple, strawberry and grapes, put it in the freezer for an hour or so and you will have a refreshing snack. If you wanna get extra fancy, for dipping use yogurt!
Remember that most of the things you eat already have natural sugar and salt. Therefore adding any extra is just going overboard. It is a matter of re-training your palate. I always instruct parents to add no salt or sugar when making baby food. And their first reaction is: Oh, poor baby, its gonna taste so blend. That is completely untrue! Our palates have been overstimulated with extreme flavors for years, little babies are tasting things for the first time. They are learning what sour, bitter and sweet are and how they differ from each other. To add sugar or salt is to take away the natural flavor of the foods you are feeding them. I invite all of you to re-train your palates.
When you cook do not add any salt to your dishes, there is no need for a salt shaker in your house. But many people will say that it is too hard to do that. Well, here are some tips to make it easier. Think outside the box! Start using spices and herbs you haven't before.
For example, garlic and onion really bring out the salty taste in foods. And cinnamon brings out the sweetness of foods. Try adding cinammon to a banana for example, much sweeter.
Explore all herbs and spices, there are so many that I would need a whole new blog to talk about them. The best thing to do is to go to your grocery store isle and start trying different ones.
And yes, you can do that for the baby's food as well as the kids. Its a family effort.
Of course I would refrain from using spice and herbs on baby's first foods, no need, let them taste the foods first.
It is very important also to read the labels of everything you buy. Canned vegetables and soups should be used at a minimum since they are loaded with sodium. Canned fruits are also usually packed in syrup (even light syrup is still way too much sugar, and the ones packed in the fruits juice, make sure there is no added sugar, read the label).
I am not against sugar or salt, I just like to know what I am eating, and being able to control it.
Restaurants use sugar and salt (and butter) more than anyone else. So eating out is a treat and you should balance the fact that you will be getting extra servings of sodium that day.
Snacks are also a big trap for salt and sugar. It seems like even the healthier alternatives are loaded with salt, take pretzel for example. Much better than potato chips, but they are coated in salt! So an alternative are rice cakes, or buying the unsalted hard pretzels (they have those, usually with a heart symbol on the bag).
Children's snacks are a huge trap for sugar! Take one example: those gummy fruits. They have advertised on the box in big bold letters - made with real fruit! Wow, is that suppose to make me feel better? The first ingredient on those are usually sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Why not go back to basics and give kids the actual fruits for snacks. Most fruits pack just as easily as those packets of gummy. You can slice apples and cover them with a little lemon to keep the from browning, grapes are so easy to carry and banana, the ultimate snack on the go! No excuses there.
Lets just go back to basics and try to eat our foods as they are, without adding too much to it. The recommendations for servings of fruits and vegetables per day are now of 5-10 depending on the resource you use (pyramid to avoid cancer recs), the best way to achieve those will be using fruits and veggies as snacks.
All of these take some getting use to, afterall we've all gotten used to the prepackaged ready to go meals and snacks the industry offers us. So take it one step at a time. I always tell my client/patients, if you try to completely change your routine in one day you will most likely fail. It is too much to do all at once. So start substituting one snack per day for a fruit or veggie, start with one meal a day cooking without salt or sugar. Take baby steps. It doesn't matter if it takes you 3-6 months to change your entire day into a more healthy eating routine. It is better to start and move slow than to continue to do nothing about your health.
Tip - for the summer try freezing grapes for a snack, make your own fruit popsicles for the kids! You can use a bbq stick and pile on the fruits like pineaple, strawberry and grapes, put it in the freezer for an hour or so and you will have a refreshing snack. If you wanna get extra fancy, for dipping use yogurt!
Friday, May 21, 2010
First foods
This post is about introducing foods to our little ones. As a dietitian I've always told parents about the scientific evidence that babies do not need anything other than breastmilk/formula all the way up to 6 months. Even though many doctors say it is ok to introduce it at 4 months, and many parents do, which in most cases is fine, there is no need to do so. And I decided to follow my advice with my baby. I did not introduce any food until 6 months, no baby food and not even water.
That's another big one, water! People insist on giving babies water, oh gosh, they must be thristy. Really? are you kidding me :) Did your baby tell you he/she was thirsty? Than how did you conclude that? Anyways, thruth is, only in extreme cases a baby will need water. A breastfed baby does not need any extra water. Did you know that our body is so amazing that they analyzed breastmilk from women during the summer months and compared to the winter months, and found that the summer time milk has higher water content. The body addapted to give baby what they need!
But back to food. So I waited until 6 months, and I am happy I did so. My baby probably could have tolerated foods at 4 months like most do, but why cut down the benefits of breastmilk/formula by introducing foods early. After all, babies grow so fast, I didn't feel the need to rush to any stage. The important thing is to make sure the baby can hold his/her head up before you start feeding anything, they must be able to support their head. The first food I introduced was oatmeal cereal (finely ground oatmeal flakes with expressed breastmilk). From then on I followed the general guidelines.. introducing one food every 3-4 days to be sure there is no reaction or allergy. Some tips: start with fruits and veggies, alternating them. Try to introduce all of them, don't stop at carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, banana and applesauce. Go beyond that, introduce avocado, cauliflower, green beans, pears, papaya, mango. Each fruit has its distinct flavor, and introducing them to your baby will begin to teach their palate about different tastes. When you can, introduce fresh versus jared. So much better to pureed the fruit and veggies yourself! But of course, time is hard to come by sometimes. So no problem using the jars, just make sure you read the labels!!! I can not stress that enough. It should only contain the fruit (one only at first), some citric acid for conservation and that is it! No sugars or any other additives. With the vegetables the same thing. Make sure there is no added ingredients.
Hint- you can buy frozen veggies/fruits (much cheaper!) and pureed those too. When you pureed your own fruits and veggies, use water to help in the blender. And then if they are too liquidy, use oatmeal cereal to thicken to be easier to feed the baby.
When you start to combine foods further along you can still make your own. I had a system with my daughter that worked pretty well. Around 9-10 months when she was already eating most foods I would make a soup with: vegetables (varied weekly, green beans, carrots, potatoes, broccolli, cauliflower, yuca, spinach, peas, etc..), with chicken or fish (just chicken breast - lean, or fish, yes! it is a good time to intruduce fish also, make sure to choose one with lowe mercury content like tilapia), rice or potato ( pick one) and water on the pot. That is it. NO SALT, NO OIL! nothing else. I used a pressure cooker to speed up the process. Made a big batch, then pureed it all at once using the blender and portion it out in containers for the whole week (you can actually buy little plastic -BPA free containers to freeze baby foods, they are perfect size, but you can always use glass jars too). This made it very easy to keep up with the demand. After all I had no time to cook and puree food everyday!
side note about teething cookies- read the labels, make sure you check what you are getting. No need to have sugar in them.
I'm not gonna get into the organic debate.. that would be another post. But lets just say that I am not 100% convinced on organic... the guidelines to be considered organic aren't all that great. So unless you are actually growing it yourself you don't really know what additives are being used.
The important thing is to introduce good foods. Delay the introduction of junk the food! My two year old has never had chocolate, candy, syrup, and many other sweets. Some people consider that being mean, or not allowing my child to be a kid. But the truth is that she is so excited about fruits as deserts, and the good things, why would I spoil that! Eventually .. yes, she will get introduced to those things at school, but for now, why not keep building the foundation for a healthy lifestyle!
And in a lot of ways sugar can be dangerous, afterall, after you tasted chocolate chip cookies, would you be happy eating a whole wheat cracker :) But we'll save that discussion for another post.
This one was about baby food introduction. And I think I covered the basics and some hints that I wanted to share. If you have any questions, please just ask!
You can't control if your child will be a picky eater, or have difficulty transitioning through consistencies, or be a good or difficult eater, most of those things are from their genetic make up, personalities and psychological or physiological issues. But what you can control is what you do about it, and how you react to it. So build a good foundation is the first step.
Thanks!
That's another big one, water! People insist on giving babies water, oh gosh, they must be thristy. Really? are you kidding me :) Did your baby tell you he/she was thirsty? Than how did you conclude that? Anyways, thruth is, only in extreme cases a baby will need water. A breastfed baby does not need any extra water. Did you know that our body is so amazing that they analyzed breastmilk from women during the summer months and compared to the winter months, and found that the summer time milk has higher water content. The body addapted to give baby what they need!
But back to food. So I waited until 6 months, and I am happy I did so. My baby probably could have tolerated foods at 4 months like most do, but why cut down the benefits of breastmilk/formula by introducing foods early. After all, babies grow so fast, I didn't feel the need to rush to any stage. The important thing is to make sure the baby can hold his/her head up before you start feeding anything, they must be able to support their head. The first food I introduced was oatmeal cereal (finely ground oatmeal flakes with expressed breastmilk). From then on I followed the general guidelines.. introducing one food every 3-4 days to be sure there is no reaction or allergy. Some tips: start with fruits and veggies, alternating them. Try to introduce all of them, don't stop at carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, banana and applesauce. Go beyond that, introduce avocado, cauliflower, green beans, pears, papaya, mango. Each fruit has its distinct flavor, and introducing them to your baby will begin to teach their palate about different tastes. When you can, introduce fresh versus jared. So much better to pureed the fruit and veggies yourself! But of course, time is hard to come by sometimes. So no problem using the jars, just make sure you read the labels!!! I can not stress that enough. It should only contain the fruit (one only at first), some citric acid for conservation and that is it! No sugars or any other additives. With the vegetables the same thing. Make sure there is no added ingredients.
Hint- you can buy frozen veggies/fruits (much cheaper!) and pureed those too. When you pureed your own fruits and veggies, use water to help in the blender. And then if they are too liquidy, use oatmeal cereal to thicken to be easier to feed the baby.
When you start to combine foods further along you can still make your own. I had a system with my daughter that worked pretty well. Around 9-10 months when she was already eating most foods I would make a soup with: vegetables (varied weekly, green beans, carrots, potatoes, broccolli, cauliflower, yuca, spinach, peas, etc..), with chicken or fish (just chicken breast - lean, or fish, yes! it is a good time to intruduce fish also, make sure to choose one with lowe mercury content like tilapia), rice or potato ( pick one) and water on the pot. That is it. NO SALT, NO OIL! nothing else. I used a pressure cooker to speed up the process. Made a big batch, then pureed it all at once using the blender and portion it out in containers for the whole week (you can actually buy little plastic -BPA free containers to freeze baby foods, they are perfect size, but you can always use glass jars too). This made it very easy to keep up with the demand. After all I had no time to cook and puree food everyday!
side note about teething cookies- read the labels, make sure you check what you are getting. No need to have sugar in them.
I'm not gonna get into the organic debate.. that would be another post. But lets just say that I am not 100% convinced on organic... the guidelines to be considered organic aren't all that great. So unless you are actually growing it yourself you don't really know what additives are being used.
The important thing is to introduce good foods. Delay the introduction of junk the food! My two year old has never had chocolate, candy, syrup, and many other sweets. Some people consider that being mean, or not allowing my child to be a kid. But the truth is that she is so excited about fruits as deserts, and the good things, why would I spoil that! Eventually .. yes, she will get introduced to those things at school, but for now, why not keep building the foundation for a healthy lifestyle!
And in a lot of ways sugar can be dangerous, afterall, after you tasted chocolate chip cookies, would you be happy eating a whole wheat cracker :) But we'll save that discussion for another post.
This one was about baby food introduction. And I think I covered the basics and some hints that I wanted to share. If you have any questions, please just ask!
You can't control if your child will be a picky eater, or have difficulty transitioning through consistencies, or be a good or difficult eater, most of those things are from their genetic make up, personalities and psychological or physiological issues. But what you can control is what you do about it, and how you react to it. So build a good foundation is the first step.
Thanks!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Where to start?! I know.. breastfeeding
There is so much I want to share, but I had to pick one thing first. And I picked what I think is the single most important decision a mother can make for her newborn. The choice to breastfeed.
There are tons of articles and evidence to prove the benefits of breastfeeding versus formula feeding, and you can do a google search and find them all. But I will focus on my personal experience to tell you why I chose to do it and how it is working out.
For me there was no other choice, I knew before I was even pregnant that I would breastfeed. Not only for the wonderful and unmatched benefits for the baby, but also due to the financial benefit (formula is so expensive!), and the benefits for me as a mom (shedding the baby weight I gained was so important to me). I was scared and unsure about the process. My mother and most of my aunts had stories about not having enough milk, or not being able to keep up with their baby's demanding feeding schedules. And some even had horror stories about pain and bleeding, yikes!
But I was determined. And there is my first hint! If you decide that you are going to breastfeed you have to make that decision 100%! Tell yourself you will do it, and that you CAN do it. That you will get help if you need it and ask questions if its not going the way you expect it. That you will not give up. Sometimes I hear someone say: I'm gonna try to breastfeed. And to be honest, that is just not good enough. Once you say TRY versus I WILL, you are already giving yourself an out when things get hard. And believe me, the begining is hard, and often full of questions and situations that may lead us to give up.
I was able to nurse my daughter until she was 14 months. Then I stopped because she was doing so well with baby food, and cow's milk that I chose to stop at that point. And I am currently nursing my 2 month old son. So let me tell you some of the things I learned from experience:
1. It takes a while for your milk to come in. So your baby is born and you are ready to feed.. except that no milk comes out yet. And that is normal! The first 2-4 days all I got was very little yellow liquid, the colostrum. And that is enough for your newborn. It is all they need. And yes, they will cry, and you will think they are hungry and that you don't have enough milk. But the second you let someone give him/her a bottle instead of putting them to breast, it sends a signal to your body to lower production or even stop it. It is that fast! Our bodies react pretty fast in the beginning. So it is the most important time to nurse as often as needed. Most times newborns are crying not because they are hungry, but because they want to be held close to you, and nurse for confort only (hence the invented pacifier and swaddling). I strongly believe that those first few days are crucial to set up your milk supply and routine.
2. It hurts! yes, it does. The first few feedings are a strange sensation.. makes you second guess your choice. But it gets better! It really does. Within 3-4 weeks you won't even remember those painful days :)
3. Breastfed babies sleep less. Ok.. I have a real big problem with this one. When parents give in to formula because they just need some sleep! Oh please... what is more important to you, your baby's health or a few extra hours of sleep. I know it seems like it will never end in the beginning, but it does, just ask your own mother. So it is worth it. And yes, nursing babies often wake up more throughout the night for the first 2-3 months. But that is because they nurse as much as they need and then go to sleep. Not like formula fed babies who are gulping all the bottle has to give and then crash. Plus, if you are really in need of some extra sleep hours, work out a routine with your husband, or someone who is helping you (a grandma for example), and pump ahead of time to leave a bottle ready for the baby.
4. Supply and Demand! That is how our milk works. Our body is extremely smart and able to adapt easily. So if you think you don't have enough milk, nurse more often, or even pump after you nurse for a few minutes. That will help send a signal to your body that you need more milk. I often noticed that if my baby slept well one night and did not wake up as often to feed the very next night my supply had already decreased.
5. Are they getting enough? So many moms give up because they want to know exactly how much the baby is getting, and if they are getting enough. But that should not worry you at all. Babies gain weight differently. There is no set rule for every single baby. So if your baby gains one week and not the next, it is ok. The red flags are if your baby has not regained birthweight by 3-4 weeks after birth. If they are not gaining any weight between doctor's appts. But if your baby at day 7 has not regained, it is ok. Take my second one for example. He was born at 7lbs, 13 oz. After 7 days he was 7lbs, 3oz ... oh no!!! But at 14 days he was 8lbs 15oz, and now at 2 months he is almost 15lbs! Just give them time.
6. Poop- breastfeeding poop looks so weird to me. It is more liquid than you would expect, and it has curds in it.. sometimes seedy looking. It is yellow-brown.. different shades in between. My second one has been having green poop. I've been so upset over this. It could be a virus, a bacterial infection, or as simple as milk imbalance. Sometimes babies nurse just 5-10 min in each breast and end up getting just the first milk, the milk higher in sugar, and never reach the fatty milk that comes next (you can really notice that difference if you pump, it is visible! a watery milk first, then a more white thick milk next). But the lesson here is to call the doctor if you are not sure. And be very clear with them that you are breastfeeding and you will continue to do so! Since some doctors may encourage you to give formula to see if the problem clears. But only if there are other symptoms or circumstances you should consider that... really, just the green poop alone is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. I haven't! And sometimes he still has the greenish stool, but it has been getting better with time.
Ok, I am sure I forgot some things.. but please if you want to ask just do so! I'll be happy to answer.
Remember that deciding to breastfeed your baby is a sign of love and committment to your baby. You will not regret it!
My daughter, now 2 years old, has never had a cold or flu, she has a strong immune system because she was nursed and it build a foundation for a healthy child!
Next post: First foods and when to start.
There are tons of articles and evidence to prove the benefits of breastfeeding versus formula feeding, and you can do a google search and find them all. But I will focus on my personal experience to tell you why I chose to do it and how it is working out.
For me there was no other choice, I knew before I was even pregnant that I would breastfeed. Not only for the wonderful and unmatched benefits for the baby, but also due to the financial benefit (formula is so expensive!), and the benefits for me as a mom (shedding the baby weight I gained was so important to me). I was scared and unsure about the process. My mother and most of my aunts had stories about not having enough milk, or not being able to keep up with their baby's demanding feeding schedules. And some even had horror stories about pain and bleeding, yikes!
But I was determined. And there is my first hint! If you decide that you are going to breastfeed you have to make that decision 100%! Tell yourself you will do it, and that you CAN do it. That you will get help if you need it and ask questions if its not going the way you expect it. That you will not give up. Sometimes I hear someone say: I'm gonna try to breastfeed. And to be honest, that is just not good enough. Once you say TRY versus I WILL, you are already giving yourself an out when things get hard. And believe me, the begining is hard, and often full of questions and situations that may lead us to give up.
I was able to nurse my daughter until she was 14 months. Then I stopped because she was doing so well with baby food, and cow's milk that I chose to stop at that point. And I am currently nursing my 2 month old son. So let me tell you some of the things I learned from experience:
1. It takes a while for your milk to come in. So your baby is born and you are ready to feed.. except that no milk comes out yet. And that is normal! The first 2-4 days all I got was very little yellow liquid, the colostrum. And that is enough for your newborn. It is all they need. And yes, they will cry, and you will think they are hungry and that you don't have enough milk. But the second you let someone give him/her a bottle instead of putting them to breast, it sends a signal to your body to lower production or even stop it. It is that fast! Our bodies react pretty fast in the beginning. So it is the most important time to nurse as often as needed. Most times newborns are crying not because they are hungry, but because they want to be held close to you, and nurse for confort only (hence the invented pacifier and swaddling). I strongly believe that those first few days are crucial to set up your milk supply and routine.
2. It hurts! yes, it does. The first few feedings are a strange sensation.. makes you second guess your choice. But it gets better! It really does. Within 3-4 weeks you won't even remember those painful days :)
3. Breastfed babies sleep less. Ok.. I have a real big problem with this one. When parents give in to formula because they just need some sleep! Oh please... what is more important to you, your baby's health or a few extra hours of sleep. I know it seems like it will never end in the beginning, but it does, just ask your own mother. So it is worth it. And yes, nursing babies often wake up more throughout the night for the first 2-3 months. But that is because they nurse as much as they need and then go to sleep. Not like formula fed babies who are gulping all the bottle has to give and then crash. Plus, if you are really in need of some extra sleep hours, work out a routine with your husband, or someone who is helping you (a grandma for example), and pump ahead of time to leave a bottle ready for the baby.
4. Supply and Demand! That is how our milk works. Our body is extremely smart and able to adapt easily. So if you think you don't have enough milk, nurse more often, or even pump after you nurse for a few minutes. That will help send a signal to your body that you need more milk. I often noticed that if my baby slept well one night and did not wake up as often to feed the very next night my supply had already decreased.
5. Are they getting enough? So many moms give up because they want to know exactly how much the baby is getting, and if they are getting enough. But that should not worry you at all. Babies gain weight differently. There is no set rule for every single baby. So if your baby gains one week and not the next, it is ok. The red flags are if your baby has not regained birthweight by 3-4 weeks after birth. If they are not gaining any weight between doctor's appts. But if your baby at day 7 has not regained, it is ok. Take my second one for example. He was born at 7lbs, 13 oz. After 7 days he was 7lbs, 3oz ... oh no!!! But at 14 days he was 8lbs 15oz, and now at 2 months he is almost 15lbs! Just give them time.
6. Poop- breastfeeding poop looks so weird to me. It is more liquid than you would expect, and it has curds in it.. sometimes seedy looking. It is yellow-brown.. different shades in between. My second one has been having green poop. I've been so upset over this. It could be a virus, a bacterial infection, or as simple as milk imbalance. Sometimes babies nurse just 5-10 min in each breast and end up getting just the first milk, the milk higher in sugar, and never reach the fatty milk that comes next (you can really notice that difference if you pump, it is visible! a watery milk first, then a more white thick milk next). But the lesson here is to call the doctor if you are not sure. And be very clear with them that you are breastfeeding and you will continue to do so! Since some doctors may encourage you to give formula to see if the problem clears. But only if there are other symptoms or circumstances you should consider that... really, just the green poop alone is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. I haven't! And sometimes he still has the greenish stool, but it has been getting better with time.
Ok, I am sure I forgot some things.. but please if you want to ask just do so! I'll be happy to answer.
Remember that deciding to breastfeed your baby is a sign of love and committment to your baby. You will not regret it!
My daughter, now 2 years old, has never had a cold or flu, she has a strong immune system because she was nursed and it build a foundation for a healthy child!
Next post: First foods and when to start.
Introduction
Hello! I am blessed with two beautiful children, Isabela 21/2 years old and Daniel 2 months old. And as a mother I am trying to implement everything I learned as a registered dietitian to provide the best foundation to a healthy lifestyle for my children. Along the way I am discovering some challenges and finding new ways to adapt what I learned to our lives. I make mistakes, I get frustrated and at times I give in. You will hear about all of those and how I managed them. I also plan on posting recipes, hints, product ideas and more. If you have any questions or specific requests about children and infant nutrition please post and I will answer them here or directly to you if you prefer.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. This is a place to share information and hopefully learn something about children's nutrition.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. This is a place to share information and hopefully learn something about children's nutrition.
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