Nutrition and Wellness Information, Resources and Education

Archive for the ‘Infant Nutrition’ Category

Here is another addition to the topic of breastfeeding vs. formula for feeding your baby. This is from an email newsletter I subscribe to “News You Can Use” and recommend all my readers subscribe to it. Though I provide a link to it and subscription on the right column of this page, here it is again.  Subscribe to “News You Can Use” here’s a link to this article , which is one of several for this particular issue. http://www.wellnessforum.com/NewsStand/ March 29, 2010, Volume 8 Issue 13.

Dear Dr. Pam: If a woman just can’t or won’t breast feed, is soy or dairy formula better?

For the record, breastfeeding is so far superior to formula feeding of any type that other options should be considered only in rare circumstances, such as when a child is adopted or when the mother cannot produce enough milk. In fact, Dr. John McDougall has said that he thinks breastfeeding is so important that if he were appointed Surgeon General, he would allow baby formula to be available only by prescription.

I have serious concerns about cow’s milk formulas for many reasons. The nutritional makeup of cow’s milk is different than mothers’ milk. For example, the protein content of cow’s milk formula is higher, close to 17%, while mothers’ milk is approximately 6%. The risk of a child fed cow’s milk developing type 1 diabetes is higher than the risk of a smoker developing lung cancer. It is common for babies fed cow’s milk to develop chronic ear infections, gas and intestinal discomfort, vomiting, colic, diarrhea or constipation, and skin conditions like eczema.

Both cow’s milk and soy formulas contain added sugars, and many pediatricians are legitimately concerned that these added sugars set the stage for craving sweet foods, which can lead to overeating and obesity in children. Another issue for formula-fed babies, regardless of the type of formula used, is overeating. Breastfed babies nurse until they are full; the milk is not measured, but portion control is not an issue. Bottle-fed babies are encouraged to drink milk until the bottle is emptied and in many cases this is the beginning of learning how to overeat.

Keep in mind that there are no good options if an infant cannot be breastfed; parents must pick from less than optimal ones. All things considered, I am more comfortable with organic soy formulas than cow’s milk formulas, since my research has shown the risks associated with soy to be considerably less than the risks associated with cow’s milk.

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I fortunately learned of the hazards of formula for babies vs. breastfeeding before either of my children was born. However once my first, my son was born and his mom, upon returning to work after maternity leavenoticed the stress of work was causing her breast milk supply to reduce and let me know to find a good formula to start using. Well in doing so, I of course checked out all the formula in the grocery store and was appalled at the ingredients. So I checked at the health food store and although the ingredients were far better the price was very prohibitive. So after talking with others and doing a bit of research I found a book that had a recipe for a “porage” that had been used for feeding infants when there were breastfeeding issues. It was from a book on Macrobiotics which was made mostly from grains. This provided a good carbohydrate and protein blend and at the time also provided a multivitamin which at the time I believed in them not yet being aware of the “whole food” concept I know of now. At the time in fact Juice Plus+ did not yet exist which would havebeen great to use. Although both my kids did quite well with what I gave them. If you would like more information about this recipie let me know. I’ve contemplated making it available to others. The biggest drawback is the time it takes to prepare as at the time, I was a stay at home dad. I think it was worth it though:) As I said in a previous post “Breastfeeding your baby is a total no-brainer” and as Dr. Pam Popper points out here, there are rare circumstances that your baby should not or can not be breastfed.

In maintaining a healthy diet for the best health requiring less need for doctor visits, getting nutrition from lots of raw fruits and vegetables on a daily basis that MOST people do not get, Juice Plus+ is an easy and affordable solution. To help your children aged 5-16, we have a program where school aged children and teens can receive Juice Plus for free. Please contact me for more information on this. Contact me rick@rickfigley.com or 954-649-5896 to learn more or visit my Juice Plus+ website www.rickshowsjuiceplus.com

This is an exerpt from Dr. Mitra Ray’s newsletter. You will find a link to her website and newslettter subscription on the right. Dr. Ray has many topics in her newsletter. To see the whole thing, go to http://fromheretolongevity.com/index.aspx?DN=166,1,Documents&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-qa-oct-2009&utm_source=constantcontact-all-subscribers&utm_content=sinus#sinus

What do you recommend people REALLY do to protect their health against Swine Flu (other than receiving a scary vaccine)?

Please address this whole ‘Swine Flu’ (H1N1) epidemic that’s supposedly coming, and what you recommend people REALLY do to protect their health (other than receiving a scary vaccine).

Answer provided by Dr. Jennifer Daniels: The virus is the seed. Its growth and progress is determined by the soil that it’s “planted in.” The soil would be the conditions in your body.

Let’s talk about the epidemic part first. An epidemic is defined as a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of a disease. We know that getting a disease has 2 components: exposure and susceptibility.

Exposure
Person-to-person contact could not spread a disease as fast as the Swine Flu is predicted to spread. An outbreak of this magnitude would require a common source exposure. This means that the food supply, water, air, or something that large numbers of people are exposed to at the same time would have to be the source of exposure to the virus.

The one obvious source of exposure to the virus is the vaccine, which we know is manufactured from the virus. This source of exposure is easily avoided. Do not get vaccinated.

The next source of Swine Flu is swine (or pork). Do not eat it.

The next source of viral exposure is tap water. Drink reverse osmosis water or distilled water.

Dairy products can make it difficult for the body to resist respiratory infections. Eliminate dairy from your diet.

This will address the exposure part. Person-to-person contact is not, and has never been, a factor in sweeping epidemics. So secluding yourself, getting the vaccine, drinking tap water, and sending out for pizza with sausage and extra cheese only increases your chances of exposure.

Susceptibility
Once you have handled the exposure part, you need to address your internal environment.  In the event that you are exposed, you need to be sure that you have an internal environment in your body that will not allow the virus to grow.

In order to flourish, the virus needs sugar, an immune system burdened by other organisms, malnutrition, not enough oxygen, or dehydration.

Eat a diet that has no sugar, eat a nutritious diet (meaning a whole-food, plant based diet), avoid foods that have lots of bacteria (mainly meat and dairy), take deep breaths, and do enemas daily during the period that you feel exposure is likely.

Take your Juice Plus regularly, including the Vineyard blend – a properly functioning immune system and cardiovascular system are up to the task of creating antibodies and efficiently fighting off infections, otherwise we would not have made it as a species on this planet. The immune system has something called plasticity – it means that if the immune system has the nutritional support it needs and good hydration, it can make antibodies to a virus it has never seen before, and it can do it in a matter of hours. I cannot say the same for the most sophisticated immunological laboratory on the planet.
 
If Infected:
If you feel you have been exposed or that the virus may be in your system, eat raw garlic, radish, and vinegar (see recipe below). This will stimulate the immune system and act as an antibiotic. Continue the dietary measures discussed above.

Dr. Daniels’ Immune Boost Recipe
1 head of garlic, crushed or minced
3 red radishes or 1 turnip grated
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, organic unfiltered if possible, but regular is ok

Put all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake. Let sit for 30 minutes. Take 1 tablespoon (vinegar and solid stuff combined) by mouth 3 times a day until all better. It is ok to double or triple the recipe.

That is really about it.  I would strongly recommend the avoidance steps. They are the most effective and the easiest.

The Good News
Remember, it is just a virus. Like every other virus, the infection rate may be high but the death rate is low and most people experience the flu, even this one, as a few days of inconvenience. Do not rush to do things that may be more harmful than doing nothing.

No other nutritional product has been proven clinically to boost the immune system other than Juice Plus+, Contact me rick@rickfigley.com or 954-649-5896 to learn more or visit my Juice Plus+ website www.rickshowsjuiceplus.com

 Came across this video on YouTube, done by “Nutrition by Natalie” regarding the benefits of breastfeeding both for baby and mom.

First let me say, go to this video and  subscribe to her videos. If you’re not already on YouTube, go ahead and start an account. You don’t need to upload videos. If you’re serious about learning more about good non-BS nutrition, subscribing to her stuff is worth the subscription alone. I love her stuff, she’s so on target with everything she says.  She looks young and she is, but she got started at a very young age, which I can relate to but she’s very impressive.

She makes some awesome points as to why it’s really EXTREMELY important to breastfeed your baby. Not only because of the benefits to baby but to mom as well. In this blog I try to enlighten the readers why nutrition is not only important to good health, but is a part of the balance of nature. If we eat in harmony with what the earth provides for us, then not only are we rewarded with better health but it’s also healthy for the earth. The fact is artificial food is not only bad for us, it creates toxic by-products that pollutes the earth. There is just no advantage in any regard to artificial food. With love to get any feedback on this if you’re not sure about artificial vs. REAL food.

Back to Natalie’s video on breastfeeding. Watch both Part 1, which focuses on breastfeeding benefits of your baby. To summarize, there is no better way to give your baby the proper nutrition for optimum growing and mature development. Commercial formula doesn’t even come close

And Part 2, the benefits to you the mom. Not Only is it the least expensive way to for you and healthiest for your baby. It provides you with health benefits re: disease prevention and body preservation protection as you age. There are just so many physiological benefits that go beyond just feeding your baby that you may be surprised about.

Found this article that makes statements that aren’t  justified or correct.
Please reply if you have questions.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/breast_bottle_feeding.html

This article had an element that I found pathetic. Sorry but a mom who’s too busy with her work to bother to breastfeed, I feel is either ill informed which is very possible,  or just plain selfish. I don’t blame her husband for being pissed with her. If that’s her attitude about the nutrition for her baby, what happens whenhe or she gets older? Scary.

There was another statement “If DOCTORS are so badly educated about breastfeeding, how do we expect all moms to be better educated than they are? It is such a shame.” 
Let me tell you something about doctors. I feel bad for them because most went through many years of grueling medical school because they wanted to help people. Yes there are some who did it for the money, the truth is. Many or even most are very much behind on the info that’s readily available to help their patients. I personally know of patients who did their own research and presented it to their doctors and the doctor, assuming he or she isn’t on an ego trip (many unfortunately are, I know some on both sides of this) was grateful for the patient’s research. The fact is, as an expectant or current mom of an infant. Do the research, with he Internet, it’s NEVER been easier to find valid credible information. Be careful about info though that is provided by a company selling what you’re researching. I know what sounds obvious… but.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=741940

One of the reasons women start to breastfeed but can not continue due to having to go back to work, because the stress of work causes the supply to dwindle. I know this is valid from personal experience when my kids mom breastfed both of them. My son is 21 and when I checked all the commercial formulas available in the supermarket, I found them all substandard. They were and are mostly water and sugar. The formula like many of the foods we buy, is “fortified” with “nutrients”. Those nutrients are all synthetic.

After being disgusted by what I saw at the supermarket I went to the health food store. Those ingredients were far better but EXPENSIVE!! There had to be a better approach. There was. I found a recipe on how to make infant formula from organic whole grains. SO that’s what I did. Granted it wasn’t as good as mother’s milk, but FAR better than commercial formula. Now I saw an article a while back advising against making home made formula, but it didn’t give enough specifics as to why, other than it wouldn’t be effectively tested for proper nutrients.  Well I can tell you that both my 21 year old son and 17 year old daughter did quite well with it. They both had about 3 months of breast feeding with about a month of combined mothers milk and my home made formula, then continued with just the formula. The pediatrician was surprised that neither of them almost ever got sick and had no ear infections. They both showed good growing patterns as well so they seemed to have done well. As I say compared to kids I knew on the the commercial formula. No comparison. Though this was a good stop gap, there are ways to prevent having to go through the hassle I did.

Would love any feedback on this since in my opinion, the best health care we can all have is self guided.   Most medical practices are unnecessary and are profit driven, not health and certainly not prevention driven. Though I already talked about that on a previous blog regarding the  health-care reform:)

Contact me for an easy and additional clinically proven way to improve your nutritional density, excellent for pregnancy and lactating to assist in providing optimal nutrition for you and your baby on a daily bases. Email me at Rick@rickfigley.com

Many people have become aware of the hazards of drinking milk: osteoporosis, ear infections, as opposed to the alleged nutritional benefits associated with it such as the calcium and protein myths, the caution that humans are the only mammal that drink the milk of another species pointing to the unnatural aspect of the practice. 

The reality is in the nutritional circles there is more information discouraging drinking milk or consuming ANY dairy product for that matter, at least for nutritional purposes. Avoiding it entirely when in the process of getting rid of any illness or doing any internal cleansing of the body is highly recommended. Dairy products should only be consumed as a treat.

Here are links to a number of resources to learn more.

White Poison: The Horrors of Milk: http://www.alternet.org/story/12002

The dangers of pasteurization: http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/ultra-pasteurizedmilk.html

Milk, menstral cycle and cancer: http://www.wellsphere.com/women-s-health-article/is-milk-really-that-good-for-nbsp-you/713908

Dairy, much much worse than chicken, seafood or beef?: http://www.sethigherstandards.com/milk-does-it-really-do-any-body-good/

Milk’s Connection with High Insulin and Prostate Cancer: http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=36524

Don’t Drink Your Milk! http://www.mercola.com/article/milk/no-milk.htm

Contact me for an easy and additional clinically proven way to improve your nutritional density on a daily bases. Email me at Rick@rickfigley.com