Winter is here! Time to turn to those comfort foods and get excited about foods that are in season; fruits, savory greens, veggies, hearty meats and lots of fresh mushrooms.
Humans have learned to preserve food in a varitety of ways. Through fermentation we turn our vegetables into sour, pickled treats; our fruits and grains into wine or beer; our fresh milk into aged cheeses, etc. Canning allows us to enjoy the summer-fresh flavor of tomatoes, corn, and green beans long after the warm weather has gone. Freezing and drying are also options as almost anything fresh can be frozen or dried.
Winter is a great time to be creative in the kitchen, finding inspiration in dried herbs and spices as well as root vegetables, winter squash, and apples. This is also a great time to eat wild game like bison or venison, just harvested and bagged in season.
So what's in season? Depending on where you live, the following foods may be in season:
Herbs: garlic
Salad greens: lettuce and spinach
Cooking greens: asian greens, beet greens, collards, kale, mustard
greens, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens
Garden veggies: beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots,
cauliflower,
celery, leeks, onion, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins,
scallions, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
Fruits: apples, cranberries, figs, pears
Wild: cattail shoots, chickweed, garlic mustard, onion grass, watercress
Nuts and Seeds: hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pumkin and winter
squash seeds
Mushrooms: black trumpet, candy cap, cauliflower, chanterelle, truffles,
wood blewitt, wood hedgehog
Winter recipe #1: Baked Beets in Bechamel
4 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup water
3 T butter
1 shallot, minced
3 T all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 dry white wine
salt and pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the beets in a 9X13 inch baking dish. Add the water. Cover tightly, and bake for about 45 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour to form a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in the milk and wine, and bring to boil. The sauce will thicken. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Pour the sauce over the beets. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and golden around the edges.
Serve hot; serves 6.
- Recipe from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
What am I making for Thanksgiving this year?
Every year since before I can remember, my Mom always made the dressing (some call it stuffing) for our Thanksgiving meal. She would make a dish of "regular" and a dish of oyster dressing. Since Mom is gone now, I've taken over many of her traditions. Now we all know how I feel about bottom feeders, but nonetheless, everyone is expecting me to bring oyster dressing. I also love to roast butternut squash and beets in the oven, toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, cardamom, and maybe a dash of freshly ground nutmeg...yum! This side dish is easy, delicious and brings the beautiful colors of fall to your table. I've also discovered a very quick and easy bread to share this Thanksgiving. There's no yeast, so no rising times and you only knead the dough for 1 minute. Oatmeal molasses bread will complement any part of your Thanksgiving meal; I'll include the recipe below. Finally, for dessert: there will be plenty of Pumpkin pies and other delicious treats, but I don't know that I've ever seen anyone in my family come to Thanksgiving with homemade truffles. So I think I'll try some pumpkin truffles this year.
Whatever wonderful food you decide to share this Thanksgiving, I hope you'll take the time to make it with your own hands and avoid the temptation to buy something pre-packaged and already made. Convenient, yes. Nourishing, not so much.
Oatmeal Molasses Bread
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup regular oats
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tblsp. coconut oil (you'll probably have to melt it in the oven or on the stove top)
2 3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (organic if you can)
2 tblsp. organic sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder (alluminum free)
1 cup organic raisins
1 tblsp. yellow cornmeal (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist; stir in raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough pulls together in a shaggy mass. Let rest 2 minutes. Turn half of dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 1 minute with floured hands; shape dought into a 6-inch round loaf. Place on baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with remaining dough. Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 375 and bake an additional 15 minutes or until botton of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Yield: 2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf.
Pumpkin Truffles
8 1/2 oz. dark chocolate
1/4 cup heaving cream
2 tblsp. - 1/4 cup pumpkin
Using double broiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate in cream. Stir in pumpkin and cool in fridge 1 hour. Let sit at room temp. 2 hours. Shape and roll in cocoa or chopped pecans, almonds, or whatever nut you like.
Whatever wonderful food you decide to share this Thanksgiving, I hope you'll take the time to make it with your own hands and avoid the temptation to buy something pre-packaged and already made. Convenient, yes. Nourishing, not so much.
Oatmeal Molasses Bread
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup regular oats
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tblsp. coconut oil (you'll probably have to melt it in the oven or on the stove top)
2 3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (organic if you can)
2 tblsp. organic sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder (alluminum free)
1 cup organic raisins
1 tblsp. yellow cornmeal (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist; stir in raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough pulls together in a shaggy mass. Let rest 2 minutes. Turn half of dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 1 minute with floured hands; shape dought into a 6-inch round loaf. Place on baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with remaining dough. Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 375 and bake an additional 15 minutes or until botton of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Yield: 2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf.
Pumpkin Truffles
8 1/2 oz. dark chocolate
1/4 cup heaving cream
2 tblsp. - 1/4 cup pumpkin
Using double broiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate in cream. Stir in pumpkin and cool in fridge 1 hour. Let sit at room temp. 2 hours. Shape and roll in cocoa or chopped pecans, almonds, or whatever nut you like.
Thanksgiving Thoughts
THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS
Thanksgiving thoughts are
The kind of thoughts
That we should have
All year long.
For it is the folks with
Thankful hearts
Whose lives are filled with
Song.
We should take time for
Kindness
To those we hold most
Dear,
And just extend a helping
Hand
To others through the year.
Let's set aside some
Quiet time
And share it with a friend.
For friendships bring
A special joy
And pleasure without end.
So may the blessings
Of this day
That I would ask for you,
Now fill you with
Thanksgiving Peace
That lasts
The whole year through!
copyright 1997 Nona Kelley Carver
Thanksgiving thoughts are
The kind of thoughts
That we should have
All year long.
For it is the folks with
Thankful hearts
Whose lives are filled with
Song.
We should take time for
Kindness
To those we hold most
Dear,
And just extend a helping
Hand
To others through the year.
Let's set aside some
Quiet time
And share it with a friend.
For friendships bring
A special joy
And pleasure without end.
So may the blessings
Of this day
That I would ask for you,
Now fill you with
Thanksgiving Peace
That lasts
The whole year through!
copyright 1997 Nona Kelley Carver
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Cloth Diapers...ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Cloth Diapers Made Simple...Promise!
Health Topics - Children's Health
Sunday, 16 July 2006 16:43
A Growing Wise Kids Column
The idea of cloth diapers dredges up unpleasant visions for some--pokey pins, leaks and other unmentionables. Believe it or not, cloth diapers have made a dramatic turn for the better over the last few years. No more pins to prink your fingers, fewer leaks, and no more toilet dunking. This happy news will soften the blow of discovering some of the dangers of disposable diapers. Not only do babies adorned in cloth tend to potty train earlier than those in disposables, there are some health and environmental risks to ponder. Luckily, you have a choice!
Why Choose Cloth over Disposable
Back in the 1950s, nearly every little tyke in the U.S. wore cloth diapers. Proctor & Gamble changed that statistic dramatically by introducing Pampers, a one-time use, throw-away diaper, in the early 1960s. Today, a vast majority of babies wear disposables. On average, babies use about seven disposable diapers per day,1 a number that varies with age and frequency of changes. This can mean up to 8,000 diapers per baby for their diapering phase of life.
When deciding between cloth or disposables, one should consider the following three areas: environmental burden, chemical exposure for the family and financial impact.
Environmental Concerns
Both disposable and cloth diapers have their environmental costs. The question is, which is higher? First, disposables place a burden on the environment through manufactured materials (often synthetic). The plastic in disposables takes an extended time to break down. There are different estimates as to how long, but it is more than several lifetimes. With the billions upon billions of disposable diapers thrown into landfills every year, any estimate gives a bad result, regardless of how you look at it.
The second issue is waste management with the viruses and other contaminants from untreated feces and urine that may find their way into our soils and community water supplies.2 Although this scenario has not been clearly established as a current problem, the possibilities are real.
Have you ever read the back of the box for disposables? When you do, you will find a statement that baby soil should be put into the toilet before the diaper is disposed of in the garbage. Human waste is not meant to be in landfills, but when was the last time you tossed the contents of a disposable diaper into the toilet? This is a practice thought to be only necessary for cloth, but in fact should be done with both.
For cloth diapers, water usage, energy cost, the cost of detergent, and chemicals emitted from detergent are issues to be considered. Washing cloth diapers certainly uses more water than dumping a disposable diaper in the trash, but one must look at all the sides. For instance, newer washing machines are more water efficient. Moreover, some argue that washing diapers twice per week uses less water than an adult uses in a day of flushing the toilet. Finally, the chemical intake from detergents is moot if you use environmentally safe detergents.
Chemical Exposure
Numerous chemicals are emitted from commercial disposables, such as those from the polypropylene liner and polyethylene backing.3 In fact, scientists have discovered that the chemicals in disposables, when inhaled, are toxic to the respiratory system. Although studied on mice, the response was clear and the researchers concluded that diapers should be considered as one of the factors that might cause or exacerbate asthmatic conditions.4
Disposable diapers contain bleached materials. Although the U.S. paper mill industry has made improvements to reduce toxic waste output over the last few years, concerns remain surrounding this process. Ultimately the manufacture of diapers with bleached products puts all humans and animal at higher risk for health damages.5,6,7 We would all do well to avoid these hazardous chemicals.
Although there is no specific scientific link between diapers and the aforementioned conditions, the manufacturing of diapers with bleached products puts all humans and animals at a higher risk in general. We would all do well to avoid these hazardous chemicals. Moreover, could dioxins still remain in the diaper itself, thus exposing your baby and family to them more directly? Possibly, but this is not something supported by scientific study.
Even more worrisome are the super-absorbent diapers, which often contain cross-linked sodium polyacrylate, a powder that turns to a gel in contact with liquid. This is the same substance associated with toxic shock syndrome from ultra-absorbent feminine hygiene tampons.1 Although negative health symptoms have not been directly linked in the case of diapers, these types of chemicals are just better to avoid, especially when they are in products in close contact with such sensitive areas of the body.
There are more environmentally friendly disposable diaper manufacturers that do not use chlorine in the bleaching process (such as the maker of "Tushies"). Although they are more expensive than conventional disposables, using these products reduces the health concerns posed by chlorine and its toxic byproducts.
Convenience
Although disposables are convenient, cloth diapers are running a close second with new product designs. The act of putting on the diapers is quite similar. For example, velcro wraps close in the cloth diaper and are simply washed with the diapers when wet or soiled. All-in-one diapers skip the cloth diaper insert step and have the cloth sewn inside and the wrap outside, acting like a disposable but washing like a cloth.
Cloth diapers do not need to be presoaked or even rinsed off, as many people believe. If unrinsed diapers are not appealing, an option is flushable liners that are just lifted off and flushed down the toilet. When planned right, cloth diapers should add only two more loads of laundry per week. There is also the option of a diaper service, which through economy of scale uses less energy and water per diaper than home washing. However, diapers are shared with other members and the service may not use detergents you find acceptable.
What about when you are out and about or traveling? Unless you are a stickler when it comes to using cloth, these are fine times to use disposables. But for those hardcore cloth users out there, nylon tote bags are an easy solution. They cinch up, close in the smells, and can be thrown in the laundry right along with the diapers at home.
Potty Training
Disposable diaper companies try to have the "dryness" competitive edge. Have you thought of what that really means? Although the super-absorbent diapers hold more than cloth, utilizing them may not be the best approach. This idea of "super absorbency" leads to several problems. First, some babies are left too long in diapers. They are still being exposed to their own eliminations, in essence allowing a diaper to become a traveling toilet. Second, feeling wet can be a good thing when it comes to learning how to use the big-person toilet. It is believed when children actually feel they are wet, they can better grasp the concept of potty-training. Diapering a child for only a year and a half to two years instead of three or more offers additional financial savings and further reduces environmental burdens. Moreover, optimizing brain development with adequate fats and nutrients through a nourishing traditional diet may further facilitate training.
An idea that may sound foreign to many of us, but natural to those in numerous other cultures, is infant potty training. The basic concept is that infants are aware of and can control their eliminative needs and are able to learn at an early age to go on cue. Parents can communicate with their babies by learning their signals and rhythms and make the toilet or chosen "potty" available when needed, thus eliminating or at least reducing the need for diapers. Our affluent, on-the-go society of today makes this a little challenging, but it is an appealing idea that parents may want to explore through books such as Laurie Boucke's Infant Potty Training, and informational websites such as the nonprofit organization Diaper-Free Baby, at www.diaperfreebaby.org.
Summing up, diapering decisions are a personal family choice, and all the factors need to be evaluated. Some babies do better with one diapering method over another--there is no one best type for every baby. One's lifestyle, personal preferences, finances, available time and concern for environmental issues play a role in these decisions. Regardless, being well-informed is half the battle in making the right choice for you and your baby.
Personally, cloth feels good to me, my son, and family compared to the paper and plastic products. I feel that cloth, although it means a bit more effort on my part, is gentler on my baby, family, pocket book and the environment! Although we don't use cloth all the time, we do the best we can as often as we can!
My Product List
Take a trip to any cloth diaper website and you will be inundated with more choices that you know what to do with in regard to diaper covers, wraps, inserts and the like. Here is what worked for me and my little guy, Tate, and the "what, why and how" of it all.
I purchased unbleached, cotton prefolded diapers in both infant and regular sizes. These are layered so that the middle part is the thickest. I have seen these varieties only on-line, not in regular stores. I surfed the internet for the best price and bought in bulk. At night or for naps there are extra pads called doublers that can be used to give added absorbency; the smaller infant size can be folded and used in the same way.
I purchased Bummis' Super Whisper Wraps™. These are sturdy waterproof wraps that go over the diaper and take the place of pins and cheap plastic pants and can withstand the rigors of washing. They come in different sizes and patterns and indicate the weight they fit best. I bought approximately four of each size (I found a few at yard sales), since they sometimes get wet or a little soiled and need to be washed.
Another great investment is reusable cotton flannel baby wipes. They are basically little square pieces of cloth with trim around the edges to keep them from fraying. The commercial one-time-use brands are very harsh on baby's bottom and expensive! After the cloth ones are used, they go right into the diaper pail along with the diapers to be washed.
As far as diaper disposal goes, I purchased two plastic draw-string pail liners on-line and a diaper pail from a local Wal-Mart. The pail is a simple trash can that has a button on one end that when pressed opens the lid. This comes in handy when only one hand, or finger, is free. The liner fits well inside and is pulled out and washed right along with the diapers and wipes. When one liner is washing, the other is ready to be placed into the pail. I find the pail stays relatively dry and odor-free; I clean it out about once a month.
My Day-to-Day Diaper Routine
Instructions for diaper folding and placing can be found on numerous websites and in baby care books. It becomes second nature once you do a few. For storing wipes, I found a round plastic container with an easy lift-off lid. I make my own wipe solution (see side bar Wonderful Wipes), which is very gentle and healing to a baby's bum. I make a new batch once or twice a week. When I first started, I measured everything out, now I just pour, squirt and stir--it takes all of two minutes. Tate loves to help, too!
Just throw wet diapers right into your lined pail. For poopy diapers, get as much of the poop into the toilet as possible. For stubborn poop that does not easily roll off on its own, I came up with a little device called a "pooh-tula." This is a regular spatula solely dedicated to the use of scraping off diaper messes into the toilet. Just wipe the "pooh-tula" off on a clean part of the diaper when you are through and it is ready to be placed in its special out-of–the-way location for the next use. There are little nozzles on the market that attach to the toilet to rinse off the diapers as well, but I found my own method to work just fine. Will your hand sometimes come into contact with the poop? Sure, but that is life with a baby!
When your diaper pail is getting full or you are starting to run out of diapers, it is time to wash. The easiest method is the double, cold-then-hot wash. Dump everything into the washing machine--the diapers, wipes, dirty wraps, tote, and pail liner (turned inside out to wash the side touching the diapers). I never even touch the diapers on their way into the washer since I am turning the pail liner inside out and using my hand on the clean side to move things around in the washer.
Wash the load in cold for the first run to get everything off. Once done, do the same load in hot; this gives the diapers a deepdown cleaning. I use a natural detergent with each load and a fabric softener occasionally in the second. A little baking soda can also help remove odors. My diapers have a few stains, but they always smell fresh coming out of the dryer.
A fun and energy-efficient idea is to hang the diapers out in the sun and wind to dry. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and bleaching agent, and being outdoors with your toes in the grass can be quite invigorating.Regardless of what you do with the diapers, air-dry the pail liner and the wraps. Although the wraps can go into the dryer, air drying can help extend their life. If not hanging the diapers, throw them into the dryer and fold to get them ready for their next "job." Folding is another Mom-and-Tate activity we enjoy together.
There you have it, a simple way to diaper your baby in cloth! Although there are many choices in the cloth diapering world, this is what worked for my family and may for yours too. I hope at least I have eased any unpleasant concerns about using this more natural diapering choice. Not that it is the best way for everyone, but it is an option that is much easier than most people think. Sending you happy diapering wishes!
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Sidebars
Financial Investment
Arguments ensue regarding whether disposable or cloth diapers are more of a financial strain on the family budget. The money spent on disposables and wipes is cut and dried, with ranges depending on preferred brands. Cloth gets a little fuzzier. Costs for electricity to heat the water and run the dryer vary; laundry detergent and depreciation of laundry equipment may be additional considerations.
With the high-tech varieties of cloth diapers available, someone can pay as much as $15 or more per diaper. However, if you stick with the less fancy products, the cost is actually quite reasonable. Here is my personal financial breakdown (see My Product List below for details on these products).
Diapers (two dozen infant and four dozen regular) $400; wraps (four of each small, medium, and large) $108; doublers (6) $10; wipes (60) $35; diaper pail $15; two diaper pail liners $30; extras (e.g., changing pads) $30. Grand total = $520.
On a personal note, I purchased more regular sized diapers than I eventually found necessary. I would recommend two to three dozen instead of four unless you have more than one child in diapers.
Having multiple children use the same diapers also significantly cuts costs. Furthermore, products can be purchased and sold through the community or on the internet to save money. When I started purchasing my diaper stash, previously used products were selling for almost as much as new, so I chose to buy new. (I also hear that, when your diapering days are over, diapers make fantastic house rags!)
The cost of disposable diapers averages around 20 cents apiece. The price can be even higher if more natural products are used. Let's calculate, using the average of seven diapers a day at 20 cents each: $1.40 per day, $9.80 per week, $39.20 per month, and $470.40 per year. The low end age for potty training is two and a half years, for an estimated grand total of $1176 spent on one child! Using the more environmentally-friendly diapers, which run as high as 50 cents a pop, makes the total closer to $3000! Wowzers!
Wonderful Wipes
To make the wipe solution, use approximately two cups water and approximately two tablespoons each of aloe gel, body oil (Burt's Bees Apricot Baby oil smells fabulous), and a chemical-free liquid shampoo or soap (I use the same clean body soap the rest of the family uses). Mix this together and then keep adding wipes until all the liquid is absorbed and they are damp, but not dripping wet. We find what works best is, before performing a diaper change, get a few wipes unfolded and ready for duty. Then there is little risk of being in an unpleasant situation trying to unfold a wet wipe with one hand!
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Yes, We Had No Pampers
According to Contemporary Pediatrics, over 50 percent of the world's children are toilet trained between six months and one year of age, and 80 percent by one to two years, with 18 months as the average. This trend was also true in the United States prior to the mid 1950s when disposable diapers were introduced. However it is now only in the US and other "disposable diaper" nations that toilet training is delayed to 36 or 48 months. After all, many societies don't even need to use diapers.
Just out of curiosity, I called a friend who would be able to tell me firsthand about toilet training children in Russia, one of those places where diapers (cloth or disposable) did not exist until very recently. Marina is in her late 60s, now living in Nova Scotia and not long ago widowed. She and her husband were Moscow dissidents and raised their two boys there before immigrating to Canada several decades ago.
Marina seemed pleased to talk about this topic with me--it brought back happy memories of her husband, Yuri. She surprised me by telling me that it was Yuri who had trained their boys! When their first son Grisha was born, Yuri (almost immediately after birth) would position Grisha by the tap and run a stream of water while making "psss, psss, psss" noises. Marina pointed out that boys' apparatus rather resembles indoor plumbing parts and therefore thought it might be easier for boys to grasp the notion. Grisha very soon did. "You know how easy it is to train kittens?" Marina asked me. "Well, children are much smarter than kittens. Much more clever. And they are happy to learn to do this--it makes them very proud!"
She went on to explain that you do not bother the child at night, but in the morning you demonstrate the process again if the swaddling cloth is not dry. Never scold, never punish, but only praise the desired behavior, she emphasized. Always forgive "mistakes." As for the other eliminative process, you let them view the right place with the right action having been performed. Again, they catch on very quickly. At four months, they are most of the way there and by eight months they have completely grasped the idea. Certainly by a year, there are no more wet underclothes.
When Grisha was three-and-one-half years old, his brother Yasha was born. Again, Yuri began the training soon after birth. Grisha, who was very excited to have a brother, wanted to help with demonstrating as well, and so Yasha learned even faster than his older brother.
Marina saw that this early self-mastery helped build the child's character and sense of confidence and responsibility. Grisha, she said, has always been a very caring person, and toilet trained all four of his own children in the same manner, right there in Canada. "Children in diapers at three or older!" she suddenly exclaimed, commenting on the contemporary scene around her. "Disgusting! Shameful! And such a waste of unnecessary products, such pollution."
Sometimes, Marina continued, a child may be stubborn. In their communal apartment in Moscow was a single mother with her son, Lyovochka. Her mother, the grandmother, also lived with them. Everyone knew when Lyovochka had soiled his underwear because his mother would lock him in the toilet with the light off to punish him and Lyovochka would howl.
Lyovochka's grandmother was a communist party member, an old-guard revolutionary. One day she came to Yuri and pleaded with him, "Please tell me why your son is toilet trained and my grandson is not and they are almost the same age?" Yuri had an impish sense of humor. "Maria Isaakievna," he replied, "It is obvious. My son was born on December 25th, the birthday of Jesus Christ. Your grandson was born on May 5th, the birthday of Karl Marx!"
--Katherine Czapp
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References
1.Disposable Diapers. Consumer Reports. August 1987, pp. 510-512.
2.Smith, Joyce A. and Pitts, Norma. The Diaper Decision - Not A Clear Issue. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. Found at http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Diaper-Not-Clear.htm on March 20, 2006.
3.Consumer Choices. The Diaper Dilemma. Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa. September 1994. Found at http://www.rockwellcollins.com/daycare/pdf/pm1401.pdf on March 20, 2006.
4.Anderson RC, Anderson JH. Acute respiratory effects of diaper emissions. Arch Environ Health. 1999 Sep-Oct;54(5):353-8.
5.Healing the Harm: Eliminating the Pollution from Health Care Practices, Health Care Without Harm Campaign Report, 1997.
6.Risk Characterization of Dioxin and Related Compounds, Draft Scientific Reassessment of Dioxin. United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Washington, D.C.: Bureau of National Affairs, May 3, 1994.
7.DeVito, Michael et al. Comparisons of Estimated Human Body Burdens of Dioxin-like Chemicals and TCDD Body Burdens in Experimentally Exposed Animals, Economic Analysis of the Proposed California Water Quality Toxics Rule, U.S. EPA, 1997. Pp. 820-831.
8.Martel, PH; Kovacs, TG; O'Connor, BI; Voss, RH. Survey of pulp and paper mill effluents for their potential to induce mixed function oxidase enzyme activity in fish.79th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn, Montreal, Que.,Canada, 01/26-27/93; pp.A165-177, 1993
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2006.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Health Topics - Children's Health
Sunday, 16 July 2006 16:43
A Growing Wise Kids Column
The idea of cloth diapers dredges up unpleasant visions for some--pokey pins, leaks and other unmentionables. Believe it or not, cloth diapers have made a dramatic turn for the better over the last few years. No more pins to prink your fingers, fewer leaks, and no more toilet dunking. This happy news will soften the blow of discovering some of the dangers of disposable diapers. Not only do babies adorned in cloth tend to potty train earlier than those in disposables, there are some health and environmental risks to ponder. Luckily, you have a choice!
Why Choose Cloth over Disposable
Back in the 1950s, nearly every little tyke in the U.S. wore cloth diapers. Proctor & Gamble changed that statistic dramatically by introducing Pampers, a one-time use, throw-away diaper, in the early 1960s. Today, a vast majority of babies wear disposables. On average, babies use about seven disposable diapers per day,1 a number that varies with age and frequency of changes. This can mean up to 8,000 diapers per baby for their diapering phase of life.
When deciding between cloth or disposables, one should consider the following three areas: environmental burden, chemical exposure for the family and financial impact.
Environmental Concerns
Both disposable and cloth diapers have their environmental costs. The question is, which is higher? First, disposables place a burden on the environment through manufactured materials (often synthetic). The plastic in disposables takes an extended time to break down. There are different estimates as to how long, but it is more than several lifetimes. With the billions upon billions of disposable diapers thrown into landfills every year, any estimate gives a bad result, regardless of how you look at it.
The second issue is waste management with the viruses and other contaminants from untreated feces and urine that may find their way into our soils and community water supplies.2 Although this scenario has not been clearly established as a current problem, the possibilities are real.
Have you ever read the back of the box for disposables? When you do, you will find a statement that baby soil should be put into the toilet before the diaper is disposed of in the garbage. Human waste is not meant to be in landfills, but when was the last time you tossed the contents of a disposable diaper into the toilet? This is a practice thought to be only necessary for cloth, but in fact should be done with both.
For cloth diapers, water usage, energy cost, the cost of detergent, and chemicals emitted from detergent are issues to be considered. Washing cloth diapers certainly uses more water than dumping a disposable diaper in the trash, but one must look at all the sides. For instance, newer washing machines are more water efficient. Moreover, some argue that washing diapers twice per week uses less water than an adult uses in a day of flushing the toilet. Finally, the chemical intake from detergents is moot if you use environmentally safe detergents.
Chemical Exposure
Numerous chemicals are emitted from commercial disposables, such as those from the polypropylene liner and polyethylene backing.3 In fact, scientists have discovered that the chemicals in disposables, when inhaled, are toxic to the respiratory system. Although studied on mice, the response was clear and the researchers concluded that diapers should be considered as one of the factors that might cause or exacerbate asthmatic conditions.4
Disposable diapers contain bleached materials. Although the U.S. paper mill industry has made improvements to reduce toxic waste output over the last few years, concerns remain surrounding this process. Ultimately the manufacture of diapers with bleached products puts all humans and animal at higher risk for health damages.5,6,7 We would all do well to avoid these hazardous chemicals.
Although there is no specific scientific link between diapers and the aforementioned conditions, the manufacturing of diapers with bleached products puts all humans and animals at a higher risk in general. We would all do well to avoid these hazardous chemicals. Moreover, could dioxins still remain in the diaper itself, thus exposing your baby and family to them more directly? Possibly, but this is not something supported by scientific study.
Even more worrisome are the super-absorbent diapers, which often contain cross-linked sodium polyacrylate, a powder that turns to a gel in contact with liquid. This is the same substance associated with toxic shock syndrome from ultra-absorbent feminine hygiene tampons.1 Although negative health symptoms have not been directly linked in the case of diapers, these types of chemicals are just better to avoid, especially when they are in products in close contact with such sensitive areas of the body.
There are more environmentally friendly disposable diaper manufacturers that do not use chlorine in the bleaching process (such as the maker of "Tushies"). Although they are more expensive than conventional disposables, using these products reduces the health concerns posed by chlorine and its toxic byproducts.
Convenience
Although disposables are convenient, cloth diapers are running a close second with new product designs. The act of putting on the diapers is quite similar. For example, velcro wraps close in the cloth diaper and are simply washed with the diapers when wet or soiled. All-in-one diapers skip the cloth diaper insert step and have the cloth sewn inside and the wrap outside, acting like a disposable but washing like a cloth.
Cloth diapers do not need to be presoaked or even rinsed off, as many people believe. If unrinsed diapers are not appealing, an option is flushable liners that are just lifted off and flushed down the toilet. When planned right, cloth diapers should add only two more loads of laundry per week. There is also the option of a diaper service, which through economy of scale uses less energy and water per diaper than home washing. However, diapers are shared with other members and the service may not use detergents you find acceptable.
What about when you are out and about or traveling? Unless you are a stickler when it comes to using cloth, these are fine times to use disposables. But for those hardcore cloth users out there, nylon tote bags are an easy solution. They cinch up, close in the smells, and can be thrown in the laundry right along with the diapers at home.
Potty Training
Disposable diaper companies try to have the "dryness" competitive edge. Have you thought of what that really means? Although the super-absorbent diapers hold more than cloth, utilizing them may not be the best approach. This idea of "super absorbency" leads to several problems. First, some babies are left too long in diapers. They are still being exposed to their own eliminations, in essence allowing a diaper to become a traveling toilet. Second, feeling wet can be a good thing when it comes to learning how to use the big-person toilet. It is believed when children actually feel they are wet, they can better grasp the concept of potty-training. Diapering a child for only a year and a half to two years instead of three or more offers additional financial savings and further reduces environmental burdens. Moreover, optimizing brain development with adequate fats and nutrients through a nourishing traditional diet may further facilitate training.
An idea that may sound foreign to many of us, but natural to those in numerous other cultures, is infant potty training. The basic concept is that infants are aware of and can control their eliminative needs and are able to learn at an early age to go on cue. Parents can communicate with their babies by learning their signals and rhythms and make the toilet or chosen "potty" available when needed, thus eliminating or at least reducing the need for diapers. Our affluent, on-the-go society of today makes this a little challenging, but it is an appealing idea that parents may want to explore through books such as Laurie Boucke's Infant Potty Training, and informational websites such as the nonprofit organization Diaper-Free Baby, at www.diaperfreebaby.org.
Summing up, diapering decisions are a personal family choice, and all the factors need to be evaluated. Some babies do better with one diapering method over another--there is no one best type for every baby. One's lifestyle, personal preferences, finances, available time and concern for environmental issues play a role in these decisions. Regardless, being well-informed is half the battle in making the right choice for you and your baby.
Personally, cloth feels good to me, my son, and family compared to the paper and plastic products. I feel that cloth, although it means a bit more effort on my part, is gentler on my baby, family, pocket book and the environment! Although we don't use cloth all the time, we do the best we can as often as we can!
My Product List
Take a trip to any cloth diaper website and you will be inundated with more choices that you know what to do with in regard to diaper covers, wraps, inserts and the like. Here is what worked for me and my little guy, Tate, and the "what, why and how" of it all.
I purchased unbleached, cotton prefolded diapers in both infant and regular sizes. These are layered so that the middle part is the thickest. I have seen these varieties only on-line, not in regular stores. I surfed the internet for the best price and bought in bulk. At night or for naps there are extra pads called doublers that can be used to give added absorbency; the smaller infant size can be folded and used in the same way.
I purchased Bummis' Super Whisper Wraps™. These are sturdy waterproof wraps that go over the diaper and take the place of pins and cheap plastic pants and can withstand the rigors of washing. They come in different sizes and patterns and indicate the weight they fit best. I bought approximately four of each size (I found a few at yard sales), since they sometimes get wet or a little soiled and need to be washed.
Another great investment is reusable cotton flannel baby wipes. They are basically little square pieces of cloth with trim around the edges to keep them from fraying. The commercial one-time-use brands are very harsh on baby's bottom and expensive! After the cloth ones are used, they go right into the diaper pail along with the diapers to be washed.
As far as diaper disposal goes, I purchased two plastic draw-string pail liners on-line and a diaper pail from a local Wal-Mart. The pail is a simple trash can that has a button on one end that when pressed opens the lid. This comes in handy when only one hand, or finger, is free. The liner fits well inside and is pulled out and washed right along with the diapers and wipes. When one liner is washing, the other is ready to be placed into the pail. I find the pail stays relatively dry and odor-free; I clean it out about once a month.
My Day-to-Day Diaper Routine
Instructions for diaper folding and placing can be found on numerous websites and in baby care books. It becomes second nature once you do a few. For storing wipes, I found a round plastic container with an easy lift-off lid. I make my own wipe solution (see side bar Wonderful Wipes), which is very gentle and healing to a baby's bum. I make a new batch once or twice a week. When I first started, I measured everything out, now I just pour, squirt and stir--it takes all of two minutes. Tate loves to help, too!
Just throw wet diapers right into your lined pail. For poopy diapers, get as much of the poop into the toilet as possible. For stubborn poop that does not easily roll off on its own, I came up with a little device called a "pooh-tula." This is a regular spatula solely dedicated to the use of scraping off diaper messes into the toilet. Just wipe the "pooh-tula" off on a clean part of the diaper when you are through and it is ready to be placed in its special out-of–the-way location for the next use. There are little nozzles on the market that attach to the toilet to rinse off the diapers as well, but I found my own method to work just fine. Will your hand sometimes come into contact with the poop? Sure, but that is life with a baby!
When your diaper pail is getting full or you are starting to run out of diapers, it is time to wash. The easiest method is the double, cold-then-hot wash. Dump everything into the washing machine--the diapers, wipes, dirty wraps, tote, and pail liner (turned inside out to wash the side touching the diapers). I never even touch the diapers on their way into the washer since I am turning the pail liner inside out and using my hand on the clean side to move things around in the washer.
Wash the load in cold for the first run to get everything off. Once done, do the same load in hot; this gives the diapers a deepdown cleaning. I use a natural detergent with each load and a fabric softener occasionally in the second. A little baking soda can also help remove odors. My diapers have a few stains, but they always smell fresh coming out of the dryer.
A fun and energy-efficient idea is to hang the diapers out in the sun and wind to dry. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and bleaching agent, and being outdoors with your toes in the grass can be quite invigorating.Regardless of what you do with the diapers, air-dry the pail liner and the wraps. Although the wraps can go into the dryer, air drying can help extend their life. If not hanging the diapers, throw them into the dryer and fold to get them ready for their next "job." Folding is another Mom-and-Tate activity we enjoy together.
There you have it, a simple way to diaper your baby in cloth! Although there are many choices in the cloth diapering world, this is what worked for my family and may for yours too. I hope at least I have eased any unpleasant concerns about using this more natural diapering choice. Not that it is the best way for everyone, but it is an option that is much easier than most people think. Sending you happy diapering wishes!
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Sidebars
Financial Investment
Arguments ensue regarding whether disposable or cloth diapers are more of a financial strain on the family budget. The money spent on disposables and wipes is cut and dried, with ranges depending on preferred brands. Cloth gets a little fuzzier. Costs for electricity to heat the water and run the dryer vary; laundry detergent and depreciation of laundry equipment may be additional considerations.
With the high-tech varieties of cloth diapers available, someone can pay as much as $15 or more per diaper. However, if you stick with the less fancy products, the cost is actually quite reasonable. Here is my personal financial breakdown (see My Product List below for details on these products).
Diapers (two dozen infant and four dozen regular) $400; wraps (four of each small, medium, and large) $108; doublers (6) $10; wipes (60) $35; diaper pail $15; two diaper pail liners $30; extras (e.g., changing pads) $30. Grand total = $520.
On a personal note, I purchased more regular sized diapers than I eventually found necessary. I would recommend two to three dozen instead of four unless you have more than one child in diapers.
Having multiple children use the same diapers also significantly cuts costs. Furthermore, products can be purchased and sold through the community or on the internet to save money. When I started purchasing my diaper stash, previously used products were selling for almost as much as new, so I chose to buy new. (I also hear that, when your diapering days are over, diapers make fantastic house rags!)
The cost of disposable diapers averages around 20 cents apiece. The price can be even higher if more natural products are used. Let's calculate, using the average of seven diapers a day at 20 cents each: $1.40 per day, $9.80 per week, $39.20 per month, and $470.40 per year. The low end age for potty training is two and a half years, for an estimated grand total of $1176 spent on one child! Using the more environmentally-friendly diapers, which run as high as 50 cents a pop, makes the total closer to $3000! Wowzers!
Wonderful Wipes
To make the wipe solution, use approximately two cups water and approximately two tablespoons each of aloe gel, body oil (Burt's Bees Apricot Baby oil smells fabulous), and a chemical-free liquid shampoo or soap (I use the same clean body soap the rest of the family uses). Mix this together and then keep adding wipes until all the liquid is absorbed and they are damp, but not dripping wet. We find what works best is, before performing a diaper change, get a few wipes unfolded and ready for duty. Then there is little risk of being in an unpleasant situation trying to unfold a wet wipe with one hand!
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Yes, We Had No Pampers
According to Contemporary Pediatrics, over 50 percent of the world's children are toilet trained between six months and one year of age, and 80 percent by one to two years, with 18 months as the average. This trend was also true in the United States prior to the mid 1950s when disposable diapers were introduced. However it is now only in the US and other "disposable diaper" nations that toilet training is delayed to 36 or 48 months. After all, many societies don't even need to use diapers.
Just out of curiosity, I called a friend who would be able to tell me firsthand about toilet training children in Russia, one of those places where diapers (cloth or disposable) did not exist until very recently. Marina is in her late 60s, now living in Nova Scotia and not long ago widowed. She and her husband were Moscow dissidents and raised their two boys there before immigrating to Canada several decades ago.
Marina seemed pleased to talk about this topic with me--it brought back happy memories of her husband, Yuri. She surprised me by telling me that it was Yuri who had trained their boys! When their first son Grisha was born, Yuri (almost immediately after birth) would position Grisha by the tap and run a stream of water while making "psss, psss, psss" noises. Marina pointed out that boys' apparatus rather resembles indoor plumbing parts and therefore thought it might be easier for boys to grasp the notion. Grisha very soon did. "You know how easy it is to train kittens?" Marina asked me. "Well, children are much smarter than kittens. Much more clever. And they are happy to learn to do this--it makes them very proud!"
She went on to explain that you do not bother the child at night, but in the morning you demonstrate the process again if the swaddling cloth is not dry. Never scold, never punish, but only praise the desired behavior, she emphasized. Always forgive "mistakes." As for the other eliminative process, you let them view the right place with the right action having been performed. Again, they catch on very quickly. At four months, they are most of the way there and by eight months they have completely grasped the idea. Certainly by a year, there are no more wet underclothes.
When Grisha was three-and-one-half years old, his brother Yasha was born. Again, Yuri began the training soon after birth. Grisha, who was very excited to have a brother, wanted to help with demonstrating as well, and so Yasha learned even faster than his older brother.
Marina saw that this early self-mastery helped build the child's character and sense of confidence and responsibility. Grisha, she said, has always been a very caring person, and toilet trained all four of his own children in the same manner, right there in Canada. "Children in diapers at three or older!" she suddenly exclaimed, commenting on the contemporary scene around her. "Disgusting! Shameful! And such a waste of unnecessary products, such pollution."
Sometimes, Marina continued, a child may be stubborn. In their communal apartment in Moscow was a single mother with her son, Lyovochka. Her mother, the grandmother, also lived with them. Everyone knew when Lyovochka had soiled his underwear because his mother would lock him in the toilet with the light off to punish him and Lyovochka would howl.
Lyovochka's grandmother was a communist party member, an old-guard revolutionary. One day she came to Yuri and pleaded with him, "Please tell me why your son is toilet trained and my grandson is not and they are almost the same age?" Yuri had an impish sense of humor. "Maria Isaakievna," he replied, "It is obvious. My son was born on December 25th, the birthday of Jesus Christ. Your grandson was born on May 5th, the birthday of Karl Marx!"
--Katherine Czapp
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References
1.Disposable Diapers. Consumer Reports. August 1987, pp. 510-512.
2.Smith, Joyce A. and Pitts, Norma. The Diaper Decision - Not A Clear Issue. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. Found at http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Diaper-Not-Clear.htm on March 20, 2006.
3.Consumer Choices. The Diaper Dilemma. Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa. September 1994. Found at http://www.rockwellcollins.com/daycare/pdf/pm1401.pdf on March 20, 2006.
4.Anderson RC, Anderson JH. Acute respiratory effects of diaper emissions. Arch Environ Health. 1999 Sep-Oct;54(5):353-8.
5.Healing the Harm: Eliminating the Pollution from Health Care Practices, Health Care Without Harm Campaign Report, 1997.
6.Risk Characterization of Dioxin and Related Compounds, Draft Scientific Reassessment of Dioxin. United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Washington, D.C.: Bureau of National Affairs, May 3, 1994.
7.DeVito, Michael et al. Comparisons of Estimated Human Body Burdens of Dioxin-like Chemicals and TCDD Body Burdens in Experimentally Exposed Animals, Economic Analysis of the Proposed California Water Quality Toxics Rule, U.S. EPA, 1997. Pp. 820-831.
8.Martel, PH; Kovacs, TG; O'Connor, BI; Voss, RH. Survey of pulp and paper mill effluents for their potential to induce mixed function oxidase enzyme activity in fish.79th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Assn, Montreal, Que.,Canada, 01/26-27/93; pp.A165-177, 1993
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2006.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Ahh....the food of Fall!
This sounds fantastic...I can't wait to try it with the squash in my garden!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 T olive oil
1 (1 1/2 -2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk (preferably raw)
pinch of nutmeg
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I'd probably use organic, Jerusalem artichoke)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a mixing bowl or food processor and mash. Season the squash puree' to taste with more salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 min. Add the nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Cover the bottom of pan with one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half of the squash puree' over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup sauce over the cheese. Repeat layering once more, finishing with a layer of noodles covered only by white sauce.
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna and coninue baking until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, about 15 min. longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 min. before serving. Serves 8.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 T olive oil
1 (1 1/2 -2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk (preferably raw)
pinch of nutmeg
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I'd probably use organic, Jerusalem artichoke)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a mixing bowl or food processor and mash. Season the squash puree' to taste with more salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 min. Add the nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Cover the bottom of pan with one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half of the squash puree' over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup sauce over the cheese. Repeat layering once more, finishing with a layer of noodles covered only by white sauce.
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna and coninue baking until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, about 15 min. longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 min. before serving. Serves 8.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
When the breast is not working for you...
Homemade Baby Formula Testimonials
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Weston A. Price Foundation
Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:19
Parents are grateful for our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula when breastfeeding is not an option or must be supplemented. See also our FAQ on Homemade Baby Formula, Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers, and FAQ on Diet for Pregnancy.
Once Scrawny, Now RippedMy son was born at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. By the time I got him home and weighed again, he was down to 5 pounds, 12 ounces. Scrawny! The first week of his life I attempted to nurse, but my milk never came in sufficiently enough to satisfy him. He was starving and got lighter before I got smarter. First I tried a store-bought organic powdered baby formula. It was thin and I felt terrible giving it to him. I tried adding oils, but felt terrible not knowing what was the best thing to add to help him grow. I had known about the baby formula recipe, but in rural Alaska could not get all the ingredients. Then I learned I could get them from Radiant Life.
At week three of Brody's life he got his first shot of real, healthy, food. We noticed an immediate difference. He stopped fussing. He slept better. His color improved. His hair started coming in. He acted happy. He gained weight, not the doughy, rolly, fatty weight but a perfectly proportioned body with extra girth at the joints. When he was 3 1/2 months old we began giving Brody organic, 3-minute egg yolks.
Brody is a healthy, happy, smart, inquisitive little guy. He is cute and funny and has a natural charisma that draws people's attention to him. Everyone always comments on how tall he is and how handsome. Most people think he is at least 2 years old when he is barely a year. He has defined biceps and triceps. His calf muscles are firm and long. Once when strolling him through the Anchorage airport a young man walked up to me and said to Brody "Hey, little man!" Then he turned to his 20-something buddies and said, "Dudes! Check him out. He's one ripped up little dude." They then all fussed over him and told him how buff he was. I can only attribute it to his wonderful nutrition.
Lynn Harris, Fairbanks, Alaska
Healthy After a Rough StartThe Weston A. Price Foundation teachings, my pregnancy and the birth of our son Seth are infinitely tied together. I had first learned about the principles from a chiropractor just weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I had been having abnormal paps that just wouldn't clear up. I'm sure now the reason was due to the raw vegan-fruitarian diet I was eating at the time. After 4-5 months on a nourishing traditional diet my paps finally tested normal. However, being malnourished and pregnant before that time affected our unborn son; he was born with hypospadias. I later learned that the penis is formed around the 8th week of pregnancy and I was still eating a fruitarian diet at the point.
Seth was born via cesarean section after a failed water-birth at home. My C-section resulted in a punctured bladder and heavy blood loss requiring 6 units of blood and ending up in the ICU. I was in the hospital for almost a week before returning home. Needless to say, nursing didn't get off to a good start and bottles were given. I continued to try breast feeding Seth, but between the pain from the cesarean, dealing with my bladder and the catheter I was sent home with, etc., I couldn't handle nursing Seth on demand. He was a big boy, 9 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, and his weight bothered my tummy and aggravated my myofascial pain in my neck and shoulder region from an earlier accident.
In order for my family to help with the feedings we adopted the milk-based formula. Nursing fell off completely after 3 months, as Seth preferred the formula to me and the formula became his main-stay.
Seth is now 2 1/2 years old and has been extremely healthy. He was sick for the very first and only time this past winter with an ear infection. He never had so much as a sniffle when he was on the formula. I didn't have to worry about him being well enough for his hypospadias surgery at 10 months old, because he was so strong and robust. We couldn't be happier with the results that good nutrition has had on him, even though we had a rough start of it.
Robin Leuenberger, Michigan
Making Homemade Baby FormulaMy adopted son Tate started on the homemade raw milk formula when he was three days old-and has thrived on it. Since I knew I would be making formula for my baby, I was able to prepare ahead of time. I love to cook, but like most people, I took one look at the raw milk formula in Nourishing Traditions and was a little apprehensive with the long list of ingredients. Actually, I added one other ingredient-1-2 tablespoons cow colostrum to each batch.
I knew that sleep deprivation was in my future! Nevertheless, I forged ahead with optimism, and to my great delight, after the first few times of making the formula, it became easy as baby-pie! It only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish, including clean up!
Here are some of my tricks. First, before Tate arrived, I made ice-cube portions of the whey, cream and colostrum. A typical cube section in a tray equals two tablespoons. This is the perfect amount for the formula; four tablespoons or two cubes for the whey and two tablespoons or one cube for the cream and colostrum.
Here's my early morning routine. First I rinse off everything with hot water to make sure there is nothing foreign on my utensils. I fill an 8-cup glass measuring bowl with a pour spout with 2 cups of filtered water, then scoop out 2 tablespoons to make 1 7/8 cups. I pour this into a stainless steel pot and add the gelatin. I turn the stove on between low and medium to just warm the ingredients, not boil. Then I add 2 frozen cubes of whey, and 1 each of cream and colostrum. I also add the coconut oil to the pot so that it melts sufficiently. In the same measuring bowl I used for the water, I add the milk and the rest of the oils and dry ingredients (which are available at most health food stores and/or www.radiantlifecatalog.com, (888) 593-8333). By the time I am done with that, the frozen ingredients are melted and I add them together in the big glass measuring bowl. At this point I blend the formula in the blender. I found when left unblended the oils in the formula do not combine well enough. Be sure not to blend for too long, as the cream may curdle.
Then I pour the formula back into the measuring bowl, divide it into glass baby bottles, add the nipples and tops, and that's it! Even with sleep deprivation, I find this process to be easy and doable. For the actual feedings, I use a bottle warmer that heats with steam instead of going to the stove to boil water each time. When you have a hungry baby, as many of you know, warming a bottle is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.
Once you do it a few times, it's easy. . . and our baby has thrived on the formula!
For those adoptive parents out there, please feel free to contact me for extra support and encouragement: jen (at) nourishingconnections.org.
Jen Allbritton, CN, Evergreen, Colorado
Brainwashed
"Breast milk is best." "Cow's milk is for baby cows." "Breast milk boosts your baby's immune system." "Formula can cause your baby to have allergies to food."
I was brainwashed (in a good way, mostly) by multiple sources, including my Lamaze teacher/lactation consultant, health articles, etc. I was so adamant that I would not use formula-until little Zachary at two months old was not thriving and almost admitted to the hospital because I did not have enough milk to feed him. When I realized this I went to the store and bought formula to save my baby's life. At the same time, a friend ordered the ingredients for homemade formula for me from Radiant Life. Zachary took commercial formula while I got educated and brave enough to trust raw milk for my baby. I started slowly, gradually increasing the ratio of the homemade formula and eliminating the commercial one.
It took about two months to have Zachary exclusively on the homemade formula. He loved it then and he loves it now! Just on the formula and an occasional raw egg yolk he reached 23 pounds at one year! I am so grateful to have witnessed this miracle. My baby was starving and now I can know that he not only made it to his year birthday, but he got such a wholesome formula that even when my other children got sick, he did not. If he did it was almost not noticeable.
So maybe breast milk is best, but when it is not possible cow's milk can be for babies if you apply it to the homemade formula using raw milk. This formula did boost my baby's immune system and so far he has no allergies to any food we have given Zachary. I recommend this formula to anyone and for any baby. It is amazing!
Bernadette Gewondjan, Livermore, California
Meat-Based Formula
Having been a personal fitness trainer for a number of years I started on a Paleolithic diet in 1999. I couldn't find any conventional baby formula for my first child (a son) who is now six years old. We had to go with a lacto-free brand and did not get to start him on a totally paleo diet until he turned one year old. With my second son (who will be three in August) I made sure I was prepared. I used the meat-based baby formula in Nourishing Traditions. This was very easy to make and soon my wife and I had a great system worked out to stay stocked up.
My first son Jimmy has a fairly strong immune system, but my second Tyr has an even stronger immune system. Tyr used to love his meat-based formula, finishing a bottle in less than a minute sometimes. Tyr is a very healthy, energetic, and loving little guy.
I just love the fact that there are alternatives to the unhealthy (and unnatural) products out there.
Jim Smith, Yorktown, Virginia
Feels Good To Make My Own Decisions
I needed to supplement my breastfed baby at about four months. My nutritionist showed me the homemade formulas in Nourishing Traditions. There was a concern in making my own baby formula for a variety of reasons including sterile conditions, proper measuring and vast uncertainty. I thought about it for a long time. In the end, I knew this was my decision to make. I realized that I have a hard time letting anyone take care of my child because I don't think anyone will care for him like I do. It just took me a little bit longer to carry that thinking over to feeding my baby.
My son is now 131/2 months old. At his 12-month check-up, the doctor said he was advanced to that of an 18-month-old. He already has about 15 different words that he says. Strangers tell me he's a smart baby just by looking at him, as he's alert and attentive to his surroundings. Everyone tells me what a good boy he is no matter where we go. After all that worry and uncertainty, making my own baby formula seems so natural, so normal. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to make my own decisions for my baby.
Allison, Annapolis, Maryland
Spectacular Results
With our first child we had every intention of breast-feeding our daughter but through a series of bad nurses, the difficulty of nursing, fatigue of my wife and the stubbornness of my daughter to not breast feed we had to find an alternative. Lucky for us we had a good source of raw milk and the recipe for an alternative formula.
Rachel will be three in June 2005 and for the first 18 months only had the milk formula. The results were spectacular, bordering on unbelievable. She was never sick, slept through the night starting at about eight weeks, ate well and had a happy disposition. We were warned about typical childhood problems; these problems never materialized. For example, we bought things to help with teething before she had teeth but we never used it because her teeth came in with no pain or disruption to her sleep patterns. We were excited about the results and shared it with the staff at the hospital and the pediatrician: our reward was a stern warning about the dangers of raw milk and we can no longer see either unless we stop feeding Rachel raw milk. What we have observed in the medical system in Canada is that no one wants to see a healthy little girl who drinks raw milk.
Patrick and Michelle, Toronto, Canada
Adopted Child
When my husband and I adopted our daughter Claire as a newborn, we were looking for a healthy alternative to nursing, as I was unable to do so. I felt very discouraged with what I was reading and hearing about in regards to commercial infant formula and was looking for something that would come as close to breast milk as possible. I was already familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation and regarded it as a trusted resource.
We started Claire on the milk-based formula as soon as we brought her home from the hospital and have never looked back. She is now one year old, and a strong, healthy toddler. We had her on the formula for one full year, and she never had one ear infection, flu, fever, allergic reaction or colic. She had three minor colds the whole year, less than most babies from my observations. She has been in the 95th percentile for length and weight and has rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes. Her pediatrician has commented on how strong and healthy she is. She has a pleasant, calm disposition and is rarely fussy. One of the most amazing things has been that she has slept soundly through the night, consistently, since her third week. We have never experienced sleep deprivation.
We are planning to adopt another baby soon, and will be making the NT formula again, since our experience and Claire's health outcome has been so positive. We are so grateful this information was made available to us.
The Ellingtons, Wilson, North Carolina
Feeding Twins
Five years after my son was born I gave birth to boy-girl twins, via Cesarean section. Even though my twins were seven weeks premature, they each weighed over five pounds and were sent home from the hospital after one week. The hospital gave them soy formula a few minutes after they were born, which they quite understandably threw up. This caused the staff to believe the twins needed to be immediately attached to feeding tubes.
I was very upset that they had been given soy and arranged to have them given a milk-based hypoallergenic formula instead, which I purchased outside the hospital and delivered to the NICU. This hospital was very unfavorable to breastfeeding. (Perhaps they believed it was impossible with twins.) When the babies came home after one week, it became evident to me that I would not be able to breastfeed them exclusively. However, I took measures to increase my supply and was eventually able to provide about half of their needs with breast milk, and the rest with hypoallergenic formula.
When the babies were six months old, I took them off commercial formula and switched to the raw milk formula provided in Nourishing Traditions. They are now three years, nine months old and still drinking a modified version of the formula, along with plain raw milk and a variety of whole foods. My boy twin self-weaned from the breast at 10 and a half months, but my girl twin still nurses a couple of times a day.
The twins took to the raw milk formula immediately and had no digestive distress. They seem to have no allergies of any kind. My girl twin is the healthiest of the three and very rarely gets a cold. My boy twin is not quite as healthy. In his early months, he breastfed quite a bit less than his sister did, and received more commercial formula. However, he is very strong and well built, with exceptionally beautiful white teeth.
There are severe problems with all other formulas, in my view. Standard dairy-based formulas are too difficult for children to digest and can cause allergies to develop. Soy formula is terrible in every way. Apart from concerns over long-term damage, this formula smells and tastes awful and causes otherwise healthy children to smell terrible as well. It causes intestinal distress and is generally very bad news. I found that the hypoallergenic milk-based formulas were the least harmful of the commercial formulas, but there are serious problems with them as well. They are horrendously expensive and not available in many hospitals and pharmacies. Furthermore, they are also full of MSG-like neurotoxins.
I put off giving my twins home-made formula for six months, because of all the dire warnings I had seen against giving unprocessed cow's milk to infants. The medical establishment now warns against giving milk before one year, but I can no longer accept that idea. My mother was switched from breast milk to raw cow's milk at three months and did not suffer any ill effects.
Above all, I believe that fresh raw cow's milk is the best substitute for mother's milk, because it is also a living food, full of enzymes and antibodies to disease. It is probably superior even to frozen mother's milk from a breast milk bank, which these days is delivered after being pasteurized.
I wish I had been confident enough to give my twins the Fallon formula from the first day they were home. I also wish I had been able to breastfeed them exclusively, as I eventually did with my older son, but it simply wasn't possible for me. However, I feel good knowing I did the best I could. My children are growing very well.
Another good thing about the homemade formula is that it caused me to overcome my fear of raw milk. I started to drink it myself, and it helped me to recover from a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for providing this wonderful information to mothers and their babies. Name Withheld, Los Angeles, California
No More Infections
My son Joey was born December 15, 2002. I had planned to breastfeed exclusively and felt brokenhearted when I couldn't produce enough milk to feed him. I didn't know there were any alternatives so I had to give him commercial formula. He suffered from constipation and when he was three months old he came down with bronchitis and an ear infection. The doctor put him on antibiotics and we had to give him respiratory therapy twice a day for several weeks.
About this time my nutritionist suggested the homemade baby formula. I started making the formula immediately. The difference in Joey's health has been like night and day! He has never had another ear infection or any more respiratory problems. No digestive problems either. He is happy, smart and physically active. He runs, jumps, climbs and turns a great somersault.
May God bless you for the work that you do!
Barbara Finn Figluilo, Frankfort, Illinois
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Weston A. Price Foundation
Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:19
Parents are grateful for our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula when breastfeeding is not an option or must be supplemented. See also our FAQ on Homemade Baby Formula, Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers, and FAQ on Diet for Pregnancy.
Once Scrawny, Now RippedMy son was born at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. By the time I got him home and weighed again, he was down to 5 pounds, 12 ounces. Scrawny! The first week of his life I attempted to nurse, but my milk never came in sufficiently enough to satisfy him. He was starving and got lighter before I got smarter. First I tried a store-bought organic powdered baby formula. It was thin and I felt terrible giving it to him. I tried adding oils, but felt terrible not knowing what was the best thing to add to help him grow. I had known about the baby formula recipe, but in rural Alaska could not get all the ingredients. Then I learned I could get them from Radiant Life.
At week three of Brody's life he got his first shot of real, healthy, food. We noticed an immediate difference. He stopped fussing. He slept better. His color improved. His hair started coming in. He acted happy. He gained weight, not the doughy, rolly, fatty weight but a perfectly proportioned body with extra girth at the joints. When he was 3 1/2 months old we began giving Brody organic, 3-minute egg yolks.
Brody is a healthy, happy, smart, inquisitive little guy. He is cute and funny and has a natural charisma that draws people's attention to him. Everyone always comments on how tall he is and how handsome. Most people think he is at least 2 years old when he is barely a year. He has defined biceps and triceps. His calf muscles are firm and long. Once when strolling him through the Anchorage airport a young man walked up to me and said to Brody "Hey, little man!" Then he turned to his 20-something buddies and said, "Dudes! Check him out. He's one ripped up little dude." They then all fussed over him and told him how buff he was. I can only attribute it to his wonderful nutrition.
Lynn Harris, Fairbanks, Alaska
Healthy After a Rough StartThe Weston A. Price Foundation teachings, my pregnancy and the birth of our son Seth are infinitely tied together. I had first learned about the principles from a chiropractor just weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I had been having abnormal paps that just wouldn't clear up. I'm sure now the reason was due to the raw vegan-fruitarian diet I was eating at the time. After 4-5 months on a nourishing traditional diet my paps finally tested normal. However, being malnourished and pregnant before that time affected our unborn son; he was born with hypospadias. I later learned that the penis is formed around the 8th week of pregnancy and I was still eating a fruitarian diet at the point.
Seth was born via cesarean section after a failed water-birth at home. My C-section resulted in a punctured bladder and heavy blood loss requiring 6 units of blood and ending up in the ICU. I was in the hospital for almost a week before returning home. Needless to say, nursing didn't get off to a good start and bottles were given. I continued to try breast feeding Seth, but between the pain from the cesarean, dealing with my bladder and the catheter I was sent home with, etc., I couldn't handle nursing Seth on demand. He was a big boy, 9 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, and his weight bothered my tummy and aggravated my myofascial pain in my neck and shoulder region from an earlier accident.
In order for my family to help with the feedings we adopted the milk-based formula. Nursing fell off completely after 3 months, as Seth preferred the formula to me and the formula became his main-stay.
Seth is now 2 1/2 years old and has been extremely healthy. He was sick for the very first and only time this past winter with an ear infection. He never had so much as a sniffle when he was on the formula. I didn't have to worry about him being well enough for his hypospadias surgery at 10 months old, because he was so strong and robust. We couldn't be happier with the results that good nutrition has had on him, even though we had a rough start of it.
Robin Leuenberger, Michigan
Making Homemade Baby FormulaMy adopted son Tate started on the homemade raw milk formula when he was three days old-and has thrived on it. Since I knew I would be making formula for my baby, I was able to prepare ahead of time. I love to cook, but like most people, I took one look at the raw milk formula in Nourishing Traditions and was a little apprehensive with the long list of ingredients. Actually, I added one other ingredient-1-2 tablespoons cow colostrum to each batch.
I knew that sleep deprivation was in my future! Nevertheless, I forged ahead with optimism, and to my great delight, after the first few times of making the formula, it became easy as baby-pie! It only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish, including clean up!
Here are some of my tricks. First, before Tate arrived, I made ice-cube portions of the whey, cream and colostrum. A typical cube section in a tray equals two tablespoons. This is the perfect amount for the formula; four tablespoons or two cubes for the whey and two tablespoons or one cube for the cream and colostrum.
Here's my early morning routine. First I rinse off everything with hot water to make sure there is nothing foreign on my utensils. I fill an 8-cup glass measuring bowl with a pour spout with 2 cups of filtered water, then scoop out 2 tablespoons to make 1 7/8 cups. I pour this into a stainless steel pot and add the gelatin. I turn the stove on between low and medium to just warm the ingredients, not boil. Then I add 2 frozen cubes of whey, and 1 each of cream and colostrum. I also add the coconut oil to the pot so that it melts sufficiently. In the same measuring bowl I used for the water, I add the milk and the rest of the oils and dry ingredients (which are available at most health food stores and/or www.radiantlifecatalog.com, (888) 593-8333). By the time I am done with that, the frozen ingredients are melted and I add them together in the big glass measuring bowl. At this point I blend the formula in the blender. I found when left unblended the oils in the formula do not combine well enough. Be sure not to blend for too long, as the cream may curdle.
Then I pour the formula back into the measuring bowl, divide it into glass baby bottles, add the nipples and tops, and that's it! Even with sleep deprivation, I find this process to be easy and doable. For the actual feedings, I use a bottle warmer that heats with steam instead of going to the stove to boil water each time. When you have a hungry baby, as many of you know, warming a bottle is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.
Once you do it a few times, it's easy. . . and our baby has thrived on the formula!
For those adoptive parents out there, please feel free to contact me for extra support and encouragement: jen (at) nourishingconnections.org.
Jen Allbritton, CN, Evergreen, Colorado
Brainwashed
"Breast milk is best." "Cow's milk is for baby cows." "Breast milk boosts your baby's immune system." "Formula can cause your baby to have allergies to food."
I was brainwashed (in a good way, mostly) by multiple sources, including my Lamaze teacher/lactation consultant, health articles, etc. I was so adamant that I would not use formula-until little Zachary at two months old was not thriving and almost admitted to the hospital because I did not have enough milk to feed him. When I realized this I went to the store and bought formula to save my baby's life. At the same time, a friend ordered the ingredients for homemade formula for me from Radiant Life. Zachary took commercial formula while I got educated and brave enough to trust raw milk for my baby. I started slowly, gradually increasing the ratio of the homemade formula and eliminating the commercial one.
It took about two months to have Zachary exclusively on the homemade formula. He loved it then and he loves it now! Just on the formula and an occasional raw egg yolk he reached 23 pounds at one year! I am so grateful to have witnessed this miracle. My baby was starving and now I can know that he not only made it to his year birthday, but he got such a wholesome formula that even when my other children got sick, he did not. If he did it was almost not noticeable.
So maybe breast milk is best, but when it is not possible cow's milk can be for babies if you apply it to the homemade formula using raw milk. This formula did boost my baby's immune system and so far he has no allergies to any food we have given Zachary. I recommend this formula to anyone and for any baby. It is amazing!
Bernadette Gewondjan, Livermore, California
Meat-Based Formula
Having been a personal fitness trainer for a number of years I started on a Paleolithic diet in 1999. I couldn't find any conventional baby formula for my first child (a son) who is now six years old. We had to go with a lacto-free brand and did not get to start him on a totally paleo diet until he turned one year old. With my second son (who will be three in August) I made sure I was prepared. I used the meat-based baby formula in Nourishing Traditions. This was very easy to make and soon my wife and I had a great system worked out to stay stocked up.
My first son Jimmy has a fairly strong immune system, but my second Tyr has an even stronger immune system. Tyr used to love his meat-based formula, finishing a bottle in less than a minute sometimes. Tyr is a very healthy, energetic, and loving little guy.
I just love the fact that there are alternatives to the unhealthy (and unnatural) products out there.
Jim Smith, Yorktown, Virginia
Feels Good To Make My Own Decisions
I needed to supplement my breastfed baby at about four months. My nutritionist showed me the homemade formulas in Nourishing Traditions. There was a concern in making my own baby formula for a variety of reasons including sterile conditions, proper measuring and vast uncertainty. I thought about it for a long time. In the end, I knew this was my decision to make. I realized that I have a hard time letting anyone take care of my child because I don't think anyone will care for him like I do. It just took me a little bit longer to carry that thinking over to feeding my baby.
My son is now 131/2 months old. At his 12-month check-up, the doctor said he was advanced to that of an 18-month-old. He already has about 15 different words that he says. Strangers tell me he's a smart baby just by looking at him, as he's alert and attentive to his surroundings. Everyone tells me what a good boy he is no matter where we go. After all that worry and uncertainty, making my own baby formula seems so natural, so normal. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to make my own decisions for my baby.
Allison, Annapolis, Maryland
Spectacular Results
With our first child we had every intention of breast-feeding our daughter but through a series of bad nurses, the difficulty of nursing, fatigue of my wife and the stubbornness of my daughter to not breast feed we had to find an alternative. Lucky for us we had a good source of raw milk and the recipe for an alternative formula.
Rachel will be three in June 2005 and for the first 18 months only had the milk formula. The results were spectacular, bordering on unbelievable. She was never sick, slept through the night starting at about eight weeks, ate well and had a happy disposition. We were warned about typical childhood problems; these problems never materialized. For example, we bought things to help with teething before she had teeth but we never used it because her teeth came in with no pain or disruption to her sleep patterns. We were excited about the results and shared it with the staff at the hospital and the pediatrician: our reward was a stern warning about the dangers of raw milk and we can no longer see either unless we stop feeding Rachel raw milk. What we have observed in the medical system in Canada is that no one wants to see a healthy little girl who drinks raw milk.
Patrick and Michelle, Toronto, Canada
Adopted Child
When my husband and I adopted our daughter Claire as a newborn, we were looking for a healthy alternative to nursing, as I was unable to do so. I felt very discouraged with what I was reading and hearing about in regards to commercial infant formula and was looking for something that would come as close to breast milk as possible. I was already familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation and regarded it as a trusted resource.
We started Claire on the milk-based formula as soon as we brought her home from the hospital and have never looked back. She is now one year old, and a strong, healthy toddler. We had her on the formula for one full year, and she never had one ear infection, flu, fever, allergic reaction or colic. She had three minor colds the whole year, less than most babies from my observations. She has been in the 95th percentile for length and weight and has rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes. Her pediatrician has commented on how strong and healthy she is. She has a pleasant, calm disposition and is rarely fussy. One of the most amazing things has been that she has slept soundly through the night, consistently, since her third week. We have never experienced sleep deprivation.
We are planning to adopt another baby soon, and will be making the NT formula again, since our experience and Claire's health outcome has been so positive. We are so grateful this information was made available to us.
The Ellingtons, Wilson, North Carolina
Feeding Twins
Five years after my son was born I gave birth to boy-girl twins, via Cesarean section. Even though my twins were seven weeks premature, they each weighed over five pounds and were sent home from the hospital after one week. The hospital gave them soy formula a few minutes after they were born, which they quite understandably threw up. This caused the staff to believe the twins needed to be immediately attached to feeding tubes.
I was very upset that they had been given soy and arranged to have them given a milk-based hypoallergenic formula instead, which I purchased outside the hospital and delivered to the NICU. This hospital was very unfavorable to breastfeeding. (Perhaps they believed it was impossible with twins.) When the babies came home after one week, it became evident to me that I would not be able to breastfeed them exclusively. However, I took measures to increase my supply and was eventually able to provide about half of their needs with breast milk, and the rest with hypoallergenic formula.
When the babies were six months old, I took them off commercial formula and switched to the raw milk formula provided in Nourishing Traditions. They are now three years, nine months old and still drinking a modified version of the formula, along with plain raw milk and a variety of whole foods. My boy twin self-weaned from the breast at 10 and a half months, but my girl twin still nurses a couple of times a day.
The twins took to the raw milk formula immediately and had no digestive distress. They seem to have no allergies of any kind. My girl twin is the healthiest of the three and very rarely gets a cold. My boy twin is not quite as healthy. In his early months, he breastfed quite a bit less than his sister did, and received more commercial formula. However, he is very strong and well built, with exceptionally beautiful white teeth.
There are severe problems with all other formulas, in my view. Standard dairy-based formulas are too difficult for children to digest and can cause allergies to develop. Soy formula is terrible in every way. Apart from concerns over long-term damage, this formula smells and tastes awful and causes otherwise healthy children to smell terrible as well. It causes intestinal distress and is generally very bad news. I found that the hypoallergenic milk-based formulas were the least harmful of the commercial formulas, but there are serious problems with them as well. They are horrendously expensive and not available in many hospitals and pharmacies. Furthermore, they are also full of MSG-like neurotoxins.
I put off giving my twins home-made formula for six months, because of all the dire warnings I had seen against giving unprocessed cow's milk to infants. The medical establishment now warns against giving milk before one year, but I can no longer accept that idea. My mother was switched from breast milk to raw cow's milk at three months and did not suffer any ill effects.
Above all, I believe that fresh raw cow's milk is the best substitute for mother's milk, because it is also a living food, full of enzymes and antibodies to disease. It is probably superior even to frozen mother's milk from a breast milk bank, which these days is delivered after being pasteurized.
I wish I had been confident enough to give my twins the Fallon formula from the first day they were home. I also wish I had been able to breastfeed them exclusively, as I eventually did with my older son, but it simply wasn't possible for me. However, I feel good knowing I did the best I could. My children are growing very well.
Another good thing about the homemade formula is that it caused me to overcome my fear of raw milk. I started to drink it myself, and it helped me to recover from a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for providing this wonderful information to mothers and their babies. Name Withheld, Los Angeles, California
No More Infections
My son Joey was born December 15, 2002. I had planned to breastfeed exclusively and felt brokenhearted when I couldn't produce enough milk to feed him. I didn't know there were any alternatives so I had to give him commercial formula. He suffered from constipation and when he was three months old he came down with bronchitis and an ear infection. The doctor put him on antibiotics and we had to give him respiratory therapy twice a day for several weeks.
About this time my nutritionist suggested the homemade baby formula. I started making the formula immediately. The difference in Joey's health has been like night and day! He has never had another ear infection or any more respiratory problems. No digestive problems either. He is happy, smart and physically active. He runs, jumps, climbs and turns a great somersault.
May God bless you for the work that you do!
Barbara Finn Figluilo, Frankfort, Illinois
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Lunch Box ideas!!!
Packing the Perfect Lunch Box
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Jen Allbritton, CN
Friday, 15 February 2008 16:54
A Growing Wise Kids Column
Whether at work, school or just out-and-about at play, packing food "for the road" is a must-have skill. The lure of fast food to fill the tummy tank is unavoidable, stationed at every street corner, not to mention within the schools themselves. Don't forget villainous vending machine temptations strategically placed down every corridor. As traditional food enthusiasts, we know it is vital to make every meal count.
Cafeteria lunches and vending machine snacks are laden with sugars and preservatives—ingredients that set a child up for poor performance on an afternoon pop quiz and for mid-class catnaps. Thus, a sack lunch becomes mandatory for those wanting to stay on top of their game nutritionally and mentally, at school and at the office. The nice part is, with a little forethought, packing lunches based on the principles of nourishing traditional diets can be easy and cost effective.
Hang Loose, Mom!
The opinion of peers can have a strong influence on a child's feelings about belonging, especially given the impact of commercialism around eating. Some children with strong convictions about their food may not bat an eye at what other children say about their unconventional lunch items. In fact, certain situations may even lend to strengthening a child's character about "being different." Yet some children may consider it important to "belong" and when foods make them stand out or feel "different," your lunch-making efforts may go to waste. If your child(ren) fall into the latter category, it's important to indulge their "cool" needs. Are hoagie-like sandwiches the "in" thing? Well, break down and purchase the best hoagie-style bread you can find (or make your own if you are so inclined) and fill it with pastured sliced meats, homemade condiments and nourishing veggies (those they will eat). Making small allowances could mean the difference between eating your homemade lunch or trading for the junk!
Another strategy: get the kids involved! They can help with choosing lunchbox items at the store and even in the packing process. Little Susie will feel vested being a part of the lunch packing process and have more pride in consuming what she helped to create.
That extra touch may make all the difference. Try including an encouraging note, a comic, or a funny photo in your child's lunch.
Main Lunchbox Items
Get creative with the main lunch item, it can make or break a lunch!
Dinner Leftovers: This is often the easiest food to add to a lunch, especially if you plan ahead. Try one of these Nourishing Traditions recipes in your next lunchbox meal: Maria's Empanadas, Spicy Meat Loaf, Sesame Buffalo Wings, Spicy Lamb Pastries (Samosas) or Breaded Chicken Breast.
Sandwiches, Roll Ups and Pitas: Sandwich filling "holders" can come in many shapes and sizes, from the mess-containing pita pocket, tortilla or spongy English muffin, to the good ol' standby multi-grain bread (preferably sprouted or slow rising sourdough). While purchasing a properly prepared loaf of bread is the simplest method of obtaining bread, homemade varieties can't be beat. Sandwich filling options are endless; stand aside PB&J, these hipper sandwiches are moving in!
Turkey meat slices with pesto and tomato
Good quality salami with mustard and lettuce
Homemade chicken liver pâté with pickles
Apple slices, bacon, Dijon mustard, and cheddar cheese
Grilled cheese embellished with bacon bits, shredded meat or chopped veggies
Chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo
Nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) with sliced banana
Meat or turkey loaf with mayo and lettuce or sprouts
Cream cheese with salmon, capers and red onion
Chicken salad made with crispy pecans, grapes, celery and mayo
Mashed avocado mixed with a drop of lemon juice in a pita stuffed with spinach, grated carrots, tomatoes slices, cucumber slices and provolone cheese.
Roll-ups: The great thing about roll-ups is that the "roll" can be so many different things. While the most obvious is a tortilla (preferably whole wheat and sprouted), other choices include toasted nori seaweed sheets, crepes, pancakes, or a large leaf of lettuce. Here are some easy creative inspirations:
Raw cream cheese sprinkled with grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated apple and topped with a lettuce leaf
Cream cheese, wild salmon, arugula or other lettuce and sliced green onion
Mix cream cheese, chopped apple, nuts, vanilla, cinnamon and raw honey
Refried beans (seasoned with cumin, garlic and salt), lettuce, cheese and salsa
Hummus with shredded carrots, cucumber strips and sliced avocado
Use a slice of deli meat to roll up a stick of cheese and add in some pickles or sauerkraut (preferably fermented and homemade), onions, a little squirt of mustard and mayo.
For more inspiration, check out the Sandwich Suggestions section of Nourishing Traditions.
Soups: Soups and chili offer the ultimate nutritional bang for your lunchbox buck. They fill the belly and warm the soul, especially on those cold winter days. These lunch items are particularly nourishing when made with a homemade bone broth base, which is bursting with vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, collagen and much more. Freeze leftover soup in meal-sized portions (glass Pyrex or small plastic yogurt-size containers work well). Thaw the needed portion overnight and warm it up on the stovetop (stay clear of the microwave) for the thermos.
"Snacky" Lunchbox Ideas
Crispy nuts and seeds (see Nourishing Traditions for how and why) - the ultimate snack item packed with fats and protein in an easy-to-digest package.
Trail mix made with crispy nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit and just a splash of carob or chocolate chips to make it extra special.
Nutty Snack Bar (see recipe below).
Fruit salad made with chopped fruit with a dab of sour cream or crème fraiche with a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkle of dried coconut.
Apple fruit salad made with mayo, crispy walnuts, a little coconut and a dab of raw honey.
Homemade fruit leather.
Dates stuffed with crispy almond, pecan, or walnut.
Olives, green or black, from a can, drained.
Date logs/balls (available for purchase or make your own by grinding dates or raisins, add coconut or finely chopped nuts and roll into balls).
Jerky is yummy and filling. Try the Salmon Jerky in Nourishing Tradition for something a little different. For the traditional meat jerky, thinly slice a grass-fed beef or buffalo roast and sprinkle with sea salt or soak in naturally brewed soy sauce. Put it into a dehydrator or a 150 degree oven for up to 24 hours and enjoy.
Pemmican is a traditional Native North American "cake" typically used for emergency rations for adventures that may take one on long-term travels. It is make with strips of dried meat pounded into a paste, mixed with melted fat (usually tallow rendered from cow fat) and dried berries or fruit. See the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
Hard boiled eggs with a dash of sea salt or herbed salt.
Cheese, preferably raw, cut into fun shapes with small cookie cutters.
Popcorn topped with melted organic butter, sea salt and a dash of nutritional yeast and/or parmesan cheese.
Yogurt Dough Crackers. Use the Yogurt Dough recipe in Nourishing Traditions. Add a few tablespoons of honey, roll out thin, sprinkle with salt, and puncture with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and cook on 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Waffle squares. Use your favorite waffle recipe and add a little extra sweetener to the batter and send them off as a nice sweet bready treat.
Muffins offer an excellent way to sneak in veggies like shredded zucchini or carrot and sweet potatoes or even beets.
Baked tortilla chips with bean dip or homemade lacto-fermented salsa.
Avocado "pudding" made with mashed avocado, whole raw milk or cream with a dash of a favorite sweetener.
Raw veggies (carrots, celery, turnip sticks, pepper slices, daikon radish, etc.) or crackers make great dippers for hummus, guacamole, onion dip, or peanut sauce. Salmon dip can be made from canned salmon (drained), mixed with sour cream, kefir cheese, crème fraiche or mayo with capers and diced red onions.
Fermented veggies, especially pickles or any other choice enjoyed.
Nutty Snack Bar
1 cup nut butter of choice (preferably homemade from crispy nuts—see Nourishing Traditions for recipe)
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup crispy almonds, chopped into small or large pieces
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup crispy sunflower seeds
1 cup carob or chocolate chips or dried fruit of choice (such as dried cherries or raisins)
Mix everything together and press into a baking dish. You can leave this recipe raw and place it into the refrigerator as is or allow the flavors to meld and the chips to melt by baking it for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees F—either way it is yummy.
Beverages
Competing with the temptations of the soda machine or coffee station may be a challenge for some family members, so go the extra mile with beverages if this is a weakness. A homemade lacto-fermented beverage with a little whole food sweetener is far better than anything that can be found outside the home. Also, drinks can be put in the freezer overnight and by lunchtime, they are cool and frosty! Try these on for size:
Raw whole milk!
Kombucha with a touch of blueberry juice concentrate (not frozen juice "concentrate", this is a bottled more nutrient-dense variety)
Iced herb tea, such as Fruity Options, with stevia to taste
Lemonade made with stevia or honey
Seltzer water with cherry juice concentrate*
Hot cocoa made with almond or coconut milk in a thermos for those cold days
Water kefir (see recipes in Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon)
Beet kvass with a touch of grape juice to add that extra zing of taste
Homemade lacto-fermented ginger beer*
Homemade lacto-fermented apple cider*
*Caution: these can be highly carbonated, be careful when transporting.
Sweet Treats
The trick to sweet treats for the lunch box is to find your family's best compromise between health and "living in the real world" pleasure meter. Although the family may eat your famous no-sugar quinoa and barley cookies at home, that doesn't mean they won't be tempted to toss them for something more appealing in the vending machines or hit their buddies up for a trade at school. The first option is to try to see whether a sweet tasting whole food will satisfy this sweet treat category—especially if your lunch-toting family member is highly sensitive to sugar. This could be raw milk, a stevia-sweetened beverage, berries with a little sour cream and maple syrup mixed in or candy-ripe cherry tomatoes.
While whole foods certainly are ideal, they may not be practical in the "real world" of kid lunches. If that is the case for your little ones, any number of homemade desserty sweet treats fit the lunchbox bill—brownies, cookies, macaroons, honey nut balls or cookies made with a crispy nut base—almost any work. When choosing your lunchbox treats, the most important thing is to make them as nourishing as possible. Yes there will be a sweetener of some sort, whether it is evaporated cane juice, honey, brown rice syrup or stevia, but realize that what you are making will be off-the-charts more nutritious than anything the cafeteria or vending machines have to offer.
These "tote-able" foods will help keep you and yours nutritionally charged. The only requirements are thinking ahead, a lunch pail, preparation time and a little organization, which is no sweat once you have the basic ideas under your belt.
Sidebars
Four Tools of the Lunchbox Trade
Having the right "equipment" on hand is the first step in packing the perfect lunch for anyone. Below are the items to have ready.
1. Lunch "box." Reusable lunch boxes or sacks come in all shapes, sizes, fabrics and colors. They are not only functional, but can fit anyone's style. Have the kids pick out something that they consider "hip"—whether that is a hard-sided Cinderella box or the classic black collapsible cooler.
2. Freezie ice packs. Within the lunch pail aisle sit ice packs that fit nicely into lunch boxes to help the contents stay cool. Frozen lunch items can also be used in place of these packs, such as a frozen sandwich, yogurt or beverage.
3. Stainless steel thermos. This is an indispensable item to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. In fact, hot foods will stay so piping hot that caution should be taken when opening the thermos and taking the first swig! Not only will stainless steel thermoses retain temperatures for long periods of time, but, more important, they will not leach unwanted chemicals as do the more reactive plastic varieties.
4. Waxed paper or plastic baggies and small containers. Separating foods keeps them from getting discombobulated on a bumpy drive and prevents "mushiness." Also, small glass bottles are great for packing drinks (if they are allowed in the cafeteria and if they won't come back broken). Although plastic is not preferable, it may be necessary for younger children.
Time-Saving Packing Tips
1. Do what you can the night before. Mornings tend to be hectic and if all you have to do is pull a pre-made lunch out of the fridge or toss everything into the lunch pail, you can focus more on the morning meal and sending everyone off with a smile.
2. Make large batches of lunch items and freeze. For instance, make a large batch of chicken balls, serve a few for dinner, but save the rest in a plastic baggie and throw them in the freezer.
3. Freeze drinks. Pull these out the night before and put them in the fridge. By the time lunch rolls around, the drinks will still be nice and cold. It helps keep the other foods cool to boot! If the drink has milk or coconut milk in it, such as a smoothie-like mix, a little shaking distributes the remaining ice and makes the beverage refreshingly slushy.
Let's Pack Lunchbox Samples
For simplicity, consider making one of these samples several days in a row, using this much variety on a day-to-day basis may be exhausting!
SAMPLE 1: Almond butter and banana slices between two whole grain soaked pancakes, a tangerine, trail mix, date balls/logs and raw milk.
SAMPLE 2: Pastured turkey meat slices, cheese cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters, homemade Yogurt Dough Crackers (to eat with the meat and cheese), yogurt with fresh or frozen raspberries with a dollop of unheated honey, salted cucumber slices and some kombucha.
SAMPLE 3: Nitrate-free pastured meat hot dogs with homemade ketchup for dipping, a handful of olives, carrot and turnip sticks with an onion dip mix, almond cookies and some lemonade.
SAMPLE 4: A thermos filled with meaty chili and veggies, cornbread muffins, fruit salad and apple cider.
SAMPLE 5: Salmon salad sandwich on sprouted whole grain bread, hardboiled egg with sea salt to taste, cherry tomatoes, brown rice pudding and ginger beer.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2007.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com .
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Jen Allbritton, CN
Friday, 15 February 2008 16:54
A Growing Wise Kids Column
Whether at work, school or just out-and-about at play, packing food "for the road" is a must-have skill. The lure of fast food to fill the tummy tank is unavoidable, stationed at every street corner, not to mention within the schools themselves. Don't forget villainous vending machine temptations strategically placed down every corridor. As traditional food enthusiasts, we know it is vital to make every meal count.
Cafeteria lunches and vending machine snacks are laden with sugars and preservatives—ingredients that set a child up for poor performance on an afternoon pop quiz and for mid-class catnaps. Thus, a sack lunch becomes mandatory for those wanting to stay on top of their game nutritionally and mentally, at school and at the office. The nice part is, with a little forethought, packing lunches based on the principles of nourishing traditional diets can be easy and cost effective.
Hang Loose, Mom!
The opinion of peers can have a strong influence on a child's feelings about belonging, especially given the impact of commercialism around eating. Some children with strong convictions about their food may not bat an eye at what other children say about their unconventional lunch items. In fact, certain situations may even lend to strengthening a child's character about "being different." Yet some children may consider it important to "belong" and when foods make them stand out or feel "different," your lunch-making efforts may go to waste. If your child(ren) fall into the latter category, it's important to indulge their "cool" needs. Are hoagie-like sandwiches the "in" thing? Well, break down and purchase the best hoagie-style bread you can find (or make your own if you are so inclined) and fill it with pastured sliced meats, homemade condiments and nourishing veggies (those they will eat). Making small allowances could mean the difference between eating your homemade lunch or trading for the junk!
Another strategy: get the kids involved! They can help with choosing lunchbox items at the store and even in the packing process. Little Susie will feel vested being a part of the lunch packing process and have more pride in consuming what she helped to create.
That extra touch may make all the difference. Try including an encouraging note, a comic, or a funny photo in your child's lunch.
Main Lunchbox Items
Get creative with the main lunch item, it can make or break a lunch!
Dinner Leftovers: This is often the easiest food to add to a lunch, especially if you plan ahead. Try one of these Nourishing Traditions recipes in your next lunchbox meal: Maria's Empanadas, Spicy Meat Loaf, Sesame Buffalo Wings, Spicy Lamb Pastries (Samosas) or Breaded Chicken Breast.
Sandwiches, Roll Ups and Pitas: Sandwich filling "holders" can come in many shapes and sizes, from the mess-containing pita pocket, tortilla or spongy English muffin, to the good ol' standby multi-grain bread (preferably sprouted or slow rising sourdough). While purchasing a properly prepared loaf of bread is the simplest method of obtaining bread, homemade varieties can't be beat. Sandwich filling options are endless; stand aside PB&J, these hipper sandwiches are moving in!
Turkey meat slices with pesto and tomato
Good quality salami with mustard and lettuce
Homemade chicken liver pâté with pickles
Apple slices, bacon, Dijon mustard, and cheddar cheese
Grilled cheese embellished with bacon bits, shredded meat or chopped veggies
Chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo
Nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) with sliced banana
Meat or turkey loaf with mayo and lettuce or sprouts
Cream cheese with salmon, capers and red onion
Chicken salad made with crispy pecans, grapes, celery and mayo
Mashed avocado mixed with a drop of lemon juice in a pita stuffed with spinach, grated carrots, tomatoes slices, cucumber slices and provolone cheese.
Roll-ups: The great thing about roll-ups is that the "roll" can be so many different things. While the most obvious is a tortilla (preferably whole wheat and sprouted), other choices include toasted nori seaweed sheets, crepes, pancakes, or a large leaf of lettuce. Here are some easy creative inspirations:
Raw cream cheese sprinkled with grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated apple and topped with a lettuce leaf
Cream cheese, wild salmon, arugula or other lettuce and sliced green onion
Mix cream cheese, chopped apple, nuts, vanilla, cinnamon and raw honey
Refried beans (seasoned with cumin, garlic and salt), lettuce, cheese and salsa
Hummus with shredded carrots, cucumber strips and sliced avocado
Use a slice of deli meat to roll up a stick of cheese and add in some pickles or sauerkraut (preferably fermented and homemade), onions, a little squirt of mustard and mayo.
For more inspiration, check out the Sandwich Suggestions section of Nourishing Traditions.
Soups: Soups and chili offer the ultimate nutritional bang for your lunchbox buck. They fill the belly and warm the soul, especially on those cold winter days. These lunch items are particularly nourishing when made with a homemade bone broth base, which is bursting with vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, collagen and much more. Freeze leftover soup in meal-sized portions (glass Pyrex or small plastic yogurt-size containers work well). Thaw the needed portion overnight and warm it up on the stovetop (stay clear of the microwave) for the thermos.
"Snacky" Lunchbox Ideas
Crispy nuts and seeds (see Nourishing Traditions for how and why) - the ultimate snack item packed with fats and protein in an easy-to-digest package.
Trail mix made with crispy nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit and just a splash of carob or chocolate chips to make it extra special.
Nutty Snack Bar (see recipe below).
Fruit salad made with chopped fruit with a dab of sour cream or crème fraiche with a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkle of dried coconut.
Apple fruit salad made with mayo, crispy walnuts, a little coconut and a dab of raw honey.
Homemade fruit leather.
Dates stuffed with crispy almond, pecan, or walnut.
Olives, green or black, from a can, drained.
Date logs/balls (available for purchase or make your own by grinding dates or raisins, add coconut or finely chopped nuts and roll into balls).
Jerky is yummy and filling. Try the Salmon Jerky in Nourishing Tradition for something a little different. For the traditional meat jerky, thinly slice a grass-fed beef or buffalo roast and sprinkle with sea salt or soak in naturally brewed soy sauce. Put it into a dehydrator or a 150 degree oven for up to 24 hours and enjoy.
Pemmican is a traditional Native North American "cake" typically used for emergency rations for adventures that may take one on long-term travels. It is make with strips of dried meat pounded into a paste, mixed with melted fat (usually tallow rendered from cow fat) and dried berries or fruit. See the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
Hard boiled eggs with a dash of sea salt or herbed salt.
Cheese, preferably raw, cut into fun shapes with small cookie cutters.
Popcorn topped with melted organic butter, sea salt and a dash of nutritional yeast and/or parmesan cheese.
Yogurt Dough Crackers. Use the Yogurt Dough recipe in Nourishing Traditions. Add a few tablespoons of honey, roll out thin, sprinkle with salt, and puncture with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and cook on 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Waffle squares. Use your favorite waffle recipe and add a little extra sweetener to the batter and send them off as a nice sweet bready treat.
Muffins offer an excellent way to sneak in veggies like shredded zucchini or carrot and sweet potatoes or even beets.
Baked tortilla chips with bean dip or homemade lacto-fermented salsa.
Avocado "pudding" made with mashed avocado, whole raw milk or cream with a dash of a favorite sweetener.
Raw veggies (carrots, celery, turnip sticks, pepper slices, daikon radish, etc.) or crackers make great dippers for hummus, guacamole, onion dip, or peanut sauce. Salmon dip can be made from canned salmon (drained), mixed with sour cream, kefir cheese, crème fraiche or mayo with capers and diced red onions.
Fermented veggies, especially pickles or any other choice enjoyed.
Nutty Snack Bar
1 cup nut butter of choice (preferably homemade from crispy nuts—see Nourishing Traditions for recipe)
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup crispy almonds, chopped into small or large pieces
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup crispy sunflower seeds
1 cup carob or chocolate chips or dried fruit of choice (such as dried cherries or raisins)
Mix everything together and press into a baking dish. You can leave this recipe raw and place it into the refrigerator as is or allow the flavors to meld and the chips to melt by baking it for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees F—either way it is yummy.
Beverages
Competing with the temptations of the soda machine or coffee station may be a challenge for some family members, so go the extra mile with beverages if this is a weakness. A homemade lacto-fermented beverage with a little whole food sweetener is far better than anything that can be found outside the home. Also, drinks can be put in the freezer overnight and by lunchtime, they are cool and frosty! Try these on for size:
Raw whole milk!
Kombucha with a touch of blueberry juice concentrate (not frozen juice "concentrate", this is a bottled more nutrient-dense variety)
Iced herb tea, such as Fruity Options, with stevia to taste
Lemonade made with stevia or honey
Seltzer water with cherry juice concentrate*
Hot cocoa made with almond or coconut milk in a thermos for those cold days
Water kefir (see recipes in Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon)
Beet kvass with a touch of grape juice to add that extra zing of taste
Homemade lacto-fermented ginger beer*
Homemade lacto-fermented apple cider*
*Caution: these can be highly carbonated, be careful when transporting.
Sweet Treats
The trick to sweet treats for the lunch box is to find your family's best compromise between health and "living in the real world" pleasure meter. Although the family may eat your famous no-sugar quinoa and barley cookies at home, that doesn't mean they won't be tempted to toss them for something more appealing in the vending machines or hit their buddies up for a trade at school. The first option is to try to see whether a sweet tasting whole food will satisfy this sweet treat category—especially if your lunch-toting family member is highly sensitive to sugar. This could be raw milk, a stevia-sweetened beverage, berries with a little sour cream and maple syrup mixed in or candy-ripe cherry tomatoes.
While whole foods certainly are ideal, they may not be practical in the "real world" of kid lunches. If that is the case for your little ones, any number of homemade desserty sweet treats fit the lunchbox bill—brownies, cookies, macaroons, honey nut balls or cookies made with a crispy nut base—almost any work. When choosing your lunchbox treats, the most important thing is to make them as nourishing as possible. Yes there will be a sweetener of some sort, whether it is evaporated cane juice, honey, brown rice syrup or stevia, but realize that what you are making will be off-the-charts more nutritious than anything the cafeteria or vending machines have to offer.
These "tote-able" foods will help keep you and yours nutritionally charged. The only requirements are thinking ahead, a lunch pail, preparation time and a little organization, which is no sweat once you have the basic ideas under your belt.
Sidebars
Four Tools of the Lunchbox Trade
Having the right "equipment" on hand is the first step in packing the perfect lunch for anyone. Below are the items to have ready.
1. Lunch "box." Reusable lunch boxes or sacks come in all shapes, sizes, fabrics and colors. They are not only functional, but can fit anyone's style. Have the kids pick out something that they consider "hip"—whether that is a hard-sided Cinderella box or the classic black collapsible cooler.
2. Freezie ice packs. Within the lunch pail aisle sit ice packs that fit nicely into lunch boxes to help the contents stay cool. Frozen lunch items can also be used in place of these packs, such as a frozen sandwich, yogurt or beverage.
3. Stainless steel thermos. This is an indispensable item to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. In fact, hot foods will stay so piping hot that caution should be taken when opening the thermos and taking the first swig! Not only will stainless steel thermoses retain temperatures for long periods of time, but, more important, they will not leach unwanted chemicals as do the more reactive plastic varieties.
4. Waxed paper or plastic baggies and small containers. Separating foods keeps them from getting discombobulated on a bumpy drive and prevents "mushiness." Also, small glass bottles are great for packing drinks (if they are allowed in the cafeteria and if they won't come back broken). Although plastic is not preferable, it may be necessary for younger children.
Time-Saving Packing Tips
1. Do what you can the night before. Mornings tend to be hectic and if all you have to do is pull a pre-made lunch out of the fridge or toss everything into the lunch pail, you can focus more on the morning meal and sending everyone off with a smile.
2. Make large batches of lunch items and freeze. For instance, make a large batch of chicken balls, serve a few for dinner, but save the rest in a plastic baggie and throw them in the freezer.
3. Freeze drinks. Pull these out the night before and put them in the fridge. By the time lunch rolls around, the drinks will still be nice and cold. It helps keep the other foods cool to boot! If the drink has milk or coconut milk in it, such as a smoothie-like mix, a little shaking distributes the remaining ice and makes the beverage refreshingly slushy.
Let's Pack Lunchbox Samples
For simplicity, consider making one of these samples several days in a row, using this much variety on a day-to-day basis may be exhausting!
SAMPLE 1: Almond butter and banana slices between two whole grain soaked pancakes, a tangerine, trail mix, date balls/logs and raw milk.
SAMPLE 2: Pastured turkey meat slices, cheese cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters, homemade Yogurt Dough Crackers (to eat with the meat and cheese), yogurt with fresh or frozen raspberries with a dollop of unheated honey, salted cucumber slices and some kombucha.
SAMPLE 3: Nitrate-free pastured meat hot dogs with homemade ketchup for dipping, a handful of olives, carrot and turnip sticks with an onion dip mix, almond cookies and some lemonade.
SAMPLE 4: A thermos filled with meaty chili and veggies, cornbread muffins, fruit salad and apple cider.
SAMPLE 5: Salmon salad sandwich on sprouted whole grain bread, hardboiled egg with sea salt to taste, cherry tomatoes, brown rice pudding and ginger beer.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2007.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com .
Lactation issues? Digestive issues? Try fermented beverages like Kefir and Kombucha
Fermented Honey
Health Topics - Food Features
Written by Sally Fallon
Wednesday, 28 April 2004 10:56
Honey has been a valued food in many parts of the world, both in primitive societies and sophisticated civilizations. Hunter-gatherers are adept at removing honey from bee hives located in hollow tree trunks, using smoke to drive away the bees. In some primitive groups, honey supplies a large portion of total calories at certain times of the year. The Aborigines of Australia prized honey and distinguished between two types--light and dark. A neolithic rock painting in Spain shows a man collecting wild honey.
Egyptian writings dating from about 5500 BC refer to honey. At that time, Lower Egypt was called Bee Land while Upper Egypt was called Reed Land. Apiculture was well established in the 5th dynasty (about 2500 BC) and is shown in several reliefs in the temple of the Sun at Abusir. Tablets from the reign of Seti I (1314 to 1292) give a value of an ass or an ox to 110 pots of honey. Thutmoses III is recorded as receiving tributes of honey from Syria in 1450 BC.
The Indians used honey in religious rites. The Indian Laws of Manu, dating from 1000 BC, called for a tax of one-sixth of the beekeeper’s production.
Honey is sugary nectar of flowers gathered by bees. It is carried in "honey sacs" where enzymes begin the process breaking down the sugars. The bee then deposits her cargo into hexagonal wax cells, to provide nourishment for a young bee. Continued evaporation in the warm atmosphere of the hive gradually transforms the nectar into honey. Bees must travel thousands of miles to produce just one teaspoon of honey.
The saliva of bees breaks down the sucrose in flower nectar into the simple sugars fructose and dextrose. Honey consists of about 35-40 percent fructose and 30-35 percent dextrose along with 17-20 percent water and traces of pollen, wax, acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and pigments. Honey also contains gums, which are complex carbohydrates that contribute to the viscosity of honey--the more gums it contains, the thicker it will be. The flavor, texture and color of honey depend on the types of flowers that provide the original nectar.
Only careful and minimal processing will preserve the many nutritive benefits of honey. Honey should never be heated during extraction or the enzymes will be destroyed; nor should it be filtered. Honey should be thick and opaque. When it comes to honey, see-through is obscene.
Many health claims have been made for honey. Babylonian tables give recipes for "electuaries," medicines based on honey. Pliny the Elder included powdered bees in a cure for dropsy and bladder stones. In Russia, beekeepers are noted for their longevity, and this is said to be due to their custom of eating the "honey from the bottom of the hive," which contains high levels of "impurities" such as pollen, propolis and even bee parts.
Propolis is a resinous substance collected from various plants which the bees mix with wax and use in the construction of their hives. Extravagant health claims have been made for propolis and it has, in fact, been the subject of a number of studies. A 1992 study published in Chemical-Biological Interactions found that caffeic acid esters (which give propolis a sharp taste like cinnamon) in propolis have strong anticancer characteristics when tested on colon cancer cells.
Health claims are also made for bee pollen, claims which have been validated by at least one study. In 1948, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that bee pollen fed to rats halted the proliferation of cancerous tumors. The best results occurred with only small dosages of pollen. This suggests that bee pollen is very powerful and so potent that even weak or small amounts are vigorous enough to affect the growth of cancerous tumors.
It is the pollen in unfiltered honey that is said to provide relief to allergy sufferers. Small amounts of pollen act as an inoculant against large amounts in the air that trigger reactions like the runny nose and itchy eyes of hayfever.
Unlike other sweeteners, honey is predigested and so is easy to digest. When consumed with carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or toast, the enzymes in honey help with the digestion of carbohydrates.
Since early times, man has made fermented drinks with honey. The most important was mead, an alcoholic beverage, enjoyed by the English and Russians. The word derives from the Sanskrit word for honey, which is madhu. A similar drink called t’ej is popular in Ethiopia.
What is less well known is the fact that honey itself can ferment, if it contains enough residual moisture and is left in a warm place--honey ferments but never spoils! Fermented honey actually expands somewhat, and develops rich flavors. It is an even better aid to digestion than regular honey.
The following recipes all call for raw, unfiltered honey, preferably fermented, and all involve lactic-acid fermentation to which the honey contributes. In all of them, the enzymes are preserved, as none require high temperatures to prepare.
Fermented Honey Crackers
Makes about 30 crackers
1/2 cup plain whole yoghurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured
2 1/2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or Kamut® flour
1/4 cup fermented honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
unbleached white flour to prevent sticking
Leave butter at room temperature to soften. Mix yoghurt, butter, honey and salt together with an electric mixer. Gradually add the freshly ground flour. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
Rub a 9-inch by 13-inch pyrex pan with butter and dust with white flour. Dust your hands with white flour to prevent sticking and then press the dough into the pan. Score with a knife so the dough will separately easily into rectangular "crackers." Dehydrate by placing in an oven set at 150 degrees until the crackers dry out completely--this will take a day or two. Break into crackers and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Honey Topping
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/4 cup good quality cream, preferably raw
1 tablespoon cultured cream, such as creme fraiche
2 tablespoons fermented honey
1 tablespoon liqueur, such as cognac or armagnac
Mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk and place in a glass mason jar. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate. The cream should become very thick when chilled. Use as a topping for fruit or other desserts.
Honey-Lemon Drink
Makes 2 quarts
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup homemade whey
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
filtered water
Mix honey with lemon juice and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add whey, grated nutmeg and water to fill the container. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave for 2-3 weeks. Serve plain or with added soda water.
Honey-Berry Beverage
Makes 2 quarts
2 cups blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries,
fresh or frozen
1/4 - 1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup whey
2 teaspoons sea salt
filtered water
Place berries in a food processor and process with a little water until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Blend with honey, whey and salt and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add enough water to fill the container. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Carefully remove any foam that rises to the top. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. The sediment will fall to the bottom. To serve, pour out slowly so as not to disturb the sediment.
Sidebar
Fermented Honey Now Available
The Really Raw Honey company produces a wonderful raw, unfiltered honey from hives set in wildflowers along the eastern seaboard. Their product contains the pollens of goldenrod, wild asters, dandelion, May apple and St. John’s Wort and is both raw and unfiltered. They currently have a large stock of fermented honey available which may be ordered by calling (410) 675-7233.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2000.
Health Topics - Food Features
Written by Sally Fallon
Wednesday, 28 April 2004 10:56
Honey has been a valued food in many parts of the world, both in primitive societies and sophisticated civilizations. Hunter-gatherers are adept at removing honey from bee hives located in hollow tree trunks, using smoke to drive away the bees. In some primitive groups, honey supplies a large portion of total calories at certain times of the year. The Aborigines of Australia prized honey and distinguished between two types--light and dark. A neolithic rock painting in Spain shows a man collecting wild honey.
Egyptian writings dating from about 5500 BC refer to honey. At that time, Lower Egypt was called Bee Land while Upper Egypt was called Reed Land. Apiculture was well established in the 5th dynasty (about 2500 BC) and is shown in several reliefs in the temple of the Sun at Abusir. Tablets from the reign of Seti I (1314 to 1292) give a value of an ass or an ox to 110 pots of honey. Thutmoses III is recorded as receiving tributes of honey from Syria in 1450 BC.
The Indians used honey in religious rites. The Indian Laws of Manu, dating from 1000 BC, called for a tax of one-sixth of the beekeeper’s production.
Honey is sugary nectar of flowers gathered by bees. It is carried in "honey sacs" where enzymes begin the process breaking down the sugars. The bee then deposits her cargo into hexagonal wax cells, to provide nourishment for a young bee. Continued evaporation in the warm atmosphere of the hive gradually transforms the nectar into honey. Bees must travel thousands of miles to produce just one teaspoon of honey.
The saliva of bees breaks down the sucrose in flower nectar into the simple sugars fructose and dextrose. Honey consists of about 35-40 percent fructose and 30-35 percent dextrose along with 17-20 percent water and traces of pollen, wax, acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and pigments. Honey also contains gums, which are complex carbohydrates that contribute to the viscosity of honey--the more gums it contains, the thicker it will be. The flavor, texture and color of honey depend on the types of flowers that provide the original nectar.
Only careful and minimal processing will preserve the many nutritive benefits of honey. Honey should never be heated during extraction or the enzymes will be destroyed; nor should it be filtered. Honey should be thick and opaque. When it comes to honey, see-through is obscene.
Many health claims have been made for honey. Babylonian tables give recipes for "electuaries," medicines based on honey. Pliny the Elder included powdered bees in a cure for dropsy and bladder stones. In Russia, beekeepers are noted for their longevity, and this is said to be due to their custom of eating the "honey from the bottom of the hive," which contains high levels of "impurities" such as pollen, propolis and even bee parts.
Propolis is a resinous substance collected from various plants which the bees mix with wax and use in the construction of their hives. Extravagant health claims have been made for propolis and it has, in fact, been the subject of a number of studies. A 1992 study published in Chemical-Biological Interactions found that caffeic acid esters (which give propolis a sharp taste like cinnamon) in propolis have strong anticancer characteristics when tested on colon cancer cells.
Health claims are also made for bee pollen, claims which have been validated by at least one study. In 1948, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that bee pollen fed to rats halted the proliferation of cancerous tumors. The best results occurred with only small dosages of pollen. This suggests that bee pollen is very powerful and so potent that even weak or small amounts are vigorous enough to affect the growth of cancerous tumors.
It is the pollen in unfiltered honey that is said to provide relief to allergy sufferers. Small amounts of pollen act as an inoculant against large amounts in the air that trigger reactions like the runny nose and itchy eyes of hayfever.
Unlike other sweeteners, honey is predigested and so is easy to digest. When consumed with carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or toast, the enzymes in honey help with the digestion of carbohydrates.
Since early times, man has made fermented drinks with honey. The most important was mead, an alcoholic beverage, enjoyed by the English and Russians. The word derives from the Sanskrit word for honey, which is madhu. A similar drink called t’ej is popular in Ethiopia.
What is less well known is the fact that honey itself can ferment, if it contains enough residual moisture and is left in a warm place--honey ferments but never spoils! Fermented honey actually expands somewhat, and develops rich flavors. It is an even better aid to digestion than regular honey.
The following recipes all call for raw, unfiltered honey, preferably fermented, and all involve lactic-acid fermentation to which the honey contributes. In all of them, the enzymes are preserved, as none require high temperatures to prepare.
Fermented Honey Crackers
Makes about 30 crackers
1/2 cup plain whole yoghurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured
2 1/2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or Kamut® flour
1/4 cup fermented honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
unbleached white flour to prevent sticking
Leave butter at room temperature to soften. Mix yoghurt, butter, honey and salt together with an electric mixer. Gradually add the freshly ground flour. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
Rub a 9-inch by 13-inch pyrex pan with butter and dust with white flour. Dust your hands with white flour to prevent sticking and then press the dough into the pan. Score with a knife so the dough will separately easily into rectangular "crackers." Dehydrate by placing in an oven set at 150 degrees until the crackers dry out completely--this will take a day or two. Break into crackers and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Honey Topping
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/4 cup good quality cream, preferably raw
1 tablespoon cultured cream, such as creme fraiche
2 tablespoons fermented honey
1 tablespoon liqueur, such as cognac or armagnac
Mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk and place in a glass mason jar. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate. The cream should become very thick when chilled. Use as a topping for fruit or other desserts.
Honey-Lemon Drink
Makes 2 quarts
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup homemade whey
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
filtered water
Mix honey with lemon juice and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add whey, grated nutmeg and water to fill the container. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave for 2-3 weeks. Serve plain or with added soda water.
Honey-Berry Beverage
Makes 2 quarts
2 cups blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries,
fresh or frozen
1/4 - 1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup whey
2 teaspoons sea salt
filtered water
Place berries in a food processor and process with a little water until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Blend with honey, whey and salt and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add enough water to fill the container. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Carefully remove any foam that rises to the top. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. The sediment will fall to the bottom. To serve, pour out slowly so as not to disturb the sediment.
Sidebar
Fermented Honey Now Available
The Really Raw Honey company produces a wonderful raw, unfiltered honey from hives set in wildflowers along the eastern seaboard. Their product contains the pollens of goldenrod, wild asters, dandelion, May apple and St. John’s Wort and is both raw and unfiltered. They currently have a large stock of fermented honey available which may be ordered by calling (410) 675-7233.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2000.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
"Healthy" snacks...not really!
While I may not agree with EVERY thing below, you will find some very good general advice. If you're packing your child's lunch - which YOU SHOULD BE DOING... the stuff they feed them at school is hardly edible for my chickens - make sure you're not guilty of these "healthy" mistakes.
6 “Healthy” Kids Snacks That Aren’t
by Toby Amidor in Back to School, Healthy TipsComments (20)
Find out which snacks to skip.
Feeding your kids can get confusing. Between pushy food marketing and bewildering labels, it’s no wonder that most folks are misled as to which kids snacks are really healthy. Here’s the real deal on what you’ve been buying.
#1: Yogurt
Cows don’t make purple, hot pink or even blue-colored yogurt — that’s what I tell my kids every time we hit the dairy aisle. Those neon yogurts are loaded with sugar (including the infamous high fructose corn syrup) and lots of additives and preservatives that don’t do any favors to little bodies. Give kids a punch of calcium and protein from healthier dairy products. If your kids are pining for yogurt, here are some healthier options:
Stonyfield Yo Baby, Yo Kids and Fat-Free Organic (the French Vanilla is my 5-year-old’s fave)
Low-Fat Brown Cow Yogurt
Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt
#2: Granola Bars
Although a basic granola bar includes a combo of nuts, oats, seeds and sometimes dried fruit (all healthy stuff), many packaged varieties add in pieces of chocolate or candy or loads of sugar and fat. Check out our favorite snack bar brands or make your own granola mix.
#3: Meat & Cracker Combos
While they’re convenient kid-favorites, most packaged lunch combos come with a side dish of excess salt and fat. With a laundry list of ingredients and preservatives, you’re better off packing your own. On your next trip to the market, pick up a package of whole-wheat or rye crackers, Swiss or cheddar cheese and low-sodium turkey or ham (or leftover turkey or chicken) and pack in compartment-type Tupperware. You’ll save money and control the ingredients.
#4: Veggie Chips
Once fried and processed, even veggies aren’t that healthy. Heat and various processing techniques destroy many of the vitamins, which are not typically replaced once they’re made into chips. Pack a serving (about 15 chips) for a once-in-a-while snack, but don’t substitute them for actual vegetables.
#5: Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks might have the word “fruit” in the title, but don’t be fooled. Most of these chewy snacks contain corn syrup and “natural” and artificial flavors. If you carefully examine the list of ingredients, you’ll also find vitamin C added back as it’s destroyed during the processing of the snack. Nothing can replace a juicy, fresh fruit, but if you want to serve it up as an occasional treat make sure to brush those little teeth right away.
#6: Juice Drinks
Lemonade, iced tea and other such juice drinks are loaded with calories, sugar and not much else. Look for 100 percent fruit juice and limit kids to a maximum of 4 fluid ounces per day. Don’t be fooled with the claim that it’s excellent source of vitamin C — you can get just as much (if not more) from good old fresh fruits like kiwi, citrus fruit and strawberries and even a few veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition.
6 “Healthy” Kids Snacks That Aren’t
by Toby Amidor in Back to School, Healthy TipsComments (20)
Find out which snacks to skip.
Feeding your kids can get confusing. Between pushy food marketing and bewildering labels, it’s no wonder that most folks are misled as to which kids snacks are really healthy. Here’s the real deal on what you’ve been buying.
#1: Yogurt
Cows don’t make purple, hot pink or even blue-colored yogurt — that’s what I tell my kids every time we hit the dairy aisle. Those neon yogurts are loaded with sugar (including the infamous high fructose corn syrup) and lots of additives and preservatives that don’t do any favors to little bodies. Give kids a punch of calcium and protein from healthier dairy products. If your kids are pining for yogurt, here are some healthier options:
Stonyfield Yo Baby, Yo Kids and Fat-Free Organic (the French Vanilla is my 5-year-old’s fave)
Low-Fat Brown Cow Yogurt
Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt
#2: Granola Bars
Although a basic granola bar includes a combo of nuts, oats, seeds and sometimes dried fruit (all healthy stuff), many packaged varieties add in pieces of chocolate or candy or loads of sugar and fat. Check out our favorite snack bar brands or make your own granola mix.
#3: Meat & Cracker Combos
While they’re convenient kid-favorites, most packaged lunch combos come with a side dish of excess salt and fat. With a laundry list of ingredients and preservatives, you’re better off packing your own. On your next trip to the market, pick up a package of whole-wheat or rye crackers, Swiss or cheddar cheese and low-sodium turkey or ham (or leftover turkey or chicken) and pack in compartment-type Tupperware. You’ll save money and control the ingredients.
#4: Veggie Chips
Once fried and processed, even veggies aren’t that healthy. Heat and various processing techniques destroy many of the vitamins, which are not typically replaced once they’re made into chips. Pack a serving (about 15 chips) for a once-in-a-while snack, but don’t substitute them for actual vegetables.
#5: Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks might have the word “fruit” in the title, but don’t be fooled. Most of these chewy snacks contain corn syrup and “natural” and artificial flavors. If you carefully examine the list of ingredients, you’ll also find vitamin C added back as it’s destroyed during the processing of the snack. Nothing can replace a juicy, fresh fruit, but if you want to serve it up as an occasional treat make sure to brush those little teeth right away.
#6: Juice Drinks
Lemonade, iced tea and other such juice drinks are loaded with calories, sugar and not much else. Look for 100 percent fruit juice and limit kids to a maximum of 4 fluid ounces per day. Don’t be fooled with the claim that it’s excellent source of vitamin C — you can get just as much (if not more) from good old fresh fruits like kiwi, citrus fruit and strawberries and even a few veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Food Allergies? Maybe not...
This is a bit lengthy, but very informative and thought provoking.
Food Allergies
Modern Diseases - Digestive Disorders
Friday, 25 June 2010 10:21
Food allergies have become very common, and the trend is up.1 Most medical practitioners are facing this problem on a daily basis more and more. A recent public survey in the UK has shown that almost half the population report that they have an “allergy” to one or more foods.2 However, the official figures for a “true allergy to food” are around 1 percent of the population in most developed countries.1
The reason for this confusion is that the majority of food reactions, allergies, and intolerances do not produce a typical allergy test profile—raised IgE or IgG with positive prick test or positive RAST test. Physicians have made several attempts to classify this group: as “type B food allergy,” “metabolic food intolerance” or simply “food intolerance,” rather than a “true” allergy.3 People who do not test positive to standard allergy tests may nevertheless react to many different foods or combinations of foods. Quite often the person is not sure which food produces the reaction because the reaction may be immediate or delayed—a day, a few days or even a week later. As these delayed reactions overlap each other, patients can never be sure exactly what they are reacting to on any given day.1,3
In addition, physicians often encounter a masking phenomenon, in which reactions to regularly consumed foods run into each other— the new reaction begins when the previous has not yet finished—so the connection with a food and the symptoms it triggers is not apparent.4
Food allergy or intolerance can produce every symptom under the sun, from migraines, fatigue, PMS, painful joints and itchy skin to depression, hyperactivity, hallucinations, obsessions and other psychiatric and neurological manifestations. However, the most immediate and common symptoms in the vast majority of patients are digestive problems: pain, diarrhea or constipation, urgency, bloating and indigestion.3,5,6
Naturally, many people try to identify which foods they react to. As a result many forms of testing have appeared on the market, from blood tests to electronic skin tests. Many experienced practitioners get disillusioned with most of these tests, as they produce too many false positives and false negatives.6 Furthermore, these tests lead physicians to the simplistic conclusion that removing the “positive” foods from the diet will solve the problem. Indeed, in some cases, elimination of a trigger food can help. However, this help is rarely permanent; the patients usually find that as they eliminate some foods, they start reacting to others to which they did not seem to react before. The patient finishes up with virtually nothing left to eat, and every new test finds reactions to new foods. The majority of experienced practitioners come to the same conclusion: the simplistic idea of “just don’t eat foods you are allergic to!” does not address the root of the problem.3,6 We need to look deeper into the causes of these food intolerances.
A CASE HISTORY
In order to understand the root cause of food allergies, I would like to share a case history of one of my patients. Stephanie S., thirty-five years old, asked for my help in “sorting out her food allergies.” A very pale, malnourished looking lady, (weight 99 pounds with height five feet, three inches) with low energy levels, chronic cystitis, abdominal pains, bloating and chronic constipation. She was consistently diagnosed as anemic all her life.
As to her family background, she was born naturally from a mother with digestive problems and migraines. Her sister suffered from severe eczema and her brother from gastro-intestinal problems. She did not have information on her father’s health.
She was not breast fed as a baby and at the age of three months contracted her first urinary infection, treated with the first course of antibiotics. Since that time, the urinary infections became a regular part of her life, usually treated by antibiotics; when she saw me she was suffering from chronic interstitial cystitis.
Throughout her childhood she was very thin, always finding it difficult to put any weight on, but otherwise she considered her health to be “OK”—she completed school and played sports. At fourteen years of age her menstruation stopped, having started a year before. She was put on a contraceptive pill, which seemed to regulate her menstrual periods.
Around age sixteen she was put on a long course of antibiotics for acne, after which she developed lactose intolerance with severe constipation and bloating. She was advised to stop consuming dairy products at age eighteen, which helped with constipation for a while, but her other symptoms remained. She developed progressively lower levels of energy, abdominal cramps, dizzy spells, very low body weight and very dry skin.
Following numerous medical consultations and food allergy testing, she started removing different foods from her diet, but was never sure whether this made much difference. Some symptoms seemed to improve, others did not and new symptoms appeared. She became sensitive to loud sounds and local pollution, her shampoo and make-up and some domestic cleaning chemicals. Her cystitis became chronic and was pronounced psychosomatic by her doctor. Her diet at the time of the consultation was very limited: she seemed to tolerate (but was not entirely sure) breakfast cereals, sheep’s yogurt, soy milk, some varieties of cheese, a few vegetables and rarely fish. Following several food allergy tests she removed all meats, eggs, nuts, all fruit, whole grains and many vegetables from her diet.
This example is very common and demonstrates clearly that just removing “offending” foods from the diet does not solve the problem. We have to look deeper and find the cause of the patient’s malady. In order to do that we have to examine Stephanie’s health history.
INFANCY
Stephanie was born from a mother with digestive problems and Stephanie was not breat fed. What does that tell us? We know that unborn babies have a sterile gut.7 At the time of birth, the baby swallows mouthfuls of microbes, which live in the mother’s birth canal.8 These microbes take about twenty days to establish themselves in the baby’s virgin digestive system and become the baby’s gut flora.7,8
Where does the vaginal flora come from? Medical science shows that the flora in the vagina largely comes from the gut. What lives in the woman’s bowel will live in her vagina.9,10 Stephanie’s mother suffered from digestive problems, which indicates that she had abnormal gut flora as well, which she passed to her daughter at birth.
Baby Stephanie was not breast fed. Breast milk, particularly colostrum in the first days after birth, is vital for appropriate population of the baby’s digestive system with healthy microbial flora.9,10,11 We know that bottle-fed babies develop completely different gut flora than breast fed babies. 11 That flora later on predisposes bottle-fed babies to asthma, eczema, other allergies and other health problems.12 But the most important abnormalities develop in the digestive system, of course, as that is where these microbes make their home. Having acquired abnormal gut flora from her mother at birth, Stephanie’s was compromised further by bottle feeding.
CHRONIC CYSTITIS
In the first few weeks of life, in addition to the gut lining, other mucous membranes and baby’s skin get populated by their own flora, which play a crucial role in protecting those surfaces from pathogens and toxins.13 As baby Stephanie acquired abnormal flora in her gut, her groin and vagina got abnormal flora too, as this flora normally comes from the gut.10 At the same time, the urethra and the urinary bladder get populated with flora similar to that of the vagina. In a normal situation, the uretha and bladder should be predominated by lactobacteria, largely L. crispatus and L. jensenii.14 This flora produces hydrogen peroxide, reducing the pH in the area. In these acidic conditions, pathogens cannot adhere.15 When the urethra and bladder are unprotected by good flora and a low pH, they fall prey to pathogenic microbes, causing urinary tract infections (UTI). The most common pathogens that cause UTIs, are E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus saprophyticus coming from the bowel and the groin.15
Urine is one of the venues of toxin elimination from the body.16 In gut dysbiosis, large amounts of various toxins are produced by pathogens in the gut and then absorbed into the bloodstream through the damaged gut wall.16,17 Many of these toxins leave the body in urine; accumulating in the bladder, this toxic urine comes into contact with the bladder lining. The beneficial bacteria in the bladder and urethra maintain what is called a GAG layer—a protective mucous barrier, largely made from sulphated glucosaminoglycans, produced by the cells of the bladder lining.17 As the GAG layer gets damaged, toxic substances in urine get through to the bladder wall causing inflammation and leading to chronic cystitis.18
And that is what happened to Stephanie: at the age of three months she got her first urinary infection. As her gut flora, vaginal flora and the flora of urethra and the bladder were not corrected, she suffered from urinary infections all her life and eventually developed chronic cystitis.
FURTHER DAMAGE TO GUT FLORA
Because of regular urinary tract infections, Stephanie had regular courses of antibiotics through her entire life, starting from infancy. Every course of antibiotics damages the beneficial species of bacteria in the gut, leaving it open to invasion by pathogens that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.10,19 Even when the course of antibiotic is short and the dose is low, it takes the various beneficial bacteria in the gut a long time to recover: physiological E.coli takes one to two weeks; bifidobacteria and veillonelli take two to three weeks; lactobacilli, bacteroids, peptostreptococci take one month.10,20 During this period, if the gut flora is subjected to another damaging factor, then gut dysbiosis may well start in earnest.21
After many short courses of antibiotics Stephanie took a long course for acne at the age of sixteen. That is when she got pronounced digestive problems: constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and lactose intolerance, indicating that her gut flora was seriously compromised. From the age of fourteen Stephanie had been taking the contraceptive pill. Contraceptives have a serious damaging effect on the composition of gut flora, leading to allergies and other problems related to gut dysbiosis.22,23
MALNUTRITION
Stephanie suffered from malnutrition all her life despite the fact that her family always cooked fresh wholesome meals and Stephanie ate well. She was always pale, very thin and small, and could never put any weight on. This is not surprising considering the state of her gut right from birth. The microbial layer on the absorptive surface of the GI tract not only protects it from invaders and toxins, but maintains its integrity.20,21 The epithelial cells, called enterocytes, which coat the villi, are the very cells that complete the digestive process and absorb the nutrients from food.24 These cells only live a few days as the cell turnover in the gut wall is very active. These enterocytes are constantly born in the depth of the crypts. Then they slowly travel to the top of the villi, doing their job of digestion and absorption and getting more and more mature on the way. As they reach the top of the villi, they get shed off. This way the intestinal epithelium gets constantly renewed to insure its ability to do its work well.24
Animal experiments involving sterilization of the gut found that when the beneficial bacteria living on the intestinal epithelium are removed, this process of cell renewal gets completely out of order.10 The time of cell travel from crypts to the top of the villi becomes a few times longer, which upsets the maturation process of these absorptive cells and often turns them cancerous. The mitotic activity in the crypts gets significantly suppressed, which means that far fewer cells will be born there and decreased numbers of them will be born healthy and able to do their job properly. The state of the cells themselves becomes abnormal.9,25 That is what happens in a laboratory animal with a sterilized gut.
In a human body, the absence of good bacteria always results in pathogenic bacteria getting out of control, which makes the whole situation much worse. While under attack from pathogenic flora, and without the care of beneficial bacteria, the gut epithelium degenerates and becomes unable to digest and absorb food properly, leading to malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances.19,21,25
Apart from keeping the gut wall in good shape, the healthy gut flora populating this wall are programmed to take an active part in the very process of digestion and absorption,19,21 so much so that the normal digestion and absorption of food is probably impossible without well-balanced gut flora. It has an ability to disassemble proteins, ferment carbohydrates, break down lipids and digest fiber. By-products of bacterial activity in the gut are very important in transporting minerals, vitamins, water, gases and many other nutrients through the gut wall into the bloodstream.10
If the gut flora is damaged, the best foods and supplements in the world may not have a good chance of being broken down and absorbed. A good example is dietary fiber, which is one of the natural habitats for beneficial bacteria in the gut.25 They feed on it, producing a whole host of good nutrition for the gut wall and the whole body; they engage it in absorbing toxins; they activate it to take part in water and electrolyte metabolism; and they help recycle bile acids and cholesterol, among many other functions. It is the bacterial action on dietary fiber that allows it to fulfil all those good functions in the body.20,21 And when these good bacteria are damaged and are not able to “work” the fiber, dietary fiber itself can become dangerous for the digestive system, providing a good habitat for bad pathogenic bacteria and aggravating inflammation in the gut wall. This is when gastroenterologists have to recommend a low-fiber diet.19 Consequently, dietary fiber alone without the beneficial bacteria present in the gut can end up not being all that good for us.
Stephanie also found that she became lactose intolerant after the long course of antibiotics prescribed for her acne. And indeed lactose is one of those substances which most of us would not be able to digest without well functioning gut flora.25 The explanation science has offered us so far is that after early childhood, the majority of us lack an enzyme called lactase to digest lactose.26 If we are not meant to digest lactose, then why do some people seem to manage it perfectly well? The answer is that these people have the right bacteria in their gut.
One of the major lactose-digesting bacteria in the human gut is E.coli.10 It comes as a surprise to many people that physiological strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a healthy digestive tract. They appear in the gut of a healthy baby in the first days after birth in huge numbers—107 - 109 Colony Forming Units per gram—and remain in these high numbers throughout life, providing that they do not get destroyed by antibiotics and other environmental influences.9,19
Apart from digesting lactose, physiological strains of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12; they produce antibiotic-like substances, called colicins; and they control other members of their own family which can cause disease. In fact, having your gut populated by the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way to protect yourself from pathogenic species of E.coli.21 Unfortunately, this group of beneficial bacteria is very vulnerable to broad spectrum antibiotics, particularly aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin) and macrolides (Erythromycin, etc.).9,10
Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria in the healthy gut flora—bifidobacteria, lactobacteria, beneficial yeasts and other organisms— will not only ensure appropriate absorption of nutrients from food but also actively synthesize various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), various amino acids and other active substances.9,10,25 Nature has made sure that when the food supply is sparse, we humans don’t die from vitamin and amino acid deficiencies. Nature has provided us with our own factory for making these substances— our healthy gut flora. And when this gut flora is damaged despite adequate nutrition, we develop vitamin deficiencies. Every tested child or adult with gut dysbiosis shows deficiencies in the very vitamins that their gut flora is supposed to produce.25 Restoring the beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with those deficiencies, particularly vitamin B deficiencies. 10,19,21
Through testing over the years, Stephanie consistently showed deficiencies in most B vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, magnesium, zinc, selenium, manganese, sulphur, iron and some fatty acids.
ANEMIA
Another consequence of gut dysbiosis is anemia. Stephanie suffered from anemia all her life, unsuccessfully treated by courses of iron tablets. The majority of patients with gut dysbiosis look pale and pasty, and their blood tests often show changes typical for anemia.21 The anemia is not surprising as those with gut dysbiosis not only cannot absorb essential vitamins and minerals from food, but their own production of these vitamins is damaged. In addition, people with damaged gut flora often have a particular group of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria—Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.coli, Corynebacterium spp. and many others. 13,25 These organisms consume dietary iron, leaving the person deficient. Unfortunately, supplementing iron makes these bacteria proliferate, bringing unpleasant digestive problems, and does not remedy anemia. To have healthy blood, the body needs other minerals, a whole host of vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid and some amino acids.24,10 It has been shown in a large number of studies all over the world, that just supplementing iron does not do much for anemia.27
PATHOGENS IN THE GUT
The most studied pathogens, those that overgrow after numerous courses of antibiotics, are clostridia and yeasts, which normally belong to the opportunistic group of gut microbes.28 The opportunistic gut flora consists of a large group of various microbes, the number and combinations of which can be quite individual—so far around four hundred different species of them have been found in the human gut.25 The most common are bacteroids, peptococci, staphylococci, streptococci, bacilli, clostridia, yeasts, enterobacteria (proteus, klebsielli, citrobacteria, etc.), fuzobacteria, eubacteria, spirochaetaceae, spirillaceae, and catenobacteria, along with several viruses.13 Interestingly, in small numbers and well controlled by beneficial bacteria, many of these opportunistic bacteria actually fulfill some beneficial functions in the gut, like taking part in the digestion of food and breaking down lipids and bile acids. In a healthy gut, their numbers are limited and tightly controlled by the beneficial flora.20 But when this beneficial flora is weakened and damaged, they get out of control.
Each of these microbes is capable of causing various health problems.29 The best known is the fungus Candida albicans, which causes untold misery to millions of people.31 There is an abundance of literature published about candida infection. However, in my experience, much that is described as candida syndrome is in effect a result of gut dysbiosis, which includes lots of other opportunistic and pathogenic microbes.
Candida albicans is never alone in the human body. Its activity and ability to survive and cause disease depends on the state of trillions of its neighbours—different bacteria, viruses, protozoa, other yeasts and many other microcreatures. 9,19,31 In a healthy body, candida and many other disease-causing microbes are very well controlled by the beneficial flora.
Unfortunately, the era of antibiotics gave candida a special opportunity. The usual broadspectrum antibiotics kill a lot of different microbes in the body—the bad and the good. But they have no effect on candida. So, after every course of antibiotics, candida is left without anything to control it, so it grows and thrives.30,31 Stephanie had many symptoms of candida overgrowth in her body: low energy levels, dry skin, recurrent vaginal thrush and cystitis, bloating, constipation, foggy brain and lethargy.
The clostridia family was given a special opportunity by the era of antibiotics as well, because clostridia are also resistant to them.34 About one hundred members of this family have been discovered so far, and they all can cause serious disease. Many of them are found as opportunists in a healthy human gut flora.25,33 As long as they are controlled by the beneficial microbes in the gut, they normally do us no harm. Unfortunately, every course of broad-spectrum antibiotics removes the good bacteria, which leaves clostridia uncontrolled and allows it to grow. Different species of clostridia cause severe inflammation of the digestive system and damage its integrity, leading to many digestive problems and food intolerances.32,33
Food “Allergies ” and Intolerances
Normal gut flora maintains gut wall integrity by protecting it, feeding it and insuring normal cell turnover. When the beneficial bacteria in the gut are greatly reduced, the gut wall degenerates. 9,10,21,25 At the same time, various opportunists, when not controlled by good bacteria, get access to the gut wall and damage its integrity, making it porous and “leaky.”6,28,29 For example, microbiologists have observed how common opportunistic gut bacteria from the spirochaetaceae and spirillaceae families have an ability to push apart intestinal cells with their spiral shape, breaking down the integrity of the intestinal wall and allowing substances to pass through which normally should not get through.13,25
Candida albicans has this ability as well. Its cells attach themselves to the gut lining, literally putting “roots” through it and making it “leaky.”31 Many worms and parasites have that ability as well.9,10,35 Partially digested food gets through the damaged “leaky” gut wall into the blood stream, where the immune system recognizes them as foreign and reacts to them.36,37.38 This is how food allergies or intolerances develop.
So there is nothing wrong with the food. What is happening is that foods do not get a chance to be digested properly before they are absorbed through the damaged gut wall. Thus, in order to eliminate food allergies, it is not the foods we need to concentrate on, but the gut wall. In my clinical experience, when the gut wall is healed, many food intolerances disappear.
Healing the Gut Wall : The Diet
How do we heal the gut wall? We need to replace the pathogens in the gut with the beneficial bacteria, so effective probiotics are an essential part of the treatment. However, the most important intervention is the appropriate diet.
There is no need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to designing a diet for digestive disorders. A very effective diet was described over sixty years ago, which has an excellent record of helping people with all sorts of digestive disorders, including such devastating ones as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This diet is called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD for short.
SCD was invented by a renowned American pediatrician, Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas, in the first half of the twentieth century.39 Those were the good old days, when doctors treated their patients with diet and natural remedies. Carrying on the work of his colleagues, Drs. L. Emmett Holt, Cristian Herter and John Howland, Dr. Haas spent many years researching the effects of diet on celiac disease and other digestive disorders. He and his colleagues found that patients with digestive disorders could tolerate dietary proteins and fats fairly well. But complex carbohydrates from grains and starchy vegetables made the problem worse. Sucrose, lactose and other double sugars also had to be excluded from the diet. However, certain fruits and vegetables were not only well tolerated by his patients, but improved their physical status. Dr. Haas treated over six hundred patients with excellent results—after following his dietary regimen for at least a year there was “complete recovery with no relapses, no deaths, no crisis, no pulmonary involvement and no stunting of growth.”
The results of this research were published in a comprehensive medical textbook, The Management of Celiac Disease, written by Dr. Sidney V. Haas and Merrill P. Haas in 1951. The diet, described in the book, was accepted by the medical community all over the world as a cure for celiac disease, and Dr. Sidney V. Haas was honored for his pioneering work in the field of pediatrics.
In those days celiac disease was not very clearly defined. A great number of various conditions of the gut were included into the diagnosis of celiac disease and all those conditions were treatable by the SCD very effectively.
Unfortunately, a “happy ending” does not happen in human history too often. In the decades that followed, something terrible happened. Celiac disease was eventually defined as a gluten intolerance or gluten enteropathy, which excluded a great number of various other gut problems from this diagnosis. As the “gluten free diet” was pronounced to be effective for celiac disease, the SCD diet was forgotten as outdated information. And all those other gut diseases, which didn’t fit into the category of true celiac disease, were forgotten as well. True celiac disease is rare, so the “forgotten” gut conditions constituted a very large group of patients, which used to be diagnosed as celiac and which do not respond to treatment with a gluten-free diet. Incidentally, a lot of “true” celiac patients do not get better on the gluten-free diet either. All these conditions respond very well to the SCD diet, developed by Dr. Haas.39
Following the whole controversy about celiac disease, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet would have been completely forgotten were it not for—you guessed it—a parent! Elaine Gottschall, desperate to help her little daughter, who suffered from severe ulcerative colitis and neurological problems, went to see Dr. Haas in 1958. After two years on SCD her daughter was completely free of symptoms, an energetic and thriving little girl. Following the success of the SCD with her daughter, Elaine Gottschall helped thousands of people suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis and various types of chronic diarrhea over the years. She reported very dramatic and fast recoveries in young children, who in addition to digestive problems suffered from serious behavioral abnormalities such as autism, hyperactivity and night terrors. She devoted years of research into the biochemical and biological basis of the diet and published a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Intestinal Health Through Diet.39 This book—reprinted numerous times—has become a true savior for thousands of children and adults across the world. Many websites and web groups have been set up to share SCD recipes and experiences.
I have been using the SCD for many years in my clinic and can say with confidence that it is the diet for food allergies. As my practice mostly involves children with learning disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, I refer to this cluster of symptoms as the Gut And Psychology Syndrome or GAPS.40 I had to adapt some aspects of SCD for these patients, so we call the diet the GAPS diet. Over the years I have developed a GAPS Introduction Diet for the severe end of the spectrum (www.gapsdiet. com). I find that the GAPS Introduction Diet is particularly effective in food allergies, as it allows the gut wall to heal quickly.
Stephanie had to follow the GAPS Introduction Diet for seven months before she started putting weight on and feeling stronger. By the time she moved to the full GAPS Diet, she had normal stools, no bloating and no cystitis symptoms; and her energy levels were much improved, though she still looked slightly pale. In about a year from the start of the treatment we lost track of her for eighteen months, but then she emailed me with an update. She was doing well, her energy level was good, she had no symptoms of cystitis and her GI function was good. She had gained weight, although she was still quite slim, but within the normal range. In the last two months she started eating some foods not allowed on the diet and found that she can tolerate them on an occasional basis, including pasta, chocolate and some goods from the local bakery.
Healing the Gut Wall : Probiotics
In addition to the appropriate diet, in order to heal the gut wall we need to replace the pathogenic microbes in the gut with the beneficial ones. The fermented foods in the diet will provide some probiotic microbes in food form, which is the best. However, an effective probiotic supplement is essential. The benefits of probiotic supplementation for most digestive disorders as well as for many other health problems have been demonstrated.41-47
The marketplace is full of probiotics in the form of drinks, foods, powders, capsules and tablets. The majority of them are prophylactic, which means that they are designed for fairly healthy people, not to make a real difference in a person with a digestive disorder and a leaky gut. These people need a therapeutic-strength probiotic with well-chosen powerful species of probiotic bacteria.
There is a growing number of good quality multi-strain probiotics on the market and every practitioner usually has his or her own favorite formula. A therapeutic multi-stain probiotic will produce a so-called “die-off” reaction—the probiotic bacteria kill the pathogens in the gut, and when these pathogens die, they release toxins. As these are the toxins that give the patient his or her unique symptoms, their release makes these symptoms temporarily worse. This reaction can be quite serious and must be controlled. That is why I recommend starting the therapeutic probiotic with a very small dose, then build the dose very gradually up to the therapeutic level. Once on that level, the patient needs to stay on it for a few months—how long depends on the severity of the condition. Once the symptoms of the disease are largely gone, the patient can start gradually reducing the daily dose to the maintenance level or can stop altogether.
Stephanie took a multi-strain therapeutic probiotic. She took one capsule per day (two billion live cells) for a week, then increased to two capsules per day. On this dose her skin became itchy, she got loose stools and her cystitis symptoms got slightly worse. She understood it to be a die-off so stayed on this dose for as long as it took for these symptoms to subside—about two and one-half weeks. Then she increased her dose to three capsules a day. This increase produced another die-off reaction, so she had to stay on the three capsules per day for a month before she could move on. In this manner she gradually increased the dosage to eight capsules a day—her therapeutic dose.
I recommended that she stay on this dose for six months. In this period, all of her main symptoms subsided and some began to disappear. After six months, she decided to stay on the therapeutic dose for longer, as she felt well on it. After another four months on eight capsules per day, she felt strong enough to start reducing the dose. She gradually reduced it to four capsules a day—her maintenance dose. After about two years on this dose she found that she could discontinue the probiotic (as it is expensive) and only take it occasionally, when she was under unusual stress. At this stage just regular consumption of fermented foods provided her with all the probiotic bacteria she needed.
SIDEBAR
THE GAPS INTRODUCTION DIET
The GAPS Introduction Diet is structured in stages. Unless there is a dangerous (anaphylactic type) allergy to a particular food, I recommend my patients ignore the results of their food intolerance testing and follow the stages one by one. The GAPS Introduction Diet in its first stages serves the gut lining in three ways:
1. It removes fiber. With a damaged gut wall fiber irritates the gut lining and provides food for the pathogenic microbes in the gut. This means no nuts, no beans, no fruit and no raw vegetables. Only well-cooked vegetables (soups and stews) are allowed with particularly fibrous parts of the vegetable removed. No starch is allowed on the GAPS diet, which means no grains and no starchy vegetables.
2. It provides nourishment for the gut lining: amino acids, minerals, gelatin, glucosamines, collagens, fat soluble vitamins, etc. These substances come from homemade meat and fish stocks, gelatinous parts of meats well-cooked in water, organ meats, egg yolks and plenty of natural animal fats on meats.
3. It provides probiotic bacteria in the form of fermented foods. The patients are taught to ferment their own yogurt, kefir, vegetables and other foods at home. These foods are introduced gradually in order to avoid a “die-off” reaction.
In the first two stages of the GAPS Introduction Diet, most severe digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain disappear quite quickly. At that point the patient can move through the next stages, when other foods are gradually introduced. As the gut wall starts healing, the patients find that they can gradually introduce foods, which they could not tolerate before. When the GAPS Introduction Diet is completed, the patient moves to the Full GAPS Diet. I recommend adhering to the Full Diet for two years on average in order to restore normal gut flora and GI function. Depending on the severity of the condition, different people take varying amounts of time to recover. Children usually recover more quickly than adults. For further informatin on the GAPS Introduction Diet see www.gaps.me.
*This article was taken from the Weston A. Price website www.westonaprice.org
Food Allergies
Modern Diseases - Digestive Disorders
Friday, 25 June 2010 10:21
Food allergies have become very common, and the trend is up.1 Most medical practitioners are facing this problem on a daily basis more and more. A recent public survey in the UK has shown that almost half the population report that they have an “allergy” to one or more foods.2 However, the official figures for a “true allergy to food” are around 1 percent of the population in most developed countries.1
The reason for this confusion is that the majority of food reactions, allergies, and intolerances do not produce a typical allergy test profile—raised IgE or IgG with positive prick test or positive RAST test. Physicians have made several attempts to classify this group: as “type B food allergy,” “metabolic food intolerance” or simply “food intolerance,” rather than a “true” allergy.3 People who do not test positive to standard allergy tests may nevertheless react to many different foods or combinations of foods. Quite often the person is not sure which food produces the reaction because the reaction may be immediate or delayed—a day, a few days or even a week later. As these delayed reactions overlap each other, patients can never be sure exactly what they are reacting to on any given day.1,3
In addition, physicians often encounter a masking phenomenon, in which reactions to regularly consumed foods run into each other— the new reaction begins when the previous has not yet finished—so the connection with a food and the symptoms it triggers is not apparent.4
Food allergy or intolerance can produce every symptom under the sun, from migraines, fatigue, PMS, painful joints and itchy skin to depression, hyperactivity, hallucinations, obsessions and other psychiatric and neurological manifestations. However, the most immediate and common symptoms in the vast majority of patients are digestive problems: pain, diarrhea or constipation, urgency, bloating and indigestion.3,5,6
Naturally, many people try to identify which foods they react to. As a result many forms of testing have appeared on the market, from blood tests to electronic skin tests. Many experienced practitioners get disillusioned with most of these tests, as they produce too many false positives and false negatives.6 Furthermore, these tests lead physicians to the simplistic conclusion that removing the “positive” foods from the diet will solve the problem. Indeed, in some cases, elimination of a trigger food can help. However, this help is rarely permanent; the patients usually find that as they eliminate some foods, they start reacting to others to which they did not seem to react before. The patient finishes up with virtually nothing left to eat, and every new test finds reactions to new foods. The majority of experienced practitioners come to the same conclusion: the simplistic idea of “just don’t eat foods you are allergic to!” does not address the root of the problem.3,6 We need to look deeper into the causes of these food intolerances.
A CASE HISTORY
In order to understand the root cause of food allergies, I would like to share a case history of one of my patients. Stephanie S., thirty-five years old, asked for my help in “sorting out her food allergies.” A very pale, malnourished looking lady, (weight 99 pounds with height five feet, three inches) with low energy levels, chronic cystitis, abdominal pains, bloating and chronic constipation. She was consistently diagnosed as anemic all her life.
As to her family background, she was born naturally from a mother with digestive problems and migraines. Her sister suffered from severe eczema and her brother from gastro-intestinal problems. She did not have information on her father’s health.
She was not breast fed as a baby and at the age of three months contracted her first urinary infection, treated with the first course of antibiotics. Since that time, the urinary infections became a regular part of her life, usually treated by antibiotics; when she saw me she was suffering from chronic interstitial cystitis.
Throughout her childhood she was very thin, always finding it difficult to put any weight on, but otherwise she considered her health to be “OK”—she completed school and played sports. At fourteen years of age her menstruation stopped, having started a year before. She was put on a contraceptive pill, which seemed to regulate her menstrual periods.
Around age sixteen she was put on a long course of antibiotics for acne, after which she developed lactose intolerance with severe constipation and bloating. She was advised to stop consuming dairy products at age eighteen, which helped with constipation for a while, but her other symptoms remained. She developed progressively lower levels of energy, abdominal cramps, dizzy spells, very low body weight and very dry skin.
Following numerous medical consultations and food allergy testing, she started removing different foods from her diet, but was never sure whether this made much difference. Some symptoms seemed to improve, others did not and new symptoms appeared. She became sensitive to loud sounds and local pollution, her shampoo and make-up and some domestic cleaning chemicals. Her cystitis became chronic and was pronounced psychosomatic by her doctor. Her diet at the time of the consultation was very limited: she seemed to tolerate (but was not entirely sure) breakfast cereals, sheep’s yogurt, soy milk, some varieties of cheese, a few vegetables and rarely fish. Following several food allergy tests she removed all meats, eggs, nuts, all fruit, whole grains and many vegetables from her diet.
This example is very common and demonstrates clearly that just removing “offending” foods from the diet does not solve the problem. We have to look deeper and find the cause of the patient’s malady. In order to do that we have to examine Stephanie’s health history.
INFANCY
Stephanie was born from a mother with digestive problems and Stephanie was not breat fed. What does that tell us? We know that unborn babies have a sterile gut.7 At the time of birth, the baby swallows mouthfuls of microbes, which live in the mother’s birth canal.8 These microbes take about twenty days to establish themselves in the baby’s virgin digestive system and become the baby’s gut flora.7,8
Where does the vaginal flora come from? Medical science shows that the flora in the vagina largely comes from the gut. What lives in the woman’s bowel will live in her vagina.9,10 Stephanie’s mother suffered from digestive problems, which indicates that she had abnormal gut flora as well, which she passed to her daughter at birth.
Baby Stephanie was not breast fed. Breast milk, particularly colostrum in the first days after birth, is vital for appropriate population of the baby’s digestive system with healthy microbial flora.9,10,11 We know that bottle-fed babies develop completely different gut flora than breast fed babies. 11 That flora later on predisposes bottle-fed babies to asthma, eczema, other allergies and other health problems.12 But the most important abnormalities develop in the digestive system, of course, as that is where these microbes make their home. Having acquired abnormal gut flora from her mother at birth, Stephanie’s was compromised further by bottle feeding.
CHRONIC CYSTITIS
In the first few weeks of life, in addition to the gut lining, other mucous membranes and baby’s skin get populated by their own flora, which play a crucial role in protecting those surfaces from pathogens and toxins.13 As baby Stephanie acquired abnormal flora in her gut, her groin and vagina got abnormal flora too, as this flora normally comes from the gut.10 At the same time, the urethra and the urinary bladder get populated with flora similar to that of the vagina. In a normal situation, the uretha and bladder should be predominated by lactobacteria, largely L. crispatus and L. jensenii.14 This flora produces hydrogen peroxide, reducing the pH in the area. In these acidic conditions, pathogens cannot adhere.15 When the urethra and bladder are unprotected by good flora and a low pH, they fall prey to pathogenic microbes, causing urinary tract infections (UTI). The most common pathogens that cause UTIs, are E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus saprophyticus coming from the bowel and the groin.15
Urine is one of the venues of toxin elimination from the body.16 In gut dysbiosis, large amounts of various toxins are produced by pathogens in the gut and then absorbed into the bloodstream through the damaged gut wall.16,17 Many of these toxins leave the body in urine; accumulating in the bladder, this toxic urine comes into contact with the bladder lining. The beneficial bacteria in the bladder and urethra maintain what is called a GAG layer—a protective mucous barrier, largely made from sulphated glucosaminoglycans, produced by the cells of the bladder lining.17 As the GAG layer gets damaged, toxic substances in urine get through to the bladder wall causing inflammation and leading to chronic cystitis.18
And that is what happened to Stephanie: at the age of three months she got her first urinary infection. As her gut flora, vaginal flora and the flora of urethra and the bladder were not corrected, she suffered from urinary infections all her life and eventually developed chronic cystitis.
FURTHER DAMAGE TO GUT FLORA
Because of regular urinary tract infections, Stephanie had regular courses of antibiotics through her entire life, starting from infancy. Every course of antibiotics damages the beneficial species of bacteria in the gut, leaving it open to invasion by pathogens that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.10,19 Even when the course of antibiotic is short and the dose is low, it takes the various beneficial bacteria in the gut a long time to recover: physiological E.coli takes one to two weeks; bifidobacteria and veillonelli take two to three weeks; lactobacilli, bacteroids, peptostreptococci take one month.10,20 During this period, if the gut flora is subjected to another damaging factor, then gut dysbiosis may well start in earnest.21
After many short courses of antibiotics Stephanie took a long course for acne at the age of sixteen. That is when she got pronounced digestive problems: constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and lactose intolerance, indicating that her gut flora was seriously compromised. From the age of fourteen Stephanie had been taking the contraceptive pill. Contraceptives have a serious damaging effect on the composition of gut flora, leading to allergies and other problems related to gut dysbiosis.22,23
MALNUTRITION
Stephanie suffered from malnutrition all her life despite the fact that her family always cooked fresh wholesome meals and Stephanie ate well. She was always pale, very thin and small, and could never put any weight on. This is not surprising considering the state of her gut right from birth. The microbial layer on the absorptive surface of the GI tract not only protects it from invaders and toxins, but maintains its integrity.20,21 The epithelial cells, called enterocytes, which coat the villi, are the very cells that complete the digestive process and absorb the nutrients from food.24 These cells only live a few days as the cell turnover in the gut wall is very active. These enterocytes are constantly born in the depth of the crypts. Then they slowly travel to the top of the villi, doing their job of digestion and absorption and getting more and more mature on the way. As they reach the top of the villi, they get shed off. This way the intestinal epithelium gets constantly renewed to insure its ability to do its work well.24
Animal experiments involving sterilization of the gut found that when the beneficial bacteria living on the intestinal epithelium are removed, this process of cell renewal gets completely out of order.10 The time of cell travel from crypts to the top of the villi becomes a few times longer, which upsets the maturation process of these absorptive cells and often turns them cancerous. The mitotic activity in the crypts gets significantly suppressed, which means that far fewer cells will be born there and decreased numbers of them will be born healthy and able to do their job properly. The state of the cells themselves becomes abnormal.9,25 That is what happens in a laboratory animal with a sterilized gut.
In a human body, the absence of good bacteria always results in pathogenic bacteria getting out of control, which makes the whole situation much worse. While under attack from pathogenic flora, and without the care of beneficial bacteria, the gut epithelium degenerates and becomes unable to digest and absorb food properly, leading to malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances.19,21,25
Apart from keeping the gut wall in good shape, the healthy gut flora populating this wall are programmed to take an active part in the very process of digestion and absorption,19,21 so much so that the normal digestion and absorption of food is probably impossible without well-balanced gut flora. It has an ability to disassemble proteins, ferment carbohydrates, break down lipids and digest fiber. By-products of bacterial activity in the gut are very important in transporting minerals, vitamins, water, gases and many other nutrients through the gut wall into the bloodstream.10
If the gut flora is damaged, the best foods and supplements in the world may not have a good chance of being broken down and absorbed. A good example is dietary fiber, which is one of the natural habitats for beneficial bacteria in the gut.25 They feed on it, producing a whole host of good nutrition for the gut wall and the whole body; they engage it in absorbing toxins; they activate it to take part in water and electrolyte metabolism; and they help recycle bile acids and cholesterol, among many other functions. It is the bacterial action on dietary fiber that allows it to fulfil all those good functions in the body.20,21 And when these good bacteria are damaged and are not able to “work” the fiber, dietary fiber itself can become dangerous for the digestive system, providing a good habitat for bad pathogenic bacteria and aggravating inflammation in the gut wall. This is when gastroenterologists have to recommend a low-fiber diet.19 Consequently, dietary fiber alone without the beneficial bacteria present in the gut can end up not being all that good for us.
Stephanie also found that she became lactose intolerant after the long course of antibiotics prescribed for her acne. And indeed lactose is one of those substances which most of us would not be able to digest without well functioning gut flora.25 The explanation science has offered us so far is that after early childhood, the majority of us lack an enzyme called lactase to digest lactose.26 If we are not meant to digest lactose, then why do some people seem to manage it perfectly well? The answer is that these people have the right bacteria in their gut.
One of the major lactose-digesting bacteria in the human gut is E.coli.10 It comes as a surprise to many people that physiological strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a healthy digestive tract. They appear in the gut of a healthy baby in the first days after birth in huge numbers—107 - 109 Colony Forming Units per gram—and remain in these high numbers throughout life, providing that they do not get destroyed by antibiotics and other environmental influences.9,19
Apart from digesting lactose, physiological strains of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12; they produce antibiotic-like substances, called colicins; and they control other members of their own family which can cause disease. In fact, having your gut populated by the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way to protect yourself from pathogenic species of E.coli.21 Unfortunately, this group of beneficial bacteria is very vulnerable to broad spectrum antibiotics, particularly aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin) and macrolides (Erythromycin, etc.).9,10
Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria in the healthy gut flora—bifidobacteria, lactobacteria, beneficial yeasts and other organisms— will not only ensure appropriate absorption of nutrients from food but also actively synthesize various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), various amino acids and other active substances.9,10,25 Nature has made sure that when the food supply is sparse, we humans don’t die from vitamin and amino acid deficiencies. Nature has provided us with our own factory for making these substances— our healthy gut flora. And when this gut flora is damaged despite adequate nutrition, we develop vitamin deficiencies. Every tested child or adult with gut dysbiosis shows deficiencies in the very vitamins that their gut flora is supposed to produce.25 Restoring the beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with those deficiencies, particularly vitamin B deficiencies. 10,19,21
Through testing over the years, Stephanie consistently showed deficiencies in most B vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, magnesium, zinc, selenium, manganese, sulphur, iron and some fatty acids.
ANEMIA
Another consequence of gut dysbiosis is anemia. Stephanie suffered from anemia all her life, unsuccessfully treated by courses of iron tablets. The majority of patients with gut dysbiosis look pale and pasty, and their blood tests often show changes typical for anemia.21 The anemia is not surprising as those with gut dysbiosis not only cannot absorb essential vitamins and minerals from food, but their own production of these vitamins is damaged. In addition, people with damaged gut flora often have a particular group of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria—Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.coli, Corynebacterium spp. and many others. 13,25 These organisms consume dietary iron, leaving the person deficient. Unfortunately, supplementing iron makes these bacteria proliferate, bringing unpleasant digestive problems, and does not remedy anemia. To have healthy blood, the body needs other minerals, a whole host of vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid and some amino acids.24,10 It has been shown in a large number of studies all over the world, that just supplementing iron does not do much for anemia.27
PATHOGENS IN THE GUT
The most studied pathogens, those that overgrow after numerous courses of antibiotics, are clostridia and yeasts, which normally belong to the opportunistic group of gut microbes.28 The opportunistic gut flora consists of a large group of various microbes, the number and combinations of which can be quite individual—so far around four hundred different species of them have been found in the human gut.25 The most common are bacteroids, peptococci, staphylococci, streptococci, bacilli, clostridia, yeasts, enterobacteria (proteus, klebsielli, citrobacteria, etc.), fuzobacteria, eubacteria, spirochaetaceae, spirillaceae, and catenobacteria, along with several viruses.13 Interestingly, in small numbers and well controlled by beneficial bacteria, many of these opportunistic bacteria actually fulfill some beneficial functions in the gut, like taking part in the digestion of food and breaking down lipids and bile acids. In a healthy gut, their numbers are limited and tightly controlled by the beneficial flora.20 But when this beneficial flora is weakened and damaged, they get out of control.
Each of these microbes is capable of causing various health problems.29 The best known is the fungus Candida albicans, which causes untold misery to millions of people.31 There is an abundance of literature published about candida infection. However, in my experience, much that is described as candida syndrome is in effect a result of gut dysbiosis, which includes lots of other opportunistic and pathogenic microbes.
Candida albicans is never alone in the human body. Its activity and ability to survive and cause disease depends on the state of trillions of its neighbours—different bacteria, viruses, protozoa, other yeasts and many other microcreatures. 9,19,31 In a healthy body, candida and many other disease-causing microbes are very well controlled by the beneficial flora.
Unfortunately, the era of antibiotics gave candida a special opportunity. The usual broadspectrum antibiotics kill a lot of different microbes in the body—the bad and the good. But they have no effect on candida. So, after every course of antibiotics, candida is left without anything to control it, so it grows and thrives.30,31 Stephanie had many symptoms of candida overgrowth in her body: low energy levels, dry skin, recurrent vaginal thrush and cystitis, bloating, constipation, foggy brain and lethargy.
The clostridia family was given a special opportunity by the era of antibiotics as well, because clostridia are also resistant to them.34 About one hundred members of this family have been discovered so far, and they all can cause serious disease. Many of them are found as opportunists in a healthy human gut flora.25,33 As long as they are controlled by the beneficial microbes in the gut, they normally do us no harm. Unfortunately, every course of broad-spectrum antibiotics removes the good bacteria, which leaves clostridia uncontrolled and allows it to grow. Different species of clostridia cause severe inflammation of the digestive system and damage its integrity, leading to many digestive problems and food intolerances.32,33
Food “Allergies ” and Intolerances
Normal gut flora maintains gut wall integrity by protecting it, feeding it and insuring normal cell turnover. When the beneficial bacteria in the gut are greatly reduced, the gut wall degenerates. 9,10,21,25 At the same time, various opportunists, when not controlled by good bacteria, get access to the gut wall and damage its integrity, making it porous and “leaky.”6,28,29 For example, microbiologists have observed how common opportunistic gut bacteria from the spirochaetaceae and spirillaceae families have an ability to push apart intestinal cells with their spiral shape, breaking down the integrity of the intestinal wall and allowing substances to pass through which normally should not get through.13,25
Candida albicans has this ability as well. Its cells attach themselves to the gut lining, literally putting “roots” through it and making it “leaky.”31 Many worms and parasites have that ability as well.9,10,35 Partially digested food gets through the damaged “leaky” gut wall into the blood stream, where the immune system recognizes them as foreign and reacts to them.36,37.38 This is how food allergies or intolerances develop.
So there is nothing wrong with the food. What is happening is that foods do not get a chance to be digested properly before they are absorbed through the damaged gut wall. Thus, in order to eliminate food allergies, it is not the foods we need to concentrate on, but the gut wall. In my clinical experience, when the gut wall is healed, many food intolerances disappear.
Healing the Gut Wall : The Diet
How do we heal the gut wall? We need to replace the pathogens in the gut with the beneficial bacteria, so effective probiotics are an essential part of the treatment. However, the most important intervention is the appropriate diet.
There is no need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to designing a diet for digestive disorders. A very effective diet was described over sixty years ago, which has an excellent record of helping people with all sorts of digestive disorders, including such devastating ones as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This diet is called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD for short.
SCD was invented by a renowned American pediatrician, Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas, in the first half of the twentieth century.39 Those were the good old days, when doctors treated their patients with diet and natural remedies. Carrying on the work of his colleagues, Drs. L. Emmett Holt, Cristian Herter and John Howland, Dr. Haas spent many years researching the effects of diet on celiac disease and other digestive disorders. He and his colleagues found that patients with digestive disorders could tolerate dietary proteins and fats fairly well. But complex carbohydrates from grains and starchy vegetables made the problem worse. Sucrose, lactose and other double sugars also had to be excluded from the diet. However, certain fruits and vegetables were not only well tolerated by his patients, but improved their physical status. Dr. Haas treated over six hundred patients with excellent results—after following his dietary regimen for at least a year there was “complete recovery with no relapses, no deaths, no crisis, no pulmonary involvement and no stunting of growth.”
The results of this research were published in a comprehensive medical textbook, The Management of Celiac Disease, written by Dr. Sidney V. Haas and Merrill P. Haas in 1951. The diet, described in the book, was accepted by the medical community all over the world as a cure for celiac disease, and Dr. Sidney V. Haas was honored for his pioneering work in the field of pediatrics.
In those days celiac disease was not very clearly defined. A great number of various conditions of the gut were included into the diagnosis of celiac disease and all those conditions were treatable by the SCD very effectively.
Unfortunately, a “happy ending” does not happen in human history too often. In the decades that followed, something terrible happened. Celiac disease was eventually defined as a gluten intolerance or gluten enteropathy, which excluded a great number of various other gut problems from this diagnosis. As the “gluten free diet” was pronounced to be effective for celiac disease, the SCD diet was forgotten as outdated information. And all those other gut diseases, which didn’t fit into the category of true celiac disease, were forgotten as well. True celiac disease is rare, so the “forgotten” gut conditions constituted a very large group of patients, which used to be diagnosed as celiac and which do not respond to treatment with a gluten-free diet. Incidentally, a lot of “true” celiac patients do not get better on the gluten-free diet either. All these conditions respond very well to the SCD diet, developed by Dr. Haas.39
Following the whole controversy about celiac disease, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet would have been completely forgotten were it not for—you guessed it—a parent! Elaine Gottschall, desperate to help her little daughter, who suffered from severe ulcerative colitis and neurological problems, went to see Dr. Haas in 1958. After two years on SCD her daughter was completely free of symptoms, an energetic and thriving little girl. Following the success of the SCD with her daughter, Elaine Gottschall helped thousands of people suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis and various types of chronic diarrhea over the years. She reported very dramatic and fast recoveries in young children, who in addition to digestive problems suffered from serious behavioral abnormalities such as autism, hyperactivity and night terrors. She devoted years of research into the biochemical and biological basis of the diet and published a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Intestinal Health Through Diet.39 This book—reprinted numerous times—has become a true savior for thousands of children and adults across the world. Many websites and web groups have been set up to share SCD recipes and experiences.
I have been using the SCD for many years in my clinic and can say with confidence that it is the diet for food allergies. As my practice mostly involves children with learning disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, I refer to this cluster of symptoms as the Gut And Psychology Syndrome or GAPS.40 I had to adapt some aspects of SCD for these patients, so we call the diet the GAPS diet. Over the years I have developed a GAPS Introduction Diet for the severe end of the spectrum (www.gapsdiet. com). I find that the GAPS Introduction Diet is particularly effective in food allergies, as it allows the gut wall to heal quickly.
Stephanie had to follow the GAPS Introduction Diet for seven months before she started putting weight on and feeling stronger. By the time she moved to the full GAPS Diet, she had normal stools, no bloating and no cystitis symptoms; and her energy levels were much improved, though she still looked slightly pale. In about a year from the start of the treatment we lost track of her for eighteen months, but then she emailed me with an update. She was doing well, her energy level was good, she had no symptoms of cystitis and her GI function was good. She had gained weight, although she was still quite slim, but within the normal range. In the last two months she started eating some foods not allowed on the diet and found that she can tolerate them on an occasional basis, including pasta, chocolate and some goods from the local bakery.
Healing the Gut Wall : Probiotics
In addition to the appropriate diet, in order to heal the gut wall we need to replace the pathogenic microbes in the gut with the beneficial ones. The fermented foods in the diet will provide some probiotic microbes in food form, which is the best. However, an effective probiotic supplement is essential. The benefits of probiotic supplementation for most digestive disorders as well as for many other health problems have been demonstrated.41-47
The marketplace is full of probiotics in the form of drinks, foods, powders, capsules and tablets. The majority of them are prophylactic, which means that they are designed for fairly healthy people, not to make a real difference in a person with a digestive disorder and a leaky gut. These people need a therapeutic-strength probiotic with well-chosen powerful species of probiotic bacteria.
There is a growing number of good quality multi-strain probiotics on the market and every practitioner usually has his or her own favorite formula. A therapeutic multi-stain probiotic will produce a so-called “die-off” reaction—the probiotic bacteria kill the pathogens in the gut, and when these pathogens die, they release toxins. As these are the toxins that give the patient his or her unique symptoms, their release makes these symptoms temporarily worse. This reaction can be quite serious and must be controlled. That is why I recommend starting the therapeutic probiotic with a very small dose, then build the dose very gradually up to the therapeutic level. Once on that level, the patient needs to stay on it for a few months—how long depends on the severity of the condition. Once the symptoms of the disease are largely gone, the patient can start gradually reducing the daily dose to the maintenance level or can stop altogether.
Stephanie took a multi-strain therapeutic probiotic. She took one capsule per day (two billion live cells) for a week, then increased to two capsules per day. On this dose her skin became itchy, she got loose stools and her cystitis symptoms got slightly worse. She understood it to be a die-off so stayed on this dose for as long as it took for these symptoms to subside—about two and one-half weeks. Then she increased her dose to three capsules a day. This increase produced another die-off reaction, so she had to stay on the three capsules per day for a month before she could move on. In this manner she gradually increased the dosage to eight capsules a day—her therapeutic dose.
I recommended that she stay on this dose for six months. In this period, all of her main symptoms subsided and some began to disappear. After six months, she decided to stay on the therapeutic dose for longer, as she felt well on it. After another four months on eight capsules per day, she felt strong enough to start reducing the dose. She gradually reduced it to four capsules a day—her maintenance dose. After about two years on this dose she found that she could discontinue the probiotic (as it is expensive) and only take it occasionally, when she was under unusual stress. At this stage just regular consumption of fermented foods provided her with all the probiotic bacteria she needed.
SIDEBAR
THE GAPS INTRODUCTION DIET
The GAPS Introduction Diet is structured in stages. Unless there is a dangerous (anaphylactic type) allergy to a particular food, I recommend my patients ignore the results of their food intolerance testing and follow the stages one by one. The GAPS Introduction Diet in its first stages serves the gut lining in three ways:
1. It removes fiber. With a damaged gut wall fiber irritates the gut lining and provides food for the pathogenic microbes in the gut. This means no nuts, no beans, no fruit and no raw vegetables. Only well-cooked vegetables (soups and stews) are allowed with particularly fibrous parts of the vegetable removed. No starch is allowed on the GAPS diet, which means no grains and no starchy vegetables.
2. It provides nourishment for the gut lining: amino acids, minerals, gelatin, glucosamines, collagens, fat soluble vitamins, etc. These substances come from homemade meat and fish stocks, gelatinous parts of meats well-cooked in water, organ meats, egg yolks and plenty of natural animal fats on meats.
3. It provides probiotic bacteria in the form of fermented foods. The patients are taught to ferment their own yogurt, kefir, vegetables and other foods at home. These foods are introduced gradually in order to avoid a “die-off” reaction.
In the first two stages of the GAPS Introduction Diet, most severe digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain disappear quite quickly. At that point the patient can move through the next stages, when other foods are gradually introduced. As the gut wall starts healing, the patients find that they can gradually introduce foods, which they could not tolerate before. When the GAPS Introduction Diet is completed, the patient moves to the Full GAPS Diet. I recommend adhering to the Full Diet for two years on average in order to restore normal gut flora and GI function. Depending on the severity of the condition, different people take varying amounts of time to recover. Children usually recover more quickly than adults. For further informatin on the GAPS Introduction Diet see www.gaps.me.
*This article was taken from the Weston A. Price website www.westonaprice.org
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