The Search is OVER!

Every mom is looking for Supersmart, Supersafe and Supernutritious products for her children. Which of us wants to give our children tainted supplements? It would be simple if the search was easy... if the FDA only let absolutely pure supplements and skin care products on the market. But, alas, it is not so! Supplement companies are not subject to regulations. And the burden of responsibility to investigate company manufacturing standards fall on moms.

That is why I am so pleased to share these two video clips with you. Our search for pure baby and children's products is over... here are the smart, safe, nutritious products we have been looking for. (If you wonder, read about my rigorous standards for purity, potency and performance here.)

For more information on these fabulous products, or to purchase, click here.

Repercussions of Baby Food?

My youngest daughter, Tickle, is 20 months old. She is gifted with a unique sense of compassion and mercy. If anyone in the house displays sadness, she is the first to give out hugs. If anyone leaves something when they get up, such as shoes or a pencil, she will quickly return the item to us. It has been a joy to see her personality blossom. However, she is our pickiest eater. Hmmm.... Here's what I have been thinking...

Each of the older three were fed real foods from the time they began solids. I cooked and pureed everything they ate. I started with fresh mashed avocado and banana. Then, I began to give them cooked vegetables like carrots and peas. Bit by bit I added more fruits and vegetables until they were eating just about every vegetable available. I gave them lots of plain homemade yogurt. Then I added in some soaked oatmeal and some brown rice. If a child didn't like a flavor the first time around, I kept giving it to them in small quantities. Soon they ate everything I served them. I waited until they were each a year old to give them ate any wheat, eggs or nuts.

When Tickle, our fourth, was ready for solid foods, I prepared some for her myself, but often fed her store bought organic baby foods. She had a very slow digestive system and these seemed to move through her better. She was nearly a year old before her digestive system "caught up" to eating the same diet as her older siblings had. Until that time, she ate only six or seven vegetables, a few fruits and a few mixed foods. There isn't a lot of variety in organic baby foods! And, at that point, it was slow going in incrementally introducing new foods, wheat, eggs and nuts into her diet.

As we started introducing foods to her, she was much slower to accept them. Often, it was just more convenient to give her the baby food so that I could feed her more quickly. Now that she eats only what we eat, there are several things at which she turns her nose up. Could it be because she didn't get used to these foods until too late?

I have read that children's taste buds are very weak when they are babies. They will tolerate a wider variety of flavors because foods taste more mild. If introduced to them early, the flavors will be tolerable to them as their taste buds develop. On the flipside, if a baby is "older" the first time he tastes an avocado, the drastic flavor might not be tolerated.

Could this be what happened with Tickle? I could be speculating. However, I wonder if her taste preferences are a result of her limited diet as a baby. She only ate mild tasting baby foods until she was old enough to really balk at the more developed flavors. Just a thought...

Photo Credit: Allposters.com... not a photo of Tickle

Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Body Burden: Step Four

Okay, so we've looked at eliminating the toxins from three sources: cleaning products, laundry products and personal care products. I know, it ain't easy... and as soon as you eliminate one source, you see another five that you can't do anything about, like your children's school desks or your neighbor's lawn care service. But remember, we are looking at reducing our total Body Burden and consequently the long-term cumulative effect of toxic chemicals. We may not live in a perfect world... but, be encouraged. As moms, we can do a huge part by eliminating dangerous chemicals where our children sleep, eat and live.

So here we go with Step Four:

4. Use BPA-free plastic baby bottles and fill them with breast milk or organic formula. Choose powdered formula over canned formula to avoid BPA leaching from the can lining.

This step is geared more toward moms of the very young, including me. We all have heard that nursing is the best way to nourish and nurture your baby. That said, I know that many complications can arise in the nursing relationship and many moms have to use bottles with their breastmilk or formula. If you do use bottles, please make sure that they are BPA-free. Might as well do this with your children's sippy cups as well.

But, the question follows, where do I stop? If I'm going to go BPA-free with some things, what about the plastic baby spoons, the plates and bowls or the disposable diapers for that matter! Start with what your baby drinks from. Why? Two reasons off the top of my head. First, as the milk or formula is warmed, the bottle will leach more chemicals. Second, babies and toddlers often keep sipping on their drinks throughout the day. The chemicals have a much longer time to leach into their drink.

Sure, if you have the resources, you can switch everything to BPA-free plastic. And, if you feel inspired, make the switch to cloth diapers. But definitely consider BPA-free bottles and sippy cups.

So what's the big deal about BPA? The chemical known as BPA (bisphenol-A) has been connected with early puberty in girls and with behavioral changes in babies. It's worth watching this video if you've never heard of it before. Find options for BPA-free bottles here.


(If you live in the Georgia area, you might want to take advantage of a sale that Kroger is having on their BPA-free sippy cups. I found them yesterday for $1.99 each and bought two for Tickle's stocking. Unfortunately, I can't testify to their spill-proof-ocity yet. But, all Kroger brand products have a satisfaction guarantee. So, if they aren't spill-proof as the label says, you can return it to the store for a refund.)

By the way, if you've been inspired to make a change, post a comment about it so that others who read this blog might share your inspiration. Thanks!

And, stay tuned for Steps Five through Ten. It may take a bit longer to comment on them since it's Christmas Time... but then if I don't have time to post, you probably don't have time to read either. We must live parallel lives ; )