Building Blocks of Nutrition
In this section you’ll read how a little preparation can help you and your baby reap the rewards of the best nature has to offer.
Building Block A: Breastfeeding
It’s no secret that breastfeeding offers the best foundation for good baby nutrition. The World Health Organization swears by it, and more than 90 percent of moms in countries like the U.S. and Australia try it each year.
However, many moms begin supplementing prior to 4 – 6 months and stop breastfeeding long before the recommended two year period.
Lack of good support, discomfort and misconceptions about milk supply are just a few of the factors leading moms to wean sooner than they want to.
However, if you can prepare, by taking a short course or visiting with a lactation consultant, you’ll be armed with factual information, real expectations and a positive attitude. Here you’ll find some breastfeeding tips to help you find the support you will need.
If you need breastfeeding tips for twins, check out this breastfeeding article on Raising-Twins.com.
However long you choose to continue nursing, take care of you and your baby with a sound breastfeeding diet.
Building Block B: Supplementation
If your baby is dealing with dehydration or critical condition in the first days of life, supplementing infant nutrition with formula may be essential. Likewise for mommies who return to work and are unable to maintain a consistent pumping schedule.
Even if you plan to breastfeed exclusively, I recommend having a preferred organic baby formula in mind. It’s one less thing you will have to think about in a potentially stressful situation.
Check out our line of Organic Baby Bottles HERE.
Building Block C: Solids
When your baby reaches 4 – 6 months they will likely be getting information from your pediatrician about starting solids. This important milestone in infant nutrition can be overwhelming, because there are so many options.
By choosing organic baby food, you can avoid pesticides, additives and preservatives that could lead to allergic reactions.
Are you concerned about the higher costs associated with buying organic baby foods? Or maybe you just want to be 100% sure about the ingredients in your baby’s food.
If so, consider making homemade baby food. All you need is fresh organic produce, a baby grinder and some nutritious baby food recipes.
Building Block D: Toddler Nutrition
When your baby turns one year old, you will want to be sure to incorporate protein into your baby’s diet. You may also want to determine if vitamin supplements are necessary for filling gaps in baby nutrition. Here are some tips on how to choose vitamins if and when you do use them.
Your one-year old may also be ready for finger foods at meal time and during snacking. Toddlers like the independence they gain from feeding themselves.
Finally, for the first three years of your child’s life, it is best to choose organic over conventional foods.
Why Organic is good for our babies
As parents, we want to feed our children healthy food. What parent would turn down the chance to give a child delicious, healthy food that is convenient, a good money value, that the child loves – and then responds with a, “Thank you, Mommy, that was great! May I help clean up?”
In practice, though, many powerful forces determine our food choices. Our children have tasted artificially flavored, partially hydrogenated, day-glow snack foods and clamor for more. Our kids tell us that their friends’ “parents let them eat” the latest processed food fashion. Huge sums of money pay for artists, musicians, toy manufacturers, psychologists, and marketers to work together to carefully manipulate your child’s food preferences.
We’re busy and want something simple, quick, and preferably inexpensive. We return to the ruts of the unhealthy foods we ate ourselves as kids or that we know our own kids will like. We feel guilty because of our busy lifestyles and don’t want to say “no” to our kids – especially if it means yet another battle.
And the last straw – we hear conflicting information about what is healthy. High carb or low carb? Low fat is good for kids. Low fat is bad for kids. Sugar doesn’t affect behavior. Sugar causes ADHD. Aspartame is totally safe. Airplane pilots aren’t allowed to eat foods containing aspartame because it affects their judgment
Phew! What’s a parent to do?
Thankfully, making healthier food choices is simple and clear. Increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the diet makes the diet healthier. Especially in our antibiotic-flooded age, eating foods that contain live active cultures of beneficial bacteria makes our diet healthier. Decreasing artificial chemicals in the diet and the environment, makes us all healthier.
Nutrition is not an all-or-none activity. The goal is to keep making choices that make the diet a little better.
A Stitch in Time
DDT used in the United States before 1966 may have caused an epidemic of premature births that has only now been detected! According to a fascinating study published in the July 14, 2001 issue of The Lancet, scientists who studied stored cord blood samples from mothers who had delivered at that time found elevated levels of DDT breakdown products among the group who had premature deliveries or low birth weight infants. This would make DDT responsible for a host of medical problems and the deaths of many children – but the link wasn’t proven until more than 30 years later! DDT use in the United States was stopped in 1972 because it caused reproductive damage to birds (the bald eagle and brown pelican were nearly extinct), but DDT is still widely used in developing countries for insect control. I’m certain that the dangers of some chemicals in common use in the United States today will be proven in the future. I believe that toxic chemicals are one of the biggest health threats to our children. We may not prove the links until they are grown, but we must not wait until then to provide them with safe food, water, air, homes, and schools.
On a personal note, my wife has now recovered from a very malignant form of breast cancer. She has no family history of the disease, but toxic chemicals were used on her farm when she was a child.
What we now call ‘conventional farming’ is actually something very new. In the 20th century, our naïve optimism about science led to the over-exuberant use of antibiotics, infant formulas, surgery, pesticides, hormones, and fossil fuels. It’s time to bring this back into balance.
Organic food has long been the standard for human nutrition. In contrast, many chemicals and hormones introduced post World War II do not have proven long-term safety. Some of them may be fine. Time will tell. I prefer organic for children where there is a good choice.
With the dramatic increase in organic farming in recent years, the new generation of organic farmers is developing innovative and earth friendly ways to increase yields and improve flavor. What is organic and why is it so important for our children?
Organic Defined
Organic refers to the way agricultural products–food and fiber–are grown and processed. It is an ecological system that relies on healthy, rich soil to produce plants that resist pests and diseases. Organic farming prohibits the use of toxic and persistent chemicals in favor of innovative practices that work with nature, instead of against it, such as crop rotation, cover crop planting, beneficial insect release and composting. In the case of livestock, no antibiotics or synthetic hormones are permitted. Organic production also prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organic practices mean:
- No pesticides to contaminate our soil and water or injure farm workers
- No fertilizers to runoff and contaminate rivers, lakes and oceans
- A healthier and more sustainable environment for us all
Pesticides In Our Food and Environment
Chemicals used in conventional farming pose many risks to human health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with evaluating pesticides and setting “acceptable risk” levels of exposure. EPA’s tests have largely been conducted on fully grown adult men or non-human animal species, exposing them to one chemical at a time. Evidence now shows that chemicals in combination–the way we are usually exposed to them in everyday life—may exponentially increase health risk.
Additionally, many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Now the EPA considers 33% of all pesticides as potentially cancer-causing.
Why Organic Especially for Children?
Children are developing organs to last a lifetime. Due to their smaller size, fast-growing speedy metabolisms, and less varied diets, infants and children are more vulnerable to health and developmental damage. In 1993, a congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Sciences expressed concern that existing methods of risk evaluation for pesticide exposure were failing children. More recently, the Consumers Union and Environmental Working Group have released studies confirming that children are overexposed even if their exposure is within legal limits.
The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 mandated a review of agricultural chemicals in light of this new information about risk assessment. Included in this act is a requirement to impose a 10-fold margin of safety to protect children when setting standards for the use of pesticides on food. While safety standards have become more strict, buying organic products, if they are available and you can afford them, and supporting organic agriculture may be your best protection.
Why Does Organic Cost More?
Organic products do tend to cost more than their conventional counterparts. To some extent, this is changing as production capacity and demand for organic products increase, improving production efficiencies and lowering prices at the checkout. In addition, many involved in organic are striving for a sustainable agricultural system–one which is ecologically sound as well as economically viable. Paying farmers a fair price for their products is an important tenet for many involved in organic agriculture.
Raising a family on a budget can pose challenges at times. Watching pennies and doing “the right thing” for our families can sometime seem in conflict. For example, in the case of organic foods and fibers, it’s understandable to question if the benefits are really worth the extra cost. Looking beyond the price of an organic product and considering the true value, may shed light on the subject. When considering products for your children, organic may indeed be a far better value.
An Opportunity to Support a Healthier Tomorrow
Our children are our most treasured resources, and we have the opportunity to protect them. By reducing toxic exposure, organic products can help us raise healthy, strong children. Through nurturing the soil and keeping toxic and persistent chemicals out of the environment, organic agriculture is one thing we can support to help us pass along a healthy and safe planet for future generations. The cost may be a little more, but the value for you and your family may be far greater.
Read more: http://www.drgreene.com/article/organic-choice-our-children#ixzz0n0ujMDFA
We thought this was a good one.. MOBS
How to make your own Natural Soap
Good Clean Fun
Make your own natural bar soaps for the perfect holiday gift.
By Sara Snow
After years of taking a backseat to liquid pump options, bar soaps are finally making a comeback. Browse any specialty or gift shop and you’ll find a multitude of cleansing bars that are both beautiful and eco-friendly. Pump soaps require a lot more packaging—plastic bottle, plastic tube, plastic pump—than their old-fashioned friends, which usually come wrapped in a single layer of plastic or paper.
With the holidays approaching, now is the perfect time to jump on the bar-soap bandwagon and create your own fragrant works of art. Not only are bars of soap a good green choice for the home, but they also make special gifts when wrapped in brown or decorative paper and tied with a bow. Plus, by making your own soaps you can control the ingredients and keep the product natural for your friends and family.
For the soap recipes below, start with a basic soap and add ingredients from there. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can start from scratch and make your soap the traditional way, with fats, water and lye. Or you can do it easier (and perhaps safer) with our melt-mix-pour method. This will allow you and your kids to personalize the soaps you make by simply mixing your favorite essential oils, exfoliators, moisturizers, herbs and flowers into a basic store-bought soap.
Stellar Suds
To create natural, gift-worthy soaps, choose one of our three recipes (below) and follow these instructions.
1. Start with a fragrance-free soap: glycerin, white or olive oil. (We used glycerin soaps in our recipes.)
2. Have your child help you cut 8 oz. of the soap into small pieces, using a plastic knife or other safe utensil. Melt the pieces down in either a double boiler over low heat or in a microwave (take care to keep little hands away from the heat). Stir frequently. If using a microwave, heat on medium power in short time segments to avoid a mess.
3. Once the soap has melted, allow it to cool slightly while stirring frequently. Help your child mix in ingredients and pour into the mold of your choice. Cupcake or loaf pans work well—a small loaf pan allows you to cut your soap into rectangular pieces, while a tube or a pipe (such as a piece of PVC pipe) creates beautiful rounds. A cupcake mold (mini or large) produces perfectly sized individual patties.
4. Allow your soap to sit overnight. Once it has set, remove from the mold and slice (if necessary). For gifts, your child can wrap one or more soaps in recycled paper and tie with a ribbon. As an added touch, include a note explaining the benefits of each herbal ingredient.
Recipes
Lavender Soother
8 oz. melted soap
1/2 tsp. lavender essential oil
1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
Lavender helps calm achy muscles, soothe colic and guarantee a good night’s rest. We mixed lavender essential oil with dried flowers for an effective and beautiful bar of soap.
Nori Cleansing Soap
8 oz. melted soap
1/2 tsp. tea tree oil
1 sheet nori, cut into slivers
Nori is an extremely nourishing sea vegetable that can help with cell regeneration. Tea tree oil is naturally antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial. The combination of these ingredients makes this soap perfect for acne-prone skin.
Softening Oat Scrub
8 oz. melted soap
2 Tbsp. quick oats (the pieces will be smaller than regular oats)
1/4 tsp. cedarwood oil
1 Tbsp. honey
The oats act as gentle exfoliators, while the honey soothes and softens skin. Once finished, this soap will be honey-brown in color. Since the honey and cedarwood oil are both gentle antiseptics, they’re great for oily skin. Also, try swapping cedarwood for birch sweet oil, another mild-scented essential oil.
Sara Snow is the host of Get Fresh with Sara Snow and Living Fresh, both on the Discovery networks. Sara also writes for CNN.com and Treehugger.com.
How To Make Organic Baby Shampoo
Organic Eggs Make a great Ingredient
Hi everyone thought I would share this article on how to make your own Organic Shampoo. Check out the ingredients of our Our Organic Baby Shampoo’s here.
First of all let’s go through what Organic means on a label. 100% = only Organic ingredients are used. When something is labeled Organic it means 90% Organic ingredients are used. And when something is labeled “made with organic” it mean 70% is Organic ingredients.
When you make your own hair products you can pretty much dictate what and what doesn’t go into your hair. You are going to have to play around and act as your own chemist when it comes to your hair as your hair is just as unique as you are. Try adding a bit more of this and a bit less of that and see what results you get. As the ingredients are all readily available and the products easy to prepare, every member of the household can have their own special organic hair care program.
As no chemicals have been used to make the products, homemade hair care will be kind to your hair, skin and to the environment. There are no fears of introducing chemically derived products such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate to the hair and skin. Such chemicals are reported to cause skin irritation and many people try to avoid them.
INGREDIENTS:
No special ingredients are required to make your own organic hair products. Many of the items can be found in your store cupboard right now! Eggs, honey, cider vinegar and olive oil not only make a wonderful salad dressing, but also are great for use on hair to give you smooth, silky locks.
The most important thing to remember is that the better quality the ingredients, the better the end result will be. Therefore use the freshest of ingredients wherever possible. The benefit of using certified organic ingredients is that you have the reassurance that the ingredients you are using have been grown without the use of harmful chemicals or chemically derived substances.
Some of the most common ingredients used in homemade hair products are:
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Fruit
- Avocado
- Honey
- Coconut Oil
Useful Websites
- Longlocks.com – a wide range of recipes.
- PioneerThinking.com – many recipes and ideas.
- KidzWorld.com – a children’s website, but it contains lots of useful information.
In general, the ingredients are mixed together and then applied to the hair and scalp. As there are no chemicals that have been added to speed the process along, better results are reported after leaving the ingredients on the hair for a couple of hours before rinsing well. This depends, of course, on the type of recipe or treatment.
As homemade hair care is completely natural, it also contains no preservatives. Therefore new mixes should be made each time, and any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Cider Vinegar
- Chamomile
- Oils
These organic products are readily available from regular grocery stores and organic markets.
Hope this Helps,
Mark
How to make Organic Baby food
This article I found interesting on www.organicauthority.com/ so I thought I would share with you.
How would you like to save around $30 a week while feeding your baby the highest-quality organic foods?
You can make a week’s supply of baby food in only 30 minutes with an innovative new kit that contains all of the supplies you need to create fresh cuisine for your pride and joy.
Designed for infants 4-6 months old, the So Easy Baby Food Kit preserves foods’ natural color, ensures your baby will not be exposed to harmful pesticides or additives (including sugar and salt) and allows great flexibility in choosing seasonal produce.
The kit, which contains a workbook, 22-minute educational video, nutrition reference cards and freezer trays, is one of the best-selling items at Inventive Parent, a Hampton, New Hampshire-based company that offers parenting tips and distinctive products.
“New parents appreciate the easy-to-follow instructions, recipes, and simple, reassuring nature,” says company founder Sharon Mullen.
“This kit takes all of the guesswork out of making your own baby food,” she tells OrganicAuthority.com. “It is a popular gift because it is thoughtful and unique. Customers who have been making their own food often purchase additional trays to let them make larger or more batches of food at a time.”
New moms are deciding to make their own baby food for several reasons, Mullen notes.
“They want to know what’s in the food they feed their baby,” she explains, “and this is the best way to control it. This increased involvement in your child’s diet is a natural progression from breastfeeding. It is an act of love to prepare a meal, and when you can combine this love with better nutrition, more convenience and less expense, you have a sure winner!
“Too often, the food made for older babies is a combination of several items,” she adds. “When you make your own food, you can control what goes on the plate and save these ‘casseroles’ for later.”
The do-it-yourself approach is also far less expensive than jarred alternatives, including the organic brands, she says.
“It’s nice to pull freshly made food out of your freezer, already divided into 1-oz. portions, rather than scooping food from countless bottles,” Mullen says. “You have an awful lot less recycling to take out every week!”
Important Health Note
Be sure to follow the directions enclosed in any baby food kit, as certain vegetables-particularly greens, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, celery, radishes, beets, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, parsnips, peas, potatoes and turnips-should never be used. They contain nitrates, naturally occurring chemicals that can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as “blue baby syndrome”-a type of anemia that causes infants to turn blue (hence, the name).
Infants younger than 6 months lack the stomach acids required to digest nitrates, so avoid these vegetables when going the make-it-yourself route. To be safe, physicians recommend waiting until your baby is 8-10 months old before using high-nitrate vegetables in homemade foods. It’s perfectly fine to buy jarred organic baby food that contains these vegetables, as the manufacturing process effectively eliminates nitrates.
Be advised that some organic-food proponents assert that organically grown produce does not contain nitrates. This is incorrect, as the nitrates come from within the vegetables-not just the soil in which they are grown. The So Easy Baby Food Kit includes a list of safe vegetables, based on infant age, so you can rest easy. With proper education, there’s no reason to postpone rolling up your sleeves to puree!
How to make Organic baby wipes
Okay we love our Organic Wipes that we sell but we thought we would post this in case you have time mommy to make your own. (of course you have time right : )
Natural baby wipes made with flannel or terry cloth “towels” that can be washed and re-used rather than added to the land dump.
What you will need
For cloth you can go to your local Organic Cloth store.. . wait what.. there’s not one near you yet you say? Okay well you can sneak and go get some non-organic (shame on you) at a regular craft store or you can order organic cloth online at http://www.nearseanaturals.com/ or http://www.organiccottonplus.com/Fabrics.html
Both sites are great and you should have everything you need from both of those.
Once you have have your flannel or alternate material here we go:
1. Depending on the size go ahead and cut each sized flannel material into four strips from top-to-bottom. Try marking out the lines with a pencil and ruler to make them evenly sized.
2. Cut each strip of flannel into three blocks, from left-to-right. Again, you’ll find your efforts much more worthwhile if you measure the strip evenly before you cut.
3. You should have 12 squares now, measuring about 7″ x 7″ (possible a bit thinner if you used flannel material rather than receiving blankets). Now, take two squares and set them together. If you sew by hand, trim the
edges with pinking shears to avoid fraying. Otherwise, machine-sew them with a tight, even zig-zag stitch.
4. Repeat this process until you have about 24 wipes.
The Wipes Cleaning Solution
While herbal products are a safe, natural way of care, you shouldn’t use any skin product until your baby is at least 48 hours old. During this time, a clean cloth and warm water are best – definitely do not use any commercial, chemically-created products at this time.
The all-natural ingredients in this baby wipe wash, including lavender, aloe, and rosewater, will nourish your baby’s skin while effectively preventing and healing diaper rash.
1. Fold your cloth wipes in thirds length-wise and place in a “shoe box” sized plastic container with tightly securing lid.
2. Gather the following ingredients: lavender essential oil (not fragrance oil!), rosewater & glycerin, aloe vera gel, and castor oil.
3. In a bowl, place about 1 cup’s amount of aloe vera gel. Add to this the lavender oil, about 7 drops, and about 1/2 cup of rosewater & glycerin. Mix very well with a wooden spoon. When well mixed, add about 3 tablespoons of castor oil, and mix again. If the solution is still “thick”, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have a liquid solution that can be poured.
4. Pour the cleaning solution over the cloth wipes in the plastic container, and place the lid. The solution will make its way through the layers of cloth within a few hours and be ready for use.
Alternative: Instead of combining the solution over the cloth wipes, you can store each separately. Place the cleaning solution in a 4-8 oz. bottle and when ready to use, mix 1/4 cup wash with 1/4 cup warm water to
cleanse baby using the cloth wipes.
Hope this Helps,
Mark
Organic baby Sunscreen
Mama Rose’s Naturals SunBlocker offers 100% natural sunscreen protection against UVA and UVB rays, while being water and sweat resistent. This non-greasy formula absorbs easily into skin, and can be used effectively on face and body. Make no mistake, our Sunblocker meets the immediate need for a safe, chemical-free sunscreen for you and your family.
Each ingredient in this outstanding product has been carefully chosen to serve its own individual purpose in nourishing, protecting, and moisturizing the skin. Mama Rose’s Naturals SunBlocker is the perfect blend of ingredients resulting in a pleasant-smelling sunscreen lotion without any dangerous artificial chemicals or synthetic fragrances. For this reason you can feel great about putting it on your skin, as well as your baby’s! SunBlocker provides safe broad-spectrum protection for infants, children, and adults.
click HERE to go get it.
Hope this helps,
Mark
Let’s all become a paperless world
Okay so we live organic and get our baby only natural products and we are hoping for an answer to petro soon. What else is up there that we can do to lower our footprint on our wonderful planet.
This is going to sound silly but I am in a class and one of the things we had to do was to memorize a bunch of terms. I immediately thought I had to go out and and buy some paper flash cards.
I did a quick google search and wallaa…. low and behold there is an online flash card site. They even have categories from previous people that you can use. http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
We as a company at All About Organic pretty much are entirely paperless. That means no statements, no checks and no old fashioned file cabinets filled with old docs. The down side being if the internet was ever wiped out I guess we would have to start over. Ohh well i’m willing to take that risk. We would like to hear from you on some more creative ways to cut down on using paper.
“one does not appreciate to breath until it has no air” - Atticus Scout
–Mark
Organic Baby Clothes and why its just so darn good
Every parent wants what best for there babies. There are a ton of decisions out there with doctors, food, toys, and of course clothing. The good news is that we as a world are becoming more conscious with what we buy. (reading labels is a good thing)
Let’s just chat about clothing and the undisputed winner in that decision battle is Organic Baby Clothing.
In making these organic baby bedding and organic baby clothes, only organic cotton is used. These materials do not contain harmful dyes, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Non-organic baby apparel, on the other hand, is made from cotton that have been produced and cultivated with the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
The fact that organic products are manufactured without toxic chemicals, people are starting to realize how important this is. They are good and friendly on nature and to one’s health. And this is a good indication that more and more people are getting aware of the precarious condition of Mother Nature and are doing something about it.
Organic products are good not only for grownups but also for babies. This is because of the babies’ propensity to just pop in anything that they can get their hold of into their mouths like pillow covers, toys, and sleeves. If you buy non-natural clothes for them and they chew on non-organic materials, your baby could be in great risk.
Just be aware of what you are buying and read the labels. Allot of the stuff at the big chains like Wal-Mart, Target, and K-mart are all manufactured as cheap as possible. Unless we as consumers demand it and they see there is a profit in doing it the right way then they will keep producing what sells. I know that’s a stinker but it is capitalism. Take a look the next time you walk down the dairy isles in super Wal-mart and you will start to see that they are paying attention to organic foods and small non-conglomerate farmers. That is a very good sign.
Ohh, those cute little socks at the top. Adorable and 100% Organic. Who says we have to sacrifice style for healthy living!! Click here to check out some more of our organic baby socks…. http://www.myorganicbabystore.com/Organic-baby-socks-s/144.htm
Hope this helps = )
Mark
Keep Your Kids Safe While With A Child Locator Device
I know it’s a tough topic to talk about and we all think that we have eyes in back of our heads. I’m a little undecided on this topic but I will put the info out there and let you be the judge. In my eyes there is no bigger crime in the world then the abduction of a child. Hearing stories about how a child is taken from a parent is just heart wrenching. It’s safe to say that your child is not safe out there in today’s world and even though we do our best to watch them every second there is definitely a need for a back up plan.
We here at MOBS have done the research and there are a few companies out there that stand out.
It’s a fact that 2,200 children go missing every day.
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2810#1
Most children around 7 have cell phones and you can add that feature. Contact your local provider and they can walk you through the details. If your child is too young for that there are two companies that we recommend. Both have gps tracking systems that you can place in a backpack or attach to a wrist.
We found that Brickhouse is the best for immediate child location.
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/child-locator.html
These little suckers are indestructable and are a perfect accessory if you just want something to clamp on in say an airport terminal, theme park, pool area.. etc…
The next step up in safety would be the Amber Alert. They have pretty neat arm bands available that don’t look like atrocities. You can also always track them via Iphone, internet, or calling in. Check them out here.
https://www.amberalertgps.com/products/gps_tracking/amber_alert_gps/
Hope this helps,
MOBS