Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day Celebration

Time to have fun and be with friends and family to honor those who have died defending our country.

If you are looking for a wonderful family-friendly event, please join me at the Pera Club in Tempe at 4pm for The Academy's Memorial Day Celebration!

There will be food, music, auctions, raffles and lots of FUN!

Click here for more information and SEE YOU THERE!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Some lesser known facts about Breast Milk- The wonder food!!

I came across this great article this morning on the Best for Babies website about some great benefits to breastfeeding that you may or may not have known about...I knew some- but not all.

Best for Babies is an AMAZING site to help Moms with all things breastfeeding. Check out the site and spend some time learning and connecting with people who really are supportive!

Here are the facts:

Breastfeeding Your Baby Girl Reduces Her Lifetime Risk of Breast Cancer by as much as 25%.

Your Milk is a Daily Vaccine Against Every Virus You Come Into Contact with.

Your Baby is born with an Immature Digestive System. Your Perfect Milk Completes the Development of Your Baby’s Stomach Lining Making it 15x Thicker Than that of a Formula-Fed Baby.

Your Milk Jump-Starts Your Baby’s Immune System. 

Breastfeeding Helps Babies Regulate Their Breathing.

Your Milk Provides Perfect and Varying Proportions of Fat, Carbohydrates and Protein For Babies of Different Ages. 

Breastfed Babies Make Better Eaters as Toddlers.

Your Milk Knocks a Baby Out Like Nothin’ Else!

Breastfeeding Has a Calming Effect on You Too.

Breastfeeding is a Great Pain Reliever and Soother.

Breastfed Children Cope Better with Stressful Situations Years After Being Weaned.

Breast milk Goes Down Easy and Stays Down.

What Hooters? They’re Heaters! Your Breasts Are Able to Detect Even a One Degree Drop in Your Baby’s Temperature and Warm Up.

Breastfed Babies Have Luminous Skin and they Smell Like Vanilla Beans.

Breastfeeding Protects Against Cavities. 

Breastfeeding Can Reduce the Need for Braces.

Breastfeeding Reduces Bed-Wetting.

Breastfeeding Increases Organ Acceptance in Case of Transplant

Breastfeeding Increases Vaccine Effectiveness.

Help for the Color Blind – Your Areola Have Darkened to Help Baby Hit that Bullseye!

Help for the Farsighted – Newborns Only See Objects Clearly Within 8-10 Inches, the Exact Distance Between Your Nipple and Your Face. 

Breast Milk May Help Clear Up Eye Infections. 

Breast Milk Can Be Left at Room Temperature for Several Hours. 

Breastfeeding Moms Sleep More.

 

There are many more details on each of these topics on the Best for Babies website, so click here to read more about The Wonder Food that is breast milk!

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Breakfast ideas for toddlers

If you are like me, mornings are a fuzzy time. My son happens to be a very early riser. Around 5:30-6am everyday. I am more inclined to sleep until 9am...so obviously, being creative at breakfast is not an easy task.

However, I do like to offer a variety of options for my son to increase his tastes and offer many nutritious options. I figured that it might be helpful to list some of our morning menus to give you some new ideas! Hopefully, you will be inspired to do the same so I can get some new plates into our repetoire as well.

- Instant Organic Oatmeal mixed with organic unsweetened applesauce. (they make a variety of flavors of applesauce to make it more exciting)

- Scrambled eggs (I only buy free range, organic)

- Dry cereal (I stick to no sugar, organic, whole wheat varieties)

- Omelets (mixed with anything I have in the fridge. Onions, peppers, ham, turkey, cheese, broccoli, etc.)

- Whole Wheat toast with banana spread (just mush up part of a banana and spread it on top instead of butter or jelly)

- Breakfast burritos- whole wheat organic tortillas with eggs, ham, turkey or chicken and some cheese and veggies

- Organic no refined sugar added waffles or pancakes (they sell many varieties at Whole Foods made of flax seed, whole wheat, gluten free, etc.) Instead of butter and syrup, I use a fruit puree and let my son dip his waffles or pancakes...he loves to dip!

- Any fruit on Earth, haha. My son loves fruit and I usually give him a bowl full with breakfast

- Cheese and fruit platter. My son is not a huge milk lover yet (still likes mama's milk best) so I am diligent to give him lots of other dairy for his calcium

- Yogurt. I only buy organic or greek (normal yogurt has lots of sugar added and other nasty preservatives. Check the labels!) My son also loves to dip fruit, toast or waffles in yogurt.

I will post lunch and dinner ideas soon! Let me know- What are your favorite breakfast items?

Monday, May 24, 2010

Arizona Midday

I am very excited to be invited on Arizona Midday today to talk about healthy cakes for babies and toddlers.



Tune in to channel 12 at 1pm to see me talk about cakes with no egg, no sugar and other substitutes for healthy eating!

If you are looking for the recipes from today's show, please visit the RECIPES link at the top of my home page.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Produce Pesticides Linked to ADHD

Another great reason to go organic- "New research suggests that exposure to high levels of organophosphate pesticides, commonly found on berries, celery and other produce, could raise the odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children." (www.yahoo.com)

The study points out that the pesticides do not seem to cause ADHD, however, only increase the risk.


So- what can you do? Buy organic, buy local and wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. 


Click here to read the entire article on Yahoo

image courtesy of AFP/Getty Images/File

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen blogs about breastfeeding

I love it when people (celebrities or not) share their experiences about breastfeeding. Gisele admits that it is difficult at first, but then goes on to share how much she enjoys it now:

From her blog:

"On this Mother’s Day I’d also like to talk about a very important issue, which is breastfeeding. It’s essential for the newborn and creates a bond between mother and her child. It’s a unique moment when the body changes to nurture; it’s the Nature’s blessing! Breastfeeding, mainly the first days, poses some challenges, but the reward is sublime. In addition to having all the proteins, fats, and vitamins the baby needs, breastfeeding is an act of love and affection.
It would be great if all the mothers could experience the breastfeeding.
Therefore, on this date, May 9th, I want to wish all the mothers in the world a very special day and may we all be the best we can to our children, who, in turn, will show us their infinite love and brighten every day of our life with laughs (and many sleepless nights as well)." (http://blog.giselebundchen.com.br/?p=1991&lang=en)


Click here to read the entire blog entry celebrating motherhood!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Breastfeeding and Self-Regulation

A new study has come out about how breastfeeding directly from the breast helps infants learn to self-regulate their food intake. This skill is very important for a lifetime, as it is the brain's way of saying "stop eating now- you have had enough to eat", thus reducing overeating and obesity.

It is very interesting- because the article pointed out that breast milk changes from feeding to feeding and even in the middle of a feeding, so an infant learns the cue of how much he/she needs and un-latches from the breast when finished. When bottle feeding, it is easier for adults to fall into the trap of "finish your bottle", when in fact, the infant may have already given the cue that he/she is finished. That is the good news, if you pump and/or feed your baby formula, you can still be sure and encourage the self-regulation, you just need to be aware and pay close attention to your baby and the signs that he/she is finished and not be tempted to make him/her take more. (www.msn.com)

From MSN- the bottom line of this new research: "Feeding directly from the breast should be your first choice, if possible," she said. "If it's not, be aware that you don't overfeed. Pay attention to the signs your baby gives you. Babies are born with the ability to self-regulate their milk intake." (www.msn.com)

Click here to read the entire article