Baby's needs

An infant needs good nutrition and relative freedom from toxins and health insults, just like the rest of us. The difference being that our early lives are windows of opportunity that are never to be repeated. The right nutrition and physical environment in infancy sets the stage for proven life long benefits!

Conversely, insults to the body, whether they involve sub-optimal nutrition or toxic insult, will leave lasting partly irreversible negative effects for the rest of that person's life! So let us plan on giving new humans the best possible start for life here on Earth!

In the Womb

The developing fetus needs optimal amounts of every nutrient known to man for optimum development. Particularly important are;

folic acid (vitamin B9) found in beans, greens, chicken and turkey giblets, and vitamin supplements

omega 3 fats, found in fish, fish oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds

iron, from dark beans and lentils, and dark meats, organ meats, and quality supplements, like Trophic brand Iron

vitamin C, to help prevent miscarriages and premature rupture, from broccoli, brussel sprouts, and citrus fruits, as well as supplements

iodine, from seaweed, seafood and unrefined sea salt (look for the grey-coloured kind in the health store) Commercial iodised salt is not my first choice.

Mother needs to avoid having more than one alcoholic drink per day. Anything more elevates risk of permanent brain damage to baby (fetal alcohol syndrome).

If a woman knows in advance she is going to conceive, a thorough detox or series of detoxes is a wonderful idea. See the detox pages. Baby will be healthier and stronger as a result.

If already pregnant, do not do any strong detox (none of those listed on this site), since it may damage the fetus.

Talk to the unborn baby, sing to it- it can hear you! Set up a loving, peaceful environment as far as possible. Avoid negative energies, thoughts, and situations. Continually pray and meditate on your blessings and be thankful.

New Baby

According to former Director, Women's and Children's Health, World Health Organization, Marsden Wagner, a home birth with a midwife is your safest bet. And this is coming from a man, who happens to be an Obstetritian! He does also say that there needs to be a plan B in place, where mother and child can be brought to a hospital within a half hour, in the event of a medical emergency.

He runs a wonderful website, by the way     http://www.marsdenwagner.com

Breast is Best

If possible, breast feed. Drink plenty of fluids, eat well, and consult a herbalist, like Roger at Thuna's, here in Toronto, if you need some help with milk output. Enjoy the process of bonding and nourishing baby, and do not fret- a few days of low supply will do no harm. Worrying about your lactation can "dry you up".

Baby's first foods should definitely NOT be any cereal product. NO grains, no pain. Cereals are potentially insulting to a developing gut. Go with soft mashed fruits and cooked mashed vegetables first, in a rotated fashion, to see how each one reacts with baby. If you do want to try cereals, try them one at a time, and if possible, cook them yourself and blend them at home. Oats, whole rice, and millet are good to start with- please cook according to my mould-free method, on the vegetarian recipe page.

Avoid Mercury and Formaldehyde Injections

Educate yourself, and stand up for your rights, and those of your offspring. vran.org is a good place to start. It is a Canadian website run by parents, and has straight talk on vaccines. Do not believe the pharma-medico-hype, but read and educate yourself from those who are not tied to big pharma!

Colic, Diarrhea, Constipation

Babies are born with a sterile or near sterile gut. Very soon after birth, the gut is 'colonised' with germs. This is a guarantee, and perfectly natural and deisrable. What is not guaranteed is the majority of the bacteria being good for your baby. Helpful bacteria residing in baby's intestines will help promote lifelong immune balance, reduce allergies, and ensure good digestion and elimination. 

The natural source of friendly germs or probotics for baby are from mother's breast. Healthy lactating women tend to have acidophilus bacteria on and near the surface of their nipples. Mother should avoid harsh and unnatural cleaning agents and modern soaps, opting for a water scrub and rinse only. Harsh cleaning can strip away the friendly germs. If soap must be used, opt for a natural glycerin soap. See the Skin page on this website for more healthy skin information.

As 'added insurance', to promote friendly germs for baby, especially important when bottle fed, some good, effective and very safe supplements are available. I would recommend the bifidus and acidophilus powder, by DDS. Just mix with formula, or in the case of breastfeeding, just make into a paste with water or breastmilk, and apply to the nipples before feeding.

Another good product is Bio-K. I would go for the liquid, dairy version. I did hear that a severe case of diarrhea in a baby was cured by giving it some Bio-K. Remember, it is 100% safe to give your baby high quality probiotics, as listed here.

Probiotics, or friendly germs do the same thing for babies as they do for adults; they normalise gut function, helping treat both constipation and diarrhea. The research on probiotics goes back to the early 1900's at least. Metchnikoff received a Nobel prize in 1908 for his work in immunity, and did pioneering research and theorising in the field of friendly germs, or probiotics and their importance in human health. Around that time, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in America learned of Metchnikoff's work, and ended up promoting Acidophilus yogourt, and later soymilk, and even soy "cottage cheese". He had great success treating infant and adult intestinal problems with his Acidophilus therapies.

ADD ADHD, and Kiddie Cocaine

Ritalin and other drugs given to innocent children are actually kiddie-cocaine, and they are harmful and addictive. Regardless of big Pharma claims.

Children with "ADD", and "ADHD" are largely victims of a fairy-tale diagnosis. Why fairy-tale? One is that the DSM IV definition for ADD is absolutely non scientific and actually a call to drug our children into submission. Just say no to drugs.

What children who are "hard to manage" need is a multi-faceted question. First off, they need stable blood sugar. Whacky blood sugar levels cause whacky behaviour, from anger and aggression to stupor and indifference. The suggestions to follow are good for everyone; child and adult. Not just children who are "difficult".

Blood Sugar Rx

First and foremost, protein needs to be consumed in the morning, before school, or on the way to school. Starting the day with enough protein will steady blood sugar, and lead to good mood, focus, and energy.

Good proteins are;

a few spoons of raw almond butter spread on sliced fruit

2 whole eggs, cooked in any acceptable manner (use coconut oil if frying)

yogourt, plain, with a scoop of plain, unflavoured natural whey protein stirred in, and some natural jam for flavour and sweetness

1/4 to 1/2 cup cottage cheese, with any fruit- perhaps grapes or melon

any leftover meat or poultry that may appeal to the child

1/4 to 1/2 cup hummous, with pita or raw veg

a large handful of hemp seeds (a super protein food) on top of oatmeal which has been boiled up with raisins

Avoid

Forget what the junk food apologists claim . . . refined sugar spells ADD and ADHD promotion! Avoid sugary anything, including sweetened yogourt.

As explained in my weight loss page and video, all cold cereals are torturously overprocessed. I repeat; all cold cereals suck. I do not care if they are organic, whole grain, whatever- they all are bad. They come out of a gun, which perverts their structure on a molecular level into something which you should not ever eat or give your child.

Home-made oatmeal is fine. Just do not go the micro-wave route if you want hot cereal.

Allergies equal Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

A low allergen diet is great for anyone. An allergy can easily cause mood and behaviour symptoms which range from mild to bizarre, and children and adults. Try a rotation diet- see the Allergy page on this site. At the very least, substitute common allergens for a while- investigate, experiment, and see how different foods affect your baby!

As outlined on my Allergy page, you need at least 3 days "off" of a food, to really count as a break for the body. Notice- any differences when you methodically eliminate common allergens, like dairy, wheat, soy, corn? Sugar? Do not be surprised; sugar is actually a common allergen!

If you know your child's blood type, then you have a place to start in terms of finding offending foods. Look at the lists on the Blood type page, also on this site. If you do not know your child's blood type, no big deal- everyone needs to experiment for themselves; a food on the "good list" for a certain blood type can still be an allergen for some individuals.

How to have TALL Offspring

How tall we grow has a lot to do with protein and fat. Since meat and poultry are good sources of protein and fat, we see that people who eat more of them in their formative years tend to be bigger and taller. Just look at Canadian offspring of parents from poorer countries. Same genes, more height.

All children should definitely have generous amounts of fat in their diet. Even our somewhat fat-phobic recommendations in this country allow for generous fat intake up to age 2. Vegetarian children should have quality zinc, and iron supplements, as well as B12, and they should have lots of nuts, seeds, and nut butters, to get good fats and proteins to support growth.

Boys especially require adequate zinc, to help support testosterone and full male development. Zinc is likely to be very low in a vegetarian diet.

Iron is not really a concern, if dark legumes like black lentils, and kidney beans are regularly eaten.

For the full story on fats, visit the "Fats that you need" page.

Giving your child a quality multi-vitamin is a good idea- I would recommend the Adult Gourmet multi (chewable), by NuLife, at one a day (full adult dose is 2 per day). A child near or at puberty can take a good adult multi, like any by Progressive, NuLife, or Platinum.

Vegetarian children, especially vegans tend to grow more slowly. Whether or not they will eventually reach the same height as their meat-eating counterparts, I am not sure, but paleologic evidence would suggest that they wouldn't.

Personally and subjectively, I believe a mostly vegetarian diet is ideal for most adults, but not growing children.