childbirth. Weight loss, particularly during the first three months postpartum, is greater in mothers who breast-feed than in those using formula. Breast-feeding mothers have a lower risk of conception, breast cancer, and osteoporosis, according to studies published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Sometimes, of course, it's impossible to breast-feed your baby. You may have adopted a child, you may have health problems, or the child may have health problems that prevent it. Once you start browsing the aisles of your local supermarket in search of a formula, however, you may be shocked at the ingredients.
When my daughter was an infant, I decided I needed a backup formula to keep on hand. My supply of frozen breast milk was dwindling, and she took bottles of expressed milk every afternoon while I was at work. I pumped breast milk as often as possible, but her appetite was increasing, and I couldn't keep up with her. After reading the labels and finding ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, I couldn't bring myself to buy formula.
I was fortunate to have an expert natural health practitioner to consult. Janet Zand, author of Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, designed a goat's milk-based formula specifically for Sarah. She added vitamin and mineral supplements and essential fatty acids based on Sarah's weight and health needs. It became my emergency formula to use whenever I ran out of pumped breast milk. Sarah tolerated it well, and it took some of the pressure off of me.
"The formulas on the market are not satisfactory," explains Zand. "Read the labels. There's no need to give a baby, who doesn't have a fully developed digestive system, hydrogenated oils. It's not an accident that almost every child who is put on formula initially develops digestive problems."
Zand cautions against designing your own formula without guidance. "It's very challenging to create a formula for an infant. It should be specific
Page 9
to the needs of the child. It's imperative to seek the guidance of a natural health practitioner."
If you're going to give your baby a store-bought formula, however, there are ways to improve it. "I recommend bifidus supplements [friendly bacteria] put right into the bottle," says Zand." Also,just a drop of an essential fatty acid such as borage or flaxseed oil can make a big difference to your child. However, again, I encourage you to seek the advice of a natural practitioner for guidance."
Page 11
Chapter 2
Nutrition
Feed Your Children Well
When my daughter, Sarah, was born, I wanted her, above all else, to be healthy. I had lofty ideas about never feeding her sugar or any type of unhealthy food. She would be raised on organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
As all parents know, however, when it comes to food choices, rigidity often creates more problems than it solves. I decided that my job was to educate rather than to harass. I learned to let her try foods I didn't approve of. I constantly reinforced her understanding that healthy food gives her energy so she can jump, run, play, and grow big and strong, and that sugary, unhealthy foods can make her sick. If we can educate our children, each day, about how their food choices affect how they feel, they eventually will make the right choices for themselves.
Jay Gordon, M.D., a pediatrician based in Santa Monica, California, and author of Good Food Today, Great Kids Tomorrow, believes we should start our babies off with healthy diets for the first few years of their lives but be flexible about birthday parties, Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other special occasions. ''There's a lot more of these occasions than I thought," notes Gordon. "But that's OK. It's still only a small percentage of the meals our kids eat. As children get to be four or five years old, they start to understand that there is a connection between the foods they eat and how fast they run, and whether their tummies hurt or not. At this age, they respond to
Sometimes, of course, it's impossible to breast-feed your baby. You may have adopted a child, you may have health problems, or the child may have health problems that prevent it. Once you start browsing the aisles of your local supermarket in search of a formula, however, you may be shocked at the ingredients.
When my daughter was an infant, I decided I needed a backup formula to keep on hand. My supply of frozen breast milk was dwindling, and she took bottles of expressed milk every afternoon while I was at work. I pumped breast milk as often as possible, but her appetite was increasing, and I couldn't keep up with her. After reading the labels and finding ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, I couldn't bring myself to buy formula.
I was fortunate to have an expert natural health practitioner to consult. Janet Zand, author of Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, designed a goat's milk-based formula specifically for Sarah. She added vitamin and mineral supplements and essential fatty acids based on Sarah's weight and health needs. It became my emergency formula to use whenever I ran out of pumped breast milk. Sarah tolerated it well, and it took some of the pressure off of me.
"The formulas on the market are not satisfactory," explains Zand. "Read the labels. There's no need to give a baby, who doesn't have a fully developed digestive system, hydrogenated oils. It's not an accident that almost every child who is put on formula initially develops digestive problems."
Zand cautions against designing your own formula without guidance. "It's very challenging to create a formula for an infant. It should be specific
Page 9
to the needs of the child. It's imperative to seek the guidance of a natural health practitioner."
If you're going to give your baby a store-bought formula, however, there are ways to improve it. "I recommend bifidus supplements [friendly bacteria] put right into the bottle," says Zand." Also,just a drop of an essential fatty acid such as borage or flaxseed oil can make a big difference to your child. However, again, I encourage you to seek the advice of a natural practitioner for guidance."
Page 11
Chapter 2
Nutrition
Feed Your Children Well
When my daughter, Sarah, was born, I wanted her, above all else, to be healthy. I had lofty ideas about never feeding her sugar or any type of unhealthy food. She would be raised on organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
As all parents know, however, when it comes to food choices, rigidity often creates more problems than it solves. I decided that my job was to educate rather than to harass. I learned to let her try foods I didn't approve of. I constantly reinforced her understanding that healthy food gives her energy so she can jump, run, play, and grow big and strong, and that sugary, unhealthy foods can make her sick. If we can educate our children, each day, about how their food choices affect how they feel, they eventually will make the right choices for themselves.
Jay Gordon, M.D., a pediatrician based in Santa Monica, California, and author of Good Food Today, Great Kids Tomorrow, believes we should start our babies off with healthy diets for the first few years of their lives but be flexible about birthday parties, Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other special occasions. ''There's a lot more of these occasions than I thought," notes Gordon. "But that's OK. It's still only a small percentage of the meals our kids eat. As children get to be four or five years old, they start to understand that there is a connection between the foods they eat and how fast they run, and whether their tummies hurt or not. At this age, they respond to
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