A neighbor friend of ours shared an online article looking into how the baby food industry came to be. Here’s the link – How Canned Baby Food Became King.
It touches on the fact that there used to not be a Baby Food category, just soft foods that were deemed “okay” for babies as well as the sick and elderly. And introducing solids didn’t occur until 9-12 months of age at which they would be given mainly beef and wheat which were seen as strength-producing foods.
The article goes into detail with an industry expert explaining the origins of the baby food business and how it will remain a strong market as so many parents are willing to sacrifice control over what our kids are fed for extra time/convenience.
As the article states, and I agree, there are many healthy baby food options for parents to feed their babies, but some parents take pride in making their kids’ own food. Going Mom and I are perfectly happy and prideful for making Avery’s food. My awesome wife literally makes the main source of food by breastfeeding, and as the time rolls on, I’ve been able to get more creative in the kitchen.
Well, it’s not mommy’s milk, and it definitely didn’t come from her boob, but it’s good!
Please, give it a read and let me know your thoughts.
Happy Halloween, we’re celebrating Avery’s first by trick-or-treating and saying we don’t want anything but to say hi! Although today is Halloween and I should be posting something about how to avoid over-consumption of candy by your little ones as well as yourself, I wanted to share a post from my previous blog.
Ready to roll as a pumpkin! Original, I know….
Before I was a dad, I had another blog centered on healthy food called “Just Add Cayenne”. Obviously, you can tell I’m a fan of spicy food, but despite the name, I shared a lot of healthy dessert recipes/ideas too. You can check it out by clicking on the “Just Add Cayenne” page tab above and look around for a while.
I’m always interested in the health benefits of food and prefer to use it in place of traditional medicine whenever possible. For instance, I haven’t taken something like ibuprofen or aspirin for aches and pains in years; I use cayenne (hence the blog’s name) or ginger for their anti-inflammatory properties instead. I feel much better in doing so, and know I’m not sabotaging my gut lining or other insides as a result.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, Going Mom knows the importance of breastfeeding, and I’m extremely happy and proud that she’s giving Avery the best nutrition available. I mean, Nature’s pretty damn good at knowing what we need, and no formula or rice cereal will ever replace it! Unless you’re unable to for some reason, I see no good reason why you wouldn’t breastfeed your children.
Lately, Kelley has been concerned about her production and we’ve been looking for natural alternatives to give it a boost. She’s been drinking Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk herbal tea for a while now, but doesn’t always have time to brew a cup of tea with her busy work schedule on top of needing to pump. So, now I’m trying to boost things by adding fenugreek to her meals and soon we’ll have a fenugreek supplement to use too.
For the record, I think she’s doing fine and Avery doesn’t seem to complain (besides when she’s just a fussy baby), but either way, as you will see, there are plenty of other benefits to using fenugreek as well. Below is my original post from my old blog which also includes fennel since it’s another healthy addition to you meals. Plus, it made for a lot of “F’s” in my post title!
I have two awesome foods for you to add to your meals to create functional flavors that boost nutrition. One powder from the licorice flavored vegetable, fennel, and the other from an herb, fenugreek. Both of these have very distinguishable flavors that stand out in dishes. For that reason, you have to be careful because too much could ruin a dish.
These are both new functional flavors I’ve started to add to my diet and hope to feel a difference after using for a while. Fennel and fenugreek are known for alleviating annoying digestive issues (what? we all have them!) along with several other ailments.
Here’s a sample of fennel’s multiple health benefits, as listed on Organicfacts.net:
The health benefits of fennel include relief from anemia, indigestion, flatulence, constipation, colic, diarrhea, respiratory disorders, menstrual disorders, eye care, etc. Fennel, bearing the scientific name Foeniculum Vulgare Miller, or its essence, is widely used around the world in mouth fresheners, toothpastes, desserts, antacids and in culinary.
Fennel is a diuretic, i.e. increases amount and frequency of urination, thereby helping removal of toxic substances from the body and helping in rheumatism, swelling etc. It also increases production and secretion of milk in lactating mothers and since this milk contains some properties of fennel, it is anti flatulent for the baby too. It strengthens hair, prevents hair fall, relaxes body, sharpens memory and has a marvelous cooling effect in summer if the pale greenish-yellow water, in which it is soaked, is taken with a bit of sugar and black-salt.
And no, I am not using it for production of milk in my breasts. I’m neither lactating nor a woman; the indigestion and stomach relief is what I’m after. (Edit: And to boost Kelley’s milk supply too!) Read the full benefits of fennel here.
Fenugreek’s health benefits, also listed on Organicfacts.net, are:
The health benefits of fenugreek include relief from anemia, pregnancy pains, increasing lactation, digestion, loss of taste, fever, hair care, dandruff, stomach disorders, biliousness, respiratory disorders, mouth ulcers, sore throat, diabetes, inflammations, wounds and insomnia..
Most of these benefits offenugreekare due to the presence of saponins andfiberin it. Fenugreek is also used for herbal healing. Its seeds contain a gumming substance called mucilage. Mixed with water, mucilage expands and becomes a gelatinous soother for irritated tissues.
Fenugreek is used to treat wounds, inflammation and gastrointestinal ailments. Fenugreek helps in antioxidation. So, it prevents and repairs damages caused by free radicals. According to ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, fenugreek can be used for inducing labour and aiding digestion. It is also good to improve metabolism and health. Irritated skin condition can be soothed by the external application of fenugreek. Fenugreek is also used for fevers and muscle aches.
Fenugreek is considered to be a safe herbal food. It is also used as a spice and tastes oddly of bitter celery and maple syrup.
Hopefully I will share a successful outcome with Going Mom’s production, but as you see, there are many other benefits to these foods and I recommend adding them whenever possible.
Have you ever used fennel or fenugreek?
Any moms out there that have tried boosting lactation naturally?
The awesome folks over at Daily Mom are taking part by launching a brand new category for their site called “Mommy Moments.” This new category is for mommies (and daddies) to share their personal stories about breastfeeding. The stories can be humorous or serious experiences you’ve had, or things you wish you would’ve known.
Check out their website and take part of this wonderful campaign I think needs to be in effect year round! I know I’ve talked about breastfeeding and how much I support it several times in the past, and I’ll talk about many more times I’m sure.
I realize not all mothers are capable of breastfeeding either because of an issue they have or their baby has. Please do not take offense to my thoughts on the importance of breastfeeding; we are fortunate enough that Going Mom is able to breastfeed Avery and we wouldn’t have it any other way. To those who want to but can’t, I am truly sorry and my sincerest thoughts go out to you.
The benefits of breastfeeding over formula are tremendous and will last a lifetime with your baby. From fewer illnesses and trips to the doctor, to a higher IQ, healthy weight, and increased bonding, breastfeeding (when able) is a no-brainer.
Breastfeeding also benefits the mother by burning extra calories, helping your uterus return to pre-pregnancy size, and reducing risk of breast and ovarian cancer. And, a benefit for the entire family, it saves time and money by not having to buy formula that you have to mix and measure.
Happy wife giving the healthiest food to our baby and saving us money!
As a guy, I obviously am not able to breastfeed, but that doesn’t mean I just sit back and let my darling wife do all the work. No way!! All of us men should stand behind their partners and support their breastfeeding as much as possible.
The role of a good dad means being present and supportive throughout…..well, forever! From the beginning, doing what I could to help Kelley’s breastfeeding efforts was important to me, and I know she appreciates all I have done. She told me so! 🙂
Napping after a good meal.
I’d like to contribute my experience as part of Daily Mom’s new category, “Mommy Moments” by sharing my thoughts on breastfeeding. Here are some of the ways I help Kelley give our precious daughter the best nutrition that benefits her health, immunity, growth, and development:
Take care of cleaning bottles and pump parts. When Kelley comes home from a long day at a demanding job and somehow finding time to pump several times a day, the last thing she needs is to worry about cleaning everything to be ready for the next day. Instead, I’ll take all of the parts and accessories, make new bottles, and wash everything while she spends time with Avery.
Remind her how great it is that she is able to provide the best nutrition to our baby. We both know it, everything I’ve mentioned above and more is all true, but it’s always good to be reminded of how awesome you are…amiright? 🙂
Cook healthy and tasty food. Even before we were parents, I would take over most of the cooking, and now is no different. I cook with a lot of veggies, whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, and lean meats to prepare meals for work and home. I’m not only providing great nutrition for my beautiful wife, I’m providing for our beautiful baby too! I use packaged food sparingly and only after making sure the ingredients are worthy. The importance of nutrition is never ending, and the closer to being a whole, unprocessed food, the better.
Have her water bottle full and within reach. When breastfeeding, it’s common to always feel thirsty as your body requires a lot of energy and nutrients to produce breast milk in addition to keep the body functioning. Water helps deliver nutrients where needed and should always be available to any breastfeeding mother.
Show sympathy and listen to her. This is key to a healthy relationship whether you have a child or not, but just being there to listen means a lot. Lately, with Avery’s teeth coming in, Kelley has every right to need to vent to someone about the pain of biting! Avery actually took a shot at my nipple one day and OUCH, that is not easy to have to deal with several times a day. To all breastfeeding women, I bow down to your awesomeness!
Bring Avery to her in bed for nighttime and morning feedings. As many know, breastfeeding is exhausting, but if you’re determined to give the best to your child (and don’t want to pump), feeding your baby when they wake at night or in the morning is vital. I do what I can by bringing Avery to Kelley when requested so all she needs to worry about is the feeding part.
Take care of diaper changes. As mentioned many times already, breastfeeding is a full time job in and of itself, so having one less thing to worry about allows Kelley to focus on more important things; good, nutritious breast milk. I know I’m a stay-at-home dad and should be doing this, but I still worked the first couple of months and would take over the diaper changing when I could. It makes a world of difference!
At almost 9 months old, Avery is still getting most of her nutrition from breast milk and only eating steamed veggies at dinnertime. Kelley’s current goal is to breastfeed up to 18 months, so she’s halfway there!
I will continue to support her to the best of my abilities and hope all dads will do the same for their baby’s momma. After all, why would anyone want to put something called “formula” in their child?
