Category Archives: health

Dr. Flood recommended we get some fermented living foods into our lives. We bought some Kimchi at a near by health food store. But now I’m learning to make it. It’s pretty easy; a lot of it is just waiting for the fermentation to happen. Here is a recipe for Kim Chi I just made. Mmmm… This recipe is great. It even has step-by-step pictures.

And here are some reasons why fermented living foods–the unpasteurized kind–are so healthy:

• They are full of healthy probiotics and lactic acid, which add good bacteria to your intestines to fight off the bad bacteria (from Kelly The Kitchen Kop).
• Fermentation adds yummy flavor.
• Fermentation generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium (from www.rwood.com).
• Some ferments create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor (from www.rwood.com).
• They contain a high concentration of dietary fiber, while being low in calories (from Wikipedia).
• One serving also provides up to 80% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and carotene (from Wikipedia).

Dr. Flood, our family practitioner, recommended that we give Anjali a teaspoon of black strap molasses every other day. As I recall, she said it was a great source of iron.

So, I did some quick on black strap molasses and thought I would share a few facts:

1. It is the byproduct of processing sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar.

2. After the processing, sugar has no nutrition, while black strap molasses has all the nutrition.

3. By adding two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to the food and drink you consume, you’ll be getting 10% or more of the recommended daily allowance of iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, copper, potassium and several other essential nutrients and minerals.

Blackstrap molasses is also a great source of selenium and Vitamin B6.

4. Health benefits include help with:

• anxiety
• pain from arthritis
• constipation
• improving varicose veins
• rheumatism
• even benign tumors.
• Some even say it will turn your gray hair back to its original color (I think I’m gonna have me some of that!).

It’s pretty tasty stuff too! We have Plantation Organic Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses. We recommend the unsulphured kind to avoid that processing chemical.  It has a cleaner taste too.

We eat it in plain yogurt or sometimes with our morning oatmeal.  We also take a teaspoon or tablespoon of it straight up sometimes.  I hear it’s also great to bake with.  I’m not much of a baker, so you’ll have to let me know if you try it in some baking recipe!

I received the Stay At Home Papa email about my Crying It Out In Arms post. Madhavi noticed a Google ad in the sidebar for Enfamil Restfull.

Here is what it said:

“Your baby needs a proper amount of sleep to keep her healthy and happy. Establishing a night time sleep schedule can be a challenge and one of mom’s biggest concerns. When a baby’s final feeding before bedtime keeps him satisfied for longer, better sleep is a better possiblity.

Enfamil RestFull is designed to gently thicken in baby’s tummy and digests slowly for a natural way to help keep baby feeling satisfied. So you both can rest better.”
See the full Enfamil Restfull ad here.

REALLY?!?!?! “Natural way.”????

Maybe we have been doing this all wrong. Thanks Enfamil.

I haven’t made this soup in a while, and I cannot remember the exact recipe as it was told to me, but I plan on making it tonight. Super simple, tasty and completely raw.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tomatoes (heirloom preferred), cut into chunks
• 1-2 red peppers, cut into chunks
• a baseball-sized amount of basil. Basically grab a bunch of basil packed tightly, and when it’s about the size of a baseball you have enough.
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 avocados, cut into small chunks

Put all ingredients except avocado into the vitamix or blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes. In the vitamix the soup will actually get warm. Pour into bowls and add avocado chunks. Done. Yum!

We have had a loose shoes-off policy at our house since before Anjali was born. Now that she is moving and crawling around on the floor our rule has become more strict. We feel much better, knowing that her hands–that go very quickly from floor to mouth–are much cleaner. You should consider this, and here is the simple and obvious reason why:

Shoes track all sorts of pollutants from streets, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. into our house. Baby crawls on floor. Baby’s hands and toys go in mouth. Pollutants go in baby.

Remember that babies Anjali’s age (about 7 months) still have developing immune systems. These pollutants are taxing on their system and can cause short term and long-term problems.

SOME FACTS:
There is a great little article by Annie B. Pond called Shoes Off At The Door? New Reasons Why. A summary of her points:

• New studies show that while we may no longer be tracking in as much bacteria on our shoes, we are tracking in dangerous pollutants.
• Lead is commonly tracked into homes on shoes. Even low levels of lead can cause behavior disorders, anemia and nerve damage.
• It is especially important to take off shoes at the door if you have carpets. Pollutants and allergens accumulate in carpets and it is difficult to clean them well enough.
• A study published in the journal of Environmental Science & Technology, found that toxic coal tar, found in driveway sealants, a known carcinogen, is tracked into homes from driveways and parking lots.

Yikes!

WHAT WE DO:
We take our shoes off right at the door, back or front. We ask people to do the same when they come to our house, and people are very receptive to that. Madhavi got these cool slippers for people to wear if they feel uncomfortable barefoot. Madhavi rocks! We also got a steam cleaner to clean the few carpeted areas in our house, and also the wood and tile floors. Also, trying to keep on top of the vacuuming, which is especially important with Fuzzy, our long-haired cat.  Another way we try to avoid chemicals is by choosing natural products, toys and clothing.  We use organic baby shampoo and body wash, try to stick to wooden toys, and buy organic clothing when possible, or at least natural fiber clothing.

We recently started giving avocados to Anjali. Our family practitioner, Dr. Jean Flood, M.D., also recommended that avocados are a great, healthy and filling food for Anjali. And what a perfect food they are for a 6-month old doing baby led weaning, a practice in which parents skip the mashed-foods-phase and simply let their baby explore, play with and eat solid food as they show interest and readiness.

I simply cut and peel the skin, and then slice the avocado into handle-able pieces for Anjali (an egg slicer works great!). A ripe avocado is more than soft enough for her to gum and swallow. It is tasty (she loves it so far) and an extremely nutrient-dense, healthy fruit. Also, as it is not a sweet fruit, it fits perfectly in the first foods category because we don’t want to introduce her to too many sweet foods at first before getting a taste for non-sweet food like veggies.

Avocado Facts:

• Avocados have 60% more potassium than bananas.
• 75% of an avocados calories come from fat, most of which is monosaturated fat. Among the list of the role of fat in our bodies, fats compose 60% of the human brain, provide 60% of our heart’s energy and provide nerves with insulation and protection.
• Among fruits, avocados have an exceptional amount and quality of protein.
• Avocados have 8 essential nutrients: Vitamins A, C, E, Folacin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron and Magnesium.
• There are large amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber in avocados. Consumption of these lowers risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
• Avocados are rich in antioxidants, which reduce free-radicals that can cause harm to various cells and organs.

I know they are cute. But can you not touch my daughter’s hands please!

Ever since we started venturing into the outside world with Anjali (about two weeks after our homebirth), we have needed to be vigilant about protecting her from people touching her hands and face–especially the hands. Especially in those early months, when infants’ immune systems are very fragile and mainly protected by their mother’s milk, it is important to minimize the amount of germs they come in contact with. But it has been a battle to get people not to touch her hands.

Okay, I can perhaps excuse those without children. But those who have had children should know that babies’ hands are constantly going in their mouths. It may seem harmless to touch a baby’s hands. After all, you know you wouldn’t spread germs. But when is the last time you washed your hands? How many door knobs have you touched? How many dollar bills? Have you sneezed in your hands recently? And now if you touch my daughter’s hands, do you realize that she will without a doubt put them in her mouth shortly thereafter?

We might be viewed as germaphobes, but hand washing is perhaps the easiest and most effective way to prevent the spread of germs. As a health care professional, my wife has pointed out the importance of hand washing. And you know, she rarely if ever gets a cold. Coincidence? On the flip side I have a friend who scoffs at the idea of germs and thinks it a bit paranoid to worry about such things. It seems like once a month he is sick with some cold or flu. Coincidence?

So, I know those little pudgy hands are cute, and I know we live in a hand-shake society. But think twice before you just grab a baby’s hands. Take a moment to wash yours, or ask the child’s parents if they have any hand sanitizer (better to wash hands with mild soap and water. Save the sanitizer for when the hand-washing option is unavailable; over-use of that stuff is unhealthy).