Yummy Mineral-Rick Drink for Kids!

We know our kids don't get the same amount of minerals as past generations have - our food unfortunately is not grown in the same mineral-rich soils (over-harvesting and over-production), processed foods and grains which have stripped the nutrients from our food, the hybridization of grains that have changed their composition, and having moved away from our traditional nourishing diets (organ meats, bone broths, unpasteurized milk, healthy fats etc).

What can we do? Making bone broths is a great strategy, but you may find you don't have the time to do it regularly (I know I don't). This is one of my favorite 'quick' methods of getting those minerals into my kids that supposedly is as dense as bone broths (and they LOVE it - they call it their 'hug in a mug'). I offer this most mornings before breakfast to warm them up - add 1-2 TBSP Mineral Matrix (by St. Francis) into a mug, top 3/4 with boiling water, and the other 1/4 with organic cream/milk/almond milk and 1 tsp honey/maple syrup and serve.

 I prefer the cream because it's SUPER creamy, and as long as it's organic the fats in the cream will slow down digestion and minimize the blood sugar rise from the honey, keeping your kids energy nice and steady. YUM!

Bye-bye Blemishes

Although I am far removed from the season of having babies in the house, the products we formulate at Olive Baby are still front and center to my family’s skin care regime.  This is no more evident than when it comes to my daughter's ongoing struggles with teenage acne.  Nicely put - acne is the pits!  So, after consulting with Dr. Anna to discuss the ins and outs of teenage acne, my daughter, Hannah, is now well on our way to managing this less than fun part of being Sweet 16!

 

First and foremost, establishing a good cleansing routine is essential. Washing your face morning and night with a gentle, all natural cleanser is imperative to remove dirt and oil buildup from the face and body.  A gentle castile soap, such as our Olive Baby Body Wash, is non-irritating and highly effective in getting the job done! Once the face is clean and pat dry, be sure to follow up with a facial toner.  Surprisingly, our Olive Baby Bottom Cleaner is the ideal skin toner for your face – the witch hazel tones, the aloe and chamomile soothes irritated and inflamed skin (which includes the redness we see in acne).  A few pumps onto a clean cotton pad, and voila! Finally, in addition to the above routine, tea tree oil or castor oil can be applied topically to breakout areas. Dabbed on the face at night, these wonder-oils cleanse and heal acne lesions while you sleep.  

Once a consistent hygiene routine is established, it’s equally important to address dietary issues. Minimizing dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream), fried foods, refined sugars, trans-fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats, will go a long way in limiting breakouts. Other common acne triggers can include citrus, soy, tomato, chocolate, and gluten, so limiting these foods is also highly recommended. On the other end of the spectrum, foods 

to add to your diet to help minimize acne include foods high in zinc such as 

pumpkin seeds, beans, and whole-grain breads.

Finally, switching out your pillow case each night (flip it over, then the next day use a clean one) is a great way to avoid the oils and dirt being rubbed back into the pores. 

Before long, you’ll be sporting a fresh, clean, blemish free face! 

Strawberry Delight

Our garden is in full swing here at 

Olive Baby

and one of the most anticipated crops this year is our sweet

STRAWBERRIES.

The plants are lush and full of budding berries, and with a little more sunshine and

a few weeks of growth, they'll be ready to harvest and enjoy.

Some of our favourite ways to enjoy berries around here include:

So whether you're growing your own, heading to a local farmer's market, or stopping by your local grocery store, be sure to stock up on fresh, sweet, in-season strawberries.

Not only are they good for you, they truly are the taste of summer!

Enjoy!

Baby Food Intro Books and Baby Led Weaning

So here's part 2 of my food introduction with Clara. So as I was saying, we're doing things differently. It's part Weston-Price Foundation, part Baby-led weaning...but don't get overwhelmed by the terms and theories, there's a large portion that's just plain intuitive!

So if you're overwhelmed and not sure where to start, definitely visit a few websites such as http://www.westonaprice.org/and http://nourishedkitchen.com/ to find out the basic thoughts on this approach.

My patients probably know that my favorite book for children's nutrition is 'Whole Foods for Children' by Jude Blereau. I love this book because it discusses the importance of healthy fats being introduced into the diet from day one. Many other resources just recommend veggie or fruit purees without any added fats - when you think that breast milk is nearly 50% fat, it makes sense that we include healthy fats in foods as well. Babies need it for their developing adrenal glands and brain. The book takes you through food introduction into the toddler years and beyond. It discusses soaking grains (making them more digestible) and fermenting (developing healthy gut bacteria). I also like the fact that the emphasis early on is veggies, meat and fruit, then later on the gluten-free grains like quinoa, amaranth etc.

Looking back my middle child already had a healthy intro to foods than my first child - we did veggies and fruits first, and left grains till later, but I wish I had done more fats and nourishing foods like egg yolks, liver and broths! When I look back on my last pregnancy, I'm convinced that the reason it was my best (felt the best, great energy throughtout) was that I ate LOTS of healthy fats in my diet - it became by 'Aha' moment with my last pregnancy. I'm talking about avocado, raw nuts/seeds, nut butters, fish oils, lots of flax seeds, coconut oil and olive oil. Those around me couldn't believe my energy levels. Even post-partum I've had more energy than I've ever had with the other kids. So eat your fats!!

Yesterday Clara didn't get any solids (part of baby led weaning is not stressing about food intro since baby is still getting most of their nutrients from milk - it needs to be laid-back and enjoyable, not forced). I need to go to the farmer's market and get more veggies for her - I want her experience with veggies to be positive, so it means getting the sweetest, freshest in-season veggies. Today I put some banana slices in her tray, but they just slipped out of her hands! So I finally gave in and mashed them! I also pulled her carrot/apple/coconut oil puree out of the freezer and gave her that. I'll try to post more shortly but I think this is a good start for resources!

Baby Food Intro - 3rd time around!

So my third child Clara is 5.5months old and is REALLY interested in foods - grabbing at anything that comes within reach of her little body. It's been 5 years since my first child had solids introduced into his diet, and i'm certainly doing things differently this time around. As a 'new' mom I fell into the trap of introducing grains as a first food, but after several years of experience, research and experimentation I'm doing things differently. The enzymes to properly break down grains (amylase) are not developed until closer to 10 months, and gluten is one of the tougher ones to break down so that one can be save for closer to 12 months.
My patients know that I'm now recommending 'nourishing foods' be introduced first - these include a big focus on healthy fats, veggies and organic meats. It's very similar to the recommendations of the Weston Price foundation.
So examples of Clara's first foods will be sweet potato with egg yolks or coconut oil, avocado, various veggies with added fats and liver (we have a frozen organic liver which we will be grating into various foods for a source of iron, vitamin A, zinc and various other vitamins). I will be updating my progess as I go, and will share my experience if I can.
Today I let Clara sample a puree of organic carrots with touch of apple, and a warm egg yolk mixed in (soft boil an egg and scoop out the runny yolk). She gobbled it up. A note about egg yolks - unlike the protein-rich whites which are not recommended until 1 year of age, the yolk is high in essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). VERY good for the brain development in children!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND.
Naturopathic Doctor & Founder
Olive Baby
www.olivebaby.ca

Olive baby is a line of 100% natural baby skin care products. Formulated by a Naturopathic doctor (and mother) with sensitive skin in mind. Olive oil is nature’s perfect skin moisturizer and is the foundation for our products.

Cinnamon Buns

I recently came across a cinnamon bun recipe in a magazine, and tailored it to up the fiber. These came out great, and were even gobbled up by my husband who supposedly 'doesn't like cinnamon buns'. Kids LOVED them, and they are low in sugar, so they make a great snack. You can even play around with the type of flour you use - next time i'll try spelt and buckwheat I think. These are great to have on a cold day!

Cinnamon Buns

Dough:

2.5 cups Whole Wheat flour

1 cup whole oats

¼ cup ground flax seeds

1 TBSP baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup cold butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup almond milk (or other milk alternative)

Filling:

¼ cup brown sugar

4 TBSP melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins or mix of chopped dried fruit

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Add milk (may need to add a few more TBSP. if it’s too dry). Transfer to floured surface. Knead with floured hands gently until it’s pliable. With a floured rolling pin (or hands) work into a 10x16 inch rectangle. Spread the topping over entire surface except a 1 inch border along the length. Roll into a long log, sealing the seam. With serrated knife cut into 1 inch rolls. Transfer each roll (lay flat) to a buttered 8 inch square pan. Bake at 400 for 40 min.