“I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and followed Maria’s WOE the whole time. I occasionally went up to 60g carbs a day because I LOVE fruit and like to have it fresh and in season. I had the best, easiest pregnancy I ever had! I had very minimal morning sickness and less fatigue than with the others. I had no swelling and my blood pressure was perfect. I never experienced that extreme discomfort that so many women complain of. I 100% attribute a great pregnancy to Maria’s WOE. I gave birth naturally to a very healthy 7lb 5oz baby boy. I’m actually sad he’s the last one because my pregnancy was so wonderful.” -Sue
ClickHERE to get started on your keto-adapted diet.
“Maria helped me lose 75 pounds in just over a year. The Maria way cleared up many health issues I had been struggling with, some my whole life. Losing the weight and getting into the best health of my life also helped me and my husband get pregnant after 7 years of trying and two miscarriages. We are due with our little girl in February. Thank you Maria Emmerich for changing my life.”Leah
BABY ACID REFLUX
Sadly, parents often think that rice cereal is the first food to introduce to a baby. Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston, a specialist in pediatric nutrition, says some studies suggest rice and other highly processed grain cereals actually could be among the worst foods for infants. Babies don’t even produce the enzyme amylase, which is the essential enzyme for breaking down starch. The baby’s small intestine basically only produces one enzyme for starch, lactase; which is for the digestion of lactose. Feeding grains too early will cause food allergies later on in life because the protein in the grains sit in the stomach too long. This will cause the baby to have acid reflux.
“The number one ingredient in what we call rice ‘cereal’ is processed white rice flour. That’s all the rice there is. There are also some vitamins and minerals sprinkled in that babies could easily get in other ways. These don’t make this gateway junk food healthy … Metabolically, it’s not that different from giving babies a spoonful of sugar.” Stanford-based pediatricianDr. Alan Greene.
Parents desperately go to the doctor for help; most likely putting the baby on acid blockers. This is the WORST thing to do because the stomach is a very acid environment with a pH at 2 or less. Stomach acid is essential for to absorb vitamin B-12 and minerals that allow you to release hormones from the pancreas, without which can lead to development of diabetes.
Stomach acid also helps breakdown protein. When you don’t have stomach acid to breakdown food, undigested proteins sit like a rock in the intestines. This slowly eats holes in your intestines and this inflammation begins a detrimental snowball effect. When you start to have holes in your intestines, food starts to leak into your bloodstream (leading to leaky gut syndrome). This is awful because the immune system goes into overdrive to kill the unknown substances in the blood…NOW we have food allergies! So if you are feeding the baby grains and cow’s milk, they will most likely develop a wheat and dairy allergy…oh boy!
There has recently been a 16X increase in the use of acid reflux medicine in infants. Even though a study showed that there was no difference in infants from a placebo! When families eliminate common allergen such as dairy, soy and wheat from the baby’s and breastfeeding mother’s diet, by day 3 or 4 the infants no longer suffer from acid reflux. This means a total elimination! Not just the 80/20 rule. It takes a lot of commitment by the family, but it is well worth the effort.
Milk based formulas often cause allergies while soy based formulas contain growth inhibitors, mineral blocking phytic acid, and plant forms of estrogens that has adverse effects on hormonal development. Soy formula is also devoid of cholesterol which is essential for the brain (our brains are 60% cholesterol!) and nervous system.
If you have a baby orYOU are suffering from acid reflux, click HERE for natural supplements to heal and eliminate acid reflux naturally.
Organic Egg yolks, rich in choline, cholesterol and other brain-nourishing substances, can be added to your baby’s diet as early as four months,1 as long as baby takes it easily. (If baby reacts poorly to egg yolk at that age, discontinue and try again one month later.) Cholesterol is vital for the insulation of the nerves in the brain and the entire central nervous system. It helps with fat digestion by increasing the formation of bile acids and is necessary for the production of many hormones. Since the brain is so dependent on cholesterol, it is especially vital during this time when brain growth is in hyper-speed. Choline is another critical nutrient for brain development. The traditional practice of feeding egg yolks early is confirmed by current research. A study published in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the nutritional effects of feeding weaning infants 6-12 months of age regular egg yolks, enriched egg yolks, and an otherwise normal diet. The researchers found that both breastfed and formula-fed infants who consumed the egg yolks had improved iron levels when compared with the infants who did not. In addition, those infants who got the egg yolks enriched with extra fatty acids had 30 percent to 40 percent greater DHA levels than those fed regular egg yolks. No significant effect on blood cholesterol levels was seen.
The best choice for baby is yolks from pasture-fed hens raised on fish meal, or insects since they will contain higher levels of DHA. Why just the yolk? The white is the portion that most often causes allergic reactions, so wait to give egg whites until after your child turns one. Don’t neglect to put a pinch of salt on the egg yolk. While many books warn against giving salt to babies, salt is actually critical for digestion as well as for brain development. Use unrefined salt to supply a variety of trace minerals.
FUN FACT: The lean human body is 74% fat and 26% protein by calories. Fats are a structural part of every human cell and the preferred fuel source of the mitochondria, the energy-burning units of each cell. A fetus naturally uses ketones before and immediately after birth.
If you are interested, I have an online class called “HEALTHY FAMILY.” To watch this helpful class, click HERE.
Baby Kai’s “JUICE”
No, this isn’t apple juice… it is bone broth (recipe Here)! I make a pot for him once a week to put into his bottle. When he sees this when he wakes up his legs start to kick a mile a minute! He LOVES this stuff!
Bone broths are …one of the most nourishing foods. It is so medicinal that if I could bottle up into a pill, the pharmaceutical companies would be broke.
Because broth can be regarded as a liquefied form of the important components of bones, the medicinal benefits of bone broth are attributed to the exceptionally high levels of minerals and amino acids. In fact, bone broth can be considered both a high-quality multi-mineral and protein supplement.
1. HYDROPHILIC COLLOIDS: Stock is also awesome because it has hydrophilic colloids. Raw foods are colloidal and are hydrophilic, meaning that they attract liquids. This is important because when we eat a salad or other raw food, the hydrophilic colloids attract digestive juices for rapid and effective digestion. Colloids that have been heated are usually hydrophobic (meaning they repel liquids, making cooked foods harder to digest). However, the gelatin in meat broths has the special property of attracting liquids even after it has been heated. A good visual is Jell-O, the gelatin attracts water to form desserts, which allows it to attract digestive juices to the surface of cooked food particles.
2. CROHN’S and COLITIS: Broth contains gelatin, which aids in digestion and works amazing as a treatment of intestinal disorders, including hyperacidity, colitis, and Crohn’s disease because it heals the intestinal wall. Many clients of mine have Colitis, leaky gut, diverticulitis, Crohn’s or other intestinal problems. By supplementing with broth and other key supplements (such as l-glutamine) we can strengthen the intestinal walls, which also supports our immune system. Babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk. It enhances digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut. It also calms and soothes the gut lining. Gelatin should be the first therapeutic food for anyone suffering from digestive conditions affecting the intestines.
3. Collagen is a protein extracted in broth through the breakdown of bone and cartilage during the cooking process and is referred to as gelatin. The quality of broth is usually determined by the amount of gelatin it contains. The gelatin in broth is also useful for the treatment of anemia and other blood disorders, like diabetes, muscular dystrophy and even cancer.
4. AMINO ACIDS: Although gelatin isn’t a complete protein, (it only has the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts) it acts as a protein sparer, allowing the body to more fully utilize the complete proteins that are taken in. So if you are someone who can’t afford large amounts of meat in your diet, gelatin-rich broths are great to help boost protein absorption.
5. MINERAL ABSORPTION: Healthy bone tissue is naturally high in minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium) which provide a healthy bone structure, nervous system as well as hormone balance. Fish stock will also provide iodine which is essential for a healthy thyroid. Broths made from fish bones will also provide iodine. The gelatin in broth strengthens digestion which helps you absorb more nutrients. Gelatin helps people digest milk and dairy products.
“Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulfates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.” Sally Fallon Morell
6. JOINT HEALTH: Since the gelatin is derived from cartilage a huge benefit of broth is that it provides an awesome source of glucosamine and chondroitin. These nutrients are essential for regaining joint health.
NOTE: When making bone broth using an acid like organic vinegar helps extract more minerals from the bones. The extracted minerals then become the alkalinizing agents to neutralize the acidity of the broth. I use coconut vinegar. Coconut vinegar exceeds all other vinegar in amino acids, vitamins, and mineral content. It is also a FOS (prebiotic that promotes digestive health). Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like coconut! Click HERE to find.
I am more like you than you realize… you can find me opening a Kettle and Fire organic beef broth instead of making my own broth quite often.
