How to make organic baby food: See you next ECO BABY workshop is on December 18th

November 22nd, 2009 | Comments (0)

Common questions on how to make baby food

When can I start to introduce baby food? Around 6 months around the same time your baby can sit up

What type of food? organic is best, fresh in season vegetables or fruits, introducing one type of food at a time every 2 to 3 days to avoid allergy.

How to make my first baby food? Mix a whole grain organic cereal with water or breast milk and a soft fruit or a vegetable ( steamed if its a hard) Important tip make sure it is very water and soft the first times until your baby is used to the different texture.

What foods do I avoid in the first 1 to 2 years of life?
peanuts, fish and shell fish and eggs

Are the Nitrate Levels in Vegetables too high and what is he harm?
Nitrates are natural constituents of plants since they are their main source of nitrogen required for growth.
If high levels are reached in young babies usually less than 6 months methemoglobinemia may occur (a type of anemia)
There are a few things you can do to protect your baby from nitrates.
Nitrates increase with storage time unless frozen.
When using fresh vegetables for your baby food, prepare it as soon as possible.
Freeze extra servings right away or better make small portions.
Nitrate fertilizers are not used on land where produce is grown organically, so the risk of nitrates is much lower with certified organic produce.
Foods that tend to accumulate large amount of nitrate include spinach, beets, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. Recommendations for home preparation of high nitrate containing foods are: Freeze vegetables immediately after harvest. Do not use vegetables which have been frozen longer than five months. Thaw vegetables no longer than 15 hours at room temperature
Do I need to add salt or sugar on the food?
No salt or sugar and for sure no honey for the first year of life

Remember when introduce the first pure food, your baby has to learn a whole new way of eating dynamics and may splash and spit and spray out the food while making cute faces so don’t just assume that your baby did not like the taste,
you may want to water down the food more or just plain try it again the next meal.
Bon apetite Bebe.

Please email me if you have any questions or comments. Good luck and enjoy.
Dr. Bar
Boutique Pediatrics
359 San Miguel suite 200
Newport Beach Ca 92660
tel 949 706 1212

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Baby’s Green Registry: Dr. Bar’s Picks for the ECO Baby

November 11th, 2009 | Comments (0)

You can buy all these products they are linked bellow to the amazon store:
click on the link to go to amazon store for more cool picks
You click on the product and If you do not have an amazon account its very simple to start one and best of all they deliver to your door.
Moms can use this link and send it out to friends and family that can only choose for these ECO and green products that are safe and most important all these items are picked by a pediatrician. Enjoy shopping and see you soon.
boutique organics
For skin care please check my natural and organic line at www.BoutiqueOrganics.org
Dr. Bar
Baby Bed
Here is an overview of some specific chemical compounds to avoid in the conventional crib mattress.
1. Polyvenyl chloride: PVC most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics used today.
2. Phthalates: associated with asthma, reproductive problems ( most conventional baby mattresses contain phthalates.
3. Polyurethane foam, is essentially solid petroleum and is a common filling in conventional mattress.
Also avoid toxic fire-retardants chemicals ( a common one is the penta BDE) , associated with hyperractivity and neurobehavioral alterations.

Crib Mattress: Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
1.

or
2 the Organic firm mattress for standard baby crib may be another good choice:

Organic Mattress pad that is waterproof what a great idea for leaky diapers: (you may need two)

Organic cotton sheets are produced without harsh chemical bleaches or dyes. They are natural and hypoallergenic: A cute colorful choice made from soft organic cotton rather than the usual white and creams, so pure and gentle for your baby’s pure skin

The Crib:
I would pick that made of wood; they have that made from oak, for sure better than the artificial materials used in making most cribs, check this 4 in 1 crib that is very useful and it can be used for a long time as your baby grows.

As for winter covers: I would go for the Organic Wool safer than the synthetic comforters laced with the fire-retardent:

And remember its safe to keep your baby sleeping on the back for the first 6 months.
Please avoid toys or pillows in the crib at least for the first 6 months as well.

Baby strollers:
The Rolls Royce of all as most parents tell me;

Another good stroller that comes with a car seat

For luck families with twins check this double stroller:

Baby food and safe feeding products:

Born free baby bottles free from toxic plastics:

Baby teething give him fresh food to chew to sooth and nourish

Breast feeding friend firmer and more support for the back than the boppy

The best diapers and the must have for sure is: (and they ship them to your door)(:

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Stay healthy naturally : Elderberry great for the flu season

November 10th, 2009 | Comments (0)

Check my first choice: Herb #1 Elderberry: great for this flu season; stop by the office and pick up some organic elderberry in 4 oz bags and make some yummy drinks to keep the whole family healthy naturally this winter season.
Stay tuned for the herb # 2

Black Elderberry Extract

Tea made from the flowers of the black elderberry bush is a time-honored cold and flu remedy. Now modern research studies have shown that black elderberry extract is high in antioxidants that stimulate the immune system. Elderberries also contain a high level of anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory effects. This is probably why the extract relieves the aches and pains that come with a cold or flu.

Sambucol is a black elderberry extract that’s very popular in Europe. Twenty percent of flu sufferers who used it showed significant relief of fever, muscle aches, sore throat, inflammation, coughing and other symptoms within 24 hours, and another 73 percent felt better after the second day. In three days, 90 percent were reported complete cured! Internal uses also for sinusitis, hay fever and bronchitis, external, eczema, boils, dermatitis. In a similar group that received inactive treatment (a placebo) only 16 percent were improved in two days, and it took most of them six days to feel well again.
How does elderberry fight the flu? Compounds in elderberry bind with viruses before they can penetrate the walls of cells, thereby inhibiting their ability to spread. Since elderberry is nontoxic when cooked, it is safe even for children.The hot tea from the flowers and/or juice from the berries promotes sweating, preferable adding on lemon juice and honey and is soothing for the upper respiratory infections, also considered to be anti-rheumatic, laxative and detoxifying.

This product is starting to become more well-known in the United States, too. It’s safe for both adults and children, and has no side effects, like drowsiness. People who take Sambucol often recover from the flu in half the time it normally takes.

Elderberry syrup can be used to prevent catching the flu. Take one teaspoonful morning and night. To get over a cold or the flu faster, take two teaspoonfuls of elderberry syrup four times a day.

Herbal cold and fever Remedy

1 ounce dried Black Elderberry
1 ounce dried Peppermint Leaves or lemon balm
½ pint distilled water non aluminum pan

Mix the herbs. Place in a quart saucepan. Pour 1/2 pints of distilled boiling water over it. Cover and allow to steep in a hot place for 10 to 15 minutes (do not boil). When ready, strain into another saucepan. Sweeten with honey if desired.
5 herbs for the flu seasonPlease click bellow on link for the full Newsletter
5 herbs for the flu season

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Babies are especially sensitive to environmental toxins and more vulnerable than adults.

November 8th, 2009 | Comments (0)

When parents tell me do we really have to buy organic?

I say you do the math and here are the stat? and you be the judge

• Allergy and Asthma: incidence has more than doubled.
• Cancer: after injuries, is the leading killer of children in the United States.
• Leukemia and Brain Cancer: have increased in incidence, brain cancer by nearly 40% over the past three decades.
• Developmental Disabilitiesand ADHD: Neuro-developmental dysfunction is now commonplace, with learning disabilities affecting anywhere from five to 10 percent of all children.
• Birth Defects: The incidence of Hypospadias, a birth defect of the reproductive organs in baby boys, has doubled.
• Autism: has jump 400 percent in the last 20 years to 1 in 150 children.
The increase in the incidence of childhood cancer alone is the first clue that something is going wrong. In fact, many chemical toxicants are known to contribute to causation of these diseases. They deserve special attention because most are preventable sources of harm. Children are at risk of exposure to over 15,000 high-production-volume synthetic chemicals, nearly all of them developed in the past 50 years. These chemicals are used widely in consumer and household goods like personal care products, cleaning supplies, pesticides, paints, toys, home furnishings, carpeting, electronics, plastics and even food and water.
More than half are untested for toxicity and affect on human health.

Please watch the movie below
If you would like to join my Eco-baby workshops
call us at 949 706 1212
Boutique Pediatrics
359 San Miguel Suite 200
Newport Beach Ca 92660
www.DrBar.org

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