Anyone who knows me, knows that my diet consists mainly of dairy and dairy products. I LOVE milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese, lattes, chocolate, whip cream, and did I mention cheese? We found out in Philly that I no longer can have dairy (as long as I'm breastfeeding) and that Joaquin should never be introduced to it as he begins solids in the next few months
This is going to be hard....really hard. All I know is that perhaps those last few pounds of baby weight might actually disappear if I can't have ice cream or a milkshake after every meal.
The only other food that the baby should never be introduced to is corn (including corn products and corn syrup).
There are a few other foods that we should avoid for a period of time (6-12 months) and introduce slowly to watch for allergic reactions and/or intolerances. These include wheat, soy, bananas, nightshades (i.e. tomato, white potato, eggplant, peppers), citrus and peanuts/pistachios and also anything with artificial colors, additives or flavors. Fortunately, this is easy to do with a newborn since we have full control over what he eats as an infant. Hopefully, he'll have no problems with these foods but we'll take it slowly and watch carefully. I have also started taking a good multivitamin, an omega oil (EPA/DHA) supplement and probiotics which the baby will also be on as he transitions to food. He will also need additional B-12 vitamins and folic acid when he stops nursing.
We are considering having the whole family give up dairy products and corn. This will be a challenge but we feel it's the right thing to do. Thankfully there are a lot of non dairy options available nowadays and we'll steer the boys towards sherbets and sorbets when we go to the ice cream shop (this was the first thing that came to my mind!!). Still not sure how to handle Diego's addiction to the vanilla milk at Starbucks, but we'll figure it out as we go.
This is our first assignment and the first part of Joaquin's Intensive Treatment Program that we received in Philadelphia. We learned that what we eat, drink and breathe significantly affects brain function. We also learned that the fluid in the baby's ears may be resolved from dietary changes alone. This would be so exciting. It also gives me the motivation to say "adios" to my beloved milk.
Hi, just found your blog through the gifts website. Your boy is adorable.
ReplyDeleteI actually live right outside of Philly, the Institute is about 15 minutes away from me. I looked into it once but never followed through w/ anything.
Were you happy w/ your experience. Is it something you would reccommend?
Call right now and get a spot for the next course in September. It's that important! Even if only one of you can go, I can't recommend it enough. We are VERY happy we made the sacrifice to go.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home! I can't wait to read about your experiences at the Institute. I had to leave a comment since I have recently decided to give up dairy myself! I am doing the vegan thing now -- I am even trying to do the RAW food vegan thing as much as possible. Anyway, we can do this together! Obviously you are doing this for the baby, but you will love the way you feel too...I have way more energy AND I lost 8 pounds in about a week :) Hopefully we'll see you around this week!
ReplyDeleteP.S., the picture of Joaquin is absolutely adorable!