What to avoid when breastfeeding

Have you ever wondered why some days your baby does not want the ‘boob’ or is sick afterwards or just does not want it.  Well there are some simple reasons that you may like to try out.

Firstly, don’t smoke.  It is hard to believe that only 30 years ago it was quite common for mummies to be smoking while pregnant and feeding.  Anyhow I suppose it takes time to see what damage is made by these products.  (it does make me wonder about wireless and some of those other new technologies….!)

Secondly, ideally avoid alcohol (although in small amounts three hours before  a feed or straight after might be ok).  Although some do say beer helps with milk production and that guinness is a great source of iron for feeding mummies.  I have to say I had neither but did enjoy the occasional glass of wine with dinner.  Although I made sure that I had plenty of water during the day so not to dehydrate.

Thirdly, try to cut down on coffee intake.  If you are keen to carry on with your coffee intake (which for people living in cities like Melbourne, New York, Wellington who are coffee cities it maybe a little difficult, but there is nothing wrong with going out with some friends and baby and just having a hot chocolate) just make sure you have small amounts and not before a feed.

On coffee, I watched a programme on top brands the other night and one of the brands was Starbucks.   It was all about the way the poor independent was taken over by the global beast who did not distribute the monies back into the community.  They talked about how they renamed many coffee drinks like mocochino babychino, essentially bastardising coffee.  I suppose a bit like westerners buying buttered chicken and thinking it is an authentic Indian dish even though  it does not exist in India!  Anyhow must get back on track…

Fourth, gassy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce or even cauliflower, but it can be different for different people.

Fifth, make sure you check the medications you are taking with your GP or Ped. 

While I was researching this little bit of work, some books said to replace cows milk with soy milk, which I reckon is bullocks’.  Often soya milk is highly processed and contains genetically modified organisms.  Also while we are breastfeeding we are losing a lot of calcium to baby so it is very important to replace this with good ole fashion full strength milk.  (This is not a sponsored add by Fontera! tehe)

For the record all our blog posts are written by us we do not contract out as many companies do as we believe to be able to feel, enhance our brand you have to live it and that means those that love it must work in it.

The homegrown average joe

I have told you a little about our home-grown company and some of those working in it.  However I thought it would be good to let you know that we are just average joe who have an interest in pre-schoolers health and food.  We do not profess to be all knowing and we don’t want you to abide by everything we say or do.  We want followers that can question us and are just interested in what we are doing.  So please do not take our advice as set in stone.  Basically it works for us, but everyone is different, have a go, but it may not work for you.

We would love to have some comments from you, but I know it is only 4% of those that look at blogs actually comment.  Even if you cannot be bothered commenting be great if you could subscribe, follow us on twitter or just receive our email blogs.  Hope to hear from you.

Motherhood undervalued - notice the unnoticable

Since we have been discussing breastfeeding and healthy food  I thought it would also be nice to chat about Mothering.  This one is a bit more serious and a little political, hope you do not mind!

The thing with Mothering is that it is is hard to define, so many types, hard to quantify and completely undervalued in our western cultures.  I am going to focus on the undervaluing of motherhood in this post.  When I am referring to motherhood I am not just meaning mothers that stay at home, I am including all mothers as all mothers, mother!

One of my favourite books on mothering is called What Mothers Do- especially when it looks like nothing  by Naomi Stadlen.  Basically the book is written to support mothers.  Rather than trying to tell you what you should be doing it can help you to recognise much better many of the 'nameless' everyday things that mothers keep doing which usually go unnoticed.

I really like the term the things that go 'unnoticed' and I reckon they are things like bonding, love, stability, nurturing etc all those things that are hard to quantify.  I reckon the political debate on getting mums back to work as soon as possible has totally undervalued motherhood and have totally avoided taking into consideration all those 'unnoticed' things that mothers do to create a warm, loving society.  Even for mothers who work or work part time, it is saying that paid work needs are more important.  Particularly for societies that do not legally cater for child sick leave or child emergency leave.

Unfortunately the main argument is that there  is no immediate mainstream economic value or immediate mainstream productivity when you consider mothering in the economic sense.  However   I reckon you can make an argument that mothering does create immediate economic value as they are ensuring we are bringing up sain loving individuals who know how to bond and live in a community.  As for the immediate productivity, no new upstart business venture makes a profit in the first three years, so why should one expect that from babies and mothers.  It is all about creating long term investment.

Mothering is also undervalued due to comments like 'try working in the real world' or the ' you need to spend more time in the real world..... ' In fact there are so many real worlds as there are so many realities as we are all individuals.  The problem with this is that often people create hierarchies on which world is better and often people believe that the paid world is the better one which in turn undervalues mothering.  Associated with that is that politicians are trying to get mothers back to work as soon as possible without the necessary legal and social supports, which in turn says they place no value on mothering. So that is saying to society  bonding, nurturing, forming relationships and all those other 'unnoticed' things are of no value.

So mummies, remember Munch believes strongly that mothering is a vital and important role in society.  Keep valuing all those 'unnoticed' things we all do even if we are mummies at home, mummies working part time, mummies working full time, solo mummies, mummies and mummies...so many combinations but we all know how to naturally do all those valuable 'unnoticed' things that ensure we all live in warm, loving communities.

Ways to reduce the white stuff in your family’s diet

By the white stuff I mean sugar but this could go further to include white flour and white rice etc.  It sounds a bit of a tall order I know but there are alternatives that mean you can still have your sweet fix just with more nutritional value and less chance of messing with your blood sugar levels.   Refined white sugar does zero for our bodies apart from wreak havoc. The best thing you can do for your kids is to stop them developing a taste for sugar.  

 Recently, I have been investigating and using some alternatives in baking.  Particularly great for muffins, cakes and biscuits is maple syrup here I mean the real stuff with no added sugar and preferably organic is you can.  This is easy to get at the supermarket too which makes it convenient.  Honey can be good in small amounts too.   I have also discovered 2 other products:  Agave Syrup and Stevia Sweetener both of which are lower in calories than both white sugar and honey.  These two need to be sourced online or from your local health food shops.  The good news is that they are very sweet tasting so you use less than normal sugar.

My recipe of the moment  (frequently requested by bubby).  So quick and easy for busy Mummies too.

 Peanut Butter Biscuits

1/3 cup of Maple Syrup

1/3 cup of oil (Rice Bran or avocado works well)

2 tablespoons of peanut butter (get one with no added sugar)

1 ½ cups of flour   (mixture of organic wholemeal and brown rice flour)

½ cup of raisins or currants   (chopped nuts can be substituted if prefer)

½ tsp of baking powder

Mix together syrup, oil and peanut butter and raisins together in a bowl.  Add flour and baking powder and mix until dry enough to roll in to balls.  Flatten with a fork on baking tray and cook at 180 Degrees for 10-15mins.

Happy baking- Glad to be joining the Munch blogging crew J

I am woman hear me Moo

I am woman hear me moo.  I reckon that is more appropriate than hear me roar!  If you can breastfeed it is a great experience.

The list of health benefits for breastfed babies is long and varied. A mother’s milk gives natural protection from infections and diseases by providing antibodies, living cells, enzymes and hormones that protect their children from infections and diseases.

It also gives tots less chance of diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, obesity and eczema. It helps mums lower their risk of breast or ovarian cancer. It’s cheaper than processed baby food and helps with the bonding of mother and child. But it’s not always easy. It takes time, practise and patience. And sometimes breastfeeding just does not work  and that is okay. 

But for all these benefits there is still stigma about breastfeeding publicly.  A good example is the Miranda Kerr picture below

Most people were touched by the intimacy of the picture, which was chosen by the celebrity couple to introduce their two-week-old son Flynn to the world.

But incredibly, the fact model Miranda, 27, is breastfeeding in the snap  incited public disdain, disgust and even outrage.

Internet message boards were littered with negative comments about the photograph, ranging from the dismissive “Put it away love, and show some decorum” to the damning “Yuck! This is gross.” Some responses to the picture were downright vicious, such as: “Women who breastfeed in public make me sick. It’s just an excuse to get their baps out. They’re a disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves.”

I simply cannot understand why anyone would object to such a picture. There is absolutely nothing offensive in it. You can’t see anything more than the baby and his lovely mum’s skin. In fact, celebrities expose more when they wear low-cut dresses on the red carpet.

If there were more pictures like this one, more women would aspire to breastfeed. And that can only be a good thing for them and their babies. Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani were also pictured with their babies at their breast, and such images definitely inspire young people.

Unfortunately women sometimes do hear negative comments about breastfeeding in public, which can leave them feeling scared to go out with their babies and render them housebound for weeks. But the more breastfeeding is done in public, the more normal it becomes.  So mummies get your boobs out!!

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Apples - Apple computer and fruit

A for apple,

Well the belated Steve Jobs has certainly dominated the word 'Apple'.  Apple apps, Apple computer, Apple.....not too sure how a fruit links into a computer giants brand.  I do not really think of Apple computers as a crisp juicy summer fruit.  Maybe more an innovative, genius adaptable company or on the pessimistic side an aggressive, dominating company that only wants to draw the biggest profit!

So lets get back to the fruit apple. The proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." dates from 19th century Wales. Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Compared to many other fruits and vegetables, apples contain relatively low amounts of vitamin C, but are a rich source of other antioxidant compounds. The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss, and controlling cholesterol. The fibrer contained in apples reduces cholesterol by preventing re absorption, and (like most fruits and vegetables) they are bulky for their caloric content.

However, apple seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside. It usually is not enough to be dangerous to humans, but can deter birds.

Did you know that least 55 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2009, with a value of about $10 billion. About two-fifths of this total was produced in China.

So back to babies and under 5s.  Babies just love apples.  Especially stewed with raisins and cinnamon.  Check out the recipe once our cook book is released.  Apples are a great starter food for babies.  As for older kids there are so many things you can do with apples; apple pie, make apple juice, apple muffins, apple picklets or just plain apples in the fruit basket.

Back to the breastfeeding series tomorrow.

Enjoy.

Breastfeeding: Join the Boob-olution!

Well I thought I would do a short series on breast feeding as it is a form of food.  So here is the first one.  I kinda liked this you tube clip (released last year) as I like the term join the Boob-olution.  It is great that we are speaking out on the fact that breast feeding is natural and you should not be shamed about. it  The next post is in fact on Miranda Kerrs picture that caused an outcry...hard to believe some people are still in the dark ages.

Although I do not want to be stoic about this. As if you cannot breast feed that is fine, it is really all about being happy with what works for you.  In some countries I reckon it is a little unfair now on those that cannot breastfeed as there is so much hype about having too breastfeed.  So if formula is your thing go for it.    Maybe next series will be on formula.

Enjoy the clip

The Munch cookbook

Just a little reminder about our cook book that we hope to release in the next four months.  I must say we initially thought writing a cook book was a little project but it has turned out to be rather big and time consuming.  But we are loving the process. 

In fact we are learning so much about the publishing world.  I reckon it is just fantastic when you enter new worlds with eager, unknowing eyes as you learn quickly and can be innovative at the same time. 

So here is another sneak peak at our cover page which will be a little different on final publication ....probably too many sub words at the moment but the hand painted logo will remain.  Just love it.

Should we store food in plastic containers?

The best bets for cooking and storage include clay, stainless steel, ceramics, glass, porcelain and cast iron cookware.  But, hey these days many kitchens don’t have these so called ole fashion products.  Many have plastic, Ttflon pans and aluminium.  So what is the deal with these?

In a nutshell, aluminium has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.  Teflon contains PFCs (perfluorocarbons).  In fact if you can, throw all non-stick pans or at least any that are old, pitted or scratched.  (back in 5 minutes as going to chuck out our frying pan as it has Teflon peeling off).  Although the compound perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is supposedly stable up to a medium setting/heat.

As for plastics, many plastics are made from toxic chemicals (phthalates) and they are very difficult to clean   If you clean your plastics sufficiently to be sure of bacteria there is also a problem that plastics can break down releasing harmful chemicals.  Try using glass for food storage and stainless steel thermoses for carrying liquids.  Easy said than done these days.  Many products are made from plastic and often the most affordable, but do what you can.  I do not believe in making people feel bad or guilty about things so just do what you can.

See below some of the plastic coding that you may like to look out for when buying products.

·         PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate) used for soda and water containers and some waterproofing packaging.  It is not recommended for reuse, because its difficult to clean and remove bacterial contamination from.  Proper cleaning releases more chemicals and when reused this type of plastic may also leach de (2 ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), a known carcinogen

·         HDPE (High density polyethylene) used for milk, detergent, vegetable oil bottles, toys and plastic bags.  It is less toxic than many other plastics.

·         PVC (Vinyl/polyvinyl chloride) used for food wrap, vegetable oil bottles.  It is made flexible by the use of phthalates (a carcinogenic) and dioxin ( a carcinogenic) is released during manufacturing and incineration.

·         LDPE (Low density polyethylene) used by many plastic bags shrink wrap and garment bags.  It is less toxic than many other plastics

·         PP (Polypropylene) used for refrigerated containers, some bags most bottle tops, some carpets and some food wrap.  It is considered the safest plastic.

·         PS (Polystyrene) used for throwaway utensils, meat packaging and protective packaging,  It is known to cause functional impairment of the nervous system.  Styrene is a carcinogen and mutagen highly toxic and may leach into foods that are contained in polystyrene.

There are many more but these are the basics.

My spell checker was going nuts on all these chemistry related words, so hope I have not missed spelt any , apologies if so.

Who are the mummy munchers?

Who are the mummy munchers?

Not too sure we like the term mummy munchers but will go with it.    I know some of you English folks will be thinking of the term carpet munchers etc, but we are just a group of mummies who want to help the care giving of babies and under 5s.  We are all about healthy living and healthy eating. 

So back to the original question  who are the Munch mummys ?.  Well there is Anna who is the main Munch mummy, she is a mother of two little boys who had a professional career which she has put on hold to bring up her babies.   She loves cooking and discovering , learning and generally being curious of life.  

Then there is sister Jane who is also a mummy of two beautiful boys who successfully balances working part time and bringing up her boys on one income.  There are also a number of other mummies who have contributed who I shall introduce as we go on.  I have already mention our graphic designer mummy Renee, but have to mention her again as I love her work.  Well she is also a mummy of two little boys.  We in fact met through a pre school organisation.  Oh for the mummy networks!

Mummy Anna and mummy Jane will be the main bloggers on this site as they like to natter in all areas of food and healthy living.  We hope to blog every couple of days so stay tuned to our next blog which will be on........

Grass is greener on the otherside syndrome

A happy mummy a happy family.

I reckon if the main care giver (which could also be the daddy these days) is happy then you have a happy family.  A happy family makes for a healthy family.  Even if other parts of the family are struggling for what ever reason, if the centre of the family is happy then  that can be very contagious for the rest. 

 But the thing is these days so many people suffer from which I like to term ' the grass is greener syndrome'....(in fact I have stolen this from John Butler from the John Butler trio as we went to his concert over the weekend and it rocked!). Check out one of my favourites by John Butler Trio

Anyhow back to my point, the important thing is to be happy with what you have, too many people want to be like the Joneses or just don't appreciate what they have.  I know it is a cliche or what....but truly the grass is not always greener on the other side.  Or another way to view it is that the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but you still have to mow it.” In other words, other people’s lives may not be as perfect as it appears. We all have problems.  Hmm I am not trying to preach as I despise many of those self possessed motivational speakers....I just like to ramble.  

Talking about grass and now trying to link this into food I thought I would do a little ramble on wheat grass.  Hey not for your kids but maybe a useful energy boost for mummies and daddies.

Did you know that ...

'Proponents of wheat grass make many claims for its health properties, ranging from promotion of general well-being to cancer prevention and heavy metal detoxification. These claims have not been satisfactorily substantiated in the scientific literature, although there is some evidence in support of the beneficial effects of chlorophyll in the human diet. Some research exists that relates diets high in chlorophyll, present in higher concentrations in green leafy vegetables, to lower rates of colon cancer. ' taken from Wikipedia.

Till next time.

How to peel an avocado?

How to peel an avocado?

'A' for avo’s as my nephew would say and spell!  I do wonder about the English language as everyone seems to be shrinking it or bastardising it.  I suppose if you are texting avocados you would spell it  'avokds'. I have to admit I am a text convert.  I thought it was a waste of time but since becoming a mummy it is fantastic way to keep in touch or organise things.  It is also way cheaper than phoning on the mobile, since mobile connections in our country are ridiculously expensive.  Righto now on to the food since this blog is a about healthy food and living for under 5s…..

Treat the avocado  like a mango…so how do you in fact treat a mango. Those Aussie Queenslanders out there will definitely know.   You cut it down the middle then put the knife into the stone and twist it so the stone comes out.  Then criss-cross both halves with the knife then you should be able to just peel back the skin. Dida.

All kids love avocados.  I know a big statement to make, but I don’t know a kid that hates avocados (not that I know every kid in the world).  They make great snacks for all ages  The nutritional value for an average avocado is as follows; (uplifted from Wiki)

• About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.
• On a 100 g basis, avocados have 35% more potassium (485 mg) than bananas (358 mg). They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K.
• Avocados have a high fibre content of 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fibre

It is also a fantastic fruit to  fatten up a sick kid.  My youngest has been in hospital with roto virus and lost quite a bit of weight and avocados  have been one of the foods I have used to start fattening him up again.
Don’t forget to watch out for the release of our cookbook (although we are still working hard with our editor to finalise it) for more details on avocado recipes.

Munch is also about to release some fantastic kid T shirts which have hand painted fruit and vegetables on them.  Will let you know once they are ready and put them up on the blog.