By Julie Knapp •
September 15, 2009
Organic milk may cost more, but it may also pay off in the end. A recent Dutch study suggests that children are one third less likely to suffer from allergies before age two if they’re raised on organic dairy products.
In the study, children and breastfeeding moms ate organic milk, cheese and yogurt. The study author said the connection between choosing organic dairy and less incidence of
eczema was clear. The risk for other allergies and asthma also decreased.
So why is organic better? It’s hard to say for sure at this point, but researchers believe it may, in part, be due to the higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acids that are found in organic milk. Studies have shown that organic milk has 71 percent more omega-3 fatty acids, too, another important nutrient for growth and development.
By Jamie Ervin •
July 11, 2009
Finally, it’s in my hands. I’ve been waiting for what feels like EONS for my copy of Food, Inc. (Edited by Karl Weber) to arrive. I first laid eyes on this delightful book on a shopping trip to Whole Foods Market and was prompted by husband to not buy it that day because surely we could get our hands on it for less. Once again, he was right.
The book is a companion to help one further explore the issues raised in the documentary, Food, Inc. Starring Eric Schlosser and directed by Robert Kenner. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to watch the documentary, but I’m near to frothing and not sure I can wait for it to hit DVD and my Netflix queue.
The companion book contains 13 essays to explore the facts behind the problems we see in the news every day, issues like hunger, human rights, tainted food and pollution.
By Jamie Ervin •
February 26, 2009
Our kids take packed lunches daily. We do this for a multitude of reasons… Celiac disease which mandates a gluten free diet, dairy allergies which means no milk or milk protein. For two of our children, we end up packing wheat free/dairy free/gluten free/vegan lunches. The other two get wheat and dairy but otherwise vegetarian lunches.
Another reason we pack lunches for all our kids is to ensure they eat healthier and so that I can see what they are actually eating on a day to day basis. The leftovers come back home, so they can become snacks.
We do spend time brainstorming lunch ideas… the kids never complain but I get bored of packing the same foods over and over.
By Robin Elton •
February 21, 2009
The UK Telegraph reported yesterday that doctors at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge may have found a “cure” for peanut allergies.
Four boys were given minute amounts of peanut flour mixed with yogurt every day. The amount ingested was then slowly increased over a period of six months.
Prior to the trials, when exposed to just a fraction of the peanut protein found in a single peanut, these boys displayed significant allergic reactions, requiring immediate treatment. At trial’s end, however, all the children were able to eat between 10 and 12 peanuts.
To maintain their tolerance, the children will have to continue ingesting a small daily amount of peanut protein, either as peanut flour, smooth peanut butter, or five roasted peanuts.
