Nourish Your Child, Feed Him Right

Sabi nga ni Jamie Oliver... "Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story."

Please read this entire article. And please realize that EVERYTHING begins with YOUR choice on how to nourish your baby. I say NOURISH and not just FEED, because you can give am to your baby and baby still might not die (baby will be malnourished but may continue to survive, like what happens to the poor).

I also emphasize YOUR CHOICE... Coz when your baby is now a toddler, he should not be dictating what is offered at your table.

Yes, he will have preferences and favorites BUT if you only offer a variety of whole foods at home, then he will learn that is the type of food one eats... So that someday, when he goes to parties and gets exposed to fast, junk and processed food which he might try/like, he will still come home able to eat his vegetables and fruits and Pinoy dishes (which include diff parts of different plants).

And I would like to emphasize that formula is a processed food that IS high in sugar. So, when you give up on breastfeeding and give in to formula, you say YES to the deterioration of your baby's body. From babyhood. Same is true for processed baby food and fast food.

This is a fact. Formula-fed babies have been found to have increased Obesity, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes risks. This is not fear-mongering. It's a fact.

Take care of your health but be vigilant of your child's diet too... For as long as possible.

Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story. Don't let the story end in diabetes and heart disease.

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In Tagalog (para walang reklamo)

Sabi nga Ni Jamie Oliver, "Ang pagpapasuso ang simula ng kwento/lahat."

Pakibasa po ng buong artikulo. Namnamin. Intindihin.

Tandaan na lahat ay nagsisimula sa inyong desisyon Kung paano palalakihin at pagyayamanin ang anak. PALAKI at Hindi lang PAKAKAININ, Kasi nga ang baby pwedeng bigyan ng am at Kung ano-ano at pwedeng Hindi naman mamatay (lalaki pa din, malnourished lang). Parang yung mga mahihirap na kung ano na lang makain, nakaka-survive naman.

Gusto ko din idikdik ang puntong INYONG DESISYON Kung ano ang ibibigay sa anak. Kayo ang magulang, Kayo ang may Alam, Kayo ang may kasalanan if ever. Hindi dapat anak Nya ang magdidikta ano ang ipapakain sa kanya.

Opo, syempre magkakaron sya ng paborito at aayawan. Pero ang punto dito ay, Kung lahat ng hinahain sa bahay ay tamang pagkain, matututo syang kumain ng tama at ayos at hindi pihikan. Para Kung mapadpad man sya sa mga kasiyahan kung San ang handa ay junk, fast, processed food, matikman/magustuhan man nya, uuwi pa din syang kakain ng ihahain sa Bahay. Kakain pa din sya ng gulay at prutas at mga pagkaing Pinoy na kumpleto ng parte ng ibat-Ibang halaman (pansinin Nyo ang sinigang, prutas ang kamatis/kalamansi/sampalok, ugat ang bawang/sibuyas, dahon/tangkay ang mga talbos).

At gusto kong idiin na ang formula milk ay processed food na sagana sa asukal (pati asin). Kaya po pag sumusuko kayo sa pagpapasuso at nauuwi sa pagbibigay ng formula, um-ooo Kayo sa unti-unting pagkasira ng katawan ng anak Nyo. Simula sa pagkabata. Pareho lang din kung ang ibibigay nyo ay processed baby food at fast food.

Ito po ay napatunayan na ng Syensya. Katotohanan po na ang batang laking formula ay mas malaki ang tsansa magkaron ng sakit sa puso, bato, high blood, diabetes at mas malamang eh tumaba. Hindi ito pananakot kundi pagsasabi ng totoo.

Alagaan nyo po ang kalusugan nyo Pero mas lalong magpursige sa pagko-kontrol ng kinakain ng anak hanggat kaya.

Sa pagpapasuso nagsisimula ang kwento. Wag hayaang matapos sa diabetes at sakit sa puso Ito.

"There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet."

- #adminmec

See more at  this news article

Breastfeeding and the First 1,000 Days #BF1st1000days

My biggest takeaway from the first day of the 2^nd Breastfeeding Congress was the role breastfeeding plays in the first 1,000 days.

First 1,000 Days is a partnership among key players worldwide concerned with maternal and child nutrition. Basically, the belief (backed by numerous studies) is that the first one thousand days of a child’s life is the period that decides the health and wealth of the world. From pre-conception care to the first two years of life, how a child is nourished will influence his long-term health, ability to learn and performance in all aspects of society. Breastfeeding, having the largest impact on child mortality of all preventive intervention, is thus something that all nations have to promote, support and protect.

Unfortunately, milk companies are trying to jump on the 1,000 days bandwagon to squash all the efforts the UNICEF and WHO (as well as other concerned agencies) have been putting in for this breastfeeding campaign and confuse consumers yet again. Or maybe I mean dupe consumers. Nestle and Danone have officially hijacked the initiative and launched/registered sites bearing the 1,000 days catch phrase. It definitely isn’t the first time that milk companies will twist something from the breastfeeding camp (golden bow, “best start”, etc). You can download Breaking the Rules 2014 and see for yourself other violations these companies have been committing worldwide.

It is in this regard that breastfeeders, breastfeeding advocates and breastfeeding supporters are now being called to express support for breastfeeding. Let us use our social media accounts. Let us post breastfeeding photos, breastfeeding quotes, reflections on your journey/testimonies as a breastfeeder and use the hashtag #BF1st1000days.

Perhaps, in this way, these milk companies won’t even think of bringing their ludicrous underhandedness in the Philippines.

Having breastfeeding in mind while pregnant helps mothers mentally prepare themselves and the people around them to breastfeed. Breastfeeding in the first two years of life (and beyond) complemented by healthy eating habits after baby turns six months reduces risks for chronic diseases for both mother and child. Breastfeed for the first one thousand days. Let your posts all contain #BF1st1000days. 

Truths Behind Rejection of Formula Donations During and After Emergency Situations

(I wrote this article last 22 November 2013 with the hope that some bigger syndication will publish it... wellm they didn't so I am claiming it back for my blog. This was a reaction to all the debate going on about formula donations post-Yolanda, one that even reached international forums)

Babies and children are top priority when disaster strikes. When natural calamities end up displacing hundreds of people, one of the first calls to go out or be offered is formula milk donations.

Two weeks ago, the Visayan region of the Philippines was hit by what is touted to be the strongest typhoon ever recorded in human history. The storm surge that came along with it killed thousands and leveled several areas, stripping people of their homes, schools, churches and hospitals. Hundreds of thousands of people scattered over several provinces are left without food and shelter and yet, why are formula donations being banned by the government?

There are several inter-related truths that provide rationale for this particular policy:

1. Most mothers start out breastfeeding their children. Based on experience over several strong typhoons, most that end up in evacuation centers are either breastfed and mix-fed. Few babies below the age of six months are completely formula dependent. Thus, the need for formula donations is not high and one the government can certainly address.

2. Studies show that 50% of formula fed babies run the risk of requiring hospital treatment in emergency situations, mostly due to ill-prepared formula that will be inevitable in shelters where clean water, sterile equipment and a steady supply of the formula are hard to come by. Usually, evacuees are deluged with donations in the first few days but are left wanting in the weeks, maybe even months, to come. The reality is that mothers sometimes end up preparing formula using rain or portalet water or diluting it so much that it causes water intoxication in their babies. Most people have not made the connection that formula is called precisely that because it has to be prepared a certain way for it to be beneficial.

3. Getting mix-feeding mothers to relactate, new mothers to exclusively breastfeed, and parents to wean their toddlers/preschoolers off formula/bottle feeding reduces the risks posed by ill-prepared formula. The simple act of giving milk using cups instead of feeding bottles or getting toddlers eating more solids are more practical and sustainable strategies in emergency situations.

4. There is a system in place that allows formula fed babies to get formula at evacuation centers and temporary shelters. These babies are neither forgotten nor allowed to die. Hopefully, those identified to have no other option but formula will also be monitored. However, when more mothers exclusively breastfeed, the few formula-dependent babies left can be better provided for with age-appropriate milk and other resources and information necessary to ensure safe formulation.

5. Resources are a challenge post-calamity, even if a family does not end up in an evacuation center. Communication lines may be down for a while. Water pipes busted. Supplies like gas or milk may be out of stock. In tent cities, clean water is often scarce and a family might not be able to get enough to wash and sterilize feeding bottles, what more have enough to prepare formula with. Congestion may also increase the level of humidity, expediting milk spoilage.

6. There is no wisdom in providing hundreds of cans of milk, or including a box of milk per prepacked baby kit to all families in an evacuation center since formula has to be age-appropriate and only babies under age 1 truly rely on milk as their main source of nourishment. Unfortunately, if formula is given to a breastfeeding family, they will use it, even if they were already breastfeeding successfully. If powdered milk is given to each family, they will use it, even if they were not milk drinkers previously. Such has been the indoctrination  of some societies, like ours, that people actually think formula is a safer, better food for their baby. For some, it is even a status symbol.

7. For the same price per can, private citizens or organizations could be providing one to three days worth of food and water to families in calamity zones and temporary shelters. The percentage of infants is always very low (and again, most that stay in evacuation centers are breastfed to some degree) so it is more practical to channel funds to feeding all members of a family, instead of just one, or providing them with shelter, clothes, medicines, etc. It also makes no sense for centers to be flooded with free formula while families struggle to get drinking water, cook their food or clothe themselves.

8. Returning to their homes or relocation may be a long time coming for evacuees which will pose challenges for the parents and the government to sustain formula feeding. At best, the average Filipino family can barely sustain the cost of formula for a whole year. Imagine how much worse it would be for families left with nothing and no clear prospects for the future.

9. Thanks to a growing number of breastfeeding advocates, the Milk Code is being observed better and better in the Philippines. Unfortunately, this has not stopped milk companies from offering free milk through hospitals and clinics. Milk companies are also known to freely distribute samples by the can in schools, conferences and the like. This surely suggests that should the government not have the budget to purchase formula for the few babies per center that need it, our leaders can still appeal to these companies to provide the milk because they can afford to give them freely. Private citizens and organizations, out of concern for babies, need not spend for them at all.  Unfortunately though, milk companies in the country seem to have a problem with donating unbranded cans to the Department of Health (per Milk Code stipulation) as well as taking on the task, even if they can afford it, of providing free milk indefinitely for evacuees that need it.

10. Formula feeding eats up resources in already compromised living arrangements. It eats up gas and water that could be used for cooking. It requires soap (or salt). It is a monthly expense. It takes up space and requires light (as proven by a mom who mistakenly used gasoline in preparing her baby's milk, accidentally killing her child). And because formula feeding increases risks for certain diseases (diarrhea, ear infection, allergies) that living in a shelter compounds, there will also be medical costs and it may even cost lives. Add to this again the burden of spending so much to provide for one member of the family while leaving the others malnourished and it becomes a vicious cycle of health issues.

11. Donations are hard to manage, track and properly distribute in our country over an average typhoon, what more a catastrophe that wiped out entire areas. Pre-packaged baby kits with a formula in each bag will have to be repacked, otherwise other babies will be put at risk. All formula cans would have to come with the necessary accessories, otherwise, it will put babies at risk. Prevention by banning formula donations reduces logistics nightmares, public health issues and loss of lives for the government.

12. 16,000 children age five and below are estimated to die every year in the country from diseases that are linked to formula feeding. This number will surely rise when measures are not taken to control formula feeding (especially in cases when babies are beyond age 1) and closely monitor formula distribution in shelters.

13. The ban on milk donations is not about breastfeeding being superior to formula feeding. It is about the greater good in a time of chaos and limited resources. Breastfeeding and formula feeding are also not just feeding issues, but during war and calamities, both become bigger public health issues.

14. The people who will be left in evacuation centers are the truly marginalized ones, without family or friends who can take them in. Post-Yolanda, we are looking at thousands of families. Not only will they be short of funds (which will challenge again the sustainability of formula feeding), they will have limited options. Some of these families also have multiple children of varying ages where it becomes all the more critical that fewer or none will be reliant on powdered milk for sustenance and nutrition. This references to the growing trend of milk-dependent toddlers/preschoolers when eating solids is most beneficial for them.

15. The difference with calls for breast milk donations and milk letting drives is that the breastfeeding groups behind these ensure that donated breast milk is not compromised (cold chain project) as opposed to the usual unmonitored distribution of formula without the necessary paraphernalia and information. Donated breast milk is also pasteurized and given through the use of cups, which makes it safer than formula. Perhaps, because breast milk donation is very personal in nature, its advocates take more care in making sure nothing gets wasted, as opposed to a general donation of formula wherein cans might be left under the heat of the sun or water used in formulation might be dirty. Donor milk is also not distributed indiscriminately because the goal is always to ensure safe and sustainable feeding so its recipients usually are moms in the process of relactation or babies who have been separated from their mothers.

The government and concerned agencies are just looking out for these children and their families for the short and long-term. The international standards are rigid because it has been proven time and again in emergency situations all over the world that indiscriminate formula donations just create problems and cost lives.

Now, people who really want to help these babies can send cash donations instead to trusted agencies or send food, care and emergency shelter kits for their families. Let us relieve the parents of some of their immediate worries and burdens, so that they can care for their children better. And may these truths reassure everyone that this stance the Philippine government has taken is a good one.

Breastfeeding is Not Just a Feeding Issue For Your Baby

Yes... it is very common for breastfeeding moms to get soooo exhausted because their babies do not want to be away from them. They just want to park on our breasts, we cannot even get up to pee. Every time they see us, they only want one thing, and won't even consider playing with us after.

Babies NEED their moms. I think most moms do not really know how much,

If we didn't take care of ourselves while pregnant, where would baby be? Their health and safety was totally dependent on ours. What a responsibility!

And then, if that wasn't enough, here we are, letting them become totally dependent on us after birth. When we do things, how we do things, how long we can be away, what we will wear, eat, do... all will have to adjust to our feeding schedule.

And have I mentioned that we cannot even pee? I have?  Well, imagine going through that almost every day... baby taking hours to settle down and at the first slightest movement to get up and pee, she wakes up and sucks with gusto. If I could pee in a diaper, I would have went that way, I swear.

But in all those hassles hide the truth... that we aren't just food for our baby. In fact, food is the last thing they get and need from us (because, after all, formula HAS been invented already). What are we then?

We are SAFETY, SECURITY and SHELTER, the most imperative of all the needs after food. When we keep holding them close, we tell them that the person they knew in utero is the same person out here that grew them and loved them and whispered prayers for them and dreamed dreams for them. They learn that they belong to us, and we belong to them. They learn they could depend on us.

When we touch them all the time and hold them all the time, we boost their immunity.

When they get our milk, they get antibodies and probiotics... which they don't really understand. They just intuitively know that when they are feeling sick, only our milk helps.

For one to understand that, maybe you can think of critically ill people instead... wherein no drugs can help anymore, but the only thing that can soothe is a loving touch, a loving presence.

We are WARMTH and LOVE and ALL THINGS WELL... for them. Because at our side of the fence, we are all things tired, sleepy, feeling violated and pressed upon. How unfair?

But what we sometimes feel is a drudgery (I will be honest, there were many times I felt it was so much responsibility) is actually God's way of training us to give... sometimes, till it hurts. To keep our eye on the goal. To be patient. To trust. To marvel at God's amazing design. To learn how to unconditionally give and love. To invest in things we may never see (as breastfeeding benefits are lifelong, and we may not be around to know for sure that our daughter did not have breast cancer).

Breastfeeding teaches us about our body's amazing capabilities and redefines what we know of motherhood.

So, despite the tiredness and tears and lack of sleep... when your baby demands for you, know that she is turning to you to satisfy a deeper hunger. Not one for food but for a need to know that AAL IZZ WELL (sorry, 3 Idiots fan).

This is a privilege, not just a responsibility. Because, sooner than we think, our babies will have grown up into self-assured kids exploring the world... and the most that we can do for them is guide them. We will not be HEAVEN for them forever.

On Celebrities Endorsing Milk and Our War Against Underhanded Marketing Strategies by Milk Companies

This may very well be a loooong post and yes, biased FOR breastfeeding. Hopefully though, this will explain why breastfeeding advocates are against celebrities (and by this, I mean politicians, TV/movie/ad/music/sports personalities, anybody else famous or with name recall, etc) endorsing milk as a strategy employed by milk companies.

As a backgrounder, a popular celebrity family recently posted that they are giving away a year's supply of powdered milk (their firstborn's milk) for some contest (I think) which greatly saddened breastfeeding advocates. Here are the thoughts that ran through my head while I was feeling frustrated over this:

follow-on milk / toddler milk / preschooler milk/ adult milk is unnecessary

I swear, it is a fact. Nowhere in the existence of man was it necessary for humans to be dependent on milk beyond infancy (which ends when babies hit 1 year old) for nourishment. But yes, the worldwide average for weaning is closer to age 4, mainly because that is also the time a human being stops making lactase, the enzyme that digests the lactose in milk. Toddlers also benefit from the  antibodies and probiotic in their momma's milk as they explore more of this world. 

But here's a crash course for you. When the Americans came (you know, that time in our history when they colluded with Spain and drew up a mock battle but actually bought the Philippines for around 20 million dollars? Remember now?), they wanted to create a market for their goods. One thing they brought in was formula. And since Filipinos are very accommodating, we gobbled their "wisdom" up that formula is superior milk. 

Fast forward to now, the Milk Code has regulated commercials of formula/milk for kids 3 years and below. Unfortunately, in the hundred years it has been sold here, milk companies are now earning at least P40B yearly. Yes, we made for a lucrative market. From a culture where breastfeeding was the norm, even for toddlers, we became milk guzzlers instead. What is worse, there is now that prevalent thinking among the common folk that formula milk is better and "only the poor" nurse their own babies.

But the fact is, what humans need for life is CALCIUM, not milk. And as much as milk companies say their products provide calcium, the truth really is the cow's milk (where these products are mostly derived from) leeches off calcium from our bones. Why? Because it is meant for calves! It just becomes this acidic mess in our guts. And the pasteurization that strips it of bacteria also removes the enzymes which will allow humans to digest it.Unfortunately, pasteurization does not remove the hormones fed to cows that were milked for our powdered milk. 

So, again... what is a formula company to do if it cannot advertise for their formula? Create follow-on milk instead. Now, they have toddler milk, preschool milk, regular milk, pregnant mom's milk and milk for old people. The milk companies created a DEMAND for it by putting the idea across that we need it.

But WE DON'T! 

We need calcium! 

But their powdered milk is fortified with Iron! Of course, because drinking cow's milk makes a person iron deficient. How? It causes micro bleeding in the gut (because we are digesting food that is meant for a 4-compartment stomach) and interferes with iron absorption. 

In other words, parents giving their very young kids milk are contributing to potential anemia and lactose intolerance for them. 

Some studies already suggest that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who drink milk/take in other allergenic food while pregnant/breastfeeding increase the chances of their babies developing skin allergies. And yet, more and more OBs are prescribing formula milk for mamas. 

But how many of the educated population know of this truth about milk? And how many of the marginalized?

do the Math!

A P40B (and more) industry spends around P1B to market its products yearly. Marketing includes giving away samples, wooing doctors (who will give away the free samples OR prescribe the products), paying for print and TV ads.

Meanwhile, as per Milk Code, breastfeeding groups are limited in who they can approach to sponsor breastfeeding classes and events. Breastfeeding does not provide livelihood (except for Nanay Ines' Arugaan community of wet nurses and massage therapists) and will certainly not make anyone rich. 

enter the celebrity endorsers and strategists in milk companies

Milk companies often target celebrity endorsers with a child who is still more likely breasfeeding. Why else would they have gotten Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Baretto before to promote preschooler milk after  these celebs just had babies? I mean, surely, these celebs' adopted kids were already capable of drinking milk even before there were babies in the house. But no, let us wait until they've just given birth a few months before. Right?

Why would they approach Gladys Reyes, of the "thank God I was breastfeeding because we were stuck in our terrace/rooftop during Ondoy" fame to endorse preschooler milk while she also had an infant (and breastfed child during Ondoy is now the one supposed to THRIVE on powdered milk)? 

Why would they approach a family with some 2 million followers on FB, a source of inspiration to so many people, to hold a contest and provide a year's supply of the powdered milk their firstborn drinks (which is a potential Milk Code violation)?

Oh and have you noticed how they present their commercials for these follow-on milk? 

Child isn't eating right, but fortunately there's this powdered milk that gives all the nutrients listed in the food pyramid. 

Child is thriving, and fortunately there is this powdered milk that helps meet his needs. 

You are being prepped to buy either way. But again, do they tell you that the milk they advertise also compromises your child's health? Do you see or hear somewhere in the ad that this milk may worsen the common cold because it is mucus-forming and that cow's milk is top on the list of highly allergenic food? No?

now, let's do better, pro-Filipino Math

Let us say a celebrity endorser gets paid a million pesos (at least) for a milk ad. That buys them what? A trip abroad? A home extension? More money to invest? New clothes? 

Now, let's assume that because she is a celebrity, she can influence people's choices. Follow-on milk will cost a middle-income family between P2,000-3,000 monthly. That is about one to two weeks' worth of wet market allowance for my family of five (this includes our helper, and yes, we generally eat healthy so that is mostly for fish and veggies). That means, for middle income families, money that can be used for the rest of the family is just being used for one. Or, money that can be saved instead is being used on milk alone. And if there is an infant, money that can be used for that infant't vaccinations is being used to buy milk for the older sibling. 

See how it can be a recipe for poverty?

Meanwhile, for already struggling families, shooting for follow-on milk for a child may be suicide. But it happens. Instead of JUST feeding a child cooked food, they will prepare milk no matter how diluted, or break their backs to earn money to buy milk (leading to compromised health). More unfortunately, the marginalized do not think past the celebrity and milk and hype. They do not note that this is follow-on milk NOT MEANT for infants, all they hear is the jazz (intelligence! strong bones! edge! etc ). And since such is a recipe for diarrhea and malnutrition, how do we compute the cost now?

And what does the milk sales bring milk companies? New cars, condos, buildings and businesses for their main stakeholders.

But don't milk companies employ Filipinos? Yes, they do :)  Let's say around 2,000 families are benefited by salaries and free milk. And I am pretty sure those families feel grateful for the employment. Thus, shouldn't our government be indebted to them? Uhmmm... not really since there are 16,000 deaths annually that can be traced to wrongful formula feeding and diseases directly addressed by breastfeeding. Click here for other costs of formula feeding (just in case you want to add in your computation the funeral costs for those 16,000 deaths). Please also try computing the cost for sick leaves for when mothers have to care for sick kids. Trips to an allergist takes all day, after all. And gastric episodes mean long days AND nights. 

I don't know about you but I will never think 16,000 deaths YEARLY  is a price worth paying to keep 2,000 families happy. 

some more reality check, please

Celebrities are generally RICH already by a regular man's standards. Most of them breastfeed even because they are educated enough to know of the benefits.When their children gets sick, they can afford the best doctors, the best treatments, the best supplements. They can afford organic food. They can afford nutritionists if need be. They can afford the best schools, the best tutors, the best learning systems to ensure smart kids. 

And some of them do not even really use the products they endorse. Ssshhh. 

But us mere mortals, we are lucky if we have an HMO for checkups and emergency hospitalizations. And the poor? Why, good luck if they even get a turn at the nebulizer in a government hospital when they are having an asthma attack. 

with great power comes great responsibility

While we cannot take away a celebrity's right to want to earn a living, and sell whatever they can for a brighter future (and in this, I mean name, reputation, service, etc)... we advocates also cannot help but wish that more of them will think of the repercussions of their actions because nothing ends after the shoot and the ad is shown. The damage happens after, in areas they will never even dream of going to, to families they will never meet. 

When a celebrity says that she is giving her picky eater milk to keep him healthy, parents in other homes do the same, instead of improving their discipline and training their child to eat healthy.

When a celebrity says that all her kid wants is junk food (and since she allows it, it must be okay) so giving milk at least makes her child healthy, other parents do the same... instead of again, keeping junk food out of the home.

When celebrities promote a brand, their fans do not see them as entrepreneurs earning big bucks for said ad but as the beloved character they loved and supported. 

a choice based on lies cannot be an informed choice

There are enough documentary videos and interviews that point to milk ads for turning breastfeeding families into mix feeding and purely formula feeding families. There are enough commercials that have swayed families into continuing to give milk to kids, some of whom have yayas outside their schoolrooms to prepare milk in feeding bottles! Mothers and in-laws will even recommend/impose certain brands because their idols "said" it makes for better brain development or stronger builds.

These choices are based on lies. And because these aren't informed choices, breastfeeding advocates cannot honor them by staying quiet while more families get financially and health compromised.

I posted this as comment on Breastfeeding Pinay:  If you are educated, think for yourself and have options (by virtue of income and connections) then be grateful that you aren't part of the 60-70% of the population who cannot make the same informed choices that you can. And it is the marginalized and ignorant WE (advocates) are protecting and giving a voice to, which will also mean that we will forever frown over such practices.

breastfeeding is not just a feeding issue, it is a public health issue

I will admit, a judgmental part of me wonders how these celebrities can sleep at night :D  (Because I am already assuming the milk companies to be purely motivated by earnings)

I was reminded by a friend that not everyone are like us. That translates to so many things.

Not all these moms know what we know. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.They may still be really nice people but they also might not care as much as we do for the things that we do care about... like child health, and maternal health and the environment. After all, not all of us are meant to further breastfeeding advocacy. Some will build NGOs for education, some will help pastor families, some will help in drug rehab. 

They may be religious but not fully realize that they can effect better change.

But most probably, they, like most of the population, think of breastfeeding as JUST a feeding issue. So, they think of formula and follow-on milk as JUST modern options to feeding a baby/child. They do not see that unless it is medically necessary, formula and follow-on milk do more harm than good. They see milk as something that is purely ingested and nourishes now, and not something that stays in a person to give them allergy and cancer protection (in the case of breastfed toddlers) or increase their risks for diabetes (for children under 5 drinking cow's milk). 

But you, if you have stayed with me down to here... I hope now you know better. And will understand why we cannot support celebrities endorsing milk and fume over the companies that pay them exorbitant amounts they cannot ignore. Formula has its place in the great scheme of things. Follow-on milk? Not so much. Good, locally-produced food is better. And in the fight FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, I wish more celebrities will use their influence for the greater good. 

*~* Meanwhile... inviting you all to these events!!!

 

City Gardener

Homeschooling and a pursuit of a healthier lifestyle has made me realize the necessity of having my own garden to pluck leaves and what-nots from.  I sometimes check out tips from the Soothing Company Blog or get helpful concoctions from Facebook sharings but I sometimes don't have ingredients handy or prefer something simpler.

Want to deodorize a house? Get free coffee grounds given away by Starbucks. And then sprinkle some on your pots so their acidity will make your plants thrive better. Include the neighbors' or the street's plants in the process.

Got the sniffles? Set up a steamer alongside your kids while they're having some tub time with some lagundi leaves (which I thank our neighbor for). And make your kid drink oregano tea (I literally bought a plant just to pluck leave from, much to Yakee's dismay), or a tablespoon of oregano extract (steam oregano some and just squeeze juice out of it).

I boil pandan leaves to perfume the house... and later on use the tea to calm me down, or flavor gelatin with. Mixed with lemongrass, it's even better tea. Mixed with kalamansi and honey and iced... it's the same iced tea now being sold by Gawad Kalinga. Haven't figured out how to make my pandan plant grow really long leaves though.

Other potential ailments can be helped by our asitava plant, and I am glad it doesn't taste awful so I guess I can season salads and soups with its chopped leaves. 

 I even use our basil plant to make basil tea...or really make pesto pasta fragrant :)

This week, I shall try to grow Kangkong Upland (because I have not been succesful with okra) from seeds. Good luck to me!

Dancing to 90's Hits

Some guy decided to go back down memory lane and record a video of himself dancing to 90's hits... which got my online community to come up with a dance number of a similar theme for our Christmas party. Haha. Because it was my idea, I was forcibly volunteered to join the dancers.

I decided to embrace it though because it could be something else for me to do to get exercise. Makes me wish I can do it facing a big, new TV on its own flat screen stand to really inspire me more! 

But I guess I will just do it with the kiddos :)  It will be our P.E. (because the arnis sticks have lost their charm a little).

Buteyko Works

Just a quick post.

We were beset by allergies and viruses when 2012 ended and 2013 began. But Yakee recovered the fastest and didn't really need meds like Yamee and I. He's also doing great with his breathing exercises, to think we're not doing them regularly enough.

Sigh.

Thank God.

Anywayy, now I am weaning them from sweets and whatever other habits they picked up during the holidays. On to healthier living again. Hopefully, someday, when they do shop for premium cigars, it would be as gift for someone and not for personal use.

And hopefully, I can find better healers to help me raise them in health.

This Mommy is Sick

Because I was exposed to copious amounts of ciggy smoke last Saturday, I have been nursing rhinitis since. And as much as I am hoping Buteyko will magically cure me, I am struggling!!! Struggling so very much with the exercises that I am doing poorly.

And the weather is sure not helping. After several days of intense heat, here we are with a very sad, cloudy day.

I can't help but wish that rhinitis is just like any old computer virus where you only need to apply some MAC antivirus here and there, and voila, everything's magically okay again.

Bummer.

And I have been anxious about the boys being affected by the weather too... but Yakee, I feel, has protection because he's doing well with Buteyko. Yamee, on the other hand, doesn't.

Rice From Milk

Posted this on my FB wall and sent to some of my friends:

Just read of a Visayan legend where a goddess of mercy (Sappia) took pity on the ppl of Bohol during a drought.. Came down to earth and squeezed breast milk on hardy weeds.. The weeds became rice plants. Cute!!!

What I love about this is the idea that breast mik can save people in times of less food (which now translates to emergencies and calamities). I know that for people who can access the internet, having enough food isn't an issue. But having the proper food is... and that translates to what we feed our babies and young.

And of course, I believe breast milk is best. And if I will be fanatic about it, there is now a famine where good food and proper nutrition is concerned. Everyone is getting sick from processed food and bad eating habits. We need to go back to basics... not drink breast milk, of course (unless we're infants) but only partake of the natural and the healthy.

I kidded my husband that he's essentially eating breast milk with every drop of rice he eats... he didn't like the image, haha.

It would turn out that for some weeds, the goddess Sapia squeezed some of her blood... that's why there's red rice.

Sprucing Myself Up

Last Monday, I went to Divisoria and bought two new tops. I am recently having issues with most of my tops because they either don't fit me well or flatter me at all. Not that it's easy to flatter a rectangular shape, haha. Maybe I should get some brave belts to create the illusion of a waist.

I also just got a massage... and still owe myself a proper foot spa and pedicure. And a professional body scrub :)

I also recently bought new shorts and hair ties just because I realized my sons shouldn't grow up with a slob of a Mom as mother image.

Heaven bless them though, they love me to bits. Yakee would keep popping up when I'm sleeping (which is annoying, yes) just to tell me he loves me :D

I just hope I'd stop being sick now... sigh, so I can rock my new clothes in high heels this weekend.

On Checkups and Checkups

My friend Judy shared to me that she brings her kids to Jake Tan and Dr. Cricket Chen. Jake Tan is an anthroposophist healer (whose brother is premier herbalist in the country) and Dr. Cricket Chen is a homeopathic doctor.

I have discussed going to the same people for Yakee's asthma management. Though our allergist has been great and pretty conservative with medicine prescriptions, I am really antsy that we're all taking drugs for months and cannot accept that this will be the case from hereon. There has to be a better way for our livers!

Meanwhile, hubs has just attended a free medical checkup with Sonylife (where we purchased insurance from). He suspects they conduct such so they can better estimate term insurance rates and their cashflow for their members.

Sigh. All these health issues are making me down... especially since I now have to nurse migraines for every period.

Because He Has Asthma

In Waldorf Education, it is believed that 7 years old is the start of the feeling stage for developing children... and they want to help this along by fortifying the respiratory system through recorder playing. Huffing and puffing through a recorder is supposed to help practice the lungs and airways, so a child will also be less tight about his emotions.

Now, Yakee has asthma. When it was first made official at the doctor's clinic, I was ready to go and get us some getzen trumpet for him. Haha. Good thing I was able to remind myself that either I have to learn to play the instrument first, or get him to attend classes for it already. And no, I don't think Yakee is at a stage where he can attend formal lessons.

Plus, I'd really rather, if he takes music lessons, he will learn to play instruments the Suzuki way (if not through attendance at a Waldorf school).

But I guess, I have a year or two to really master the recorder, just so I can start my son on easy songs. It's not just about embracing Waldorf now, it's conquering his asthma.

Domestic Goddess

I didn't want the job... but my cousin leaving (ad our new helper not being keen on cooking) meant that I have to do most of the cooking nowadays. Well, at least the helper chops everything up for me so my contact with meats and produce is limited, and my eczema isn't that aggravated.

Anyway... I never thought I'd find it rewarding but Yakee usually thanks me for cooking. Plus, I've noticed that the boys and the helper only eat with gusto when I cook the usual veggie and meat viands (tinola, nilaga, sinigang, sotanghon). I swear, I cannot eat properly from having to fish their veggie of choice from the broth. Yakee would even say, I'm his favorite 'cooker' :)

He also thanks me profusely for crocheting him hacky sacks. I guess this is really meaningful work that a child appreciates... not my time on the PC.

So, anyway... I steamed some brocolli and made a parmesan cheese sauce for dinner, and my family loved it. Hubs even said that we should go to Baguio or Sagada (places that are super cold, with a metal building being the most practical kind of home) where vegetables are really fresh, rent a transient home, and just prepare the same dish. Haha. How's that for appreciation?

A big part of me still gets resentful that I have to plan the menu and budget the money and balance that with good food... but I like it, too.  have, so far, perfected those viands above as well as champorado.

And when all else fails, there's the daing na bangus we boy that the helper just needs to fry... and my boys thank me for. Haha. After all, I also do the marketing... every day.

I Should Think More Positively

Just several hours from now, Yakee will start his summer swimming lessons again... hopefully, he has completely recovered from his allergic rhinitis and colds from a month ago. opefully, the late night tonight hasn't compromised his immunity. Hopefully, he won't get swimmer's ear at all.

I have never experienced this kind of trepidation about his swimming lessons. He's had 3 already... this is his 4th. But life has really not been smooth where his health is concerned ever since last year, when we all came down with allergic woes that refuse to go away.

Sigh.

Yamee will start his first lessons on Tuesday.

More importantly though, I really hope I won't be shot down by our allergies and more particularly, Yakee's developing asthma. We need to keep embracing the outdoors. We should pursue a new car that can accommodate a car bike rack for us when we go out-of-town. I want us to keep travelling and exploring. I want us to see winter, conquer rainforests and watch the sun set from different parts of the world... so swimming lessons shouldn't cause me this much anxiety. it will rub off on my sons and they might start thinking they can't hack it.

*~*

Meanwhile, I think our new helper is also an allergic person. She has told us about being allergic to seafood... but even changes in temperature get her coughing. Yikes.

The Best Cooker

My cousin helper/part-time babysitter is still vacationing so I had to fend for my sons for  a few days... meaning I had to cook.

Yesterday, I cooked tinola and they loved that.

Today, I made Yakee fried rice which he loved. For dinner, I cooked tuna pasta because I was itching to use the Parmesan Cheese we got from my parents. It was a hit... especially since I had Yakee crumble bacon on top of it and put cheese himself. When hubby got home, he 'taught' his father how to 'make' the pasta and had second helpings. Then he told me, "Mommy, you are the best cooker!"

We have always tried correcting him that he means 'cook' or 'chef' but 'cooker' has stuck and it's still a great compliment. It's also a reminder to me to cook more for the family... not just because I'd at least know what goes into what they eat, but also because it could be a bonding activity for me and my sons.

I'm just a little sad though because I do pay a high price for cooking... literally and figuratively. The eczema on my hands are aggravated everytime I get my hands wet, chop up stuff like ginger or onions, or experience heat. I could use disposable food preparation gloves, I guess, but that feels awkward.

But I really should go back to having my sons involved in the cooking process. Yakee was a little miffed that he did not break the spaghetti noodles  before they went into the pot but I reminded him he was playing slide with his brother on our sofa bed.

Farming in the City

Nope, I'm not talking about Farmville.

While uploading our many pictures of our Iloilo-Bacolod trip, I noticed this shot at Garin Farm.



In case you can't read the sign, it basically says that space and location is not an issue, you can still grow your own food (and not just plants too) even in small spaces. Look at this, you don't need land and would never need to go over reel mower reviews because you can just plant basic crops using scrap materials (in this case, cutout tires for radish, tomatoes, kangkong and sweet potato) and hang them on a wall. Basic ingredients for Filipino staple dishes like sinigang.

I was really excited by this and thought it would be something wonderful that I can do with my sons... I am sure harvesting the produce and eating those will prove more meaningful for them.

Mid-Course Blues

We've just finished the midpoint classes in the Waldorf crash course I am taking... and with it came a lot of challenges.

I wasn't being as faithful with my backward review and recorder practice.

Weather changed from warm to cold to cool to warm again... and triggered allergies.

I came home to sons last Thursday who thought it necessary to have a meltdown at the same time that I wanted to cry too.

Then Yakee started barfing and complaining of a tummy ache. And Yamee was warm, then started registering a fever. Aside from not wanting them sick, a part of me was selfishly asking the universe to not let them get sick enough that I'd need to stay home... because missing a class would mean I won't get a certificate at the end of the course, and I'd have a hard time understanding the succeeding lessons. In the end, while monitoring Yamee's temperature the whole night, I opted to just pray to God to give me a sign where I should be the next day.

He answered with Yamee's temperature not reaching 38 Centigrade again... so I managed to get to class.

I enjoyed painting time and wondered already if I should get an apron for Yakee and I when we do it at home, or should I use lab coats for us instead since Yakee is inclined to be real messy.

Friday, both sons were sneezy, including me. I enjoyed storytelling time though.

The weather last Saturday didn't help my sinuses... also the fiberfill we had to use as stuffing for the puppets we were making. I went home with a full-blown rhinitis attack exacerbated by the long commute. And then, I don't know if it was just part of the allergic march or I was really reacting to something in the food I ate (I suspect the coco sugar in the basil muffin I ordered, and then I had to eat butter cookies laced with coconut). At 11 PM last night, my face started getting itchy hives and my lips started swelling.

STRESS.

Good thing it was, again, a very slow-acting allergy that responded to Claritin.

I'm still sneezy now, and the whole family has had to give up air conditioning just so we can all sleep in the same bedroom (thank heavens it's cool). I am a little depressed by that because we're due to see our allergist on Tues, and I really didn't want to report sinus allergies for us three again. I really want to stop giving my sons meds... and heaven help me, I want to stop being dependent on Claricort for my hands.

But the boys are asleep now... and still generally healthy, very much thriving, and really super wonderful. That's all that counts.

First Three Days of Waldorf Crash Course

The first three days of my Waldorf crash course with Ms. Bella and Jake Tan was very exahusting, but fun.

First, I have to use to getting up as early as 6, and travelling 1.5-2.5 hours to Del Monte Avenue. Then, there are all the lectures that require one to keep an open mind and stretch the imagination. On one hand, it tickles me pink to recognize a lot of familiar concepts and names, having come across them in my mythology and paranormal reading phases BUT to see them in Steiner's story requires a great paradigm shift.

Then, there's the art, music and movement component of it. Now, I have to tackle learning to play a recorder. Yesterday, we ended our session with clay molding (I have a chunk of clay wrapped in plastic in my bag and I don't know what to do with it). Next week, we're going to sew string puppets and tackle form drawing.

Talk about feeling intimidated and brought back to grade school.

I love my classmates though. We're a mixture of moms, teachers, community people and caregivers. There's a pregnant teacher at Kolisko who I've been dying to discuss Eden wear and babiesnbellies for maternity dresses with. There's an older one (compared to the rest) who's taking the course for business purposes 'coz they're going to establish one in Cebu, who looks like David Celdran. There's a mom to a child with ADHD. There's a clairaudience mom with a clairvoyant daughter. And then there's the assistant teacher at St. Michael who knew Yakee.

Suffice it to say I am feeling fulfilled with the course. But my sons have been acting up not having me for 3 days to care for them. They were okay the first day, but when I came home the 2nd day, I could tell from my cousin's expression that she was super challenged by the two. And when I came home Saturday night, darling hubby couldn't wait till I get past the door before telling me how his day with the kids went.

Hayyyy.

There was a fire near our street too and hubs texted me about it, but I was sorta chastising him for not giving my expressed breast milk to our son. He texted me something like, "I tell you there was a fire, and you're worried about your milk?"

Well... nobody else would understand, except a fellow breastfeeding Mom :)

Allergic Christmas

Ended last week with text messages to our allergologist asking if I and my youngest could take antihistamines/decongestants for our allergic rhinitis. Mine was keeping we awake and my sinuses were so painful so I was really ready for drugs.

We were given what to take and the dosage as well as an order to steam inhalate. It kinda made me wish we have this claw foot tub that's super huge where we can all fit, and I can just steam all our sniffles away while we're all in the tub... but alas, I have to make do with sitting on the toilet bowl while watching my sons (in separate huge plastic basins as makeshift tubs).

Good thing their delight was the same.

Then, yesterday, I got a weird allergic reaction to sago't gulaman. Weird, because my lips swelled and started feeling sore (normally, my eyes notify me of allergic reactions to food). Had to take antihistamine for that.

Sigh.

Now, my fingers are all cracked again... this after 2 weeks of strong steroid creams and sleeping with my hands in socks. Hubs tells me I might be stressed... well, I didn't think I was before but I sure am now!