Acid-Reflux and Colic Research BREAKTHROUGH

At least it's a breakthrough for me. :)  As many of you remember, my daughter Eowyn struggled with painful acid reflux (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD) from about week 3 of her life to month 5.  We worked through massive amounts of spit-up (the most epic being at my friend Val's house, one which left us both staring speechless as it soaked down through every layer of clothing on me, pooling in my pants waist band-- gross?  tell me about it), refusal to nurse do to painful association, fussiness... and we made it.  (For more on our drug-free War on Reflux, read here.)

But the same brain that exhausted my grandmother with incessant questions in a ceaseless drive to know wasn't happy here.  My daughter wasn't suffering anymore, but... why had she had this condition in the first place?  Why was there an absolute epidemic of acid reflux in my circle of mommy-friends, with Zantac and Prevacid handed out like candy?  This condition has completely exploded, along with it a huge influx of regular, daily prescription drug use in infants-- which in turn is linked to a whole host of potential long-term (chronic, systemic) problems.  With all my baby sitting, etc., I'd never heard of a baby medicated for acid reflux before my friend's son had it (2 years before Eowyn was born).  True, there have always been "colicky" babies, and I'm sure some of the babies now diagnosed with GERD & medicated would have been labeled "colicky" before. Regardless, I wanted to know WHY.

What's a mom to do?  KEEP LOOKING!

My first bit of light came in reading Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which is an exposition of all the ways gut-flora imbalance (too much harmful yeast & bacteria crowding out the good guys we need for good health) affects us.  One big symptom of an imbalanced gut flora is severe morning sickness during pregnancy, especially if there is no family history for it.  (My mom never had it with any of us 3 girls.  I did. Check.)  These same moms with unbalanced gut flora pass on their imbalance to their children through birth and breastfeeding... often leading to acid reflux in babies.  First light-bulb moment for me.

How do we get our gut flora wacked out in the first place?  Antibiotics.  Diets high in sugar & refined grains.  Formula feeding instead of breast-feeding. Environmental toxins. Our moms (and in some part our dads).  About two generations ago, breastfeeding fell into disrepute, at the same time that drugs like antibiotics and vaccines (containing antibiotics) became an integral part of childhood, as the American diet turned ever-more towards pre-made instead of home-grown and canning overtook fermenting.  It would make sense that now we would see a whole host of moms-- perhaps breast-fed by a formula-fed mom-- who grew up on antibiotics and Little Debbies having bad morning sickness, and then having babies with acid-reflux heretofore unseen in such numbers.  Yes, it all fits.

But what to do about it?  KEEP LOOKING!!

In one of my doula-reading books, I found a citation to a 2007 study published in Pediatrics.  This study, in fact.  The boiled-down version:  two sets of babies (all breast-fed) suffering from generic "colic" were treated in low-tech ways.  One group got simethicone drops (gas drops). The other got a probiotic (beneficial bacteria), Lactobaccilus reuteri.  Both sets of moms were avoiding cow's milk in their own diets.

 "Ninety breastfed colicky infants were assigned randomly to receive either the probiotic L reuteri (10⁸ live bacteria per day) or simethicone (60 mg/day) each day for 28 days. The mothers avoided cow's milk in their diet. Parents monitored daily crying times and adverse effects by using a questionnaire.

RESULTS. Eighty-three infants completed the trial: 41 in the probiotic group and 42 in the simethicone group. The infants were similar regarding gestational age, birth weight, gender, and crying time at baseline. Daily median crying times in the probiotic and simethicone groups were 159 minutes/day and 177 minutes/day, respectively, on the seventh day and 51 minutes/day and 145 minutes/day on the 28th day. On day 28, 39 patients (95%) were responders in the probiotic group and 3 patients (7%) were responders in the simethicone group. No adverse effects were reported.

Did you catch that?  Babies were crying about 160 minutes/day (over 2 1/2 hrs) before the intervention, started crying less within one week of getting the probiotics, and went down to under 1 hour of crying (and which baby doesn't cry about 1 hour a day, all told?)!  The babies in the gas drop group was still crying nearly 2 & 1/2 hours every day by the end of the 4 weeks.  The study summarizes "In our cohort, L reuteri improved colicky symptoms in breastfed infants within 1 week of treatment, compared with simethicone, which suggests that probiotics may have a role in the treatment of infantile colic."  I'd say!!!!!

I will keep my eyes peeled for studies that specifically look at probiotic's role in treating acid-reflux (this study excluded infants with that condition to keep variables to a minimum), and ideas about whether other probiotics could be used, even those in yogurt.  (This particular study used probiotics sold by BioGaia AB from Stockholm, Sweden)

In the meantime, may this help any of you trying to shush a sad baby!!

GAPS Intro

Many of you know that Eowyn & I (and, when he eats with us, Ryan) are on a long-term diet called the 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome' diet, or GAPS diet.  Its goal is to heal the gut, in four ways:  (1) giving it a "break" from anything hard to digest during the Intro stage, (2) replenish the bacteria ("gut flora") necessary for proper digestion, immune function, overall and mental health (3) starve off opportunistic yeasts & harmful bacteria ("bad gut flora"), and (4) provide foods rich in healing properties and nutrients.  It's been used to successfully treat many types of chronic conditions, from dyslexia to autism (ASDs) to epilepsy to acid reflux.  Quite a tall order for a diet, which is why those who go on it expect to stick to it for at least 18 months- 2 years, longer for long-established problems.  Properly-prepared gluten-free grains may be reintroduced if desired after that point (2ish years) in addition to GAPS-approved foods.

So what kinds of foods hurt the gut?  First off, SUGAR-- so no refined sugar in any forms, and limited natural sugars (in the earliest stages of the Introduction diet dried fruits & most fresh fruits are eliminated).  Also grains, raw fibrous veggies at first (until the gut is mostly healed) improperly prepared beans, nuts & lentils, and anything processed (no MSG, no artificial flavorings, no propa-hexa-muta-gora-bora-bora... you get the idea).  Fertilizers, pesticides, and other remnants of commercial farming make their way into foods and upset guts trying to heal, so as much as can be bought organic should be.  The fresher the better, too!

What heals the gut?  Lots of bone broths & stocks, fermented foods (saurkraut- which I HAVE learned to like, natural pickles... AMAZING, yogurt, kombucha, kefirs of all kinds), ginger, coconut & natural, whole-food fats (ghee, butter, tallow, lard, olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and cream once dairy is introduced).  While pasteurized dairy is not allowed, raw milk & cream, and fermented dairy products like yogurt, sour cream, pima cream & most cheeses are encouraged.  I've had fun learning to make my own of most of the above-- thanks to modern appliances, most is REALLY easy!  (For those familiar with Weston A. Price's work, or with the Whole/Traditional Foods or Slow Cooking movements, it's like a WAPF diet without grains and most beans, with extra emphasis on fermented foods.)

Anyway, it is a learning curve, and many people get about a month into the diet and get super bored.  If you're used to cooking a lot of grain-based meals it's definitely intimidating.  Eowyn & I went through the six-step Introduction Cycle in 2 weeks, which is kind of the minimum suggested.  While both of us had warning signs of imbalanced gut flora-- for me, my Celiac's disease, bad morning sickness during pregnancy, recurrent ear infections (3 in as many months after 20 years without them) and the beginnings of renewed yeast imbalances (urg, after being free for 4 years!!!) were signs.  For Eowyn, signs that my bad gut flora had been passed on to her (through delivery and subsequent breast-feeding) were severe enough acid reflux to be prescribed medication (HUGE RED FLAG IN BABIES!!!), and food reactions (to blueberries, to peanuts, to wheat, to who knew what).  What's motivated me?  Well, the recurrent ear infections were getting annoying, and my doctor was about to refer me to an ENT, because "adults aren't supposed to get ear infections."  While regular chiropractic care was keeping the fluid draining enough to delay infection, I could still feel the fluid in my ears all the time.  Also, if I do get pregnant in this coming year, I'll do ANYTHING to avoid morning sickness, and ANYTHING to try and pass on GOOD gut flora to my next baby!! 

I highly recommend Dr McBride's book Gut & Psychology Syndrome, for anyone interested in nutrition, mental health, learning disabilities, and child-rearing in general.  Actually, truth be told I think all moms should read it.  In our generation, it's become normal to be prescribed anti-nausea medication during pregnancy and to need to either radically change your diet while nursing (no dairy, no chocolate, no peanuts, etc) or give your baby Prevacid for 5 months, and food intolerances or learning disabilities in kids are ubiquitous.

Next is a list of meals that have worked for us, lest anyone think we are starving (and for anyone who's on GAPS and would like some fresh ideas!).

PS- so far, Eowyn has shown NO reactions to any of the foods she seemed to react to before!!  She's eating all sorts of nuts, including peanuts, all berries, and hasn't had red cheeks or diaper rash at all!  Praise the Lord!

Springtime Weaning

This blog post is solely meant to reflect my musings, and prompt your own.  I'm going to put an idea out there that is quickly labeled "weird" by many Americans, but it's one I've thought of a lot lately.  That subject is breast-feeding past the age of 1.

We all know that breast milk is the best thing for babies.  Whether or not we truly deep-down believe that can be seen by how quick we are to choose formula over breast-milk or how hard we try to nurse.  But even moms who elect to go straight to the bottle "know" that it isn't quite as good as breast milk, though thanks to research we are able to give babies a close second (especially if we use organic products or make our own formulas based on real milks).  That said, please don't feel guilt or judgment coming at you as you read if you didn't breast feed or didn't keep it up as long as you wish, especially if you were literally unable to do so. This is my thinking in "ideal world-land."   Ok, so, in the US & Canada, it's a "given" that breast-feeding is great.  Most moms try to do it at least 6 weeks, and even working moms usually try to keep it up (thanks to another handy invention; the pump!) for 6 months.  The official World Health Organization recommendation is:

"Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.  Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond."

I think most American moms feel like if they've nursed to one year of age, they're champs, and it's time to move on to cow's milk.  While both are true (especially the being champs part), why do we feel like one year is THE end-mark for weaning?  My pediatrician's office asked me matter-of-factly at Éowyn's one-year check up how weaning was going, and told me I could start replacing one feeding per week with a sippy cup of whole milk.  When I told them, yes, I had introduced whole cow's milk but that I hadn't decreased nursing yet, the nurse blinked at me in shock, then assured me that yes, that was totally fine.  Nursing past one year old just isn't much done around here.

Why, though?  The newest article "Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk" from the AAP (an organization that is far from non-interventionist) contains these statements:

• Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother, especially in delaying return of fertility (thereby promoting optimal intervals between births).
• There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.

Around the world weaning often takes place much later.  (See an interesting article here.)  Why do we Westerners put a one-year cap on nursing our babies?  Is it just because everyone else does it?  Is it because we get fed up with nursing?  Once it becomes habit, I think it's absolutely precious.  E was a tough nut to nurse the first 5 months of her life, what with all the screaming and refusing to nurse and the having to stand, sway, pat and walk the entire feedings... but just last week I was thanking the Lord for the sweet blessing it is now.  There is nothing sweeter than a contented baby snuggled at his mother's breast.  It's often the only time my active baby will sit still and let me snuggle and rock her, and I just love how she looks up at me and strokes my face or puts her hand up to my mouth to be kissed.

I've heard many people say "as soon as they can ask for it, I think they're too old for it."  Éowyn learned to sign "milk" VERY early, around 8 months or so.  Of course, she still couldn't walk or chew much food, or even drink whole milk yet-- probably not a good move to base weaning on the ability to ask for milk.  I think our culture is so much more comfortable in seeing breasts as sexually attractive objects than as what they are just as much intended to be:  functional suppliers of milk for our children.  Maybe that's why we feel uncomfortable with children seeing and feeding from them once they are cognitively aware-- we feel like that's weird, maybe even a bit sick.  Please know that it ISN'T.  One of woman's main roles is a nurturer, literally and figuratively.  There's a reason Adam named his wife "Eve, because she was the mother of all the living."  ("Eve" sounds like the Hebrew for life-giver and resembles the word for living).

But I don't want to to put some other arbitrary cap on nursing, to wonder if we shouldn't "make two the new one." Let's not try to nurse on to 24 months feel guilty if we don't, or weird if we go beyond.  Nor am I a staunch advocate of child-led weaning; in my opinion, breast-feeding is for very young children, not for those able to get a full diet from other sources.  You won't catch me breast-feeding Éowyn through kindergarten, no way.  Nor do I desire to try and nurse her AND grow a second child should the Lord bless us with another one; one parasite at a time, please! :)

I do have one thought, though.  I can't say how many times I've been thankful for breast-feeding through this winter.  Example:  Éowyn had a miserable January, as a cold settled in her sinuses, then both ears, and probably was inflaming her throat too. Add four incoming molars and an itchy, painful allergic reaction to penicillin, and neither of us was getting much sleep.  Her food intake dwindled to one or two bites per meal at most.  Instead, she asked to nurse a lot, even sleeping by me for one precious night, nursing herself into a merciful deep sleep (the first either of us got in a week).  I took her to the doctor's three times in as many weeks, and was absolutely shocked when instead of showing the wasting most toddlers do during illnesses, she'd gained a pound through her ordeal!  The nurse's explanation; "breast-milk is very caloric."  I can't imagine what I would have done had I not been still nursing.  Nothing else soothed her ears and throat, and cow's milk isn't the best during upper-respiratory infections, so I guess I'd have been pushing water and juice and watching her use all her stored fat up to fight off infection. 

I've been thinking; the winter just seems like a bad time to wean.  It's cold; breast-milk is warm, and snuggles are welcome.  It's sickness-season, especially for exploring toddlers and their tired mamas; breast-milk provides immunities, is often the only thing a sick child wants to eat (especially if ears & throats are sore) and is a fuss-free snack (almost a meal!) when it's Mom who isn't feeling so hot.  The summer, by contrast, seems like a much more natural time to wean:  it's hot out, children want cool drinks rather than warm milk, and no one wants more body heat.  I propose the idea of seasonal weaning.  What if we got in our heads to nurse through the winter instead of "to one year?"  I'm hoping that Éowyn will take the lead in weaning once it gets warmer, when there are interesting things to do outside and all around!  (So far, we've cut out all night feedings and her post-nap afternoon "snack," but that's been hard enough.  This child loves her "miwc.")

One more thought on the convenience of nursing into toddler-hood:  The other day we were out running errands and, as so often happens, we got delayed and held up past the little one's dinner time. Being the great mom that I am, I had no snacks with me in the store... except, oh wait... we found a quiet discreet corner, and five minutes later Eowyn was satisfied.  No prep, no clean up, no mess.  Baby happy, Mommy happy.  Everybody happy!

One last quote from Katherine A. Dettwyler, a woman whose research is particularly on this subject (from the article linked to above):

In terms of the benefits of extended breastfeeding, there have been a number of studies comparing breastfed and bottlefed babies in terms of the frequency of various diseases, and also IQ achievement. In every case, the breastfed babies had lower risk of disease and higher IQs than the bottle-fed babies. In those studies that divided breastfed babies into categories based on length of breastfeeding, the babies breastfed the longest did better in terms of both lower disease and higher IQ. [...] This has been shown for gastrointestinal illness, upper respiratory illness, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, and on and on and on. Likewise, the babies nursed the longest scored the highest on the IQ tests. [...]  Presumably, the benefits continue to accrue, as your body doesn't *know* that the baby has bad a birth day and suddenly start producing nutritionally and immunologically worthless milk.

So, Are You Allergic to Wheat, or Do You Have Celiac's?

My body cannot process gluten, the main protein in wheat, spelt, rye and barley.  It makes me ill in a whole host of ways, from a brain-fog that makes words on a page suddenly and totally non-sensical, to hallucinogenic dreams in which I can't open my eyes but keep trying to wake up, to itching in every mucous membrane, to digestive pain, to eczema, to absolute mind-numbing fatigue, to raging thirst.  It isn't fun.  People often ask me "so, what will happen if you accidentally eat gluten?  Will you, like...die?"  My answer is usually "No- not right away.  But it will make me sick and icky-feeling for about 2 weeks."  (Not worth a cheat!)

Technically, there is a difference between "food allergy" that causes a histamine reaction (an immediate Ig-E allergy) and a food intolerance like Celiac Disease.  A histamine reaction comes from Ig-E (immunoglobulin E, a type of antibody)s in a body pegging the trigger (sea food for instance) as an invader, and swarming to get it out.  Ig-Es bring on extremely powerful reactions.  This leads to itchy eyes, runny nose, swelling and in severe cases, anaphylaxis (throat swelling shut).  Allergy tests look for Ig-E reactions (on skin or in blood) to tiny amounts of potential allergens.  Food intolerances are more tricky.  They aren't mediated by those antibodies, so they won't show up on an allergy test.  As this mother puts it,

After two doctors told me my son didn't have any allergies, the GI doctor finally found the genes for celiac which explained why he had gone from the 95% of weight to the 5% of weight after we introduced gluten (wheat) and dairy into his diet. Technically, he didn't have a life threatening IgE allergy. One doctor even told me, "we have a death and disease model" meaning if you are not going to die from something immediately after eating it, it isn't a problem. But my son was wasting away and his brain was starving for nutrients. 

Celiac disease, and other food intolerances, involve immune reactions in the gut, where the food particles are changed into intestine-bombs instead of being digested: 

Upon exposure to [gluten] the enzyme tissue transglutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to a truncating of the villi lining the small intestine (called villous atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients, because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption. (Wikipedia)

A really succint and helpful summary is here.

Both are examples of the body over-reacting to something that shouldn't trigger a response at all, but they are different enough to require different tests.  I appreciated this blog post by a mother whose children have many food intolerances (and she's into Real Food too!).  Most people don't know about Celiac disease, and they think that you are being picky if you say you're "intolerant to" something... so I'll probably go on being incorrect but understood and telling waiters and chefs that "I'm allergic to wheat and soy." :)

[[And parents, if you notice that your child has red cheeks, diarrhea, is irritable or sleepless, vomits, gets eczema or a rash after eating any certain food, or has ANY developmental delays, disorders or learning disabilities, or just "fails to thrive" but tests "negative for any food allergies," you might want to try cutting it out, seeing if he improves, and getting a doctor familiar with non-IgE mediated food intolerances.  Just because it doesn't show up as an allergy on a blood test doesn't mean that it couldn't possibly be a life-threatening intolerance.]]

Picky Eating Regime

I've got a little girl who's just learning what it means to eat.  Up until now, the majority of her diet has been liquid, there for the sweet drinking.  Now she's got to face a world of new textures, tastes, smells, skills, and even rules (such as "food goes in mouth, not in hair"). I have found myself already wondering what the balance between discipline and grace should be in this issue.  As another friend put it, what's our goal?  To raise obedient kids?  Thankful kids?  Non-picky eaters? Healthy eaters?  All of the above?  If so, to what extent of each?  This little article is (my first!) a guest post by Heather Mora Wood, a mama of three with much experience on both sides of this subject.  I found her story extremely helpful and reasonable, and thought this voice of experience might help moms in a similarly unfamiliar situation as my own.  Please feel free to add your own thoughts and experiences!

My children, (3,7,11) will eat almost everything and I pretty much don't ever hear the words "I don't like it" from them. The way I raised them was as a baby we started with the most disliked veggies and sweetened it up from there moving into fruits. I've always produced 1 meal for everyone to eat and would give a small amount of the new stuff for them to try. They had to eat everything on their plate, which was portioned out according to the normal amount they ate (to avoid overeating), and if it wasn't eaten then, it would transfer to the next meal. I would mix it with what ever we had at the next meal, with whatever was appropriate, and we'd talk about those starving kids in Africa. It also helped that we had a friend who literally grew up eating out of garbage cans and I could point out how blessed we are. I also exposed them to TONS of styles of food. The way I cook is basically by choosing the ethnicity for the day and make food according to it. And restaurant exposure is the same: tons of variety. From Thai to Mexican, from African to French, from Italian to Greek, they've tried it all and liked it! I've also been kinda strict on sauces. I expect them to try things "naked" before adding sauce, so they can learn the flavor on its own. I also have them help me in the kitchen so they see where food comes from. Most importantly, I didn't let anyone say that they didn't like something around them! I call them gourmet babies.

NOW, the opposite. My little sister came to live with me for a month and wouldn't eat anything except hamburgers, fries, noodles and some fruits plus tomatoes or carrots. She was the ultimate picky! She didn't even like bananas or pbj! She went through the drama about how she wouldn't eat what I prepared and I'd explain that as long as she lived with me she'd be eating what I made every meal. No choice. SO, for a few days she wouldn't eat anything. She drank water. Then she got brave enough to try things. For about a week it was gag this, throw-up that, cry about it all, I want something different. That's when I realized it truly was mental and will against will. I was going to win this battle I decided! My plan: trash can was her new best friend, we turned it into a game, and I put rules into play.

Rule number 1: she had to try everything on her plate at least once. If she threw it up, she'd have to take another bite. It had to be swallowed to count.

Rule number 2: she couldn't get up from the table until she did. I would sit with her while the rest of the family went on with their day (and to make sure she wasn't lying about the bites.) 

Rule number 3: I gave her different ways to try to get the food down and she could use all or some of them as long as they helped her accomplish her goal but NO WHINING (including pinching her nose so the taste wasn't as strong, chasing her bite with a huge glass of water, pretending like it was her favorite food and eating blindly, racing someone at the table to swallow the bite first, etc.) (Whining resulted in discipline.)

Rule number 4: If she could eat everything on her plate (which was baby portioned,) she was given a special dessert that she liked. 

It took about 2 1/2 weeks before she was eating along side us without whining and rarely throwing up! She learned to try everything without preconceived opinions and appreciate each item for what it was. We also started learning more about why to eat the different foods, like the vitamins in them. So she was making better choices also because she knew it was healthier for her body (and she's a sporty girl.) She was gradually allowed to start making educated opinions about certain foods that she seriously had tried but really didn't like, but they were few. She grew to love some foods she had hated, like bananas and pbj! Most importantly, she became more obedient learning through this experience that I had wanted to do what as best for her and better for her. She was grateful to now know what things like turkey, smoothies and cheese tasted like. 

So, to sum it up...yes, it will be hard work to fix but I do believe that most children's issues with certain foods are simply about who holds the power. The texture issue can always be resolved by turning it into a different texture, such as smoothie, cookie, casserole, soup, etc. Be creative and try what you know will work for your child and be prepared for a little vomit! :o)

Heather is passionate about equipping parents to deal with aplastic anemia, which her son Josef has struggled through and from which he is now enjoying remission (praise the Lord!).

Eat Your Egg Yolks!

This morning's random research topic was eggs, particularly the yolks. Here is a great article on their health benefits. We've recently switched over to pastured eggs for us, not just for Eowyn. While we were in Michigan, we stocked up at an Amish farm, where they were only $1.50/dozen! The yolks are such a rich orange and the flavor is actually egg-y!! And folks, if they look and taste that different, it's because they have different nutrients!

Why the interest in egg yolks? Eowyn just had her 9 month check up, and one concern they raised was anemia (low iron). Apparently it's common at her age, with a baby's from-birth supply of maternal hemoglobin (iron-rich mom's red blood cells) being used up by now, breast milk iron supply possibly waning, yet not a lot of consumption of iron-rich foods. Our pediatrician's office especially cautioned me because Eowyn doesn't eat any iron-fortified baby cereals. In my mind, there are WAY better sources of iron than artificially fortified rice cereal! So I've been reading up on natural iron sources, trying to make sure our little E gets plenty of iron. After my reading, I am not at all concerned! She's a little iron-eating machine! She clamors for most of my egg yolks every morning (eating about 1 1/2 yolks a day), loves beef & lamb, eats green peas fresh from our organic CSA, and gets creamed kale about once every 2 weeks (not too much since she's still so young). Her main food source is my milk, so I'm pushing the raw (frozen!!) liver, organic beef & lamb, eggs, and lots of fresh fruits & veggies, myself. Oh yeah, and my multi-vitamin has iron, too. I'm trying to be brave and cook some organ meats in the next few weeks. I have it, it's just sitting in my freezer...

Anyway, Eowyn is thriving at 29 1/4" tall (89%tile), 17.12 lbs (25%ile) and with a head circumference in the 90%ile. She charmed all the office staff, waving and grinning, grabbing, chewing on everything in sight, and babbling happily at the fish and sea creatures on the walls (one reason I LOVE our pediatrician's office!).

[She also got her first shot, dose 1 of the HiB vaccine. We are still reading up on the DTaP (the D and P components especially), Pc and the IPV, having come upon some disturbing new information on both of these vaccines, as well as reassuring info on fighting the actual diseases themselves (diptheria, pertussis & polio). See Make an Informed Vaccine Decision by Dr. Mayer Eisenstein (MD, JD & MPH). We got started with the HiB and are praying she has no reactions to it!

I'm also ordering Paul Offit's book Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases, to get a pro-vaccine look at things. He invented the rotavirus vaccine and is on the CDC's vaccination panel, so it's safe to say he's ardently pro-vaccine. We'll see what he has to say!]

Good vs. Bad Cholesterol?

This article is pretty good, explaining recent discoveries in a clear way. The jist of it? LDL & HDL (types of cholesterol) have long been cast into roles as "bad" and "good" cholesterol, meaning that foods high in LDLs such as butter, eggs, bacon & red meat, have been labeled 'unhealthy.' Now research is saying it isn't so neat and tidy.

For me, this is just one more finding backing up the 'traditional food' movement, which advocates whole foods that have been eaten for centuries, cooked in slow methods, and not vilifying any one food group (such as meats or fats) but rather embracing all in their proper place. In other words, eating natural sources of saturated fats isn't just ok, it's needed for health-- it's what traditional cultures around the world have thrived upon, and what our own ancestors ate!