eat, sometimes in a different form. The implementation is not always
so easy, mostly due to the marketing of junk foods to children. Let’s
start at the beginning.
From birth, mother’s milk provides everything the baby needs,
including water. It’s not unusual for a baby to rely exclusively on
breastfeeding for all its nutritional needs through 6 or 8 months of
age, or longer. I’ve never seen a situation where the mother was phys-
ically unable to breastfeed. If you’re expecting a baby and would like
more information and support on breastfeeding, contact La Leche
League International (www.lalacheleague.org).
The general recommendation is to wait until at least 6 to 8 months
of age before introducing outside sources of food for babies (although
baby-food companies want you to think differently). A baby’s intes-
tinal tract is not yet developed to process food other than mother’s
milk, and the immune system could have adverse reactions to foreign
foods if they’re introduced too early. This could lead to intestinal dis-
tress, allergies and other problems, often for a lifetime. When babies
start wanting to experiment with food after 6 to 8 months of age, you
can begin trying different foods individually. If you combine more
than one food at a time in the beginning and the baby has an adverse
reaction, you may not know which food is the culprit. And, it’s best
to give the baby a choice, letting him or her choose from a variety of
healthy options.
Babies are born as instinctive and intuitive geniuses; they know
just what they need to be healthy. And when they start eating foods,
they can self-select very well, when not influenced by adults or other
kids. Studies by Dr. Clara Davis in the 1920s and ’30s showed that
once children are weaned, they will naturally select the foods their
bodies need the most. In Davis’ studies, the children developed very
different dietary patterns. In the end, the children were psychological-
ly and physically healthier than average.
Practically speaking, most parents are not willing to prepare a
smorgasbord for the baby every time he or she wants to eat. But there
are some patterns I discuss below that can be followed — mainly that
certain foods, like carbohydrates and dairy products, should be post-
poned until they are more easily tolerated, and more-often selected
foods should be eaten first. And, always use organic foods.
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