Today the topic is the ultimate raw/living food. This one many of us make on a regular basis, everyday, some for several years. Any guesses.....? The most amazing, incredible living food that I know of.... the most nourishing.... of all.... is.... breast milk. Now the topic can be a touchy one for some, as nursing is considered a woman's choice, and then beyond that, at times a woman who wants to nurse may have challenges or stumbling blocks that make it seem impossible, and at times truly that may be the case. But with all this taken into account, when possible, producing the milk that will nourish a little growing body and providing that nourishment on demand is one of the most awesome gifts that a mother can give her child.
Times have changed. I was born premature at a time when nursing was "out." My mother never even considered nursing her children.... The doctor recommended formula, and she always did what she was told.... But years later, I am convinced that what we start our child with has an effect on their immune system. I was quite prone to allergies as a child and even still, to this day, I still react to allergens like cat dander or dust, though interestingly, much less if at all when I eat optimally. So if a child has been brought up on formula, the optimal diet can certainly mitigate some of the possible damages, but on the flip side, if you are able to nurse your child, consider this a blessing and opportunity to give the ultimate gift.
What comes out as mother's milk is made up from the raw materials we provide. Having an excellent diet, free of pesticides (organically grown foods), plant based, utilizing a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, seeds. and nuts, with a generous amount consumed raw / living, assures that the quality of the milk produced will be superior and will assist that young one in growing big and healthy.
At times there are challenges.... Sometimes a baby is not flourishing on mother's milk. Before giving up, just based on the opinion of one practitioner, it is a strong and confident mother that seeks second and perhaps third opinions, looking to understand the root of the problem. With help, one can often find the source and correct the challenge...Sometimes it is a mechanical challenge and other times, it could be a food sensitivity, which has deeper roots that a good practitioner can help the family explore. But with determination, the offending food or foods can often be identified and eliminated, allowing the child to once again flourish on their intended food.
These days practitioners can be so quick to urge the mother to add to the infant's diet, fortified products and cereals, supplemental vitamins, etc.... But truly, we are set up to provide our baby all they need in the first 6 months exclusively from the milk that we produce. And vitamin D... the supplement so often pushed on new mothers.... Mother's milk has some (assuming the mother has adequate unprotected sunlight and / or enough vitamin D in her diet or supplement).... And between March and October in the United States, perhaps longer in more southern regions, 5-10 minutes of unprotected sunlight, between 10 and 3 pm (no sunblock for that brief span of time) is sufficient, each day, to help build up those vitamin D stores naturally.
So I just wanted to take the time, while the blog posts are so focused on raw and living foods, to appreciate this often overlooked living food. Nursing a child even longer than the recommended 6 months gives only more benefit to the child and most likely the mother as well. Nursing is a holistic experience. We save resources... no container to dispose of.... no heating required.... And the emotional connection which nursing forges can not be overlooked.
Kudos to all who have made this choice to feed their young one living food, exclusively at first and later, as an addition to the foods that they one by one are introducing to their young one. As part of your efforts to live the holistic life, if you are soon to be a mother, consider nursing that child. If you are already nursing a little one, don't let societal pressures make you stop before it feels right..... Nurse one year... two years... three years or more.... Naturally the amount the child needs will lessen, and as they become more and more independent and interested in being like the bigger kids, they will naturally start to wean, or perhaps you will gently assist them in this process... if you feel the time is right.... But know that no one else can tell you the right time.... really about anything.
As we live more and more holistically, we start to realize that in more ways than one, the answer is within us. We just need to listen.....
Tomorrow, I am going to share a few little known facts about this amazing living food, some alternate uses.... Curious? Even if you are not a nursing mom... this is quite good to know... Check back tomorrow, same time, same place.... And until then I hope you have a glorious day.
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