Primal Baby

If you have been following me on facebook recently you might have noticed some recent pictures that might shock and amaze you. Like how I feed Caleb liver. And egg yolk. And bone broth. Call me weird, crazy, or strange if you like, but I believe I am giving Caleb the best possible start for a healthy digestive track and healthy eating habits.

It all started when I read the book Super Nutrition for Babies as per recommendation of my friend and blogger Jamie. This book completely changed my view of how we should feed our infants. The doctor who wrote the book advocates that food is the pathway to health. By supplying our bodies with the right nutrients we can better protect our bodies from contagious diseases, chronic diseases, obesity, and other illnesses related to deficiencies.

I am completely on board with this philosophy and have been for a while since learning more about nutrition through the wonderful Doctors and friends we have met through AdvoCare. AdvoCare advocates for the same holistic approach to health and wellness through proper nutrition, supplementation, and a healthy lifestyle. If I am going to help adults get healthy and give their bodies a fighting chance to stay that way why wouldn't I want to do the same for my own children?

Enter primal eating.

John and I have been about 90% paleo for 4 years now. Gluten and dairy will never enter our house due to our own allergies. So what is our plan for Caleb? Offer him baby super foods.

A few of these include:

Soft-boiled egg yolk
Egg yolks provide the "perfect protein" for babies. Keeping it semi-raw allows the heat-sensitive enzymes to remain in tack. The egg white is usually what people are allergic to, so just feeding the yolk to your baby reduces allergic reaction potential. I got some local organic eggs from a Farmer's Market to feed Caleb. He loved them! I did have to scramble the yolks a few times because the raw yolks gave him bad gas. 

Do I have something on my face?

Caleb loves to rake the scrambled yolks and shove them into his mouth

Liver
liver is the best source of all most all known nutrients. It is a common misconception that animal livers hold toxins. If you get a liver from a healthy animal this shouldn't be a problem. Babies are notorious for loving liver and gobbling it up and Caleb sure does! I cooked organic chicken liver then froze it. I will give him a hunk frozen to gnaw on and he loves it! This is the food item he reaches for the most.

trying to fit the whole liver hunk into his mouth

Gnawing on liver

Taking a bit of liver

Bone Broth
This is excellent for the digestive system because it contains gelatin, which is uniquely able to stimulate and support digestion. My friend MJ makes an organic bone broth that we LOVE. She simmers down the bones to much so that all the nutrients are in a highly absorbable form. I mix bone broth with Caleb's eggs and feed it to him with a spoon. When Caleb was sick with a fever a few weeks ago I fed him 1-2oz of bone broth in a bottle and his fever broke within 2 hours. Coincidence or not I'm not sure, but at least I know its great to feed a sick kid broth!

Little sick Caleb fighting off a fever

This is usually how I feed Caleb bone broth. I put it on a spoon and let him control how much he eats

Cod-liver oil
CLO (for short) contains copious amounts of DHA, which supports nervous system function, cellular communication, and helps probiotics colonize the gut. We have not introduced this one to Caleb yet but I am excited to soon!


STAY TUNED
I will be doing a future post on a few more foods we have fed Caleb as well as on the method of feeding, called Baby-Led Weaning. This method allows him to control what he chooses to eat, how much, and helps develop self-feeding skills. This is why you see pictures of him feeding himself instead of me feeding him pureed versions of foods or baby food.

Self-feeding champion

Ditching the Shampoo

I haven't washed my hair in a month.

Let me rephrase that so you don't plug your nose when you see me next: I haven't washed my hair with shampoo for a month.

It has officially been one whole month since I ditched the shampoo and conditioner to go "poo-free". Yes, I shower and "wash" my hair, just not with stuff that comes out of a bottle! I absolutely love the results I have seen so far and I never imagined how amazing my hair could feel. Want to know more?

What is"no-poo"?
No-poo is going part-time or full-time shampoo-free! People do it for a variety of reasons, the main one being to restore their body's natural oil production so that their hair is less greasy between washings. Others do it to reduce exposure to lurking toxins and chemicals in shampoo. Some extreme people only use water to wash their hair (crazy!). The standard "no-poo" method for washing your hair is to do a "shampoo" scrub of baking soda/water on the scalp to lift grease, remove odors, and exfoliate the scalp followed by a vinegar or apple cider vinegar "conditioner" rinse that clarifies, softens, and gives the hair a lustrous shine. Simple household ingredients that are cheap, gentle on the hair and scalp, environmentally friendly, and all natural!

Why did you do it? 
Firstly I knew that anything hippy-ish, DIY, and natural would be right up my creative alley! I suffered from terrible dandruff before I was pregnant. Pregnancy cleared it up but then it returned with a vengeance around 4 months postpartum. I was looking for a natural way to control it because in the past special shampoos, topical steroids, and even essential oils failed to keep it at bay. In addition, my hair was getting increasingly greasy between washings and I had much less time to wash my hair with a baby to take care of. I was looking for something that would allow me to go longer between hair-washings without the grease build up.

Any drawbacks? 
For some people it might take a month or two to see results. For others, their hair might get really greasy before it starts to get better. This is typically seen with people whose hair has undergone years of "shampoo abuse" or in people who have a high oil production in response to "over-shampooing". Another drawback is traveling with your baking soda and vinegar concoctions can be challenging. And then there is the group of people who might really miss the foamy frothy feeling of scrubbing shampoo into their hair because the no-poo method doesn't get you those soapy suds.

What does your shower routine look like? 
I will wash my hair 2-4 times a week depending on how sweaty I get and if I am swimming. For the "shampoo" I put a 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small cup before I step in the shower. I add water until it is a bit thinner than a paste and can be poured. I pour it over different parts of my scalp and exfoliate for 30 seconds or so, focusing on any spots that were greasy. For the vinegar "conditioner" I have done two methods that I like. I have used a spray bottle and an old honey bear container (one you spray on, one you pour over). Both ways you mix equal parts water and vinegar in your container and apply to your entire head of hair, working from the roots to the tips. I personally leave it in for about 2 minutes but it can also be rinsed out right away. Rinse out then finish with a cold rinse to seal in the shine. Be careful! The vinegar can sting your eyes or any cuts if you aren't paying attention. NOTE: if you do not rinse the vinegar out thoroughly you will smell like a salad.

Any results so far? 
Amazing results people! Better than expected! My dandruff is nearly gone, my hair shines so much more, my hair feels thicker, and most impressively the roots stay clean and less greasy between washings. I have gone up to 5 days between washings and only at the end was it getting a little bad and grease ball. I can really feel the difference and my hair feels so much healthier. The natural, protective oils on my scalp are a whole lot happier and I can tell it is a bit more in balance that before when I was using shampoo regularly.

New healthy hair! 3 days without "washing"

No flakes!

Final Thoughts
I am really glad that I embarked on this hippy hair adventure. I have received so many benefits and am very pleased with my new hair! Early on I made the decision to forgo shampoo for Caleb and instead just use water and maybe twice a month a gentle castile soap on his head and body. All those chemicals I saw as unnecessary and I knew that a baby's oil is super protective for their skin. I wish I had decided to to the same for myself sooner! For anyone who is crunchy curious and is interested in trying it out I would say go for it! You don't really have anything to lose and the worst that could happen is you go back to using regular shampoo. The best that could happen is you pay a fraction of the cost for hair that will make celebrities envious and put Pantene commercials to shame. In the future I can see myself using traditional shampoo occasionally if I am traveling, need to get something yucky (like baby food) out of it, or I am getting my hair cut at a salon.  This adventure has been so fun and I am excited to share it with more people!

Picture Gallery 

Since some of you skip all text in my blog and will only look at pictures of Caleb, here ya go! Eat your hear out on this chubby cuteness!

Not so sure about the sand sample

Gobble up the thighs daily

Teething baby morning cuddles.

Kinsley is teaching the boys how to use a pen correctly

Sand Castle building season with his buddy