What are Probiotics?

A few weeks ago Jack came down with his first illness - the stomach flu!  It was awful.  he was throwing up all day and could not keep anything down.  We eventually took him to the doctor to get some help.  The doctor main suggestion was to push clear fluids (like pedialyte), bland foods (rice, bread, applesauce) and add a probiotic!  With my background in food science I knew exactly what to do, but my husband was left asking, what is a probioitc?  Probiotics are advertised everywhere.  Common products include Culturelle, Align, Activia, Yakult, Kefir, and Good Belly.  But what are probiotics and how do you administer them to you kids?  Let me explain!

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are healthy bacteria typically of the strains lactobacillus or bifidobacterium (don't stress over the complicated names...).  They are found naturally in your body and in certain foods such as breast milk and yogurt.  

What do they do?

Probiotics help to maintain a healthy gut and can aid in treatment of diarrhea, IBS, and colds.

    

How do I give to my baby?

Culturelle is one brand of probiotics that come in a powdered form.  The easiest way to give them to your baby is to mix it in with formula or milk in a bottle then have them drink it down.  There is no added taste, so your baby shouldn't notice.  If your baby is eating solids, you can have them eat yogurt which contains probioitcs.  

Do they help?

We saw an immediate improvement  once we started Jack on probioitcs.  We ahve continued to keep him on them during the flu season.  They are expensive (about $28 for a pack of 30), but in my opinion, they are worth it for a healthy baby.

What are your thoughts on probiotics?  

Have you ever given them to your family?  

Do you eat foods with probioitcs?

Understanding Common Food Claims

Everywhere you look you see claims of "gluten free", "non-GMO", "natural", "organic" and so on.  What do all these terms mean and are these products truly healthier for your family?  

Below I provide some general definitions that will help you navigate the many food product options for your family.

• Gluten Free - does not contain any of the gluten protein.  Gluten is a protein found naturally in flour and is formed when flour and water combine to make matrix.



• Organic - regulated by USDA with a strict set of guidelines
• Made with Organic - contains at least 70% organic ingredients, does not bear USDA organic seal
• USDA Organic - made with 95% organic ingredient, bears USDA organic seal.  Examples are snacks and processed food products manufactured from organic ingredients
• 100% Organic - 100% organic ingredients, example would be a whole fruit or vegetable.
• Natural - Not an FDA regulated tern.   Has no official definition and companies can use at their own discretion
• Non-GMO Project Verified - No Genetically Modified Organisms.  Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material has been modified.  An example of a common GMO is tomatoes.  Tomatoes were modified over 20 years ago to inhibit a protein that causes tomatoes to get soggy and spoil.  This claim is not regulated by the USDA but  my a non-profit organization Non-GMO Project.  
• Low Fat - 3g or less of total fat
• Fat Free - less than 0.5g total fat
• Good Source - contains 10-19% of the recommended daily allowance.
• Excellent Source - contains 20% of the recommended daily allowance.

Lil-Crunchies - Ingredient Breakdown

I don't know about you, but my baby is ADDICTED to Lil' Crunchies.  He will easily stuff his mouth with 3 or more at a time.  They can settle him down and change his attitude in a second- very helpful when at restaurants or church!  But what exactly is in these puffs?  Is it bad for my baby?

Here I will provide an ingredient breakdown of the ranch flavored puff, one of his favorites.

• Whole Grain Yellow Corn Meal - simply corn meal
• Corn Oil - good ole corn oil
• Ranch Seasoning
• sour cream powder - a powdered form of sour cream
• salt 
• dextrose - a form of sugar that is commonly used in the food industry.  It is about 20% less sweet than sugar.  Made when starchy plants are broken down by enzymes.  
• tomato powder - a powdered form of tomato
• nonfat dry milk - a powdered form of milk
• dried cheddar cheese - a powdered form of cheese via spray drying
• sugar
• natural onion
• garlic
• cream and mustard flavors
• distilled vinegar 
• spice
• Tricalcium phosphate - source of added calcium
• Mixed tocopherols - forms of vitamin E that help with freshness and preservation.  Despite its chemical sounding name, it is actually considered a natural preservative
• alpha tocopheryl acetate - source of vitamin E supplementation
• Zinc Oxide - added for white color
• Electrolyte Iron - added iron fortification

Quite a list for a simple baby snack!  Overall, there are way more ingredients that I'd like to give to my baby.  Many of the names sound scary and I'd prefer for him not to eat these.  My advice would be to use in moderation.  Will I stop feeding these to my baby?... probably not, but are there better alternative out there?... likely.  More to come as I search the market for more natural options and compare their labels.

My Infertility Journey

My infertility journey has been quite the unexpected one.  I hope to share with you my story in hopes to raise awareness about infertility.  I am a healthy 28 year old active female but I've always struggled with irregular periods.  I was a collegiate cross country runner so I assumed the irregularity was due to my excessive exercise as a college athlete.  After college my exercise decreased, but my period never came.  My doctor recommend I go on birth control to help regulate my period.  I did and stayed on it for the next 5 years.  About a year after my husband and I got married, we decided we'd like to start a family.  We thought it would be as simple as me going off birth control...boy was I wrong.  I never expected such a long journey was ahead of us.

Below is a timeline of the journey.

• May 2013 - Get Married!
  
• December 2013 - Stop birth control
• March 2014 - Visit OBGYN due to lack of period and no pregnancy.  Was put on 50mg clomid.
• April - July 2014 - No success with clomid, no ovulation confirmed through blood work or test strips
• August 2014 - Referred to Reproductive Endocrinologist.  Battery of test reveal no abnormal hormone level or issues.  Husband is check and is normal.  UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY! - the most frustrating diagnoses ever!  Doctor puts me on a stronger dose of clomid and monitors my cycle.  Once my eggs reached 20mm he gave me a trigger shot to administer at home to induce ovulation.  At 10 dpo I began bleeding.  I thought it was my period. I called my doctor and he prescibred me to start clomid again on day 3 of my period.  After day 5 and 2 doses of 150mg clomid I felt that something was off.  I took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE!  Turns out the bleeding was implantation bleeding.
• September 2014 - Began bleeding again around 7 weeks - heavy bleeding, red blood, lots of clots.  Assumed I miscarried.  It happened on a Saturday night, I called my doctor and he sadi to just wait it out and let it pass but to come in on Monday.  The whole weekend I was a mess, crying and depressed about what had happened.  Monday morning we go to the doctor and do a sonogram.  They see a heartbeat!  I passed out due to the rush of emotions!  I couldn't believe it.  They ran more blood work and found I was positive for MTHFR.  MTHFR is a condition that increases your risk for blood clots and reduces your folate absorbency.  I immediately started on baby aspirin and a new vitamin with a readily absorbale version of folate (Vitafol).  They also started me on progesterone suppositories nightly.
• April 2015 - Delivered a healthy baby boy!

Fast forward to a year later...April 2016 - still having issues with my period so go back to RE.  More blood work is done and I am diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve due to a high FSH level.  We are currently trying for our second child with the help of clomid and trigger shot.  We've gone through one failed cycle and I am currently in my two week wait.

How has infertility affected you?  What topics would you like to learn more about?