You don't say??

A healthy diet packed with fruit, vegetables, and omega-3 rich fish could help to reduce the risk of pre-term babies, according to new research.

And researchers were actually paid to "discover" this? Stating the bleeding obvious, self-evident and common-sense if you ask me! While they were about it, they might have mentioned the other issues that would be resolved if those healthy eating habits extended across the preconception period and included the prospective dad.

Of course the knowledge that healthy parents make healthy babies only dates back a few thousand years ... what might be valuable instead of re-inventing the wheel, would be ways to encourage all prospective parents to act on this knowledge. Now that's research that would have some real value!

Good gut health, successful breastfeeding ... reduce obesity

More than 8,000 families contributed to this study conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University USA. It showed 2.5 times increased risk of obesity in babies who were bottle fed compared to those breastfed for the first six months of life. Particularly worrying and most problematic was the tendency to put babies to sleep with a bottle and introduction of solids before 4 months of age. 

The conclusion from the researchers bears repeating. “The health community is looking to the origins of the obesity epidemic, and more and more scholars are looking toward early childhood. I don’t think this is some nascent, unimportant time period, it’s very critical.”

And I would add that while formula feeding and early solids are two factors, high-fat, high-sugar preconception and pregnancy diet and compromised gut microbiota in the mother are two more - all closely linked, but determining factors for obesity and a range of other chronic health conditions. This comment from the International Probiotic Association makes the case cogently. “Probiotics are at the heart of a renaissance in health care. As never before, they are being recognized for major roles in both prevention and cure of disease.”

And of course, ensuring gut health, fresh, green, wholefood diet, successful breastfeeding and confidence to introduce solids later rather than sooner starts with knowing the right steps and taking them well before pregnancy.

On your bike, lift some weights!

We’ve known for a while that “methylation” was a very important biochemical process, determining whether the expression of a particular gene was positive or negative. Methyl groups (CH3 = a single carbon surrounded by three hydrogen molecules) attach themselves to a gene and make it harder or easier for that gene to respond to the body’s signals. Diet and supplements have been seen as the primary sources of methyl groups, with good food sources of methylation factors including meat, fish, milk, eggs, soy beans, wheat bran, green vegetables and fruit. Supplements that support methylation include the B-complex, especially vitamins B6 and  B12, methyl folate and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)

But now research confirms that exercise can also trigger improved methylation in the body. Researchers affiliated with the Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden and published recently in PLOS One demonstrated that aerobic and muscle-building exercise changes methylation patterns for the better in both fat and muscle cells. Juleen Zierath, a professor of integrative physiology at the Karolinska Institute and senior author of the study, says that DNA methylation changes are probably "one of the earliest adaptations to exercise" and drive bodily changes that follow.

So get on your bike or lace up your joggers - then get exercising! Since methylation is how those “epigenetic” or trans-generational effects occur, your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy exercise will benefit the next generation too! Need to know how much, how hard and the importance of exercise for flexibility before and during pregnancy, or how to get the next generation started on their own love affair with activity? All you need to know right here ...

Bigger, better breakfasts

This study had clearly got wind of the saying “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” What’s more it showed that the individuals who went along with that old wisdom enjoyed significant health benefits in the form of weight loss that was more than twice that of the small breakfast/large dinner group. In addition, the kingly breakfasters had lower cholesterol levels and improved blood lipid profiles. The members of the big breakfasting group were also much more likely to stick with the overall dietary recommendations and to complete the full term of the study. And their dinner contained just a mere 200 calories!

Food for thought ... and for breakfast! Want great recipes for a whole bunch of kingly breakfasts?They’re suited to the whole family, whether you’re planning a baby or encouraging your kids in healthy eating habits and involvement in the kitchen.

Does your fresh produce see the light of day?

Interesting study showing increased antioxidant activity in fruit and vegetables that are exposed to the normal Circadian rhythm of night and day - that means out of the dark cupboard and away from the cold refrigerator. Apparently this increased production in antioxidants happens around dawn and protects the fruit and vegetables from aphid attack at that time! Tested for their aphid-fighting chemicals (and their super-nutrition for humans) were cabbages, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes and blueberries. Yes I know, what happens before you put them in your fridge and what about the exposure to room temperature and natural light which inevitably means reduced shelf-life of fresh produce...

There’s one sure-fire way to ensure your fresh produce is as fresh as can be and choc-a-bloc with all those protective anti-oxidants and other nutritional factors! Start a kitchen garden! Everything you need to know from the ground up in Healthy Parents Healthy Baby and Healthy Parents Healthy Toddler. Getting kids involved is a wonderful way to teach them about the source of the things that they eat and to make sure they’re eating the widest possible variety of the healthiest possible things.

Make yours clean, green and chemical-free

Food contaminants including dioxin, PCB, and BPA may increase the risks of obesity by worsening metabolic responses, warn researchers.

Yep, yet another confirmation of the benefits of organic, whole, fresh, grown on healthy soil together with a lifestyle and environment as free of toxicity as you can possibly make them! It’s that chemical cocktail that’s the real problem - small amounts of ubiquitous chemicals that alone may not present a health threat, are a lethal weapon when they all get together!

It’s not a difficult equation, in fact it’s common sense and I make no apologies for telling this story before. This particular study looked at the low dose chemical cocktail that can lead to the metabolic and endocrine changes responsible for glucose intolerance and oestrogen disturbance in adult females and altered cholesterol and lipid metabolism in adult males. Hardly surprising that this this same cocktail has the potential for profound adverse effects on the embryo and foetus. 

So get with the program! No matter how far away your pregnancy, your efforts to clean up your diet, lifestyle and environment will benefit you and your partner, but most importantly your children!  All you need to know right here ...

Eating habits last a lifetime - make them good ones!

Well fancy that! A junk food diet during pregnancy has been shown to permanently derange the child’s response to foods that are high in fat and sugar. Scientists say that such a diet adversely affects the developing pathways in the infant brain. A junk food diet causes enhanced expression of a gene encoding for production of a key opioid, leading to increased tolerance for the opioid. In a nutshell, this means that the babies of mothers eating a junk food diet will always need to eat more junk food to get the same “feel good” response, leading to a lifetime consuming more high-fat and high-sugar foods. That’s the bad news...

Conversely, pregnant mums have the ability to permanently and positively shape their child’s taste buds - it all depends on mums consuming the healthiest diet possible. Whole, fresh, organically grown, all the colours of the rainbow. But when you get it right, you can take real delight in seeing your children gobble up salads and vegetables, in watching them exhibit very sophisticated tastes when all the kids around are stuck on white bread and vegemite (or much worse). Just be prepared when dining out, to see kids’ menus scornfully cast aside.

Taste buds that are set on the right course during your pregnancy can lead to a lifelong passion for real, live, nourishing foodstuffs. From before your child's conception to that child's involvement in preparing great meals for the whole family -  all the details in Healthy Parents Healthy Baby and Healthy Parents Healthy Toddler.

Reducing the need for prescription drugs

A recent report from the Mayo Clinic provides a staggering statistic. Seventy percent of Americans are taking one prescription drug, fifty percent are taking two and twenty percent (that’s one person in five) are taking a massively expensive and potentially lethal cocktail of five or more prescribed pharmaceuticals on a regular basis. The most common prescriptions are for antibiotics, antidepressants and painkillers, which would suggest that depression, as was predicted at the end of the 90s, has overtaken heart disease as the most common chronic condition. 

But how many of those costly (and potentially harmful) pharmaceuticals could be replaced if diet and lifestyle measures were the first line of defense? “Plenty” is the very simple answer. More robust immune systems courtesy of improved gut health would reduce the need for antibiotics. Improved mental and emotional health courtesy of regular exercise, which is at least if not more effective than antidepressants! 

But there’s another, more insidious driver at work here. Even were an enlightened government to develop compelling incentives for consumers to bypass their prescriptions in favour of diet or lifestyle solutions, I fear that the massive influence and commercial interests of Big Pharma would hold sway. One way for the pharmaceutical industry to retain its power is by the acquisition of natural product companies and through its ongoing campaign for more stringent regulation of natural medicines. It’s the fox in charge of the hen-house, and this particular fox is exceptionally wily. 

I’m not optimistic about reducing the Western world’s current dependence on prescribed medication,but I am optimistic about reducing the next generation’s likely need for it! All you need to know about creating the healthiest eggs and sperm for the healthiest possible baby ... 

Avoid plastics (and a few other toxins as well)

Pregnant women should reduce the use of foods and beverages in cans and plastic containers to minimise exposure to chemicals including bisphenol A (BPA) as part of a safety-first approach.  

I wonder why these august bodies take so long to get the message - but here you have the latest recommendation from RCOG - Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in a Scientific Impact paper, launched in June 2013. They’ve actually acknowledged that while an individual chemical may not be a problem, it’s the potential cocktail (a legacy of 21st century living) that can do damage. 

But since 1978 Foresight has been recommending against the consumption of food or drinks stored in plastic. Their recommendations now span 35 years and apply in particular to the preconception period (both prospective parents) but also during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While you’re reducing your exposure to plastics, there are some other chemical toxins that you need to avoid as well. I don’t say this to alarm, just to get you thinking about a cleaner, less-toxic environment for eggs, sperm and your developing baby. Read more...

How's your zinc status?

People with mild depression or anxiety may have modified perceptions of how fat, sweet and bitter flavours which could result in higher consumption levels of unhealthy foods, researchers suggest.

I wonder if the authors of this latest study made the possible trace element connection? The researchers, from University of Wurzburg, Germany published their findings in PLoS One. They showed that people suffering from mild depression or anxiety also have modified perceptions of how fat, sweet or bitter particular foods are.  

Could zinc be a missing link? Zinc is one of the most important trace elements, but zinc deficiency is also the most widespread deficiency in the Western world. Compromised zinc status has been linked to a multitude of issues, including both depression and poor taste sensation. Compromised zinc status can have affect every aspect of reproduction from how fertile you are to how easily your baby will settle. There’s a very simple, inexpensive test for zinc status - all the details here and in Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby.

Preventing disability - let's start before conception

Not for one minute do I suggest that Australia’s proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) should not go ahead. However, what I would dearly love to see, is some of the allocated funds go towards prevention! 

Yes, I’m on my soapbox again but am asking the question ... What would it take for every child-bearing individual in this country to be made intimately aware of the effects of their own actions, in the time before they conceive, on the health of their future children? Young people (teenagers in particular) have a strong sense of being bullet proof. What would it take to mount a public education campaign to educate them otherwise? We do it around the impact of smoking, drinking and drug-taking on teenagers' health. But we also need to instill in them the knowledge that they hold the physical and mental health of the next generation in the health of their own eggs and sperm? We must show them that a child who suffers a disability from birth is not simply the bad luck of the draw, but something over which prospective parents exercise a very large degree of control. 

I’d personally feel a lot happier about my increased Medicare levy - about $1/day it seems - funding some prevention along with the ongoing support for the current disabled population.

Early solids? To do or not to do...?

"Premature consumption of solid foods could significantly increase the risk of early weight gain and metabolic damage, according to new research in monkeys." 

Yet, in a misguided move to reduce the incidence of food allergy and intolerance, the Allergy Association in Australia recently made recommendations to introduce solids at four months. This flies in the face of this recent research showing that early solids may contribute to the obesity epidemic, but also in the face of World Health Organisation recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding for a minimum period of six months. 

Why not wait until the expert indicates readiness for solid food? In other words, when your baby starts to reach for food from your plate - when he is able to manage pieces of food in his fingers and when you don't need to puree, mash, strain and spoon - then it's time for solids! If you want to take steps to prevent allergy in your children, the best place to begin is before conception. Get a knowledgeable practitioner to help you sort out your own allergies, complete all the diet and lifestyle changes to ensure healthiest possible eggs and sperm, which is also the best foundation for a robust immune system in your developing baby. All the details right here ... 

Good nutrition boosts brain power!

Fancy that - science is making the link between nutrition and cognitive performance! The omega-3s (in particular DHA - docosahexaenoic acid) are just some of the specific factors mentioned, which along with the essential fatty acids, include trace elements and vitamins. Those particularly linked to improved brain health are biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamine and vitamins B6 and B12. That means a high potency B-complex will provide all those and more) then iodine, iron, calcium and zinc (look for all the trace elements in a multi-B/mineral complex).

Interesting that the studies also mention water as a brain food - no doubt about the importance of properly hydrated cells, but I’d strongly recommend water from a high quality filter rather than what comes straight from the tap. If you’ve been following my blog you’ll also know that new studies link optimal gut health to neurotransmitter production and reduction in incidence of depression - an important finding for prospective mums to keep in mind.

Also relevant to my work is the importance of ensuring an abundance of all the factors that promote optimal mental development and function in the time before conception. Make whole food, grown on healthy soil, your foundation nutrient source, then add a comprehensive, balanced combination of all of the above with a high potency probiotic as well! All the details of best supplements and more ... 

Reduce your stress levels now - improve your baby's mental health.

A new paper from University of Pennsylvania elucidates exactly how an unborn baby’s brain is affected by maternal stress. The importance of reducing stress during pregnancy is hardly new news, I’ve been writing about it for 25 years, the research dates back even further. But this latest work shows that stress causes reduction in levels of a particular protein that is important for the baby’s brain development. 

The paper was published in March 2013 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and its authors state "Maternal stress is a key risk factor for neuro-developmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism." This is particularly the case for male offspring and if the exposure to stress occurs in the first trimester. Which of course raises the importance or reducing your stress levels before you get pregnant! That first trimester can be over before you realise it and effective stress-reduction doesn’t happen overnight. 

The key thing is not to let stress drag you down because there’s one certainty - the more stressed you become, the less able you are to deal with it. This is especially true if you’ve been trying to conceive for a while and because most of the things that you turn to in stressful situations like alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and high-sugar snacks and drinks not only exacerbate the problem, but are now on the “must avoid” list. Reducing stress and worry is one of the the greatest gifts you can give your unborn baby. Becoming that Zen Mum will pay long-term dividends. Relax and chill out. Get cracking on whatever stress-reduction methods you can muster. Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby has lots of ideas and prospective Dads will benefit too.

Top 25 Author Moms Who Blog...

Thanks to all the wonderful friends and fans who voted (and voted again) and made sure I finished at Number 11 in Top 25 Mom author bloggers. In a few days you’ll be able to read the associated interview. The question “how did you balance motherhood and writing?” gave me pause ... I never really know how to answer this one. Looking back I wonder. I started writing just after Dave was born, waxing lyrical about the benefits of preconception care, birth at home, family bed and more. I just kept adding odd comments - they all went down on a big tatty notepad. Twenty seven years on, with all the new whizz-bang technology and my embrace thereof, I still jot notes on pieces of paper, napkins, backs of invoices, whatever comes to hand when inspiration strikes.

So my first manuscript, which became four books began as occasional, random jottings. I can also remember trying to transcribe those jottings, using an early Apple Mac with a sleeping baby nestled in a sling - my hands reaching for the keyboard over the top of his head. It was a drawn out process, from Dave’s birth in 1985, to first submission of a complete manuscript in 1990, through rewrites after several rejections, to hook-up with my brilliant co-author, to our first contract in 1994, through another massive re-write, to publication of The Natural Way to Better Babies in 1996. After that the process was much easier, boys were older, I had more free time, I could write and edit while watching their sporting activities, even when Alex took them out and left me blissfully and totally free of interruptions for a few hours. But 'easier' is only relative to what went before... so that means that my most recent books, published this year have been an absolute breeze. Going back to the mass of material I’ve created for multiple channels (I never delete anything), the manuscripts were completed in about 8 weeks. 

But the greatest joy in their creation was the contribution of Dave (Better Baby #1) and his wife Pauline, both hugely talented chefs. Their recipes bring a fabulous element to both Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby and Healthy Parents, Healthy Toddler - an element which neither Francesca nor I were ever able to tackle. Another element of the new books, their integration with an interactive casual game, was helped along by many discussions and brain-storming sessions with Mikey, (Better Baby #2)! So my writing has really come full circle ... those years of trying to write while kids were underfoot are long gone and my latest writings have been hugely enhanced by those two young men who were once underfoot. Given that the boys inspired my books, I can see there's a wonderful balance between my writing and motherhood, in ways that I could never have anticipated and in ways I'm sure the Circle of Moms interviewer never intended when she asked the question!