May Lactating Women Drink Alcohol?

Many mothers soothe themselves that a little red wine will not affect the baby. But at the same time, each lactating woman should understand that we are talking about a glass, not a bottle of wine, because alcohol is wholly absorbed into the baby’s blood with the milk. So we recommend to abstain from alcohol in any quantity while you are breastfeeding your baby.

Foods That Change the Taste of Breast Milk

The following products are also better not to use for a breastfeeding woman because they change the taste of milk.

• Breastfeeding mums are not to eat canned and fresh garlic, onion, hot pepper, ramson, the “Tabasco” sauce, and mayonnaise. All of these products give milk spiciness.
• Horseradish, mustard, black strong coffee, dark chocolate, cheese with mold, like “Dor Blue”, and other cheeses with various additives make milk bitter.
• Octopus, mussels, spicy herring, squid, cod roe, particularly containing additives, give milk a salty taste.
• Canned or fresh tuna and shrimps can provoke allergy in your baby

Foods Breastfeeding Moms Should Be Careful with

We are talking about a number of products that breastfeeding moms were previously forbidden to eat by paediatricians. Modern doctors believe that the following products can be included into young mothers diet but gradually and in small quantities.

• Mothers should remember that melon, fresh yogurt, beans, peas, and vegetable oils can lead to the baby’s bowel disorder and bloating. As a consequence, you will have sleepless nights.
• Rice, pomegranate, pear, persimmon, fresh bread, and cookies, on the contrary, can lead to constipations.
• Among the allergens are also grapefruits, oranges, eggs, caviar, millet, semolina, and corn. They should be used with extreme caution.

Foods Recommended to Breastfeeding Mothers

Products that are marked with this color of the “traffic light” can be used with no problems. They are useful both to you and your child!

Carrots, dill and parsley can help you and your child retain visual acuity. Black currants, lettuce and gooseberries strengthen the immunity. Zucchini, cod, pumpkin and perch contribute to the baby’s growth and rapid development. Natural yogurt and cottage cheese make bones and teeth strong. Kefir, Airan, broccoli, oatmeal and cauliflower improve digestion.

So, follow our tips and your baby will not suffer from food allergies or other problems. Bon Appetit!

Why Is Healthy Nutrition So Important during Pregnancy?

There is no need to convince anyone that proper nutrition for pregnant women is extremely important, because wrong nutrition (not balanced, not rational) can provoke the development of edema, increased blood pressure, impaired placental blood flow, nausea, vomiting, and so on. And it is not because of the woman being poisoned, but because of her vital processes being affected.

Consider the three super products for pregnant women, the regular consumption of which has a positive impact on the health of a woman and the formation of the fetus.

Rabbit Meat Is the Best for Pregnant Women

The first product is rabbit meat. It is in the rabbit meat that most protein is contained, which is 21% of the total weight. What is the function of the protein in the body? It contributes to construction, transportation, production of energy and performs the protective function of the enzyme. All immunoglobulins, all protective antibodies are proteins. And it is impossible to build a future body without protein!

Pregnancy is an amazing process, especially when you think what tremendous growth the fetus undergoes in a woman‘s body. From a completely invisible cell it turns into a human being weighing about 3 kg in just 9 months. Of course, this requires a protein. It is also worth saying that rabbit meat is the lowest in cholesterol and is the most hypoallergenic meat.

Eating Cottage Cheese during Pregnancy Provides Calcium

The second product is cottage cheese. Of course, the dairy products also include proteins, but the expectant mother and her baby are in special need of calcium, and cottage cheese is known to be a source of calcium. Calcium is the basis of bone formation, and its deficiency in pregnant women leads to two negative consequences: misformation of normal bones in the fetus and osteoporosis (calcium loss from bones) in the woman herself. Also, we should keep in mind that our bodies have tiny bones in the middle ear that are responsible for transmitting audio signals to the receptors in the brain. If the mother lacks calcium in the first three months of pregnancy, the child may be born deaf. And, of course, calcium is important for women during pregnancy because many women with the lack of calcium in the body start to suffer from crumbling teeth.

Broccoli Provides Pregnant Women with Folic Acid

The third product is broccoli. What is this product rich in? It is rich in vitamin B9 (folic acid). Folic acid is especially needed in the early stages of the fetus development (the formation of the nerve tissue and central nervous system). Moreover, formation of red blood cells and transfer of oxygen are impossible without folic acid. It turns out that there are two objectives to be achieved by introducing broccoli into the diet: forming the nervous tissue and fetal nutrition. In addition, this is a source of fiber, which is very important for the pregnant women, who are often predisposed to constipation.

How Much of These Foods Should a Pregnant Woman Eat Daily?

The question arises: what is the daily intake of these products? The diet of an expectant mother should contain a minimum of 100 grams of rabbit meat per day; there should be 100-150 grams of cottage cheese and 600 grams of broccoli. It will help to avoid constipation and will provide a solid foundation for the healthy cells of the future organs. The servings are small, but the expectant mother should eat varied foods to provide the child with all the components of biochemistry without gaining weight herself.

Cheese

Do not eat:

• soft cheese with mold, such as brie, camembert and other kinds of cheese with a similar composition and type of skin, such as goat cheese;
• cheese with mold-like pale blue streaks, such as Danish blue, Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
• Cheese with mold may contain Listeria, the bacteria that cause listeriosis. Even a mild form of this infection in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, birth to a stillborn child and severe diseases of the newborn.

Eggs

Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, avoid foods that contain them, such as homemade mayonnaise.
Before use, make sure that the eggs are thoroughly cooked, that yolks and whites are hard. This prevents the risk of salmonella.

Milk

Do not drink raw (not pasteurized) milk, including not pasteurized goat or sheep milk. Do not eat any food that contains it, such as goat cheese. The milk should undergo thorough heat treatment or pasteurization.

Pasty

Avoid all types of pasty, including vegetable pasty, as they may contain listeria, which were mentioned above.

Meat

Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. Boil the meat and poultry thoroughly to have no traces of blood and no “pink colored meat”. Be especially careful with sausage and ground meat.

In some countries, pregnant women are not advised to eat smoked meat or fish, because there is also a risk that the food may contain listeria bacteria. However, pregnant women in the UK are not given such advice, because they believe that the risk is very, very low.

Liver

Do not eat liver or products containing liver, such as liver pasty or liverwurst, as they may contain large amounts of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can harm your baby.

Foods Containing Vitamin A

Do not take:

• high-dose multivitamin supplements;
• fish oil;
• any supplements containing vitamin A.

Fish

Eating some species of fish should be limited. These include tuna and other fatty fish species. In addition, you can not eat raw shellfish, as it can cause food poisoning. It is best to also give up going to sushi bars.

Alcohol

You should not drink alcohol, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive. Alcohol can seriously and irreversibly affect the development of your child.

Caffeine

You should limit caffeine consumption during pregnancy – no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. High levels of caffeine can lead to the birth of an infant with low birth weight. Too much caffeine can also cause a miscarriage. Be careful: except coffee and tea, caffeine is naturally found in some foods and is added to some non-alcoholic beverages.

But do not get disappointed, if your favorite foods are included in the “black list”. You have a unique opportunity to discover other dishes, while eating the favorites is impossible. So, you are sure to broaden the list of your most desirable foods and dishes after pregnancy.

The researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Development (USA) have analyzed the data on health status, lifestyle and diet of more than 13,000 women aged 22 to 45 years. Approximately 6% of the participants of the study reported that they were diagnosed with “gestational diabetes” (diabetes of pregnant women) during pregnancy. This disease is characterized by the period of gestation, it is accompanied by a breach of carbohydrate metabolism and increases the risk of complications during pregnancy. The disease may also affect the health of the newborn baby.

After analyzing the statistics, the researchers found that the women, who liked much animal fats and foods high in cholesterol before pregnancy, had a twice higher risk of getting ill with gestational diabetes.

The experts recommend that the women, who are preparing for pregnancy, reduce the consumption of foods containing large amounts of fat and cholesterol. For example, if the number of animal fats is reduced by at least 5%, the risk of gestational diabetes is reduced by 7%.

Scientists believe that the reason can be pesticides, hormones or contaminants found in the feed for livestock. The chemicals can accumulate in the fat of animals that eat contaminated feed or grass. In addition, the cattle are regularly given hormones to stimulate their growth.

The sons of the women, who had eaten beef in large quantities (more than seven beef meals per week), demonstrated 24.3 percent below normal sperm concentration. This was stated in the article published in the journal Human Reproduction.

The Specialist Group from the University of Rochester Medical School in New York has studied the data on 387 partners of women who sought to become pregnant. The data on five U.S. cities were presented. The information on them was verified by both the mother and the father. The study was conducted between 2000 and 2005.

Of the 51 men, whose mothers were actively eating beef during pregnancy, 18% had the amount of sperm, which, according to the classification of the World Health Organization, was not enough for normal fertilization.

The physicians believe the problem is that today’s children do not want to drink plain water – the most useful drink on the planet. They do not drink it even as they grow a little older. They do not have this culture, and their parents are guilty of it, since they offer their children juices, smoothies, cocoa and other sweetened natural substitutes from an early age, instead of giving their children the most natural liquid for a human being, plain water.

Britain’s leading dentist Catherine Hurley explains that fruit juices and cocktails, as a rule, are very acidic, and their pH levels range from two to three. And every time the environment in the mouth is more acidic than pH 5,5, the teeth get vulnerable to “acid attacks”. Parents, of course, understand that their child’s uncontrolled use of sweets can lead to tooth decay, but they do not know anything about acidity. Propaganda is certainly to be blamed for this, since it makes an emphasis on the harm of sweets, and juices are declared healthy drinks. According to Hurley, the most interesting thing is that the terrible picture of the “deterioration” of children’s teeth is observed more frequently in affluent families where parents do not spare money on healthy eating: fruit juices, smoothies, milkshakes…

So if Hurley’s message is heard, in the near future the manufacturers may be obliged to warn about the harm caused by fruit and sugary drinks, rather than tell about their health benefits. In the meantime, a good way is to offer your kids a straw if they are so fond of drinking juice instead of water. In addition, if the juice is drunk together with food, its negative impact on the teeth is greatly reduced. And this is the doctors’ second recommendation. It will also be good if you drink some plain water after juice, or rinse your mouth with water.

The study, conducted by the scientists from Cornell University, has shown that children, unlike adults, prefer bright and colorful dishes. For example, a child will gladly eat even broccoli and fish from a plate, which is decorated with seven different images and painted with 6 colors. Adults need only three items and three colors in the picture. So, it is not the parents’ remark, but the color of the plate that is crucial for the child when he or she sees porridge or steamed vegetables.

By the way, last year the British Tesko company invented another way to feed little fastidious kids with tasteless cauliflower. The company has raised cauliflower, which is literally colorful. Purple, yellow, green cauliflower is colored this way not because of the use of chemical substances. Cauliflower has just been hybridized with other species, including broccoli.

This phenomenon is quite common among children. For example, 70% of the kids, who participated in the study conducted by American scientists in the laboratory for the study of obesity, said that they would rather be drawn to an apple or a banana than eat lettuce or even less desirable Broccoli.

Dr. Jennifer Orlet Fisher, who led the study, says that the gene TAS2R38, which is responsible for the way we perceive the bitter taste, should be blamed for it.

What does the doctor recommend to the parents, whose children fail to eat useful vegetables? One should just reduce their taste with low-fat yogurt or buttermilk and add applesauce or hummus to the salad.

Cook delicious dishes – from the point of view of your children, – and then your kids will eat broccoli, lettuce, and other vegetables.

The decrease in sperm concentration is caused by poor nutrition and obesity. These factors also affect the motility of sperm. Proper diet makes pregnancy much more likely.

Fruits and grains are an important component of men‘s nutrition, which increases the quality of sperm. But one should avoid red meat, coffee and alcohol.

The so-called “male factor” is currently very important in the treatment of infertility. Previously it was thought that almost everything depended on the woman, and the inability to conceive was often associated with obesity, smoking, and alcohol. Now, it seems that the same requirements should be presented to both partners.

The researchers insist that the sperm concentration is negatively influenced by such factors as body mass index and alcohol consumption. A positive effect on the concentration and motility of the sperm is observed after consuming grains, as well as practicing split meals (when the number of meals per day increases, and the size of the dishes gets smaller). This has been proved by the leading IVF researcher Edson Borges, working in Sao Paulo, as well as his colleagues in the UK. He studied 250 men, who had passed the IVF procedure. The results were encouraging! A diet with a lot of fruits and grains increases the chances of conception because the quality of sperm is improved by more than 40%.

The scientists from the National French Agricultural Research Institute have discovered that when expectant mothers consume a certain group of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the intestinal walls of their children become more permeable. This allows a greater number of substances and bacteria pass into the bloodstream, causing the immune system to produce antibodies.

Dr. Gael Boudry believes that due to this impact the children’s immune system can develop and mature faster. As a result, the child gets sick less often.

Source of the image: Photl.

Pregnant Women Should Eat Less and More Often

It is important to follow the regime: to eat little but often. It is recommended to reduce one’s usual size of meals and make them two or even three times smaller during pregnancy, but at the same time a pregnant woman should eat not less than 6 times a day. It is important to take care of the figure even during pregnancy. Firstly, it can make the process of childbearing and childbirth easier. Secondly, sharp increase in weight leads to an intensive appearance of stretch marks, not only in the abdominal area, but the breast and thighs as well.

Think of Postpartum Weight Loss

A lot of pregnant women allow themselves to relax and eat lots of sweet pastry. Try to restrain yourselves and think more often about how hard you will have to work to return to your previous shape after giving birth. Increase the caloric value of your diet gradually – in accordance with the growth of the fetus. Nutritionists recommend to eat virtually without changes during the first trimester of pregnancy – except for eating more healthy food, but the caloric intake at the same time should not differ from the average daily norm for women, 2800 calories.

How Many Calories Do Pregnant Women Need a Day?

During the first trimester the calories are almost unchanged, while the second trimester of pregnancy is characterized by a monthly increase by 70 calories which means that during the sixth month your calorie intake should not exceed 3000. During the last trimester the increase in calories should be in the same proportions, and during the last month of pregnancy you should eat not less than 3,200 calories per day.

Celebrity Moms’ Pregnancy Weight Gain

It is interesting to know that a lot of celebrities do not follow the advice of their own nutritionists and allow themselves to relax during pregnancy and eat a lot of superfluous food having a special fancy for the sweet. How many extra kilos of weight have celebrity moms gained during pregnancy?

• Britney Spears has gained 18 kg
• Jennifer Lopez, bearing twins, has gained 25 kg
• Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise’s wife, has put on 16 kg
• Milla Jovovich has beaten all records with her 30 kg of gained weight during pregnancy.

Source of the image: Photl.

For example, foods like soft kinds of cheese can bring on listeriosis, a dangerous infection caused by the listeria monocyotogenes bacterium that can be found in cheeses. During pregnancy this infection is particularly noxious and leads to various detrimental complications – it is likely to cause miscarriage, premature labor or stillbirth. Even if the birth has gone off successfully, there’s a chance of your baby developing septicemia, meningitis or pneumonia.

Therefore some eating tips are in order.

1. Drink only pasteurized milk. All foods prepared with unpasteurized milk should be avoided.
2. Soft cheeses that are definitely unsafe include Camembert, brie, feta, blue-veined cheeses, many Mexican cheeses (queso blanco fresco, for one). Semi-soft cheeses of the mozzarella type, pasteurized cheeses, various spreads, cream cheese, cottage cheese and all kinds of hard cheeses are all right.
3. If you hunger for luncheon meats, hot dogs and the like, heat them up well, make them steam.
4. Smoked seafood is better off the table, unless a little in cooked entrées.

Source of the image: Photl.

A pregnant woman’s diet affects the foetus and the development of its brain due to specific smells and tastes. Therefore, certain products later seem more attractive to the child and vice versa.

The author of the research, Dr. Josephine Todrank, states the importance of a healthy diet and alcohol avoidance during pregnancy and lactation. If a would-be mom consumes alcoholic drinks, her child may experience the consequences of alcohol addiction in future, because the developing foetus is “sure” that everything that comes from the mother is “a priori safe”. This fact has an important role in terms of healthy lifestyle strategies implementation among both children and adults.

Source of the image: Photl.

Start the Day with a Healthy Breakfast

If pregnant women don’t have breakfast, or eat less food in the morning, then they may feel dizzy and will usually eat excess food afterwards. Also a good breakfast ensures that the baby gets the required calories, since you have slept for around 6 to 8 hours during the night without any food. Some people might tell you to have a meal during the night, but it’s unnecessary and can be solved by a healthy breakfast.

Have Disciplined Meals When Pregnant

Plan ahead and think what you are going to have for the rest of the day, so that you can ration your nutrients accordingly. If you go to work, carry healthy snacks like fruits, whole-grain crackers or carrot sticks. If a pregnant woman doesn’t plan, then they will probably end up eating whatever they feel like and thus gain excess weight.

Have Fibrous Foods Low in Fat and Sugar

Pregnant women could try canned fruits. You should also check the fat and sugar content in the labels. If you can’t help yourself from eating a sugar rich meal, you should also have something wholesome like milk; this inhibits an increase in blood sugar that might trigger fat storage processes. Sugar rich food usually makes pregnant women hungry in half an hour because of the production of insulin, but an intake of fiber ensures that they feel full; this also triggers excess fat removal.

Eat before attending a party or social event

If your stomach is somewhat full, you will most likely be able to avoid food that contributes to excess fat. Parties are usually filled with enticing but fatty food. You don’t want to gain excess weight by eating food you don’t need but are attractive.

Eat Before Shopping

Similar to the above strategy, this ensures that you don’t buy unnecessary food on whim. Stick to a shopping list and buy only what you need.

Pregnant women Should Eat Broiled, Baked or Steamed food

You should request your food like this in the restaurant; most often they will acknowledge the needs of a pregnant woman. Food cooked this way does not contribute to excess fat gain.

Sneak in Fruits into Theaters

Not only does this save money, but the food in theaters is fatty and sugar rich.

Drink Plenty of Water

Pregnant women often confuse dehydration with hunger. If you think you feel hungry despite eating healthy food, this is a sign that you are not drinking enough water. Water also has many other beneficial effects on the body.

Pregnant Woman Shouldn’t Eat for Two!

This is actually very common. People love to make pregnant women eat as much as they can and eat food they should not take. Avoid this and don’t eat trying to please others. A simple “thanks, but no, thanks” goes a long way and is polite.

Eat Carefully and Enjoy All Your Meals

Research has shown that on average a person will eat 750 more calories when they are eating with someone else. The reason is that when you are eating with someone else, you will usually be busy talking to that person or be engaged in something else; if you don’t mind what you are eating, you will definitely eat more. You can try the following method to both reduce the amount of food intake and increase the deliciousness of your meals: Chew your food for a long time and try to focus on exactly how the food tastes. You will realize that each bite is savory. You will eat less, but enjoy more.

Following these nutrition tips will help you avoid gaining excess weight during your pregnancy and enjoy your mother-to-be time!

Source of the image: Pitterpatter.

There was found a marked increase in the number of children suffering from anorexia and bulimia in severe forms, while many adolescents evince signs of partial syndrome of eating disorders. According to the results of the study, up to 14 per cent of America’s younger population show some of the relevant symptoms.

Eating disorders led to more pre-teen children being hospitalized – there’s a 119-percent increase in 2006 as compared with 1999, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports.

Girls have been found to be more afflicted with eating disorders with only 5 to 10 per cent for boys, although there are indications that the ratio may actually be heavier for the latter.

A report in Pediatrics states that the at-risk group includes young athletes and performers, with dancers and models leading.

Pediatricians are urged to take measures as soon as any symptoms of eating disorders surface, employing the necessary blood and bone density tests that can help detect potential problems in good time.

Source of the image: Photl.

Researchers advise not to intimidate young people but give them the right of choice. It is much more better to place less attractive but healthier meals at most prominent places in school cafeterias.

Practice has shown that students and pupils are more likely to feed sweetly on vegetable and fruit dishes if they are laid out in a plain view. In turn, foods that are not welcome by physicians should be placed behind healthy food in non-transparent containers.

Source of the image: Photl.

Be creative in cooking

Surprise your household and then they will be more focused on the unusualness of new dishes and not on the things from what they are cooked. Let it be unusual sushi with vegetables and chicken, stuffed vegetables etc. Children, as well as men don’t usually like fish. Here, fantasy is also needed. Not just a piece of fish, but with an interesting sauce, or fish baked in an unusual way (in a bag or foil). This will be fun and make a useful menu to which you aspire.

You would have to cook longer

This is the only way to fully control the amount of consumed fat and calories. This of course will take more time, but your home will be delighted! Children always enjoy homemade cookies, including the cooking process, while men adore smells drifting from the kitchen. Homemade bread (from bread machine) smells wonderfully, so no one will notice that it is a healthy bread made from wholemeal and bran.

Gradually switch over to a home version of purchased products

We are talking about things like juices, cottage cheese, French fries. Your home will not notice much difference since they are used to drinking juices bought from supermarkets. Invest in a good juicer and offer home-made juices, they will definitely contain no dyes and preservatives. Do the same also with other usually purchased products. Replace them with home-made ones.

Visit the grocery store with the whole family

Let the kids and your husband see what products you choose, explain to them why you are buying these products. This is a great teaching moment. In the future you will not worry about your children’s health since they have learnt to choose healthy products.

Be a good example

Do not sigh that you are again giving up cakes. On the contrary, tell how good you have started feeling, say that you have lost weight, you sleep better, and so on. Then, everyone will copy your example by joining in this new and healthy diet.

Do not change the menu overnight

People do not like radical changes, this is stressful, and no one wants to part with habits especially when it comes to delicious meals. Therefore, show wisdom and patience and make a specified strategy for change of diet. Perform at least one item of the above mentioned per month – that’s enough.

Source of the image: Photl.

Researchers discovered that Mediterranean diet increased women’s chances for conception by almost 40 per cent while there was no link between other diets and successful outcomes of in vitro fertilization

The study author Dr. Regine Steegers-Theunissen explains that Mediterranean diet provides sufficient amount of folic acid and vitamin B6. This is demonstrated by high levels of these substances in blood, and of follicular fluid inside ovarian follicle. These vitamins are crucial for fertilization and proper fetal development at early stages.

The study appears in Fertility and Sterility Journal.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/jmtorres.

There’s a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that fills us up on this omission.

The study reports that there is direct correlation between the time when parents begin to introduce complementary food into the child’s diet and the child’s body mass indexes (BMI) when he or she grows up.
The chief factor that is certain to lower BMIs in adulthood is, of course, long breastfeeding. But the time spoon-feeding begins also proved to be of importance. The earlier the child gets complementary food the greater his or her risk of gaining weight later in life. Therefore it is better to postpone spoon-feeding until the baby is past the sixth month.

“The later you introduce complementary feeding to an infant, within the range of 2 to 6 months, the smaller is the risk that the infant will be overweight as adult,” is the conclusion of lead researcher Kim Fleischer Michaelson of the University of Copenhagen.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics are unanimous in recommending breastfeeding for the first six months and postponing complementary food for as long as possible. Late spoon-feeding can reduce the risk of becoming obese by 5 to 10 percent.

Michaelson holds that spoon-feeding should better be delayed until the fifth month in any case.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/.

They found that children who often look through books with pictures of vegetables and fruit which are not included in their regular diet are more willing to taste them. In the experiment, parents of toddlers who participated in the study were given picture books about two vegetables and two fruits. Two items were known by children (carrot and grapes), while the other two they have never seen (radish and exotic fruit litchi). The parents read from the book every day for two weeks.

Two weeks later, the toddlers were offered four vegetables, two of which were not shown in the book, and the same set of fruit. Children were more likely to taste the unknown vegetables and fruit that parents showed them in the book. For example, if there was a picture of litchi, children chose that very fruit, instead of anything they saw previously (like blackberry). If children saw the picture of blackberry in the picture book, they picked litchi without hesitation.

Scientists think that visual exposure to pictures of healthy foods can help make children willing to taste them and develop healthy eating habits in future.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/TouTouke.

There’s nothing impossible in it once you’ve gotten the Yoomi self-heating baby bottle. It is fitted with a heating element that is button-activated. Press the button, wait for two or three minutes, and everything is nicely set for feeding!

Since it’s not done by electricity or magic, you will have to keep the bottle in boiling water for half an hour to get it ready for use later on.

Source of the image: dvice.com.

First you scoop the food with a plane – I mean a spoon shaped as a plane. It may be a bit less convenient, but the little ‘uns are supposed to enjoy it. Imitating the engines roaring, you dodge the loved one’s grabs and approach the bib designed like a landing runway. Only never mind the funny number 42 and don’t waste seconds on figuring out where did they get the idea of there being a 420-degree angle.

Once you are ready for landing, the bib will start to blink showing you your way. Follow the red lights and deposit your load carefully. That’s all the instruction there is. Only try to derive less pleasure from the process than the kid is expected to get, agreed?

Source of the image: dvice.com.

Breast milk contains various ingredients such as nucleotides that play major role in sleep control at night. New study carried out in Spain showed breast milk ingredients greatly fluctuate during the day. Researchers looked at three nucleotides in milk – adenosine, guanosine and uridine – which act as stimulants or sedatives, causing a healthy sleep, or, on the contrary, restlessness. Researchers examined the milk breast ingredients taken from 30 women during the day (6 to 8 samples were examined). The highest level of nucleotides was found at night time, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

According to lead author Cristina Sanchez, this explains how breast milk can make babies sleepy. You won‘t brew some coffee for someone who’s going to bed. The same is true with breast milk. It contains special “daytime” ingredients that stimulate baby’s activity at daylight and “night time” ingredients that help baby to rest. To ensure healthy diet, breast milk should be given to a baby at the same time as it’s been expressed. Storing expressed milk is a mistake, according to experts.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/Carin.

Scientists surveyed 10,000 teens aged 15-16 in North West England to reveal almost 30 percent of those surveyed got into violence related situations when drunk. 12.5% said they had sex contacts they regretted when sober.  35.8% drank at public places such as parks and shopping centers. 43.5% admitted memory blackouts because of alcohol.

The study also found that how teenagers get their alcohol greatly affects how much harm this drinking brings. Obviously, drinking alcohol at 15 has never been safe, yet teens get into trouble more often when drinking cheap alcoholic beverages outside their home. Out of those who drank alcohol bought by their parents only 20 percent engaged in violence-related situations, while that figure rose up to 36 percent among those who got it by themselves.

The study author, Mark Bellis, says negative influence of alcohol on teenage health is huge, but parents who allow their 15-16 year old children to drink at home can apparently cut down the risk. Parents can control the amount of alcohol and prevent their children from getting boozed.

Banning a teenager from alcohol won’t solve the problem and simply transfer it into the streets.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/daniel437.

Liquorice contains a component called glycyrrhizin that enables stress hormones or glucocorticoids reach across the placenta to the fetus and affect the development of the brain. Besides inhibiting the child’s intelligence it can also make for unruly behavior.

A regular intake of over 100g of pure liquorice (that is, 500mg of glycyrrhizin) for several weeks during pregnancy has been found to correlate with lower intelligence and poor attention spans in the children.

Scientists underline that impaired attention caused by high amounts of liquorice in the mother’s food may in future cause the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other kinds of behavioral disorders.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/claudmey.