Sometimes you just can’t get around getting the seasonal cold or flu. One of the first things I reach for when myself or one of my kids get sick is coconut water. Why coconut water? Many reasons. Coconut water is extremely healthy and is one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. It aids in helping remove toxins from the body and aids in digestion. Coconuts have an amazing anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungul and anti-microbial properties. If you are fighting a fever it is great at trying to keep your body cool at the proper temperature. Orally, it is extremely hydrating to your body and is a natural isotonic beverage helping to keep your PH levels balanced. It is a great aid to help your body flight off virus that cause the flu, cold and other bacteria born illness. Lastly, coconut water/oil contains lauric acid which is in mother’s human milk.
Coconut water is safe for pregnant women and babies. I have a special bond with coconut water because when my little girl Ella was a baby and extremely sick I started hand making her formula. I replaced the water with coconut water knowing that it would help heal her body quickly. Which in fact it did. Later came down with the stomach flu and I started drinking coconut water right away. It only lasted a few hours and after it passed my body was not dehydrated and lethargic like it normally would have been.
Fun Facts:
- coconut water is healthier than orange juice.
- coconut water is naturally sterile.
- coconut water is a universal donor to bloom plasma.
- coconut water can save human lives but putting coconut water into IV and replacing blood plasma.
- coconut water contains hight amounts of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, amino acids, photo-hormones and more.
- coconut water is great for exercising do to it containing calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc without the sugar of sports drinks.
- coconut water is good for relieving stomach spasms and pain.
- coconut water will help eliminate edema.
- coconut water will help replace fluids loss during diarrhea.
You can find coconut water at most grocery and health foods stores. I always keep my refrigerator stocked with coconut water.
As a mother searching to feed my children, high quality foods are extremely important. I understand food does one of two things; it can provide nourishment for your body, making it healthy and strong or it can make you really sick and cause disease.
One of the things I look for when buying food is the word “Organic”. I think most of us feel as though the word “Organic” also means it safe” or “free from chemicals/pesticides etc”. Well think again. Unfortunately, there are companies that are throwing the label “organic” on products I find completely un-organic.
When I was searching for commercial baby formula I went through a lot of different brands but towards the end I did turn to “organic” thinking the ingredients would be high quality “organic”, safe without chemicals or pesticides. Here is a good example of an “organic” baby formula. Keep in mind that most of the ingredients are the same ingredients as their non-organic formulas. They just threw a few organic ingredients in and called it organic.
Similac Advanced Organic Formula
Similac Organic Powder / 23.2-oz SimplePac / Case of 6
Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Sugar (Sucrose), Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Soy Oil, Organic Coconut Oil. Less than 2% of the Following: C. Cohnii Oil*, M. Alpina Oil†, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, m-Inositol, Magnesium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Mixed Tocopherols, d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Palmitate, Cupric Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Phylloquinone, Biotin, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Hydroxide, and Nucleotides (Cytidine 5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine 5’-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine 5’-Monophosphate, Adenosine 5’-Monophosphate).
* A source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
† A source of arachidonic acid (ARA).
Contains milk and soy ingredients.
There are so many horribly outrageous ingredients in this formula I don’t know where to start. Let’s just start in order.
Organic Maltodextrin- just for kicks I looked up the Wikipedia definition as here is the answer:
Maltodextrin, commonly added to food as a sweetener, metabolizes quickly. A very easily digestible sugar, maltodextrin will convert to blood sugar or wind up stored as fat faster than many other sugars, including table sugar and even the glucose tablets used by diabetics to avoid an insulin coma. Such a simple sugar provides limited benefits, with the exception of immediately after a workout. Consult your doctor before using any nutritional supplement.
Other website go on to say: Maltodextrin’s main use is to make candy and soda, and should only be used to recover from an intense workout such as running a marathon etc.
As if “Organic Maltodextrin” is not enough sugar for your baby let’s move on to the next ingredient which is “Organic Sugar”! I am so glad they are getting such important ingredients organic. (By now you should be sensing my sarcasm.)
Moving on to the 3rd line C. Cohnii Oil* & M. Alpina Oil. This is where it gets really juicy. You know all that wonderful marketing on commercial formula labels such as: DHA & ARA
DHA (Omega 3) and ARA (Omega 6) for brain and eye development
“Clinically Proven” Triple Health Guard- Growth, eyes & brain & immune system.
In 2001USinfant formula manufactures began adding DHA & ARA which is manufactured by Martek Biosciences called life’s DHA. This DHA is derived from strains of C. cohnni Oil (algae) & M. Alpina Oil (fungus). These ingredients are made by Martek Biosciences and are treated with hexane solvent, acid and bleach.
Martek describes the manufacturing process below:
“The oil is then separated from the dried biomass by hexane extraction and centrifugation and/or filtration, followed by winterization. The hexane phase undergoes additional centrifugation/filtration to remove solids then the winterized oil is heated and treated with acid. Subsequently, the oil is treated with caustic, centrifuged , bleached and deodorized.
This information has been obtained from The Cornucopia Institute which is currently trying to petition the FDA to have warning labels on formula that contains these “patented DHA/ARA oils”. There have been many complaints to the FHA regarding babies getting extremely sick after consuming formula with DHA. The report goes on to say that the nurse admitted that in the NICU they would joke and call it “the diarrhea formula”. As of last reports FDA is turning a blind eye to the complaints.
Martek boasts that 90% of formula in theU.S.contains its patented DHA/ARA oils.
These Hexane-extracted algae oils have made their way into organic milk and organic nutrition bars.
I urge you to read labels and learn what is in your children’s food. In this formula example, the first two out of three ingredients is “sugar”! While Michelle Obama and hundreds if not thousands of people are trying to fight childhood obesity and diabetes that is affecting 1.9 million people I wish they would put their energy toward pure, real wholesome food.
This label is completely misleading. I would think I was getting a good baby formula with reading the front label but instead I am getting as much sugar in this baby formula as a can of soda or juice, along with hexane, solvents and bleach to feed my baby’s brain and support their immune system.
Reading the ingredient label on my daughter Ella’s formula is what led me to figure out why she was getting so sick and breaking out from head to toe.
After reading the label I felt so validated, mislead and beyond pissed. My thoughts were “how could they do this to the poor helpless babies?” It’s easy….it’s an accountant, a CEO, and board of directors needing more profits which equals cheaper ingredients. They have to go as far as patenting something nature makes for free. As awful as it is, it is reality. But the good news is as a mother I have a choice. My choice was to not trust anyone with my children’s health and nutrition. This has turned out to be a complete blessing for me. I now read labels and further more I hand make most of my food.
No one is going to put the love and care into your children’s food like mom.
I hope you are empowered to take control. We are victims if we allow ourselves to be as such.
A proud mom,
Dara
Sometimes you just can’t get around getting the seasonal cold or flu. One of the first things I reach for when myself or one of my kids get sick is coconut water. Why coconut water? Many reasons. Coconut water is extremely healthy and is one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. It aids in helping remove toxins from the body and aids in digestion. Coconuts have an amazing anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungul and anti-microbial properties. If you are fighting a fever it is great at trying to keep your body cool at the proper temperature. Orally, it is extremely hydrating to your body and is a natural isotonic beverage helping to keep your PH levels balanced. It is a great aid to help your body flight off virus that cause the flu, cold and other bacteria born illness. Lastly, coconut water/oil contains lauric acid which is in mother’s human milk.
