Page 30 - Special Issue: Healthy Baby
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We do not        some acceptable substitutes? I would think that     Most important, the  cows  should  be  on

           recommend          if I cultured the raw milk with kefir powder or  pasture as much as possible, and in the winter, in
                              kefir grains, then the beneficial bacteria would  a well ventilated barn and fed mostly hay. We do
               using any      kill any bad bacteria that might be in the milk.  not recommend using any kind of milk, even raw
           kind of milk,      Another alternative that I thought of was to pas-  milk, from cows kept in confinement, especially
               even raw       teurize the milk from the farm myself and then  when the diet is based on grain and includes such
                              culture it. My only concern is that what if I don’t  additives as citrus peel cake and bakery waste.
              milk, from      pasteurize properly, will the beneficial bacteria     We recommend using cultured pasteurized
          cows kept in        from the kefir powder take care of any mistakes  milk only when raw milk is unavailable and in
          confinement,        I made. (I already experimented with this and it  this case, the meat-based formula is probably
                              was difficult, even with constant stirring, to keep  preferable, given the way milk is processed today.
              especially      the top layer of milk at the right temperature.) A  We do not recommend pasteurizing your own

               when the       third alternative that I thought of is to use some  milk. It is too risky.
           diet is based      good quality yogurt from the health food store.
                              What do you think of these ideas? Can you help  PASTEURIZED COWS MILK
          on grain and        alleviate any of my fears about bad bacteria? I  OR RAW GOAT MILK?
         includes such        don’t want to take any unnecessary chances with  Q:   If you have a choice of cow’s organic,

            additives as      my child.                                  pasteurized unhomogenized milk that you have
                              A.  Farmers need to be careful when speaking  cultured or raw goat’s milk supplemented with
              citrus peel     to the public, but you can be assured that if basic  raw liver, which would you choose? We do not
               cake and       sanitation measures are followed, raw milk is  have access to organic liver.
         bakery waste.        completely safe—in fact—safer than pasteurized  A:   Use the raw goat milk plus liver recipe. Just
                              milk. Raw milk contains many bioactive com-
                                                                         use the best that you can find. Probably in this
                              ponents that get rid of bad bacteria. When bad  case, you should use calves liver or lambs liver,
                              bacteria such as E. coli are added to raw milk,  which would be a cleaner product than chicken.
                              these components get rid of them.          Another solution is to use desiccated liver (Carl-

                                  Of course, this marvelous system for  son’s brand is good).
                              getting rid of pathogens can be overwhelmed
                              if the cows are very unhealthy and the milk  SAFETY OF RAW LIVER

                              gets dirty. Basic sanitation measures include  Q.  I am afraid to use the raw liver, as called for

                              testing of the cows to make sure they are  in the raw goat milk formula.
                              disease free; washing the  teats  with iodine  A.  As long as you freeze the liver for fourteen

                              solution before  milking; using a milking  days, it is safe; however if you are concerned,

                              machine; and storing the milk in a stainless   you can simmer the liver before adding it. An
                              steel bulk tank, glass bottles or hard plastic bottles  alternative is the liver-based formula which calls
                              at a cool temperature.                     for simmering the liver in broth.



                                         FEELS GOOD TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS

               I needed to supplement my breastfed baby at about four months. My nutritionist showed me the homemade for-
          mulas in Nourishing Traditions. There was a concern in making my own baby formula for a variety of reasons including
          sterile conditions, proper measuring and vast uncertainty. I thought about it for a long time. In the end, I knew this was
          my decision to make. I realized that I have a hard time letting anyone take care of my child because I don’t think anyone
          will care for him like I do. It just took me a little bit longer to carry that thinking over to feeding my baby.
               My son is now 13 1/2 months old. At his 12-month check-up, the doctor said he was as advanced as an 18-month-
          old. He already has about 15 different words that he says. Strangers tell me he’s a smart baby just by looking at him, as
          he’s alert and attentive to his surroundings. Everyone tells me what a good boy he is no matter where we go. After all that
          worry and uncertainty, making my own baby formula seems so natural, so normal. I can’t begin to tell you how good it
          feels to make my own decisions for my baby.
                                                                                       Allison, Annapolis, Maryland


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