Product Review for Back to Nature

Back to Nature products range caters for gluten free diets, no artificial colours, no artificial flavours, preservative free and  wheat free diets

Products Reviewed:  Back to Nature Bite’z apple,  apricot  and almond snack bars submitted by Linda Minnis on behalf of What Can I Eat

• Linda and her family had not heard of the Nature Bite’z gluten free range of snack bars before receiving them for review.
• Our whole family loved these gluten free bars, in fact I had to fight my son for them.  They were a delicious healthy easy snack for morning tea.
• “We would absolutely recommend these gluten free bars to anyone searching for delicious gluten free snack bars.  I say to Back to Nature thank you so much and keep making them , they are yummy!

Thank you also to What Can I Eat, the website has helped me so much with discovering different products I never knew about and great easy recipes.

To source these products and more in the Back to Nature Gluten Free Range click here…

To search for more delicious gluten free snack bars, go to the Pantries of What Can I Eat.

Product Review for House of Biskota Gluten Free Biscuits

House of Biskota products range caters for dairy free diets, egg free diets, gluten free diets, lactose free diets, nut free, vegan, vegetarian,  wheat free diets and yeast free diets.

Products Reviewed:  House of Biskota Gluten Free Biscuit  Collection submitted by

Ann Forbes on behalf of What Can I Eat

• Ann and her family had not heard of the House of Biskota gluten free biscuit range before receiving them for review.
• Our whole family loved these gluten free biscuits , they tasted very nice.
• “We would definitely recommend these gluten free biscuits to anyone searching for delicious gluten free biscuits.  The presentation of the product was beautiful and I w ould highly recommend their website as it is very informative. I have also shared this product  with many of my friends who are also following gluten free diets.

To source these products and more in the House of Biskotta Gluten Free Range click here…

To search for more delicious gluten free premade biscuits, go to the Pantries of What Can I Eat.

Product Review for Brighterlife Wheat Free Foods

Brighterlife Breadrolls

Brighterlife Wheat Free Foods products range caters for corn free dierts, dairy free diets, egg free diets, gluten free diets, lactose free diets, sugar free, soy free, wheat free diets and yeast free diets.

Products Reviewed:  Kylie’s Bread Rolls from the Brighterlife Rainbow Collection submitted by

Diana Matthews on behalf of What Can I Eat

• Diana and her family had not heard of this product range prior to winning some samples through the Product of the Month promotion.
• Our whole family love these gluten free bread rolls and they were the perfect serving for one meal.
• “We would definately recommend these products to anyone searching for delicious homemade gluten free bread rolls.  They were so easy to make and I love the different recipe options on the pack.  “

To source these products and more in the Brighterlife Range here…

Thanks to What Can I Eat, it is really a one stop resource for obtaining information about product so that I can research before getting to the shops.

To search for  more delicious gluten free breads, go to the Bread pantry of What Can I Eat.

Product Review for Moo Free Chocolate Range

Moo Free Organic Dairy Free Chocolate products range caters for dairy free diets, egg free diets, gluten free diets, lactose free diets, organic diets , vegetarian diets and wheat free diets.

Products Reviewed:  Moo Free Chocolate Range – Moo Free Dairy Free Pralines 132g, Moo Free Organic Dairy Free Chocolate Bar 100g , Moo Free Organic Dairy Free Chocolate Drops 35g & Moo Free Santa’s. Review submitted by Clare Watts on behalf of What Can I Eat

• Clare and her family had not previously heard of this range of product prior to being chosen as the winners of the Product of the Month promotion.
  

  Moo Free

• They all thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate range, particularly the children of course.  In fact they enjoyed the products so much they went on to purchase more online.
• “We would absolutely recommend these products to anyone searching for chocolates that are gluten free and dairy free. Delicious”

Thank you , thank you to Moo Chocolates, we have finally found a gluten free and dairy free chocolate range that all my kids like and is safe to eat.

Find more information on the full range of Moo Free here…

We are also searching for Dairy free and egg free cakes and sweet biscuits.

Thanks to What Can I Eat, I now know more products that I can purchase for myself and my kis that are safe to eat.

To search for  more delicious chocolates and sweets , go to the Confectionary pantry of What Can I Eat.

Product Review for Lifestyle Bakery Christmas Cake and Christmas Puddings

Lifestyle Bakery products range caters for gluten free diets, egg free diets, wheat free diets, nut free diets , wheat free diets , dairy free diets and organic diets

Products Reviewed:  Lifestyle Bakery Christmas Cakes and Puddings, submitted by Joy Howard on behalf of What Can I Eat

Joy Howard was the grateful recipient of a competition that we ran asking customers what new products they found in our popular Christmas Foods Guide Emag 2011.  She had not previously heard of the Lifestyle Bakery gluten free Christmas cakes and gluten free Christmas puddings prior to receiving her samples.

• Joy thoroughly enjoyed both the cake and puddings which were quite moist – however she did find they had the distinctive gluten free after taste.  The puddings were her favourite especially served with custard which did disguise the gluten free after taste.  Joy found the cake tricky to cut, it seemed to end up in ‘chunks’ rather than slices, which meant it did not look as appetizing on the serving platter.

• The favourite was the gluten free pudding which Joy would highly recommend.  She suggested also to not reheat the cakes too long in the microwave as there was no instructions on the pack for recommended times and she slightly overcooked her first attempt.

As the only coeliac in the family Joy acknowleged that rest of the family do not enjoy eating gluten free cakes, so she was able to enjoy these gluten free cakes on her own.  This being the case, she suggested to Lifestyle Bakery that the puddings would be also great in packs of 2 as opposed to packs of 4.  She thought this would be more appealing to her for ongoing purchasing.

View all products in the Lifestyle Bakery Range…

Joy is also searching for Gluten Free Crepes and frozen pastry.

Thank you to What Can I Eat for providing such a great site, allowing us to keep up to date with new products that come onto the market all the time.  I am always referring others to the website for advice and what they can or cannot buy, serve or cook for their friends/guests who have food allergies or food intolerances.  I particularly love that it covers a wide range of allergies , great for my friends that need information.

For more delicious cake suggestions, go to the baking pantry of What Can I Eat.

The food industry has seen its fair share of flops and successes. Foods or diets that “catch on” with the public have a tendency to stick around, but just like any fad, foods can disappear in a flash. Here are 10 food industry fads you probably forgot about:

• TV dinners:

  TV dinners put the fun back into family dinners. The first TV dinners were served on airplanes, but in 1945, the Swanson brothers coined the term “TV dinners,” by advertising them as family-oriented meals that could be eaten while gathered around the television. Comfort foods like Salisbury steak, turkey, mashed potatoes, and corn were served on an aluminum tray that you’d zap in the microwave. Even though Lean Cuisine, Banquet, and Hungry-Man frozen dinners are still around, they don’t come close to the heartiness of the 1950s TV dinners.

  Gelatine

  When you hear the word “gelatine,” Bill Cosby and a jiggly dessert may come to mind, but gelatine has been a food fad for decades. Jell-O moulds and salads were all the rage in ’50s and ’60s. It was common for people to make these colourful creations for dinner, mixing in meat, olives, mayonnaise, cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Just about anything and everything could make its way into a gelatine dish.

  Low Carb

  Low-carbohydrate diets gained popularity with the rise of the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet. The low-carb fad diets restrict carbohydrate consumption and are replaced by foods that are high in proteins and fats. Although low-carb diets often result in dramatic weight loss, its followers generally have trouble keeping the weight off when they start incorporating carbohydrates back into their diet. The low-carb diet fad proved that a burger just isn’t the same without a bun.

  Frozen Yoghurt

  Fro-yo, a healthy alternative to ice cream, took off in the ’80s and has managed to stick around ever since. A resurgence of the tart treat has caused some steep competition in the dessert industry and has paved the way for other sweets to join in. Cupcakes and other trendy desserts have given fro-yo a run for its money. Sweet tooths are growing tired of paying $6 for a cup of low-fat frozen yogurt and toppings.

  Meal Replacements

  Slim-Fast and other liquid meal replacements were a food industry fad of the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s. Slim-Fast was best known for its diet shakes that came in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and were designed to replace breakfast and lunch. Dieters were recommended to have a low-calorie dinner to add some variety and promote weight loss. Although Slim-Fast is still around and has expanded its brand to include snack bars, meals bars, and shake mixes, the liquid meal option has become less enticing over the past few years.

  Space Age Snacks

  From Tang to freeze-dried ice cream, the launch of space-age snacks was a very successful food fad. The public’s fascination with astronauts and space life paved the way for space-age snacks to take off. The powdered orange-flavored drink, Tang, found its way on John Glenn’s Mercury flight and other NASA space missions. Freeze-dried ice cream also became popular with kids, despite its dry, chalky taste.

  Fat Free

  The fat-free, diet snacks of the ’90s seemed heaven-sent for dieters who weren’t willing to give up their favorite junk foods. Low-fat and low-sugar desserts like Nabisco’s SnackWells cookies and fat-free Lay’s WOW Chips became instant hits. But this food industry fad took a turn for the worse when consumers reported abdominal cramping and loose stools from the Olestra-laced potato chips. The SnackWells cookies also got a bad rap for using high fructose corn syrup in most of their products, which has been linked to obesity.

  Fruit Snacks

  Kids have always had an affinity for fruity and chewy snacks, but the craze reached new heights in the ’80s and ’90s with fruit snacks like Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Gushers. These colorful and sugary snacks were about as much fun to play with as they were to eat. Many of the snacks came with temporary tattoos for your tongue, as well as games and jokes on each wrapper. You can still find these fruit snacks at your local grocery, but the high sugar content has caused many parents to steer clear of these sweet snacks.

  Trans Fats

  In 2006, the FDA ordered food companies to list trans fats on food labels in an effort to reduce consumption of the artery-clogging ingredient that gives many food products flavor. The trans fat-free fad forced many food companies to revise their recipes to make their products trans fat-free and meet consumers’ needs. Although trans fat-free logos continue to grace the front of many grocery items, the trans fat frenzy has toned down quite a bit and may have been forgotten by many.

• Article thanks to http://www.businessinsurance.org/10-food-industry-fads-you-probably-forgot-about/
  Have they missed any, there must be more?

  Gluten free diets are a new fad that is here to stay… read more information on how to follow a gluten free diet on the What Can I Eat support pages.

Top stories for November

• BpA and canned foods: latest Harvard study reignites the concerns

The latest study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, in the USA, has raised fresh debate over the regulation of Bisphenol A (BpA), a chemical compound often used as protective lining on the inside of cans containing food or beverages.

The Harvard study’s findings were published on 22 November 2011, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers say their study is one of the first to quantify BpA levels in humans after ingestion of canned foods.

Exposure to BpA has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity in humans.

BPA has been considered to be cost effective and durable, which has led to its widespread usage, especially in baby bottles, reusable water bottles, microwave ovenware and food package linings.

In the European Union and Canada, BpA use in baby bottles has previously been banned.

• Google predicts online shopping growth

Google Australia predicts strong growth for online presence of food and drink retail in Australia. Today, it offered advice to Australian retailers with an online presence as the market gears up for the holiday season.

According to Google Australia’s figures, 31 per cent of online “Christmas” specific searches during 2011 involve the food and drink retail sector.

Google Australia & New Zealand’s Head of Retail, Ross McDonald said today, “Over the next five weeks shopping-related search traffic is really going to accelerate.”

• WWF praises Australian companies for sustainable palm oil efforts

Australian companies are buying more certified sustainable palm oil than ever before, according to an assessment of palm oil buyers by multi-national conservation group, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF today released its Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard 2011, which measures over 130 major retailers and consumer goods manufacturers by looking at their commitment to, and use of, palm oil certified to the internationally recognised standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

Palm oil is a highly versatile vegetable oil derived from very productive oil palm trees grown only in the tropics. Green activists claim that palm oil plantations are replacing rainforests and destroying wildlife habitats. Others counter-argue that palm oil can be produced sustainably.

• FSANZ circulates amendments to Food Standards Code

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for submissions on an application to change the Food Standards Code to allow for food derived from a corn line genetically modified for protection against insect pests.

Commenting on Application A1060, from Syngenta Seeds Pty Ltd, FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said, “The corn line is intended for cultivation in regions of North America and Canada, not in Australia and New Zealand.”

He said that regulatory approval is required in Australia and New Zealand before it can be released into commercial markets in these countries. Once approved and commercialised, the applicant intends to use corn line in conventional breeding with other corns.

“All GM foods undergo a comprehensive premarket safety assessment by FSANZ before being approved in the Food Standards Code,” Mr McCutcheon said. “FSANZ welcomes comments from government agencies, public health professionals, industry and the community on the application.”

The period for submissions closes 18 January 2012.

• Woolworths responds to reports on Goodman Fielder bread strategy

Woolworths Supermarkets has warned Australian bread manufacturing giant, Goodman Fielder, that any changes made to the shelf-life of its bread will be “taken seriously” by the supermarket chain.

Woolworths statement came in response to reports this week that Goodman Fielder is considering extending the shelf-life of its bread using food technology to save money through a lower frequency of deliveries.

Woolworths spokesperson Benedict Brook told Australian Food News, “Woolworths are the ‘fresh food’ people and we take this responsibility seriously. Moves by any of our suppliers that changes the freshness of a product like bread would need to be fully discussed with us. Ultimately it will be the customer who decides what goes on our shelves.”

The reports came after Goodman Fielder’s new CEO Chris Delaney told investors last week that the company could learn from the way Europe and America manages bread supply, which typically involves delivering bread with a longer shelf-life than in Australia.

Goodman Fielder’s Director of Corporate Affairs Ian Greenshields told Australian Food News today that these reports had been blown out of proportion. He said, “All that Chris Delaney said was that there are other ways to manage the supply of bread in Australia. Yet, if you look at some of the reports it looks as though we’re planning on supplying stale bread to Australia. Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth.”

• Australian Greens Bill aims to ban ‘junk food’ television advertisements

Junk food advertisements will be banned from commercial television at certain times of the day in Australia if a new Bill introduced today by the Australian Greens party is passed.

The ‘Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting and Telecommunications Amendment)’ private member’s bill seeks a ban on “junk food” advertisements on commercial television from 6-9am and 4-9pm on weekdays, and from 6am-12pm and 4-9pm on weekends and school holidays.

Junk food is defined by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing as “energy-dense nutrient-poor food”.

The Bill also seeks to prohibit usage of the internet and digital services such as SMS and email to promote junk food to children.

Australian Greens party leader Bob Brown introduced the Bill into the Australian Senate today. He claimed, “Self-regulation has clearly failed and the Australian parliament has a duty to act. This Bill is about the wellbeing of our community and future generations.”

The Bill has won the support from the Obesity Policy Coalition, which is an advocacy group consisting of Cancer Council Victoria, Diabetes Australia, VicHealth and Deakin University’s World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Obesity Prevention.

Read these stories and more at Australian Food New http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/

To find delicious product solutions,  search the  pantries of What Can I Eat

What everyday food is causing obesity, diabetes, heart disease and digestive disorders?

‘Sugar’ is an ongoing source of confusion for many parents.  Every cell in our body needs glucose as it is the energy of life, but too much of any type of sugar is not a good thing. It can wreak havoc throughout the body and initiate a cascade of dis-ease. Too much of any sugar can contribute to weight gain, dental decay, eczema, acne, hypertension, poor gut health, damage your pancreas, trigger free radicals and oxidative stress, hormonal imbalances, reduce learning capacity and the list goes on.

Not all sugars are the same

To make it even more confusing, it appears that not all sugars are equal when it comes to our health. Dextrose, fructose, and glucose are all monosaccharides, known as simple sugars, but the body doesn’t recognize them as being the same or metabolise them in the same way. Glucose is made when the body breaks down starches such as carbohydrates found in fruits, cereal grains, pastas and vegetables. Dextrose is simply a form of glucose. Fructose is a type of sugar found naturally in fruits and some vegetables including beetroot, potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, spinach and celery.

These sugars can co-exist in foods to form more complex sugars, including the disaccharide known as sucrose, or table sugar. Sucrose comes from two sources, sugar cane and sugar beets.

The sugar doctors call “poison”

For a long while, fructose was touted as a healthy sugar alternative; with a ‘low glycemic index’ and ‘naturally derived’ from fruits and vegetables. But research is showing that this couldn’t be further from the truth, linking this potentially dangerous sugar with a range of health issues including obesity, digestive disorder, insulin sensitivity, type 1 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, memory loss and metabolic syndrome.

Professor of Medicine, Dr Richard Johnson, at the University of Colorado says glucose is the form of energy you were designed to run on. He says every cell in the body and every living thing on the earth uses glucose for energy. But fructose is metabolized completely differently, which is why it is particularly dangerous when consumed in large amounts.

Studies conducted by Dr Johnson revealed fructose as the number one risk factor for obesity. But its adverse effects, he say extend far beyond those of the waistline. “ Most of our research at the university has focused on how it may cause hypertension, kidney disease, obesity, fatty liver, vascular disease and other problems”. Fructose, he says increases levels of uric acid, responsible for gout and hypertension and it increases abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides. These characteristics, he says, are known high risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome”.

Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, has been researching the negative effects of fructose and likes to call it ‘poison’. His eye-opening video called, Sugar: The Bitter Truth reveals the relationship between fructose and the exponential increase in obesity and health problems in American children and adults.

But isn’t fruit good for you?

Dr Lustig points out that it’s important to remember that fructose alone isn’t evil as fruits are certainly beneficial. Fruit in moderation, he says is good. But stay away from fruit juice as the fiber has been removed. “Fiber reduces rates of intestinal carbohydrate absorption, reducing insulin response and it also induces satiety. He adds, “Fiber helps inhibit the absorption of some free fatty acids and suppresses insulin. But when you consume high levels of fructose it will absolutely devastate your biochemistry and physiology”.

According to Dr Johnson, eating 25gms of fructose a day in fruit is the right amount, which equals between two to four pieces of fruit.  ”But most people consume around 70gms and in the US 25% consume more than 130gms of fructose a day, of which a lot is added to packaged foods including soft drinks, fruit juices, sauces, chips and breads”.

He adds, “Without the fiber or nutrients found in fruit that minimize the negative effects of the sugar, it goes straight to the liver, bypassing the pancreas, which normally processes sugar. Fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as carbohydrate”.

Most people, he says, rely on the low fat diet foods to lose weight but these are often the ones highest in fructose. “It isn’t that fructose itself is bad—it is the massive doses you’re exposed to that make it dangerous”, he says.

Beware of High Fructose Corn Syrup in packaged foods

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as an effective sweetener (it is way sweeter than glucose making it a preferred sweetener by food companies) in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

High Fructose Corn Syrup derived from corn, is particularly unhealthful; According to Dr Johnson fructose contains the same two sugars as sucrose but is more metabolically risky, due to its chemical form. The fructose and the glucose are not bound together in HFCS, as they are in table sugar, so your body doesn’t have to break it down. Therefore, the fructose is absorbed immediately, going straight to the liver.

Fructose doesn’t regulate appetite

According to Professor Lustig, another problem is that fructose doesn’t suppress ghrelin, the hunger hormone.

Dana Flavin, PhD, a former assistant to the associate bureau director for toxicology at the FDA says that fructose may have less impact on appetite than glucose, so processed foods rich in fructose can contribute to weight gain, obesity, and its related consequences by failing to manage appetite. “Because high fructose corn syrup is not treated as regular sugar in the body, it has the potential to cause a lot of damage. The body never gets the signal that it has enough food, so there is no feeling of “fullness” that would normally accompany a meal. The sweetener also impacts on the sugar levels in blood, causing a sugar rush. After the rush has passed, blood sugar levels drop, and the body begins to crave more sugar. This cycle can repeat indefinitely if the person does not significantly cut back on his high fructose corn syrup consumption, leading to diabetes, hypertension or obesity”.

Some sugars including fructose contribute to digestive disorder

“Gut health is very dependent on our diets, and while there are many factors such as nutritional balance, toxins, food allergies and intolerances it is becoming more evident that fermentable sugars may also play an important role. Any form of gut dysfunction has the potential to affect both the body and mind” says Dr Braham Rabinov.

Certain sugars including fructose, lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, fructans (wheat, rye, onions) can undergo fermentation.  It is these fermentable sugars that through osmosis (drawing fluid into the gut) and the action of the bacteria that normally reside in the gut to take up the sugars and produce chemical substances that may then act on the gut wall to produce the symptoms of the condition know as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Read more on the Mindd Foundation website

Thank you to the following companies who offered us samples to offer our new mothers gift bags.

Offered samples of their Sweetlife Dental Gum – No artificial sweeteners, No Aspartame.
SweetLife Australia has a range of all natural, sugar free, gluten and grain free products that are also very low GI and low carb.
read more…

Hopper natural food colours offered samples of their Colour Free Sprinkles range. 100s and 1000s are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. They are also gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free. The colours are strong and vibrant and are a great alternative to existing colours and sprinkles on the market that contain nasty chemicals and additives. Read more…

LEDA (Lee-da) nutrition is a dedicated gluten and dairy free baking facility, making a range of delicious biscuits, cookies and snack bars.  They kindly donated samples of their Dunk-ins, Read more about their products…

Inspired Wellbeing Pty Ltd is an Australian owned company based in Sydney, Australia. www.inspiredwellbeing.com.au is your one-stop health, wellness, beauty and nutrition store. Inspired Wellbeing stocks around 2000 natural and organic products and delivers them to you at your home or work.

They provided a lovely range of samples from their online store and a discount voucher.  Read more…

Food for Health are excited to launch the new Food for Kids Apple Filled Snack Bars. Food for Kids Apple Snack Bars bring a point of difference to other bars currently in the Health Food bar category. The Food for Kids Apple snack bars cater for children that require specific dietary requirements.   Food for Kids Snack Bars are a convenient option for parents to choose to give to their children.  Leaving parents feeling comfortable giving their children a healthy and nutritional snack between meals. Nut Free, Good Source of Fibre: 4.8g per serving, added Chia Superfood, Gluten Free, Sulphur Free Fruit, Dairy Free, School Canteen Approved, Australian Coeliac Society Endorsed, Australian Owned and Made.  Read more about this range…

Brighterlife Premixes provide a distinctly unique taste and texture when it comes to eating gluten or wheatfree. There are three products in the range and each flour formula is specifically designed to attain superior results in taste and texture to anything else you will find gluten free on the market. So easy to bake, we provide the complete package along with a comprehensive recipe book with easy CWA style recipes which deliver results. Brighterlife offered a sample packet of their Kylie’s Pancake from the Rainbow Collection.  Read more about this range here…

Nutritional Harmony stock products to combat a wide range of other food intolerances, dietary requirements and allergies including nut, dairy, fructose, egg and wheat free as well as vegetarian, vegan, kosher and halal.

Nutritional Harmony kindly donated a discount voucher to our new mothers, shop online here…

Sunnybrook’s Gluten Free Shop also caters for a number of other dietary intolerances such as: nut free, sugar free, low salt, egg free, dairy free, soy free, vegan and kosher.
Browse their online store at your convenience and experience how easy shopping can be.  If you have any special dietary requirements, please feel free to contact Sunnybrook, their naturopaths and nutritionists will be happy to assist. Read more here…

Feedback from mothers:

• After today I have a much better understanding of food allergies and some of the causes.  I feel I can go away and do some more homework on how I can help my family live a healthier lifestyle.
• Having the hand outs was a great idea,  I really loved the goodies in the bag, what a generous offer by these companies, thank you and thank you What Can I Eat.
• I would love to learn more, I wish the talk went for longer.  Let me know when you are conducting another and I will invite my friends.
• I only had a small knowledge of food allergies and allergies in general, thank you I know have a better understanding and all areas were covered well.
• Very informative and thought provoking. Thank you

Thank you to Midwives Australia for having me and thank you to the companies who supported this event.

To find food to support your dietary requirements, search the pantries of What Can I Eat today.

Please let us know if your baby was diagnosed with a food allergy , how and what were the symptoms and we have 3 gift bags to give away.

Time to protect our babies

Allergies and babies

Last month I was delighted to be invited by Midwives Australia to present to a group of young mums who were interested in hearing about allergies.  We talked about symptoms of food allergies in particular, causes of food allergies in babies and some solutions and prevention strategies that they could explore.  We all agreed that it is time to protect our babies.  I gave them all an action plan to go home.

The top 3 were to :

1. Reduce children’s exposure to chemicals
2. Start reading ingredients in food and in your personal care products
3. Start watching for any reactions such as the various symptoms that may indicate a food allergy and if in doubt , have a food allergy test.

From the twentieth century onwards, a world has been created like none other before. Each year you ingest some of the 80,000 lab-made chemicals which have had no testing of their cumulative consequences. Most fresh looking products that seem to promise good health in fact come from low nutrient soils, prodded into production by artificial protectors and growth promoters. Apart from food, industrial chemicals are breathed in or land on your skin, get absorbed and take a joyride through the blood stream.

From shortly after birth, we mothers tenderly wash and pamper our infants with a wide range of products sourced from all over the place.  Soaps, shampoos, lotions, wipes, powders, some we use several times a day.

There is literally a witch’s brew of dangerous chemicals that we expose our babies to from day 1 in our personal care products and in the environment, the additives and preservatives that are in our foods, organic food vs conventional food, immunisations and then you have food quality, to supplement or not to supplement.

Our babies are about 100 times more sensitive to ingredients than we are. Some of you may have already experienced side effects to personal care products or foods already and you may not even know.

Since the industrial revolution food has had more of a commercial priority than a nutritional one. Hunter-gatherers used to eat annually from a range of over 200 foods. Most urban-ites now substantially partake of only 10 (wheat, dairy, sugar, eggs, a few meats, vegetables and fruit). Such repetitive intake strains nutrient resources and the specific enzymes needed to break down each food. Farmers once grew several varieties of grain for their own use; now wheat predominates internationally. Historically there were once hundreds of types of wheat while now there are three dominant strains worldwide. These have been bred and engineered for the highest gluten content possible to ensure fluffy, high-rising products. No longer are bread dough and cake batters lengthily fermented, which makes them more digestible. Instead a long list of additives ups the speed, storage time, profit margin – and compromised digestive function.

The land that farmed animals dine on is heavily treated with agrochemicals that leach into waterways. Dairy herds are treated with hormones to accelerate weight gain, milk production and keep lactation to a convenient industry schedule. Milk isn’t fresh, seasonal or naturally fermented. Instead it is heated over high temperatures that damage its proteins and fats, destroys its enzymes and diminishes its vitamins and minerals. Homogenisation further breaks down molecules in a way linked with a greater likelihood of inflammatory passage through the gut wall. Then natural constituents such as fat may be extracted, and other high-tech components added according to trendy concerns, rather than a true appreciation for wholesomeness. Modern foodstuffs are as distant from their original predecessors as our lifestyles are compared to ancient forbears. In contrast however, biologically we are virtually identical.

It is therefore no surprise that generations are weakening, that allergies and other compromised immune system conditions are spiking in prevalence. So what can one person do amid this omnipresent onslaught?  The answer is threefold: improve immunity, improve gut health, and decrease intake of your most stressful adverse triggers or allergens. Contact us at info@whatcanieat.com.au for more information.

Please watch the following video:

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/

http://www.babycenter.com.au/baby/health/allergies/#ixzz1ZaTBQKHy