Bifidobacteria support digestion, immune health and vital brain function. Bifidobacteria assist in creating a balanced intestinal environment by crowding out harmful bacteria and producing acetic and lactic acids that may help inhibit the growth of unfriendly flora.
Infants and children are very vulnerable and susceptible to toxins in the environment and their food. Even breast milk contains toxins if mom isn't minimizing her exposure to them. Here are some tips for reducing your kiddo's exposure to harmful toxins.
Every night before bed, I flip on the switch to the aromatherapy diffuser in my 2-year-olds bedroom. I add 5-10 drops of lavender oil and wait for the sweet, balsamic, floral aroma to fill his room. I was slightly skeptical initially, but I swear by this scent for helping my son relax while we complete his bedtime routine.
Lavender’s high concentration of volatile oils are responsible for its distinctive and pleasing fragrance. The relaxing experience of smelling lavender led to its therapeutic use in aromatherapy centuries ago. As it turns out, lavender actually has many uses, and relaxation is one of its primary ones.
Other aromatherapy benefits include balancing, soothing, normalizing, calming, relaxing, and healing. Lavender is primarily used either dried or as an essential oil.
Anxiety and Depression
I don’t know many people who like going to the dentist so here’s something worth considering, and so simple…dental patients who smelled lavender prior to their appointment had a decrease in their anxiety levels (1).
A suggestion for improving mood is adding a 3 mL mixture of 20% lavender oil and 80% grape seed oil to daily baths. This combo produces small improvements in mood, compared with baths containing grape seed oil alone.
Calming and Soothing
Research has confrimed lavender produces a slight calming, soothing, and sedative effect when its scent is inhaled. In one study, a blend of lavender and bergamot (orange) oils proved effective for inducing a calm, relaxing effect on a person (2). This could be used before bed, in the car after a long day, at your office desk, or anyplace you want to find your zen.
Insomnia/Sleeplessness
Developing research suggests using lavender oil in a vaporizer overnight, or on a gauze pad left beside the bed, might help some people with mild insomnia. Short-term inhalation of lavender oil has also been used as a sleep aid (3).
Attention women transitioning through menopause; if you’re experiencing sleep problems, one study showed after 12 weeks of lavender aromatherapy, midlife women with insomnia had improvements in the quality of their sleep (4).
If you’re a mom of a newborn, bathing your very young infant in lavender-scented bath oil found babies cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath (5).
Agitation
Using lavender to reduce agitation has been studied in patients with dementia, and study results have been mixed. In one study, nightly use of lavender oil in a bedside diffuser for 3 weeks reduced agitation in patients with various types of dementia. However, in another study, continuous use of lavender oil on a pad attached to a patient's shirt had no effect in a small group of patients with advanced dementia. More research needs to be done.
Mix and Match
Lavender combines well with many oils including citrus, clove, patchouli, rosemary, clary sage and pine.
Considerations When Purchasing Lavender
Look for pure essential oils of the highest quality. Important criteria to consider when selecting essential oils include the following: 100% pure and natural, country of origin, growing season, extraction method (ie: distillation, expression), plant part used and the reputation of the company providing the oils.
Bottom Line: Considering we’re in the midst of a busy, often hectic holiday season, lavender would be awesome for staying sane and relaxed when needed.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
References:
1. Lehrner J, Marwinski G, Lehr S, Johren P, Deecke L. Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5.
2. Hongratanaworakit T. Aroma-therapeutic effects of massage blended essential oils on humans. Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Aug;6(8):1199-204.
3. Wheatley D. Medicinal plants for insomnia: a review of their pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2005;19(4):414–421.
4. Li-Wei Chien,Su Li Cheng,and Chi Feng Liu. The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Autonomic Nervous System in Midlife Women with Insomnia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 740813.
5. Field T, Field T, Cullen C, Largie S, Diego M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Jun;84(6):399-401.
I’ve always heard breastfeeding burns something like 500 calories per day. That’s comparable to exercising for an hour every day! I’ll take it! However, in reality, I’m about 6 months into this exclusively breastfeeding gig, which is not easy might I add, and I’m slightly disappointed in something…the pregnancy weight isn’t melting right off as promised. Grrrr! I lost weight initially, but am still holding onto 10-12 pounds that just won’t budge.
What is going on? Is the weight loss promise a big ‘ol myth?
I did some digging to get to the bottom of this and found...
1. Research on this topic varies, but the one thing it has in common…the relationship between breastfeeding and losing the weight gained while pregnant remains unclear.
2. The results from a review of 35+ studies about breastfeeding and weight loss found the available evidence challenges the widely held belief that breastfeeding promotes weight loss. (1)
3. On the other hand, according to the La Leche League, breastfeeding women who eat to appetite lose weight at the rate of 1.3 to 1.6 pounds per month in the first 4 to 6 months, but there is a wide variation in the weight loss experience of lactating women (some women gain weight during lactation). Women who continue breastfeeding beyond 4 to 6 months ordinarily continue to lose weight, but at a slower rate than during the first 4 to 6 months. (2)
4. Moms who exclusively breastfed lost more weight than moms who did not exclusively breastfeed. (3, 4)
5. Breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight when their babies are three to six months old than formula-feeding mothers who consume fewer calories. (5) Another study of mothers at one month postpartum found that mothers who breastfed (either exclusively or partially) had slimmer hips and weighed less than women whose babies received only formula. (6)
6. Frequency and duration matter. The more frequent you breastfeed and the longer you breastfeed (ie: number of months) is associated with more postpartum weight loss. (7)
7. Just exercising while breastfeeding does not promote weight loss as effectively as the combination of exercise plus decreasing calorie intake. (8)
8. Good news, gradual weight loss does not negatively affect milk production and exercise has little effect on breast milk composition. In fact, one study showed exercising women having a slightly higher milk volume. (9)
9. Losing weight quickly is not ideal anyway. According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, rapid weight loss should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. I certainly don’t want that! (10)
What about other moms out there...did breastfeeding help you lose weight? I’d love to hear your story.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
References:
1. Neville CE et al. The relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum weight change-a systematic review and critical evaluation. Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Jul 29.
2. Subcommittee on Nutrition during Lactation, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Nutrition During Lactation Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1991 p.15, 74, 140.
3. Samano R, et al. Effects of breastfeeding on weight loss and recovery of pregestational weight in adolescent and adult mothers. Food Nutr Bull. 2013 Jun;34(2): 123-30.
4. Baker JL et al. Breastfeeding reduces postpartum weight retention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6): 1543-1551.
5. Dewey et al. Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993;58: 162-6.
6. Kramer, F. et al. Breastfeeding reduces maternal lower-body fat J Am Diet Assoc. 1993;93(4):429-33.
7. Da Silva MD, et al. Breastfeeding and maternal weight changes during 24 months post-partum: a cohort study. Matern Child Nutr. 2013 Aug 14.
8. Lovelady C, et al. Balancing exercise and food intake with lactation to promote post-partum weight loss. Proc Nutr Soc. 2011 May;70(2):181-4.
9. Lovelady C. et al. Lactation performance of exercising women. Am J Clin Nutr 1990; 52: 103-1.
10. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. 3rd Edition, Riordan, p. 440.
What have you heard about probiotics? Have you heard of healthy bacteria or good bacteria? Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) and, when consumed in adequate amounts, they offer a health benefit within your digestive tract. This is especially important because nearly three-quarters of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so without enough healthy bacteria, your health may suffer as a result. Probiotics provide an additional tool to help your body protect itself and enhance immune function.
Ideally, there should be a balance of approximately 80% healthy bacteria and 20% harmful bacteria in your intestines.
Even children can benefit from probiotics’ immune boosting effects. In a very interesting study of children 3 to 5 years old, children who took a probiotic 2x/day from November to May with combined Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis Bi-07 had 72% less fever, 62% less cough, and 59% less runny nose compared to children who didn’t take any probiotics! What a drastic improvement!
If you decide probiotics are right for you, here are smart tips to help you make the right selection.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RD
Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
