From the moment they first come into this world babies are the harbingers of joy for everyone around them. They bring in new life, new hope, new beginnings. Your baby is precious. Take care of her. According to the WHO, babies should not be given baby foods before six months of age. If baby food is introduces earlier than, there are chances of iron deficiency. The proximal bowel stops absorbing iron from iron rich breast milk if it comes in contact with other food. This risks both the mother’s and the child’s health. Nursing the child helps the mother’s uterus go back to its pre pregnancy state and her body to lose weight. It also diminishes chances of breast cancer later on. For the child, mother’s milk is the best food possible. When you proceed to baby food, it is better to start from liquids and then proceed to solids. An infant, even if it has grown its incisors, does not have its molars to grind the food. So it is essential that this be kept in mind while getting the baby food.

Traditionally, a grain and a liquid is combined to make foods for your infant. But it varies through nations and cultures. European infants have rice porridge and African babies maize porridge. In some countries like India, Thailand and Vietnam, special religious celebrations are associated with the first taking of solid food. Hindu babies celebrate their Annaprasana when they first take their solid food, sweetened rice porridge, usually blessed, by an elder family member. Various studies have shown that the baby food available on the shelves in supermarkets contain high levels of pesticides. Which mother would want to feed their child pesticides? It is better that on makes their own baby food at home.

Organic food has so much more flavor than conventional produce. Conventional peaches can be extremely mealy with little or no flavor. Caution: eating organic peaches can turn you into a peach snob! There are worlds of difference in flavor between organic and conventional peaches, not to mention other fruits. Fruit is such a great dessert, because it curbs your sweet tooth and boosts your daily fresh fruit intake. We should eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Some doctors say eight. Organic food not only has more flavor, but it is healthier for you and the planet. Organic fruits are cultivated using no pesticides, which decreases your risk of cancer and retains rich soil quality for generations to come.

Ingredients: 2 organic bananas, 2 oz. organic strawberries, 2 oz. organic blueberries, 2 organic peaches. Slice bananas into medium-sized bowl. Rinse strawberries and blueberries, then pat them dry with a towel. Cut strawberries into quarters. Add strawberries and blueberries to bananas in bowl. Using a knife, carefully cut around the entire circumference of a peach. Twist the two halves in opposite directions until they come apart. Now use the knife in the same manner to slice each piece in half again. The peach pit may be easy to remove, or you may have to coax it out by cutting around it, depending on how ripe the peach is. Your mouth will water in direct proportion to how juicy the peach is! Cut each peach quarter into three chunks.

Blueberries are bursting with vitamin C, manganese and vitamin E. They are also packed with the antioxidant anthocyanidin, which neutralizes free radical damage to collagen cells and tissues, helping reduce your risk of cancer. Bananas contain loads of potassium, which is very helpful in reducing blood pressure, heart attacks and leg cramps. Bananas are also chocked full of vitamin C, A1, B6, magnesium, iron and tryptophan. Vitamin B6 regulates blood glucose levels, and tryptophan is a natural mood-calming chemical. So bananas are terrific for dissipating PMS, depression and seasonal affective disorder!

And those little strawberries pack a lot of vitamins! They’re brimming with 130 percent the daily requirement of vitamin C! And that’s not to mention also containing vitamin K, potassium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, and even omega 3 fatty acids. As for peaches, they not only drip with flavor, but they contain vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and even calcium. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, skin and teeth–and even boosts the immune system.