our winter e-shop opens today...
www.advicefromacaterpillar.ca
Beautiful gifts for the little ones,
delivered right to your door
let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!
Follow us on on our new blog
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Ekobo Children's Collection
This week the Ekobo Children's collection has arrived. This collection is made from bamboo fibre and other natural plant materials. It is as resistant as plastic 100% biodegradable, dishwasher safe and suitable for hot and cold foods and liquids.
The set includes a cub, bowl, plate and spoon
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Flare Magazine Holiday Gift Guide
Flare December edition of “Outside of the Box” Gift Guide features one of our top picks for the holiday season, Grandma’s Couch Bantam Cruise Board.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
A Red Holiday Story
This year we thought it would be fun to display our favourite holiday toys through a colour story. What better colour to begin the holiday season with than RED!!!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Cozying up for the Holiday season
The seasons are changing and we are getting ready for the holiday season. Here is a peak at our favourite cozy pieces for your baby.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Lapin and me, c'est ici!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Notes from our Naturapathic Doctor and friend
This week Advice introduces our Naturapathic Doctor and friend, Dr Kirsten Smith of the Health Associates Clinic.
We are excited to welcome Dr Smith to Advice with her thoughtful contributions on health for you and your baby. This week, Dr Smith discusses food allergies.
You can visit Dr Smith at her website at drsmithnd.com
Current recommendations on food
introductions & minimizing the risk of food allergies:
It
is so lame and clichéd to say it, but truly, I have a whole new appreciation
for advising parents in my practice now that I’m a mom. I have been utterly flabbergasted
and somewhat annoyed (to be honest) at all of the things there are to figure
out. Am I offering the healthiest breast milk or formula? Have I got toxin-free
baby shampoo? Am I supposed to be using supplements? Am I reading enough to my
child and does he have enough social time, alone time, outdoor, music, play,
sleep time? And on (and on) it goes. So, I’m guest blogging for my lovely
friends Emily & Elizabeth of Advice, because, well, now I’m both a
naturopathic doctor AND a mom, which means in short: I’m armed with a lot of
info that you need. So, here and there I’ll drop in with some helpful
information to simplify the journey.
So
why not come out of the gate with a bang? My first topic goes straight for the
jugular with the serious topic of food allergies - they can be deadly, the
prevalence of them is rising rapidly, and there is such confusion about what to
do to help avoid them.
My goal here is simple: I’m going to summarize
what the research states, to date, on
food introductions and minimizing the risk of your child developing allergies. I’m
happy to report, it’s easier than what has been recommended over recent years
which was too keep all allergenic foods at bay until 18-24 months.
First
off, what exactly is a food allergy? An allergy is when the body
responds to a food as though it is a foreign invader and launches an immune response
upon exposure, which can result very rapidly in hives or an itchy mouth, or in
extreme cases, an anaphylactic reaction involving an inflamed airway, throat, tongue
and lips, and can - in rare occasions - result in death. So… what the heck is
going on?
Why are there so many
kids with such serious food allergies?
There are a couple of working theories, but the truth is disappointing: nobody
knows. Yet. To name a few: there’s the hygiene hypothesis (our environment is too
sterile, we aren’t crawling around in the dirt like in the good ol’ days and
thus our immune systems aren’t getting enough of a work-out), toxic burden (i.e.
pesticides and personal care products to name just a couple of types), genetic modification of food (a very likely candidate), poor soil
quality (less vitamins and minerals in our food than there used to be) and
over-consumption of processed foods that are rammed with chemicals (i.e. preservatives,
dyes, additives, etc.). There are probably more, but let’s keep the depressing
quotient as low as we can.
Fact: in the US, between 1997-2002, the
number of hospitalizations for food allergies increased by 265% so we can
likely deduce a similar increase has occurred in Canada. So? This is getting
crazy. Somebody had better figure it out. And soon.
Any good news? Here’s what the current research is saying & it’s easier than you think:
·
There
is no evidence or consensus that restricting maternal diet while pregnant plays
a role in preventing allergies in offspring
·
Pregnant
women do not have to avoid allergenic foods of the biological father
·
There
is no evidence that restrictions in maternal diet during breastfeeding prevents
future food allergies in their infant
·
Exclusive
breastfeeding for the first 6 (at least 4) months of life may protect against
cow’s milk allergy
·
For
infants without family history of
allergy to cow’s milk, the use of cow’s milk-based formula does NOT increase
risk of future allergy
·
For
infants with family history of cow’s
milk allergy the use of hydrolyzed “hypoallergenic” formulas show moderate
evidence that they may reduce the risk for developing future cow’s milk allergy
·
For
breastfed infants with a family
history of dairy allergy, brief exposure to cow’s milk-based infant formula
(occasionally) does not increase risk of future cow’s milk allergy
·
For
all infants the use of soy-based
infant formulas should be limited to those who cannot tolerate or have
dairy-based formulas or hydrolyzed formulas
·
Solids
are to be introduced between 4-6 months (depending on signs that baby is ready)
·
Once
the standard fruit, veggies and grains are introduced you should proceed with
introducing the “allergenic foods” such as dairy, nuts, gluten, soy, corn, eggs,
strawberries, citrus, tomatoes, fish etc. without
delay
·
There is one exception: if
there is a family history of anaphylactic allergy to any of these foods –delay
introducing that food
to your children until they are 18-24 months old and when it is introduced, be
ready to watch carefully for any signs of allergic reaction in your child.
My recommendations:
· introduce
new “allergenic” foods at home so that you are in a calm environment and can
observe your child
· do
so at breakfast or lunch so you can observe your child for the rest of the day
· introduce
them without any other new foods and only
a small amount, with 3-5 days before you add in another new food so that you
can watch for any reactions
· Keep
allergenic foods low profile in their diet because when you eat the same foods continually,
there is increased risk of developing an
allergy or sensitivity in future. It is critical to ensure that your child
eats a wide variety of foods to avoid this.
As I sign off I’d like to try, at least, to bring a little
levity to this hefty topic. Somebody told me a few months ago in my son’s early
infancy (I must’ve looked particularly pathetic), “The days are long but the
years are short.” And my heart lurches a little at this thought – still. I want
to enjoy every moment with him. Every. Single. One. And I do for the most part.
I hope you to do the same. Get educated about health issues relating to infancy
and children, do what you can do, and then move on sisters. Move on.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Ace and Jig is here
Ace and Jig is a woman's collection made up of pieces that are both effortless and timeless. The designers travel to India to find their ideal manufacturer, partnering with textile specialist for over twenty five years using ancient weaving techniques. Each piece is made of all natural cottons and is both soft and easy to wear.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
AC Projects Presents: Le Petit Editor
One of our favorites, Chloe, age 7, popped in
to select her favorite things from this fall. She was drawn immediately to a
miniature vintage bench and the tiniest playing cards one can imagine. Thank
you to Chloe and her open heartedness.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Magic languages classes at Advice
We couldn't be more pleased to invite you to attend one of our language programs this fall with Magic Languages.
Designed for children ages 1 year - 3 years and 3 - 6 years, we offer Spanish and French. Registration and further details may be found at http://www.magic-languages.com/
Spanish Toddler: Monday 10:30 - 11:00 (parents are included)
Spanish Pre-school: Monday 4:00 - 5:00
Our magic formula: One class a week + 15 minutes a day at home
Our methodology aims for an acquisition of the second language that would be consolidated in the same way the mother tongue was.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Fall Faves with Coco & Cowe
Advice collaborated with Blog Coco & Cowe and our friend Lola to pick some of our favourite fall looks. Take a peek at the video below
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
A bit of an adventure in Georgian Bay
Last week, Advice took a bit of time to enjoy the end of summer in Canada's beautiful Georgian Bay.
We mixed in a bit of painting with some wonderful nature walks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)