This last week has been like having a newborn again, in terms of sleep. Little D fractured his wrist at school and got sick one day later and just as he was feeling better, Big A got a mean cold. Now, to start off this week, Little D has pinkeye.
Help!
With all of this going on, and the kids off from school, my meal plan is a little looser and a day late. But that’s okay, right? See Org Junkie for more meal plan inspiration!
What’s Cooking This Week
Monday: Chicken and black bean quesadillas topped with guacamole
Tuesday: New Salmon Recipe (Magazine) with Sauteed Veggies and Baked Fries
Wednesday: Kids choice
Thursday: Birthday party for Little D
Friday: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with salad and fruit
Sunday: Dressed up ravioli with spinach and a big salad
More ideas from Cooking Light…
The Most Common Cooking Mistakes
20 Favorite Strawberry Recipes
Thoughts on aging
I had Little D on April 2nd, three days before my 40th birthday. My husband, who is younger than me, likes to joke about my age by saying: “To figure out Maryann’s age, just add 40 to Little D’s age.”
At first I was glad that there was someone to overshadow my birthday. I was starting to buy into the “hide your age at all costs” thing women tend to do after 40. But the truth is I’ve always been a birthday girl. I love to celebrate it and used to have parties all the time when I was younger.
And I think I’m back at that place. Yes, at 44 <I think> I’m ready to embrace my age.
I often talk about the problem with labeling children as “picky” and how they start living that label. But this is also true for many, many things in life, including aging.
As I was contemplating all of this, I ran across a study in the news about how “old talk,” similar to negative “fat talk,” is related to poor body image and disordered eating in women as they age. What we tell ourselves, we believe, and what we believe we act out.
Why do I want to do this to myself? Just because our culture is obsessed with youth, I don’t have to be.
Even though my husband likes to joke about my age, he has made a point to tell me that my attractiveness has increased with age. He thinks I have more confidence but I think it’s because I spend less energy focusing on what I look like and more on other things, putting it more into perspective (I still want more time to shop for myself though).
The truth is my age says very little about the person I am and I plan to keep it that way. So Friday, April 5th, and all weekend long, I will celebrate my birthday with pride. Because, to paraphrase what I used to say when I was younger “you’re only 44 once.”
Baby Feeding News
The hardest chapter in Fearless Feeding for me to write was the infant chapter. I got pretty obsessed with covering every morsel of the research. But the research is quickly evolving, especially when it comes to complementary food introduction and food allergies.
A recent CDC study found that 40 percent of parents start feeding before the recommended 4 to 6 months. Research shows that starting children before 4 months is linked to adverse health outcomes, such as excess weight, chronic disease and the development of food allergies.
There was also some news about when and how to start solids to prevent food allergies. While we’ve had updated AAP recommendations since 2008 saying there is no need to delay the introduction of highly allergenic foods (eggs, wheat, fish, nuts, milk and soy), new recommendations from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) suggest that early introduction of highly allergenic foods may actually decrease the risk of food allergies.
According to the new report:
“Complementary foods can be introduced between 4 and 6 months of age. The highly allergenic foods can be given as complementary foods once a few complementary foods have been tolerated first and should initially be given at home first rather than at a day care or a restaurant. There are certain situations when consultation with an allergist is recommended to discuss food introduction, including, among others, when an infant has poorly controlled severe atopic dermatitis despite treatment or has a reliable history of reacting immediately to a food.”
Because this research is preliminary they also state:
“Whether the earlier introduction of these highly allergenic foods proves to truly prevent the individual food allergies remains to be seen, because interventional studies need to be performed to support the limited data reported here from these observational studies.”
We are going to add an update section to Fearless Feeding to include the latest research as it evolves. Any of you getting ready to start solids? Any questions? Comments? Thoughts on aging?
Off to make birthday plans!
Happy birthday, enjoy it! =)
Thanks! I will!