Starting Solid Foods

Breast milk is all your baby will need until at

least 4 months of age. There does come a time,

when breast milk will no longer supply all of your

baby's nutrition needs. Full term babies will

start to require iron from other sources by 6 - 9

months of age.

Some babies that aren't started on solid foods by

the age of 9 - 12 months may have a great level of

difficulty accepting solid foods. It's actually

a developmental milestone when your child starts

solid foods - as he is now growing up.

When to start

The ideal time to begin solid foods is when the

baby shows interest in starting. Some babies

will show interest in solid food when it's on

their parents' plates, as early as 4 months of

age. By 5 - 6 months, most babies will reach out

and try to grab the food. When the baby starts to

reach for food, it's normally the time to go

ahead and give him some.

Sometimes, it may be a better idea to start food

earlier. When a baby seems to get hungry or once

weight gain isn't continuing at the desired rate,

it may be good to start solid foods as early as

3 months. It may be possible however, to continue

breast feeding alone and have the baby less

hungry or growing more rapidly.

Breast fed babies will digest solid foods better

and earlier than artificially fed babies because

the breast milk will contain enzymes which help

to digest fats, proteins, and starch. Breast

fed babies will also have had a variety of

different tastes in their life, since the flavors

of many foods the mother eats will pass into her

milk.

Introducing solid foods

When the baby begins to take solid foods at the

age of 5 - 6 months, there is very little difference

what he starts will or what order it is introduced.

You should however, avoid spicy foods or highly

allergenic foods at first, although if your

baby reaches for the potato on your plate, you

should let him have it if it isn't too hot.

Offer your baby the foods that he seems to be

interested in. Allow your baby to enjoy the food

and don't worry too much about how much he takes

at first, as much of it may end up on the floor

or in his hair anyhow.

The easiest way to get iron for your baby at 5 -

6 months of age is by giving him meat. Cereal for

infants has iron, although it is poorly absorbed

and may cause your baby to get constipated.

The New Aphrodisiacs: Foods For Sexual and Reproductive Heal

Summary:

Like the fabled fountain of youth, aphrodisiacs - foods thought to enhance sexual prowess - have always belonged more to the realm of mythology than modern day science. But as researchers continue to unlock the unique protective and curative benefits of fruits and vegetables, what once looked like wishful thinking might soon become a prescription for overall sexual and reproductive health.

Keywords:

The New Aphrodisiacs: Foods For Sexual and Reproductive Heal

Article Body:

Like the fabled fountain of youth, aphrodisiacs - foods thought to enhance sexual prowess - have always belonged more to the realm of mythology than modern day science. But as researchers continue to unlock the unique protective and curative benefits of fruits and vegetables, what once looked like wishful thinking might soon become a prescription for overall sexual and reproductive health.

Could watermelon help you make whoopee? Along with tomatoes and pink grapefruit, watermelon is loaded with lycopene -; a powerful antioxidant widely recognized to protect against prostate cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that lycopene might also enhance male fertility.

Improvements in sperm concentration and motility were observed after 30 infertile study participants took part in a 30-day trial of lycopene supplementation. While the amount of watermelon needed to elicit similar effects has not been determined, whole fruit generally contains a variety of synergistic compounds that help to support delivery mechanisms.

Speaking of delivery mechanisms...it appears that another watermelon compound - the amino acid citrulline - may function as a natural alternative to Viagra. Both citrulline and Viagra help increase blood flow to the pelvic area, the former by increasing the body's release of nitric oxide, the latter by destroying those enzymes that inhibit nitric oxide's effects.

While lycopene is found in the red flesh of the watermelon, citrulline is most highly concentrated in the rind. With one compound combating free radicals and the other fighting erectile dysfunction, the two found within the same fruit may work synergistically to promote overall male reproductive health.

Promotion of sexual health goes hand in hand with prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. But while most sexual health campaigns focus on modifying sexual activity per se, very little is said about the role of diet in reducing the frequency and severity of STD outbreaks. When you consider that lowered resistance can trigger attacks of certain STDs, like genital herpes, it makes sense that immune-boosting foods might also help protect against viral eruptions.

New research suggests that eating veggies like broccoli might halt herpes flare-ups. A study done at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine found that indole-3-carbinol - a compound found in cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage - kept the herpes virus in hibernation during lab experiments (clinical studies would be needed to confirm the in vivo benefit for humans).

Lysine is another compound that may inhibit herpes viral activity. Soybeans, cooked and raw, are a super source of lysine. Lima beans also are loaded.

While more than a million people acquire herpes annually, five times that number will

become infected with human papilloma virus. Once again, prevention is the key to putting a cap on such stats, but given that HPV is considered the most common STD in the United States, it's worth noting that for those already exposed to the virus, diet can make a difference.

Women who eat the most veggies are 50 percent less likely to have persistent HPV infections - thus reducing their risk of cervical cancer and infertility. While vegetables are more protective than fruits and juices, lycopene-rich foods like tomatoes and watermelon have the highest benefit.

As long as we've broached the subject of diet and reproductive health, keep in mind that low-carb diets also could reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. Animal studies conducted at the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine found that even a "moderately" high protein diet could prevent an embryo from attaching to the wall of the womb or hinder its early development.

Though further research will be needed to show that the same effect may be responsible for fertility impedance among humans, the findings suggest that women's protein intake should be less than 20 percent of overall calorie consumption during efforts to conceive. Moreover, given the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects, Mother Earth's bounty of folate-rich fruits and veggies should be first on the menu of all mothers-to-be.

Jennifer Grossman is the director of the Dole Nutrition Institute. - NU