This happy girl is Taylor : ) My husband, Rob, and I don't have kids yet, but we do have 4 dogs and 2 ferrets. Taylor is 6 years old and for years she, and the other dogs, ate kibble like most pets. Even though we bought the extra fancy formula of kibble, carefully measured her food, never fed her "people food" and kept the cookies to a minimum, Miss Tay Tay worked her way up to a whopping 89 pounds.

As you can imagine... extra fluffy golden + extra hot Tucson temperatures + extra body weight = one hot, slightly unhappy girl!

About 2 and a half years ago, while in acupuncture school, I started learning about Asian dietary therapy and what Chinese Medicine calls "a clear, bland diet." Determined to see if we could help Tay feel better, we started cooking for our dogs. They now eat cooked veggies, rice and meat prepared just for them. (Yes...they are among the happiest dogs ever) And they are much, much healthier. Taylor now weighs in at 68 pounds and she is bouncier than ever. I am also happy to report a decrease in vet bills...yay!!

Happy, healthy kiddos=happy parents. I realize that for my dogs the switch to a clear, bland diet was an upgrade from the dry food they had been eating. Transitioning children to a more balanced diet may not be as easy, but I have seen some amazing results and it is well worth the effort. As a parent it may be a painful battle, but in my experience when parents hang in there, their children become healthier mentally, emotionally and physically.

In another training I told you a bit about treating children with Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you missed the article you can read it here. In this article, I'll give you some dietary recommendations for babies and children according to TCM.

What (and how) to feed babies and children according to Traditional Chinese Medicine...

For babies~
Breast-feeding is best. Breast milk is the perfect temperature and consistency for babies. Regardless of whether you feed your baby breast milk or formula, be sure to feed on schedule and not on demand. Talk to your doctor about a feeding schedule that will work best for your baby. In general, 2-3 ounces of milk every 4 hours is recommended. As with adults, over feeding your baby will lead to imbalances such as indigestion or, what is referred to as "food stagnation" in Chinese Medicine.

Around 5-6 months, babies typically begin reaching for solid food. TCM recommends parents introduce solid foods once the baby is able to grab the food and put it into his or her mouth. At this time, care should be taken to give the baby simple, easy to digest foods. Foods that are warm, cooked and pureed are best. Avoid feeding cold, chilled, iced or frozen foods. Chinese Medicine recommends introducing foods one at a time so parents can make sure the food is being digested properly and not causing indigestion. Choose nutritious, easily digestible foods like rice and vegetables. Save more complex foods (like meat, cheese, corn and wheat) until the child is older. Avoid anything greasy and fatty.

Here is a list of foods to avoid for babies, toddlers and children:
-cold, chilled, iced and frozen drinks and foods
-fruit juice (especially straight from the refrigerator)
-raw vegetables
-greasy, difficult to digest foods
-limit peanut butter
-limit sweets
-limit ice cream
-limit cheese

TCM, like Western Medicine, recommends that you do not let your children become overly full.

(Source: A Handbook of TCM Pediatrics by Bob Flaws)