Foods (9 months)

Sweet Potatoes Asian Sweet Potatoes Acorn Squash Butternut Squash Golden Potatoes Turnips Carrots Avocados Apples Bananas Strawberries Peaches Peas Mangoes Yams Pears Green Beans Blueberries Kale Lentils Black Beans Pinto Beans Ground Flax Seeds Nutritional Yeast Rice Cereal Amaranth Quinoa

10 month baby snacks

thin apple slices grapes cut in half blueberries strawberries slices of watermelon with the rind on slices of cantaloupe with the rind left on peas cheese sticks yogurt Crackers Hummus Lentil soup Rice cakes Roasted sweet potato Roasted zucchini Steamed veggies Pasta drizzles with olive oil Banana Stewed Dates Stewed prunes Mini zucchini muffins Bread with vegemite

Veg moong dal soup (9m)

Carrot 1 Peas 1/4 cup Moong dal 1 tsp Ghee 1 tsp Tomato 1/2 Coriander powder 1/2 tsp Salt Pepper Put ghee. Add tomato, sauté. Add peas and carrot. Add corriander powder, Salt and pepper. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. check seasoning. Puree coarsely. Serve.

Vegetable Soup (8months)

Ingredients: Half carrot 1 potato 2 pods of garlic 1 tomato 1/4 cup peas 1/2 cup zucchini few leaves of palak salt to taste half tsp butter pinch of black pepper Method: Cut all vegetables in small pieces. Put them in pressure cooker along with salt and water (water level -so much that all vegetables are soaked) Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Allow to cool put the content in the blender along with water and make a puree.Let the puree boil in an open vessel(u may add water if u feel the soup is thick.) if needed add more along with butter and black pepper. the soup above is a very good option for the toddlers as they fail to eat vegetables normally even half a cup of this soup would be great for the child's nutrition. It is not always neccessary that all the above vegetables should be there you can add or substract any veggie.

Carob Almond Balls

These delicious treats are quick and easy to make but have a rich, sophisticated flavor.  Adapted from www.bakes theatre.blogspot.com 18 dates, pitted and chopped 1 1/2 cups almond meal 3/4 cup carob powder 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla 1. Process dates in food processor until finely chopped and dates adhere together. 2. Add almond meal, carob powder and vanilla.  Process until smooth. 3. Roll dough into small balls.  Refrigerate. Servings: 28 Yield: 28 Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Vegan pancakes

Pancakes usually have sugar and oil.  Here I use dates to substitute for both of those ingredients.  I also use almond meal to replace some of the flour to add protein. You can do so many things with pancakes:  add carob chips, chocolate chips, blueberries or chopped nuts to the batter before cooking.   You can top pancakes with caramalized banana.  To caramelized bananas, spray small skillet with cooking spray.  Slice ripe banana into skillet and heat over low heat until warm and mushy. You can top pancakes with Caramel Sauce, Carob Sauce, Raspberry Sauce or Strawberry Sauce. 2 medjool dates, pitted and chopped 1 cup almond milk 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup almond meal 2 Tbs baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 1. Using a small blender, puree dates and almond milk. 2. Combine flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. 3. Stir date mixture into flour mixture until just combined. 4. Drop 1/4 cup batter at a time onto hot greased skillet over medium high heat. 5. Cook until bubbles appear on top of pancake, about 3 minutes. 6. Flip pancake and cook other side for about 2 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Raspberry muffins - vegan and sugarless

12 medjool dates, pitted and chopped 1 cup sour almond milk (see note) 1/2 cup applesauce 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 1/2 cup almond meal 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 12 oz package frozen raspberries 1. Defrost raspberries 3-5 minutes in microwave until raspberries are somewhat thawed but still firm. 2. Using a blender, puree dates, sour almond milk, applesauce and vanilla. 3. Combine flour, almond meal, baking soda and salt. 4. Stir date mixture into dry ingredients. 5. Gently fold in raspberries. 6. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  Spoon batter into pan. 7. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes. Servings: 12

Natural sweetener - Easy Date syrup

Can be used for baking, in milk, as a sauce on waffles, or as a sweetener for tea. Natural and nutritious. Date syrup keeps well in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. 15 pitted dates 1 cup water 1/2 tbs lemon juice Medhod: Soak dates in 1/2 cup water over night.  combine soaked dates and water with remaining 1/2 cup water, and lemon juice. Blend in a blender until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks Tips:  The trick is to use a small enough container so that the date mixture will actually be pureed.

Baby food: (7m) Zucchini rice porridge

Put 1 tsp olive oil/ghee in a pan, add zucchini slices and sauté well. Puree in a mixie with 2 tsps of well-cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper.

Baby food: banana-avocado mash (7m)

Mash half a banana and an avocado with a fork till well mashed and pulpy. Spoon into bowl.

Spinach zucchini soup (8m)

Zucchini 1 (skin and slice)
Spinach 1 bunch( wash and chop)
garlic 2 pods (chop)

Pressure cook sliced zucchini garlic and chopped washed spinach in a cooker for 2 whistles. Grind to puree,add salt and pepper. Serve

Habits for fertility!

1 Balance the menstrual cycle. Immediately after menstruation, women should eat healthy and nourishing soups. After ovulation and before menstruation, Yoga should be increased. During menstruation relaxation and warmth are priorities. 2 Provide additional support to the female reproductive organs through gentle daily warm oil massage of the abdomen in clockwise motion. Always follow massage with a warm bath or shower. Sponsored Links Natural Immune Support fertility/pain/autoimmune diseases complementary cancer treatment traditionalchinesemedicine.com.au 3 Eat fertility-enhancing foods such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, milk, seaweed, pomegranate and grapes. Incorporate powerful herbs into your diet including red clover blossoms, nettle leaves, raspberry leaves and flaxseed oil. 4 Increase digestive functioning by cleansing the digestive system several months before attempting to conceive. Cleansing involves eating light meals consisting of seasoned vegetables, soups and sweet fruit. 5 Establish a regular daily routine consisting of a regular bedtime, regular meal times and meditation at least once per day. 6 Remove factors contributing to stress to increase fertility. 7 Enhance circulation by exercising daily. Yoga is a integral part of a comprehensive Ayurvedic routine. 8 Drink fertility enhancing drinks including aloe vera juice, rose water and teas made from fennel, liquorice and ginger. 9 Increase abdominal circulation during menstruation by using a warm heating pad. 10 Don't consume cold liquids during menstruation. 11 From ovulation to menstruation, avoid any food or drink that might irritate or aggravate your digestive system such as chocolate and coffee.

Care for the female body

Recommendations for a Healthy Menstrual Cycle: Women should never drink any ice-cold beverages before and during menstruation or swim in cold water. Cold causes stagnation in the body and will exacerbate any menstrual problems. The diet before and during the cycle should be light, foods should be nourishing, warm, for example, lightly steamed vegetables, well-cooked grains, lots of leafy greens and green herbs such as basil, cilantro, or parsley. Spices such as fennel, coriander, turmeric, cardamom and saffron are wonderful to enhance digestion and alleviate PMS symptoms. Many women have food cravings during PMS, and the cravings usually focus on sweets and snacks such as ice cream, chocolate and potato chips. Eating complex carbohydrates is probably the best way to ward off those food cravings. These foods are a good source of fiber, which helps to clear excess estrogen from your body. High levels of estrogen have been shown to contribute to PMS. Also, research has found that high-carbohydrate foods actually relieve the psychological symptoms of tension, anxiety and mood swings that accompany PMS. Good sources of complex carbohydrates include whole grains, potatoes, corn and legumes. But remember, it takes at least two hours for the carbohydrate high to "kick in;" plan your eating and snacking accordingly. Sugar, alcohol and caffeine should absolutely be avoided. Walking, deep breathing, warm baths, massaging the abdomen with warm sesame oil, drinking fennel tea or ginger tea will help alleviate many symptoms. Taking mild laxatives like Triphala for about two days before the scheduled start of menstruation, or eating stewed apples will help with constipation. Ayurveda looks at individuals differently, depending upon their respective body type of Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. There are distinct patterns of Vata, Pitta and Kapha PMS. Vata Imbalance: Mood swings and anxiety, nervous tension, depression, insomnia, forgetfulness, constipation, light amount of flow, menstrual pain/cramps, backaches, extended length of period with dark, clotted flow; irregularity of periods or amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). Avoid cold and raw foods. Instead, stick to soups, rice, and cooked vegetables. Avoid exposure to wireless devices and computers. Pitta Imbalance: Irritability and anger, sweet cravings, increased appetite, headache (especially migraine), excessive body heat or sweating, diarrhea, skin rashes/acne, excessive menstrual bleeding, increased frequency of periods, bright red flow. Avoid foods that are hot and spicy, avoid alcohol and caffeine. Do not engage in excessive exercise and have regular meals. Kapha Imbalance: Weight gain, breast tenderness, fluid retention, abdominal bloating, acne, stiffness in back, achy joints, pale, mucousy menstrual flow. Skip dairy products and fried or oily foods, such as nut butters. In general those with a Vata imbalance get the best results from rest, meditation and a regular routine. Those with a Pitta imbalance respond best to monthly internal cleansing, and those with a Kapha imbalance find that herbal supplements, exercise and a lighter diet have the best effect. Yoga Regular yoga practice helps prevent PMS symptoms in three ways. First, it releases endorphins, the body's natural mood-elevating compounds. Second, it calms the central nervous system and increases the flow of oxygenated blood to the reproductive organs. Third, it eases stress and encourages deep relaxation, which further mutes the symptoms of PMS. During menstruation inverted postures and vigorous asanas should be avoided and restorative poses should be favored. Panchakarma With the tremendous growth of industry over the past 100 years, thousands of toxic chemicals have been introduced into our food, air, drinking water, and almost every manufactured product. As a result, we are exposed to a potentially huge toxic overload during our lifetime. Regular Panchakarma cleanses (one to four times a year) help the body eliminate toxins and rejuvenate, strengthen, and balance it. Panchakarma offers the most powerful treatments for removing toxins and balancing the body/mind. The Panchakarma program consists of a specific cleansing diet enhanced by daily warm oil massages, steam sauna, mild herbal enemas, herbalized body scrubs and many more individualized treatments.

Welcome to motherhood!

Ziva, born 2nd December 2011 @ 5.01 pm weighing 2.565 grams and measuring 42.5 cms long.
3 months ago today, my baby girl entered this world and changed my life forever.
I can't think of life without her,shes turned my world upside down and I wouldn't have it any other way.
This blog is going to be a diary of all things pregnancy and parenting, the experiences I had, and what's going to be. Join me as I chronicle my experiences as a new mumma.Life is never gonna be the same again.