Several years ago, I came across Sally Fallon's classic book, Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. Since then, I have been forever grateful to have found that book. I suppose I had believed what industrial food companies and some dietitians and doctors maintained: Stay away from fat! Avoid cholesterol! Raw milk is dangerous! etc., etc. Published in 1999, the book promotes healthful practices, such as eating fermented food, that have now thankfully become trendy. Even though my family and I lean toward a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, I continue to find Fallon's book indispensable.
So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that Fallon had teamed up with Dr. Thomas Cowan to write The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care. I pre-ordered it, and it just arrived a few days ago. Since then, I sneak any moment I can to read through a page or two at random.
The book covers a lot of ground with topics such as pre-pregnancy nutrition, newborn interventions, vaccinations, nourishing the growing child, and coping with childhood illness. Much of the book appears to be written with two influential thinkers in mind: Rudolph Steiner and Weston A. Price. And I am so happy to see a book on infant and child health talk about things like electromagnetic fields, organic bedding, and the importance of rhythm to the developing child. While I encourage everyone to take a look at this great book, like any book on child care, you can disregard what doesn't work for you: For example, I have found Sally Fallon's advice to feed baby a soft-boiled egg yolk extremely beneficial, but I don't think I'll have my baby try her "Brains for Baby" recipe anytime soon!
At UrthChild, our Superfoods department has some Fallon-approved food, such as coconut butter, sprouted nut butters and sprouted nut snacks, organic probiotics, and more. Enjoy!
