Big Benefits From A Spoonful

Big Benefits From A Spoonful

Growing up my dad had this phrase that he would throw out whenever he deemed appropriate.  It went “people take more time and care to choose a car than they do for the other parent of their child”.  I knew what he meant but it became much more important to me as I began working in a genetics laboratory.  Spending so many days looking at tests of parents whose genes, when mixed created chromosomal deficiencies or genetic abnormalities.  I became more and more certain that when I chose the father of my child, that there was more to look at than our personal compatibility, but also our genetic compatibility.  He was right, many people don’t even think about this.  So yes, shameless confession; in addition to “what’s your favorite color” some of my first date questions included “Any history of heart disease or sickle cell in your family?” LOL, laugh all you want but its true… well maybe second date questions.

When I finally decided to get pregnant, I spent a lot of time doing genetic testing to determine the possible outcomes if I chose to reproduce with his father.  What’s my family history? What is his? What happens when we put them together?  While the results aren’t always certain, I was able to breathe a bit easier knowing that I had enough information to move forward.  But it didn’t stop there.  I continued to research during my pregnancy.  What foods should I eat, what shouldn’t I eat?  What can I do to keep him safe while he incubates? Can I begin teaching him things while he is in there developing?  How to I help him into this world as the best version of himself? I even elected on delayed cord clamping because of the research on all neurodevelopmental and cardiopulmonary benefits.  You mean all I have to do is lie here for an extra minute before you cut the cord and my son might be smarter?? Sign me all the way up!!  Now I am no doctor so I always encourage you to do your own research and find what is best for you (this is my attempt at a disclaimer). I am glad (no proud) to say that on 8/10/18 I gave birth to a beautiful, strong, 8 pound 2 ounce Amari.  Heck he is so smart that he even chose a palindrome date to be born! I like to think I had something to do with that too!

Now that he is in the world, it still doesn’t stop (whew all of this keeping him healthy and smart is exhausting)!  I mean I can’t have done all of the genetic research creating this pristine specimen to drop the ball now!  At the same time I am very much a fan or working smarter and not harder.  So I am always looking for ways to help Amari developmentally without having to do much work.  LOL I can see the oxymoron as I write this, but hey I am who I am.  And that’s the thing about science and technology. As we learn more, we begin to figure out ways to live better, produce better and at the same time make it all easier to do.  These days I am all about strengthening and developing Amari’s gut health and immune system.  What am I feeding him?  Is it natural or genetically modified?  Sidebar: I have recently transitioned out of the genetics lab and into the gastrointestinal pathology lab, so it may also explain my newfound interest.  Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t proclaim to be a guru of anything and lord knows that no matter how great I want to claim to be, let’s face it, being a first time mom you are lucky if the schedule you create lasts longer than a week.  However, there are certain little things that I can commit to that truly don’t take extra work.

SpoonfulOne is a great example of this.  Last year, I was at the Big City Mom’s Biggest Baby Shower in Manhattan and happened across the SpoonfulOne team. I was literally walking out of the door because Amari had just had a mini meltdown and it was clearly time to go, but this booth caught my eye.  I stopped for a few minutes and got to chatting with one of the reps and I was glad I did. I remember thinking “Man I need to make sure I add this to my Biggest Baby Shower Finds Article, but in the end I knew this was important enough to highlight on its own.  SpoonfulOne is a product that was created by a pediatric allergist who was a mother of five. She designed it to help protect our babies from developing food allergies. She did so by creating a snack that contained microscopic traces of 90% of the foods that our babies can become allergic to. Similar to a vaccine, by introducing these elements in small doses, it allows our little one’s bodies to develop an immunity to these foods that later can be potentially harmful. In fact, in an independent study with over 700 infants at Northwestern University using SpoonfulOne, zero allergic reactions were reported.  With that kind of success rate, it was a no brainer for me to get Amari on these ASAP. The taste though… with a food blend that includes over 90% of the food groups responsible for food allergies: peanuts, milk, shellfish (shrimp), tree nuts (almond, cashew, hazelnut, pecan, pistachio, and walnut), egg, fish (cod and salmon), grains (oat and wheat), soy, and sesame… that cannot possibly taste good right?  Wrong?  They taste delicious! Just like fruit flavored cereal puffs.  Like the honey oh’s I already place on Amari’s high chair for his afternoon snack. So why not let it have a bigger benefit?!

I love these so much that I plan on giving away a 7day supply of the SpoonfulOne daily mix ins in a contest I will be holding on my Instagram page.  You can add it to any part of your little’s diet.  Just check out my page on Instagram at JustaNJmom for instructions on how to win yours! Even if you don’t win and you want more information, head on over to SpoonfulOne for more on this fantastic product.

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