By following the Hallelujah Diet during your pregnancy, you're taking a proactive step in fueling yourself and your child with vital vitamins and nutrients needed for growth. After birth, the only sustenance your child needs for the first six months is breast milk. Soon after, you'll start giving your baby water, juices and solid foods, but how can you make sure you're making the healthiest choices for your bundle of joy? It's simple: Just keep your child on the Hallelujah Diet.
As health expert Olin Idol highlights in his book "Pregnancy, Children & The Hallelujah Diet," the first five years of an infant's life is an open window for disease factors that could influence the child's development. By doing your research ahead of time and making the decision to feed your child a primarily raw, plant-based diet, you can ensure your baby will be nourished for optimal growth as he or she blossoms into a toddler, pre-teen and young adult.
From Birth to Six Months
From the time your baby is born up until the six-month mark, your child will do just fine consuming only breast milk. Babies are not ready for solid foods until they've double their weight, can hold their heads up on their own and sit without assistance. Breast milk doesn't only take the place of solid foods, it's exclusively the only liquid your baby will need to consume. Juice, water or any other supplement can wait until six months after birth.Some health guidelines say to supplement breast-fed babies with vitamin D. However, research by Bruce Hollis' team has shown that if the breast-feeding mother takes over 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day, then there will be sufficient vitamin D3 in the breast milk for her baby. The mom should also be taking a vitamin B-12 supplement to ensure that her baby is getting this vital nutrient for proper mental development.
From Six Months to One Year
When your child reaches six months of age, you can begin the transition from breast milk to freshly extracted juice diluted with 50 percent distilled water. After the introduction of fruit juices, your baby can start consuming a four-ounce serving every day. As soon as your child tolerates diluted fruit juice, you can present freshly extracted vegetable juices. Idol explains that a mixture of distilled water, carrot and celery makes the perfect introduction recipe.
Keep in mind: Introducing your child to new foods too early can increase his or her risk for developing allergies. While it's important to introduce children to freshly extract juices between six months to a year of life, breast-feeding should not stop until they have reached the age of two. Diaper rashes from new foods indicate that you should wait longer to introduce that food again.
When you notice your baby's front teeth begin to come in, you can begin introducing solid foods. Starting with 1/4 teaspoon of mashed banana is an excellent way to introduce your child to texture and taste. Then, incorporate more mashed or strained raw fruits such as banana, avocado, scraped apple, pear, peach, apricot or sweet plum.
"When front teeth come in, you can start introducing solid foods.""
As molars begin to develop, your baby can start eating raw pureed or blended vegetables, according to Olin.
"When the digestive system is ready and able to handle more diverse foods, the teeth begin to appear to allow for eating these foods," he said.
He suggested mixing dark green leafy lettuce, fresh applesauce, carrot and celery juice and a portion of avocado to create your child's first blended salad. This is a great way to incorporate one of the Hallelujah Diet's most nourishing recommendations into your baby's life early on.
Remember: Feeding babies cooked foods, meat puree, puddings or sugar sweetened cooked fruits will almost always cause them to develop allergies. Because infants lack digestive enzymes for assimilation, these undigested foods become toxins and could cause issues in their bodies.
From 18 Months and Beyond
By the time your child reaches the age of 18 months and develops all baby teeth, you can start introducing most of the raw and cooked foods you are consuming, pureed if necessary. Just keep in mind that children require a higher percentage of calories (this may come from a higher percentage of cooked foods ideally about 50% cooked) from protein and fats than adults for optimal growth. Usually this means allowing them to eat more cooked foods until they are satisfied. Along the way you will get feedback from their energy level, susceptibility to colds and respiratory symptoms, physical growth and mental development to help you know if you are feeding him correctly. And don't be afraid to make adjustments and changes as you go along.
As your child grows into a toddler, preteen and young adult, encourage the Hallelujah Diet to be his or her No. 1 choice. It's the only way to receive those vital vitamins and nutrients that are needed to thrive in the most natural way possible, just the way God has always intended.
