feeding my babe!

[nisha]

Macro baby lovers,
I would love to hear from some macro mom's or dad's (or others) out there about what they are or have fed their baby. I have introduced grains of all sorts which my daughter likes, veggies, nori, and even beans. The problem for me is that she doesn't LOVE any of them and feeding her can be difficult. I don't push her to eat, but often I feel like she's growing on air, and that concerns me. I am still breastfeeding her (she's 10 1/2 months old) but I would love if she would take to some solid foods. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am also wondering what (when the time come) I will wean her on to. I would really like to hear from anyone about what they recommend babies drink after they finish breastfeeding? I hate the idea of cow's milk, I am considering goat's, soy and rice?

Thanks in advance,
Nisha

[Bruce Paine]

Nisha,

Apparently there are not a lot of macrobiotic parents on this list.

I suggest that you see if you can get in touch with macros offline, either in your locale or further away where you might either be able to consult with a couselor or other parents.

Not everyone in macrobiotics has internet access so you are not tapping into the only or the best place for macrobiotic help (from what I hear, for instance, is though Italy has a large macrobiotic community, they are anti-computer, there, so you can't contact them via the Internet!) or community.

Now, have you tried feeding your baby amasake, yet, and have you consumed much mochi?

Apparently, mochi is very good for nursing mothers.

I'm wondering if you are itching to get your child to eat solids because of your own needs.

Michio Kushi has said that babies need to nurse at least 18 months, but I see that the trend in society because of women's career tracking is to either stop nursing after a few months or to not nurse and put their children on formula.

If a nursing mother is either a single parent or doesn't have a very supportive mate, she might be suffering from exhaustion, isolation, or both.

I feel that the significant other in a paired parenting situation (ideally) should be taking over the feeding and bonding with the baby for at least several hours each day or night to give the primary parent a rest and recuperation.


John Finneran and Cathy Cituk in their "Amazake:naturally delicious, nutritious rice beverage" (ISBN 0890876126) say that one of the best uses for amasake is as baby food, because the complex carbohydrates in brown rice are converted into simple carbohydrates. They say that parents can blend fresh or cooked fruit or cooked vegetables into amasake to make nourishing baby foods. They also say that amasake can be utilized during weaning from breast milk because it is so soothing and nourishing, though it is not to be used as a sustitute for mother's milk.

If you are interested, I can provide the details of the recommended amounts as well as various recipes for making amasake.

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[shb]

Here is a link.

http://www.imss.macrobiotic.net/feedingbaby.html

[nisha]

Okay Bruce,

You hit the nail on the head. I feel wiped out. I've started eating mochi every day and am feling a little bit better.

I want to nurse my babe for 18 months but I do think, especially after reading the article shb sent me (thanks by the way shb), that my girl should be eating some solids at 10 1/2 months. I am willing to try amasake but can't find it anywhere in Montreal. Is it easy to make? I'd love instructions.

Thanks,
Nisha

[shb]

Hello! Sake is made with koji which is malt rice. This helps the rice to ferment.

[Bruce Paine]

nisha,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner but here is some amasake (amazake) preparation information that I mostly wrote at YGM back in Jan 2K1:

Amasake was made by the Macrobiotic Kitchens Unlimited and
sold at the Grain Country natural food store (both part of The
East-West Center for Macrobiotic Studies in Los Angeles) back
in the early 80s (as well as at The East-West Center for
Macrobiotic Studies in San Diego).

Organic short grain brown rice was the most common grain
used, though sometimes organic whole oat groats were used.

The grain was washed, then boiled with filtered water without
salt .White rice koji was mixed in thoroughly using oversized
wooden rice paddles while the grain was slightly cooler than
scalding, and then the lid was placed on this pot . The pot was
then placed on a trivet or two inside another larger pot and water
was pourned in this second pot to about the top of the trivet and
the lid placed on this second pot.

This double boiler method was then placed on a stove and the
heat turned up until the water started to boil and then the heat
was turned down until the water was at a simmer.

This double-boiler was left simmering for between 8 and 10
hours, then the amasake was checked for degree of
fermentation and any foreign matter was skimmed off and then
the amasake concentrate was pastuerized and put into 5 gallon
peanut-butter container, lid put on and refridgerated til further
use.

The concentrate was blended with filtered water and sea salt in
a stainless steel Vita-Mix ( http://vitamix.com/ ) machine and bottled in 8, 16, and 32 oz bottles and sold in the store.

The concentrate was also ground in a stone mill and then either
served plain or with a flavoring in a frozen dessert (Dairy
Queen-like Frostee machine) in the store and was a big hit with
the show business people in the L.A.-Holllywood area.

Here's a recipe from Sandy Schuman's "Macrobiotic Desserts"
(Dictionart, Los Angeles,1981) that can be made by travellers
and homemakers alike:

1 cup short grain brown rice, washed and drained

2 3/4 cups water

1 cup rice koji

Combine rice and water in a pot, cover and cook over a medium
flame for about 1 hour,or until all the water has been absorbed.
Allow to cool until sightly warm to the touch. Mix in koji and pack
mixture into a glass or porcelain bowl. Cover with a towel and
place in an oven with just the pilot light on and incubate for 12
hours. (if you do not have a gas oven, place the mixture in a wide
mouth jar and cover tightly. Float it in a large covered pot or tub
filled with warm water, or wrap in towels and place over a hot
water heater.) After 12 hours, remove rice from oven, place in a
pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil gently for 2-3 minutes.
Puree in a blender. Put in a glass jar and keep refridgerated. It
will keep several weeks. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Some other books containing amasake recipes and information:

Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking: For Health, Harmony, and Peace by Aveline Kushi with Alex Jack

Cooking With Japanese Foods : A Guide to the Traditional
Natural Foods of Japan by John and Jan Belleme

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods: By Sandor Ellix Katz

Amazake and Amazake Frozen Desserts: Industry and Market in the North America = [Amasake]
by William Shurtleff, Akiko Aoyagi


I hope that helps.

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

Originally Posted by nisha

Okay Bruce,

You hit the nail on the head. I feel wiped out. I've started eating mochi every day and am feling a little bit better.

I want to nurse my babe for 18 months but I do think, especially after reading the article shb sent me (thanks by the way shb), that my girl should be eating some solids at 10 1/2 months. I am willing to try amasake but can't find it anywhere in Montreal. Is it easy to make? I'd love instructions.

Thanks,
Nisha

[yanqui8]

I just wanted to let you know that I was raised macro and as a child I too resisted. But, my mom used to always get me to eat by playing the "airplane" game. She would say that the different spoonfulls were strange and exotic cargo from different countries, i.e. "this is a plane full of koalas from Zimbabwe" and so forth. Don't give up, macro is a hard diet to keep kids on, (unless you live in a commun) and the pressure will be there, but it is worth it. I'm now an adult and have returned to the diet because it makes me feel so good and happy... it is my comfort food!