I’m really excited to share a new book with you — Super Nutrition for Babies: the right way to feed your baby for optimal health. Finally — finally! — some books are arriving on the scene that defy the dietary “wisdom” of our time, instead giving traditional, old-fashioned, and nutrient-dense advice.
This isn’t the only book — also check out Heather Dessinger’s Nourished Baby and Donielle Baker’s upcoming Naturally Knocked Up. No longer will I wonder what books give to new or expecting mamas at baby showers. 
How would you like to win a copy of this book? We’re giving away two copies below!
Before that though, I’d like to share an interview with the authors, Katherine Erlich and Kelly Genzlinger, who wrote this book because they didn’t have any good resources to share with patients on healthy baby feeding. Necessity is the mother of invention, right?
Q: Tell us about your new baby feeding book.
A: Super Nutrition for Babies is, by far, the best baby feeding resource available to parents today. It not only talks about organic and natural feeding, it explains the importance of whole and real foods. We all “get” that processed foods are not healthy, but this book tells you why. In fact, it is a throw-back to how your great-grandmother would have fed your grandmother … Honestly, it is not like any other baby feeding book that we have seen. That’s one of the reasons we wrote it; we didn’t have a resource we could stand behind and recommend to our patients for what we consider truly healthy baby feeding.
Q: You say it is not like any other baby feeding book out there — what do you mean?
A: Well, with the extensive research and reviews of other baby feeding books that went into creating Super Nutrition for Babies, we didn’t find one book that did a good job of explaining what is really important in baby feeding. It is a given that texture and timing are important, and organic is great if you can afford it, and homemade is best if you’ve got the time. What was lacking in all the other baby feeding books we found was that they didn’t highlight and explain what we have found to be the really important factors of baby feeding: digestibility, purity, and nutrient-worth. We explain that how a baby’s digestive system develops should dictate what foods are fed, how they are prepared and when they are introduced. We also explain how purity factors into health and feeding, considering today’s toxic world. The concept of “nutrient-worth” that we introduce explains how the food you choose to feed your baby should be worthy of their growing bodies and minds and must meet their greatest needs, considering the accelerated growth and cognitive development seen in infancy through toddlerhood. Using these key criteria, we were able to introduce the concept of “protective nutrition”.
Q: Interesting! Please tell us more about “protective nutrition”.
A: “Protective nutrition” is a way of feeding your child to maximize your child’s health and minimize the chances that your baby will become sick. Unfortunately, having a child with recurrent infections or an illness like asthma, allergies, and even autism isn’t surprising these days. Children are experiencing life threatening asthma and allergies at epidemic rates. More than 1 in 100 children are autistic, with one in 38 children shows autistic signs. 1 in 3 children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes. What we reveal in Super Nutrition for Babies is that parents can actually feed their babies in a way that reduces their chances of develop these conditions. For example, did you know the type of milk you feed your child impacts the likelihood that they develop allergies and asthma? Wouldn’t you like to choose the kind that statistically safeguards them from these conditions? And did you know there is a supplement that you can give your child that will significantly reduce likelihood of colds, fevers, coughs, and most chronic diseases? This is the kind of information that parents will find valuable, and the book is loaded with such facts, helpful hints, recipes, and how-tos, in addition to our overall Super “protective” Nutrition program.
Q: It does seem that kids today have more illnesses than we did, and it is scary. Why do you think this is happening?
A: You are right — it is very scary. And this is exactly why we wrote this book. We are seeing a marked increase in diseases that are not attributable to better diagnostic tools, or to over-reactive parents. These conditions are on an upswing due to environmental factors — and much of that is diet related — due to a combination of deficient nutrients which are lacking in our children’s diets and toxins found in their food and their environment. We want parents to realize that they can take preventive action and can create the strongest foundation of health for their child. By doing so, parents will be maximizing their child’s best chances for long-term health and happiness.
Q: It sounds like the information in your book focuses on creating a foundation for good health. How is this different from what doctors tell parents already?
A: In Super Nutrition for Babies, we cover some controversial topics including the need for healthy fats, the detriments of sugar, and the problems with introducing grains too early. We recommend meats be introduced early and soy be avoided. We even discuss raw dairy and provide recipes for making homemade baby formula. We are so proud to be providing this information to parents who are “hungry” for information about how they can naturally help and protect their children’s health. If parents have doubts, we implore them to read why we advocate these things for the proper development and growth of their children. We urge any parent or grandparent to read Super Nutrition for Babies, even if they no longer have babies at home, as we feel the knowledge that can be gained from this book is helpful to people of all ages. All the parents we’ve worked with find a sense of empowerment with this information, as well as relief and joy over the fact that true nutrition and proper diet can protect their children and provide them with the nutrients they need to develop optimally — of sound body and mind.
Q: Our readers might want to know more about you, the authors, of this interesting and important book; please tell us about yourselves.
A (Kelly): I am Kelly Genzlinger, a certified nutritional consultant and mother of three elementary-school aged children. For many years, my children battled health issues that were significantly affecting their quality of life. When I looked to modern medicine to “cure” them, we were sadly disappointed. As someone with an analytical mind who was desperate to help my children, I went to work studying holistic nutrition, biochemical pathways, the endocrine system, anthropology, traditional foods, digestion, and how nutrients are used by the body. With this knowledge, I helped restore my children to ideal health. I wanted to share this life-changing information with other parents. Ultimately, I achieved three professional certifications in holistic health and nutrition. Super Nutrition for Babies is a culmination of all my research, professional, and personal experience — a decade in the making. In addition to this book, I have also written Sugar … Stop the Addiction, have appeared on local cable television shows, been a featured speaker at wellness events, developed and taught classes, and have worked in several complementary medicine centers — all in an effort to help others understand the healing and preventive powers of natural eating.
A (Katherine): My name is Katherine Erlich. I am the mother of two and a board certified pediatrician. For 11 years, I was a regular doctor, working in a big practice, seeing lots of kids each day. I loved my job, but so many days I would see kids for whom I couldn’t help with the conventional medicine that I had learned in school. This was really frustrating and heart breaking — to want to help more but to not know how. It wasn’t until my son started having medical issues for which I couldn’t “fix” that I really pushed myself to learn more and finally leave my big office and start my own holistic practice. With my new knowledge of nutrition and supplements, I saw some quite amazing improvements. Kids stopped catching so many colds, stopped being angry or depressed; their skin improved, and their behavior calmed down. What a pleasure! To see the impact that nutrition can have is really quite powerful. Wouldn’t it be ideal to support children from the very beginning so that they don’t have to go down the road of chronic illness? This is really what I hope Super Nutrition for Babies will be — a way for parents to gain the knowledge and the power to give their children the best gift ever – the chance to be the best they can be.
Giveaway for 2 Copies of Super Nutrition for Babies
Doesn’t this book sound wonderful? An answer to prayer, if you ask me. Families will be changed by it.
That’s why I will be so happy for the two families that win a copy of this book. It is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. The giveaway begins now and ends next Thursday, the 14th of June, 2012, at midnight. I’ll announce the winners on Friday, June 15th, 2012. Use the widget below to enter:
Best Wishes, Everyone!
Don’t forget to let us know in the comments what you’d like to know about baby nutrition or why you’re interested in this book!
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book, without obligation to review favorably. However, I love it! Now that I have shared it with you, I am going to be passing my copy around right and left to my friends.
About Wardee Harmon
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Two hard 'g's and stress the middle syllable. 
After having just endured one of the most cold-heavy winters we’ve ever known, so I’d love to get my hands on anything that promises to keep us healthier next year. Thanks for hosting
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Hi Quinn,
In order to reduce getting sick, I would recommend foods rich in probiotics and/or probiotic supplementation – which has been shown in studies to *significantly* reduce viral infections, and we know they are good at fighting “bad” bacteria. In fact, in the book, we claim that too many colds and illnesses could actually be a result of a probiotic deficiency. Also, coconut oil has a lovely and potent anti-viral property made in the body from lauric acid (called monolaurin, the very best source of which is mom’s milk). Finally, an overall nutrient-dense diet will help stave off infection – the body literally uses nutrients to detoxify (which is part of what is happening when fighting virus) and stay healthy. Ultimately, as well, you’ll want to reduce all sugarS – including juice, refined grains, sweeteners, and outright sugar – all of which are shown to reduce the bodies ability to fight infection. One other note, do not use antibacterial agents – they actually work against you by killing the helpful probiotics that work to defend the body from infection.
Kelly
I would love to read this to help me understand how to best feed the children I already have, and any children to come!
Hi Kristie,
That was just our intent. One reviewer said the book could be called: Super Nutrition for Everybody. I use these principles and recipes for my children (now 10, almost 9, and 7). Also, eating the way we recommend for pregnant and nursing moms is also a boost for fertility (and those “babies to come!”)
Kelly
With my oldest I fed him the jars of baby food. Then with my next couple, a mix of baby food from the store, and homemade. Then the next I did strictly food from our table that the rest of the family was already eating. She is the one who is not a picky eater and rarely gets sick. I think I stumbled on the best way, but I would like to know that more ‘scientifically’ now that my youngest is almost to the age of beginning to eat with us.
Hi RG,
One of the goals of this book was to provide the rationale behind our feeding recommendations, so I think you’ll find just the “science” and background you’re looking for – as well as the recipes, tips, tricks, and other information to optimally nourish your children – which can be applied even at older ages.
Kelly
What a fantastic looking book. Thanks for the give-away .
Cheryl recently posted… MRI & Relay for Life
My fourth child is five months old and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I am going to feed this one differently. I woud love a copy!
I would love to have more ideas about what the best first foods for babies are and how to tell if a baby is tolerating a new food well or not (especially what spitting up means when they’re young!).
Spitting up means that babies do NOT have ENOUGH acid in their stomachs to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve at the top of the stomach) closed. Thus, food easily flows upward into the esophagus and often out the mouth. One cause of low stomach acid is low zinc levels, which many babies have. Helping to increase stomach acid, such as by increase zinc levels or by giving small amounts of sauerkraut juice or apple cider vinegar, helps to reduce reflux in babies, children and in adults. This advice is counter to the conventional medical recommendations of giving acid lowering medications for reflux. While the medication typical does help symptomatically, it doesn’t correct the underlying problem that caused the reflux in the first place and further decreases the body’s digestive capability.
Katherine Erlich recently posted… The Real Cause of Heart Disease
Does that mean I should be giving my 3 month old son ACV?? When is it okay to start that treatment? My little guy was put on meds pretty early on and I’d LOVE to get him off them asap!! Does anyone know if they discuss that in the book? My dr. did not mention any of this…arg!
I can’t give specific advice to you or your son as I don’t know your whole story. But you are right to want him off meds as they do decrease his abiltiy to digest nutrients. We do discuss this topic in our book.
Often if mom’s are breastfeeding, I have them take apple cider vinegar at the beginning of each meal themselves to help with digestion which in turn helps their baby. Sometimes, I do have parents give a bit to their babies as well. When babies have rashes like eczema and reflux, zinc deficiency is likely. Having moms eat liver is one of the best ways to improve the zinc content in their breast milk. If the baby is formula fed, liver can be added to formula, either fresh or as dried powder. More on the benefits of liver can be found in our book too.
I would love to read this book, not only for my own reference but also because people are constantly asking me for advice on a variety of nutrition topics and I think this would be a great resource to recommend.
Hi Summer,
We certainly hope it becomes a parenting staple – ultimately, if parents nourish their children and protect them from toxins as we suggest, we anticipate a drop in the current childhood illnesses statistics.
Kelly
This looks awesome! I would love this for my two children. How great to have a source for the little ones
I would love to read this book and learn more about how to feed my little one (who is due any time now!) once he/she gets older.
This book sounds great – would love to have a resource to refer to for making nutrient-rich baby foods.
I see that this book is endorsed by Sally Fallon; I LOVE her book, “Nourishing Traditions”, and I’m sure I’d love this book too!
My girlfriend wants me to win this. HAHA!
I love the idea of feeding baby REAL food. I liked using the boxed cereal with my first two babies and with number three on the way I would love to have some more resources to help me feed my baby better.
Hi Helena,
You’ll find much better options in this book, as well as the reasoning behind why you want to feed your children differently than how the food industry has us programmed to feed babies – which is in part why we are seeing such poor health in children these days.
Good luck!
Kelly
I want to know when is the best time to enter grains into a babies diet. You see kids walking around eating grains all day! I know that its good to have a balanced diet and that most babies are born with an unhealthy gut, so feeding grains at the wrong time promotes bad gut health.
Hi Audra,
In general, grains should be introduced when we are sure that the baby has had a chance to develop the enzymes to digest them, such as amylase. Studies show this enzyme develops between 1 and 3 years of age. Before that, feeding grains results in a digestive disruption that has a cascade of problems. I would say you could introduce grains around 1 if you properly prepare them to reduce anti-nutrients and digestive blockers and enhance their nutrition. Grain (and bean and nut) preparation in the form of soaking, sprouting, leavening, and fermenting is described in the book. I would say the longer you wait, the safer it is. Certainly if giving cereal, crackers, pretzels, bagels, etc that are not sprouted, I would not introduce these until after 2 or 3 years of age at the earliest.
And, to clarify, most babies are not born necessarily with an unhealthy gut, but you are right that they do not yet either have a “healthy” gut that is ready for the way adults eat. They are born with immature immune and digestive systems – which are housed in the gut. It takes time to build up the thick tissue and mucosal lining, as well as the enterocyte-coated villi, and probiotic rich environment that are needed for proper digestion of food and an ideal immune system. Feeding babies foods that aren’t cohesive with the enzymes and digestive capabilities they have, too soon, can further slow the process, and lead to hierarchical anomolies amongst the gut flora that can lead to allergies, digestive problems, and autoimmune conditions.
Kelly
So sorry – that reply was meant for Aimee!
I’m SO glad to see that someone has finally written a book on this subject. There is so much misinformation out there that ends up actually being harmful, not helpful. I shudder when I think about the things that I- in blissful ignorance- fed my first child: boxed macaroni and cheese, canned ravioli, strawberry yogurt w/ hfcs in it, and that awful baby “rice cereal”. What a long way we have come–sourdough, whole foods, ferments, good fat, raw milk, etc. and now the GAPS diet. The Lord is so gracious to lead us to truth (and to preserve us and allow our bodies to even continue to function somewhat on that terrible “non-food” junk!)
I totaly agree, Audra. This journey in returning to naturally nutritious foods is one I hope more and more of us embark on. Hopefully, Super Nutrition for Babies is all we hoped it would be – a guide back to the foods that nourish our children and ensure their chance at optimal health. As Weston Price said, “Life in all its fullness is Mother Nature obeyed”.
Kelly
I have a newborn and I would love to learn more about what foods are best to give her when she is ready to start eating!
Hi Melissa,
So excited that you will use our book to help nourish you baby – just as we intended. However, even before she starts eating foods, there is information on what you can eat to make your milk more nutritious, or even tips on making homemade formula if you are bottle feeding.
Best wishes!
Kelly
I’m always looking for ways to strengthen my family’s nutrition foundation. Thanks for the chance to win
I have always been careful about what I eat but now I am inspired to do better for my 11-month old son. I am terrified of him being exposed to anything that may compromise his immune system, etc particularly during the first two years of life. I like the information your book has to offer, as it is all new concepts to me. I have been making him all of his food but I worry that maybe he has had too much of the grains and I’m unsure about how to introduce meats to him. I’m starting to see a little behavior issues and I’m hoping that through diet I can ease some of what appears to be frustration and anger.
Hi Kim,
Please read the book through, and perhaps read it again (I always get more info if I read an information-dense book through a second time). Also, you can look into the references recommended in the back – which are also great sources of information. As you build upon the knowledge you have already (making homemade food, etc.) you will have enough information to stay committed to the type of feeding that provides true nourishment, and can be used to protect our children from many of the scary diseases statistics today say that our children will face.
Kelly
I am expecting my fourth child. With each child, I’ve learned a little more about traditional diets and have made adjustments. But I really want to stop taking baby steps away from the conventional models and lay a new foundation with the nutrient-dense approach.
I have 12 children, and Lord willing will have more. I have a 9 month old now. It would be a blessing to have this information, and to pass it down to my daughters and future daughters-in-law!
Hi Wendy,
This book is certainly an attempt to reclaim lost wisdom of generations gone by. We hope this will rekindle the way of feeding babies and children that most of our great-grandmothers would have been familiar with, and that we can then – just as you suggest – keep this wisdom alive and passed on through generations, as it should be.
Kelly
How fun to help young moms with specific ways to nourish their kids! I would be thrilled to pass this book along!!
I would like to know more about when I should start feeding my baby and what.
My baby is 11 months old and I’ve been scouring the internet to try to figure out how to feed her…this book looks like such a great resource!
I’d like to read information on preventing allergies/asthma from the beginning.
Hannah recently posted… Vine-ripened Tomato? Vanilla, too!
Hi Hannah,
You will find that information in this book. Another term for Super Nutrition is “protective nutrition” – the way we outline baby-nourishing is in line with being protective from conditions like allergies and asthma. Particularly probiotic rich diets that are low in processed grains and sugars will go a long way. Studies on raw milk show that there is a reduction in the development of these conditions in children who consume it.
Kelly
I’ve just fed my babies from the table, but I’d like to know more about foods that are super good for them in different developmental stages.
Hi Amy,
Our book categorizes food as CRAP, OKAY, PURE, and Super POWER foods. Hopefully this will help moms like you to understand on a general level the proportion of foods their children get that are either hurting their health or actually nourishing them.
Kelly
I want to get it for my son who has an 8 mo.old whom they are trying to bring up on healthy food choices; and I need to learn about the more healthy choices instead of the old stand-by’s like Cheerios.
I’d love to know of some nutrient dense foods that are also finger foods for when the baby is a bit older like 10 months old. They love to be able to feed themselves!
Hi Suzanne,
Sweet potato crackers, fries, zucchini fries, most fruits, avocado (though slippery) – the book talks through some good recommendations – can also make “jello” with natural gelatin that is not bleached, has amino acids, and protects the digestive system – nothing like the boxed, bleached, artificially colored, and oversweetened stuff at the store.
Kelly
thanks for the response Kelly! these are great ideas!
I have walked a path similar to both of these authors….children with health problems that were only made worse by cpnventional medicine’s answers. I would love to read morw of what they have to say
My precious five month old is just about ready to start solids and I am eager for guidance on how to best feed him! Thank you.
We are edging up on starting solids, which we are delaying, in part because I am terrified. This would be a fantastic resource for us.
I would love to know more about preventing allergies and asthma
My first child has severe food allergies and I tried everything. She has gotten over everything except nuts and wheat now. I am getting ready to start solids for my third baby so I’m really hoping to be able to pick the right foods to help prevent food allergies.
Hi Cheryl,
Please read the short but informative information speciflcally related to allergies. Removing allergens is only a first step – healing leaky gut and enhancing digestion are key to truly healing from allergies.
Kelly
We’re thinking about starting a family in the near future and I’m trying to compile a library of helpful information – this is exactly the type of book I’ve been looking for!
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I would love to read this book!
With my first child I spent so much time reading books about the best ways to feed a baby. It was so difficult to find resources that promote traditional foods. I would love to have the book as a resource for my next baby.
I am a WAPF member, and do have some guidance around feeding infants, but I am still gathering information about when to start on solids, and what steps to introduce more foods. I’m thinking that this book could be very helpful with that!
I would love to win this book! I have learned a lot about introducing foods to my babies, and now with my 4th, I want to keep improving and learning about what diet to feed her! I tried giving whole pieces of food to my 3rd right from the start, but I am undecided as to if that was good to do, as she would pass whole pieces of the food – she wasn’t chewing the food and digesting it, so how was she able to absorb any nutrients… I love learning about all this kind of stuff, so this book looks very interesting as I will have another to introduce foods to in a few months!
I have 6 children, and have learned a little along the way with each of them about eating healthy. My youngest one is 9 months old, so a book like this would be great! I still need to learn how best to feed babies- we are trying some probiotics, but would love to learn the best things to feed him.
Our journey to better health started after a very difficult year of poor health- when my oldest was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 5 years old. We were told that he would be on and off steroids the rest of his life. He also had severe nut allergies. We turned to an herbal practitioner – which started some life changing eating habits for us. It has been a journey, slowly learning a little bit at a time about natural foods, cooking from scratch, gardening.
We have 3 children who had asthma, and food allergies. We have seen an improvement in health with all of them, as we’ve eaten better foods. I wish I had been taught these things before I had children to save them the grief my ignorance caused them. Like many people, I was trying my best, but just didn’t know better- even though I had my RN, and worked in pediatrics. I hope I can pass these things on to my children and grandchildren and anyone else willing to listen!
Second baby due August 25th! I can always use good baby feeding tips!
I really am interested to know how to properly raise children to love good food and to establish patterns from the beginning of making good, whole, healthful food choices.
I have 3 kids, ages 4 and under. I want them to be healthy so they can reach their full potential.