Katya Baxter Nutrition

25/03/2021

New research study: pregnancy exercise may not only lead to healthier babies and timely delivery, but also remove child's risk of inheriting chronic metabolic conditions (i.e. diabetes, obesity) of BOTH parents later in life. The study was done on mice, but if it translates to humans just as effectively, it can be highly promising. Or so it is believed.

In my opinion, this finding is, although significant, has certain limitations. Exercise is a fantastic (and scientifically proven) way to give yourself a greater chance to deliver a healthy, full-term baby. But it cannot be isolated from a slew of other health-driving factors such as overall lifestyle of the family and their eating/feeding patterns.

Setting a child up for a healthy life means setting mom and dad up for success way past pregnancy, especially when (let's be honest), regular exercise during pregnancy is not always possible even with the best of intentions.

Prescribing exercise to a pregnant mother with a chronic metabolic condition is going to make minimal impact unless both parents receive needed support to make sustainable lifestyle changes for themselves as well as learn how to feed their child to support their natural growth.

Only in this context, in my opinion, the finding in this study can carry much promise.

Maternal or paternal obesity causes metabolic impairment in adult offspring in mice. Maternal exercise during gestation can completely mitigate metabolic impairment. Maternal obesity, but not pater...

16/03/2021

New blog post!

May be this sounds familiar to you, dear mama: You feel like you have it pretty much figured out: you got your daily schedule on the wall, you pre-planned weekly activities, you have a smoothly running system for drop offs and pick ups, for taking baths, and for bedtime routines. It may not be all

25/01/2021

The Online Workshop is finally here! - https://mailchi.mp/4080e50c6b0e/learn-how-to-prevent-picky-eating-in-this-workshop
Join me on February 13th, 2021 and learn to guide your kiddos as they build a healthy relationship with food and become great eaters.

12/08/2020

Tomato and Feta on German Rye. A simple and super quick breakfast sandwich that used to be my favorite when I was growing up in Russia. I would also accompany it with a cup of sweetened black tea. Mmmm, so good!

You can use any type of bread but I like seedy kind because it packs more nutrients, sheep milk feta because it is easier to digest and is higher in protein (plus, sheep's milk is what feta is supposed to be made out of and it just tastes better), and, of course, some juicy, ripe tomato slices ('tis the season!). Sprinkle with some good quality olive oil, season to taste, garnish with basil leaves (or not) and dig in!

And as for my daughter - she saw me eating this stuff ever since she was born, so she now loves her 'cold pizza' for breakfast too. As for me - nothing melts my heart more than sharing something I love with one of my favorite persons.

What is the food that you love to share with your kiddos that brings back memories for you?

14/07/2020

What is your response?

After enough times of trying to explain to a 3-year old that she should have eaten her lunch so she wouldn't be 'huuuungry', you realize that you are making zero impact.

You are frustrated and, at the same time, can't bear the fact that your little angle is starving.

Sounds about right?

If that's what is happening in your house, here is what you can do:

Start with the basics: draw clear boundaries.

Boundaries are much easier to put down if you have structure. With mealtimes, structure means schedule.

Imagine you've scheduled your meals and snacks (every 2-3 hrs or so). Now when your kiddo tells you he is huuungry, you can say (with a straight face and a whole lot of compassion):

"Oh, being hungry is not fun at all! I am so sorry. But I tell you what: come back at 3 pm and you can have a great big snack."

And at 3 pm offer him a filling snack. When kids are young, it is ok for meals and snacks to interchange. It is less about the volume of the meal and more about teaching them structure.

If you are used to giving in to your child's panhandling for food, saying 'no' won't be easy at first. But as you stick to the boundaries, you'll be less stressed about feeding and your child will eventually learn. For example:

- they will learn to eat something at every meal;
- they will feel secure within the structure;
- they will balance their blood sugar between meals instead of keeping it up as they continue to graze.

Keeping to a schedule can be difficult. So start with small steps - decide what is manageable to you. It may be 2 scheduled meals a day, it may be 3. Start where you are and work your way up over time.

What do you think may keep you from sticking to a schedule?

24/06/2020

It is common for kids to seem to want to eat the same thing. Over and over again! There is actually a physiological reason behind it. In this video I’m sharing a strategy to overcome this habit and teach your child to be accepting of other foods.

27/05/2020

When you eat mushrooms during pregnancy your baby is pretty much eating them too. Research shows that at 21 weeks of gestation babies in utero can already discern full flavors of whatever you are eating through chemicals in amniotic fluid. At 21 weeks they already develop senses of smell and taste!

So eating all kinds of foods during pregnancy (or whatever you would want your child to eat as they grow) is a good way to introduce those foods early on. But even if you missed that chance, you can still do this while nursing (breast milk will carry those smells and tastes to your babe as well).

Have you noticed any correlation between what you ate during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and what your kiddo likes to eat as they grow older?

22/05/2020

Pretty obvious, isn't it? But so often we catch ourselves plating our child's plate with foods WE want them to eat and expectantly await for them to take a bite in curious excitement. And very rarely things go the way we so carefully planned.

May I suggest another way, which is proven to work much better:

Serve anything new family style and let your kiddo plate their own plate. If they choose not to try the new food, leave them be.

Eat it yourself and make NO comments. Even about how 'great' this new food tastes and that they 'should' try it.

These kinds of comments put pressure on your kiddo to eat. And contrary to the common belief, they don't help your child to discover food for themselves. Not only that, but they undermine the trust between you as they go through their own process of learning how to eat.

This process may take a long time, but if you trust them with it, they will respond and even surprise you.

So take a deep breath and keep being patient.

19/03/2020

Did you know that your child will LEARN to like those foods to which they have had the most exposure? That's what research tells us.

So keep rotating as many foods as you can in your kiddo's meals. Aim for 30-40 different foods in their entire eating repertoire if you can.

Even if they just see a food on the table and choose not to eat it, they still get exposed to it. That's a part of the process.

Eventually, they will LEARN to eat it.

Go get 'em!

13/03/2020

will be happening on April 11th, and I will have the privilege of joining a fantastic group of speakers who are bringing their thought provoking, inspiring ideas to share that day.

As nerve wrecking as it is, it is definitely just as exciting. I will have the honor to share something that I feel extremely passionate about, namely, HOW we feed our kids.

How can we teach our kids to eat everything and be adventurous with food? Is there something in their physiological development that we need to better understand so we can support them in learning to eat well?

I can't wait to share what I've learned from the red dot on April 11th !

Tickets are on sale 😀 http://ow.ly/TEcr50yKk03

12/03/2020

She didn't finish her veggies. Again.

And you are frustrated.

But here is the bright side:

You did your job of offering them to her. Check.
You didn't pressure her to eat them. Check.

You have already done a fantastic job teaching your child to eat.

Now you can reach a real super star status with your kiddo by doing this:
1) ask her to put them in a leftover container using her fingers (hopefully they are clean) OR
2) have her use a fork/fingers or blow them down into the garbage can (if you are prepared to take the casualty).

A child needs to go through ALL of their sensory experiences before they become comfortable with a new food. Interaction, whether with touching or without, is one of those experiences.

The more their comfort level increases with and around a food, the easier it will be for them to start consistently eating it. Having them touch a food, even through the experience of throwing it away, gives them an extra opportunity to use their sensory systems.

So give it a try. Plus, what child wouldn't want the fun of blowing something down into the garbage can?