>U Mom Knows Best: November 2022

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Holiday Gifts For Babies, Toddlers and Parents

 Looking for a unique gift for a baby or toddler? Check out these gifts that parents will love to receive.


 Sometimes shopping for a gift for a parent of a baby or a toddler can be hard. You just never know what the child needs or what the parent prefers. Then there is the risk of buying a gift that the baby might already have. You want to buy a unique holiday gift or even a gift for a birthday or baby shower but what do you purchase for the best baby gift? What do you purchase for the best toddler gift?

 I have a selection of gift choices for babies and toddlers that will make most parents smile. These are unique gifts that are gifts that will be used by the parents. So keep reading to discover 4 gift ideas for toddlers and babies.

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

1. Duck Duck Books

Duck Duck Books is an MWBE-certified publisher of multilingual board books and a designer of eco-goods for children. They create sustainable products that introduce language learning, cultivate emotional intelligence, and instill eco-conscious lifestyles.


 Books are always a good choice for gifts for children. Parents love books as they help their children learn. Kids love books too. Books help kids learn so many things like language, social skills, and prepare them for school. Reading books to kids is the best way to have quality time with children. You will love that Duck Duck multilingual board books representing multicultural values, with themes around emotional intelligence and early social skills. 

 Duck Duck books use a zero-waste, reusable, washable wrapping cloth which is a perfect ecologically-friendly alternative to single-use wrapping paper. So no need to worry about having to wrap this gift. 

Duck Duck Books are currently available for purchase at www.duckduckbooks.com and Amazon

2. Llama Naturals

Llama Naturals’ Whole-Fruit Pre & Probiotic Gummies are made with no added sugars or sweeteners and are packed with researched-backed probiotics (to restore the good bacteria in your gut) plus plant-based prebiotic fiber (to feed the good bacteria). These tasty gummies are USDA Organic, Vegan, and free of common allergens.


 A gift of health is always a good choice for a gift, especially when it tastes good. Parents will love these whole-fruit gummies to keep their little one's gut healthy. These delicious gummies are soft to chew and come in cute containers. Each delicious fruit gummy is packed with 13 essential vitamins from fruits and veggies to support kids’ nutritional needs  Llama Naturals also sells other supplements like multi-vitamins and elderberry gummies.

Llama Naturals is available on llamanaturals.com and Amazon 

3. Mabel’s Labels

Mabel’s Labels is the best-known brand of durable, personalized name labels for kids. Mabel’s Labels are not only adorable but also laundry, dishwasher, and microwave safe – and they’re 100% guaranteed. Created by four moms who were tired of losing their kids’ belongings, Mabel’s Labels are a must-have solution for everything that leaves the home with your kids.


 Name labels are perfect for parents of young children. These washable labels are perfect for items like bottles, sippy cups, diaper bags, clothing, and more. These child-friendly labels can be customized with many different styles and colors. All parents have to do is peel and stick the labels on their child's items. Mabel’s Labels personalized labels are the best way to keep your little one’s stuff from getting lost or mixed up at daycare or school! 

Mabel’s Labels can be personalized and purchased at mabelslabels.com

4. Charlie Banana

Known for their luxurious, edge-to-edge softness, Charlie Banana’s award-winning reusable cloth diapers work with both washable and disposable inserts, and are certified under STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® to help protect baby’s delicate skin. The patented sizing system, which offers some 40 size settings, allows these cloth diapers to grow with baby from newborn to potty-trained, delivering a snug and comfy fit that is customized to the unique needs of every child. These diapers are machine washable and are designed to be easy to clean.


While this gift of cloth diapers may be perfect for new parents or parents-to-be, they will also be useful for older babies and toddlers. Parents may be using disposable diapers but may have the desire to switch to cloth diapers. What better way to introduce someone to an eco-friendly choice of diapering than with a starter cloth diaper kit. These cloth diapers are also very useful for potty training as they can help the child feel wetness, something that disposable diapers lack, and that may speed up the process of toilet training.

Charlie Banana reusable cloth diapers are available on Amazon

Looking for more holiday and Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers?

~ The Best 13 Gifts For Babies From Zero To Five

The 14 Best Holiday Gift Ideas For Toddlers And Preschoolers



Saturday, November 26, 2022

Creating a Organized Refrigerator With Lifewit Organizer Bins

 Is the inside of your refrigerator a scary mess? Is it hard to find what you need? Learn how to organize your fridge with the help of the best refrigerator storage bins.


 You may have seen those videos of people organizing their fridges and filling up storage containers with snack items and other foods. They sure are entertaining and they make you want to organize your refrigerator. The problem is after watching the video of the organization of the fridge, you never follow through with the plan of a neat and organized food storage area.

 Instead, you or your spouse continue to complain that they can't find anything in the fridge. Or worse yet, leftovers and produce spoil because they get lost in the fridge. So you end up tossing way too much food into the trash can every week. Throwing away food is costing you money and that is not a good idea when food prices are at an all-time high. 

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Organize your fridge and save money

 Have you had enough of wasting your money on food that spoils? Is your lack of fridge storage frustrating you? Then it is time to buy a set of refrigerator storage bins and start a simple project of organizing your fridge to be functional.

 Last year I bought a new refrigerator and I had fun organizing all my food into the fridge. It felt nice to have a clean and organized place to store all my food. Then my family decided that they were hungry and needed to get food out of the fridge. My neat and perfect fridge did not last long. After a couple of months, I cleaned out the fridge and it did not take long for it to get messy again.

 So I decided to look on Amazon for some storage bins for my refrigerator. After looking at many choices of fridge storage containers, I made the choice to buy a Lifewit 8pcs Big Refrigerator Organizer Bins Set.

Lifewit makes the best affordable storage containers

 Two months ago, I organized my pantry with a food storage set from Lifewit and these airtight food containers are amazing. These pantry storage containers have helped my pantry stay neat and organized for several months. They are easy for my family to use.


Since these plastic storage containers helped me organize my pantry, I decided to organize my junk drawers with Lifewit. The Lifewit drawer organizer set helped me to finally solve the kitchen junk drawer problem. I am obsessed with all the different storage solutions from Lifewit and they are helping me organize my home.

Lifewit offers homeware solutions that help me save space

I just love how their bins for the fridge can be used all throughout the home. After I ordered the Lifewit Storage Bin Set, I could not wait to organize the inside of my fridge. When the containers arrived, I just had to clean out my fridge.


 So I took everything off the fridge shelves and wiped up all the food mess. Once I had an empty fridge, it was easier to decide how I was going to use the fridge containers to store the food in the fridge. This fridge set had eight bins of different sizes. I really liked that the egg storage had a lid on it. So no more cracked eggs. Check out the other unique features of the fridge storage containers.

Lifewit 8pcs Big Refrigerator Organizer Bins Set

+ BPA-Free Food Safety

+ Multi-size Clear & Stackable ~ Contains 4 large fridge organizers, 2 medium organizer bins, 1 small storage bin, and 1 storage basket for 12 eggs.

+ Built-in handles on both sides of containers ~ Make it easier to pull the containers to see what is in them.

+ Easy to clean

+ Multipurpose Usage ~ Can be used in the bathroom, office, pantry, and throughout the home.

A large bin for all the leftovers

 The bin storage set for the kitchen came with 4 large organizer bins and they were very spacious. I was able to place 3 large fridge bins on the top shelf. I also place one big fridge storage container on another shelf. I decided to use one of the bins to hold containers of leftovers, that way I could grab one container instead of many small leftover containers. I then used the other larger bins for cheese, condiments, and bags of grains, 

The smaller fridge bins were practical for my butter, egg carton, and cream cheese. I really liked that I could stack the containers to save space. These storage containers are very versatile and I could place so many different food items in each one for maximum fridge storage. These containers would be great to put lunch box items in them to make lunch preparation easier. Check out the many different items that you can organize in each storage container.

Suggestions for items to store in the bins

+ Juice Boxes

+ Water Bottles

+ Fruit and Vegetables

+ Cheese sticks

+ Condiments

+ Leftover containers

+ Sandwich fixings

+ Yogurt containers


 I really love how neat my fridge is. It is like I have a brand-new refrigerator. I might just have to buy some of the Lifewit organizational containers for my freezer. pantry, and kitchen cabinets. Lifewit has a huge variety of products for home storage and organization. Now to decide which room to organize next. The laundry room or the bathroom? 

Buy Lifewit Lifewit 8pcs Big Refrigerator Organizer Bins Set 

Check out this Lifewit Under Sink Organizer

 For my next storage project, I will be using this Lifewit Under Sink Organizer. I love that it is a 2 Tier Shelf Rack. This bathroom and kitchen organizer even has hooks to hang items like rags and brushes on. This is a space saver product to use in cabinets. 

 I could place the under-the-sink organizer in my kitchen cabinet to hold cleaners, sponges, and boxes of food storage wraps. This shelf would also be great in the laundry room to hold laundry soap and other cleaners. In the bathroom, it would keep all my bottles of shampoo and body wash neatly. This slim shelf would even be great to use on the kitchen counter for coffee and tea supplies. I have so many uses for this home organizer product. I will be buying plenty of the Lifewit multipurpose under-the-sink organizer. Make sure to check back to see photos of how I used the unique shelving system in my home.



Keeping Jesus In Christmas With IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN ~ Giveaway

It is too easy to get caught up in the holiday shopping and decorating that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. The film It's Christmas Again will help us remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Keep reading to discover an awesome giveaway.



 The holiday season is here again. The stores are filled with gifts and holiday decorations. People are busy shopping. The internet is filled with ad after ad about how we need to shop the many holiday sales. People are making lists of the best holiday gifts for everyone they know and their bank account is getting low in funds. The December days are getting filled with way too many holiday parties. The stress is growing. By the time Christmas day arrives, we are so tired that we just want to get this holiday over! 

 Does this sound like how Christmas is supposed to be? Is this the way Christmas is to be celebrated? What about Jesus? Have we forgotten the true meaning of Christmas?


Many thanks to Mapelle Films for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN is a modern-day musical that will help us to remember that Jesus is the reason for Christmas. This is a must-see movie for the whole family. This is a film with a beautiful reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season. It is time that we celebrate the true reason for Christmas.

Go see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN ~ A Magical Musical Adventure Through Time coming to theaters November 29 FOR ONE
NIGHT ONLY!



Discover One teenager’s journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas

Synopsis: Jake Young (Lawson Touliatos) wants nothing more than to spend his Christmas vacation with his girlfriend, Abbey Walker (Leela Owen). So when Abbey volunteers for her church’s Christmas play, Jake is ready to skip Christmas this year until an unexpected turn of events lands him in a field outside Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. While on his journey with the shepherds to find the promised Messiah, Jake discovers the true meaning of Christmas. Coming this Christmas sea-
son, IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN is a modern-day musical the whole family will love!

 Moms.dads, and grandparents do you want to focus on Jesus this Christmas?  Do you want to teach kids about why we celebrate the holiday called Christmas? Make time this busy holiday season to watch this faith-based musical movie with your family and friends. This family movie will inspire you to change the way you celebrate Christmas. 

Buy your tickets TODAY to see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN in theaters only on 11/29!

 We could all use this Christmas movie in our life, especially around Christmas, to help us focus on the real reason for the season, even when the people closest to us happen to be a bunch of scrooges. This Christian movie tells the story of the day Jesus was born, through the eyes of the shepards. This movie starts with a teenager (Jake) who is frustrated with his girlfriend choosing to volunteer in the church play, instead of attending a party with him. An accident leads to Jake discoving the true meaning of Christmas and leads to Jake wanting the whole town to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. You will love all the songs in the movie! I love the song Hey Christmas, What Happened To You. This movie will have you realize that Chistmas is not about shopping and spending money but about the miracle of baby born in a manger that came to save us from our sins.


Watch the official trailer for  IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN Here 



Check out these additional videos about IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN

~ Why mom's will love It's Christmas Again: https://youtu.be/eBrvq3hhRjw
The Heart Behind Its Christmas Again: https://youtu.be/lXEhtSzEKJ8
~ A Message from Leigh Cappillino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRZytip8tCE


Go see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN, in theaters for one day only on November 29th! Buy your tickets HERE.

#ItsChristmasAgainMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

GIVEAWAY ~ $10 Amazon Gift Card

 I am giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky Mom Knows Best reader. The giveaway is limited to US winners only. The giveaway starts on November 26th, 2022, and ends on December 4th, 2022. To enter the giveaway ~ enter on the giveaway form below.


Thursday, November 17, 2022

The Best Plant Based Sunflower Cheese Spread ~ Spero Foods

 Finding a plant-based cream cheese substitute that tastes good can be hard. Most plant-based cream cheese spreads are made with additives, have a gritty texture, or an acidic taste. Discover a smooth plant-based sunflower cheese spread that is delicious and eco-friendly.


 Having to follow a dairy-free diet due to a severe food allergy can be tough at times. That means having to give up your favorite foods and trying to find dairy-free substitutes that taste good. The struggle is hard! Especially when you discovered your dairy allergy, four years ago, at the age of 52. The removal of all dairy from my diet helped my severe asthma get better and a food allergy blood test confirmed that was allergic to dairy. A year ago I had my first anaphylactic reaction from dipping my hands in milk. 

 Finding food swaps for my favorite dairy foods has been quite the ride. I am thankful for all the plant-based companies that make allergy-friendly food. I quickly discovered delicious vegan ice cream that I enjoyed eating but items like dairy-free chocolate, dairy-free cheese, and dairy-free cream cheese that taste good have been a struggle for the past 4 years. Last year, I finally discovered No Whey Chocolate for a delicious plant-based chocolate bar. Then a couple of months ago at Expo East, I was so excited to discover the best Plant Based Sunflower Cheese Spread from Spero Foods. Now if I could only find a vegan cheese that has the gooey stretchy texture that I miss.

Creamy and Delicious Plant-Based Sunflower Cheese Spread 

 Spero Sunflower Cheese Spread is different from all those other plant-based cream cheese spreads. After discovering Spero's delicious creamy taste and 8 yummy flavors, I discovered that Spero is made with 7 simple ingredients with eco-friendly sunflower seeds. Spero sunflower cheese spread does not contain any additives like enzymes, lactic acid, or sugar.

Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese ingredients

+ Sunflower Seeds

+ Water 

+ Coconut Oil

+ Salt

+ Spices

+ Probiotic Cultures

+ Xanthan and guar gums

How is Spero Sunflower Cheese eco-friendly?

Spero takes water, land, and air seriously

+ That means choosing simple, minimal ingredients that require as little water as possible. Our key ingredient, sunflower seeds, uses 96% less water than nuts! That way, we can leave more water in nature—for plants and animals, for you and me.*

+ That means choosing sunflowers as our main ingredient, a plant that uses 97% less land than cashews to produce. Save forests. Protect trees. Choose Sunflower Cheese.*

+ That means choosing ingredients that help keep our air pure, clean, and safe for everyone and everything. Like sunflowers, a plant that emits 99% less CO2/CH4 than dairy to produce. Breathe easy. Eat Sunflower Cheese.* 

* Disclaimer: *Numerical comparisons are best judgment estimates only, based on our research findings. 

One Taste was all I needed 

 One taste was all I needed to know I finally found an awesome cream cheese substitute. While at Expo East Spero Foods offered me a plate that contained every flavor of sunflower cream cheese that they create, along with small pieces of bagels. I licked the plate clean and then asked for another sample plate. I think that I stopped at the Spero Foods booth several more times during the 3-day event. 

Once I returned home from traveling to Expo East in Philidelphia, I contacted Spero Foods for samples as I knew that you, my readers needed to know bout this amazing vegan cream cheese spread. I was overjoyed when Spero sent me a box of their delicious sunflower cheese spread. I grabbed a package of everything bagels and opened up my favorite flavor of Spero plant-based cream cheese ~ The Smoked Salmon. After spreading my bagel with this delicious sunflower plant-based cheese spread, I enjoyed every bite. 

 The next day I knew that I had to make vegan smoked salmon to enjoy with my bagels and cream cheese. What is your favorite topping to put on your bagel?

Check out this recipe for three-ingredient everything bagels made in the air fryer


8 Delicious Flavors of Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese

+ Original Cream Cheese

+ Herb Cream Cheese

+ Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese

+ Strawberry Cream Cheese

+ Pumpkin Cream Cheese

+ Smoked Cheese Spread

+ Cheddar Cheese Spread

+ Alternative Goat Cheese

  Spero Sunflower Cheese spreads are available in 1500 stores across the US and they can find the store near them through Spero's store locator https://sperofoods.co/pages/find



 You can also use Spero cheese spread in recipes. The other day I mixed the Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese into spaghetti with some homemade sun-dried tomatoes I made from the tomatoes that I grew in my garden. It was so delicious! You can even make a cheesecake with the Original Spero Cream Cheese. I was surprised at all the delicious recipes on the Spero Food website. From savory to sweet, this plant-based cheese spread is great to use in recipes.

Additional recipes to check out to enjoy with bagels and Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese

+ Vegan Smoked Salmon

Roasted Tomatoes Made In The Air Fryer

+ Three Ingredient Everything Bagels

+ Sugar-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

+ Crunchy Carrot Crackers

Savory Everything Spice Rosemary Chickpea Crackers




Vegan Smoked Salmon Lox For Bagels

Looking for a plant-based alternative to smoked salmon or lox? Look no further! This recipe for Vegan Smoked Salmon is a great plant-based alternative to traditional lox. Perfect for bagels with cream cheese for breakfast or brunch.


 Following a plant-based diet can be hard when you love the taste of seafood. Especially when it comes to bagels and lox. I just love an everything bagel with plant-based cream cheese and plenty of smoked salmon or lox. Add a couple of capers and my taste buds are happy. 

 So I was delighted when I discovered a plant-based smoked salmon when I attended Expo East 2 months ago. This vegan salmon that is made from carrots tasted so much like the real thing. I was bummed when I could not find this carrot salmon at my local stores. So I set out to make homemade vegan smoked salmon.

 I already have a recipe for vegan tuna that tastes like real tuna so I knew that I could make vegan salmon at home. Creating plant-based recipes that taste like traditional seafood products helps me to follow a plant-based diet. If you love seafood and want to eat more plant-based foods, you need to make this vegan smoked salmon recipe!

Vegan Smoked Salmon is 

+ Delicious

+ Made From Carrots

+ Vegan

+ Plant-Based

+ Soy-Free

+Gluten-Free

+ Allergy-Friendly

+ Full of Fiber

+ Tastes so Similar to Lox


 This recipe for vegan smoked salmon is perfect to enjoy with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast or brunch. You could also enjoy the salty salmon on crackers for a perfect party appetizer. This carrot salmon would look so yummy on a vegan charcuterie board with an assortment of bagels, dairy-free cream cheese, and other bagel toppings like sliced olives, roasted red peppers, homemade sun-dried tomatoes, and capers.

Ingredients Needed for Vegan Salmon Lox

+ Carrots ~ Make sure to buy large carrots and not baby carrots

+ Soy Sauce or coco aminos

+ Lemon Juice

+ Smoked Paprika

+ Olive Oil

+ Salt

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

 To make plant-based smoked salmon, you will need several ingredients. You may already have most of them at home like the spices. The main ingredient in this recipe is carrots. You will need to buy large raw carrots, not baby carrots. Since you will be using a vegetable peeler to make long strips of carrots for the recipe, select the large & fat carrots. I like this vegetable peeler as it has a nice grip on it.

 Make sure to buy smoked paprika as this will give the vegan salmon that smoky taste. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, then buy tamari sauce instead of soy sauce. Any type of salt will work for the recipe, I use sea salt in most of my recipes and buy sea salt in bulk containers.

Basic Steps To Make Vegan Smoked Salmon

+ Roast the whole carrots in salt

+ Slice the carrots into thin strips

+ Marinate the carrot strips in the seasonings

 Making plant-based smoked salmon is quite simple but the preparation will take a couple of hours. Most time of the preparation time will be roasting the carrots in the oven to get the carrots soft. This can take up to an hour. Using the peeler to slice the carrots into thin strips may take a while also. Trust me, it is worth it as this vegan salmon is amazing.

Tips for slicing the roasted carrots into thin strips: To get thin strips or ribbons from the carrots, that resemble lox strips, use a vegetable peeler. Starting from the top of the carrot, press the peeler into the carrot and in a downward motion slice it into a thin strip. After slicing a couple of strips of carrot from the carrot, it may be hard to get more thin strips. So take a sharp knife and cut the rest of the carrot into long thin pieces. These thicker pieces of carrot will still absorb the marinade and taste like salmon. Don't worry if all the carrot strips don't look the same as the taste will still be delicious.

Tip for how long to marinade the carrot strips: The carrot strips need to soak in the liquid mixture for at least 30 minutes.The longer the better as it gives more time for the flavors to infuse the carrots. You can also prep it up to 5 days ahead and leave it in the marinade in the fridge until ready to serve.

Storage tips: Carrot smoked salmon lox will keep fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. It is not recommended that you freeze vegan smoked salmon as the texture will change once it is defrosted.

 Carrot Recipes

If you still have carrots to use up after making vegan salmon, try these tasty carrot recipes:

+ Homemade Carrot Juice

+ Carrot Waffles

+ Spicy Carrot Hummus

+ Crunchy Carrot Crackers

+ Southwestern Sushi Burrito

+ Sushi Bowls

Keto-Friendly Pad Thai


Bread & Cracker Recipes

Discover some delicious bread  & cracker recipes to enjoy with the vegan lox salmon:

+ 3 ingredient Everything Bagels

+ Soft Chewy Pretzel Bread

Crunchy Carrot Crackers

Savory Everything Spice Rosemary Chickpea Crackers

+ Honey Whole Wheat Bread

+ 60 Minute White Bread



Make sure to Pin this recipe on Pinterest 


Tuesday, November 15, 2022

How to protect yourself and your baby by buying European baby formula?

 Today, baby food is becoming an object of special attention from parents, which is not surprising. The infant formula shortage is a particular problem for many parents in the United States. And an important step in solving this problem was the supply of infant formula from abroad. There are many baby formula types and brands in the global food market. And this creates difficulties for parents because sometimes it takes a lot of work to choose the right products.


 Against this background, the supply of infant formula from Europe has become quite important. In order to solve problems with supplies and availability of infant formula in the stores, the government allowed importing infant formula from abroad, but only from facilities that are registered and meet FDA regulations. Although thousands of parents are forced by trial and error to find a good vendor of European formula in the US, consumers should understand that even during the baby formula crisis, most of these products are not legally FDA-approved. So many parents still wonder how safe baby food is from other countries. Of course, the best food for the baby is breast milk. Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not always possible, and parents have to switch to bottle feeding. The best assistant in this matter will be your pediatrician. He or she will help you choose the right food based on your child's nutritional needs.

So what types of baby formula are there?

 The choice of formula for a healthy baby is not difficult because there are plenty of brands. But when it comes to infants suffering from diseases, you often can't do without regular nutrition.

Moreover, all the formula can be divided by the baby's age: 

  + First milk or starter formula: designed for babies in the first six months of life and can be marked with the number 1;

  + Follow-on formula: labeled with the number 2 and intended for infants in the second six months of life;

  + Toddler formula: marked with the number 3 and designed for kids from 1 to 3 years old;

 And there are other possible classifications. For example, among milk formulas, there are all-purpose "from 0 to 12 months" formulas designed to feed a baby throughout the first year of life and formulas marked "PRE" for premature infants.

 The composition of age-appropriate formulas is tailored to the nutritional needs of newborns, infants, and older babies and their ability to digest and absorb food. Formulas vary greatly in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals. And the transition to the next stage of formula must be timely because a lack of nutrients or, conversely, "overloading" with them can lead to health problems for the baby.

 Sometimes the labels on the packages may differ from each other. If you buy the formula on your own, read the description and recommendations on the box.

What are the main ingredients in formula milk?

 The composition of the formula varies by country and manufacturer. Still, infant formula is usually made from processed skimmed cow's milk with emulsifiers and stabilizers that make it easier to mix fats with water when the formula is diluted. The composition may also include the following:
  + Lactose (the natural sugar found in milk) and/or other sweeteners such as corn syrup, fructose, or maltodextrin;
  + Vegetable fats, such as palm oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or soybean oil
  + Fatty acids, usually fish oil-based;
  + Vitamins and minerals of plant and animal origin;
  + Certain enzymes and amino acids;
  + Probiotics (in some formulas).
Note that other types of formula, such as hypoallergenic, goat milk, or soy-based formula, may have a different composition.
All further classifications imply the presence or absence of any components. For example, the formula will be gluten-free for celiac disease and lactose-free for lactase deficiency.
A specific formula must be chosen in conjunction with the pediatrician. By depriving your baby of a component at your discretion, you run the risk of not getting enough nutrients into the baby's body. The opposite is also dangerous - the presence of intolerant components can have an extremely negative impact on the health of the child.

Is it worth buying a European baby formula?

 What is essential to know for potential customers of European formula is that any product must comply with the strict regulations adopted for foods for infants and young children in the EU. The regulation sets the minimum and/or maximum limits for certain nutrients, such as minerals and vitamins, in baby food and formulas. It also regulates new requirements for contaminants in food products and their declarations on labels. 

 These changes have led to the need to adapt compositions and packaging for infant formulas released in the EU in 2020. A new labeling for products has been introduced, indicating the absence of undesirable ingredients according to consumers. The law prohibits additives such as artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes from being included in baby formula. This project reduced the number of allergens from three to two: the allergenic soy lecithin was replaced by sunflower lecithin as a vegetable emulsifier.

 The organic baby formula from Europe is viral among consumers, as they are made from environmentally friendly ingredients, including organic milk, and produced without antibiotics, illegal fertilizers, and pesticides. 

 For milk to be labeled organic, farms must meet the standards set by EU legislation on animal welfare, wildlife care, sustainability, and product quality. That includes no preventative antibiotics or artificial hormones used to increase cow milk production. Farmers should provide a 100 percent organic diet for cows, prohibiting pesticides or synthetic fertilizers on all feed crops. In line with this, baby food manufacturers can trace the milk back to a particular farm and ensure the quality and transparency of the formula production at each stage. 


Stay Safe with Trusted Vendor - Organic's Best
 
In order to choose quality baby food from Europe, consult your pediatrician about the composition of the baby formula and its compatibility with your baby's nutritional needs. If you have already made your choice and are looking for a suitable place to purchase, you can buy organic European formula at Organics Best Shop. How can this online store be helpful for you when planning baby food shopping?



First, when ordering products from abroad, parents usually make orders in bulk. In such cases, Organic's Best offers the best prices for large purchases. It is also worth noting that when shopping on the site, you can rely on the customer support service, which will help you better navigate a large selection of products. And, of course, the most important thing is fast and guaranteed delivery, which allows parents not to worry about the stocks of their baby's favorite formula.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Best Ways To Reduce Inflammation In The Body

 Inflammation is a defensive response by the immune system, which dispatches white blood cells to the affected sites. You may not always see it or feel it, but inflammation may slowly be damaging your body.


 The word inflammation can be used in so many health conditions from joint health to even asthma. It is a condition that so few people understand. So what is inflammation, do I have inflammation, and how do I treat inflammation?

 When you hear the word inflammation what comes to your mind? Do the words pain and swelling pop into your thinking? Most people hear inflammation and think of injuries but it can also be applied to infections, sickness, and even asthma. Inflammation is a part of the body’s natural healing system to help fight injury and infection. But it doesn’t just happen in response to injury and illness.

Inflammation with Asthma and Allergies

When you think of asthma, you think of breathing issues with tight bronchial tubes or narrowing of the airways but usually do not think of inflammation. I bet you probably don't think of how inflammation damages the lungs. I know that I did not think about the health of my lungs from the chronic cough that I had from asthma. I just thought of asthmatic coughing to be an annoying part of my life and that is why I delayed medical treatment for so long.

 I also thought that my coughing was a result of my seasonal allergies and could not be asthma, as I had no wheezing symptoms. I thought that the increase in mucus was just a post-nasal drip issue and I did not go to the doctor until it almost caused me to lose my life. It was a dairy allergy that I discovered through a food allergy blood test that increased my asthma symptoms. It was an accidental dairy ingestion that caused my airway to swell to the point that I could not breathe. 

 I then made an appointment with an allergist and asthma specialist. It was then that I learned how the chronic inflammation of asthma was damaging my lungs and I started allergy shots for asthma treatment.

What is an asthma attack?

 During an asthma attack, the muscle wall contracts, and the lining of the airways becomes swollen and inflamed. These changes cause a narrowing of the airways which is further aggravated by an increase in secretions from the mucus membrane, which may actually block the smaller airways.

The increase in mucus during an asthma attack is the inflammation making more white blood cells. My asthma attacks were from many different triggers like seasonal allergies, smoke, chemical fragrances, and food allergies. When one of these triggers entered my body, my body saw it as a foreign invader and started producing more white blood cells to attack it and that made the mucus. That is why we have lots of nose mucus when we are sick. Our body is trying to get the germs out of our body. My asthma was giving me chronic inflammation. 

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What can I do to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation?

 After being told that my chronic inflammation from asthma could lead to COPD, I knew that I had to do something to reduce the inflammation in my body. I knew that I did not want to take prescription medicines for asthma as those would come with additional side effects. For now, I was able to manage my asthma attacks and restore normal breathing with a natural inhaler. My current plan of asthma treatment includes allergy shots as I want to naturally heal my lungs from trauma.


Here are some additional ways to reduce inflammation in the body.

1. Load up on anti-inflammatory foods ~ Food can play an important part in healing in your body and certain foods can reduce inflammation. Foods that reduce inflammation are fruits like blueberries, vegetables like beets, salmon, tuna, flax seed, olive oil, green tea, and spices like ginger, rosemary, and turmeric.


Don't like the taste of beets? Check out this delicious beet drink powder supplement that will help with a healthy inflammatory response after exercise. Use code MOMKNOWSBEST to save 10%

2. Cut back or eliminate inflammatory foods ~ Certain foods can cause inflammation in the body, so it is wise to reduce or eliminate these inflammatory foods. Inflammatory foods include red meat, trans fats foods such as margarine, corn oil, deep-fried foods, sugar, dairy, wheat, and most processed foods.

3. Control blood sugar ~ Food with simple carbohydrates is known to increase our blood sugar which increases inflammation. So limit or avoid simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, white rice, refined sugar, and anything with high fructose corn syrup. One easy rule to follow is to avoid white foods, such as white bread, rice, and pasta, as well as foods made with white sugar and flour. 

4. Make time to exercise ~ Regular exercise is an excellent way to prevent inflammation. Make time for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three to five times per week. Strength training is also needed 2 to 3 times a week for 10 to 25 minutes. Weightlifting has plenty of benefits for helping us age better.

5. Lose weight ~ People who are overweight have more inflammation. Losing weight may decrease inflammation.

6. Manage stress ~ Chronic stress contributes to inflammation. Find ways to manage stress like exercise, yoga, and meditation.

7. Take supplements ~ Many supplements can help reduce inflammation in the body. Some supplements that may have anti-inflammatory effects are collagen, turmeric, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc.

 The supplements that I take every day are pure fish oil and organic curcumin. Curcumin is a superior form of concentrated turmeric and is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Curcumin is also rich in antioxidant properties. I like that fish oil is also a powerful anti-inflammatory & a natural pain reliever. I like that Pure Micronutrient supplements are made with pure ingredients and are gentle on the stomach. When I take supplements I want ones that are highly absorbable and made without nasty ingredients like fillers.

Additional resources: 

+ How To Manage Asthma Symptoms Naturally

Natural lung healing treatment plan

Allergy Shots Information 

+ Mold Sickness 


Wednesday, November 9, 2022

My Favorite Finds At Expo East

 Expo East is the fall natural products show from New Hope Network. This is a huge event for the natural & organic community to showcase the latest products that are available in stores. The event is all about seeing and trying the latest natural food, beverages, personal care, and supplements.



 A couple of months ago, I attended a huge event called Expo East. Expo East is an event where all the healthy and natural brands come together to showcase their latest products and the buyers come to check the products out. It is a show where decisions are made and it is how new products get to the shelves of stores. Since I write about healthy products on Mom Knows Best, I get to attend Expo East on the media side. I also attended Expo East last year for the first time, so I was glad that I received another invite. This year Expo East was in Philidelphia.

 This is an event that I get super excited about as I get to see all these products that focus on healthy living. The best part is being able to sample healthy foods, supplements, and beauty products. It is a three-day event of fun eating and talking to brands about their products.

 I love chatting with brands that I featured on my website and discovering new brands to work with. I think what I love most about Expo East is feeling safe when it comes to sampling the products. Having multiple food allergies can make it super tough to eat outside the home. Since this is an event where the brands are proud of the healthy ingredients in the products, they expect people to ask about the ingredients and they have the packages of the food right there for me to look at. 

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My favorite healthy products!

 There were over 1200 brands at Expo East and I had 4 days to discover them all. While there were so many products that I loved, it is very hard to say which ones were my favorites. So I am going to focus on the ones that made a huge impact on me and the ones that I have made a part of my life. Many of my favorite products are plant-based products and of course free from dairy, soy protein, and mushrooms.

 The first day of the event started with a small number of booths that feature brands that are fairly new to the wellness market. At this event, I discovered the most amazing dairy-free chocolate caramel cookie bar from No Whey Foods. This delicious vegan chocolate was free of the top 9 common allergens. I was happy to discover this Epsom-it Muscle Recovery Lotion as I have discovered using magnesium lotion before bed helps me to sleep as well as help with muscle aches. I also discover these delicious gluten-free Pink Himalayan Salt Chickpea Chips that are loaded with plant-based protein 

 The next day at Expo East I started my morning by checking out the supplements first instead of the natural foods like I did last year. It seems that most people start the event with food as eating is the best but since I had a good breakfast I decided to pass the crowds and go to supplements. I had to find the Olbas booth to discover their breathing products. Last year at Expo East I grabbed a sample of their Olbas nasal relief inhaler and their Olbas Sugar-Free Cough Drops Lozenges. These products have been life savers to me as they have helped opened up my airway when I am having asthma problems. So I had to meet the brand and check out their other herbal remedies. I am glad that I did as I got to experience a neck massage with their Olbas Oil.


 I also had to visit Ridgecrest Herbals to discover what new products they have. I love their Clearlungs supplement as it helps me manage my asthma without prescription drugs. While I was checking out the supplements I discovered Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Gummies. I love their magnesium drink for helping me fall asleep so I was super excited to see a gummy formula.

 Next up were natural household products like soaps and cleaners. I was on a mission to discover new bars of soap for my teen son as he was not a fan of the ones that smell like flowers and lavender. I found a bar of soap from Bulldog that had a nice light scent that was made for men. Since it was scented with essential oils, it did not bother my asthma.

 I was also on the hunt for a new laundry detergent that had a scent that would not bother my asthma. I have been using unscented detergent but my family has been frustrated with the way the clothes smell. I was very excited to have discovered Art of Green cleaning products. At their booth, I smelled their new lavender-scented laundry soap and it agreed with my nose. This eco-friendly company makes cleaners with plant-based ingredients and the best part is how affordable they are.

Delicious healthy food finds

 After several hours of checking out supplements, I was hungry. So I headed over to the natural organic food section for some good eating. I was happy to see many plant-based food products. From vegan burgers to plant-based salmon with lots of plant-based snacks, I ate plenty. I enjoyed the best vegan cream cheese made from sunflower seeds. Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese comes in many flavors and I had to try them all. I like the way that they hand you a plate with bagels and a little dab of each flavor of cream cheese. My favorite flavor was Smoked Salmon. 

 Then I was in heaven when I discovered plant-based salmon and tuna products that had no soy! I may have had several samples of this plant-based seafood and on the last day of Expo East, the people working the booth gave me a full-size sample to take with me. So I enjoyed the salmon at breakfast with my bagels.

 My favorite sweet food items were certified vegan cookies from Fat Badger Bakery. These dairy-free cookies were so delicious and I loved learning that they were made in a facility that does not use any dairy products, so no risk of cross-contamination. The chocolate sea salt was my favorite cookie. Another plant-based dessert that I had to sample several times was Nada Moo Frozen Snack Bites as I had to try every flavor. These bite-sized vegan ice cream balls came in flavors like orange cream and peanut butter chocolate.


So many delicious drink options

There were plenty of drink options at Expo East from cold brew coffee and tea to energy drinks and flavored water. The one drink that I really enjoyed was chocolate-flavored sparkling water from Jelly Belly. This water had a delicious light flavor and also came in vanilla, cherry, pear, orange, and watermelon. I also discover this water that was in aluminum bottles made by Boomers for Gen Z to drink. The logo on the Gen Z Water was awesome and you need to read it in the below photo. One coffee company that stood out to me was Death Wish Coffee. This coffee had a nice bold taste. 


Regenerative food finds

 New to me this year at Expo East was regenerative foods. These were food products that were made with upcycled ingredients or imperfect foods. These were brands like Spudsy. Rind, and Barnana that use imperfect vegetables to make their delicious snacks. 

The best vegan products


 Expo East also had plenty of vegan products that I was happy to discover. One product was a vegan and gluten-free bouillon cube that did not contain soy. I loved that it came in many varieties like Not-Chick'n and onion. I also enjoyed some shelf-stable vegan Pad Thai noodles that were gluten-free and so easy to make in my hotel microwave. They were very tasty with vegan burgers and veggies that I had bought from Trader Joe's.

So many booths so little time

 I left the Expo East event with many samples and many new brand connections. It will take me a while to sample the many natural food items, personal care products, and supplements. Since I spent most of my time talking with new brands of natural products and eating, so I don't have many photos. To learn about all the wonderful products that were my favorites ~ click on the above links. I also did a running event while I was in Philidelphia and got a tour of the city. 



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