Cystic Fibrosis

       Healthy Baby= Happy Family!! 8/1/2012

So, I know I  haven't published all the prior posts I made for Cystic Fibrosis related matters, but I just had to post this one because I need a starting point! I plan to publish the last 12months right around Natalia's birthday (she's turning 1 in 17 days!!) so I can look back myself and see how far we've come. Cystic Fibrosis is part of our journey now and I feel like I have adapted and found a rhythm for handling it but part of what has helped me handle the challenges CF has brought has been finding products and services that are the absolute best I can offer to Natalia- especially in the nutrition department! We are still breastfeeding, but as you know by now, CFers eat A LOT! I make Natalia fresh smoothies several times a day so I can add in extra calories and nutrients she needs. I've been so happy though ever since I discovered the HAPPY FAMILY line of Happy Squeeze baby foods! I add 1 or 2 Squeeze pouches to her AM smoothie everyday and she LOVES them! We've been giving her Happy Family products for around 6 months now and I wish that I had known about them during those stressful "feeding tube" talk times. The Happy Squeeze pouches have Salba in them (Chia) which is an ancient super food that we all should eat but few do. Here's the info from the Happy Family site about how Salba stacks up:

  

•     8X more Omega-3s than Salmon
•     25% more dietary fiber than flax seed
•     30% more antioxidants than blueberries
•     15X more magnesium than broccoli
•      7X more vitamin C than an orange
•      6X more calcium than milk
•      3X more iron than spinach
•   1.1X more fiber than All Bran

      Isn't that GREAT?!? Of course knowing it is Gluten Free makes it even better but the fact that Natalia loves them and gulps them down in minutes makes it wonderful! 

      I have many weapons in my arsenal to fight Cystic Fibrosis and I hope that somewhere along the line someone reads this and is spared the agonizing stress of trying in desperation to find foods and products that help them fight CF for their child, but really, the Happy Family products are delicious and nutritious snacks for anyone (okay, I confess, mommy likes to sneak a few of Lia's HappyYogis once in awhile but so do her 6,9&11yr old siblings!) Here are some pics of her making our mornings happy with her sweet smiles as she enjoys her nutritious breakfast.