Getting Ready

One of the most important things a woman can do is to prepare her body for pregnancy. Eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, getting at least 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, quitting smoking and alcohol, reducing caffeine, getting plenty of rest and managing stress are ways to help the conception process. Another important way to boost fertility is to rid the body of toxins which could be affecting the delicate and sensitive reproductive system. In many scientific studies it has been shown that a build up of environmental chemicals in the body will adversely affect the body’s ability to get pregnant. Only certified organic products can ensure that you are eating food free of fertility damaging chemicals.



A Healthy Start

Good nutrition is important during pregnancy, especially during the critical first trimester. Eating organic foods is one way to stay healthy and to give your baby a good start on a healthy, chemical free life. Organic food is produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, preservatives and bio-engineering. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is also more nutritious, delivering more essential vitamins and minerals than conventional food.



You Are What You Eat…So Is Your Baby

Billions of kilos of pesticides and agricultural chemicals are used each year to protect crops from insects, pests and weeds. These chemicals are then consumed as residues on fruits and vegetables. If you are pregnant these chemicals are then passed through to the baby via the umbilical cord.Many of these commonly used chemicals have been classified by the World Health Organization as toxic to human health. In particular, pesticides even in small doses have been proven to induce spontaneous abortion and to contribute to birth defects. Even minute doses of toxic chemicals can be devastating to a foetus, in particular to the central nervous and the immune systems.



Breast-feeding

Breast milk is the best possible food for your baby and what you eat is passed on through the breast-milk so it is important to eat organic food in order not to pass pesticide residues or other undesirables on through your milk.

Another very important factor often forgotten during breast feeding is that all the lotions and skin care products used are absorbed by the body and end up in the breast milk so it is even more important to use only organic skin care products (Please see body care products leaflet for more info).

Some coffee shop may have a no-breast-feeding policy, but we would encourage mothers to feel comfortable to breast-feed in our coffee shop and if there is anything we can do to make this more comfortable please ask.



Learning from the Past

Like many of today’s conventional agricultural chemicals, DDT was thought to be safe to human health and the environment. Studies commissioned by Agro-business reassured the public that this chemical was harmless and just suffered from bad publicity. They were believed until a disturbing amount of exposed animals and then humans experienced very high rates of miscarriage, stillbirths and birth defects. Under extreme pressure from consumer groups and governmental agencies, DDT was banned. To this day the company producing DDT has not been made accountable. Long term health effects from DDT exposure are cancers, respiratory ailments and reproductive disorders. The question for mothers to be is, do you want to believe that the chemicals used in conventionally farmed foods are safe for you and your baby or do you want to trust food grown naturally, chemical free and packed full of nutrients for your growing baby?



Organic Especially for Children

It is critical for children, especially during the first year of life, toeat a healthy, chemical free diet. Due to their smaller size, fast growth, speedy metabolism and less varied diets, infants andchildren consume more food per kilogram of bodyweight. As a result exposure to pesticides from consumption is greater per kilogram of the child’s bodyweight compared to adults. In fact the average child is exposed to four times as many pesticides compared to an adult. These chemicals are particularly poisonous to children because they are growing and developing organs to last a lifetime and this exposure will have a life long effect. One area that is particularly vulnerable to toxin penetration is the immature gastro-intestinal tract. This means that the defenses an adult has in its gut to process toxins is not yet developed in children, making harmful substances even more easily absorbed. Organic food is the only way to ensure that your child’s food has not been contaminated by dangerous and hazardous chemicals.



Health Problems from Agro-Chemical Exposure

At high enough levels, pesticides and other chemicals found in agricultural products as well as in meat and poultry, cause significant short and long term health issues for children. Some of the possible problems associated with chemical exposure are:

. Cancers especially childhood leukemia and liver cancer

. Immune system impairment

. Respiratory problems in particular asthma

. Hormonal functioning

. Learning disabilities such as ADD and ADHD

. Autism

. Reproductive problems

. Antibiotic resistance



Our Most Important Resource

The Organic Food Company and Café is committed to the health and happiness of Dubai’s children. We offer organic, chemical free food that tastes great and is highly nutritious so you don’t have to worry about the hidden hazards in conventional foods.



Top Ten Reasons to Go Organic for a Healthy Baby

1. You can trust the food.

Certified organic food is grown chemical free to strict, regulated standards and is traceable in the food system.


2. You are reducing baby’s exposure to pesticides.
Any chemical residue can be harmful to a baby’s development.


3. You are protecting against the unknown effects of GM.
Genetically modified foods have an unknown impact on health and the environment. There is a strong possibility of toxins and allergens.


4. You are protecting your baby from harmful additives.
Artificial sweeteners, colourings and hydrogenated fats allhave been determined to be unhealthy to children.


5. You are protecting your child from un-hygienic food.
Organic food is produced in a more stringently controlled food production system. A higher standard of hygiene means less harmful bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria.


6. You are providing more nutritious food.

Organic food is more vital than conventional food having more vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other essential nutrients which are necessary for a healthy, growing child.

7. You are protecting your baby’s immune system.

Pesticide residues destroy the immune system, which sets your child up for a life time of health challenges and disease.

8. You are giving your child tastier food.

Organic food, in many studies, has been shown to taste better than conventional food. Providing tasty foods to your child will develop in them a love and appreciation of quality food.

9. You are protecting the environment for your child’s future.

Organic food production cares for the land, water and wildlife. Our children will be able to enjoy a healthy, pollution free world in the future if sustainable, chemical and pollution free farming is encouraged.

10. You are promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The organic ethos of living healthy and chemical free, in respect and stewardship of our environment and ensuring fair and safe work places for farm workers is a valuable moral way of life to teach our children.