I know I've been harping (or harpooning, as the case may be ) a lot about fish oil. But bear with me. Here is some interesting research that supports its use in preventing various psychiatric and behavioral disorders in children. I would even extrapolate myself and say that fish oils may be beneficial for many other brain irregularities. From Medscape

Milk and soy allergies are particularly common in infants and young children. These allergies sometimes do not involve hives and asthma, but rather lead to colic, and perhaps blood in the stool or poor growth. Infants and children are thought to be particularly susceptible to this allergic syndrome because of the immaturity of their immune and digestive systems. Milk or soy allergies in infants can develop within days to months of birth. Sometimes there is a family history of allergies or feeding problems. The clinical picture is one of a very unhappy colicky child who may not sleep well at night. The doctor diagnoses food allergy partly by changing the child's diet. Rarely, a food challenge test is used. If the baby is on cow's milk, the doctor may suggest a change to soy formula or exclusive breast milk, if possible. If soy formula causes an allergic reaction, the baby may be placed on an elemental formula. These formulas are processed proteins (basically sugars and amino acids). There are few if any allergens within these materials. The doctor will sometimes prescribe corticosteroids to treat infants with severe food allergies. Fortunately, time usually heals this particular gastrointestinal disease. It tends to resolve within the first few years of life. Exclusive breast feeding (excluding all other foods) of infants for the first 6 to 12 months of life is often suggested to avoid milk or soy allergies from developing within that time frame. Such breast feeding often allows parents to avoid infant- feeding problems, especially if the parents are allergic (and the infant therefore is likely to be allergic). There are some children who are so sensitive to a certain food, however, that if the food is eaten by the mother, sufficient quantities enter the breast milk to cause a food reaction in the child. Mothers sometimes must themselves avoid eating those foods to which the baby is allergic. By delaying the introduction of solid foods until 6 months, and of certain foods much longer, it is possible to delay or prevent food allergies. Discuss individual feeding recommendations with your heal care provider. From Dr. Alan Greene

As many of you already know, the state of Colorado does not regulate the practice of naturopathic medicine. In this state it is "Buyer Beware" as there is no legal differentiation between a naturopath with 8 years of U.S. Department of Education training from accredited schools and someone with a mail order degree calling themselves a naturopath. In the past they've used the excuse that the mail order people weren't hurting anyone so why spend taxpayer's money to regulate us. That all changed last March when a fake naturopath in Wheat Ridge was convicted to 13 years in jail for manslaughter. To support our legislative effort, please sign up on the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians website, which is linked below, and you will be notified how and when to contact your state legislator so we can pass a licensing bill in '07.

My garden is full or kale and collard greens right now, wonderful late summer and into fall fare. In Boulder, Colorado, hardy collards will still produce until the first hard frost. Collards are rich in flavonoids, carotenes, and folic acid as well as fiber. Here is a link to a traditional recipe for collard greens. Vegetarians and others (like me) who don't eat bacon can substitute olive oil and natural bacon-bits from the health food store for the bacon fat. Enjoy!