I’ve Been Breastfeeding For 3 Years!

Q: What can I drink to stop breastfeeding ??? My baby is 3years 1months. I’m tired of breastfeeding I’m also loosing weight any home remedies to stop breastfeeding plzzzz

A: Breastfeeding is really an intimate activity for mum and baby and it is not strange to find both of them feeling some sense of loss as this ‘bonding’ activity comes to an end…even when it’s mummy suggesting the change 😃 So, it is important that mum finds time to still bond with baby like frequent cuddles, keeping baby close to you, frequent eye contact etc. Generally re-assure your baby that the fact that this activity is coming to an end does not mean you love him or her any less. Be sure not to introduce this when your baby is going through any major changes like moving house etc. That might convince baby you’ve moved on to other stuff 🙂

Then get to it! 😊 How? You can stop gradually over a period of time. Replace some feeds during the day with other foods or even milk (just not from you). Usually the first and last feeds of the day are the most difficult to replace or give up as they are your baby’s sorta emotional anchors 😊 But keep at it over a period of weeks and the breast milk production will gradually ‘dry up’.

The other option is to just stop putting baby to the breast. If your baby feels it’s also a good idea to stop, then you’re good. If not, you may have to be very creative with means and ways of distracting him/her.

In both situations, you may find your breasts engorged. If you’re stopping gradually, you may want to express some milk (don’t express until until the breast feels empty) and store in the fridge.

You could put that in a sippy cup and feed baby later.

If you’re stopping immediately, get the right support for your breasts.

In the good old days, mothers would tell their daughters to tie a wrapper tightly across their breasts. This helps. In fact, I believe that this is still being done by lots of people 😊

If you’re more jet age, though wear a tight supportive bra. For the pain, take analgesics and also apply cold packs to your breasts.

Try not to stimulate the nipples during this period. This encourages milk production. Hubby should kindly take note too.

All the best as you move to a new phase of parenting! You definitely have surpassed the the recommended 2 years’ breastfeeding mark. Well done!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Akara… but with less oil?

Craving Ice Cream?

If you love ice cream but want a lighter option, this is one of my go-to healthy swaps.

Frozen bananas + a little milk give you that creamy, indulgent feel, without going overboard.

A gentle reminder: healthier doesn’t mean unlimited. Portion control still (always) matters 🙂

Small swaps like this add up over time. It’s easy to prep and you can find the ingredients anywhere – bananas and milk!

Would you try this frozen banana cream?

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Happy New Year – 2026!

Happy New Year, Family!

It’s Day 3 of 2026 and the race to the end of the year is already on 🙂

This is usually the season of resolutions – goals, plans, fresh starts and new beginnings. Have you made yours yet? And be honest… does wellness feature anywhere on that list? 🙂

As I start the year, I like to remind myself of a few do’s and don’ts for setting practical goals. I’m sharing them here in case they help you too.

Do

1) Spend time to reflect on the goals you had set before – what worked, what didn’t work and how can you fix what didn’t work. Write them all down.

2) Ask yourself what the best version of yourself looks like if you had no obstacles. Start from there – this version.

3) Set SMART goals

Be specific – what do you want to achieve?

Make sure you can measure progress.

Choose goals that are achievable. This part takes finesse because you have to still be ambitious, but not reckless. In fact, give yourself goals that scare you a little. Yes, scare you. It keeps you alert and intentional and focused on being the best you.

Make your goals realistic, not in the ‘only what’s been done before’ sense, but in a way that you can actually visualize the path to victory. When being realistic is defined too narrowly, it can stifle innovation.

And finally, make them time-bound. When do you want to achieve this? What are your regular check-in points to reflect on progress and how to make corrections in real time.

Don’t

1) Fixate on what didn’t work before and the errors you had made. Pick what you learnt from that, apply it, forgive yourself, and move on.

2) Let people talk you out of your goals. That thing you do well, the thing that solves problems or blesses others, protect it. Yes, there may be obstacles. Do the hard work of checking feasibility. If the plan makes sense, use negative feedback to build a risk map and plan around it, not to abandon the vision.

3) Be an annual review champion 🙂 Don’t set goals in January, forget them by February, and remember them again next December. Let this be the year you take your plans seriously. Be disciplined, build weekly or monthly actions around them, review them regularly, and adjust as needed.

So tell me, which of these will you implement this year?

And how will you intentionally weave wellness into your goals for 2026?

Let’s do this together. I have something special planned around how we’ll approach wellness as a community this year. Watch this space 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Green and Watery Stool – Why?

Q: Why my stool is green and watery. Please tell me. Is it serious?

A: Running stomach, the runs or diarrhea can be due to several causes which include infections (viruses, bacteria etc), lactose intolerance, some medications, fructose (the sugar found in fruits) in people who cannot digest this, surgery, artificial sweeteners etc. In excessive amounts, coffee (which is implicated in heart burn) can cause diarrhea. The symptoms are loose watery stools which are accompanied by abdominal cramps/pain, urgent need to defecate etc.

In babies, green poo can be due to:

  • Baby not nursing sufficiently from one breast before being moved to the other breast. This means that the baby gets more (watery) fore milk than the fattier, nutrient-dense hind milk.
  • If baby is bottle-fed, it could be due to the particular formula being used. Try switching to another formula and see if it helps
  • Diarrhea
  • Inadequate intestinal flora in breastfed babies

Some causes of green poo in children and adults:

  • Eating a lot of veggies
  • Diet rich in iron
  • Diarrhea
  • Presence of green food dyes etc

The major issue with diarrhea is dehydration. This condition is evidenced by dry mouth/skin, excessive thirst, tiredness/fatigue, reduced urination etc. So, be sure to see your doctor immediately if you observe any of the symptoms of dehydration, loose stools continue for more than 2 days, if you have severe abdominal pain, high fever and/or bloody stools. At home, you can mix up a batch of oral rehydration salts and start on this before going to the hospital.

To prevent diarrhea, be sure to wash your hands often, especially before you eat.

I hope this helps 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Frozen Banana Cream

Craving Ice Cream?

Merry Christmas again, family! I hope you had a great day, on Christmas Day and Boxing Day!

If you love ice cream but want a lighter option, this is one of my go-to healthy swaps.

Frozen bananas + a little milk give you that creamy, indulgent feel, without going overboard.

A gentle reminder: healthier doesn’t mean unlimited. Portion control still (always) matters 🙂

Small swaps like this add up over time. It’s easy to prep and you can find the ingredients anywhere – bananas and milk!

Would you try this frozen banana cream?

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas eve, family!

A merry heart does good like medicine and so as I go about the day, spending time with my family, I am reminded of and am taking the time to count my blessings! 🙂

I love dressing the Christmas tree. I do! And it’s a family affair. This year, it went up late because my people did not get home on time 🙂 but we got the job done! We look at all the decorations, clean them out, check out the symmetry of the tree as the decorations go on and ensure it takes up a good spot. Once it goes up, it’s like we are all ready to go! 🙂

What about you family? Are you ready to go?

Don’t forget to spend time reflecting on the reason for the season – one of the greatest love stories ever told!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Recipe: Chicken Avocado Crema Wrap

Hi guys! 4 days to Christmas! Can you believe it???

Yesterday, I asked what you would make with those ingredients… and today, I’m sharing my answer 🙂

One thing I would make (and did make :)) is a chicken avocado crema wrap. What is that? It is one of my favourite healthy swaps (healthier versions of calorie-dense foods). It’s deliciousness in a bite! 🙂

I show you how to make the wrap in this video.

A few gentle reminders as you watch:

• Clean hands matter. Please wash as you go when handling food, especially veggies and fruits that will be eaten raw

• Feel free to improvise with what you have at home

• Moderation is the rule of the game

Avocado is rich in heart-healthy fats and nutrients, and yes, it’s a healthier option than mayo. But it still packs a punch in calories, so portion control is critical, especially if weight loss is your goal.

In my next video, I’ll show you how to make the avocado crema so you can make your own version at home.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What would you do with these ingredients?!

Hint: creamy, fresh, healthier alternative to a calorie-dense food, versatile and (probably) not what you’re thinking 😉

What is it?!

Video coming shortly!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

More Food Myths!

Hello Fam!

Today, we are taking on 2 other food myths and we will give our verdict – fact or fiction.

Myth 1: Skipping meals helps you lose weight
Verdict: Not quite!

Ideally, this should make sense, right? If you just stop eating, you won’t gain weight. You will be satisfying the weight gain equation – eating less calories per day. Right? Wrong! You know why? Because this is not sustainable. So, what actually happens, is that when you do eat, you would have gotten so hungry that you try to make up for lost time and you will potentially binge, eat bigger portions, have more cravings for sugary or fatty foods and you have less energy and are generally irritable and a menace to society! 😊

I know someone right now is wondering, ‘but what about fasting?’ Well, planned fasting is different from skipping meals.

Fasting can work when it is intentional and structured; time-bound so that you know when you’ll eat again and paired with balanced, nourishing meals.

Examples are intermittent fasting (e.g. 10am–6pm eating window) and religious fasts

Please consult your doctor before fasting if you have diabetes (especially if on medication), struggle with binge eating, are pregnant or breastfeeding and if it causes loss of control when you finally eat

Myth 2: Palm oil is unhealthy
Verdict: Not a straight answer 🙂

People oscillate between saying that palm oil is bad for you (because it is rich in saturated fats) and good for you because it is orange and should be good for the eyes. Which is true? Both! 😊
Palm oil is a traditional oil many of us grew up with. It contains vitamin A (especially red palm oil) and has both saturated and unsaturated fats.

The real issue is quantity and preparation, not palm oil itself.
Problems arise when too much oil is used, the oil is overheated repeatedly and our meals meals are swimming in oil daily.
A small amount of palm oil, used thoughtfully, can absolutely fit into a healthy diet. Remember that I have always said that as a rule of thumb, when you are done cooking, if you can see the oil in the food, it is definitely too much.

So, the lesson here is not about cutting palm oil out – it’s reflecting on how often you use it and how much of it you use. For more on this, please click here – https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/14/daily-health-tips-preparing-and-cooking-your-veggies/

Reflect on this as you prep for this festive season 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fact or Fiction – Nutrition Edition!

There is a lot of wellness information out there – some of them fact and others, fiction!😊

Today, I’ll give you my take on some wellness advice.

Advice 1: Eating fruit/food at night makes you fat.

Verdict: Fiction. Let me explain, because this is a very popular one.

Every fruit has the same fruit has the same number of calories, whether you eat it in the morning or at midnight.

As I have told you often, weight gain or loss ultimately comes down to an equation:

If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.

The real issue with eating late at night is how and what people eat. Late-night eating is often calorie-dense snacking, done mindlessly, usually in front of the TV, when the day is already over and there’s no opportunity to burn those calories through activity😊.

Remember also the fact that ‘inhaling’ your food (that’s my way of saying, eating your food too fast), means that you don’t give your stomach the opportunity to receive the information from the brain that says, ‘Hey! Stop! You are full’ and so one may rapidly transit from starving to stuffed! 😊 If someone already ended the day close to (or above) their calorie needs, that extra intake simply adds to the surplus.

However, if you have eaten less than you burned during the day, and what you eat at night is light and low-calorie, you will not gain weight simply because of the time.

There’s also the body’s day-night (circadian) rhythm to consider. This is your body’s natural 24-hour internal clock that tells it when to sleep, wake up, digest food, and use energy best. Using this rhythm, the body’s sensitivity to insulin (the hormone that ensures the glucose in the food you eat is taken into the cells where it is used for energy) and metabolism (breakdown of food in the body into energy) are slightly more efficient during the day than at night. Having said that, the difference is not large enough on its own to cause weight gain.

Some people also experience bloating or discomfort when they eat certain fruits late at night, but that’s a digestion issue, not fat gain.

Bottom line:

So, if eating at night makes you consistently exceed your calorie needs/quota, then you should rethink it. But the weight gain that happens is driven by overall calorie balance and habits not due to the time 🙂

Advice 2: Unripe plantain cures diabetes.

Verdict: Fiction

Unripe plantain has a lower glycaemic index and more fibre and therefore helps with better sugar control. Remember that foods with fibre absorb water in your stomach and therefore make you feel fuller for longer. For more on glycaemic index, click the link here: https://chatwithdrketch.com/…/daily-health-tips-is-it…/

So, unripe plantain is a good meal for diabetics, but it is not a cure. Remember that for diabetics (type 2), they should focus on diet and exercise. And of course, everything their doctor and nutritionist say. For more on that, click on this link here.: https://chatwithdrketch.com/…/daily-health-tips-world…/

I hope you had a great day

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment