Great Foods For Breastfeeding Moms

Nursing moms need more protein, calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin A, and Vitamin C.

All of the foods listed are great sources of at least one of the above nutrients:

Vegetables- anything dark green, orange or yellow
Fruits- berries, grapes, grapefruit, apricots, peaches, melons, oranges and lemons
Whole Grains- quinoa, sweet brown rice (as found in mochi), millet
Legumes- chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, split peas, tempeh, tofu, miso paste
Nuts and Seeds- walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, almonds
Dairy- aged cheeses from grass fed cows, fresh goat milk and cheese, organic yogurt, organic kefir
Fish- wild caught Alaskan salmon and halibut
Poultry- lots of free range eggs
Meat- grass fed beef, lamb

Ask Holly: How Do You Pronounce Quinoa

And what is it? I feel like I’ve seen this food everywhere lately (even in pasta) and I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone what it is, especially since I dont know how to say it. Thanks!

-Jenna L

NY,NY

Hi Jenna-

I’m so glad you asked. Quinoa is one of my family’s favorite foods.

Quinoa is pronounced “keen-wah.” It is a nutritional powerhouse originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of protein for vegetarians. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, riboflavin and zinc.

While quinoa is widely considered a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant related to chard and spinach. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and has a similar effect as other whole grains in helping to stabilize blood sugar.

For best results, rinse quinoa before you cook it to remove the waxy saponin coating which can have a bitter taste. When cooked, it has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Try it in soups, salads, as a breakfast porridge or as its own side dish.

For quinoa, and whole grains in general, digestion begins in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. For optimal nutrition and assimilation, it is vital to chew your grains well. Make it a habit to chew each bite 20 times or more. You’ll be surprised how this simple practice can help your digestion.

Now it’s time to try this glorious new (to you) food!

Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 1/4 cups water or stock
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley pinch of salt

Directions:

Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.
After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.
Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and Enjoy!

Prevention

Some Women Are Still Confused About Breastfeeding

Holly 2 Comments

Overheard conversation today between two otherwise normal looking thirty-something women:

“She breast fed her first daughter for like one month, and her second one for like zero months.”
“I’m not going to breastfeed at all. I don’t like it.”
“Me either. I think it’s gross.”

My husband noticed my chin on the floor and told me not to stare.

I’m eavesdropping, I said.

“Well you don’t have to be so obvious.”

What century is this? It was all I could do not to grab my 19 month old and proudly start nursing him then and there, mere inches from these misguided souls!

In fact, the only thing that stopped me was the dress I was wearing- with no access whatsoever to my breasts.

I’m glad I was wearing that dress- it saved me from what was sure to turn into a public scene. (As if we weren’t already causing enough of one with 2 small wildly active boys in a restaurant!) I’m sure it would have only hurt the cause.

hand knit breast hat — Too bad it wasn’t cold enough for this hat!

But back to the question at hand. How can we reach these women? If hospitals are ceasing to give free formula samples, and news stories populate the airwaves claiming breastfeeding could save 900 babies a year, how can we convince these women that it is the furthest thing from gross you will endure as a parent?

I am here to tell you it is not easy. In fact I’m writing this from my bed as I have a random case of mastitis. With a 19 month old nursling I’m convinced this is some sort of record.

And I know there are very real reasons women can’t breast feed- breast reduction surgery, dehydration in childbirth, certain medications taken by mother, going back to work, etc.

But “I don’t like it” and “It’s gross” are not valid reasons.

Some people disagree with my stance, but I agree with the Surgeon General. Breastfeeding should not be considered a lifestyle choice.

It is a public health issue.

Prevention

Recycle! Can You?

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Activists and journalists perch in the big cities and ~~lecture~~ inform us about our responsibility to recycle, while laying on the guilt inducing statistics such as “only 80% of glass is recycled in the US,” and “even though 75 percent of solid waste is recyclable, only about 30 percent is actually recycled.”

So I study the articles and go to “green” rallies and dutifully recycle. I have often wondered why everyone doesn’t recycle, when I naively assumed it was as simple as designating a separate bin for recycling and tossing in our bottles and cans.

Well now my eyes have been opened.

While temporarily living in my hometown of 50000 people for two months, our family responsibly collected cans, rinsed out glass, broke down cardboard and set aside plastic so I could recycle it- the way I did when I was growing up there. Back then I would take all of our cans and sell them- and the recycling center always paid me in two dollar bills, which added an even more exciting element to the whole process.

Last month when there was no room to collect any more- as boxes and bags were spilling out the back door onto the patio- my husband sorted everything neatly and off I went to my old recycling stomping grounds.

Not only was it closed, but it was boarded up and cobwebs had formed.

Huh.

So I kept driving, and kept driving until I found lots of recycling centers and salvage yards, yet all of them only collected metal.

I found a place that would recycle cardboard boxes, but nothing with any paint on it and no plastic.

I asked the salvager why they didn’t recycle glass, and he said “we used to, but someone came in and upset the apple cart, and cut every one out of the middle.”

Ok.

So I pulled over and called my sister (master sleuther) and asked her to try to search on the internet for a place that took plastic and glass. She sent me to one place which was supposed to have recycle bins, but they were no where to be seen.

My sister called 3 places, including the state recycling board. No answer at any place. She finally called Target who said they did have a glass recycling receptacle and we were welcome to bring our bottles. At this point I’d been out driving around for an hour and a half, (how eco-friendly of me!) so I came home and sent my husband to Target with the glass.

He called me from inside the store-
“I’m a little embarrassed- I have a shopping cart full of glass and I have no idea where to take it.”

I told him to ask customer service. He was totally uncomfortable, but did it. A few minutes later I got this text:
“No glass. Heading to dumpster”

It is all so frustrating! It actually physically hurts me to throw away anything that I know can be recycled- I feel it in my stomach. But here we are, going out of our way to do our part to save the planet, and we are met by road blocks every step of the way.

This is in one small town in the US- a town filled with thoughtful and considerate citizens who love the planet.

Even a playscape at the local park is made from recycled material:

I can only assume it is equally as difficult to recycle in most of the other 19,000 towns of similar (if not smaller) size.

So I have to ask- why is it so hard, and what can we do about it?

Prevention

Skin Deep

Holly 2 Comments

It’s February. AKA the month when new year’s resolutions become a distant memory.

I’ve been thinking a lot about lifestyle and how the little choices we make every minute of every day are what truly matter.

It’s exciting and grand to declare some big goals, and if they are reached, congratulations! Seeing progress or making noticeable change is the best way to stick to resolutions. It feels good, and no one wants to “go back.”

But even with tangible results, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. I think of Oprah wheeling out 67 pounds of fat in a wagon onto her stage and declaring- “I will not let this happen again!”

Most of us know how that story continues- she did in fact gain all that weight back, and lost it and gained it a few more times until she decided she was happy with her size.

It’s even more difficult to stick to practices that don’t offer any immediate results. This is true of many of the things we do as prevention- whether it’s avoiding certain toxins in the food supply such as trans fat or only eating organically grown food.

Recently I’ve been thinking specifically of personal care products. There are numerous studies that show the ingredients in lotions, shampoo, deodorant, tooth paste, etc. on drug store shelves in the US contribute to everything from birth defects to cancer. In fact, only 11% of the 10,000+ ingredients approved for use in our personal care products have been tested for toxicity.

That is not ok with me.

More than 60% of what is applied to our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream.

1 in 5 cosmetics or skin care products contain chemicals with a direct link to cancer.

Women are exposed to an average of 126 different ingredients on a daily basis.

Exactly NONE of those ingredients are required to be tested for safety under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.

What’s more, there are 400 products on the market in the U.S. that contain chemicals prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries.

Therefore, I make a huge effort to use only products that contain natural ingredients with a proven safety record. And I definitely use only natural products on my children. In fact, I went so far as to take my own products to the hospital so my baby’s first bath would not include soaking in toxic chemicals.

I can’t remember when I made this radical switch, but it’s been many years. This has not been easy- I spend more money on organic products, have to meticulously study labels, run the risk of sweating through clothes, have dishes that might not get as clean as they could with petroleum derived ingredients, and give up the smell of “fresh laundry”.

However, since I have no immediate, tangible results from the use of natural products, I occasionally ponder throwing in the towel to be “normal” again.

It seems like it would be easier.

But I can’t forget the studies I’ve read or the epidemic numbers of unexplainable cancers in our country and I am jolted back to reality.

There are so many things in life that are out of my control, so I control the things I can. This includes what I put on my body, and the products I use on my children.

To find out about your products, check out Skin Deep– an invaluable website where you can find product and ingredient safety ratings, health information about cosmetics ingredients and smart shopping tips.