Feasting Friday: Iron Please

Many pregnant and postpartum women struggle with maintaining good iron and hemoglobin levels, especially African American women it seems.  I am speaking from experience.  I was prescribed iron pills with my first pregnancy and I was miserable because they are so constipating.  There are many great whole food options that work just as well, if not better.  Today I am going to focus on Blackstrap Molasses :)

Blackstrap molasses (BSM) is the "byproduct of the process of refining sugar cane into table sugar. It is made from the third boiling of the sugar syrup and is therefore the concentrated byproduct left over after the sugar's sucrose has been crystallized" ~ Whole Foods  Our bodies need iron inorder to obtain and transport oxygen from the lungs throughout the body; thereby, providing daily energy to grow a baby, placenta, birth, breastfeed, and prevent hemorrhaging.  BSM is also a great source of calcium and many other minerals.  Calcium is not just important for healthy bones and teeth, it is also necessary for "the heart and other muscles to contract, blood clotting, the conduction of nerve impulses to and from the brain, regulation of enzyme activity, and cell membrane function". 

You can see the relevance of these vitamins and minerals and how deficiency can cause many problems in pregnancy and birth: hypertension, postpartum hemorrhage, etc.  Take matters into your own hands and get some BSM today.  Here is a yummy "coffee" alternative using it:

1tbsp BSM
Hot water
Milk of your choice (I use soy)
Sweetner of choice (honey or raw sugar to taste)

Fill a tea cup with BSM and half cup hot water and mix well.  Add milk and sweetner.  You can add ice for an "iced latte" affect too.

Feasting Friday: Whole Foods

The First Lady has been campaigning for better health and food choices in America for some time now.  American lifestyle makes change a bit of a challenge as we are constantly on the go, stressed, stretched to thin, and looking for instant gratification.  Pregnant women are not an exception to this lifestyle either which often leads to gestational diabetes, preeclapsia, preterm labor, low birth weight babies, and many other problems. 

Eating better does not have to be this life altering force where you feel cheated either.  The solution is to take baby steps.  The easiest solution to start by eating more WHOLE FOODS and eliminate PROCESSED FOODS!  Whole foods are simply things that grow out of the earth: fruits, veggies, whole grains.  Consuming a good variety of these foods and making sure you "follow the rainbow" will provide all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and energy you need for increased health.  Following the rainbow means making sure you have lots of color on your plate :-)  Here is an example of good vs. bad eats:

 Which looks better to you? The best part is that eating healthy doesnt have to be any more expensive than the all the boxed stuff in the big picture.  More information to come in another Feasting Friday :-)

Moody Monday: US Infant Mortality Epidemic

I am so excited to finally start this blog as an extension of my desire to educate and make changes in our society around maternal/child health.  Today is Moody Monday! Huffington Post discussed the plight of infant mortality in the African American community: Infant Mortality

African Americans nationwide also have a stillbirth rate double that of whites. What's more, these unacceptable disparities have persisted for a half century.

Care also must continue after delivery, including screening for post-partum depression and education about breastfeeding. In California, research recently showed that at 22 hospitals more than 75% of mothers were supplementing their infants with formula at the time of discharge. Many of these hospitals serve the poorest families.

The benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented for years, [see my earlier post on this] yet nationwide, 65% of all black infants were breast fed versus, 79% of white infants, according to a 2005-2006 study.

In a recent article, my colleague Calvin J. Hobel, MD, an expert on the effects of stress on preterm birth, explains that chronic stress, precipitated by such factors as poverty, living in a dangerous neighborhood or racism, may trigger the release of a hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone. CRH, produced by the brain and the placenta, is closely tied to labor. It prompts the body to release chemicals called prostaglandins, which help trigger uterine contractions.

This is why Ama Traditional Services was created.  The United States prides itself on being the model country, yet our babies are dying to fast and too early.  Apparently we are not doing something right, even with all of the medical advancement and technology.  This article points out that women need access to care, less stress, and community support: the foundation of the Ama mission.