This is a quick summary of why you need folate, also known as vitamin B9, in your diet. Folate is important for healthy fetal development. It is important in preventing heart disorders, sperm abnormalities, and birth defects. Folate also helps build muscles, and is needed for red blood cell production. Below are 5 reasons why you need folate. (This post may contain affiliate links).
1. You Need Folate for Healthy Fetal Development
Folate is important for healthy blood in adults as well as unborn babies. Thus, folate sufficiency reduces the risk of folate-deficiency anemia. Macrocytic anemia is another name for this type of anemia. “Macro” means big, “cytic” refers to cells. Thus, “macrocytic” literally means large red blood cells.
2. Red Blood Cell Production and Prevention of Anemia.
Anytime anemia is present, it means there is not enough oxygen being transported through the blood. This results in fatigue for the already born person. Anemia causes mental retardation, learning disabilities, and increased risk of infection and growth retardation. Thus, folate insufficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects in the unborn child.
3. Folate Prevents Birth Defects
Studies show that sufficient folate intake during pregnancy reduces birth defects by 50%.
4. Prevents Heart Disorders
Homocysteine is an amino acid that, when it is too high, leads to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Sufficient folate in the diet reduces harmful homocysteine levels in the blood. Thus, folate reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing homocysteine levels in the blood.
Folate has also been shown to reduce the thickening of the arterial wall. This is another way that folate reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
5. Folate Fights against Chromosome Abnormalities
Folate fights against chromosome (think “genetic”) abnormalities in sperm. This means that it is possible to reduce the risk of birth defects even before conception by assuring you are eating enough folate-rich foods. This applies to men as well as women.
Originally I only intended to write about 5 Reasons Why You Need Folate. However, I found another good reason. (And there are more, but this is just a quick summary).
6. Folate is important for Healthy Muscles
Muscles are made stronger and bigger with the help of folate, which is required for the conversion of arginine to nitric oxide (NO). So, if you or anyone you know, is trying to strengthen and grow your muscles, a folate-rich diet will help with this process.
Below is a delicious recipe that is rich in folate, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin a, vitamin c, and fiber.
Breastmilk is an amazing thing. And the benefits of breastmilk form a long list. The more I have studied the make up of breastmilk, the more I see evidence of design. Man still hasn’t, after years of trying, been able to copy the attributes of breastmilk. Though he keeps trying. Formula companies would just love to convince you that their product is equal. BUT IT ISN’T. Why is breastmilk is so superior to formula? Allow me to count the ways.
Omega-3s
It is an amazing thing to consider that Omega-3s have always been in breastmilk. Long before scientists discovered the many benefits of omegas-3 fatty acids, including anti-inflammatory effects and help with brain development, the omega-3s were there. As a creationist, this is what I would expect. God knows so much more than us finite humans. Of course they’re there!
The USA just barely approved omega-3s in formula around the year 2000ish. When I was working on my Master’s degree program at Loma Linda University (I graduated in late 1999), omega-3 fortified formula was available in Europe. Not so in the USA.
When I first started working as a dietitian for WIC in 2001, formula with omega-3s was brand new to the US market. Thank goodness God knew it was important long before this!
Benefits of Breastmilk – Antibodies and Immunity
Babies who breastfeed get the antibodies from their mother. This increases their ability to fight infection. In fact, it has been documented elsewhere that babies who are breastfed get sick less often. This is one of the main reasons why I pumped for 8 months with my son. I was determined that he get the benefits of breastmilk even if he couldn’t latch on.
By the way, even if you breastfeed for the first few days after your baby is born, you have still helped to build her immune system. This is because just after birth, breastmilk is different and is called “colostrum.” Colostrum is thicker, which is why sometimes moms think their supply isn’t there right away. Colostrum is higher in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and immunoglobulins (antibodies) than the milk that comes later. Thus, giving your baby colostrum at the very beginning will go a LONG WAY in helping her build her immune system.
Weight Loss
One of the reasons why it wasn’t excessively difficult for me to pump for 8 months was because I lost weight. In fact, I was down to my pre-pregnant weight within a month or so of having my son. And I wasn’t restricting my calories.
When you breastfeed, you use 500-1000 calories extra every day. If you are exclusively breastfeeding, the number is closer to 1000. This is compared to increased needs of 300 calories while pregnant. How’s that for some benefits of breastmilk?
Risk of Postpartum Depression is Reduced
Two hormones are involved in the “letting down” process in response to your baby suckling. These two hormones are Oxytocin and Prolactin Both hormones have a positive effect on mood. And Prolactin is the hormone that inhibits pregnancy.
Birth Control/Delay of Menstruation
Breastfeeding is not a trustworthy form of birth control. However, one of the benefits of breastmilk is that when a woman exclusively breastfeeds, she will almost always have a delay in the return of menstruation. I don’t think I got my period until 1 1/2 years after my son was born, and like I said a minute ago, I breastfed/pumped for 8 months.
Less Chance of Your Child Being Overweight Later in Life
When your child breastfeeds she is in control of how much she eats. Getting milk from the breast actually requires effort and also strengthens the oral muscles. As soon as she stops suckling, the milk stops coming. Mom doesn’t even have to be paying attention. Unfortunately, most nipples used with bottles have large holes, and the milk just drips into the mouth without any effort. Thus it is easy to overeat when using a bottle.
I used to think it was an old-wives’ tale that our stomach stretches. But it’s not. So, if your baby gets used to drinking large amounts of formula, his stomach will stretch. This will set him up for overeating later in life. With breastmilk, the baby has to work harder and he gets to decide when it’s time to stop.
A note about the size of a baby’s stomach.
When I worked for WIC, one of the most common issues I dealt with was people overfeeding their baby. There is no way that a newborn should be drinking 6 ounces of formula. This was amazingly common. And they would wonder why their poor baby was fussy!
A newborn baby’s stomach is about the size of a marble. It isn’t until the baby is about 1 month old that the stomach is big enough to hold 4 ounces. My suggestion, if you are going to bottle feed, is to use a smaller bottle. That’s what I did. I used a 2 ounce bottle for my son at the beginning. And I also picked nipples that had a tiny hole so that he had to work harder to get his meal.
More Benefits of Breastmilk
Reduced Risk of Tooth Decay
This is partly related to the fact that babies often fall asleep while eating. If they fall asleep while on the breast, tooth decay is not an issue. However, if they fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth, the sugars from the formula can cause cavities.
Lower Risk of Ear Infections
Another side effect of allowing a baby to fall asleep with a bottle in his mouth is increased risk of ear infections. The formula from the bottle can leak into the ear canal and result in ear infections. Not only that, but the vacuum created by sucking on the nipple can cause irritation. If you are bottle feeding, the best thing to do is
1) Make sure you baby’s head is upright when feeding the bottle.
2) Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. Hold him while feeding him.
2) Use a positive pressure nipple that is similar to breastfeeding, like this one.
Click here for another risk factor associated with bottle feeding.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT BREASTFEEDING
Is it okay to breastfeed when I’m sick?
YES!!! In fact, if you continue to breastfeed while you are sick, your baby will be getting the antibodies your body created in response to the illness. As a result, your baby will be LESS likely to get sick. Isn’t that COOL?!
Why is my baby jaundiced? Should I stop breastfeeding if my baby gets jaundiced? Is this normal?
Jaundice is a common condition in all newborns. However, it tends to be more common and to last longer in breastfed infants. Jaundice is a condition caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Most infants with jaundice can continue to breastfeed as long as bilirubin levels are monitored and your child is otherwise healthy and feeding well.
If my baby gets gassy, do I need to stop breastfeeding?
No, usually there’s a food in your diet that you can eliminate that will help with that.
According to BreastfeedingBasics.com, all babies are born with the “lactase” enzyme (the enzyme that digests the sugar lactose) in their intestine. So your baby is most likely not lactose-intolerant. Lactose intolerance usually doesn’t develop until 3-4 years of age. Therefore, gassiness is probably the result of something else in your diet.
Let me know if you have any other questions about breastmilk and breastfeeding. Talk to you later! 🙂
Oh, I almost forgot, here is a DELICIOUS vegetable tomato soup my hubby made a few days ago. This is his specialty. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a picture and I couldn’t find one acceptable online, but suffice it to say it also looks delicious!
(Note: this is a post originally written in 2020). Soup is one of the easiest ways to get a lot of nutrition in a very small bowl (or large bowl if you prefer)! 😉 Since I know that many of you are looking for healthy soup recipes, especially in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I wanted to find some really good ones for you.
The fun thing about soup is that once you get one delicious, simple, healthy recipe, you can make tons of other similar, but different, and equally as healthy soup recipes!
The following delicious recipes should get your creative (and gastric) juices flowing.
These 10 healthy soups will help you keep within your calorie goals. PLUS they will provide you and your family with much-needed immunity against the illnesses of the season. For example, colds, flu, and the cursed COVID19 virus.
Low Calorie Soups
Healthy Vegetable Soup Recipes – The soups included in my free “kid-friendly vegetable soup recipes” booklet are the perfect way to get started on making soup. These recipes are simple, quick, and easy. The ingredients are similar except for the type of vegetable and seasoning/herb used. Thus, you don’t have to have any special ingredients on-hand, which makes them budget-friendly as well.
These healthy recipes are derived from an older Better Homes and Garden Cookbook I own and are complete with appropriate seasoning for each soup. Our favorites are broccoli, potato and mushroom.
I just love cream soups. So, one of the things I do is use 2% or nonfat milk instead of whole milk. For example, 1 cup whole milk contains 150 calories, while 1 cup of nonfat milk contains only 90 calories.
This is an easy, painless way to cut calories. However, if nonfat is too extreme, you can use 2% milk which will still save you 30 calories per cup of milk. And it all adds up over time!
Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup – Everyone loves chicken noodle soup. And there is actual evidence that chicken noodle soup is therapeutic in treating colds and flu. When my husband makes chicken soup, he simply cuts some celery, onions, carrots, and uses leftover rotisserie chicken and chicken base. Sometimes, if he has them on hand, he will use a half package of frozen mixed vegetables as well.
Most basic soup recipes say to use 8-10 cups of water. But this is not set in stone, so you can add water to taste. Also, you can experiment with different types of noodles and pasta. Though I have found that the only type of noodles that don’t soak up all of the broth are egg noodles. I prefer to use whole wheat ones if I can find them.
You can also use brown rice for chicken rice soup!
I created this recipe which is technically lentil stew. However, when I created it, I intended it to be soup. Stew, soup, what’s the difference?! But seriously, if you want soup, you can add more water! 😉 Lentils are an excellent source of Folate, B vitamins, fiber, magnesium and more good stuff.
Here is another healthy lentil soup recipe for you to try:
Lentil Soup Recipe from Allrecipes.com – The cool thing about Allrecipes.com is that there are usually several variations of the same recipes. So if this one doesn’t suit your fancy, you can look for another similar one!
Healthy Crockpot Soup
Most, if not all of these soups can be made in a crockpot. Remember a crockpot is simply a slow-cooker. So, if you choose to make a soup in a crockpot, just make sure you start the recipe early enough in the day. This will make sure it’s ready in time for dinner. Usually 4 hours at high or 6 hours at low setting will do just fine!
And that is it for now! Let me know by leaving a comment below regarding what you think of the recipes and what else you would like to hear about from me.
And don’t forget to subscribe to my email newsletter so that you can be up-to-date on my latest articles and store sales!
The 3 benefits of the Color of Vegetables discussed here expand to much more. However, to simplify, let’s categorize the benefits of the color of vegetables into three broad categories: (post contains affiliate links)
1) Minerals
2) Vitamins
3) Phytonutrients
(This post contains affiliate links).
I. Color Provides Minerals
The four main minerals in vegetables are magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron.
Magnesium protects against depression and prevents excess blood clots. It also helps the body digest nutrients, and builds strong bones.
Green vegetables include broccoli, spinach, zucchini, asparagus, and cucumber.
Potassium
Potassium and sodium are important for fluid regulation in the cells. When there is enough potassium in the diet, sodium and potassium are in balance. This regulates the amount of fluid your cells hold. However, if not enough potassium is eaten, water retention occurs.
For example, excess water in the cells causes the heart and kidneys to work harder. Sufficient potassium in the diet will fight against high blood pressure and protect the heart and kidneys.
Potassium rich vegetables include potatoes, including sweet potatoes, beet greens, swiss chard, and lima beans.
Manganese
The benefits of manganese include prevention of Epileptic seizures. In addition, manganese helps control blood sugar levels in Diabetics. Manganese is also important for healthy bones and protects against bone fractures.
Vegetables rich in manganese include lima beans, lentils, and green leafy vegetables.
Iron
Iron has been discussed previously. However, it is an important mineral in the formation of healthy red blood cells and for preventing anemia.
Lentils, spinach, chick peas (garbanzo beans), and collard greens are all high in iron. See below for my delicious Lentil Stew recipe.
II. Color Provides Vitamins
Vitamins A, C, B6, and Folate are four vitamins that are abundant in all vegetables, regardless of color.
Vitamin A
Deficiency of vitamin A results in dry skin, eczema, dry eyes, and night blindness. Also, vitamin A deficiency is associated with acne, stunted growth, and infertility.
Vegetables high in vitamin A include kale, pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin C
As mentioned previously, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights infection and protects skin cells from sun damage. As a result, deficiency of vitamin C results in scurvy, poor wound healing, reduced immunity.
Vegetables high in vitamin C include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and bell pepper
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is essential for protein metabolism and healthy nerve function. Also, vitamin B6 is important in forming red blood cells.
Foods rich in vitamin B6 include carrots and spinach.
Folate
Protects against Birth Defects
III. Color Provides Unique Phytonutrients
I have written previously about phytonutrients. So, I don’t want to bore you here. Just a quick summary with a link to the original post will suffice, I hope. 🙂
Lycopene
Lycopenes are found in tomatoes, red bell peppers, beets, and other red vegetables. Click here to read more.
Anthocyanins are found in blue, purple and red vegetables. One interesting tidbit I didn’t mention previously is that the anthocyanins change color depending on the pH of the food. For example, science experiments on acid and base result in red cabbage changing color.
Chlorophyll
The fact that chlorophyll is the basis for the green in plants and that it has magnesium at the center of its molecule fascinates me. Read more about chlorophyll here.
Green vegetables include avocado, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, green beans, and green peas.
Anthoxanthins are antioxidants and are found in white/colorless/brown vegetables. So, expect anthoxanthins to be in garlic, onion, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, radishes, and lentils.
As most of you know, I’m working on education materials. I am designing these materials to help you more easily communicate to your kids the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.
I’m also hoping these materials will help you and your kids meet educational standards requirements. So far, I’ve produced pre-k to kindergarten fruit color matching and vegetable color matching. When I am finished, there will be something for all ages!
There is a lot of hype these days over the idea of Superfoods. So, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss some of the foods. But first a definition. A Superfood is defined as “a nutrient-rich food especially beneficial for health and well-being.”
I created this recipe myself years ago when I had cottage cheese in the house and wanted to make it more interesting. This will make a complete meal with a few whole grain crackers or slice of bread on the side.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Total Time10 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Calories: 204kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
2wholeAvocadoscut in half, pitted and sliced
2cupLow-fat cottage cheese
2 tbspSalsa
Instructions
Cut avocados in half; remove pit, peel and slice
place 1/2 cup cottage cheese on small plate or bowl
place 1/2 of avocado around the outside rim of cottage cheese
add salsa to top of cottage cheese
Beets
The vibrant color of beets is your first clue that these unique vegetables are highly nutritious. But what is the nutrient behind the color of beets? The nutrients are called “Betalains.”
Betalains are members of the carotenoid family. Carotenoids are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect against damage from the sun and other environmental toxins.
To help you get a chance to try beets, below is a recipe my husband likes to make.
*NOTE: Beets are an excellent source of natural food colorings. Click here for an awesome website that teaches all about natural dyes, including beets.
Fresh or frozen will do. This recipe uses frozen which can be purchased at Trader Joes or other grocery stores.
Servings: 5
Calories: 61kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
16ozBeetsfrozen
1cupOrange juice
Instructions
Put frozen beets and 1 cup orange juice into saucepan
Cook at medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes (add water if needed)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the result of the fermentation of apple cider, which is made from fresh, crushed apples, including the cores, peels, and flesh.
Fermentation occurs when yeast is added to the apple cider mixture. This process produces acetic acid, also known as apple cider vinegar.
The healthiest form of apple cider vinegar is the unfiltered, unpasteurized form. This is because the enzymes remain active.
Regardless of whether it is pasteurized or not, however, studies show that the acidity in apple cider vinegar protects the stomach against pathogens.
The acid stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which is essential for proper digestion.
In some studies, apple cider vinegar caused leukemia cell death and inhibited tumor growth.
Apple Cider vinegar is also a source of polyphenols, protective ingredients found in plants.
Interesting Folklore on Apple Cider Vinegar
1. Hippocrates used vinegar to manage wounds.
2. Hannibal of Carthage used vinegar to dissolve boulders that blocked his army’s path.
3. Cleopatra dissolved precious pearls in vinegar and offered her love potion to Anthony.
4. Sung Tse advocated hand washing with sulfur and vinegar to avoid infection during autopsies.
Smoothie bowls… the delicious concoctions that have quickly become everybody’s favorite breakfast-snack-dessert-treat. This Antioxidant-Rich Beet and Berry Smoothie Bowl is made with probiotic-rich yogurt, healthy avocados, and bright pink beets and berries. It’s easy and full of protein whenever hunger strikes! Click here for the free recipe.
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I only promote products I use and love. Clicking on some of the images on this page will take you to a page of a company I am an affiliate with. If you purchase anything, I will get a small commission.
I only promote products I use and love. Clicking on some of the images on this page will take you to a page of a company I am an affiliate with. If you purchase anything, I will get a small commission.
