The Sistah Vegan Project

Archive for the category “Pregnancy & Breastfeeding”

15 Jun 2013
1 Comment

‘Vegan’ shaming pregnant women for being ‘irresponsible’ for eating a well planned vegan diet

Yesterday, I received an email from a very frustrated pregnant vegan.
She gave me permission to share it. I invite you to read it and then read my response because I know this woman is not the only one who has dealt, is dealing, or will deal with such ignorance and ‘vegan shaming’ during pregnancy.

From: “L——-
Date: Jun 14, 2013 6:44 PM
Subject: Vegan Pregnancy
To:

Cc:

Hi there –

I found your information while doing some stress-googling related to my experience of being nutrition-shamed by midwives today. I’m a long-time vegan, and I want to have a homebirth. I have never, ever been as food-shamed as today, when I interviewed midwives, and I used to weigh 100 lbs more than I do now.

I knew I was getting into trouble when I walked in the door and saw a Weston Price book on the coffee table, and should have walked out right then and there. But I live in a relatively small community, and there aren’t many options for homebirth midwives, so I went ahead, and was told I was intentionally putting myself into a high-risk category by not eating animal protein. Not just told, but grilled, accused, shamed, demeaned, patronized, ridiculed, and dismissed. Not just by the first midwife. But also by the only two others in town who do homebirths. Got the trifecta! Like I said, I used to be fat. I have been fat-shamed with the best of them. And nothing, nothing at all has made me feel worse than that did today.

If the midwives are this bad, an OB/GYN will be worse. What can I do? What can I say? How can I defend myself and my diet and my choices? Do I have to move? Do you have any tools to use against this, or am I getting sent all the way out to vegan pasture to have an unsupervised homebirth?!

Your writing has made me feel much better today, and I appreciate you eternally for it.

Many thanks,
L——

——–

Dear L——

I am very sorry for such a dreadful experience. Their response is simply a reflection of ignorance and fear. I am just wondering what the midwives based their ‘information’ on, about the ‘dangers’ of vegan pregnancy. Did they hear about that one case that makes it in the news each year, of some vegan mother’s baby ‘dying’ and therefore, they concluded that it must have been the vegan diet? I have met so many people who ‘get off’ on these stories when they hear about them, emailing me the story as if it’s ‘proof’ that you cannot successfully have a vegan pregnancy or raise a child on a plant-based diet.

How can you defend yourself? I don’t think you really need to, and it is unfair that you are bullied and put into that position– especially since there are enough research and published materials that prove a well planned vegan diet during pregnancy is more than adequate for mom and baby. If they still bully you and shame you, despite this data, then they are being absolutely unprofessional. I am just wondering what they would say if you showed them Reed Mangel’s Vegan Pregnancy book or research that shows well-planed vegan pregnancies are fine for most women.

I wouldn’t assume all midwives and ob/gyns would have the same reaction as your first encounter with midwives did. It just depends on what practice you go to. My midwives had no problem with me doing a vegan pregnancy. My homebirth with my daughter was six hours long and baby was 9.5 lb. Why would my holistic diet of kale, hemp seeds, spirulina, algae based DHA, nettles tea, chia seeds, avocados, legumes, soy yogurt, quinoa, tempeh, walnuts, almond butter, collard greens, coconut manna, and vegan prenatal vitamins INCREASE my risk and the baby’s risk of having problems!? Such a diet is a powerhouse of protein, vitamins, EFAs, and minerals. To need to argue this with any supposed ‘professional’ midwife or a ob/gyn  practice is fruitless. If they are unwilling to realize or understand this, despite being shown the nutritional scientific breakdown of these foods as “stellar”, then it is a waste of time. They are filtering their reception of this information through layers of ignorance, fears, and anxieties that most of us in the USA are taught about anything that strays from eating animals. As a matter of fact, most allopathic practitioners are not even trained in more than 3 hours of nutrition during their entire med school experience, so by default, I don’t even take their ‘nutritional’ opinion too seriously when it comes to my dietary philosophies. Most won’t even support alternative parenting decisions such as using herbal remedies, questioning the efficacy and safety of vaccines, or even supporting a client’s decision to do a home-birth versus a hospital birth. My first ob/gyn dumped me during my first pregnancy during my 2nd trimester. I had told her that I was seeing a midwife as well and was pretty sure I wanted to do a homebirth; that the midwife had been practicing for over 20 years with excellent results. Instead of supporting me, she just guilted me by telling me how her best friend tried a homebirth, ‘things went wrong’, and now her baby has cerebral palsy. (sigh). At least she didn’t care I was vegan, but still, she released me from her practice, unwilling to accept that I wanted to work with both she and the midwife!

What to do, you ask? Well, where do you live? You spoke of maybe needing to move to find a more supportive practice. I am not sure where you live or what your options are. I know I had it easier since my midwives supported my vegan pregnancy and I live in the Bay area of California. Could you try finding a ob/gyn practice first that supports your vegan lifestyle and then go there with ‘evidence’ (nutritional science articles, books) that show how babies and moms are okay on a well-planned vegan diet? I am not sure what else you could do if that doesn’t work, as you should NOT have to move just to find a practitioner who supports your choice. Perhaps people reading this blog post can offer some useful tips for what they did and how they successfully found the support they wanted. I don’t know where you live and if you could be ‘reported’ or get in trouble. I don’t know how far someone would go to think you are ‘endangering’ you baby and report you. 

Overall, this just sounds like something no person should go through, when choosing to practice a diet that has been shown to reduce animal suffering as well as reduce a lot of diet-related illnesses and diseases associated with the consumption of animal-products. Those women’s responses to you just reflect an overal problem in the USA (and I’m assuming you’re speaking from the USA) in which structural speciesism is the norm. Unless you were born into a vegan household that emphasized compassion for animals, most of us were raised to believe the myth that we humans can only live if we eat animal products; that animals do not really ‘feel’ pain; that when a baby cow is taken from her mama, that mama cow is ‘just a mechanical animal’ and she has no feelings and won’t miss her child. I thought that way 15 years ago. It just seemed so ‘natural’ to think this way! I thought vegans and vegetarians made no sense!

Even though I had supportive midwives, I understand what you are going through, as I constantly have to listen to people- usually people who barely know me– tell me that my alternative pre-natal nutrition regiments, natural parenting style, nursing  on a vegan diet,  home-birthing, etc are all ‘dangerous’. Yet, my babies came into the world happy, healthy, and fine. Weight was always in the 95 percentile or higher. Had full term pregnancies. Never had hemorrhoids, gestational diabetes, calcium deficiency (#2 was born with 2 teeth!!!), iron was stabilized through plant-based iron sources, never had lactation problems (I was like a fountain), never had swelling, never developed hypertension, and even nursed my son until I was 35 weeks pregnant (I was ‘warned’ I’d develop osteoporosis if I dared to nurse while pregnant, despite me explaining to a practitioner that I have about 1200 mg of plant based calcium in the diet). As a matter of fact, someone who read my posting about vegan pregnancy posted that vegan pregnancies are ‘fine’, but homebirths are ‘dangerous’… and then they sent me a link to prove how dangerous it is. Once again, pure ignorance, even though the intention behind it was supposed to ‘protect’ me.

It”s all relative. Some women just have to do a hospital birth, due to their own unique situation and risk factors, while other women are fine with doing home birth or even unassisted birth. You just have to research everything well enough to know what is the BEST for you. And yea, that’s difficult when you don’t have the support you need from your own local community. I know you ask about resorting to an unassisted home birth. I cannot tell you what you should or should not do. However, I have an inspiring story for you. My friend is a vegan. His wife too. They both have two daughters: 2 and 3 years old. Both were not only home births, but the couple delivered their own babies at home. So, not impossible, but he and his wife researched and prepared to do this.

Here are some older blog posts from my site, and other, that may be useful:

  1. http://sistahvegan.com/2012/06/06/another-answer-to-nina-planck-reed-mangels-phenomenal-vegan-pregnancy-guide/
  2. http://sistahvegan.com/2011/06/22/part-ii-a-vegan-pregnancy-is-selfish-you-will-kill-you-baby/
  3. http://sistahvegan.com/2012/04/24/vegan-diets-can-be-risky-for-babies-and-kids-in-response-to-nina-plancks-nytimes-article/
  4. Preparing for a Vegan pregnancy: http://www.theveganwoman.com/preparing-for-another-vegan-pregnancy/
  5. The Vegan View: 
    http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-view/vegan-pregnancy.htm
  6. Our Vegan Pregnancy: http://ourveganpregnancy.blogspot.com/

If folk reading this article, or other work I have done, if it has helped folk, your organization, your students, your family, etc, and you want to see it go to the next level of a non-profit social justice organization, please contribute what you can by clicking on the GOFUNDME Link below. My non-profit will offer webinars and literature about reproductive health that are holistic and plant-based. If you do not want to use this method, but prefer paypal, click on the link on the right upper corner of this blog page to donate via PAYPAL.

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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or certified practitioner of health. Please consult your practitioner before trying anything on this suggestion list.

Posted by Breeze Harper in Baby Body and Health Care, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged ,
10 Apr 2013
2 Comments

Ask Dr. Breeze: How do I increase my low pre-natal iron levels?

In this video, I suggest several plant based solutions to raise a pregnant woman’s low iron levels. This is particularly helpful for those of you searching for non-animal based options.

List of Ingredients You’ll Need:

  1. Floradix Iron + Herbs Liquid Extract Formula 17floz
  2. World Organic Chlorophyll Liquid 16 Oz
  3. A drink high in vitamin C, such as orange juice or grapefruit juice.

 Directions: Mix the Floradix and the Chlorophyll in a liquid source of vitamin C.

  • Weeks 18-25: 10ml of Floradix + 1/2 tbsp of Chlorophyll + vitamin C drink (take in the morning, on an empty stomach)
  • Weeks 25-42: In the morning take 10ml of Floradix + 1/2 tbsp of Chlorophyll + vitamin C drink on  an empty stomach;  in the Afternoon, take another 10ml of Floradix + 1/2 tbsp of Chlorophyll + vitamin C drink on  an empty stomach.
  • If taking a calcium supplement, wait 2 hours after taking the Floradix mixture. Iron and Calcium should not be taken together, as they impede assimilation.

About Dr. Harper: Dr. A. Breeze Harper is the director and founder of the Sistah Vegan Project, a organization dedicated to critical race feminist perspectives on veganism, as seen through the collective experiences of Black North American females. Dr. Harper started the project in 2005. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and University of California-Davis. Her innovative ability to integrate the use of educational technologies to analyze Black female vegans food and health philosophies earned her the Dean’s Award from Harvard University in 2007 for her Master Thesis work: this is an honor only bestowed upon one candidate per program.

Dr. Harper’s knowledge about diversity within the field of food and wellness has marked her as a highly sought after paid consultant and speaker for many American universities. She has given many keynote addresses including at Boston University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Oregon, and Southwestern University. She teaches students, faculty, and staff how and why people have unique relationships to food and wellness and how these relationships are impacted by race, socio-economic class, gender, sexuality, and ability. She has published extensively, including Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health and Society (Lantern Books 2010). She graduated summa cum-laude from University of California-Davis with a PhD in critical geographies of race and food.

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I have been doing this work for years, and as much as I enjoy it, I can no longer do it for free. If you enjoy the work I have done, if it has helped you, your organization, your students, your family, etc, and you want to see it go to the next level of a non-profit social justice organization, please contribute what you can by clicking on the GOFUNDME Link below. If you do not want to use this method, but prefer paypal, click on the link on the right upper corner of this blog page to donate via PAYPAL.

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. Always consult with your practitioner before attempting anything suggested on the Sistah Vegan blog.

Posted by Breeze Harper in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged , , , , , ,
28 Mar 2013
5 Comments

Ask Dr. Breeze: How do I grow my hair back because of postpartum hair loss?

1. High protein diet (70-90g per day if you are lactating)

2. Diet high in the ‘good’ fats, such as avocados, coconut, and walnuts.

4. Maca Root. 1 tsp per day, in the morning, mixed in a smoothie or cooled down hot cereal, or some yogurt. Don’t take on an empty stomach, it could irritate it. Don’t take after 3pm or you may not sleep. Take for 3 days and get off 1 day.

5. Nettles tea. 3 tbsp of nettles leaf to 12 oz of water. Simmer the nettles leaf for 3 minutes in the 12 0z of water to neutralize the stinging component. Drink 2 cups per day, several times per week.

6. Use black and clear castor oil. Rub the oil (mix with a thinner oil to thin it out and make it easier to apply) on thinning parts of your hair. I rubbed it on my hair line. You can also add a few drops to your shampoo and conditioner. You can put a large amount onto your hair and wear a cap on it for about an hour and then shampoo it out and add conditioner.

Timeline of Hair Loss and Recovery

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November 2011. Lost one whole inch from my hair line. You can see the little bits of fuzzy hair around the edges that will break off completely in the next few weeks. I am 3 months postpartum here.

DSC01994

November 2012. Hair line has come back. Hair is stronger, shinier, and thicker. I have it pulled back, but it’s actually down to my shoulders.

wpid-DSC07028.jpeg

March 2013. Hairline fully recovered.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. Please consult with your physician or practitioner before attempting anything I have suggested.

Posted by Breeze Harper in Health and Healing, Natural Haircare (Animal-Free), Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged , , , ,
24 Oct 2012
10 Comments

“Spirulina helps me poop”: Raising my babies on a decolonizing diet inspired by Queen Afua

I am teaching Eva Luna some Queen Afua inspired nutrition for her womb-health now. She is 14 months old.

I tell her every morning that kale is the food of the goddess. I tell her that I try to decolonize my womb with raw green smoothies. She doesn’t know what I mean, but she will soon.

I am hoping that she will appreciate the Afrowomanist healing knowledge I give her. Similarly to when Sun was a baby (he is 3 now), I make herbal teas while holding her.  I tell her how gifts like nettles help make breastmilk that is nutrient rich for her and is high in calcium and great for her skin and hair health.

The other day, we bought vegan organic ice cream scoop in San Francisco. After a few tiny spoonfuls, Sun decided to stop eating it. He said, “Mama, I don’t want anymore. I don’t want my teeth to get boo boos (what we call cavities) and fall out.” He then ran away to play at the slide on the playground. I always tell him that if it’s sweet, there is usually sugar in it and we have to be careful not to eat too much ‘sweet’ ( even fruit sweetened things) because it gives us “boo boos” in our teeth. This morning, Sun had his apples and spirulina and my homemade banana hempseed oat bars. He said, “Spirulina helps me poop!”

Eva Luna is drinking a green smoothie made from 3-4 big leaves of dino kale, 1.5 tsp of spirulina, 1 tsp of chlorella, 1 avocado, 1 .5 tsp of maca powder, 1.5 sq inch of fresh ginger, 1-2 tsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 pitted date in about 30 oz of water. I drank most of it, but she drinks about 4 or 5 oz. It is imperative that you add ginger and apple cider vinegar for digestion of raw kale. A lot of people can’t handle the raw kale without a digestive aid.

Posted by Breeze Harper in Baby Body and Health Care, Health and Healing, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
24 Apr 2012
22 Comments

Vegan diets can be risky for babies and kids? Sistah Vegan Responds to Nina Planck’s NYTimes Article

I updated this from last night because I wanted to write about B12 and provide several more book sources.

The other week, Nina Planck published an article about the risks of raising vegan children and I thought I’d answer some of the statements she made. You can find the article here that I’m referring to: Is Veganism Good for Everyone?

I wanted to just offer some of my own information, in response to Planck’s concerns of raising children on a vegan diet or being a vegan while pregnant.

First, Nina Planck wrote that vegans are deficient in many things which “include fully-formed vitamins A and D, vitamin B12, and the long-chain fatty acids found in fish.”

Breeze Harper’s response: Okay, there is a D3 source that is vegan. Vitashine. Yes, a vegan source of D3 and of course, if you live where there is a lot of sunshine, try sunbathing everyday, at least 50-75% of your body being exposed to the sun. Secondly, Fish get DHA from ALGAE, and that is one way how vegans get their DHA. Chia seeds outshine Wild Alaskan Salmon in terms of Omega 3 6 9. Vegans aren’t deficient in these things because of veganism being a deficient diet. It’s usually because people just don’t know they need to eat certain foods to get what they need. And let’s be honest here, there are plenty of omnivores who don’t know what they should be eating, while they are pregnant or not; whether they have children or not.

Planck wrote: “The quantity, quality and bio-availability of other nutrients, such as calcium and protein, are superior when consumed from animal rather than plant sources.”

Breeze: No this is not true either, in terms of Calcium. There is an amazing algae based source of calcium that is vegan and has an incredibly high absorption rate called Algaecal. You can go here and here to look at the articles being written about the “safety” of Algaecal. I took it during my entire vegan pregnancy and drank kale smoothies and ate a lot of chia seeds and nettles (both high in Calcium). You should not rely on calcium supplements alone, but rather get most of your calcium from food base sources. However, I do know that many people don’t always have access to, or time, to eat ‘right’ every day. This is why I do recommend the Algaecal. I did this calcium supplement and high calcium food regiment while pregnant and breastfed my 1st child (who was 2 at the time) until I was 33 weeks pregnant with my 2nd. Not only did I not have a calcium deficiency, I had so much calcium that my 2nd baby was born with teeth. My midwife and doula are witnesses, and they let me know that when babies are born with teeth this indicates she had enough calcium. Protein? I got this from raw hemp, Organic Hawaiian spirulina, chia seeds, chlorella, avocado, seeds, nuts, legumes, to name a few. I easily ate 70g of protein per day while pregnant. Had a home birth . No complications. My placenta was well nourished. The midwifery team was blown away by how healthy it looked.

Planck: “For babies and children, whose nutritional needs are extraordinary, the risks are definite and scary. The breast milk of vegetarian and vegan mothers is dramatically lower in a critical brain fat, DHA, than the milk of an omnivorous mother and contains less usable vitamin B6. Carnitine, a vital amino acid found in meat and breast milk, is nicknamed “vitamin Bb” because babies need so much of it. Vegans, vegetarians and people with poor thyroid function are often deficient in carnitine and its precursors. “

Breeze Harper: Strange conclusion to draw. First, if you’re worried about getting B6, you can just take a vegan multi-vitamin during pregnancy and/or give your infant and toddler vegan supplements and vitamins. Want to not do vitamins? You can also get B6 from legumes, seeds, and nuts. Raw Pistachios and raw garlic are high in B6 (see: http://food.vegtalk.org/vitamins/raw-/b6.html). I made pistachio nut ice cream, lightly sweetened with dates. I threw pistachios, water, and dates in a blender and then put them in popsicle molds. Toddlers love ice cream or popsicle anything. Try it. For more information about B6 deficiency concerns, try going here: Jeff Novick on B6.

Also, in terms of vegan nursing, there are plenty omnivorous people I have read about or met who had nutritionally deficient breastmilk as well and had to stop nursing and start using formula for their infants. However, my 8 month old Eva Luna is breastfed from my vegan diet and she has no nutritional ‘deficiencies.’ She was born at 9.5lb, is in the 99th percentile for her age and appears to be healthy. Omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans can feed their children in a way that is balanced or not. It is not about veganism, vegetarianism, or being an omnivore as much as it is just making sure your kid gets what they need. (And I know these factors are not just about vegan nutrition education, but factors such as environmental racism, socio-economic class struggle, your ability to get to healthier food- you could be prohibited, due to mobility issues because you lack transportation for example, or it’s actually not safe to walke around where you live during certain times of the day to find healthier foods. )

Planck: “The most risky period for vegan children is weaning. Growing babies who are leaving the breast need complete protein, omega-3 fats, iron, calcium and zinc. Compared with meat, fish, eggs and dairy, plants are inferior sources of every one.”

Breeze : There are many vegan sources of calcium and iron that are highly absorbable. I used Nettles based Floradix iron for anemia prevention during my pregnancy. I took it in combination with World Organic chlorophyll and vitamin C source to mix (orange juice or a kiwi smoothie for example). Want a toddler to eat EFAs like Omega 3 6 9? Blend chia seeds with water, liquid form of algae DHA, and a banana and dates in the blender and put it in a popsicle mold. Refreshing and not just high in critical long chain fatty acids, you will be giving them and excellent source of calcium and Omega 3 6 9. Chia seeds are also high in iron and protein. A little goes a long way. Just be sure to soak chia seeds in water before eating, for at least 15 minutes or you’ll make yourself really sick. Still worried about a toddler not getting enough vegan based protein and Omega 3 6 9? Blend banana, hempseeds, and water together and put them in popsicle molds. If you made pops that have 1/4 c of raw hulled hempseeds per pop, that is 11g of protein, lots of fiber, EFAs, and other trace minerals.

‎Planck: “The breast milk of vegan mothers is dramatically lower in a critical brain fat, DHA, than the milk of an omnivorous mother.”

Breeze: Eat algae based DHA and chia seeds and your breast milk won’t be deficient in critical DHA. I take 600 mg of DHA algae each day. If you combine that with Chia seeds and flax seeds, it’s awesome. There is also the brand Ovega which is vegan source of EPA and DHA vegan.

B12 deficiency worries? Here is what Vegan Society has to say

In over 60 years of vegan experimentation only B12 fortified foods and B12 supplements have proven themselves as reliable sources of B12, capable of supporting optimal health. It is very important that all vegans ensure they have an adequate intake of B12, from fortified foods or supplements. This will benefit our health and help to attract others to veganism through our example. (source: http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/b12.aspx)

Seriously, just buy B12 supplements and take it or give it to your children; case closed.

There are a plethora of vegan nutritional specialists who have published the ways in which you can get everything you need as a vegan. If you are pregnant and want to do a vegan pregnancy, believe me as someone who did a vegan pregnancy and had an amazing homebirth: it’s possible. Reed Mangels has a new vegan pregnancy books out The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book. Mangels is brilliant and lays it all out for you. It’s $11 well spent. And for a great informative and humorous approach get the Vegan Pregnancy Survival guide. Wanna raise your children vegan and help them be as healthy as possible? Read Disease proof your child by Dr. Joel Furhman.

A vegan diet is possible. You can thrive. Your children can thrive. Just inform yourself, find the support you need, and read read read.

Basically, if you are deficient in overall nutritional information for your diet, then your diet will be deficient. Veganism, planned properly, is not deficient.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or certified health practitioner. Always consult your practitioner before trying anything I suggest on Sistah Vegan blog and videos

Posted by Breeze Harper in Health and Healing, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , ,
10 Feb 2012
7 Comments

Is Spirulina Really Toxic to the Liver?

In this video I talk about Spirulina and the debate about whether it is “toxic” or not.

The brand I use is Spirulina Pacifica and the Latin name is Arthrospira platensis. It is Hawaiian and Organic.

The woman who commented about Spirulina being toxic posted her comment here: http://sistahvegan.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/spirulina-super-baby-food-recipe/  under the name Angela. She provides links about Spirulina being toxic that you can view for yourself.

**Update:

I just read this journal article below and the conclusion states:

“Our results indicate that cultivated NO and SP do not contain MC and have minimal cytotoxicity. Furthermore, long-term BGA supplementation in mice did not induce any evident adverse side-effects. Therefore, NO and SP may be developed as a safe natural food for health benefits. Clinical trials are warranted to assess the safety of the BGA supplements in humans.”

NO and SP were the two different types of Spirulina they tested (“This study was undertaken to evaluate in vitro and in vivo toxicity of cultivated Nostoc commune var. sphaeroides Kützing (NO) and Spirulina platensis (SP). Neither NO nor SP contained detectable levels of microcystin (MC)-LA, MC-RR, MC-LW and MC-LR by LC/MS/MS”).

However, I eat The species “Arthrospira platensis” and that seems to be the “same” as Spirulina platensis  but I need to verify that.

Citation:

Volume 49, Issue 7, July 2011, Pages 1560–1564

Cover image

In vitro and in vivo safety assessment of edible blue-green algae, Nostoc commune var. sphaeroides Kützing and Spirulina plantensis

Posted by Breeze Harper in Health and Healing, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged , ,
03 Feb 2012
13 Comments

Breeze’s Boob juice recipe: Breastfeeding on a vegan diet works!

Eva Luna is in the 99th percentile for her age for a 6 month old. Solely breastfed. The video reveals my “secret.”

  1. Raw hemp Protein 50% (30g/day) (Nutiva brand): 
    https://store.nutiva.com/hemp-protein/
  2. Spirulina (Hawaiian by Pacifica):  

  3. Maca Root 1 tsp (Sol Raiz Organics Brand): 
    http://www.solraizorganics.com/
  4. Coconut Manna (Nutiva Brand):  
    https://store.nutiva.com/coconut-manna/
  5. 1-2 Avocados.
  6. Garden of Life Raw Protein  (17g scoop serving): 

  7. Kale Smoothies: 4-5 Lacinato Kale leaves, fresh ginger , 1-2 pitted dates, avocado , water 20-25 oz (depends on how thick you want it); 1 lemon juiced,, spirulina 1-2 tsp
  8. Herbal tea: lemon balm, rooibos , nettles.
  9. Facebook Natural Parenting/Natural Family: 
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/102982199801246/
Posted by Breeze Harper in Baby Body and Health Care, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged , , , , , , ,
03 Jan 2012
6 Comments

Sistah vegan on Maca, gettin’ your vegan libido on, and finishing her PhD

 

In this video I talk about Sol Raiz organice Maca powder that I have been taking to create healthy libido, postpartum, and grow my hair back. I also update people on how I’m trying to handle “nursing on demand” and the challenges of being the primary caretaker of 2 children under the age of 3, while living in a nation in which there isn’t much structural and institutional support to help mothers (or the primary caretakers of pre-school age children which usually do end up being females).

The brand of Maca I by is by Sol Raiz:
solraizorganics.com/

 

Posted by Breeze Harper in Health and Healing, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, Sexuality and Sexual Orientation and tagged , , , , , , , ,
12 Jul 2011
2 Comments

Vegan pregnancy, More White Male Parternalism, PhD Funding Update

Vegan pregnancy: As of today, I am week 39 of my pregnancy. I have been doing quite well. Midwife thinks the baby is going to be bigger than Sun (and Sun was hard to push out at 9 lbs!!).  I am basically all belly and didn’t gain much more weight anywhere else, so it’s easier for my midwife to feel what’s going on in my womb. I just wanted to note that this ‘bigger’ baby was grown the last 9 months with me practicing veganism the holistic way. I know people talk about how you need a lot of protein to grow a baby (75 -100g for one baby; more per day for multiples). That is partly true, but I’ve also researched that growing a ‘big’ baby as been linked to a lot of DHA and spirulina in the diet. I have both. I have been taking the Ovega DHA +EPA and the Deva DHA every day; about 600-800mg a day. I of course do 30 grams of hemp protein each day too. However, I just wanted to share with you that it is possible to have a well planned healthy plant-based pregnancy, despite the fears and concerns you may hear from omnivores who do not research about this at all (just listen to the news and hear that once a year story that some couple ‘killed their baby on a vegan diet.’).

PhD Funding: As some of you may now, I didn’t get my dissertation fellowship renewed for the 2011-12 academic year. UC Davis is where I’m trying to finish my PhD work in critical vegan and critical race feminist studies. The dissertation project involves me trying to explain how lack of critical race literacy skills around normative whiteness and racism in the USA, creates barriers and impediments for the vegan status quo. I am hoping this document will shed light on the questions so many white middle class vegans have about why they only see themselves as ‘interested’ in veganism and/or animal liberation. It is a project that has never been done before, but I believe it is vital if coalition building and compassionate understanding is to happen. As of July 12, 2011, you have helped me reach nearly half of my goal. I am seeking $10,000 by Fall registration (mid September 2011). Thus far, people have donated: $4500. Still Needed to reached goal: $5500. I accept paypal donations (click on the right side of the blog that talks about donating) or you can mail me a check if you are uncomfortable with paypal.

White Male Paternalism Continued: I posted my new keynote address that I gave at U Illinois at their ecofeminist conference this past spring 2011. It is about how I am using critical race feminism to understand how whiteness functions in the mainstream vegan popular media (looking at top selling books). I posted the information about this video in various places, including a pro-vegan group on Facebook (I will keep it secret). Interestingly, a white male vegan responded by dismissing the focus of the talk (the focus being looking at normative whiteness) and then ‘educated’ me about what I should have said. He even said, “Were I your body I would have done this” (i.e., were I black female vegan, I would have done this).  He posted his response to the keynote (which I can’t even say he viewed) to the entire forum and I was so flabbergasted by this that I simply could not respond. This is the equivalent to me getting information from a person using a wheelchair who wants to talk about ableism in the vegan movement and me telling her (me, someone who had never needed to use a wheelchair and never lived with a disability) that she is doing it wrong and that I know better than she what she should be talking about. This man seems to not understand that how he communicates to me is hurtful and offensive and he seems to sincerely think he is ‘helping me.’ I am still trying to figure out how to communicate this to him in a compassionate way. Sometimes I thinking I’m  “too nice” when it comes to people’s feelings, even though they don’t extend the same to me. It’s probably internalized mammyism that a lot of black women perform in white dominated society (sigh). Anyway, below is my video of the keynote address:

Posted by Breeze Harper in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, Race, Class, Gender Issues and tagged , , ,
22 Jun 2011
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Part II: “A Vegan Pregnancy is Selfish: You will kill your baby…”

This is the second part the series ”A Vegan Pregnancy is Selfish: You will kill your baby.” I try to dispel the myths surrounding plant-based pregnancy diets and share the benefits of chia seeds as well as offering moral support for those who want to do not just vegan and vegetarian pregnancies but home births as well. I want to convey that vegan pregnancies will not ‘kill your baby’ when properly planned and under the right care provider.

I also talk about how chia seeds are excellent for hydration, labor, calcium, and other minerals, as well as Omega 3-6-9 that outshines flax seeds.

Here is what I’ve been eating during my pregnancy for optimal health!

Foods To Eat

  • Quinoa
  • . Chia SeedsThey are incredibly rich in calcium. You get 344mg of Calcium for 2 ounces. Always soak your chia seeds for at least ten minutes before eating them. I put them in my smoothies sometimes. 2 tbsp gives you 42% of required fiber for the day. And this is an excellent source for EFAs and has a 4:1 ration of omega 3:Omega 6. profile.
  • Tempeh
  • 1 Gallon of water a day
  • Coconut water if you feel water isn’t enough to hydrate you or replace electrolytes. Coconut water is the perfect isotonic beverage; especially to drink first thing in the morning if you wake up feeling dehydrated and also great to drink if you are working out or right after. However, it does take a lot to package and ship coconut water if you don’t have local access to it. So, you can use chia seed drink as a replacement to this if you don’t want to contribute to the energy and resources it takes to ship coconut water to your grocery store.
  • Greens, greens, greens: Kale, mustard greens, okra, collards, chard. Kale is my favorite I have heard spinach should be avoided but can’t verify this.
  • Legumes
  • Whole Grains
  • Wildwood Plain Soy Yogurt brand (only one in the USA that doesn’t add sugar and is organic)
  • I make most of my baked goods from whole grains and sweeten them with apple juice, banana, or fresh pineapple or fresh dates.
  • Walnuts are a very healthy nut with great oil. Almonds are great and so are sesame seeds (I eat them in the form of tahini)
  • Papaya (have heard to avoid during 1st trimester, but not sure why)

This list is not nearly as extensive as I would like it to be, as there are many foods to eat, but I’m just going to say it straight up: AVOID THE SHIT if you can. Junk food, highly processed crap that has NO nutritional value at all. I know it’s hard when you have those cravings and I admit that I still eat french fries in moderation, but it really is best to try to avoid eating refined flour, refined salt, processed refined sugar products. Your meals should be whole grainy, high protein, and very colorful. And I can’t emphasize enough, those greens! Kale is exceptional for calcium. Okra is exceptional for childbirth prep and is very amazing. Whole grains will keep you regular. I POOP 3 TIMES A DAY DURING PREGNANCY. They tell you constipation is ‘normal’, but it is not.

Hugs and baby blessings,

Breeze

I am not a doctor or practitioner of medicine. Please consult your doctor before attempting any of these suggestions. This is what worked for me, as each person is different.

Posted by Breeze Harper in Baby Body and Health Care, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding and tagged , ,

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