This is a pre-recorded seminar and you can listen and view the Powerpoint to it anytime, once you have registered for it.
In this webinar you will learn what you need to get started on your path to an amazing and fulfilling plant-based dietary pregnancy and post-partum period. If you are at the end of your pregnancy but want to learn how a whole foods plant-based Sistah Vegan diet can help you produce optimal milk supply for an infant, then this course is also for you. In addition, post-partum hair loss is significant amongst women; many tell me that years after giving birth, they struggle with hair loss and thinning. I will teach you how a few herbs and foods can regrow and strengthen your hair.
You may be scared. You may be confused. Or maybe you do have the confidence to practice a vegan pregnancy, but do not know where to begin. The Sistah Vegan project is offering the first introductory and comprehensive seminar (a.k.a. ‘webinar’), complete with audio and powerpoint slides to address the following:
* Guaranteed plant based remedy/prevention for prenatal anemia
* Learn this simple herbal remedy to prevent hemorrhoids
* Learn what simple seed can increase hydration, energy, and calcium
* Learn the top four plant based proteins essential for pregnancy
* Constipation is NOT ‘normal’, despite the myth. Learn how to poop 2-3x a day while pregnant.
* Learn how this raw juice can prevent gestational diabetes and manage blood sugar
Cost: $19.99 (if you cannot afford this, contact me for alternative options)
How to register and pay: Click REGISTER to sign up and access the webinar immediately.
Duration: 90 minutes.
Technology requirements: a computer with a fast internet connection and a free Anymeeting.com (my webinars are hosted through Any meeting.com )
Description:
If you are like most folk who have listened to mainstream media in the USA, you have heard of the sensationalized stories once or twice a year, of a mother who ‘killed’ her child ‘because’ she was vegan. If you have had interest in getting pregnant and/or having a vegan pregnancy, you may have been ‘attacked’ by supposedly loving family members and ‘concerned’ midwives or practitioners that such a diet is ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible.’
These are all lies, as myself and a plethora of women and their children are living proof that a properly planned vegan pregnancy and lactation period will help you and your baby thrive. Don’t listen to the hype. Below is a photo of my baby daughter, Eva Luna. She was ‘built’ by a whole foods vegan diet. In addition, you are looking at a glowing and healthy baby in which over 75% of her ‘food’ sources came from my vegan-produced breast milk, the first 13 months of her life. She was 9.5lb at birth and full term. 6 hour labor.
Eva Luna, 13 months old.
About the Instructor: 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.
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. When Sistah Vegan becomes a well supported non-profit, I hope to offer a diversity of educational material (webinars, workshops, books, articles) that guide people through ways to raise pre-school aged children on a fun and healthy plant-based diet. 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.
Disclaimer: I am not a certified practitioner or medical doctor. Please consult with your practitioner before trying any of the foods or herbs that I recommend
If you are like most folk who have listened to mainstream media in the USA, you have heard of the sensationalized stories once or twice a year, of a mother who ‘killed’ her child ‘because’ she was vegan. If you have had interest in getting pregnant and/or having a vegan pregnancy, you may have been ‘attacked’ by supposedly loving family members and ‘concerned’ midwives or practitioners that such a diet is ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible.’
These are all lies, as myself and a plethora of women and their children are living proof that a properly planned vegan pregnancy and lactation period will help you and your baby thrive. Don’t listen to the hype. Below are photos of my baby daughter, Eva Luna. She was ‘built’ by a whole foods vegan diet. In addition, you are looking at a glowing and healthy baby in which over 85% of her ‘food’ source came from my vegan-produced breast milk, the first 13 months of her life. She was 9.5lb at birth and full term. 6 hour labor.
You may be scared. You may be confused. Or maybe you do have the confidence to practice a vegan pregnancy, but do not know where to begin. The Sistah Vegan project is offering an on demand pre-recored webinar with powerpoint slides with the following:
* Guaranteed plant based remedy/prevention for prenatal anemia
* Learn this simple herbal remedy to prevent hemorrhoids
* Learn what simple seed can increase hydration, energy, and calcium
* Learn the top four plant based proteins essential for pregnancy
* Constipation is NOT ‘normal’, despite the myth. Learn how to poop 2-3x a day while pregnant.
You will be able to play the recordings and download notes and slides whenever you want to. In this webinar you will learn what you need to get started on your path to an amazing and fulfilling plant-based dietary pregnancy and post-partum lactation period. If you are at the end of your pregnancy but want to learn how a whole foods plant-based Sistah Vegan diet can help you produce optimal milk supply for an infant, then this webinar is also for you. In addition, post-partum hair loss is significant amongst women; many tell me that years after giving birth, they struggle with hair loss and thinning. I will teach you how a few herbs and foods can regrow and strengthen your hair.
Date: You can Download it anytime.
Cost: $25.99
How to pay and download: Click REGISTER to register, pay, and download.
Duration: 2 hours.
Technology requirements: a computer with a fast internet connection and a free Anymeeting.com (my webinars are hosted through Any meeting.com)
About the Instructor: Dr. A. Breeze Harper is a research fellow in the Dept of Human Ecology at UC Davis. She is also 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.
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. When Sistah Vegan becomes a well supported non-profit, I hope to offer a diversity of educational material (webinars, workshops, books, articles) that guide people through ways to raise pre-school aged children on a fun and healthy plant-based diet. 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.
Disclaimer: I am not a certified practitioner or medical doctor. Please consult with your practitioner before trying any of the foods or herbs that I recommend
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:
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.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or certified practitioner of health. Please consult your practitioner before trying anything on this suggestion list.
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.
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.
—————–
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.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. Always consult with your practitioner before attempting anything suggested on the Sistah Vegan blog.
Exciting review of the new book The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book by Reed Mangels . Great book that blows away Planck’s claim that veganism is “risky” for pregnancy and young children (see here for her article A Choice with Definite Risks ).
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:
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!
Sun Chlorella or Now Foods Organic Chlorella (I take 1tsp of the Now each day, mixed with my Spirulina. Don’t let the $33 scare you, as it lasts 151 days.)
If you have problems with finding plant-based source of calcium, you will probably need to take a calcium supplement if the kale and collards and other foods in calcium isn’t enough. You’ll need about 1500mg of Calcium per day . I recommend products that have Algaecal in them. Algaecal has algae based calcium and it’s really impressive they say it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians!
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.
Update: Before watching the video about ‘vegan pregnancies’ I just wanted to say that if my work has benefited you, or you have enjoyed watching my health advice over the past few years, I’m wondering if you can return a favor. My fellowship to pursue critical race and critical vegan studies at the doctoral level was not renewed for 2011-2012, through University of California, Davis. I would like to finish my PhD and need some help. I know the goal may seem overwhelming, but I have about a combined support network/friends/followers of 1000 people (through Facebook, blog subscribers, and Twitter followers). If you could spare $10 to $25 a piece, then this goal could be met I think.
Paypal email donation: breezeharper (at) gmail (dot) com or go to the right side top of the screen and click on donation link.
UPDATE: As of June 10, 2011:
Donated: $2220
Needed for completion of goal: $7,780
Deadline: September 2011 (so I Can register for 2011-2012 academic year)
I have heard from folk who have not done research, but are overly opinionated, that me doing a vegan pregnancy is selfish and that I will kill my baby. However, a properly planned plant-based diet is not selfish and is possible under the right conditions. In this video, I share information about doing a plant-based dietary pregnancy, opting to do a homebirth with a midwife, and reflecting on how in the West, allopathic medicine has determined that pregnancy is, “always an emergency waiting to happen.” The next video is me talking about how you can help me finish my goal of completing my PhD.
Below is a list of food and other information useful for vegan pregnancy:
Sun Chlorella or Now Foods Organic Chlorella (I take 1tsp of the Now each day, mixed with my Spirulina. Don’t let the $33 scare you, as it lasts 151 days.)
If you have problems with finding plant-based source of calcium, you will probably need to take a calcium supplement if the kale and collards and other foods in calcium isn’t enough. You’ll need about 1500mg of Calcium per day . I recommend products that have Algaecal in them. Algaecal has algae based calcium and it’s really impressive they say it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians!
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 id you are working out or right after.
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.
Update: Before watching the video about ‘vegan pregnancies’ I just wanted to say that if my work has benefited you, or you have enjoyed watching my health advice over the past few years, I’m wondering if you can return a favor. My fellowship to pursue critical race and critical vegan studies at the doctoral level was not renewed for 2011-2012, through University of California, Davis. I would like to finish my PhD and need some help. I know the goal may seem overwhelming, but I have about a combined support network/friends/followers of 1000 people (through Facebook, blog subscribers, and Twitter followers). If you could spare $10 to $25 a piece, then this goal could be met I think.
Paypal email donation: breezeharper (at) gmail (dot) com or go to the right side top of the screen and click on donation link.
UPDATE: As of June 9, 2011:
Donated: $1970
Needed for completion of goal: $8,030
Deadline: September 2011 (so I Can register for 2011-2012 academic year)
In this video, I share information about doing a plant-based dietary pregnancy, opting to do a homebirth with a midwife, and reflecting on how in the West, allopathic medicine has determined that pregnancy is, “always an emergency waiting to happen.”
Sun Chlorella or Now Foods Organic Chlorella (I take 1tsp of the Now each day, mixed with my Spirulina. Don’t let the $33 scare you, as it lasts 151 days.)
If you have problems with finding plant-based source of calcium, you will probably need to take a calcium supplement if the kale and collards and other foods in calcium isn’t enough. You’ll need about 1500mg of Calcium per day . I recommend products that have Algaecal in them. Algaecal has algae based calcium and it’s really impressive they say it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians!
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 id you are working out or right after.
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.
Dr. A. Breeze Harper
melissa danielle
