The Health Benefits of Shrubs

Shrubs are a refreshing combination of sour and sweet. Also known as drinking vinegars, these beverages date back centuries. They are traditionally made with vinegar, fruit, spices, and sugar. Shrubs likely started as a way to preserve summer harvest but they have medicinal benefits as well.

Why You Should be Eating Organ Meats and an Easy Paté Recipe

Organ meats were the original multivitamins. Inexpensive and nutritious, they were also a staple in the diet of generations past, before nose-to-tail eating became trendy.  Organ meats are a much denser source of nutrients than the muscle meats that account for most of our protein intake in the United States. Both are good sources of essential amino acids, but unlike muscle meats, organ meats are richer in omega-3 fats, vitamin D, and coenzyme Q10, a compound used by every cell in the body to generate energy.

Placentophagy and a Postpartum Smoothie

Placentophagy is the practice of consuming placenta after childbirth. It's common among mammals and gaining popularity with humans too, especially after celebrity moms have endorsed it as a way to ward off postpartum depression, increase milk production, replenish nutrients, and speed recovery after delivery.

Gestational Diabetes: Prevention and Natural Treatment

 

“You have an entirely different body now,” my midwife said at a routine prenatal visit during my second trimester. While that’s not completely true – I would jump at the chance to trade in the bulging disc in my lumbar spine for a new, healthy one – it is partially accurate. The pregnancy hormones that drive the growth and development of a baby can alter the environment inside the mother’s body in unpredictable and unwanted ways. Among these, the body may change how it makes and utilizes insulin, which creates problems controlling blood sugar levels. Approximately one in ten pregnant women develop gestational diabetes and it’s becoming increasingly common.

Baby Bump Balm with Manuka Honey

During pregnancy, up to 90 percent of women develop stretch marks. Many products claim to prevent them but few have been proven effective. The pool of research studies in this area is small, but there is some evidence to support the use of natural remedies.

7 Things To Do Before You Get Pregnant

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience. Like any big event, thoughtful preparation can ease the transition and improve the outcome. Give yourself the best chance for a happy pregnancy and a healthy baby by taking time now to optimize your fertility and do some advanced planning. These seven steps will help you get ready for the exciting changes ahead.

Eating For a Healthy Pregnancy

We should always eat healthy, but it's particularly important during pregnancy. After all, the building blocks needed to create a baby comes from what a pregnant woman eats. These six guidelines are a good place to start.