“Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” HIPPOCRATES
If you are a MOMMY in this country, chances are you know what FOLIC ACID is. It’s that nutrient that pregnant women need a lot of…right?
As pregnant women, we often hear:
“Make sure your pre-natal vitamin has FOLIC ACID…or even better- take a FOLIC ACID supplement in addition to your pre-natal, just to be safe.”
FOLATE (Folic Acid) is one of thousands of Plant-Derived nutrients that are essential for optimal health and a healthy immune system.
Did you know that without enough nutrients, our immune system dysfunctions?
What does this DYSFUNCTION bring? Frequent infections, allergies, and eventually…CANCER. Yes, CANCER.
Nutritional inadequacies can bring about CANCER.
FOLATE is found in VEGETABLES, BEANS, and FRUIT. It is especially high in GREEN VEGETABLES. And as stated above- it is one of many nutrients that are essential to everyone’s health (not just pregnant women 🙂
The reason why pregnant women are encouraged to consume this nutrient is due to the increased risk of neural tube defects in the womb (NTDs) with low folate levels.
So because of this risk…what does our medical industry tell us? They instruct us to take a FOLIC ACID Supplement. I love what Dr. Joel Fuhrman has to say about this:
“Because the American diet is so low in fruits and vegetables, medical authorities advise women of childbearing age to take folate supplements. Instead of health authorities advising women of the dangers of a diet low in folate-rich green vegetables, they instead advise folate supplementation, as if dangerously low folate levels are the only problem with our nutritionally barren diet. Thousands of other health-supporting compounds would be ingested if women received their folate from greens, not pills. Typical nutritional advice, which focuses on individual nutrients instead of whole food, perpetuates the diet style that leads to serious illnesses.” Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Not only does taking a FOLIC ACID supplement deprive you of the many other essential nutrients needed for a healthy immune system- did you know…
- Women who take supplemental folic acid increase their breast cancer risk by 20-30% (According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
- Another study was done that compared women who took folic acid during their pregnancy to those that did not. Thirty years later those women who followed the typical recommendations to take folic acid were twice as likely to die from breast cancer.
Check out the entire article on the dangers of FOLIC ACID supplementation HERE.
So how should we consume our folic-acid…Vegetables, Beans & Fruit…the Whole Food way!
Also, Dr. Fuhrman offers an exceptional PRE-NATAL vitamin that does not contain Folic Acid- I am SO excited about this vitamin! Check it out:
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Here is an OUTSTANDING recipe that is a perfect way to consume your essential FOLATE-
This recipe is exciting to me because it is so simple and the possibilities are endless. It might be more of an idea…then a recipe 🙂
WHOLE FOOD MOMMIES SUPER BEAN BURRITOS
The idea for this meal came to me the other day when I was craving a bean burrito. The local supermarket had a very limited and expensive “vegan” selection. When talking with NEWBIE Mommy, we came up with the idea of making our own nutrient dense bean burritos. My favorite part of this idea, was the fact that I could prepare a large amount of them and store them in my freezer for a quick, nutritious meal. This has been great for my family!
As I stated above, the possibilities for these burritos are endless. Here is what I have tried and what my family likes.
Please substitute any of the below vegetables with vegetables you have on hand…HAVE FUN! And please share 🙂
INGREDIENTS
1/2 medium sized onion, diced
1 green bell pepper (or any other color)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
5 collard green LEAFS chopped finely (Kale would work as well) or 2 big handfuls of chopped spinach
1-2 can(s) REFRIED BEANS (vegetarian, no oil added) or try making your own 🙂
– I have used 2 cans when I have used a lot of vegetables
1 can black beans
1 can yellow corn (or frozen)
Cilantro Lime Quinoa (see recipe here) or Brown rice would work
10-12 Whole Wheat Soft Tortilla Shells
DIRECTIONS
Saute onion, pepper, carrots and collard greens in water until tender. Add refried beans, black beans and corn. Heat bean mixture until all ingredients are heated thoroughly (stirring constantly).
Place 1/2 to 3/4 cup BEAN mixture on the tortilla and top with 3 big spoonfuls of Quinoa. Roll Tortilla shell to form a burrito.
Eat with a slice of lime, salsa, guacamole and/or fresh chopped tomatoes.
To REHEAT in microwave:
From refrigerator- High for 1 minute (turning over half way through)
From freezer- High for 2 minutes (turning over half way through)
To freeze burritos for a quick nutritious snack:
Wrap each burrito in tin foil and I place them in a freezer ziplock bag.
Source: WFM 1-10