Recently, I attended a fundraiser for Sophie’s Voice Foundation, a charitable organization founded by actors Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker in honor of their daughter, Sophie, who was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth. Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that affects the development of the spinal cord in unborn infants. Each year, about 3,000 pregnancies are affected by these birth defects, and these children suffer from medical problems, psychosocial issues, learning disabilities, and multiple personal concerns including mobility, bowel and bladder control.

There is a silver lining here, however, with regards to nutrition intervention and prevention. Research has shown that the risk of having a baby with spina bifida can be reduced by up to 70 percent with 400 mcg of folic acid taken daily three months prior to conception and in the first three months of pregnancy. Click here for more research. 

Folic acid is a B vitamin, which our bodies need to make new cells and therefore, is especially important in vitro. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women of childbearing age who are capable of becoming pregnant get enough of this essential B vitamin daily. Pregnancy isn’t always planned or controlled and therefore, if you are a woman in that age bracket, it is important to heed this advice.

Once pregnant, the FDA recommends you boost your intake to 600 mcg/day and although there’s no toxic level, the FDA advises you keep folic acid consumption to 1000 mcg/day. Here are three ways to ensure you are getting enough in your diet:

1. Have a bowl of folic acid-fortified cereal every morning. The FDA requires that folic acid be added to specific flours, breads and other grains.  Check the label to make sure it is fortified. It might be listed as folate, the natural form of this B vitamin but the amount, 400 mcg, which is usually added remains the same.

2. Take a vitamin. Most multivitamins sold in the United States contain the 400 mcg of folic acid recommended. If you are pregnant, your doctor should prescribe a prenatal vitamin, which also contains at least this amount.

3. Eat a diet rich in folate. In addition to the above, eating a diet rich in folate is not only beneficial for your unborn child but includes foods for overall heart health and disease prevention!

Food Source                                      Folate (mcg)*
Chickpeas, ½ cup                           141
Spinach – cooked, ½ cup              131
Kidney beans, ½ cup                      115
Orange juice, 1 cup                           74
Broccoli – cooked, ½ cup                 84
Green peas, ½ cup                            50
Orange, medium                                39
Strawberries, 1 cup                            35
Romaine lettuce, ½ cup                     32

*Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

Check out the Sophie’s Voice Foundation Web site for more information on spina bifida, family outreach programs, prenatal education, surgical options, and how you can get involved!

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.  She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Eighty-five percent of the women in the United States experience hot flashes as they approach menopause. Researchers suggest that women with higher body weights actually have more hot flashes that their leaner counterparts. It is believed that hot flashes may be the body’s attempt at dispersing heat, but unfortunately fat seems to act as insulation that prevents the heat from spreading, which usually causes overheating to take place.

Therefore, studies have shown that women who followed a low-fat diet high in fiber-filled foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains experienced fewer hot flashes than women who didn’t. Below is a list of foods that can help you reduce your symptoms:
 
1. Fiber: Recent research has suggested that no other method enhancing regularity has the same effect as fiber.  Fiber absorbs the estrogen, which relieves hot flashes by reducing the amount of estrogen reabsorbed from bile salts released into the intestine to be mixed with stool. It is recommended that women should be consuming 25-30 grams of fiber daily. Enjoy fiber-rich foods throughout the day such as whole grain breads and cereals, apples, pears, broccoli and cauliflower. 

2. Calcium: The National Institutes of Health recommends that menopausal women get 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Calcium cleanses excess estrogen from the liver, making this nutrient vital in reducing hot flashes.  Calcium-rich foods include low-fat milk, low-fat yogurts and low-fat cheeses. 

3. Soy: Recent studies have found that soy, which is rich in phytoestrogens like isoflavones, can also help reduce hot flashes, as well as night sweats and other menopausal symptoms. Opt for tofu, edamame or any other variety of soy beans, as well as low-fat soy yogurts and cheeses.

4. Beans: Almost all beans — not just soy — contain two important compounds; genistein and daidzein.  Which are known for being estrogenic, helping to control hot flashes and other discomforts of menopause.

5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: New research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows a common food compound found in omega-3s can ease hot flashes. Salmon, shrimp, walnuts and tofu all contain high levels of omega-3s. 

6. Vitamin E: According to the National Cancer Institute, studies suggest increasing your intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E replenishes necessary electrolytes lost through perspiration during hot flashes.  Mango, sweet potatoes, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds are all great sources of vitamin E.

7. Vitamin B: This essential vitamin has been shown to help reduce hot flashes.  Foods like bananas, pistachios, fish, meat, eggs, bananas, beans and whole grains are all wonderful sources of vitamin B.

8. Vitamin C: One study showed that increasing your intake of vitamin C which contains bioflavonoids; a powerful antioxidant, reduced hot flashes. Grapefruit, oranges, potatoes, broccoli and pineapple are all fabulous sources of vitamin C.

9. Water: Drink a lot of water. Drinking water restores fluids lost to perspiration during hot flashes and can even prevent or minimize the hot flashes themselves.

10. Foods to avoid: Certain foods like, alcohol, caffeine, excess sugar, high-fat meat products and spicy foods rank among the top aggravators of these frustrating episodes.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Officials at the American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, Ala., are considering banning energy drinks after one student was hospitalized and several others became ill after drinking too many of the drinks during the school’s annual prom trip.

Click here to read the story.

Headmaster Dan Carden says about 10 students became sick at about 10 p.m. on April 11 while the school was at The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear for its prom. One student began vomiting.

School officials said the ill students were tested for drugs and alcohol and the tests came back negative.