The Truth About Folic Acid

If I had to choose one book to recommend to parents, it would probably be Disease Proof Your Child | Feeding Kids Right by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Especially for those who are on the fence about raising your child on a plant-based diet, this will push you over to the vegan side of things without sounding righteous or gimmicky. He is a physician and father of four children, so he writes not only from a scientific standpoint, but also from the heart.

 

I’m not saying that this is the cure-all, but if you knew that you could reduce the chances of your child struggling with obesity, medical problems, and/or diseases, why wouldn’t you?! I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power! There is also evidence that shows how diet and a child’s development go hand in hand. When you start your kids off right with a “nutrient rich” diet and stay away from high processed, sugary, fried foods – you’re setting them up to be healthy eaters and reduce their chances for the diseases that our country is so ridden with. I can personally attest to the benefits of a plant-based diet – I have watched those struggling with their weight and health improve drastically.

 

If you’re vegan, you probably know all about nutritional yeast and the many benefits, but did you know not all nutritional yeast is equal? We learned all about it about a year ago and no longer buy ours from the local grocery stores. Dr. Fuhrman does a great job explaining why your standard nutritional yeast is actually harmful – it’s loaded with synthetic folic acid.  Please click on the link to learn more http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/nutritional-yeast.aspx

In a nutshell (about synthetic folic acid):

• it’s been linked to an increase in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer
• increased risk of asthma
• neural tube defects

{As far as how we use nutritional yeast, we sprinkle it over salads, pasta, or popcorn and use it in sauces and dips. It’s a great way to sneak in some extra protein, vitamins, and minerals…especially when feeding a toddler!}

Same thing goes with the standard multivitamin – they usually contain folic acid. Especially for pregnant women, it is so critical to get the proper nutrition, but doctors are always pushing folic acid – which could be extremely dangerous to the unborn child. Through Dr. Fuhrman’s website, you can order vitamins for the whole family (men, women, children, prenatal). This is where we order Willow’s vitamins Pixie-Vites – it comes in powder form so we sneak it into her water or smoothies.

Other items we’ve purchased through Dr. Fuhrman’s site:

Organic Mung Bean Fettuccine (packed with 25 grams of protein per serving) – we’ve served it with marinara sauce and cashew cream sauce.

Chocolate Brownie Date-Nut Pop’ems – we like to make our own, but these are great in a pinch!

Gentle Care Formula Multivitamin

Here are the links to check out his sites:

http://www.drfuhrman.com/default.aspx

http://www.diseaseproof.com/