Tag: food

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Anti-Oppression birth Canada community Equity Trauma

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1698093869318{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The rising cost of food and collective grocery store anxiety rest on a bed of other precarious conditions. The price of everything has gone up. We are still seeing empty shelves in stores “post” pandemic as we head to the mall in shorts on a 33-degree October day. There are numerous causes for feeling uncertainty.

When society gets taken for a ride, children come right along with us. As someone who works with babies and families, on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty I’m reflecting on the fact that 50% of the world’s children are affected by poverty. 

Most of these children are not where I am sitting, in a high-cost-of-living, high-standard-of-living urban centre in Canada. However, people where I am are still afraid of not having enough, and it’s making many people afraid to start a family.

These fears are justified. Raising children is expensive, and we are facing a food crisis, a housing crisis, a climate crisis, and a healthcare crisis. People and families live in a lot of isolation which makes feeling secure challenging. Poverty has a significantly adverse impact on outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth, and on how all aspects of your life go from there.

Support from a doula reduces the risk of many of the adverse outcomes that poverty increases the risk of. Sadly, individuals who can benefit the most from improved outcomes are those who are least able to pay the cost of hiring a doula. 

Doulas and birth workers are a compassionate bunch. No one in this profession is here to get rich, and we want to provide our services to people who can benefit from them the most. However, we also have ourselves and our families to care for, and doing this work well takes time. Far too many kind-hearted people who have trained long and hard and love this work leave after a few years, turning to less rewarding work that pays the bills. When this happens, the doula’s skills go to waste and their community loses out on the transformative care they could have received.

Advocates within the doula sphere are exploring options to improve community access to doula support while making a long-term career in this field more sustainable. At Doula Canada, we are doing our part by developing a briefing note that will elucidate opportunities and challenges in the current perinatal care landscape, the potential for doulas and childbirth educators to leverage these opportunities and solve these challenges, and models whereby doula care could be cost-effectively funded by a mix of social partners including different levels of government, insurance companies, and foundations. This initiative is directed by the Advocacy Working Group, comprised of Doula Canada members and staff. The Advocacy Working Group is part of our commitment to manifest a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) action within our school. Stay tuned for more on the Doula Access Initiative in the coming months.

To connect with the Advocacy Working Group at Doula Canada, email Keira Grant, EDI Co-Lead at keira@doulatraining.ca.

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.

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Anti-Oppression community Equity

World Food Day

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1697463575735{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]World Food Day hits a little differently this year. The skyrocketing cost of food has driven the federal government to summon the CEOs of Canada’s largest food retailers to a meeting in Ottawa on Thanksgiving Monday.

Access to food is not just about the rising price of groceries in contrast to incomes that haven’t changed much. This year’s theme for World Food Day is Water is Life. Water is Food. Leave No One Behind. It calls us to reflect on access to food on a deeper level. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States notes that 71% of the planet is water, however only 2.5% of that water is fresh, drinkable water.

Canadians are blessed to live in a freshwater-rich country, however, 28 Indigenous Reservations across the country are still living with long-term boil water advisories. These communities have been systemically left behind, demonstrating that social policies and political will are central dimensions of ending hunger.

The statement “Water is Food” has an additional layer of meaning for birth workers. Water is the main ingredient in human milk, the ideal first food for all of us. When lactating parents don’t have access to clean drinking water babies are also left behind. When we view food and water as commodities we create a precarious circumstance for society’s most vulnerable members. 

As victims of the Nestle infant formula scandal learned in the most horrific way possible, diluting formula with contaminated water can mean death for babies. In addition to the health risks associated with formula feeding, the cost of infant formula has risen along with all other goods. This follows on the heels of a formula shortage that saw the price for one canister exceeding $70 in the Territories in 2022 according to one of our members. 

When we encourage and champion new parents to normalize, initiate, and sustain lactation and direct breast/chestfeeding we are engaging in a vital action to ensure food security in our communities. When we connect lactation support to action to achieve clean drinking water, and sustainable food networks for all, we are recognizing the intrinsic interconnectedness of social systems and family well-being.

You can learn more about the struggle to secure clean drinking water for all First Nations in Canada at First Nations Drinking Water Settlement. To learn more about how you can support Indigenous land and water defenders in Canada visit Indigenous Climate Action.

 

Keira Grant (she/her) Inclusion and Engagement Lead – Racialized Communities

Keira brings a wealth of experience to the Online Community Moderator role. She is a Queer, Black woman with a twenty-year track record in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) education, projects, and community building initiatives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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balance birth food and pregnancy Health Care holistic nutrition nutrition nutrituin pregnancy

Four Key Nutrients for a Pregnant Woman’s Diet

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1553439377685{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Four Key Nutrients for a Pregnant Woman’s Diet  Erin Gravel, founder of Terra Firma Wellness. 2019 

When it comes to nutrition and pregnancy, most pregnant women are well aware of the foods they should avoid and the reasons why. Alcohol, unpasteurized cheeses, raw eggs, undercooked meat to name a few. However, shifting the focus to foods pregnant women should be increasing in their diet is equally (or perhaps even more) important. This is what I focus on in my practice – educating women on what nutrients they need to nourish their own bodies and that of their growing baby throughout their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. Understanding why certain foods are so beneficial is the starting point, then we move on to how to actually incorporate them into their diet in a way that suits their individual dietary preferences and their lifestyle.

Growing a baby is no small task. It is extremely demanding on the body, and requires additional nutrients to ensure the baby gets what it needs to thrive without leaving the mother depleted. Below is a list of a few key nutrients a pregnant woman should increase in her diet, along with some simple ways to incorporate the nutrients into her diet and lifestyle.

From a holistic perspective, the quality of the foods you eat is SO important. Craving a burger? Imagine the difference in nutrition between a fast food burger or one you made yourself from some grass fed beef. For all the foods listed below, buying the best quality you can is a great place to start.

Protein

Known as the “body’s building blocks”, protein is essential for growing a baby. On top of replenishing her own protein needs, it is imperative a woman increase her protein intake during pregnancy. Besides being used for growth and repair of body tissue, protein is used to make enzymes, neurotransmitters and hormones.

Additional protein doesn’t have to mean more meat. You can easily add more protein by eating quinoa, brown rice, eggs (fully cooked), lentils, or beans. Consider taking hummus and veggies to work for an afternoon snack, or swapping out your potatoes at dinner for some quinoa or brown rice. You can even make a batch of rice or beans on the weekend so that you can easily grab them when you have a meal lacking in protein.

Fat

Eating additional fat can be a scary thing for some women; for years we have been led believe that fat makes you fat. However, understanding that fat is absolutely essential for the growth of your baby helps to put it in perspective. A baby’s brain, nervous system and heart are made up of a lot of fat. Every cell in our body has a fatty cellular membrane and fat is required for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K.

It’s the type and quality of fat you eat that is important for whether or not it is helping your baby grow and thrive. Healthy fats found in foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, fresh water fish and eggs are excellent for nourishing your baby. Having some hard boiled eggs in your fridge can make for a quick snack, or having some nut or seed butter (almond, cashew, sunflower etc.) with a piece of fruit is a great way to incorporate some healthy fats. Slicing up some avocado on some toast or mashing it up to make guacamole is also an easy way to obtain a good dose of healthy fat. You can also whip up a mix of seeds in your coffee grinder and sprinkle them on just about anything! Check out the recipe on my blog post about my favourite pregnancy recommendation.

Fiber

Fiber doesn’t necessarily contribute any specific nutrients to our diet but it helps our digestive system work efficiently. Fiber helps to slow down nutrient absorption, which helps to balance blood sugar, and it also helps to prevent constipation and putrefaction of foods. Considering constipation is a common problem amongst pregnant women, adding some good quality fiber to your diet can be extremely beneficial.

Most people think of bran when they think of fiber; however, all vegetables, grains, nuts, beans, and lentils contain fiber. Ground flaxseeds are an excellent source of fiber. You can add them to your diet by putting a few tablespoons in a smoothie, thick soups, chili or in pancake/waffle or muffin mixture.

A few things to note about increasing fiber: be sure to increase the amount slowly into your diet so your digestive system can get used to it; adding too much too quickly can cause digestive discomfort. You also want to make sure you are well hydrated and drink plenty of water everyday.

Calcium

This mineral is most commonly associated with dairy products, but there are so many other (often more healthy) foods you can eat to get calcium into your diet. Broccoli, bok choy, almonds, tofu, prunes, and pumpkin seeds are just a few! Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, beet greens etc.) also have some calcium. If you do choose to eat dairy products, try to choose organic and/or grass fed options.

Calcium is so important for the growth and development of your baby’s teeth, bones and cardiovascular system. It is also essential for the mother’s teeth, skin, bones and for helping to relieve aching muscles (an all too common issue during pregnancy). If a mother’s diet is lacking in calcium during her pregnancy, the baby will actually take calcium from the mother’s bones, leaving the mother depleted. This can have long-term detrimental effects.

Getting the nutrients you and your baby need shouldn’t (and isn’t!) complicated. The suggestions above are some good places to start, but you can also just begin with choosing a variety of whole foods (things without labels or ingredient lists) and focus on the quality of the foods you are choosing. Every time you reach for a snack or a meal, you have the opportunity to make a healthy choice for you and your baby.

Erin Gravel, founder of Terra Firma Wellness. 2019 

Erin is a Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant (R.H.N.) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She works with women all across Canada to help them optimize their nutrition throughout their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. As a mom to a very active 2.5 year old, and currently expecting her second baby in June 2019, Erin has a unique understanding of the needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Her focus is primarily on education and providing her clients with realistic suggestions that fit their lifestyle and dietary preferences. When she isn’t working with clients, Erin enjoys baking and spending time outside with her family.

www.terrafirmawellness.ca

 

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