Why black Women less likely to breast-feeding

New parents are faced with an almost insurmountable number of decisions as they prepare for a new phase in their lives. Perhaps one of the most important considerations for a family, even before a baby arrives, is whether or not the new baby will be breast-fed.

That was the case for Jennifer Borget and her husband. She began breast-feeding three months ago after the birth of the couple's daughter. While she is part of an increasing number of African-American women who breast-feed their children, a recent study says that as a black woman, Borget is still the exception and not the norm.

Research conducted by doctors at Cooper University Hospital looked at the "barriers to breast-feeding" and was presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference. Researchers focused their attention on formula feeding mothers who had never breast-fed. The data shows that those surveyed chose not to breast-feed because there was a "lack of desire." Many of the mothers also cited "misinformation" they received about breast-feeding as a deterrent.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention around 73 percent of American women start out breast-feeding, that number drops to around 54 percent when you look exclusively at African-American women, and African-American women are also less likely to still be breast-feeding as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics at six months and one year.

Borget, who has never used formulas, says she talked to a variety of people when making her decision. That group includes those who are part of her extended online community who are mom bloggers and mom tweeters, who she says were very supportive.

Still, she says she heard others complain about breast-feeding. The common refrains, she says: "It hurts really bad and they [the babies] want to eat all the time."

She adds, "I didn't hear negative things about it from my African-American peers, but I didn't hear any advocates for it."

Collinus Newsome-Hutt, a mom of three, says she didn't breast-feed with her first child, but later made the decision to nurse during her second pregnancy.

"I was very intentional with making sure I understood nursing and what it meant for me, and what it meant for the baby," she says.

Newsome-Hutt didn't see any other African-American women breast-feeding, and says she faced some resistance to her decision. In the eyes of some, breast-feeding had a stigma attached to it, and it was something that poor people did. Still, she started to breast-feed and kept it up. For her, it's been a good experience.

In recent years there has been a push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase the number of women who are breastfeeding. Also, there are several breastfeeding coalitions formed around the idea of encouraging increased rates of breast-feeding within the African-American community.
Source:- Thegrio

Howard Stern Care About Gabourey Sidibe's Health

Howard Stern defended yesterday's rant about "enormous as a planet" Gabourey Sidibe.
"Obesity in this country is out of control," and he just wants everyone to be healthy. Since when does acknowledging a fat person constitute "tacitly" promoting obesity?

Oh No They Didn't provides a clip where Stern softens his tone from yesterday's scoffing indictment of the "fattest black chick I've ever seen." Yesterday, the very mention of Sidibe's name caused Stern and co-host Robin Quivers to burst into groans. One blogosphere of outcry later, they defended themselves by citing "food addiction," concluding that those who applaud Sidibe's work and offer her roles are telling her "stay this way."

Which is so sweet of them, to feign concern for Gaby, who may not even be in so bad a place, health-wise. At least Gabourey can get an accurate assessment from her doctor, unlike scores of chemically-addled addicts, who generally don't divulge their habits until they're en route to rehab. Which brings up a second reason it's stupid to go after Gaby: Even if she has a "food addiction," how do we know she isn't dealing with it appropriately? Sidibe's weight is down from its highest point; she has admitted to struggling with her size. As long as "sober partner" stays in the celebrity press' vocabulary and alcohol-monitoring anklets appear beside catwalks, it's preposterous to shun someone just because they don't look "healthy" to Howard Stern and extreme diet aficionado Robin Quivers.

So, if Gabourey Sidibe's "food addiction" should have kept her away from the Academy Awards' cameras, to avoid the juxtaposition of "there's Meryl Streep, sixteen-time nominee, and then you go, there's the most enormous fat black chick I've ever seen," then the Academy should also have barred host Alec Baldwin (recovering alcoholic), presenter Robert Downey, Jr. (recovering drug addict), dozens of eating disordered starlets, everyone carrying cocaine on their pockets (how many do you think that was?) and maybe Nicole Kidman for plastic surgery addiction.

It is a requirement of both Howard's profession and mine to invade celebrities' privacy and speculate about their personal lives. We do it because we enjoy gawking at the beautiful, the strange, and the viscerally disgusting human offerings of show biz. And when Howard and Robin gape at Gabourey, they are reveling in their disgust at the spectacle of a "fat black chick." Don't pretend like it's anything else. [ONTD via Jezebel]

Tags: Howard Stern, Gabourey Sidibe, Health, tacitly

Losing Weight with Tuna

First off, a healthy disclaimer - the following are my personal ways of losing weight by consuming a healthy amount of tuna. Before using the information below, seek your doctor's approval :)


The sexiest stays sexy with San Marino Tuna

Tuna is packed with protein, a 150g serving can contain up to 6-9 grams. This is about a cup of tuna which are readily available in can. Protein as a muscle builder, makes it easier to lose weight because more muscles mean more calories burned per activity. Tuna also has less calories at around 60 calories per serving compared to other protein sources like meat. Personally, the more tuna I consume, the less I crave other types of food like sweets or desserts. It satisfies the stomach quickly and is digested periodically by the stomach.

Here are ways to lose weight with tuna:


1. Quick Tuna Sandwich in the morning - if you want to go fast and easy, grab an egg - separate the whites and pour it in a microwave safe bowl. Add your desired amount of tuna, dash a bit of pepper and salt. Pop it in the microwave in low for about a minute. Scrape the egg which would now have the tuna in it in a round shape. Place in between wheat bread and enjoy!

2. Replace rice with tuna - there are tuna variants without any flavor and you can replace rice with a cup of tuna. Consume your viand as usual, as you would with rice. This will lessen your carb intake while increasing your protein sources.

3. Or, eat your rice with tuna - if you simply cannot fathom giving up rice, mixing it with protein such as tuna will already make it healthier. The proper serving of rice is no more than a cup. There are tasty canned tuna that goes well with rice such as the new corned tuna by San Marino. San Marino corned tuna also comes in chili flavor which is more enjoyable to eat than just plain tuna. The Omega 3 content of San Marino corned tuna is 390mg more which will help in preventing heart disease and heart attacks. I find that San Marino tuna also has less oil and simply more tuna in every can.


Stock up and eat straight from the can!

Eat your tuna after a rigorous activity or exercise, your muscles will absorb them even faster for ultimate muscle building and calorie burning power.

Be Instantly Blooming with Fruit Shakes

A new beauty trick because not everyone is born perfect. Yesterday, my skin was still recovering from breakouts because of an allergy to makeup. Remembering how eating fresh fruits on an empty stomach make my skin look better and more glowing, I decided to grab a fruit shake inside the mall.

I totally forgot to check out if my trick worked but during an event, around three people told me how my face look fresh and radiant. As Borat would say, my fruit shake skin trick was a great success. I guess the cold temperature instantly refreshes one's body and all the fibers and fruit nutrients are instantly absorbed.

So the next time you are feeling not-so perfect, grab a fruit shake and gulp away.

5 Sure-Fire Beauty Habits to Look Younger

There are hundreds of beauty tips, from the most natural to the unimaginable ones. But, what are the simplest yet sure-fire habits you can follow to make yourself look better and even younger?


Become as blooming as these flowers!

After watching countless health and lifestyle shows daily, (and reading online health journals) Style and Relax pins down the most effective beauty habits ever.

1. Eating 5 Servings of Fruit Daily – not one but five is the magic number when it comes to fruits. They are the most natural yet most effective source of vitamins and minerals. The easiest fruits to grab are bananas, apples, oranges, mangoes, and pineapple. Canned fruits are available in stores for better convenience if you are having a hard time getting fresh produce. However, fresh is always best.

2. Take Vitamin C Supplements – everyday is a stressful day, and each time you get stressed – your body releases Vitamin C to different parts of your body. The more stress you have, the less Vitamin C is retained in your body. Vitamin C is great for the skin, dermatologists always recommend this to me along with Vitamin A. To count, 4 of my total dermatologists have recommend Vitamin C supplements for better skin.

3. Walk, Run, or Jump – anything at all to get your body moving at least 30 minutes a day. Starting an exercise routine is not easy but if it is as simple as taking a stroll or mild jogging in the morning – you are more likely to “just do it”. Observe how your skin glows after a workout session, sweat is the best skin cleanser after all. Not only that but when you set your mind on a goal, you feel better about yourself and people will notice your more positive and young attitude in life.

4. 2.2 Liters of Water a Day – I will write this everyday until all of you drin k the right

amount of water! This is approximately 9 cups of water for women and men must drink 3 liters of water daily. Water is our body’s moisturizer and without it, you cannot flush out toxins that cause aging or deliver the nutrients you get from eating fruits to different parts of the body.

5. Your Lips Give Your Age Away – Fuller and luscious lips mean yummy young! Take care of your lips by putting petroleum jelly on them before going to sleep. During the day, put on a lip balm with sun protection. Drinking enough water also helps keep your lips looking ooh la la ;)