In the world of health and nutrition, everyone’s always looking for the next miracle food that will nurture our bodies and taste good going down. While no one can predict the next big healthy eating trend, we have a hunch about what it might be: Stem vegetables. From their versatility to their abundance of nutrients and fiber to their delightfully earthy flavors, stem vegetables offer a lot to love. Here’s why you’ll want to load your plate full of edible stems.
What are stem vegetables?
The term “stem vegetables” might be new to you, but chances are you’re already eating them. Stem vegetables are quite literally the edible stems of plants, which chefs (and home cooks) treat as vegetables. (Think: asparagus, leeks, and celery). “The term ‘stem vegetables’ is even new to many dietitians,” explains Robert Lazzinnaro, registered dietitian at Copeman Healthcare Centre in Vancouver. “It’s hard to say exactly where people are going with that term, but we would generally consider stem vegetables to be the classification for different vegetables based on the way they grow and what parts you eat.” Essentially, stem vegetables are different from root vegetables and tubers in that you eat the parts that grow above ground rather than under the soil. (Although stem vegetables do pair nicely with roots and tubers!) Did you know that you can actually eat the stems of many different types of vegetables? For example, broccoli stems can be sliced thinly and sauteed in sesame oil. With that being said, though, the stem vegetable definition tends to focus on plants that are largely just, well, stems and stalks. Broccoli wouldn’t fall under that classification because the flowering head is the primary part that’s eaten. Got it? [related article_ids=1005797]
Why You Should Eat Your (Stem) Vegetables
Unlike other veggies in your crisper, stem vegetables have the unique advantage of being almost entirely edible. (No de-seeding, skinning, or peeling necessary!) “Stem vegetables are very well known for being entirely edible and not having to get rid of anything,” says Lazzinnaro. “I’m a big fan of sustainability and less food waste.” As for health benefits, any vegetable (stem or otherwise) is a good vegetable, says Lazzinnaro. They all have fiber and valuable vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need. “Whether you’re in the U.S. or Canada, the amount of vegetables we consume is actually pretty low,” he says. “If you like stem vegetables, even better because you can eat most of the plant and get those veggies in regularly.” We found some compelling facts about certain stem vegetables that might just give you the motivation you need to stock them in your kitchen:
Nopales, or edible cactus, has high amounts of magnesium—and makes a creative vegetarian taco filling.
Creative Ways To Cook Stem Vegetables
The key to boosting your consumption of fresh veggies, including stem vegetables, is finding creative ways to make them taste great. So what’s the best way to cook edible stems? “Just like cruciferous vegetables, stem vegetables taste great roasted and in stir-fry,” suggests Lazzinnaro. If you’ve got big plans for summer grilling, you’re in luck: Some stem vegetables take on a smoky flavor and crisp texture when cooked on the barbecue. “Asparagus is really awesome on the grill,” says Lazzinnaro. You can also drink your stem vegetables by tossing them into a juicer. Keep in mind that juiced veggies contain less fiber than eating them whole, though. If you find yourself just as addicted to edible stems as we are, don’t stop exclusively at stem vegetables. There are creative root-to-stalk cooking techniques that can work for the edible stems of all kinds of vegetables. (Remember the trick about slicing broccoli stems and sauteeing them? Trust us, it works.) You can turn blanched kale stems into a flavor- and nutrient-packed pesto by tossing them into your food blender with a splash of olive oil, a handful of your favorite nuts, some garlic and lemon juice, and salt and pepper. There’s always the option of turning the leftover stems of produce into a tasty vegetable stock. Then, toss in some chopped up stem vegetables, like celery, and make a healthy soup. Once you savor the dynamic flavor of homemade veggie stock, you’ll never want to use the store-bought stuff again. Whether you’re just learning about them or you’ve been savoring them your whole life, stem vegetables can help you increase your vitamin, nutrient, and fiber intake—while reducing kitchen waste. And we consider that a win-win for mindful eaters everywhere.
When Heather Sliwinski is out in public, people don’t see her as sick. The Crohn’s disease symptoms and side effects that can make living with the chronic condition debilitating at times are largely invisible. “I’ve been sitting on the bus before on a bad day—in pain and sick—and told by a stranger that I shouldn’t be sitting, that I should give up my seat to someone else who needs it because I’m a younger, seemingly healthy individual,” the PR professional from San Francisco says. “What they couldn’t see is that I was in pain, sick, and terrified that I may have an accident. Who wants to tell a stranger that they have diarrhea to justify taking up a seat on the bus?” An estimated 1.6 million Americans are walking around with some type of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), a classification that includes both Crohn’s and colitis. These diseases are typically diagnosed before someone hits their thirties, and they’re chronic. There is no cure for Crohn’s. And yet, myths about Crohn’s disease, its symptoms, and what will happen to those diagnosed run rampant. Here’s what the experts say is really going on in the gastrointestinal tract of people like Sliwinski and what to do if you think you might be experiencing symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
What is Crohn’s disease?
Before you can consider whether or not you have Crohn’s disease, you need to know what Crohn’s disease is, right? Ramona Rajapakse, MD, a gastroenterologist and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center (IBD) at Stony Brook Medicine, describes Crohn’s as an inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the system of organs that stretches from the mouth all the way to the anus. Although sometimes confused with colitis, which refers to an inflammation of the inner lining of the colon, Crohn’s disease is its own separate condition. Setting it apart from colitis are a number of factors, including the fact that Crohn’s can affect all layers of the bowel wall and can appear anywhere along the GI tract. What’s more, Crohn’s disease can do something doctors call “skip,” meaning there may be sections of the bowel affected by Crohn’s with perfectly healthy, normal tissue in between them.
What causes Crohn’s disease?
Despite the large numbers of Crohn’s sufferers in America, the cause of the disease still stumps doctors, says Meenakshi Bewtra, MD, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “We really don’t understand what causes Crohn’s disease (CD), but we currently believe it is an interplay between some unidentified environmental factor, a dysregulated immune system, a change in the gut microbiome, and some genetic factors,” Bewtra says. “Unfortunately, we haven’t figured out what any one of these are, let alone what combination causes CD. So I try and also make sure that [patients know they] did nothing to cause this—either to themselves or to their children. They are not responsible for this.” The one and only risk factor that doctors can point to is heredity: There’s a higher incidence of Crohn’s for people who have a family member with the disease. And yet, even having a parent, grandparent, or sibling with the disease is no guarantee that you’ll end up with a Crohn’s diagnosis, nor does everyone with Crohn’s have a family history to report to their doctor. People with Crohn’s disease often ask Bewtra if the disease can be passed on to their children, and to that she says absolutely not. “While there does seem to be some genetics at play, I caution against not having children if that is something a patient wants simply because they fear passing on CD,” she says. “There are plenty of children with CD who do not have parents with CD, and there are plenty of parents with CD who do not have children with CD.”
What are the Crohn’s disease symptoms to look for?
Crohn’s disease can be silent for a long time before someone, or their doctors, make the connection and reach a diagnosis. This is in part because symptoms vary from patient to patient, Rajapakse says. When Amanda Semenoff was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease more than a decade ago, she realized the symptoms had been present and slowly creeping up for a long time. “Diagnosis took more than two years, and my symptoms were pretty extreme by the time they figured it out,” the mediator from New Westminster, British Columbia, tells HealthyWay. In that time, Semenoff had lost more than 100 pounds and found herself too weak to climb stairs without lying down about halfway up to rebuild her strength. Even now, she has fuzzy memories of those two years due to a perpetual brain fog, coupled with stomach ulcers, bleeding rectal fissures, and near constant vomiting. For Sliwinski, the path to diagnosis was even longer and likewise fraught with complications. “The onset of my symptoms was in 2010. I was managing, and I had been told by my primary care physician that I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), so I was used to having multiple bowel movements a day,” she recalls. “But it got to the point where I couldn’t finish a meal without having to run to the bathroom.” A year after the onset of symptoms, she landed in the hospital with high fever, extreme abdominal pain, and diarrhea. When she noticed blood in her stool, Sliwinski says she knew there was something more than IBS going on. Still, it wasn’t until 2013 that she finally got the answer: Crohn’s disease. While the effects of Crohn’s do vary from person to person, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation suggests keeping an eye out for the following Crohn’s symptoms:
Persistent diarrhea
Rectal bleeding
Urgent need to move bowels
Abdominal cramps and pain
Sensation of incomplete evacuation (of your bowels)
Constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction)
Fever
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Fatigue
Night sweats
Loss of normal menstrual cycle
Although it’s typically diagnosed in one’s twenties or thirties, Crohn’s can show up in younger kids as well, and failure to grow is a major indicator, says Ashkan Farhadi, MD, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group’s Digestive Disease Project in Fountain Valley, California.
How is Crohn’s disease diagnosed?
Crohn’s can take months or even years to diagnose in part because it manifests itself differently from patient to patient. But it’s also a complex condition to diagnose, Farhadi says. Crohn’s disease is diagnosed based on a series of tests. First, Farhadi says, there are clinical findings—basically examination by a doctor and review of your medical history. Next a potential Crohn’s patient will undergo imaging, be it CT scan or MRI. Typically an endoscopy—a procedure in which the digestive tract is viewed via a miniscule camera inserted into the tract (or sometimes swallowed by a patient)—will be done to give doctors a look at what’s going on in the GI tract. Finally, biopsies may be taken, and the tissues will be reviewed to determine if there’s inflammation or other issues. In addition to the GI tract itself, a doctor may look at other parts of the body. That’s because Crohn’s disease is what Bewtra calls a full-body disease. “There are other parts of the body such as the eyes, liver, bones, etc. that can also be affected, sometimes even if the patient feels otherwise well,” she notes.
What happens if you’re diagnosed with Crohn’s disease?
A Crohn’s diagnosis is a major step to feeling better, but just how quickly you will get there depends on the severity of the disease. Typically the first step is medication, Farhadi says. Short-acting steroids may be used in order to get the inflammation of the GI tract to calm down, offering relief from pain. Other medications prescribed, called immuno-modulators, may be focused on getting the body’s immune system in check. “It’s an autoimmune disease; the immune system is acting against its own GI tract,” Farhadi explains. For some patients, diet and other lifestyle changes will be necessary to help the gut heal. Those changes could be temporary or long-term. Surgery is typically kept as a last resort, but it’s also on the table for some patients with Crohn’s disease. Sometimes that means taking out an inflamed section of the GI tract, Farhadi says. Other times it means going in to perform a stricturoplasty, a procedure that removes scar tissue in the intestinal tract that has built up due to chronic inflammation. Removing that tissue can help waste flow more smoothly through the bowels and reduce a patient’s pain. The most common surgery for Crohn’s disease is the treatment of a fistula, a tunnel created when inflammation works its way through the walls of the intestines. For Semenoff, treatment was long and extreme. “It took three years for me to get to functioning at all,” she recalls. “Hospitalizations, procedures, all kinds of crazy medications and weird diets, journaling, massage therapy, supplements, and many doctors. Some of it worked, but in some spaces it isn’t as obvious. My Crohn’s is now mostly in remission and controlled by avoiding my trigger foods, some fasting, and basic self-care.” Remission is exactly what doctors shoot for when they treat people with Crohn’s disease. “We don’t cure it,” Rajapaske says. “We control it.” It’s a disease that waxes and wanes, she adds. Weeks, months, or even years with no pain or intestinal issues can be followed by what’s called a flare-up, a sudden reactivation of symptoms. Sometimes patients can go for lengthy periods of times living medicine-free or eating what they want, but they’ll need to return to their doctor for treatment if Crohn’s rears its ugly head again. [pullquote align=”center”]“Despite all of this—and it is scary and overwhelming—our primary goal in IBD care is to make sure that the patient can live the life they want to live.”
—Meenakshi Bewtra[/pullquote] “When someone is in a flare … they can have terrible abdominal pain—it’s hard to describe how it feels, but it is relentless,” Bewtra says. “Sometimes it feels better temporarily after going to the bathroom, but it always comes back. They can go to the bathroom every hour—even though sometimes they only pass a little mucus or maybe some blood. They are fatigued and may even have a low grade fever. They cannot participate in normal activities—they simply do not feel well enough.” It’s a fact that Slewinski knows all too well, but she’s found power in taking charge of her own health. Being diagnosed with Crohn’s has given her the tools she needed to go the next step and find the treatments that work for her body. “I still have bad days here and there, but the good days greatly outweigh the bad. I can’t guarantee these therapies will work for everyone, in whole or in part, but I’ve learned to become the CEO of my own health, so to speak, and that has helped me figure out a mix of treatments that work for me,” she says. “So eight years into my IBD, I’m managing with diet and lifestyle changes, as well as keeping my anxiety in check, since we know the gut/brain connection is strong. I’m always looking at other alternative therapies that could improve my quality of life.”
How can you get help with Crohn’s disease?
Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is typically made by a gastroenterologist, so if you think you have Crohn’s disease symptoms, it’s best to talk to your general practitioner about a referral. Bewtra not only treats the disease but also battles Crohn’s herself, and she encourages her patients to be open and honest with their doctors. “Despite all of this—and it is scary and overwhelming—our primary goal in IBD care is to make sure that the patient can live the life they want to live,” she says. “I really try to emphasize that there may be times of greater challenge, times when goals may need to be put on hold, but every physician I know tries to emphasize that our goal is that they live the life they want, be it volunteering in a [developing] country, working in a hospital, teaching preschool, running a business, etc.” If you are diagnosed, the road ahead doesn’t have to be walked alone. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation offers online support groups as well as information on how to find in-person groups in your area. The foundation also runs a program called Team Challenge, a fundraising effort to not only help provide services to people with Crohn’s disease but also to fund research. “The program has become more than just a fundraising and advocacy effort for me, but an extended family for a shoulder to lean on when times get tough,” Slewinski says. “I’m sure anyone else who has found the organization would say the same thing.”
Whenever I have a near-empty fridge, I make stuffed peppers. A fridge that is lacking in obvious ingredients forces you to get creative in the kitchen, and stuffed pepper recipes are a fantastic option when it comes to playing around with leftovers (from the fridge, freezer, and pantry). Think of bell peppers as a blank canvas just waiting to be filled with your favorite healthy ingredients! We guide you through the entire process of making delicious stuffed peppers, from basic bell pepper prep and super-nutritious ingredient suggestions to recipes to try for yourself.
Basic Bell Pepper Prep for Stuffed Pepper Recipes
First things first, you’ll need to wash and dry the peppers. Next, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise using a sharp chef’s knife. You want to end up with two pepper “boats” that can be stuffed with filling. Using a paring knife, trim away the white pith and seeds, leaving the stem intact for decorative purposes. If the bell pepper halves are wobbly, you can even them out by making a shallow cut across the base of the pepper half so they’ll be able to stand up on their own. If you know you’ll be short on time, bell peppers can be prepped a day ahead and stored in a covered container in the fridge until you’re ready to fill them. Now that you know how to prep your peppers, here are two tasty stuffed pepper recipes to try at home.
Tuscan-Style Turkey and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers
These Tuscan-style stuffed peppers are perfect for weeknight suppers while still being elegant enough for a dinner party with friends. Serve these stuffed peppers with grilled or steamed asparagus and a big green salad with a citrusy dressing.
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water and then finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 cups of roughly chopped kale, stems removed
1 ½ cups chilled brown rice
½ cup vegetable stock or water
Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese (optional)
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh basil, cut in a thin chiffonade*
*To cut basil into a chiffonade, stack multiple basil leaves on top of one another and roll into a tight, cigar-shaped tube. Using a sharp paring or chef’s knife, cut the basil leaves across the width of the roll into fine ribbons.
Special Equipment:
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Chef’s knife
Paring knife
Sauté pan (this model fromCuisinart will last you a lifetime and it looks great in any kitchen!)
Over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large sauté pan before crumbling in the ground turkey and seasoning with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
Using a silicone or wooden spatula break the ground turkey apart and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink inside.
Transfer the cooked ground turkey to a bowl and wipe down the inside of the sauté pan with paper towel. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan and return to medium heat.
Sauté the shallot, dried onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried chili flakes in the oil until fragrant.
Next, add the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and kale.
Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale has completely wilted.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cooked ground turkey and brown rice, gently stirring with the spatula until combined.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Using a large spoon, divide the ground turkey and brown rice mixture amongst the bell pepper halves.
Evenly space the stuffed peppers in a 9”× 13” casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray, adding ½ cup water or vegetable stock to the bottom of the dish.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Larger peppers may need up to 10 extra minutes (55 minutes total) baking time.
Remove the foil and sprinkle liberally with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, cooking the stuffed peppers under the broiler for another 5 to 8 minutes (keep an eye on the peppers to make sure they don’t burn).
Serve the stuffed peppers while hot or at room temperature, garnishing with fresh parsley and basil before serving.
Vegetarian Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
With half your recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber, these filling vegetarian quinoa and black bean stuffed peppers are an ideal work lunch throughout the week. Serve with salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, and Greek yogurt.
3 scallions thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only
Special Equipment:
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Chef’s knife
Paring knife
Large sauté pan
Silicone or wooden spatula
Large spoon
9” × 13” casserole dish
Aluminum foil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the pan.
Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions have softened.
Next, add the corn, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and butternut squash to the onion and spice mixture.
Stirring frequently, cook the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.
Add the black beans, quinoa, and ½ cup vegetable stock to the sauté pan, stirring until the stock has been absorbed.
Using a spoon, divide the quinoa and black bean mixture amongst the bell pepper halves.
Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray and add the stuffed peppers halves.
Add the remaining ½ cup of vegetable stock to the casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 45 minutes; larger peppers may need up to 10 extra minutes (55 minutes total) baking time.
Remove the foil from the casserole dish, crumble the cotija or feta cheese over the stuffed peppers. Run the stuffed peppers under the broiler until it begins to brown (it won’t melt). Remove from the oven.
Serve the stuffed peppers hot or at room temperature. When ready to serve, sprinkle the stuffed peppers with plenty of fresh cilantro and sliced scallions.
Still not convinced you can nail homemade stuffed peppers? Check out our stuffed pepper FAQs:
Can I make stuffed peppers ahead of time?
Peppers that have been stuffed but not yet cooked can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight. Just keep them covered with plastic wrap or in a reusable container. Take the stuffed peppers out of the fridge 20 minutes before you plan to cook them and then follow the baking directions outlined in the recipes above.
How long can I store cooked stuffed peppers in the fridge?
Refrigerated stuffed peppers that have already been cooked can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to four days. Make extra stuffed peppers to keep in the fridge and you’ll have a highly nutritious and filling lunch to take to work throughout the week.
Can I freeze stuffed peppers?
Absolutely! When Andrea Hardy, RD at Ignite Nutrition makes her famous vegetarianMediterranean Lentil-Stuffed Peppers, she always preps and freezes the bell peppers beforehand. Hardy tells HealthyWay, “Stuffed peppers are a bit of a labor of love—they aren’t a 15-minute recipe—so I tend to batch cook and freeze them. Always pre-bake them first to soften them up; you can do this on the BBQ too, though! That way they don’t take too long to cook and are the right texture when you stuff them and bake them the second time.” To freeze stuffed peppers, blanch the prepped pepper halves in boiling water for two to three minutes (or follow Hardy’s advice and grill them). This will help prevent the peppers from becoming slimy when they warm back up. Transfer the blanched peppers to a paper towel and let cool to room temperature before stuffing them with the cooked filling. Wrap each stuffed pepper with at least two layers of plastic wrap and store each wrapped pepper in a resealable freezer bag or container (these precautions will help prevent freezer burn). Stuffed peppers can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat the stuffed peppers, simply transfer them to a casserole dish, add a half cup of water or vegetable stock, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake from frozen. Depending on the size of the stuffed peppers, you may need to increase the baking time by up to 30 minutes (not including broiling time, which will be the same as indicated in the recipe).
How do I know my stuffed peppers are cooked?
Stuffed peppers are cooked when they’re warmed all the way through and feel hot throughout. Because the meat used in stuffed peppers is usually pre-cooked, the risk of potential cross-contamination is very low. Thanks to the aluminum foil used to cover the peppers as well as the addition of water or stock, the stuffed peppers are lightly steamed as they cook. For melted cheese or breadcrumbs toppings, running the peppers under the broiler for 5 minutes after baking will result in a pleasantly browned crust.
Are all bell peppers the same?
Despite the fact that peppers come in a rainbow of different colors, ranging anywhere from green to deep red, bell peppers all come from the same plant. Green bell peppers are still relatively unripe, yellow and orange bell peppers are just beginning to ripen, and red peppers are the most mature. All bell peppers contain an impressive amount of nutrients and are very low in calories, but sincered peppers spend the longest amount of time on the vine (most vegetables have the highest nutritional value when picked atthe height of maturity) they have a nutritional advantage overgreen peppers in terms of beta-carotene and vitamins A and C.
What’s the best cooking method for stuffed peppers?
Stuffed peppers can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, in the microwave, or in a slow cooker. Although the microwave and slow cooker are convenient, stuffed peppers cooked in this manner are often quite soggy. The oven method produces the best results in terms of overall texture and taste because it’s the driest cooking method (even though the stuffed peppers are still being lightly steamed under the aluminum foil). Five minutes under the broiler at the end of the cooking time helps to achieve a lightly browned topping and adds a pleasantly crispy texture to the finished stuffed peppers.
Why are stuffed peppers so good for you?
Stuffed peppers offer a huge array of nutrients in a compact meal. Hardy loves stuffed peppers for their positive effect on gut health. Her take?
I love stuffed peppers. From a nutrition perspective, you can pack them with things that are high in fiber to help feed the bacteria in your gut. When your gut bacteria are well-fed they produce anti-inflammatory compounds and keep your gut healthy. My favorites tend to be lentils, as they’re soft and the texture blends with almost anything, but I’ve done black beans too for Mexican stuffed peppers!
I love stuffed peppers because depending on the filling you use, they are essentially a complete meal in one dish. Use brown rice or cauliflower rice for your filling to boost the fiber content and add some beans for a healthy source of plant-based protein. The bell peppers themselves are also high in nutrients like Vitamin C [giving you more than 100 percent of your] daily value, vitamin B6, and potassium.
Stuffed Pepper Tips and Hacks From the Pros
Both Hardy and Murphy are seasoned pros when it comes to stuffed pepper recipes and they have some helpful tips for making them at home. For example, Hardy likes to work around a theme. She elaborates:
I typically choose a “theme” and base my ingredients off that. My two go-tos besides my Mediterranean peppers [are Mexican and Greek-inspired]. For Mexican: cilantro, rice, black beans, ground beef, peppers, onion, cheese, and taco seasoning. For Greek: rice, feta, olives, peppers, onion, and Greek seasoning.
Murphy also likes to be inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean and recommends you stuff your peppers with rice, chickpeas, feta cheese, and olives. Looking for some new vegetarian protein options? Murphy loves tempeh. “As a vegetarian, I always try to incorporate some source of plant-based protein like beans or tempeh into my stuffed peppers,” she says. If you aren’t familiar with tempeh, it is made from fermented soybeans which are pressed into a patty that can be sliced or crumbled depending on the recipe. Adding tempeh to stuffed peppers is a tasty way to try it in a more familiar dish. If you’re a fan of heat, try stuffing larger spicy peppers with your favorite filling (poblano and banana peppers work well, just make sure to wear gloves when removing the seeds and white pith to avoid unexpected contact burns).
Stuffed Peppers: the Perfect Meal-in-One
When you select your fillings with nutrition in mind, stuffed peppers are literally stuffed with nutrients; they’re full of important vitamins and minerals, high in dietary fiber, can be made ahead or brought to work for lunch, and can be customized to suit any taste. Although they require more time than some other recipes, much of the work can be in advance (plus, the filling can be mixed and peppers can be stuffed by younger kitchen helpers!). They’re also the perfect meal for when you need to clean out your fridge or freezer before a big grocery haul. Super-nutritious, great for gut-health, and endlessly customizable? It’s time to try one of our delicious stuffed pepper recipes for yourself!
Out of Office is a regular feature of brands we love—and we think you will too! Each of the brands we highlight must meet three criteria: 1) have a woman (or three!) in charge; 2) create sustainably, responsibly, and thoughtfully; and 3) fit in with the lives we’re actually living. Read on to find out more about this week’s brand, the ladies behind it all, and the advice they have for women everywhere.
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Women of color supporting women of color by creating a product that’s great for everyone? That’s something we’re 100 percent on board with, hence our pick for this week’s feature: Karité. Karité (which means shea in French) is a shea butter–packed skincare brand based in New York City, founded by three sisters from Ghana. Though their offerings may be limited to just two products (for now!), their body butter and hand cream have been expertly designed. If you’re feeling skeptical, thinking that there are plenty of body lotions on the market, rest assured that Karité’s founders know what they’re talking about. After all, they’re pretty closely tied to their creams’ formulas: Both the body butter and hand cream were designed by co-founder and CEO Naana Boakye, MD. Yep, one of the co-founders is a dermatologist, and she’s the one who develops their products (she also runs her own dermatology practice just outside NYC). Lest you think that’s the only trick these sisters have up their sleeves for Karité, there’s more—a lot more: Abena Slowe, Karité’s chief operating officer, is a lawyer in New York, while chief creative officer Akua Okunseinde has years of experience in sales, marketing, and finance (most recently for Google). Oh, and they’re all moms. Talk about badass. Akua Okunseinde, Abena Slowe, and Naana Boakye of Karité Skincare Naana, Abena, and Akua are from Ghana, and growing up, they had access to some truly incredible products. Their favorite moisturizers were chock full of shea butter—an ingredient indigenous to Africa (and primarily farmed by women). But when they moved to the U.S., they were hard-pressed to find creams that lived up to their standards; the products they found were often full of highly processed, refined shea butters. They knew they could do better, thanks especially to Naana’s dermatology expertise. Karité’s body butter and hand cream are hypoallergenic and free of artificial dyes, parabens, silicones, and pointless fillers that sit on top of the skin. Instead, they’re packed with raw, unrefined shea butter, sustainably sourced palm oil, and unrefined organic coconut oil. They worked with Ghanaian vendors to find the highest quality ingredients to bring to America. And in the process, Karité is helping support the more than 600,000 Ghanaian women who depend on shea butter production for their income. While this shea butter production is good for devotees of Karité’s products and for the bank accounts of Ghanaian women, it isn’t always so great for the environment. That’s why Karité is a member of the Global Shea Alliance, a non-profit association based in Ghana that works to promote sustainability around shea butter production, developing environmentally friendly best practices, and setting industry quality standards across the world. I use Karité’s products, and my dry skin is a huge fan. (See why below!) But in 2018, our purchasing power can be political, and it feels good to support a company owned by women of color in a time when, astoundingly, that in itself can be controversial. That Karité’s ingredients are thoughtfully chosen, sustainably sourced, and add to the livelihoods of Ghanaian women and their families is just another reason to support Naana, Abena, and Akua and companies like theirs. Keep it up, ladies; HealthyWay is cheering you on.
Karité Product Spotlight
In need of hydration from head to toe? Well, Karité’s Crème Corps Hydrating Body Cream’s combination of shea butter, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, and herbs—all sustainably sourced, of course—is gentle enough for everyday use while also being effective on particularly rough bits. (Head, elbows, knees, and toes, anyone?) On the other hand, if you just need a product to throw in your purse and put on every single hour (I’m guilty!), the Crème Mains hand cream is your girl. It’s formulated particularly for the hands, which can dry out easily from hand-washing, cleaning, and general life. This cream is also formulated with ingredients that are ideal for sensitive skin.
[products ids=’1005674,1005675′ type=full]
Q+A with Naana Boakye, Abena Slowe, and Akua Okunseinde
What is your why behind the brand? What inspired you to start your company?
Naana: Our family roots are in Ghana, West Africa, where much of the shea butter you know and love is sourced from. Our family has used shea butter in its raw form as a daily moisturizer for as long as we can remember. While raw, unrefined shea butter is the ultimate moisturizer for your skin, it’s quite difficult to spread on the skin. We would often mix the shea butter with over-the-counter lotion to make it easier to spread. This is when we had the idea to make our own all-natural version of liquid shea butter. Based on what I’ve learned in my practice, I was confident about the type of formulation we would need but knew it would take time to perfect. We started brainstorming about starting this brand back in 2013 and officially launched in February 2017.
Walk us through your typical work day.
Abena: We really don’t have a “typical” work day—every day is different since we are a start-up. There are a lot of moving parts, and it can be crazy and chaotic at times. When we are working on the brand, our time is spent on customer orders, managing and expanding our retail and wellness partnerships, social media, communicating with bloggers and magazines on features, and strategizing about the vision and future of the brand.
What’s up next for Karité?
Akua: Our key focus has and always will be our products, specifically ingredients that we source to provide maximum hydration for our customers’ skin. We have some ideas of what products we want to add to our line, but we are constantly researching to make sure that we make the right determination. We are not trying to have a ton of products all at once—we find that being deliberate and intentional with a slow rollout is working well. We are also expanding our retail brand partnerships within the U.S. We love the fact that so many indie beauty stores are cropping up and really loving what we have to offer. We look forward to collaborating with those that share a similar mission to ours.
Tell us about Karité’s products!
Abena: We currently have two products available: Crème Corps Hydrating Body Cream and Crème Mains Hand Cream, and both are really incredible and have been well received. The hand cream is great because it’s the perfect size to carry in your purse and it’s also TSA compliant so you can take it with you when you travel. Your skin gets extremely dry on airplanes, so it’s important to stay moisturized. Our hand cream is lighter in texture and leaves your hands feeling hydrated but not at all greasy and also has a light pleasant smell. Our body cream has been extremely popular because it feels so rich with its thicker consistency, yet it’s super smooth and hydrating when you rub it into your skin. A little goes a long way. Because we focused on making sure our products are non-toxic, they are great for the entire family. We use both products on our kids all the time!
Five-Minute Mentor
What’s your best advice for someone who wants to start a small business?
Akua: Perseverance, patience, and being open-minded are key. It’s easy to come up with an idea and bring it to fruition, but marketing, selling, and dealing with the day-to-day is pretty challenging. Sometimes you take a step forward but then end up taking two steps back. It’s the nature of being a small business. But we are starting to see things fall into place in a very positive way due to our perseverance and patience.
What was your lightbulb moment, where all the hard work felt totally worth it?
Naana: In the very beginning, you try to market pretty widely to become known because there are so many brands in the beauty space. Pretty soon after we launched, we got, and have continued to get, incredibly positive feedback on our brand from press, customers, and retailers! When someone tells you that they heard about your brand or saw your brand in a magazine or in a store, that feeling just never gets old. It’s pretty amazing. Akua Okunseinde, chief creative officer of Karité
What’s your favorite way to practice self-care?
Abena: In terms of routine, everything shifted when I had my second child about 9 months ago, so my intention has been to try to adopt a more consistent self-care practice. For now, it’s finding a bit of alone time, even if it’s only for 10 minutes, sleeping in a bit over the weekend, or going for a walk around the neighborhood. I also practice breathing exercises, which forces me to focus and calm my energy. Eventually, once I have a decent sleep routine back, I plan to get back to distance running. Naana: I also have two kids, and being a mom often means putting yourself last. Over the last year and a half, I have made it a point to really take the time to focus on myself because I’ve found that overall it’s made me more focused, healthier, and happier. I’m an early riser and I take advantage of that aspect of myself. I try to hit the gym 4 to 5 times a week first thing in the morning around 5 a.m. I lift weights and really enjoy the group classes at my gym because of the great energy. I also try to eat a well-balanced diet leaning heavily towards plant-based. (But I still indulge in sweets!) I also love going to church on Sundays with my family. Akua: I’m a new mom! I had my first child 5 months ago, so it’s been pretty life-changing for me and I am also trying to get into a more consistent self-care routine. I definitely cherish some alone time, sneaking in a nap during the day to recharge or soaking in a bath for some calm.
Balance or harmony?
Abena: Haha, is there such a thing? But seriously, it’s something I think we all constantly strive for. I think there are moments of balance but with all we have going on, it’s hard to constantly feel balanced. Harmony speaks better to my mindset—you can try to manage things in your life in a way that causes the least amount of stress and makes you content. There also needs to be flexibility because it’s different every day. Some days you may be more tipped one way versus the other, but that’s okay.
How do you define wellness?
Naana: It’s so many things, and it’s a full-body experience, both spiritual and physical. It’s being confident and feeling good about yourself, it’s taking care of your body and being mindful of what you put in it and what you expose it to. It’s taking the time to uplift and be compassionate to someone every day. Some people may not think of skincare as part of wellness, but it very much is and that is what we are trying to teach our consumers. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and you have to be mindful of what you expose it to. It’s important to take a deep look at your beauty cabinet because studies have shown that many skincare products contain irritating chemicals that cause skin conditions such as rashes, itching, and cracked skin. Be kind to your skin and your body and strive to use natural and non-toxic products.
What book do you think all women need to read?
Abena: I have enjoyed reading Own Your Glow by Latham Thomas. It’s a really inspiring book that pushes you to focus on wellness, self-awareness, and self-love. Anyone who is struggling, who is looking for more self-care tips and wisdom—or if you just need some uplifting and a confidence-booster—this book is perfect for that. We live in some pretty crazy times right now, so I think this is a must-read for all women. I’ve had the honor of meeting Latham a few times, and she is truly such a sweetheart, is full of so much love and light, and does such good work for women. All of that translates in her book.
Pick your fuel of choice: coffee, tea, or something else (if so, what?).
Naana: Latte. I need two shots and mixed with milk. If I don’t start my day with that I’m not coherent. Naana Boakye, chief executive officer of Karité Abena: Hard to choose, but I rotate through lattes, matcha lattes, flat whites, green tea, and chamomile tea. It all depends on my mood. Akua: I go back and forth between coffee and tea. Since I don’t get much sleep these days, I definitely love treating myself to a good latte in the morning.
What’s your ideal day off of work?
Naana: It’s funny because we are all moms, we feel like we are always “on” even when we have a day off. But my ideal day off would be a workout in the morning, followed up by an incredible massage at a spa. After a good lunch, curl up on the couch and enjoy a book near a window. Abena: Take a nice long walk in the morning or go for a run, then catch up with a friend over coffee/breakfast. Relax at home with a book or watch a movie. And take a nap! Akua: I’m currently on maternity leave, and I’m cherishing that I get to spend this time with my baby. I know many women struggle with their employers having little or sometimes no maternity leave at all. Right now my ideal day off would consist of catching up on sleep. Otherwise a nice lunch and spa treatment would be great!
What was your first job?
Naana: I worked in an administrative office at college making copies. It was great because I learned all about time management, which is a skill set that I use every day. Abena: I was a sales associate at a women’s clothing store, so I had a lot of interaction with customers. Akua: I was a camp counselor for 3- and 4-year-olds. It was exhausting but I have always loved kids so really loved my job!
What has been your biggest obstacle in building your company and how did you overcome it?
Naana: The biggest obstacle is that there is no roadmap or cookbook to starting a small business. In medicine and in law, there are protocols. Starting Karité took a lot of research and learning a lot about business beyond the formulations and beyond the beauty industry. We have faced a variety of obstacles. Being that we are a family business, it was hard to give up control and delegate certain areas of the business to others, but there were some aspects that we just did not know how to do and it made more sense to bring on people who could handle those aspects of the business more efficiently. Abena Slowe, chief operating officer of Karité When starting a business, there are always many obstacles and roadblocks and it can be frustrating—you have to decide whether you are going to throw in the towel or push through the challenge. We are extremely happy with our brand and the direction it’s going in, but it’s not easy. And it’s not supposed to be easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it.
How do you stay motivated?
Akua: Some people ask how we like working with each other—we love it. We have always been close and we get along incredibly well. It helps that we also have similar taste in pretty much everything. But we do each have our particular strengths, which keeps us motivated and keeps our bond stronger. Also, every time we get feedback that someone has fallen in love with our brand, it just reinforces to us that we have made really good products and we want to keep growing.
Parents, we need to talk about YouTube.
With over a billion users, YouTube’s audience includes nearly one-third of all of the people on the internet. By any measure, the site’s an excellent entertainment resource—for adults.
For kids, it’s problematic. We’re not talking about mature videos, intended for adults, that children might accidentally stumble onto while looking for something to watch; we’re talking about disturbing, shocking videos purposely created for children. Some of those videos are capable of traumatizing children, and if you allow your kids to browse the site unsupervised, you’re taking a significant risk. iStock.com/PeopleImages
Here’s a basic overview of the problem: YouTube uses various algorithms to match search terms to appropriate videos. Type in a search term like, “how to cut a dog’s hair,” and the site will provide you with a list of (relatively) high-quality instructional videos; if one of those videos is subpar, poor user ratings will eventually drive that clip from the search results. iStock.com/Tarık Kızılkaya
While YouTube (and Google, which owns YouTube) keeps its search algorithm factors a secret, we know that likes, dislikes, video length, and exact-match keywords play a significant role. That last point is crucial: If a video matches the exact keywords you type into the search bar, it’ll have a better chance of showing up on your search results.
For the most part, the system works great—for adults.
Children, however, don’t know how to search for content like adults.
When younger kids look for videos on YouTube, they’re often typing in a few simple keywords and clicking on the first interesting clip that comes up. They don’t know how to like or dislike videos, and they don’t mind sitting through longer content.
They also don’t recognize video titles that flagrantly take advantage of YouTube’s search algorithm. That makes them easy prey for content creators. iStock.com/FluxFactory
For instance, if an adult searches “how to cut a dog’s hair” and finds a video titled, “cut dog hair how to cut dog hair cut golden retriever hair dog barber,” the adult will probably recognize that the video is trying to trick people into clicking; a toddler wouldn’t draw the same conclusion.
That brings us to the problem. YouTube’s algorithm currently rewards videos that steal copyrighted characters, use crass titles, and contain shocking content. If the clips keep young kids clicking, they’re valuable—regardless of whether the content itself is harmful.
Take a look at this clip:
https://youtu.be/lfwxfQoobiA
Titled, “Disney Pixar Coco 2 Miguel Hector Wrong Heads Finger family Nursery Rhymes song,” it’s a relatively harmless (if slightly disturbing) example of the problem. It’s clearly designed for extremely young viewers, and at over 10 minutes long, it has probably made some decent money for its creator (the YouTube channel Super Story).
With that said, it steals copyrighted content and purposely exploits YouTube’s algorithm to do so.
That video we linked currently has more than 3.6 million views. Super Story has dozens of similar videos, most of which have tens of thousands of views. iStock.com/hocus-focus
Another video (which we won’t link here and have reported to YouTube) has a similarly exploitative title, but with a lewd keyword hashtag. It contains violent, bizarre content, including Mickey Mouse fighting while dressed up as various Marvel superheroes. It’s over 35 minutes long.
While these examples are strange, we’re just scratching the surface. Other clips include explicit sexual content, bad language, and depictions of violent acts. We’re not linking those videos for obvious reasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Eh8WQfwDnk
Unfortunately, they’re fairly easy to find, and thanks to YouTube’s current algorithm, they’re extremely profitable for content creators. For a much more detailed look at the content algorithm issues, check out this excellent piece from James Bridle of Medium.
YouTube claims to have taken steps to curb the problem.
In August 2017, the site said it wouldn’t allow creators to make money from videos that “made inappropriate use of family-friendly characters,” and three months later, YouTube announced stricter controls for videos aimed at young children. The company claimed the new controls had been in development for some time and said that they were not introduced in response to widespread media coverage. iStock.com/LSOphoto
However, the problem hasn’t disappeared. While researching this article, we easily found over a dozen disturbing videos that were clearly marketed toward young children. Some of the videos were over a year old. Some had millions of views.
We reported the offensive links to YouTube, and will not link to those clips in this article, but parents who want to understand the extent of the issue can do so by adding a few offensive terms to kid-friendly search strings (for instance, “finger family,” or “nursery rhymes”). iStock.com/laflor
This isn’t to say that YouTube isn’t taking action, but thousands of videos exist, and they don’t disappear from search results after they’re de-monetized. While YouTube’s strategy could eventually curb the problem, it relies on volunteer moderators and adults who can flag offensive videos before kids get a chance to see them.
For parents, that’s not good enough.
To keep your kids safe, here’s what you need to do.
The obvious answer is to prevent kids from using YouTube and to thoroughly monitor screen time until kids are old enough to understand how to use the website responsibly. [pullquote align=”center”]”If parents decide to [use parental controls], it is okay to discuss with the child why these steps are being taken. Kids need to know there are dangers online parents are responsible for preventing.” —Támara Hill, licensed child and adolescent therapist[/pullquote]
Practically, that’s something many parents have trouble with; children can become remarkably tech-savvy, as any mom who’s ever given her 4-year-old an iPad has quickly learned. Still, creating limits is absolutely crucial to ensuring your child’s developmental health. iStock.com/DragonImages
“Children having unlimited access to the World Wide Web is like having your front door open to your home, and YouTube can be a highway to the danger zone,” says Gretchen Campbell, a licensed professional counselor specializing in parent-child relationships (and, apparently, metaphors).
Campbell recommends restricting access to YouTube on any computers, tablets, smartphones, and other devices preteen children use. iStock.com/supersizer
“YouTube offers an option to apply a ‘restricted mode’ and lock its settings,” she notes. “This feature attempts to prohibit your child from viewing material that has been marked as inappropriate by the YouTube community. This, however, is not a guarantee that your child won’t be exposed to content that you don’t approve of, but it is an additional step that parents can take.”
YouTube also offers YouTube Kids, a mobile app designed to make browsing safer for children. It gives parents easier access to controls, but YouTube admits that it’s a work in progress.
“We use a mix of filters, user feedback and human reviewers to keep the videos in YouTube Kids family friendly,” the company says on its app’s website. “But no system is perfect and inappropriate videos can slip through, so we’re constantly working to improve our safeguards and offer more features to help parents create the right experience for their families.”
More importantly, parents should establish clear limits to electronic time for preteens.
“Set a time where [your child] can utilize their devices, preferably a time where the parent is available to check in on what they’re doing,” Campbell says. “Establish ground rules … Kids know when they’re viewing something that their parent wouldn’t approve of and will always test the limits when given the opportunity.” iStock.com/MachineHeadz
Campbell recommends establishing clear consequences for broken rules, noting those consequences should be directly related to screen time. That helps establish the connection between the bad habits and the consequence. For instance, if kids watch a video without telling the parent, the parent might take away screen time for a day or week. iStock.com/MarkPiovesan
To make sure younger kids don’t stray into dangerous parts of the web, parents should check browser histories and use mobile apps designed to limit access.
“Parents can monitor a child’s access to inappropriate material by downloading apps such as Screen Time Parental Control,” says Támara Hill, a licensed child and adolescent therapist specializing in trauma. “These apps make it possible for parents to monitor and locate content on iPads and cellphones.”
Again, these apps aren’t completely foolproof, but they can serve as an additional deterrent. iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages
“If parents decide to do this, it is okay to discuss with the child why these steps are being taken,” Hill adds. “Kids need to know there are dangers online parents are responsible for preventing.”
Another crucial tip: Don’t wait to establish guidelines.
If kids are old enough to use a smartphone or tablet, they’re old enough to follow the rules. [pullquote align=”center”]”If you don’t allow kids to educate you to their social media worlds, how can we prevent the dangers of it? We can’t.” —Gretchen Campbell, licensed professional counselor[/pullquote]
“It’s important that parents practice setting parameters around all social media as soon as possible so that kids will understand the consequences of accessing inappropriate materials online,” Hill says. iStock.com/vadimguzhva
Finally, realize that your child can help you identify (and avoid) questionable material. Keep communicating, and ask what they enjoy watching. Watch the occasional video with your child, and, if necessary, guide them toward higher-quality content from established brands (for example, Disney operates several YouTube channels, which are carefully curated for audiences of all ages).
“When I meet with families struggling with managing their child’s social media access, especially YouTube access, I often encourage them to let their children educate them to the YouTube influencers they are following and the types of videos they find funny or interesting,” Campbell says. iStock.com/AntonioGuillem
“I have had many sessions with kids where the majority of our conversation is about YouTube influencers and why they are interesting. During these conversations, I have learned of inappropriate and disturbing content that needed to be discussed in the open. If you don’t allow kids to educate you to their social media worlds, how can we prevent the dangers of it? We can’t.”
While it’s tempting to think of emotional trauma as something that affects a small, unfortunate subset of the population, it’s an inaccurate assumption. In fact, this dismissal is part of the problem. There is a stigma associated with those suffering from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that impedes their recovery, allowing shame and victim-blaming to diminish their experiences. iStock.com/kieferpix
Perhaps if we recognized how common trauma is, we would be less afraid to discuss it. The statistics are sobering: According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, “Approximately 70 percent to 90 percent of adults aged 65 and up [living in the U.S.] have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event during their lifetime.”
Adults aren’t alone in this regard—a 2011/2012 survey from the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health said nearly 35 million U.S. children aged 17 years and younger have experienced trauma in some form. iStock.com/altanaka
Given the majority of us have experienced a traumatic event, we must also realize that keeping it a secret, ignoring it, or trying to marginalize it only makes things worse. To move past it, or to at least keep it under control, there are plenty of treatment options, many of which we’ll discuss here.
So, let’s explore the different types of trauma and how they can be treated, along with the stories of people like Kristin Rivas, state-certified counselor and hypnotherapist, who not only confronted and triumphed over her own personal traumatic experience, but now dedicates her life to helping others in similar situations. iStock.com/PeopleImages
“Since my recovery, I’ve been committed to paying my health and healing forward,” she says, “by empowering others when I’m counseling or speaking, teaching mental health practices that I’m sure would have prevented my quarter-life crisis, as they say.”
Types of Emotional Trauma
Before you can treat emotional trauma, you need to identify what type you’re experiencing, as there are a variety of issues that can contribute to the condition.
While trauma can come from a variety of factors, the most common causes are abuse or assault—be it physical or emotional—from isolated events with strangers or from family, friends, and romantic partners. iStock.com/praetorianphoto
In addition, experiencing a serious accident, surgery, or illness, witnessing a natural or man-made catastrophic event or tragedy (including military incidents), or grieving the loss of a loved one can cause trauma. Even history can lead to trauma, negatively impacting an entire community. This includes experiences like systemic racism, which can be transmitted across multiple generations.
Neglect is another contributing factor, according to Anahid Lisa Derbabian, licensed professional counselor. It’s particularly devastating to children. iStock.com/FatCamera
“Emotional trauma comes in so many shapes, sizes, and situations. A subtle way may be when a mother is stressed and does not give her child the emotional availability, sensitivity, or compassion that she deserves, which leaves her feeling less than,” she says.
“It occurs when a busy father returns home, only to watch TV or get on the internet instead of to give his lonely son the time and attention that he longs for, which leads to him growing into a man who always is longing for something or someone.”
The Symptoms of Trauma
Now that we know some causes of trauma, the next step is to identify how they manifest, as symptoms can vary widely from person to person. The University of New England has even produced a trauma checklist to help identify symptoms for those wondering if they should seek treatment.
“Trauma manifests in many ways, including nightmares, easy startle response, increased anxiety, and fear,” says Scott Dehorty, LCSW-C, a licensed social worker and executive director of Maryland House Detox at Delphi Behavioral Health. It can often be distinguished by shock, denial, confusion, irritability, and depression. iStock.com/demaerre
A sense of isolation is also common. The shame many survivors feel causes them to withdraw from activities with others. “[This can also lead to an] inability to form close relationships,” Dehorty says. Karen Carlucci, licensed clinical social worker, who not only treats trauma, but also dealt with it firsthand after the passing of her fiancé in 2001, says during her recovery, “[I often felt] like a foreigner in my own life. Nothing made sense. I was lost. …[I had] the sense that I was waiting to wake up from a bad dream. …I was uncomfortable no matter what I did and felt alone no matter who I was with.” iStock.com/AntonioGuillem
That last sentence marks an important distinction, as trauma symptoms aren’t strictly psychological. They can be physical as well, often presenting as fatigue, racing heartbeat, headaches, muscle aches and tension, dizziness, insomnia, and flashbacks.
These symptoms can also be present in PTSD, the most extreme response to trauma. People can experience PTSD for months or years after the initial traumatic event took place.
This was the case for Rivas who, in addition to surviving assault, struggled with the loss of her sister during college. “I had repressed my emotions … when I was a freshman in college and became as busy as possible, working part-time while going to school full time and committing to a bunch of extracurricular activities. …But suddenly, one day, my health fell apart.” iStock.com/SARINYAPINNGAM
Rivas exhibited a less-discussed symptom of trauma known as conversion disorder (aka functional neurological disorder), which can cause numbness, blindness, or paralysis.
In Rivas’ case, she experienced non-epileptic seizures up to nine times a day, forcing her to use a wheelchair and wear a helmet for her safety.
While less-known to the public, a 2017 study showed a strong correlation between conversion disorder and childhood trauma: Between 50 and 55 percent of respondents named a stress factor as a trigger.
How Women Experience Trauma
While gender doesn’t determine who can experience trauma, women are more at risk. Rivas has seen this firsthand. “My practice is made up of approximately 60 percent women and 40 percent men,” she says. “I tend to do way more trauma clearing with my female clients, even if they came to see me for a seemingly unrelated issue such as weight loss or goal achievement. The traumas also tend to be more intense, and they tend to experience more consecutive traumas.” iStock.com/Tinpixels
According to a 2017 study from the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, “The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is about 10–12 percent in women and 5–6 percent in men.”
Rivas agrees: “Women have a higher risk of developing PTSD than men do, with a woman’s risk being around two to three times higher than a man’s. …Women, in general, are more exposed to trauma from a younger age than men.”
Hesitation to seek help can often worsen trauma symptoms in women. “Survivors often wait years to receive help, while others never receive treatment at all,” wrote the American Psychological Association on their website. This can eventually lead to a cumulative effect of mental and physical health implications. iStock.com/baona
“In regard to the disorders I used to suffer from, I’m aware of much higher rates in women versus men,” Rivas says. “Within their lifetime, women are twice as likely to suffer from somatic symptoms and conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, IBS, and functional neurological disorder.”
Options for Trauma Therapy
While dealing with trauma can feel overwhelming and hopeless, there are a variety of treatments to help conquer or manage symptoms. But Dehorty says the first step is acknowledging you need help: “The most important aspect to recovering from trauma is a willingness to get better. …It is also important to accept help from others, including loved ones. Trauma therapy is a specialized practice, and one should only seek treatment from a trained professional.” iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia
Derbabian stresses the importance of listening to trauma survivors. “[Give them] the necessary time and space to share,” she says. “…Do not talk at or lecture to them. Help them to ground themselves in the present if they are living in past hurts and guide them to a therapist.”
Examples of trauma treatments include pharmacotherapy, which uses medications to manage symptoms, exposure therapy, which has the subject confront the source of their trauma in a controlled environment, and group therapy. “[Group therapy is] powerful in providing the opportunity to relate and share in a certain type of suffering which can empower participants to face what they have endured and overcome its debilitating effects,” says Carlucci. iStock.com/HRAUN
Other recognized treatments include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which is primarily targeted at helping children suffering from trauma and PTSD, and hypnotherapy, which uses hypnosis and suggestion to improve patients’ mental state—Rivas uses hypnotherapy in her own practice. iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
She also endorses biocognitive therapy. “[Biocognitive therapy] addresses the impact of cultural paradigms and the traumas or fears of being shamed, abandoned, betrayed, and rejected during your developmental years as it relates to your health and behaviors,” she says.
Write your own recovery.
In addition to seeking out therapy, those trying to recover from trauma can find relief in a variety of other methods. “Mindfulness, meditation, and yoga,” Dehorty says, “have been shown effective with healing trauma.” Even opening yourself to fun activities and experiencing (or creating) music can prove therapeutic.
Writing is another powerful tool to heal from trauma. Alex Harkola, who suffered from a severe childhood trauma, found it so helpful for his own recovery that he created Novni, which he describes as “an online writing and support platform for better mental health.” Now one of the top-ranked anonymous platforms for mental health support, Novni boasts users and participants from dozens of countries. iStock.com/Jivko
“There is great power in getting all the messy thoughts out of your head and into words,” Harkola says. “Throw all care for proper grammar to the side, and write your heart out. Don’t just take my word for it. There are proven therapeutic health benefits from writing, and, at the very least, it should help you de-stress. If you’re carrying an untold story within you, especially as it relates to some sort of emotional trauma you experienced, writing can help.”
This can also be helpful in creating a dialogue with others, he says: “Talking about your trauma to friends or family can be daunting at first. Think of writing as a test-run to help you visualize your thoughts first until you are comfortable enough to open up to someone you trust. The more you tell your story, the easier it becomes to process and eventually overcome.” iStock.com/wundervisuals
In addition to writing, Harkola adds that one of the most important ways to overcome trauma is through forgiveness: “Being able to forgive the person that caused you the emotional trauma might be the most important thing you can do of all. …As long as you continue to allow the emotional and/or physical damage to consume your life, the person who caused you this harm will have power over you and hold you back from living your highest life. Forgiveness is for you to regain your power, free your hardened heart, and mentally accept the fact that the past cannot be undone.”
And one of the most important people to forgive for your trauma is yourself. It’s not your fault, and making peace with yourself can help with the journey ahead. For Rivas, accepting and surviving her trauma has inspired her to share her story.
“My greatest goal is to empower more people,” she says, “especially youth, professionals, and parents, with greater understanding and skills for their own mental health and well-being.”
We’ve all been there: You twist your body awkwardly while doing a relatively benign task and suddenly—Ugh, my back hurts! Back pain is the worst because it makes everything else in your life that much more challenging, whether it be parenting, sitting at your desk at work, or trying to find the motivation to exercise. There are many different kinds of back pain. The kind that can be served by gentle movements like stretching is often caused by [linkbuilder id=”6670″ text=”a sedentary lifestyle”]. Then there’s the kind of back pain that necessitates real rest. Almost all pain can benefit from a little help from a massage therapist, acupuncturist, or physical therapist. Often ice and/or a bath can help, too. It’s important to mention, though, that if the pain is really severe—or won’t dissipate—you should go see a doctor. The key to relieving any kind of back pain is to work gently and slowly. Whatever you do, don’t force any movements, and consider consulting with a bodyworker or yoga teacher in addition to speaking with your doctor. “It’s not wise to prescribe poses for certain conditions or populations without a full intake and assessment,” explains yoga teacher Steffany Moonaz, PhD, RYT-500. For back pain specifically, “avoid forward folds and any twist where both hips are weight bearing,” explains yoga teacher Sonya Kuropatwa, RYT-500. “It’s a bit counterintuitive, but gentle backbends can bring a lot of relief.”
Why am I having back pain?
There are so many reasons people experience lower back pain, which is part of the reason why it can be challenging to treat. We spoke to Jennifer Brilliant, a certified yoga teacher, therapist, and medical exercise specialist who has been teaching yoga for more than 30 years. Here are some basic causes of lower back pain:
Tension (in the back itself, and/or surrounding areas)
Obesity, which can be hard on the joints in the body
Scoliosis
And then there are some more serious causes:
Disc bulge or herniation—This inflammation and pain is associated with pressure on a disc. Specifically, it is when the disc between two vertebrae begins to seep out, pressing on the nerve, typically causing sciatic pain down one or both legs. The pain associated with a bulging or herniated disk can dissipate within six weeks.
Spinal stenosis—This is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves. This most often occurs in the lower back and neck.
Spondylolisthesis—This is when one vertebra slips forward onto the vertebra below. It can cause nerve pain and/or numbness in the legs.
Cancer
Cysts
Infection
Fracture
One reason why the cause of lower back pain can sometimes be mysterious or hard to identify is that it doesn’t always occur at the exact moment of injury, and it may point to an underlying problem. “One of my clients was helping to turn a piano at a New Year’s Eve party,” Brilliant shares. “He felt totally fine the next day. Then on January 2, he had severe nerve pain in his leg. It turns out he has stenosis—a narrowed spinal canal—which gives someone with a disc herniation less leeway when a disc pushes out of place.”
Lower Back Pain Prevention: Why it is important to engage in regular strengthening and stretching?
“Our bodies like to move,” Brilliant explains. “Movement is like nutrition for the body, giving us wholesome circulation and energy. Engaging in regular activity is important.” This can be anything, really: walking, swimming, dancing, sports. These are all good for our muscles and hearts. But Brilliant advises beginning any program incrementally—don’t just jump into an hour-long workout. Brilliant always encourages people to try yoga and Pilates but emphasizes the importance of a good teacher. “Not every pose is for every particular body, and a good teacher will help you to modify what you do.”
How can women keep their lower backs healthy?
“There is sometimes a misconception that very strong abs will keep your back healthy,” explains Brilliant. “The abdomen muscles have to be strong, but so do the back and the side muscles.” And we cannot forget the legs and pelvis, which support the spine. Here is one of Brilliant’s favorite exercises for a stable foundation:
Bird Dog
This engages the back muscles, the buttocks and hamstrings, the shoulder musculature, and the whole of your core.
Start on all fours.
Extend one leg back and up at hip height. Hold for three to five breaths to begin, then lower your leg.
Lift the opposite arm forward and up alongside your ear. Hold for three to five breaths, then lower your arm.
Lift both the leg and the opposite arm at the same time. Hold for three to five breaths.
Repeat the motion using your other arm and leg
When do you know lower back pain is really serious or a sign of something else?
If you have a trusted bodyworker—a masseuse, acupuncturist, or physical therapist —you can always start there. But since it’s often hard to tell when back pain is a sign of something more serious, it’s wise to get an opinion from a doctor you trust if your back pain is frequent or doesn’t resolve quickly.
Lower Back Stretches To Try At Home
Below are some poses that I’ve benefited from—and that the yoga teachers and bodyworkers we consulted with recommend or find relief in themselves. But, as with all pain, the treatment must be specific to your experience, so be sure to consult a trusted healthcare provider or bodyworker about your individual needs.
1. Twist
This is very refreshing to the spine, giving it a chance to rotate and lengthen. It can be done in many different ways—lying down, sitting up (cross-legged or on your knees), or in a chair, but it’s best on your back. On your back: Lie down on your back and bring your knees into your chest. Let your legs fall to the right. Use your right hand to hold onto the left thigh. Let your upper body relax onto the floor and extend your left arm out, looking out over your left shoulder. Breathe here for 30 seconds, allowing the left shoulder blade to drop to the ground and the knees to drop to the right. Repeat on the other side. In a chair: Plant your feet on the ground. Extend your arms up and twist to the right. Your left arm will hold onto the back of the chair and your right arm will rest on your right knee. On your inhale, extend your spine; on the exhale gently twist a little further. Repeat on the other side.
2. Cat/Cow
Starting on your hands and knees, place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. As you inhale, drop your belly and lift your gaze up to the ceiling. As you exhale, round the spine so your tailbone drops between your thighs and your head moves between your arms. Your belly button should rise up toward the spine as you exhale. Do this slowly as many times as you need to give your spine some much-needed mobility.
3. Squat
Widen your legs so they are a little more than hip-distance apart. Bend your knees so that your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your heels should stay on the ground. Bring your hands into a prayer pose at your chest—palms pressed together—and use your elbows to press your knees out. If your heels don’t touch the ground: Roll up a towel or mat and place it under your heels so you can have complete contact with some surface. If this is too hard on your hips: Place a yoga block (or little stool, or a stack of books) under your butt so you can sit down.
4. Baby Cobra
Sometimes the best thing to do for back pain is to backbend in a very gentle way. “Forward flexion increases pressure on the lumbar discs,” explains Dana Kotler, MD, a rehabilitation specialist in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. “We live our life in constant lumbar flexion, sitting, forward bending to pick things up. Lumbar extension actually unloads the discs.” Lie on your stomach with your legs together, arms bent, and palms on the ground by your breasts (your elbows will be pointed up). Your forehead will be on the ground initially. Inhale and lift your chest up. Remember not to push your chin forward, compressing your neck. The back of your neck should be long. Exhale and return your forehead to the mat. Repeat a few times.
5. Psoas Stretch
The psoas muscle extends from your lowest vertebrae to the top of your thigh. When it gets tight, it can wreak havoc on the lower back. The easiest way to stretch it is by lunging. With your right leg in front of you, place your left knee on the floor. Tuck your tail slightly and place your hands on your front knee. Breathe here and let your hips gently move forward. Switch sides. The most important reminder when it comes to lower back stretches: “Find something that you like to do,” says Brilliant, “because if it’s drudgery, then you’ll be less likely to stick with it.”
So you’ve got yourself a problem with yeast. Perhaps you were diagnosed with oral thrush or a vaginal yeast infection—conditions that are typically cleared up with anti-fungal medications from the pharmacy. But the drug store isn’t the only place to find potential solutions to yeast-related health issues. Some people have started looking at natural remedies from the grocery store to address this common problem. Enter the candida diet—an eating plan specifically designed to rebalance your digestive bacteria after a candida overgrowth. Candida overgrowth is often believed to be the result of an imbalance in gut flora, so it makes sense that dietary changes could help ease the problem. But does the candida diet actually work? According to Kendra Becker, a naturopathic doctor and author of A Delicious Way to Heal the Gut, the candida diet can be an effective treatment for a yeast overgrowth in the body. She says that cutting out the foods that feed the bacteria can kill off candida overgrowth and alleviate a range of conditions that some people associate with candida, including urinary tract infections, joint pain, and skin infections. As Becker explains, the candida diet is “also sometimes prescribed after chemotherapy,” because chemo can cause susceptibility to fungal infections or even systemic candidiasis. A number of people also credit the candida diet with helping ease an array of other issues, including brain fog and chronic fatigue. But there’s limited research about whether those particular symptoms are actually related to yeast overgrowth, making the candida diet a controversial treatment option for a controversial diagnosis. Eating your way to better gut health sounds great, but it’s important to look at the research before using any diet to heal specific symptoms. To learn more, we asked Becker why she prescribes the candida diet to patients, how the eating plan works, and whether it’s safe to cut out major food groups for the long term.
What’s the deal with candida?
Our bodies have a variety of bacteria and fungi that help keep us healthy. One such fungus is Candida albicans, which is normally found in the digestive tract and other areas of the body, such as on the skin and mucous membranes, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While candida yeast doesn’t typically harm us, an overgrowth of the organisms can cause infections in parts of our bodies, most typically in the mouth and vagina. The most severe infection, known as invasive candidiasis, can affect the blood, heart, and other critical body parts. Although it could land you in the hospital,invasive candidiasis is a pretty rare condition. Some medical professionals also attribute candida overgrowth to tiredness, fatigue, mood swings, and other neurological issues. Science has yet to demonstrate whether there is a connection, although onestudy from 1995 found a possible link between chronic intestinal candidiasis and a weakened immune system, which in turn is a potential reason for fatigue. On the flip side, another study found no relation between chronic fatigue syndrome and yeast overgrowth. One thing is clear: There is considerable debate about whether a diagnosis of candida overgrowth is based on solid science. We’ll need to wait for researchers to conduct more studies on the effects of candida overgrowth before the medical community can come to an agreement on the controversial side of candidiasis.
What causes candida overgrowth?
When your candida levels are in check, your body is probably functioning normally and you’d never even know the yeast was there. So what causes candida levels to go out of whack? “A number of things can cause candida overgrowth. The person might have taken a lot of antibiotics or pharmaceuticals … [or be] eating too much sugar or drinking too much alcohol,” says Becker. Some healthcare practitioners will test for a candida overgrowth by looking at the levels of specific antibodies in your blood, using a comprehensive stool test, or checking for candida waste in your urine. If you suspect that you have a candida infection, make an appointment with your physician, who can help you decide whether a candida diet can treat your condition.
Trying the Candida Diet
So you think you might have a candida overgrowth and want to eat your way out of it. What’s on your plate if you decide to try the candida diet? Fundamentally, the candida diet is rooted in three main eating principles: reduction of sugar (to cut off the food supply to candida), introduction of probiotics (which fill the gut with good bacteria), and consumption of fermented foods (which have anti-fungal properties that can kill candida). The Candida Diet website, which is run by Lisa Richards, co-author of The Ultimate Candida Diet Program, explains that theeating plan can be divided into three phases. The first step is an optional “cleansing phase,” during which followers eat a very strict diet of mostly raw salads, steamed vegetables, and some herbs, oils, and spices, along with lots of water and what the website calls “some detox drinks.” Some people start at phase two, which is less restrictive than the cleanse. You stop eating foods with added sugar, many fruits and starchy veggies, and caffeine, as these can cause the candida to continue to grow. Grains (like buckwheat and quinoa), fresh salmon, healthy oils (like olive and coconut), some artificial sweeteners, and herbal tea are permitted during this phase. You’re encouraged to eat anti-fungal foods, like onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, and seaweed. This stage of the candida diet also recommends eating probiotics like yogurt and kefir. What’s not allowed on the candida diet? There’s a long list of foods you should avoid. You’ll need to stay away from high-sugar fruits (like bananas and mango), glutinous grains (like wheat), “toxic meats and fish” (such as pork and tuna), most condiments, alcohol, and a range of other foods you probably have in your pantry right now. The idea is to switch to a diet that promotes good gut health and creates an environment that kills off bad bacteria. After your candida levels are in check, you’ll move on to stage three, which involves reintroducing previously eliminated foods. You’ll start with low-sugar fruits, like berries, and some beans. If your candida symptoms are still under control, you’ll slowly start eating a wider variety of foods. Generally, you’re encouraged to maintain a relatively low-sugar diet with limited junk foods going forward. [pullquote align=”center”]“If you do the candida diet for a couple of weeks and then go back to eating a bunch of junk, you’ll get a lot of inflammation.” —Kendra Becker, ND[/pullquote] “If you do the candida diet for a couple of weeks and then go back to eating a bunch of junk, you’ll get a lot of inflammation,” says Becker. How long each stage lasts—or whether you move through stages at all—really depends on your specific health profile and your healthcare provider’s recommendations. Keep in mind that the candida diet is a short-term change—not a lifelong eating plan. Becker prescribes it for it anywhere from two weeks to nine months, depending on her patients’ health goals. “If someone’s really sick or resistant to the diet, you can offer it in stages,” explains Becker. “Most people will start feeling much better after following the diet for three to five days, but you generally need to do it longer than that if you want to feel better for the long term.” The diet plan can be a pretty big change from what you’re eating now. As you make the transition, you might feel lousy, kind of like you have the flu. Between the physical effects and the severe restrictions, the candida diet might not be right for everyone. “The candida diet is very limiting. You won’t be able to easily eat in restaurants, so it gets difficult for people who are social around food. If you work a high-stress job or can’t eat in regular intervals, it can also be a challenge. Also, not everybody has the flexibility to feel like crap for a few days. You might not be able to work or care for children, and that can be a hard pill to swallow,” says Becker. If a patient’s lifestyle prevents them from following the traditional candida diet, Becker makes modifications. Even just adding anti-candida foods to whatever you’re eating now can help reduce a candida overgrowth, she says. “You have to meet patients where they’re at,” she says. “It can be a useful diet, but it’s incredibly restrictive.”
Giving Candida the One–Two Punch
The candida diet is just one potential way to address yeast issues. Depending on how a yeast infection is affecting your health, your doctor may also prescribe antifungal ointments, topical antiseptics, and dietary supplements to kill off unwanted candida. In conjunction, your healthcare provider may also recommend trying an anti-itch cream, throat lozenge, or other remedies to relieve candida-related symptoms. [pullquote align=”center”]“I tend to believe that food is medicine, so I’d rather heal patients through diet and give opportunities to add certain foods to their diet than to focus on supplements.” —Kendra Becker, ND[/pullquote] “I tend to believe that food is medicine, so I’d rather heal patients through diet and give opportunities to add certain foods to their diet than to focus on supplements,” says Becker. Before trying any diet or treatment plan, it’s worth working with a qualified health professional to make sure it’s right for you. Start by making an appointment with your doctor to discuss your concerns and your health goals. Whenever you’re cutting out major food groups, you should also consider consulting with a registered dietitian to ensure that you’re still getting all the essential vitamins and nutrients.
You may have heard of vanishing twin syndrome—where one twin is absorbed by the other in the uterus during pregnancy—in the media over the past few years. One particularly stark example comes from the HuffPoststory about a 2-year-old boy from China who “gave birth” through his abdominal cavity to his twin brother’s fetus.
What you probably didn’t know, however, is that the syndrome, while not as extreme as the story mentioned above, is more common than you might think. iStock.com/doble-d
According to Kimberly Martin, MD, senior global medical director of women’s health for Natera, an estimated one in three to one in five pregnancies that start as twins result in the birth of only one baby. One study even indicated that it occurs in up to 21 to 30 percent of multifetal gestations.
But despite the fact that this phenomenon is hardly new, many of us aren’t familiar with the signs, symptoms, and effects it can cause the mother and remaining twin. We spoke with experts and women who have gone through this experience: Here is what they had to say.
Once there were two.
“My mom is an OB-GYN labor and delivery nurse, so when she found out that she was pregnant with me, she had ultrasounds done fast and frequently—that’s how she saw there were two babies,” says Erin (whose name has been changed to protect her privacy), 35, of Oswego, Illinois. “Then suddenly, there was only me.” iStock.com/FatCamera
For as long as she can remember, Erin has known she was missing her other half. “It was kind of a running joke among my friends that I ‘ate my twin,’ since it was absorbed.”
While she’s never experienced any physical effects from being a solo twin, she often speculates about how things could have ended up differently: “What if I was the one who withered away instead of the other child? Would [they] have made my parents’ lives easier than I have? What if that baby was supposed to live and I was supposed to die?”
All of these what ifs, Erin admits, “kind of [mess] with your head from time to time.”
Where does the term “vanishing twin syndrome” come from?
The term was initially recognized by Walter Stoeckel in 1945, before the days of ultrasound, when women and their doctors never even knew something had happened. But the syndrome has since gained more traction, as the use of ultrasonography in [linkbuilder id=”6720″ text=”early pregnancy”] has led to more frequent diagnoses. iStock.com/PeopleImages
“The great technology we have that allows us to closely monitor our pregnancies is both a blessing and a curse because we are aware of so many more things,” says Erin O’Toole, a board-certified prenatal genetic counselor.
She explains that a vanishing twin is essentially a miscarriage of one baby in a twin pregnancy (spontaneous or IVF). “When these miscarriages happen early enough, the demised baby will ‘dissolve’ and be reabsorbed into the mother, making it look like the baby simply vanished.” iStock.com/Avril Morgan
The difference here, according to Martin, is that unlike most miscarriages, where the pregnancy is passed through the birth canal, in vanishing twin syndrome, it happens on the inside.
What are the causes of vanishing twin syndrome?
Approximately 15 percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, says O’Toole. A vanishing twin is unique, however, because there is still another baby. “For most miscarriages, we never know the reason why, but over 50 percent of pregnancies that miscarry have a chromosomal abnormality,” she tells HealthyWay. Some studies also point to improper cord implantation as playing a role. iStock.com/Vasyl Dolmatov
Finding out the specific reasons for vanishing twin syndrome, however, isn’t so straightforward, as it’s difficult to test.
“Depending on how early the loss of the twin was, tissue from the demised twin is often not identifiable at delivery,” O’Toole explains. iStock.com/GeorgeRudy
However, she’s quick to point out that in these pregnancies, the DNA of the demised twin will still contribute to the DNA from the pregnancy in the mother’s blood. “One time, I had a patient with a vanished twin whose blood test identified Y chromosome. Her living baby was actually female, but the vanished twin must have been male.”
What are the signs to look for?
Bleeding can be a sign of a vanishing twin, says Martin, but because it’s common for 20 percent of women to experience light bleeding in the first trimester, the condition can be hard to detect from this sign alone.
Some women can experience classic miscarriage signs like cramping, bleeding, or pelvic pain—but these signs do not necessarily equate a miscarriage. Others may have no symptoms at all and will only learn of their condition by ultrasound. iStock.com/Mladen Zivkovic
For 50-year-old mother Jamie (whose name has been changed for her privacy) of New Jersey, bleeding at seven weeks was the first sign something wasn’t right. At the time, she had been receiving infertility treatment and recalls watching the ultrasound monitor with her fertility doctor—yet they couldn’t make out what they were seeing. While one twin was clearly visible, the other was murky, she recalls. Was it just a sac? A cyst? iStock.com/SerhiiBobyk
“We weren’t sure until we went to the OB-GYN for my 12-week appointment, and she clearly told me,” she says. [pullquote align=”center”]“Getting pregnant can be difficult for some couples, and the let down of losing a child, even though you are still pregnant with one, is very real and doesn’t diminish the loss of that child.” —Kristen N. Burris on vanishing twin syndrome[/pullquote]
Jamie’s experience is similar to other women who go through fertility treatment, says Martin, as they tend to have ultrasounds more frequently in the first few weeks of their pregnancy. However, she points out that this isn’t the case for women who aren’t going in for fertility treatment, as most won’t have an ultrasound until later in the first trimester.
“So it could happen, and no one would ever know,” she says.
How is it treated?
Finding out about the syndrome often leads to the next question—what treatments are available? According to O’Toole, since the discovery is incidental, most of the time there is no treatment for a vanishing twin, and the mother will continue to carry both babies.
Denise (who asked to remain anonymous), a 34-year-old mom from Chicago, can still recall the panic she experienced eight weeks into her first pregnancy. “I went to the bathroom and saw blood. I thought I was miscarrying,” she remembers, “I thought it was done.”
“We’d had no trouble getting pregnant, and so maybe this was our heartbreak,” she adds. iStock.com/EmiliaU
When Denise later met with her doctor, she was surprised to discover that the ultrasound had revealed the presence of not one, but two amniotic sacs. The doctor explained that while one held a heartbeat, the other did not. “They suspected the bleeding was from the one who wasn’t going to make it.”
According to Medscape, uncomplicated vanishing twin syndrome requires no special medical care, but the pregnancy should continue to be closely monitored.
Studies have shown that the timing of this loss can significantly alter the outcome for both the mother and viable twin. If it occurs in the first trimester, for example, neither mother nor remaining fetus will typically show any signs or symptoms.
Should the loss happen during the second or third trimester, however, the fetus could be at greater risk of developing cerebral palsy or aplasia cutis. It can also pose complications for the mother in the way of potential infection or preterm labor. iStock.com/Pixelistanbul
O’Toole says that many women who have experienced a miscarriage of a singleton or had a vanishing twin pregnancy are often concerned about their risk of experiencing another in the future. However, she urges women to keep in mind that miscarriages are common, and having one or two losses is no reason to worry. [pullquote align=”center”]“I would want other mamas to know that I had, and you can have, a perfectly healthy pregnancy after [losing one twin in the womb].“[/pullquote]
“Most healthcare providers define recurrent pregnancy loss as experiencing three or more miscarriages,” she says, as that is typically when a medical investigation occurs to explain why the miscarriages are happening. Research by Holly Ford, MD, and Danny Schust, MD, estimated that the rate of women who do experience recurrent miscarriages is one to two percent.
How is the mother affected?
Even though there is little cause for concern for a recurrence of a vanishing twin, the grief response of losing one can be quite deep.
“It’s still a miscarriage, just not in the way we think of miscarriage,” explains Kristen N. Burris, a licensed acupuncturist who treats women for ailments during pregnancy. She says it often happens quickly, from the joy of finding out you’re expecting twins to the devastation of finding out one of the twins has not made it. iStock.com/luchschen
These highs and lows are hard to take, Burris says. The accompanied terror that ensues about something bad happening to the other child is hard to shake.
“Getting pregnant can be difficult for some couples,” she observes, “and the let down of losing a child, even though you are still pregnant with one, is very real and doesn’t diminish the loss of that child.”
And the further along in a pregnancy, the more attached a couple can become—causing the loss to be that much more difficult. iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia
Martin, who has given this diagnosis to patients many times over the course of 20 years, is adamant that healthcare providers become more aware of these conflicting emotions and offer greater understanding and support.
“This situation can be particularly challenging because there is joy related to the anticipated birth of one child, but a sense of loss about the other,” she says.
But just as each pregnancy varies from patient to patient, the same can be said of each reaction.
“Certainly for some women, it is a very sad moment,” says Robert O. Atlas, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “For others, it’s a big relief due to the stress which a mother may feel. It really depends on the individual—how they will respond to this finding.”
In many cases, the amount of trauma relates to how soon in the pregnancy a mother receives her diagnosis. For Denise, receiving hers early helped her cope with the news. iStock.com/HRAUN
“I was just so happy I wasn’t losing the pregnancy that it really wasn’t emotionally that hard on me,” she recalls. “I remember thinking ‘I thought there was one baby, and you’re telling me there’s one baby? I’m good.’”
While Denise was grateful she wasn’t losing the pregnancy, she notes the following visit was somewhat tougher to process.
Yet, despite her initial experience, she doesn’t feel that her diagnosis has produced any long-term emotional consequences. She has since gone on to carry two full-term pregnancies with no related complications. “I would want other mamas to know that I had, and you can have, a perfectly healthy pregnancy after.”
What about the remaining twin?
In vanishing twin syndrome, many questions arise: Does a surviving twin have a prenatal memory of death? Do they experience any symptoms afterward or feel an inexplicable connection to their sibling?
Psychologists have long theorized about the lasting effects of sole surviving twins, yet the intricacy and nature of these bonds are still a gray area within science. Martin says the possible mental effects of the surviving twin remain unknown. iStock.com/pixelfit
“We are not sure if this has ever been studied,” she says. But, as David Cohen of The Independentput it, this “certainly does not mean that such a bond doesn’t exist.”
While more research is needed to measure these effects, one thing remains clear: The absence of one twin can fill the other with a persistent feeling that something is missing.
And then there was one.
“Would we be best friends? Mortal enemies? Would my sibling look like me?” Erin asks. She says the news of her twin didn’t necessarily affect her when she found out, but she adds, “It just made me kind of wish for someone and something that will never be.”
“I recently had a miscarriage of my own at 12 weeks and got to bond with my mother over the fact that she lost a baby, too—no matter how small that child was when it passed.” iStock.com/kanzefar
Despite many years of longing for answers, Erin has made peace with the fact that some things can’t be neatly explained, nor should they be. She wants other women to know that.
“Some babies are healthy, and some babies are not,” she says. “Sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be, and we have to deal with the consequences of that.”
From weight loss to muscle recovery, the benefits of tart cherry juice have been a hot topic in health—but what do the facts really say? Tart cherry juice has been making headlines in the world of food and nutrition lately. Articles have been praising the juice for its miraculous ability to speed up weight loss, help you with insomnia, prevent and treat certain autoimmune diseases, and relieve sore muscles after an intense workout. However, the difference between online claims and the actual research-based benefits of tart cherry juice is substantial. We took a closer look at tart cherry juice and its perceived health benefits while also debunking some common misconceptions about it along the way. But first, the basics: What is tart cherry juice, and why is it being touted as a miracle dietary supplement?
What is tart cherry juice?
Tart cherry juice—not to be confused with the super sweet black cherry concentrate you can buy in the frozen juice section of the grocery store—can be found on the shelves of natural food stores, specialty supplement stores, and online. As its name suggests, this type of cherry juice can be so tart it will make your mouth pucker, which is why experts suggest drinking 1 ounce of juice diluted with water (using ½ cup of tart cherry juice to 3½ cups of water). Avoid eating whole tart cherries; they have an unpleasantly sour taste and firm texture that can cause seriously uncomfortable stomach aches.
Why drink tart cherry juice in the first place?
The biggest nutritional boon that tart cherry juice has to offer comes in the form of anthocyanins. As Toby Amidor, registered dietitian, nutrition expert, columnist for Today’s Dietitian magazine, and author of the upcoming book Smart Meal Prep for Beginners, explains, “tart cherries (in juice or dried form) do provide a great deal of nutrients including anthocyanins, a natural plant chemical found in tart cherries that is responsible for many of its health benefits.” Anthocyanins are found in red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables such as cherries, beets, raspberries, strawberries, radishes, and purple cabbage. According to an article in Today’s Dietitian by registered dietitian Densie Webb, PhD, anthocyanins have been successfully studied for their positive impact on cognitive function, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Andrew Hall, sports and performance dietitian at Apple to Zucchini Sports Nutrition, makes an important distinction between drinking tart cherry juice and snacking on cherries:
Unfortunately, we can’t just eat the cherries for the same benefit. Normally, a whole foods and real food approach is best. In this instance, however, the supplement contains a concentrated amount of the hundreds of cherries compressed into one drink/product. We wouldn’t be able to eat enough cherries to get the equivalent concentration.
Are there any harmful side effects to drinking tart cherry juice?
Tart cherries and tart cherry juice contain sorbitol, a naturally occurring sweetener that is very difficult for your digestive system to break down. Consuming tart cherry juice and whole cherries can lead to uncomfortable gas, flatulence, and diarrhea (especially if you’re sensitive to other products containing sorbitol such as chewing gum and “sugar-free” candy). If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, it’s recommended that you try to avoid all food and drink containing sorbitol.
Tart Cherry Juice and Weight Loss
Some of the more exciting recent headlines about the benefits of tart cherry juice are about its potential effect on weight loss. Sadly, there haven’t been any conclusive studies that have shown a link between weight loss and tart cherry juice. Despite a lack of evidence to support this claim, there’s no reason to stop drinking tart cherry juice if it’s something you enjoy. Amidor says, “There is no current research supporting that tart cherry juice can help with weight loss. Drinking tart cherry juice or eating dried tart cherries, however, can be part of a well-balanced weight loss plan.” Hall agrees with Amidor when it comes to tart cherry juice and weight loss: “There is no evidence that tart cherry juice has weight loss benefits. Very few foods/compounds do in isolation. An overall approach to creating a negative energy balance is the primary method of weight loss. All the other stuff is essentially just marketing.”
Tart Cherry Juice and Muscle Recovery
Athletes who experience soreness after an intense workout might benefit from drinking tart cherry juice. Studies have shown that sustained consumption of tart cherries, in both juice and supplement form, has helped to minimize pain after an intense workout. As studies were conducted specifically on athletes, however, it is unknown whether tart cherry juice has benefits for muscle recovery in non-athletes, but Amidor says it doesn’t hurt to try. For the average gym-goer or casual runner, Amidor recommends the following tart cherry juice regimen: “10 fluid ounces of [diluted] tart cherry juice pre-workout and an additional 10 fluid ounces or eating dried tart cherries within 30 minutes post-workout.”
[pullquote align=”center”] Studies have shown that sustained consumption of tart cherries, in both juice and supplement form, has helped to minimize pain after an intense workout. [/pullquote]
Tart Cherry Juice and Inflammatory Arthritis
A review of several pilot studies examining the effects of tart cherry juice on gout shows some promise in using anthocyanins as a potential treatment option. Hall likes to recommend tart cherry juice to his clients who suffer from gout. “Anthocyanins possess natural, anti-inflammatory properties that can help joint pain caused by gout and arthritis,” says Hall. “Anthocyanins help to maintain healthy levels of uric acid and joint mobility.” Tart cherry juice is also currently being studied for its effect on inflammatory osteoarthritis. The results have been mixed to positive; one study published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage gave participants two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice per day (or a placebo) and researchers then examined the impact tart cherry juice had on osteoarthritis of the knee. Participants who drank the tart cherry juice experienced a net positive effect on their mild to moderate arthritis, although the relief wasn’t significantly different from that of the control group.
Tart Cherry Juice and Insomnia
Tart cherry juice contains melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep in humans and animals. A pilot study that examined the effects of tart cherry juice on insomnia in older adults found that the juice had no effect on the participants’ sleeping habits. However, another study that used tart Montmorency cherries found that regular consumption of the cherries before bedtime had a beneficial effect on melatonin levels and sleep efficiency.
Tart Cherry Juice Options for Every Preference
You don’t have to drink tart cherry juice to reap the benefits of this antioxidant-rich supplement (although you might fall in love with it if you’re a fan of sour and slightly bitter flavors). Here are some of our favorite ways to include more tart cherries in our lives: Dynamic Health 100% Pure Organic Certified Tart Cherry Concentrate: Dilute with water and add a slice of lime for a refreshing and healthy summer beverage! Tart Cherry Concentrate: A great option if you’re not a fan of tart cherry juice. Take one or two of these softgel capsules every day. Naturevibe Botanicals Tart Cherry Extract: Add a scoop of this tart cherry powder to plain or sparkling water or try mixing it with your favorite smoothie. Although the benefits of tart cherry juice may be slightly inflated by media exaggeration and weight-loss hype, it does offer some health benefits that are backed by research. As Amidor says, just because tart cherry juice won’t cause you to lose weight or instantly reduce inflammation, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a nutritious and enjoyable part of your eating plan.
