HODGEPODGE – DO YOU KNOW?
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | August 13th, 2017
Sometimes you want to get the information out but you do not know how to make the connection. My problem with this week’s post was I just could not figure it out so I decided to share the information without worrying about the connection, thus the name ‘Hodgepodge’.
NOT ALL CINNAMON IS THE SAME – I add a tablespoon or more of cinnamon to my oatmeal which I eat almost every morning. Cinnamon is known to help with controlling your sugar levels. I did not know there were two main types of cinnamon in the market. The two are Ceylon and Cassia. Both contain a substance called coumarin, however Cassia cinnamon contains this substance in a higher amount than the Ceylon cinnamon. Coumarin may cause liver problems if taken in high doses. If you use cinnamon on a daily basis like I do, you really want to make sure that you are using Ceylon cinnamon. This cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and is considered true cinnamon. You can buy this type of cinnamon in natural food stores or online. It tends to be a little more expensive than the Cassia cinnamon (the more common cinnamon found in the stores) but I believe it is worth it. In my house, we have made the switch to Ceylon cinnamon.
DAIRY IS NOT THE ONLY SOURCE OF CALCIUM – Calcium is necessary for bone health, however for those that cannot tolerate dairy products, there are other non-dairy sources. These include – white beans, spinach, turnip greens, soybeans, broccoli, bok choy, almonds, salmon and dried figs. From ages 19 – 50 years, ideally, you should get at least 1,000 mg per day of calcium and above 50 years old, at least 1,200 mg per day. Supplements are good, but a better source would be food. At least 50 % of what is recommended should come from food.
ABCs of SAFE SLEEP- Infant mortality is the death of a baby before the baby’s first birthday. Although there has been a decline in infant mortality, the United States still has the worse infant mortality rate when compared to other industrialized countries. Black babies are more than twice as likely to die as white babies. One of the preventable causes of infant death is related to sleep. The ABCs of safe sleep is baby should be Alone in the crib (nothing in the crib – no pillows, no stuffed animals, etc.), on their Back, and in a Crib (an approved sleep unit, not a sofa or an adult bed). It is important for everyone to be aware of the ABCs of safe sleep whether or not one is having a baby because one might be in contact with someone who has a baby and the information can be shared.
