Vegan Nutrition with Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen.

I am vegetarian and just had a baby 2 months ago. I am breastfeeding. My milk supply is great! I recently purchased a pill containing the 10 superfoods like acai, garlic, cayenne pepper, barley, wheatgrass, soy, flaxseed, sprouts, etc. It also contains a small amount of green tea, Alpha Lipoic Acid, DMAE, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. It is used to promote weight loss, helps with acne, wrinkles, etc. Do you think it would be safe to take while I am breastfeeding?

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The supplement that you describe doesn't sound as if it would be harmful to your baby, if that's what you are asking but it may not do your wallet any good. It's unlikely that the amount of each ingredient contained in one pill can actually do all that it promotes. You'd be better off spending your money on buying organic whole foods, especially vegetables and fruit, in season, which will help with weight loss and other conditions which seem to be of concern to you. And then there is no issue with your baby having a reaction to something in your pill.

My best advice: finish up the bottle and look for food sources as supplements. You can eat the foods that you mention such as ground flax seeds, garlic, cayenne, barley, sprouts, etc. and you'll likely find that more enjoyable.

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen. Her cookbook The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and her new DVD, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes are both available on her website www.theveggiequeen.com.

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Visit Jill's website TheVeggieQueen.com and her blog theveggiequeen.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
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