I was over at a buddy’s place last week watching the game when I pulled out my smoothie and took a swig. Yes, in the past this would have been a beer and I still do drink beer, but on this day I was craving my smoothie. This wasn’t just your everyday regular fruit smoothie. This smoothie was a little special and when my friend asked me what was in it, I was excited to hear his reaction.
It has strawberries, bananas, hemp, water and placenta.
Yes, I did say placenta and like most of you right now, this was his reaction.
You’re eating placenta?
With the stunned look on his face, I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear and begin to explain to him the power of placenta consumption. As it turns out, there is actually a name for this, Placentophagy. This was my first time trying placenta since we dried it out after the birth of our son in May. I figured, if my wife is eating it, I might as well give it a try.
Now I completely understand that for many people the subject of placentophagy is not a comfortable one, I also know that people have very strong opinions about it, whether they are for it or against it. I am not here to tell you what is right or wrong but I want to share my experience and some valuable information on this subject.
THE MORE YOU KNOW
For a lot of people the thought of eating a placenta seems ‘unpalatable’ but, in fact, many people all over the world consider it a normal practice and huge health benefit for post-pregnancy. Placentas have been used in traditional Chinese medicines for thousands of years and currently in places like China, Vietnam, Hungary and Italy placentophagy is not frowned upon the way it is in many western cultures. Once people have a better understanding of the history and the overall benefits of placentophagy, I believe it won’t be seen in such a taboo light in countries like Canada or the United States.
POST PREGNANCY BENEFITS
Post pregnancy can be an extremely challenging time for many women both mentally and physically. Placentas contain an awesome amount of essential nutrients and are believed to be a great benefit to a new mother’s mental and physical health during post-pregnancy recovery.
Some believed benefits are:
• Hormone balance
• Restore iron levels
• Reduce post-natal bleeding
• Increase milk production
• Better overall mental health
• Increase energy
I can honestly say, according to my wife, all the benefits listed above she has been experiencing. Whether this is directly related to her daily tablespoon of dried placenta in her morning drinks or not, she feels great and that is enough evidence for us. You can literally add 1/2 a teaspoon of powdered placenta it to most meals or drinks you consume. The taste is very mild in an earthy way and goes undetected in smoothies or mixed with your favourite juice.
So if you are about to give birth and are wondering about placentophagy, I highly recommend doing a bit of your own research to get more comfortable around the idea. For my wife, she is very happy with her decision to consume her placenta and wants to share her favourite placenta smoothie recipe with you.
Placenta Smoothie – makes 3 cups
Ingredients
½ teaspoon dried placenta
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 cups water
How to Prepare
Place all your ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy the entire glass for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner. Oh Yeah!
I’m looking forward to hearing your stories and opinions on this post. Whether you agree or disagree I think it is so cool that we can have these conversations. At the end of the day the more we communicate and share our life experiences, the more we free ourselves to live life to the fullest. OH YEAH!
Share your opinion below or head over to my Facebook Page and let me know there.
Author Info
Adam Hart is bestselling author of The Power of Food which shares the secrets of achieving optimum health through living, plant-based foods. International speaker, chef and champion of intention-based living, Adam shows his readers how to awaken an abundance of energy and vitality without giving up their favourite foods. Check out his recent “Power of Food 7-Day Gluten Free Challenge.”
