By Doula Karen
As Doula Jen mentioned here on the blog earlier this week, the winter months are ripe for a deeper struggle with postpartum depression, or at least a more significant bout of the baby blues. Studies show that women who take fish oil rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA in particular) during the second half of pregnancy see decreased incidents of the symptoms normally attributed to a postpartum depression diagnosis.
At home, after baby’s birth, I like to recommend putting salmon in the regular dinner rotation. This is a postpartum power food! The hormone fluctuations of a new mother can be brutal and scary, but balancing them out with good nutrition and those awesome Omega-3s can help.
My favorite way to cook a salmon fillet is to start with a totally defrosted Alaskan wild-caught salmon fillet…NOT farm-raised as they can contain high concentrates of mercury and other toxins!
1. Coat a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with olive oil and coat the salmon as well.
2. Sprinkle lightly with your favorite seasoning. We have a mixture that we like of sea salt and other seasonings, but you can create your own combination of what you like! A little lemon, garlic, pepper, and oregano can be very nice.
3. Broil salmon—skin side down—for about 10-12 minutes (time varies according to the size of the fillet) watching carefully so not to burn. Salmon is done when the center if no longer dark pink and easily flakes with a fork.
4. Eat up! Here’s to good postpartum health!