Let me start this by pasting in what I shared on Google Plus back on the 18th of February:
The fatigue has been serious for a few weeks now. The ferrous sulfate docs give me causes constipation (yeah, sorry).
Today, while at the infusion center, another patient (older lady visiting from Georgia) reminded me of an old remedy for "tired blood".
Her: Where are you from, baby? Me: Texas, but raised here in Alaska. Her: Your mother from Texas and you never heard of using 'strap? Me: (Thinking of whoopings I got) Yes, ma'am. Strap, switch, belt... Her: No, honey. Blackstrap Molasses!
And then I did remember! And I_hated_ that ' strap as much as I hated whoopings. I have learned in the past few years how to mask the taste of things that are good for me.
I dragged my behind to the store after treatment and picked up some 'strap!
I swear this is the same slavery time brand my mother used! 😲
I got home and slept for 4 hours, woke up and made some coffee and added a spoon of the 'strap (and I'm always going to call it that!)
Still dog tired, but I'm going to keep adding 'strap to my coffee and see if it helps.
I'm drinking some in black tea now. After this, bed. 😴😴😴
#fatigue#chronicdisease#sarcoidosis #lifeisstillbeautiful#iamblessed#iamjoyful#nothingsgoingtobreakmystride#naturalhealthremedy#workedformymama #plantationblackmolasses #plantationseriously#evenauntjemimagotamakeover
Yes, it was like that. Here is the brand of molasses I'm talking about:
Okay, aside from my jabbing at the brand's name, I have to tell you what an impact this product has made on my life.
The very next day (after taking that first dose of 'strap), I put another 1/2 tablespoon in my morning coffee. Even though I felt much better than I usually do after an infusion, I knew I was going to have to find another way to get my 'strap dosage. It was not bad in coffee, but made it a little heavy tasting. Later, while looking up more information about molasses, I ran across a more delicious way to get my daily dose:
Tablespoon of the molasses in bottom of a coffee cup
Couple of drops of hot water to cover the molasses (to soften/thin it)
Stir the water and molasses
Add 8 ounces (or more) of your choice of cold dairy or soy (I use vanilla soy)
Stir well and enjoy
(Of course, I modified the recipe and will sometimes drop in a frozen cube of coconut milk! )
To me, the taste is like chocolate. Like I said, I have added a cube of coconut mile, but I also enjoy this as a warm drink before bed. At any rate, mixed with the soy, the molasses takes on a whole new (better) flavor. I bet parents could probably get their kids to drink it. Check with your doctor first!
The best thing about getting my energy from the molasses is that I don't get the constipation that iron pills cause. I thought it might be because of the added dairy/soy, but I found that BSM is used as constipation reliever. Also, it's just nice not to have one more pill to deal with.
Even if you're not concerned with fatigue, there are lots of uses for 'strap (I kind of knew about baked beans, but forgot all about BBQ sauces!):
- Considered an affordable "superfood"
- Uses of, varieties of, and other info on BSM
- 11 ways to use blackstrap (BBQ sauce included here)
- Cookie and bread recipes
- Light vs Dark molasses. Some info for cooking.
- Using for hair. Unsulphered vs sulphered molasses
- A recipe using cocoa powder.
- Blackstrap is vegan, apparently.
- Some vegan recipes (including a BSM one)
- As a remedy for acne (stroll down)
The brand that was available at my local health food store was Plantation (yeah), but I did find a more affordable brand (with slightly different nutrient levels) on Amazon. As far as I can tell, 'strap will "keep" for up to 4 months or more without losing quality.
Since there are several brands, I am going to be making future purchases based on nutrition labels (I've order the Golden Barrel brand), taste, and price. Availability here in Anchorage is limited to our health food stores (as far as I know) but, depending on where you live, you might be able to find it in grocery stores. I'm pretty sure my mother and grandmothers living in Texas weren't hitting Whole Foods in the '60s and '70s!
If you know of more information about 'strap, let me know.
Peace
--Free