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I sing the praises of vitamin D. You know that. So here’s one more reason to love vitamin D: It can greatly reduce risks associated with pregnancy.

Babies born with sufficient vitamin D blood levels are less likely to be premature, suffer from respiratory problems, and be considered “small” for their dates, get colds, or experience eczema. Expectant mothers with sufficient vitamin D blood levels are 30% less likely to suffer from diabetes, high-blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia.

The sad part is that most expectant mothers (at least here in the U.S) don’t have sufficient levels of vitamin D.

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Maybe you don’t know who David Gumpert is, but I’d be willing to bet money you know who Joel Salatin is. In addition to being a self-described Christian environmentalist libertarian lunatic farmer, my hero, and the author of one of my most controversial guest posts, Joel Salatin also loaned his pen out to David Gumpert by writing the foreword to Mr. Gumpert’s recent book, The Raw Milk Revolution.

That’s quite a shining endorsement. David Gumpert is a journalist focusing in the area of health care, and he’s been blogging at The Complete Patient for nearly 4 years. His book chronicles the growing battle between the industrialized food system (propped up by the government and law enforcement personnel) and the local food movement (represented by devotees to raw milk). It’s an eye opener.

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Everybody’s doing it. Why shouldn’t I?

These are the top ten hottest posts of 2009 here at Food Renegade — the most viewed, most commented. Some of them are simply useful information; others are quite controversial. Hope you enjoy this look back!

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I am pregnant with my third child. This ought to be news to most of you, and it explains at least part of why I’ve been posting so infrequently of late. It’s my first trimester, and (as usual for this phase of pregnancy) I’ve had very little extra energy. Parenting two kids, meeting my work obligations, and celebrating the holidays has worn me out.

But one thing has surprised me this go around: pregnancy cravings. It’s a common theme among pregnant women, but one I’ve never really shared in. My pregnancies have never been marked by strong aversions to smells or beloved foods, and I’ve never had to fight wanting to eat something that I knew to be downright unhealthy.

But this time is different.

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Welcome to yet another Fight Back Friday! Today we’re bringing together a collection of recipes, tips, anecdotes, and testimonies from members of the Real Food Revolution.

Who are they? Why, they’re the Food Renegades. You know who you are — lovers of SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) food, traditional food, primal food, REAL food, the list goes on. I believe that by joining together, our influence can grow, and we can change the way America (and the industrialized world) eats!

So, let’s have some fun.

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