Healthy Woman Bio with Jeannie Yee Balido

Continuing our Healthy Women Bio Series, today we have an interview from Jeannie Yee Balido.  Jeannie is one of eight Bay Area women featured on our Go Folic! posters and handouts.  Jeannie knows that folic acid is an important part of a daily diet for all women at all ages.  We asked her to talk to us about her experience with Folic Acid and women’s health, and this is what she had to say:

Where do you live?

East Bay

What is your age?

Over 40

What do you do for work?

Training and event program manager

Why did you decide to participate in the shoot?

Interesting campaign – wanted to learn more about benefits of Folic Acid

Any children?  Did you take a prenatal vitamin before and/or during your pregnancy?  Why?

Yes, three children.  Yes – I took prenatal vitamins before, during and a little after pregnancy.

How much did you know about folic acid before the photo shoot?

I only knew about taking folic acid during pregnancy.

Did you learn anything new about folic acid during the shoot?

I learned that folic acid is good for women even after pregnancy and throughout a women’s lifetime.

Did what you learned influence your behavior in any way? If yes, how?

I am more aware of looking for foods with folic acid when I buy groceries.

Do you take a multi-vitamin? Do you do anything special to remember to take it?

I take multi-vitamins but need to do it on a more regular basis.

What is one thing you’d like to tell other women about this subject?

I’d like women to know that folic acid is good for women even after pregnancy and throughout a woman’s lifetime.

Healthy Women Bios – Remy Allums

Remy Allums is one of eight Bay Area women featured on our Go Folic! information handouts.  These women were part of our Go Folic! photo shoot because they know that Folic Acid = Beauty from the inside out.  We asked Remy to talk to us about her experience with Folic Acid and women’s health, and this is what she had to say:

Where do you live?

Jack London, California

What is your age?

24

What do you do for work?

Property Management

Why did you decide to participate in the photo shoot?

I want other women to be aware of all the great things Folic Acid is beneficial for.

How much did you know about folic acid before the photo shoot?

I participated in several surveys, so by time of the shoot I knew a lot.

Did what you learn influence your behavior in any way? If yes, how?

Yes! I am still taking the vitamins and in addition I have also begun looking [at] and consuming foods that contain folic acid.

Do you take a multi-vitamin?  Do you do anything special to remember to take it?

I do take a multi-vitamins and I place some in my purse, some at work, some in the kitchen and other miscellaneous places, so as soon as I remember I can take them.

What is one thing you’d like to tell other women about this subject?

Folic Acid is not just for pregnant women. Although it can benefit your future baby, you do not have to desire children to take this vitamin.  GO FOLIC ACID!

Healthy Woman Bio – An Interview with High-School Student Emma Pizzardi

Emma Pizzardi is one of eight Bay Area women featured on our Go Folic! educational materials.  These women represent beauty from the inside out and were chosen to participate in our Go Folic! photo shoot and interview.  We asked Emma what she thought about the importance of folic acid for young women, and this is what she had to say.

Where do you live?

San Francisco, CA

What is your age?

15 years old.

Where do you go to school?

I am a student at Lick-Wilmerding High School.

Why did you decide to participate in the Go Folic! photo shoot?

I participated because I have always wanted to have the experience of being in a photoshoot. Working with an organization as great as Go Folic! was the icing on the cake!

Why do you think folic acid is important for pregnant women?

I have never had children but my mother consistently took prenatal vitamins to supplement her diet while pregnant because she was concerned that her regular eating habits wouldn’t be enough to sustain a child.

How much did you know about folic acid before the photo shoot?

I knew that it was a vitamin, but it seemed like just another thing to find on the side of a cereal box and not really care about. I had no idea how important it was!

Did you learn anything new about folic acid during the shoot?

I learned that I need to be getting 400 mcg of folic acid every day, and that it aids in the production of millions of cells and keeps my body working.

Did what you learn influence your behavior in any way?

Definitely. As I continue to learn about the importance of nutritional eating habits, I constantly strive to be a better eater. Additionally, I’ve gotten better at taking my vitamins.

Do you take a multi-vitamin? Do you do anything special to remember to take it?

Yes, I take a multi-vitamin regularly. I set a special alarm on my phone every day reminding me to take it.

What is one thing you’d like to tell other women about this subject?

There’s no excuse for not being healthy. Aside from it being important to ensure your body is functioning properly, it will also make your hair, skin, and face look much healthier. It helps the body to deal with the production of cortisone, which is formed when the body has a response to stress. I think everyone could use a little stress reduction in their lives!

Giving Out Vitamins @ Cole Street Clinic, By Ginger Bugayong, Community Contributor

A couple of months ago, the Go Folic! Outreach Team asked some of the youth workers and Wellness Academy students at Cole Street Youth Clinic if they would be interested in writing a blog entry for us.  Ginger Bugayong, who works at the clinic as a Youth Advocate and with the Wellness Academy as a Peer Advisor responded.  We sent her a set of questions to consider.  Here are her answers.

Tell us a little about the clinic.

I work at Cole Street Youth Clinic in San Francisco. We serve youth between the ages of 12-24. We’re located at 555 Cole Street San Francisco, CA 94117 It’s in the upper Haight parallel to the panhandle.

Cole Street Clinic is distributing Go Folic! Multis.  Can you tell us about that?

Cole Street Clinic has been distributing Go Folic! Multis – multi-vitamins with folic acid – for several months.  When I first talk to clients about them, the most common responses are either that they don’t know what folic acid is or they tell me that they’ve heard of it but don’t really know about it.

What do clients there like most about the vitamins?

Clients generally like that it’s free once they figure out how expensive it is at the store. Once they’re educated about the health benefits, they like knowing they’re taking a health supplement to get their daily vitamins since there is no time to eat healthy foods all the time.

What advice would you give to a young woman who is wondering if she should take the vitamins or not?

Just take it. There isn’t any con to taking it. Whether you are a teen, middle aged, or elderly, I would suggest taking the supplement. Your boy makes new cells everyday and folic acid is used to make the new cells. It’s like beauty from the inside out because it makes your skin, hair and nails look healthy. Healthy is a good look. There are so many benefits from taking the supplement, why not take it?

What would you like young women out there to know about taking folic acid?

If you plan on getting pregnant or might possibly become pregnant, taking this vitamin will help reduce or prevent the risk of neural tube defect (birth defects) for your unborn child. 50% of pregnancies are unplanned so it is not a bad thing to play it safe. Taking the vitamin a year before or during the pregnancy can also reduce the risk for premature labor. Even if pregnancy is not in your future at all, there are still many benefits from the vitamin. Folic acid can lower your risk for breast, cervical, and colon cancer. It can also make your heart healthier and helps your body deal with stress.

Are you taking multi-vitamins?

I have been taking the vitamins but I have a hard time remembering everyday, so I decided to bring the bottle with me in my purse.  That way, when I’m rummaging in my bag to look for something, I look at the bottle and remember. I’ve noticed my hair become a little more shiny and my nails grow faster. Very subtle, but it’s there.

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Ginger’s interview is the first in our series of “healthy women profiles.” Contributors receive a $50 Visa Giftcard.  To learn more about how you can become a contributor, go to http://www.gofolic.org/contests.