So we all know the classic wives' tales and each culture has their fair share of erroneous advice and information regarding a wide variety of topics. For instance, don't eat anything an hour before swimming or you'll get cramps. We've all heard them and for a short time believed some of them until the wonderful world of medicine proved them wrong. In our cultural adventures in missions, we have run across a unique Salvadoran blend of medical advice and information given honestly and sincerely, albeit sincerely off target. Keep in mind that like our own wives' tales, these are things that people really believe and it's just because they've been told that their whole lives and don't know otherwise. Now for a list of my absolute favorites.
1. A very dear MA friend of ours was thirsty and asked for a glass of water with ice. At this point, an older Salvadoran woman informed her that the reason she was "gordita", chubby, was because she drank cold drinks and used a lot of ice. According to said grey-hair, ice didn't digest in the body, froze inside of you, and caused you to get fat. Yes....that's America's problem, too much ice tea! Ice = Fat. Our beloved friend shared this amazing discovery with some younger Salvadoran friends, seeking agreement at the hilarity of such belief, only to be met with, "That's exactly right and we were thinking the same thing but didn't say it." Dead. Serious.
2. When speaking with an older gentleman about Kai's situation, with the pneumonia and all, he informed me of yet another unknown fact regarding iced drinks and ice cream. Apparently, if the pregnant woman eats too much ice cream and drinks a lot of cold drinks, that can cause the baby to get cold and actually develop colds and pneumonia in the womb. So, apparently Lisa's love of Cookie Monster Gelatto is what caused Kai to be in such pulmonary distress. I think I'm gonna sue....hey, it almost worked for the family blaming McDonald's for their fat kid!
3. Today, Lisa was speaking with a lady about pregnancy and foods that you cannot eat afterwards. If you are breast feeding, you cannot eat pork. Said eating of pork will cause your child to develop a snout like appearance, with scrunched up nose and puckered lips. There is some rare porcine enzyme that is apparently transferred through the milk, causing snout-like features in children. That's what happened to Gilbert Godfrey!
4. Another great food no-no for after birth is concerning C-section wounds. You may NOT under any circumstance drink orange juice, eat oranges or watermelon. My wife has had some pain in her wound, and rightly so for only having past 12 days, but apparently these 2 vicious fruits attack wounds and make them hurt even worse. Vitamin C for CRIPPLING PAIN!
5. While breastfeeding, it is incredibly important to keep your back and shoulders covered, no matter how hot or cold, because not covering yourself properly will cause your milk to dry up.
6. You cannot go around barefoot or wearing sandals without socks. You HAVE to wear socks at all times, because if not you'll get calf pains and leg cramps.
7. Another wonderful bit of advice came out of conversation concerning my wife's c-section, which is a major operation. A sweet lady told Lisa that she has NEVER had surgery because she took care of herself when she was younger. She always wore and wears a sweater, keeps her head covered, wears socks, and puts cotton in her ears when it is cold/windy to keep the "bad wind" out. The bad wind is what gives you ear aches and headaches. You apparently to don't feel these things when you are younger, but when you get older it all gets you. Her children didn't have any problems and all had natural births except for one, who apparently didn't follow this advice. So, incredibly enough, if you want to avoid any kind of surgery, cover the head, shoulders, ears, and feet. Otherwise....snip, snip, cut, cut.
There may be more to follow, but that's just a few for now. Hope you enjoy and remember, before you hop to criticize, think about some of the things you believe "because mama told you so!"
My grandmother-in-law, also Hispanic and meaning well, made sure to let my husband and I know before our wedding that making love directly after eating is a no-no and results in DEATH. Good to know. She also believes that a snake can reattach its head if it is cut off.
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