NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY
Top Ten Nutrition Tips for Pregnant Women
Have you ever wondered why pregnant women glow? Have you ever thought (aside from those baby hormones obviously doing their thing) that pregnancy is a time when most women cut out alcohol, smoking and are more conscious of their diet and how what they eat and drink affects the baby? Most pregnant women eat lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and basically adopt a clean diet for 9 months. It is no surprise that most pregnant women who adopt this way of life have the most beautiful skin and lustrous hair.
Here I have put together with the help of Lorna Driver-Davies, qualified holistic nutritionist and renowned expert in pregnancy nutrition, a list to help pregnant women and pregnant women-to-be to eat what is best for them and the baby's development. Please share with your pregnant friends, colleagues and family. You might notice from the below list that this "ideal pregnancy diet" echoes all the cornerstones of my real food lifestyle- an emphasis on whole grains, good fats, no refined sugar, organic and free-range meat, eggs and small oily fish. All of my recipes incorporate several of the below tips so are a great place to begin, if you are stumped for simple, healthy and balanced meal ideas.
1. Rainbow Diet - So first and fore more, it is so important for you to eat the colours of the Rainbow in vegetables to get the full spectrum of B vitamins and magnesium.
2. Oily Fish - Eat small oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and haddock 1-2 times a week but no more than that due to mercury and avoid larger fish like tuna for their very high mercury levels. Additionally, take a DHA fish supplement for the baby's brain development. Avoid raw fish during your pregnancy but smoked fish is OK. {Try my recipe for Green Kedgeree}
3. Choline - This is found in the yolk of free range and organic eggs. Choline is very important for the baby's brain, cognitive, behavioural, learning and nerve development. Make sure your eggs are cooked throughout until the white and yolk are solid, as raw and partially cooked eggs may contain bacteria that may harm the baby.
4. Protein - We humans are made of protein and so to grow another, make sure you have at least 0.8g of protein for every kg of body weight (eggs, meat, fish, plant proteins). Some vegan and vegetarian pregnant women may feel the craving to eat some fish and/or meat during their pregnancy, if the craving is there, follow your instincts.
5. Good Oils, Oils Oils! Load up on good oils such as coconut, flax, olive and avocados for skin, liver, heart, immune system. This is also important towards the end of pregnancy to start the production of breast milk.
6. Organic - Try to buy and eat all organic food especially when it comes to meat, ensure it is free range, grass-fed, line-caught type of animal produce, so the little one is nice and pure!
7. Nuts about Nuts! No peanuts but all other nuts such as cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pine nuts etc… are wonderful. All seeds (flaxseed, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, sunflower) are fantastic for you and baby!
8. Whole Grains - Brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and millet are delicious whole grains full of fibre and nutrients. Try to avoid anything refined such as white bread, white rice and white pasta. {Try my Warm Asian Noodle Salad recipe}
9. Steer Clear of Refined Sugar - We all know white sugar is a poison so more than ever stay away from the white stuff and any mass-produced sweet treats and make your own cookies, cakes and treats at home. Opt for unrefined sugars such as brown cane sugar, coconut sugar, raw honey, brown rice syrup and maple syrup (Grade 2). {Try my Raw Chocolate Ganache Cake or Banana Bread Muffins}
10. Say No to Caffeine - Coming off caffeine during your pregnancy is also important, as high levels of caffeine can result in babies having a low birth weight, which can increase the risk of later health problems. Caffeine is found is black tea, green tea, coffee, chocolate and some soft and energy drinks so inform yourself. {See my post on the wonder of Rooibos Tea which is naturally caffeine tree and entirely safe for pregnant women}
As Lorna eloquently puts it, "you've only got a precious 9 months to grow a perfect little human", so do what you can to provide the ideal environment in which your baby can develop. Finally, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Nina Planck's Real Food for Mother and Baby, fabulous book that provides a great blend of scientific research and Nina's experience as a mother. Her first book Real Food is what inspired me to start writing this blog in the first place, as it echoed my natural real food upbringing as a balanced food movement that embraces ancient, natural and whole foods over modern, artificial and processed foods.
If you are unsure where to purchase any of the items, please refer to the Resources part of my blog for links to the best products and where to buy them. For those of you who are new to my blog, I'm not paid or sponsored to recommend any products; they're just my way of sharing my favourite goodies with you, as I know it can be challenging and overwhelming to find the right products.
Much Mama Love to you Lovely Ladies,
xxx
Bain-Marie
P.S. This post is inspired by my beautiful pregnant friend, Emma Ross who has started a wonderful YouTube channel on everything Mum and Mum-to-be called Mamalina.