8 months pregnant with Kai- Baby #1 OK, everyone...all the below info is directly from my incredible nutritionist Cheri Swanson. I've pretty much learned almost everything I know from her about nutrition and my body. In fact, she was my mom's nutritionist when I was a baby! How crazy is that! At an early age I really became proactive in my health and wanted to learn the importance of fueling my body with food and how to properly do so. Cheri has helped me beyond measure, especially with my first pregnancy. I gained only 17 pounds, never got swollen, and you couldn't tell I was pregnant from behind. It was a pretty awesome pregnancy! This pregnancy has been different in a handful of ways, as with any second pregnancy, your baby bump pops MUCH earlier (at least in my case). With the help of Cheri and doing my own part with eating a whole food diet and researching the best foods for my body with a growing baby, I am feeling wonderful at 25 WEEKS! The below RECOMMENDED DAILY FOOD INTAKE is what I have been following, not rigorously, but to the best of my ability. I do however, always buy the best of the best when it comes to grocery shopping (with budget in mind) and NEVER skimp on organic fruits and veggies. : ) All that to say, I attribute so much to this amazing woman and cannot say enough wonderful things about her. She is an incredible wealth of knowledge and very well known in our community and throughout. Here on Cateandila.com, we will be sharing more articles and info from Cheri, but for now you can check out swansonhealthcenter.com to see all the goodness on pretty much anything health related! Another one of my favorite go-tos is Weston A Price. Cheri's and Price's practices and beliefs line up directly with each other. You can check out a very similar PREGNANCY AND NURSING DIET from him here: www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers Have fun! Believe me, you won't get enough of these two! 19 days postpartum with KaiBest Pregnancy Nutrition: Nutrition for your baby begins long before conception. Among “primitive” populations, a common practice among isolated groups involves the feeding of special foods to both men and women for a period of time before conception occurs. Dr. Weston Price, whose research was informed by studying these groups, revealed that these foods—including organ meats, fish eggs, shell fish, and animal fats—were rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D as well as macro and trace minerals. Grass-fed meat, wild fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens rich in folic acid), pastured butter or coconut oil, yogurt, and kefir. All will contribute to optimum levels of vitamin A and D, as well as other nutrients and trace minerals essential for the beginning of life. These foods will start by healing your body and enriching your developing eggs. They’ll nourish developing sperm as well. They’ll increase your fertile fluid, health to your reproductive organs, circulation and overall fertility. All of this works together to create an optimally healthy infant. According to David Williams, principal investigator for the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, “DNA expression can be altered at any age, but the fetus is especially susceptible because these pathways are very active as tissues grow and differentiate.” In other words, a mother’s eating habits, exercise regime, stress levels and environment actually have the power to shape the genes passed down are thought to impact the susceptibility of her child to leukemia, lymphoma, and neurological cancers, and possibly adult-onset cancers.1 Six Months Prior to Conception (Mom and Dad)
SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM: First Trimester- Large amounts of hormones are circulating during this time, with estrogen being the most prevalent. Estrogen is responsible for inhibiting ovulation and enriching the endometrium. Along with a healthy diet, a proper supplementation program will ensure that you baby receives all its requirements. What is Wrong with Most Prenatal Vitamins? If you look at the basic prenatal vitamin that is recommended, you will find many concerning flaws.The FDA tested 324 multivitamin-multimineral products that targeted pregnant women or small children for the presence of lead, and found that only 4 of them, or 1% tested lead-free. Lead is of particular concern during pregnancy because it causes fetal brain damage, and limited IQ, and can lead to behavioral and learning disabilities in young children.2 ALSO, Women with a slow DHFR enzyme cannot efficiently break down folic acid, which can actually block folate receptors. Therefore folate should be “methylfolate” not folic acid. If you look at One A Day Women’s Prenatal, a very common recommendation, you will find the following food dyes: Red 40 Dye, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake and DL-Alpha-tocopheryl Acetate – the synthetic form of vitamin E that is continually problematic in studies. What is wrong with food dyes? These food dyes have been found to inhibit mitochondrial respiration; the powerhouse of your cell that houses maternal DNA. Red 3 causes cancer in animals, with evidence that other dyes also are carcinogenic. Three dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) have been found to be contaminated with benzidine or other carcinogens. At least four dyes (Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) cause hypersensitivity reactions, and numerous studies found Yellow 5 positive for genotoxicity. An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recently acknowledged that synthetic food dyes can exacerbate the conditions associated with ADHD and other behavioral problems. While the consumption of synthetic food dyes has increased five-fold since 1955, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD increased from 150,000 in 1970, to 5.4 million by 2007. A 2007 study in Lancet found such a strong correlation with synthetic food dyes and hyperactive behaviors in children, that they contacted the British government concluding that the harm done by artificial food dyes to children’s IQ was similar to the impact of lead on their developing brains, and that banning these additives would result in a 30 percent reduction in the prevalence of ADHD in children. Supplements to start now, and continue through delivery and while breastfeeding:*Contact us for the vitamin and mineral recommendations specific for you. 1. Virgin Cod Liver Oil or Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil Vitamin A and D are two of the most important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy. Maja H. Zile, of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, found that the major target tissues of vitamin A deficiency include the heart, central nervous system, the circulatory, urogenital and respiratory systems, and the development of the skull, skeleton and limbs. Vitamin A deficiencies during the period when any of these systems begin specialization can result in abnormalities and defects. Recently it has been discovered that the omega-3 fats are necessary for the complete development of the human brain during pregnancy and the first two years of life. The omega-3 fat and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is so essential to a child’s development that if a mother and infant are deficient in it, the child’s nervous system and immune system may never fully develop, and it can cause a lifetime of unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system health-issues. In addition, the DHA in animal-based omega-3 fats will prevent the vast majority of premature deliveries.3 There was a California Proposition 65 lawsuit against CVS pharmacy, GNC, Solgar and seven other national brands for selling fish oil laced with PCB’s, which are one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. PCB’s are strongly tied to cancer and multiple birth defects. 4,5 2. Vitamin D3 Liquid by Seeking Health The largest randomized controlled trial to date from the Medical University of South Carolina took 256 pregnant women and separated the group into two groups, 2,000 and 4,000 IU daily starting 3-4 months of pregnancy. A control group of 400IU was not allowed because the ethics committee felt that this would endanger the women and their newborns. This is the amount women take with just a prenatal vitamin! The results showed that the 4,000 IU group had 2.4 times higher of having an infant in the 50th percentile of birth weight compared to the 2000 IU group. Lower vitamin D levels were predictive of preterm delivery, infections and other complications. 3. VSL#3 Contains the good bacteria bifidus, which is passed on from the mother to the child and is important for a strong start (immunity) in life. Food Guidelines
Solution: The problem can be from taking the wrong kind of iron, inadequate folic acid, magnesium and inadequate probiotics.
The fetal liver assumes some of the placenta’s duty as a filter and the fetus also begins to synthesize fats from carbohydrates and stores carbohydrates and iron. The last part of this trimester and the beginning of the third is when fetal bones start to thicken. Common complaint: I’m getting leg cramps! Solution: Continue the same diet, emphasizing calcium rich foods. Leg cramps are a sign of inadequate calcium intake. Switch to a chewable calcium and up magnesium. Third TrimesterThe fetal brain growth is rapid and the baby is developing subcutaneous fat. This is when high quality eggs are very important along with vitamin E. Daily consumption of eggs ensures adequate lecithin, A, D, cholesterol, saturated fat, EPA and DHA, all crucial for brain development. Common complaint: I’m getting acid reflux! Solution: The stomach gets pushed up which can cause discomfort. Taking chewable calcium magnesium (1 per meal) can give much needed relief and ginger or peppermint tea as needed. Labor and DeliveryDuring labor, digestion stops. It is important before labor begins to be consuming small frequent meals so that you do not have a full stomach. Sources 1. Is Your DNA Your Destiny? Healthy Living Wellness. November Issue, Pg 184. 2. FDA Finds Lead in Vitamins. http://tinyurl.com/67nkpt3. Finnegan, John, The Facts About Fats, Celestial Arts, 1993 3.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/07/No-Nonsense-Guide-to-a-Naturally-Healthy-Pregnancy-and-Baby.aspx 4. Environ Sci Technol, 2009 (Oct 15); 43 (20): 7946-51. http://tinyrul.com/y78q6n8 5. Ann Ig, 2008 (May); 20 (2 Supple 1): 59-64. http://tinyurl.com/y78q6n8 I sure hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did! All the best to you ladies, whether pregnant or not! If you don't have a lot of self control with food, get an accountability partner that will encourage you to make baby steps or just remind you of the importance of your health and especially for your baby. : ) If you're married or have a significant other in your life, encourage them to get on track with you and eat healthy! You got this!
We'd love to hear from you! Please leave your comments and questions below. Love, Cate
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