Nutrition & Pregnancy
Here are 4 Easy steps to achieve better nutrition during pregnancy and where I can break them down a bit more for you than in my Instagram post (@littlegreenspace_yoga).
Nutrition advice is an absolute Social Media Minefield - there is simply so much out there, so much judgement and sometimes unachievable images projected for the every day woman. So I believe in inclusive advice and information that is achievable as well as based in current evidence.
As a Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM Practitioner I cover nutrition as part of the Positive Birth Program Child Birth Education course. My background as a Registered Nurse and training in women’s health centered yoga means I have been able to develop a balanced approached to general advice for women as they navigate nutrition in pregnancy.
However, I leave the complex and professional advice to the experts! You can find a great list of resources for health & wellness practitioners in the area (RESOURCES) that I encourage you to use if you have pre-exisiting medical conditions or known health concerns that go beyond the relm of making a few changes to achieve better energy, balance and nourishment in your pregnancy.
This is not an academic article, I will not be citing research or statistics, however if you want to go and find more information it is readily available out there and I do encourage you! My purpose here is to create “food for thought” for the sake of creating better awareness and more mindful decisions around nutrition in pregnancy. So here are my basics that can apply to everyone regardless of what diet you currently follow or what allergies you may have:
#1 AVOID PROCESSED FOODS
Processed Foods and Your Body (Start here! An Endocrinologists understanding)
Pay close attention to the ingredient list of any food that comes in a packet! Chances are if it includes a diverse or long ingredient list with numbers & non-specific ingredients (Natural Flavour/Anti-caking agent for example) then this is a highly processed food that is not going to serve you well (Low fiber - high sugar - Man made additives). Also be mindful of very clever “Health washing” of processed foods. A lot of things commonly believed to be a health alternative are often loaded with processed ingredients that may actually be doing our body more harm.
Food is simple, should be simple & you should know what you are eating “we are what we eat” is an old but true saying because our body turns what we eat into energy - so be careful of what you invite in because I believe that we really do become what we eat. We are so lucky to live in a western society where we have so many food choices, food availability & security. But with that privilege, our health has paid the price - we rely less on the food local farmers grow and producers make. The nutritional quality of what we eat continues to decline as we choose to buy from companies who profit from the idea of convenience. Now I know I sound a bit doom and gloom at this point but never fear the best answers are always the simplest ones, so let me get into wholefoods!
#2 WHOLEFOODS
Wholefood - The Healthy Advantage (A short on wholefood defecit and the health cost)
What you see is what you get with this food and that is the best place to start! Start buying the bulk of what you eat in the fresh food section of your supermarket. Better yet, do some local research! I choose weekly organic vegetable box delivered to my door (The Wholefood Crew) & a fortnightly farm-direct organic vegetable box (Birdland produce - Drysdale) delivered to my local wholefood store (The Wholefood Store Queenscliff) where I can also buy pantry ingredients I need when I get my order. Wholefoods have an undisturbed nutritional integrity, they are high in natural fiber and sugars that give your body accessible nutrition your gut will love!
Eating meat? I found a local butcher (Bellarine Country Butcher) who does farm to plate using the whole animal for our family needs (we have dogs too! so the “waste” is their wholefood diet). If i can’t do it myself yet (raise, care & butcher) then I am going to make sure I know where my meat is coming from. There is an illusion that buying organic or locally produced is more expensive. I have in fact found the opposite, you buy what can be stored in bulk (look into VAC Packing, drying etc.) and you buy fresh - week to week what does not last. I have found my food waste at zero and my costs down. If you want to get even more clever than look into converting fresh produce to fermented to gain another level of easy accessible health in your home!
#3 FERMENTING
What is the human Microbiome? (Click here to find out more!)
I wont go into too much detail here - I will leave that to the much more eloquent experts! However, it is worth noting quickly that The human microbiome has been linked to everything from obesity, asthma and allergies, to autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. It is even thought to influence how our brain functions, and is linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress.
So fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables, vegetable brine drinks, and kombucha tea can increase gastrointestinal microbial diversity and decreases molecular signs of inflammation that lead to health issues. Natural fiber found in fruit & vegetables is a natural source of food that gut mocibacteria can use to thrive. While processed food with superificial carbohydrates and sugars conversely starve the gut microflora as they are absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract and not reach the lower gut to feed the micro-ogranisms that keep you healthy. As well as containing man made ingredients that damage these bacteria - your body can’t properly process them!
So spare a thought for these wonderful little lifeformFull Fat vs Low Fat Dairys that are the magic of our very existence & always remember - You are an Ecosystem within an Ecosystem! Nourish yourself & you will thrive.
#4 WHOLE FAT’S
Full Fat vs Low Fat Dairy (This is how this apply’s to Dairy if you consume Cow Milk)
It is one of the most common nutritional misconceptions peddled to us over the last couple of decades that Low fat, Skim, reduced fat sources of Milk, Dairy & even Dairy alternatives are somehow so much better for our health as well as the best way to maintain or reduce our weight.
Of all the areas in our lives that we should be looking to cut out fat - it should not be the fats that contain naturally occurring vitamins as well as minerals that the body can effectively process and absorb to maintain optimal health. Full Cream Dairy contains fat soluable:
Vitamins: Retinol, carotene, vitamin D & vitamin E
Minerals: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, chloride, manganese, selenium & iodine
This concept also applies for Full fat Dairy alternatives like coconut milk/yogurt etc. When we strip the fat, we strip the nutritional content & a naturally occurring health food becomes an over processed food often requiring additives to maintain a good consistency or flavour for consumers to enjoy.
when you are pregnant - your requirements for all of these naturally occurring vitamins and minerals increases. including whole fat dairy and dairy alternatives will mean that you have an easily accessible store that will support baby’s growth and development without it happening at the expense of your own health & wellbeing. If you want to reduce fat intake then look elsewhere like processed foods or fast food that contain fats with no nutritional benefit to you.
THE BIG PICTURE
Something you may notice once you make some mindful dietary changes during your preganncy is:
Increased energy levels
Less cravings
Healthy weight gain
Greater mental clarity
Less swelling/Joint stiffness
Reduced need for additonal vitamin supplements during pregnancy
Most often when I am talking Nutrition with Mum’s and Dad’s during the Hypnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Program - I keep my focus on these concepts beacuse I feel they are the most inclusive of all. I do not tell women to eat meat when they choose not too for their own beliefs - I am not saying women have to eat animal based to stay healthy during pregnancy. These nutritional concepts I do believe in are inclusive. When women can limit processed food, nourish their gut health and gain access to as many nutrients in their diet as possible they will be able to go through pregnancy with the foundations for optimal health and supporting the development of their baby.
The Mindful Pregnancy Retreat is an online 60min session (CLICK HERE TO BOOK) I offer outside of my Hypnobirthing Australia Child Birth Education classes (FIND OUT MORE) for women who want to go into area’s like this more and to be able to navigate healthier habits and local services that can support them on their journey to better and simple health as part of a mindful pregnancy.
If you need more support or Information on your Journey, please reach out to me and we can organise a free 15min phone consultation so I can help you navigate what your need (Let's Connect).
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