Nourishing Within - Pregnancy Edition
The way you nourish yourself during pregnancy quite literally shapes your baby’s health, and not just in early infancy, but for the rest of his or her life. The foods you eat, the supplements you take, the way you move your body, the toxins you are exposed to (or not), and the way you handle stress, can leave a direct—and lasting—mark on your baby’s DNA, and his or her risk for health problems later in life.
There is often a gap between new research and public policy—sometimes a very wide gap—and my goal is to help bridge the two for mamas.
2024 CDC statistics
1 in 34 children have autism
3 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD
1 in 5 children are considered obese
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. No matter what season or stage of motherhood you’re currently in - generations to come are affected by our choices today.
All food is not created equal.
All supplements are not created equal.
And the same chemicals in your cleaning products should not be in your food.
I understand firsthand life is busy and we don’t always have time to cook a 5 course meal for every meal, but the food our families are consuming should be our utmost priority.
Just because we need cheap, quick, and easy does not mean it has to be FAKE.
We wonder why so many pregnant women struggle with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and excessive weight gain? The recommended carbohydrates is over 300 grams, nothing but low-fat options throughout every meal which ultimately results in severely malnourished mamas and babies.
If you knew that eating the right foods now could prevent your baby from developing diabetes or struggling with obesity or having chronic skin rashes later in life, would you eat differently? Most women answer with an enthusiastic “Yes!” as they want nothing but the best for their children. In my practice, pregnant women are the most motivated clients I encounter.
Below is 5 tips to help nourish within during pregnancy.
Eat Real Food
Food with a barcode or served through a window should not be your first choice, especially when pregnant. I know this is easier said than done, but I promise the efforts now outweigh the potential long term effects.
Source WHOLE FOOD Based Vitamins
All supplements are not created equal. 99% of supplements including; prenatal vitamins, multivitamins, biotin, iron, b12, etc are made from synthetic lab made ingredients, not real food.
When sourcing vitamins always look for whole food based ingredients. See the recommended brands below.
Cut Chemicals
This can double back around to eating real food, but also the chemicals lingering elsewhere throughout your everyday life
Candles, Clorox, makeup, tampons, plastic water bottles, Starbucks… start slow and make changes where you can.
Did you know that the 80% or more of the chemicals you’re consuming can be found within your baby's umbilical cord?
Hydrate
Water, vitamin c (oranges, kiwi), coconut water, electrolyte replacements are all great to include in your daily routine to help replenish and hydrate your body.
Movement
Walking, strength training, pilates, stretching, etc. Studies show that movement can make a big difference in your overall pregnancy.
Lastly, I want to close with educate yourself. No matter what season or stage of motherhood you’re in education is at your fingertips. Resources are a click away.
Recommended quality whole food based prenatal vitamins.
TEND prenatal snack bars - prenatal bars - the first real food prenatal bar on the market. These are so tasty and nutrient dense. They include everything you need nutritionally whether you’re trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or newly postpartum. Shop TEND prenatal bars
Birthright BLOOM - Animal whole food based prenatal vitamin. Contains beef liver, colostrum, magnesium, dandelion root, and more! Shop BLOOM
SprigsLife Mama Bear - Organic whole food + herbally based with nothing artificial. Shop SprigsLife
