Brewer Diet « Back to Group Discussions

[spitbath]

Anybody here plan on following Dr. Brewer's Diet?  I plan on printing off some of the pages from it to laminate and put on the fridge so I can follow it more closely.  Are any of you interested in supporting each other while we go down that path?

Here's the site if you have no idea what I'm talking about:

http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/index.html

[BeagleMommy]

I was following the Brewer Diet pretty closely until morning (and afternoon and night) sickness hit me hard about two weeks ago.

Now, I can't even look at an egg. I'll join you when this nastiness clears.

[pastormama]

Yep!  I'm in.  Followed it last time, fairly well, and still ended up with pregnancy-induced hypertension.  That said, I don't think it's a bad way to eat while you're pregnant.  It just seems like sensible eating and no junk.

However, in the first trimester, I don't think you necessarily need ALL that food.  And I'm not going to kill myself counting grams of protein again.  Just servings and keeping things balanced.

I've had two eggs scrambled in butter or bacon fat every morning for the last year.  Suddenly, aversions have hit HARD and I'm stuffing whatever I can.  It's pathetic and I hope it's over soon (I'm almost nine weeks).

Another book I'd recommend that has GREAT, sensible advice is "Real Food for Mother and Baby" by Nina Planck.

[pastormama]

Oh!!  Also, I have a good resource.  On my blog, I have a page of recipes, and I've starred the ones that fit into the Brewer Diet.  I always found myself wishing there was a companion cookbook or something, so I'm starting to create it myself!!  http://pastorandbartender.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

[Lynann]

I'll join in once I get past this nausea and food aversion stage. Done it with my previous pregnancies with an extra emphasis on protein towards the end.

[momme2b]

I would like to try it, but can't stand the smell of eggs right now.....  hmmm maybe boiled? what were the advatages for you moms who have tried it before?

[spitbath]

I haven't tried it before but I'm motivated to this time around because with my first pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes that was completely caused by diet (and subsequently controlled by diet).  I just want to have stellar nutrition!!  

I haven't printed off anything to stick on the fridge, and I'm preparing for a big out-of-state move, so it's kind of a bad time to really sink into it, but luckily I haven't had any major nausea so I'm just eating everything in sight.  

[Virginia884]

I did it last time and was healthy all through my pregnancy. I found an iPhone app that tracks it- 'eating for two'. The pre-set foods are super limited, but it is fairly easy to add your own in. I like that it tracks protein and shows all the categories you need to eat each day/week.

[Lynann]

So now that I'm out of the first trimester funk, nausea is gone and my energy has returned I'm trying to get back on track with eating the Brewer way.

Milk has been making me constipated, so I've switched to plain Greek yogurt that I add a little vanilla and raw honey to sweeten and then add in whatever else has my fancy at that moment. I'm still really preferring raw fruit, so I'm finding it tough to fit in enough protein at the same time.

Anyone else want to join me in sharing ideas on how to fit ALL that food in every day.

[pastormama]

Hmm, yeah - it would be really hard without milk!  I eat a lot of cheese as well.  Have been pretty constipated no matter what I eat these days . . . :/

Here's sort of a "day in the life" for how I try to fit it all:

Breakfast:  2 eggs scrambled in butter, wheat toast, strawberries, milk

Lunch:  big green salad with leftover sliced steak, homemade honey mustard dressing, cheese

Snack:  homemade crackers, strained yogurt dip

Dinner:  salmon, sauteed carrots, brown rice, milk

Snack:  homemade ice cream

On days when I eat a potato, I usually don't eat as many grains.  I tend to think the grains are sort of the least important "component," although they do supply a lot of the calories that are part of the equation.  I really think the protein (eggs, meat, dairy) and variety of veggies and fruits is the core of it.  My two cents.  

Also, the day I described above is pretty ideal - doesn't totally happen most of the time!  We're only human.

[timesway]

I just had a look, and it looks interesting, i'm already on a high salt diet, but gosh, are the amounts per day? (eg 2 eggs a day AND 6-8 protein choices a day etc?) are you all able to fit this much food into your day? i really struggle to eat big quantitys of food.. any idea of how to make up the amounts other ways? or even how to translate this to a lower calorie diet (bearing in mind i dont walk or anything so probs dont need so many calories in the first place but still keep the concept?)
 

[Lynann]

I do tend to eat a lot of cheese too. For some strange reason it seems to just be when I drink milk that I have issues this time around. I've never had such bad constipation in my entire life and it was DH who figured out the milk connection. As soon as I stopped drinking milk it went away. I can't even begin to imagine how much more difficult it would be without all the dairy products I consume.

I'm finally back to trying to include protein every time I eat, but it isn't always easy when I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old who want whatever I'm eating whenever I'm eating it. It makes keeping track of how much I'm getting more difficult. I've also only just been able to go back to eating eggs. I really went off eggs during the first trimester this time, so that will help keep the protein up now.

[Lynann]

timesway, yes it is per day. It can seem like a lot of food, but you are growing a baby, so you do need the extra protein and calories. If you are just starting it is best to focus on making sure you are getting 80-100g of protein per day (food labels will tell you how many grams of protein are in a serving.) and a variety of fruit & veg and enough water. As you get used to it it gets easier.

I'm just getting back into it (printed my check sheets earlier today), so I'm still adjusting back into the swing of it, and this is my 3rd go at doing this.

I love how we can support and encourage each other through these forums. I may even get brave enough to share what I'm eating day by day to help with ideas.

[timesway]

definately, it would be really interesting to see what yuor eating lynann, it does help if you can picture it as a day, rather then a list of foods you chose from.. ive been trying to up my protein with nuts and cheese.. but im lactose intolerant so reallly shouldnt be eating cheese :P i also had sardines tonight as i dont eat enough oily fish, im eating lots of fortified  cereals aswell, and i get a graze box which has lots of nibbles like nuts and dried fruit and stuff, but generally i dont normally (non pregnant) eat this in a week let alone a day.. so i think its gonna be hard.. but i am putting on weight compared to what i was (which bearing in mind i was uber skinny AND i have a baby in my belly im pleased with, but i definately dont look 15 weeks preg.. i think part of it is realising how much is normal to eat, because i am so used to eating tiny amounts (i have always had to eat little and often because my stomach doesnt work properly) that days when i think my eating has gone overboard and too much the other way, is probably actually closer to the right amount..

Also.. does anyone have any ideas for proteiney snacks that are easy? or other ways to increase protein?

[kimble]

thanks for the idea and resource! I hadn't heard of this food plan before (sorry, I don't like the word diet since it is tossed around as a verb) and it sounds right up my alley. I have been making an effort to eat a lot of protein but never measure what I eat. I figure as long as it is healthy, I can have whatever amount makes me happy. The other week DH made an awesome salmon, quinoa, kale, and turnip dish that was soooo good and I had 3 servings of it! I may look into the mobile app to track jmy consumption - does anyone know of a good android app that might fit the bill?

As for high protein snacks, I eat a lot of cheese, yogurt, some nuts but I don't really like them, and jerky. I know the jerky is high in salt but other than that it is almost pure protein ... yum! Maybe I'll boil up some eggs to add to the mix. I tend to eat several snacks in the late morning and early afternoon instead of a lunch, so can easily toss in an egg.

[Lynann]

I'm working on a list of snacks & lunches to put on my fridge. I like not having to think about what to eat that has protein. Once I'm finished I'll share the lists, that should give some ideas to start from.

This afternoon's snack was very satisfying. I had a whole raw bell pepper that I cut into segments. Then spread cream cheese inside it & sprinkled with a little garlic powder & oregano. It was lovely and tasty and crunchy and high in protein (cream cheese) and fairly low in carbs (only green peppers are carb free, but we didn't have any green ones today.)

Tonight my snack will be Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of raw honey & a dash of vanilla extract/essence and I'll mix in 2 clementines (daily citrus) and maybe some toasted oats (oats have protein.)

[timesway]

mmm soounds really lovely, mite give that a try, any type of soft cheese?

[Lynann]

I use cream cheese (like Philadelphia) as a lot of soft cheeses are not good for you when pregnant.

[kimble]

Originally Posted by timesway 

mmm soounds really lovely, mite give that a try, any type of soft cheese?

anything pasteurized is fine .. not sure how much they pasteurize things in the UK!

DH found some really yummy pasteurized soft cheeses that are basically cheese, whey/cream,and the flavor. I love the bacon and horseradish ones ...

My midwife actually recommended sardines as an excellent source of proteins and good fats and recommended I eat them at least once a week. If DH didn;t cook dinner I have a hard time forcing myself to eat them because of the strong smell. anyone have some good recipies?

[Loogiejane]

I just looked up the link because I have a fear of developing either GD or preeclampsia and I thought this could be a good diet guide to go by and I was surprised to read- unlimited salt? Couldn't that contribute to high blood pressure. Granted, I've read nothing else about the diet, its explanations or anything but that was just one thing that caught my eye.