TF Pregnancy Club - Welcome to November! - Page 6

[Thystle]

I also ate sushi. And feta cheese. And oysters.


Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[pampered_mom]

Thystle!

[wagamama]

[QUOTE=suzukiaustin;9784621]I've got a question for you...how often do preggo women in Japan eat fish? Do the majority of them ignore the mercury/farm raised fish/pcb warnings and eat to their heart's content? Curious. [QUOTE]

As far as I can see, there seems to be no public awareness of the mercury issue at all in Japan. Pregnant women are not warned at all about eating any type of fish, and I have heard no warnings about feeding children either. My two-year-old DS is attending a half-day preschool at the moment. He eats lunch there, and fish or seafood is on the menu 3-4 days a week. I've never seen tuna, but they do serve mackerel, which can be very high in mercury (depending on the exact species). I try to avoiding giving him fish at home, because he gets so much at school, but FIL loves to cook, and will sometimes prepare fish without asking me.

On the other hand, the quality of meat here, from a TF perspective, is really bad. There's little pasture land, so most animals are kept in small pens and fed food pellets (or whatever). And there's a dioxin problem here, which affects all meat and dairy foods ... So, I almost prefer having DS eat low-contaminant, wild fish and seafood ... Supplemented with pastured eggs (at $1 each), raw milk shipped in from the least-dioxin-polluted northern province, beans, natto and occasionally tofu. :

I have mused over this issue a lot, and have concluded that the reason there is no awareness of mercury here in Japan is that eating fish is such a deep part of the culture here. To inform people that fish contains contaminants would be like killing a part of Japanese culture. I truly believe that people do not want to know.

The contamination of our planet and food supply is so depressing to me. I think these problems can become more apparent when you have to live somewhere new, and have to go "hunting and gathering" for decent, uncontaminated food. It makes me sad that I am bringing a new baby into such a contaminated world. Sigh, sorry everyone for this long post, but suzukiaustin asked .

Baby is due in three weeks, BTW!

[pampered_mom]

I was thinking that it might be helpful if we had a list of mamas who usually read this thread and their EDDs. What do you think? Can we have it in the first post of the thread?

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by pampered_mom

I was thinking that it might be helpful if we had a list of mamas who usually read this thread and their EDDs. What do you think? Can we have it in the first post of the thread?

That sounds like a good idea! We can do that in the December thread maybe?

[pampered_mom]

Sounds good to me! :0)

[steph117]

Originally Posted by pampered_mom

I was thinking that it might be helpful if we had a list of mamas who usually read this thread and their EDDs. What do you think? Can we have it in the first post of the thread?

I was thinking about that too!

Wagamama - GOOD LUCK! Hope you're feeling great - keep us all posted.

I found the bit about fish/Japan very interesting..."I have mused over this issue a lot, and have concluded that the reason there is no awareness of mercury here in Japan is that eating fish is such a deep part of the culture here. To inform people that fish contains contaminants would be like killing a part of Japanese culture. I truly believe that people do not want to know." The "I truly believe that people do not want to know" thing - that's how I feel that most people, everywhere, feel about changing their diets. "DON'T TELL ME! DON'T TELL ME!" Though granted, it's much more serious in a place like Japan, where food IS a lifestyle. (Well, I guess there is a food lifestyle here...SAD!)

[wagamama]

Originally Posted by steph117

The "I truly believe that people do not want to know" thing - that's how I feel that most people, everywhere, feel about changing their diets. "DON'T TELL ME! DON'T TELL ME!" Though granted, it's much more serious in a place like Japan, where food IS a lifestyle. (Well, I guess there is a food lifestyle here...SAD!)

Yes ... we are emotionally attached to our food cultures -- even the SAD ones! I find that, in particular, the older generation (my parents' age) is quite hostile to organics and that type of thing. It's the "I've eaten this my whole life and I'm fine" attitude.

OK, off my soapbox. Time to go take my Dr. Ron's liver pills!

[steph117]

Originally Posted by wagamama

Yes ... we are emotionally attached to our food cultures -- even the SAD ones! I find that, in particular, the older generation (my parents' age) is quite hostile to organics and that type of thing. It's the "I've eaten this my whole life and I'm fine" attitude.

Yes! It's been tricky "converting" my parents to traditional foods, because even though their childhoods were spent eating them (schmaltz, gribenes, etc), their adult lives were spent listening to the establishment & believing that their childhood diets were bad. I love knowing that my grandparents foisted CLO on my parents...that makes me feel good about taking it; it's a traditional food for me I guess! I just gave my parents a bottle, which they reacted to hilariously, like, "UGGGH! NO! NOT THAT STUFF AGAIN!"

& liver pills... I think I'll go buy liver pills, actually. I'll start with that.

Hey all - apologies if we've discussed this already but, you know, pregnancy brain - how many of you take butter oil with your CLO? (I don't - I just eat lots of spring/fall raw butter...but considering getting some now.)

Totally separate note, I just got an email from a really well-intentioned friend who, out of concern, sent a mainstream website reference about how pregnant women shouldn't take CLO because of dangerous levels of retinol. She's sweet to think of me... I'm sending back WAP links about CLO! But I don't think she'll be that interested. I remember going out to dinner with her/her hubby when she was pregnant, to an Indian restaurant - & when she ordered a mango lassi her husband freaked out, "Maybe you shouldn't get that...what if it's unpasteurized?" I had to assure him that it would be illegal for the restaurant to serve it, and not to worry, though I was thinking, "It'd be much better if it WERE raw, but I won't say that..." Something tells me a traditional foods diet wouldn't be so good in that household. I think her husband would completely flip if she showed him the WAP pregnancy diet guidelines! They're planning to TTC soon & I'd love to share the guidelines with her but I know it would not go over well.

[southernmommie]

Where do you find the pregnancy diet guidelines for WAP?

[steph117]

Here!

[suzukiaustin]

wagamama - wow, very interesting situation regarding the fish/meat in japan! i know how disheartening it is to be surrounded by people who prefer to turn a blind eye rather than work for change. it really depresses me as well. my husband's grandmother (and mother) used to send me articles about how organic food really isn't "organic" and is just a waste a money (what's with that generation?!). we exchanged some interesting e-mails back and forth, where i eventually told them that the execs at wal-mart were bribing government officials to make the definition of "organic" more lenient so they can sell "organic" produce at a cheap price and make more money (and abuse migrant workers and women), oh and avoid being fined for selling non organic produce as organic produce (true)...and that's why i shop at the farmer's market and at the local farm and plan to start my own garden. of course, not all of this is truth, per se (no proof about wal-mart, but i have my suspicions about big companies lobbying for a change in the definition of organic), but it did get them to leave me alone. they love wal-mart.

anyway, off my soapbox.

good luck with the upcoming delivery and let us know if the liver pills help with stamina during labor! where are you delivering - japan or nigeria?

[southernmommie]

Originally Posted by steph117

Here!

thank you so much!

[pampered_mom]

Here's a link to the new thread!

[phew2305]

ketones

Hi- I found this thread looking for ketone information- the high count happened to me for the second time last MW appointment. She kept asking if I'm eating enough, and I sure am eating plenty I think! I'm pretty hard core WAPF so I'm weirded out by the ketones info (all these sites saying they are toxic to fetuses, they cause mental retardation, etc. but I'm not diabetic of course, like you said, maybe it's not bad for everyone), it's not that I don't have carbs, and actually a fair amount (had been thinking I should limit them somewhat since it's freezing here in MN and I don't get out too much at the moment as far as working out) of them. I have an appointment with Dr. Cowan on Tuesday since I emailed him and asked about the ketones, I am VERY curious to hear what he has to say. The posts here were encouraging, though- glad to hear not everyone freaks out about such things! I have been pretty calm, although I have my moments (WHAT, I have to wait FOUR days for an appointment, what if it's hurting the baby!! okay, okay, breathe...stress is bad for the baby...... ) Anyways, nice to hear from more people it might not be bad at all...besides, I think to myself, well, what would I change?? Okay, done venting now....