[GuavaGirl]

I want to have my pregnancy diet all figured out, before I'm pregnant. It seems overwhelming to sort through, so I thought it would be easier to have it all figured out, so that when I do get pregnant, I'm ready to go. ...maybe even have some good recipe books and list of good snacks handy.

I know that there will be lots of difference in opinion on here since this forum consists of anything from raw foodists to Atkins dieters, but here's what I've come up with for me...

This is what I'm sure about:
Lot of fruits and veggies (organic only, as much raw as possible)
Naturally raised meats (chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, some good salmon, if I can find it.)
Fresh green juice daily (kale, wheat grass, etc.)
No sugar
No caffeine

Not sure about...:
...Whether or not I should: cut out dairy, wheat or all grains.
...I should focus on only low glycemic fruits and vegetables.
...how much protein do I really need?
...what about salt restrictions?
...what amounts of vitamins and supplements I really need. I went to a naturopath, but sometimes his amounts seem high, but maybe he's right. (He has me on fish oil, dha from algae, GLA from EPO, a multi, liquid folic acid, calcium, probiotic powder & a liquid B vitamin complex. Brands are Seroyal, Genestra, & Innate Response)

I'd love to here what your plan is, what you think about mine, or if you have any thoughts on my questions!

Thanks.

 

[Lauren31]

Well, my husband is in the army so we are always at a whim of the local economy and what we can find at grocery stores and the commissary. That being said we can't find organic produce and very little organic products. Thus I do my best to eat natural, whole foods, avoiding HFCS, preservatives, and artificial hormones to the best of my abilities. That is my only plan. Eat what tastes good and comes from the earth.

 

[MaerynPearl]

be careful cutting salt... i cut too much when pg with DD and started having heart problems.

 

[morganeldi]

I'm doing the same thing...trying to nail down my pregnancy diet now (also good for TTC)...

So, here is what my plan is. I had high BP during my last pregnancy, gained 60 lbs and I did not eat well at all. This time it is going to be much different!

Because of the high BP I plan to follow the brewer's diet, which consists of LOTS of protein (amongst many other things).

I plan to base my meals in the concept of plan around the veggies (and some fruits) (eat a rainbow and organic).. Make the veggies my main dish and then add in protein and sometimes a healthy grain. I am not going to concentrate on grains though and will actually attempt to limit them to some extent. I am not going to eat anything (ok, I can't promise that I won't ever but my goal is to severly limit) processed or from fast food restaurants, sugar/bad carbs, caffeine, artificial sweeteners etc. And really try to limit eating out at all.

The protein I will eat will be from the best sources I can find. Grass-fed, pasture raised etc...same with fish, wild, as clean a source as possible. I'm still trying to find a good source for farm fresh eggs, like sombody local who is selling them from their own farm/home. I'm going to ATTEMPT to eat liver sometimes, but I have never tried it and I'm a little scared

I plan to make bone broths (for minerals etc.) and make soups out of them and eat those for lunch most days. Full of veggies and protein, sometimes with a grain mixed in like some brown rice, quinoa, soba noodles or something.

The salt I use now is only sea salt and plan to continue that. I'm drinking about one glass of kombucha per day and some kefir.

And I'm trying to drink half my body weight in water.

I'm also going to make tea infusions of nettle/oatstraw/RRL(I may limit the RRL to just a little bit in the 1st tri)

The supplements I'm taking NOW are: super green foods, a B complex, milk thistle & dandelion root (for liver detox in hopes of warding off morning sickness and PUPPS and possibly HBP too), Cod liver oil, probiotics, a multi mineral complex (with lots of calcium/mag), a food based prenatal... tea infusions of nettle/RRL/Red clover.

When I get pregnant I will probably cut out the milk thistle and the B complex.

Hmm I'm sure there is more but that's what I can think of for now.

Oh, so dairy...I'm not a HUGE dairy person but in the brewer diet they want you to drink like a quart of milk a day or something, or the equivalent. I plan to drink a little milk (probably raw), plain yogurt (hate it but maybe I can put it in smoothies), kefir, cottage cheese and some regular cheese sometimes. I also want to avoid soy for the most part but I am ok with a small amount of non GMO soy occassionally. I might try some other protein sources too like hemp.

---and get a good amount of good healthy fats (nuts, avocados, cook with olive oil and coconut oil, a little grassfed butter)

 

[SoCaliMommy]

I don't cut out anything when i'm pregnant besides soda. I just eat healthy.

 

[rhiandmoi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morganeldi And I'm trying to drink half my body weight in water.

I don't know what this means (hopefully it means you want to drink half your weight in pounds as ounces of water, so if you weigh 120 lbs, 60oz of water), but it is possible to overdo it with water. Do not drink distilled water, or RO water that doesn't have minerals added back in. And probably unless you are a little bitty thing you don't need to worry about making a full half your weight in ounces of water.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/242166-overview

 

[morganeldi]

yes I mean oz.

Yeah...I'm striving for that much but so far I never have actually made it close

I have read that is a good # to aim for but maybe I'll just stick with trying to get 64ish...half my body weight would be about 80....I probably get about 40 or so of actually water and then another 20 in other liquids during the day.

 

[rhiandmoi]

Then you're probably good.

AFM - I am trying to eat smaller portions more frequently, since it is better for my migraines anyway. And to keep up with my CLO and folic acid. I have a huge problem with multivitamins and nausea, and since I am an emetephobe I don't do nausea well. So no multi-vitamins for me.

 

[mdcanon8765309]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCaliMommy I don't cut out anything when i'm pregnant besides soda. I just eat healthy.

Yeah, I cut out alcohol and way back on my caffeine with #1. I plan on doing the same for #2. I won't make any comments about meat or dairy because until I'm pregnant I have no idea what I'll be able to tolerate. Before I got pregnant with DS, the only meats I ate were poultry and fish/seafood. However once I was pregnant with him, just the thought of poultry made me feel ill. And I could rarely eat fish. I became largely veggie, with lots of nuts and beans for protein (for the duration of my pregnancy).

I could barely stand dairy before I got pg with DS, once I was, the idea of yogurt or milk was just too much. I did a lot of calcium fortified soy milk and and orange juice (along with green leafies).

So, I'll let my fickle pregnancy tastes and understanding of good nutrition do what it's supposed to do when I start growing #2. I was right on target for weight gain (31 pounds, my m/w said 25-35 pounds) so I'm not terribly concerned. Despite being 8 years older than when I was pregnant before, my pre-pg lifestyle is much healthier now than then.

 

[cicely_m]

You know, for DD#!, I was a crazy maniacal food obsessive. No sugar, no soy, no legumes, no milk, no grains, lots of veggies and free-range meat and fish and coconut and bone broth.... and my pregnancy was great, and my daughter is awesome. But for some reason, I can't get so motivated this time. Even though I think that my good diet was a contributing factor to the great baby, there's something in me that's saying, "eh, well, whatever. i mean, you know, food is food."

:

 

[Jelinifer]

Beyond caffeine, I'm only planning on cutting out all of the common food allergens during the 3rd trimester. Everyone in my family (myself included) have a slew of moderate-to anaphylatic reaction type food allergies and my allergy specialist has recommended I avoid the top ones during the home stretch in hopes of helping my future little one maybe avoid the troubles I've had over my life.

 

[GuavaGirl]

cicely_m: I'd like to learn a little bit more about why you chose some of the restrictions you did, mostly the grains, legumes, and milk. I've been thinking about doing the same thing, but I'd like to hear what others', reasons are for doing it.

I feel like I need to do some research, and come up with solid reasons for cutting out certain foods. Not cause I'm a skeptic, but more to help me understand why it's beneficial, to help keep me motivated.

 

[MaerynPearl]

I've cut dairy out of my diet ... and not for pregnancy but because our bodies are not meant to eat that stuff... and since cutting it out i've lost 15 pounds and my IBS has gone away (it wasnt just lactose intolerance but apparently the milk caused it)

granted i also cut pop out of my diet... but thats the only two things i cut out.

 

[cicely_m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl cicely_m: I'd like to learn a little bit more about why you chose some of the restrictions you did, mostly the grains, legumes, and milk.

Well, my basic food philosophy most closely follows the "paleolithic eating" standard... Basically, I believe that humans evolved over millions of years to eat certain foods, and that the "modern" (read: last 10,000 years) foods wreak havoc on our systems. For dairy, I think that cow milk is for baby cows, and, like the above poster said, we aren't meant to drink that stuff. (However, I will make exceptions for yogurt sometimes, as I believe the bacteria make it easier to digest.) Grains and legumes are dangerous, I believe, because they are such staples of our diets, and at best provide very little actual nutrition, and at worst tear up our innards. I don't really want to get into a food debate here, but I will talk your ear off if you PM me.

I totally respect everyone's rights to eat as they wish. I used to be a vegetarian who ate mostly toast and cereal, until I visited a holistic healer who told me I needed to eat lots of red meat and cut out all sugars and grains... and lo and behold, I became healthier, slimmer, more focused, stronger, and happier. But that's jsut me. It might well be that other people's bodies need different things. Again, I don't want to debate it here.

But it's really hard to stick to a strict paleo diet. REALLY hard. I have to go cold turkey, or I'll be eating cookies all day.
Mmmmmm..... coookiessssssss.........................

:

 

[witchypants]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morganeldi When I get pregnant I will probably cut out the milk thistle and the B complex.

I understand the milk thistle, but I'm curious to know why you would cut out the B complex.

GuavaGirl I know what you mean about sorting through all the info! In addition to having a certificate in Holistic Nutrition I think I've read nearly every pregnancy nutrition book out there and the scary thing is how often they conflict or give inaccurate info! After sorting through literally dozens I would say that the one book that I'd recommend for pregnancy food info is "Natural Pregnancy and Postpartum Health".
As for your post it sounds like you've got a great start already! I wouldn't cut out whole grains though nor would I limit salt intake though I personally limit my salt to sea salt only, but that's just me. You're supplements look good to me as well!

 

[moondiapers]

I don't usually gain weight when I'm pregnant. I was so sick for the first half of my pregnancy both times that I lost weight....then gained the same amount back during the 2nd half of pregnancy....

This time I shouldn't get so dehydrated though because I've had gastric bypass and my liquids go directly into my intestines....thus can't be vomitted up.

I am currently eatting a traditional foods diet with lots of good fats....lacto fermented veggies, and soaked grains. If I feel ill I won't be able to handle the smell of the meats or the fermented veggies....so I'll probably be lacto ovo vegetarian while pregnant, trying to get my fats in by adding them to my veggies, drinking raw whole milk with cream added to it, and eatting lots of very cold, hard boiled eggs.

 

[GuavaGirl]

witchypants: is this the one you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Guide-...9999078&sr=1-1

 

[morganeldi]

I understand the milk thistle, but I'm curious to know why you would cut out the B complex.

QUOTE]

Because I have read that a high amount of some B vitamins isn't good for pregnancy. I can't pull out the numbers right now but I've read that and the prenatal I will be taking already has a pretty high amount in them.

 

[soccermama]

I just plan to really eat more healthy - like what I'm doing now. I don't like milk, so I'll increase my intake a different way and I'll cut soda and limit my salt intake, too. When I was pg with DS, I was eating a lot of Healthy Choice meals not knowing that they are LOADED with sodium!!! No wonder my ankles were ginormous through the last 5 months of my pregnancy!!

 

[witchypants]

GuavaGirl Yep that's the one! I'd like to also add that I've heard great things about this one: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Moth...d=ABF8LSSUG35Z and I'm going to order it soon there was a thread in TF about it I can find it if you like...

morganeldi Wow I'd be totally interested in reading more about that! Sorry I'm a weirdo and love researchy stuff

. Yeah, 'cause pretty much everything I've read and learned says the opposite. Though I do know it depends a bit as to which B's you're taking about...but still any info on that will be greatly appreciated!