Nutrition

“I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” Edward Everett Hale

 

Nutrition:  Pregnancy and Postpartum

There is not a better time to consider being at your best.  This includes the nutrition you put into your body while pregnant and during postpartum.   You now that old adage: “I’m eating for two”  …  I don’t think that is fully true – as a pregnant person you are really eating for yourself – to repair, strengthen and nourish your body and cells to prepare for the development of your baby.  It is more like what you are told in an airplane in case of an emergency – put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others.   

 

“One of the most striking advances in research concerns maternal nutrition and the subsequent risk of certain chronic diseases.  It appears that a predisposition for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a number of other diseases and disorders may be “programmed” by inadequate supplies of energy or nutrients during gestation and early infancy.  A large body of evidence indicates that well-nourished newborns with optimal growth may be at lower risk for developing a wide variety of health problems later in life.”  ….

Well-nourished women are less likely to experience miscarriages or to develop iron deficiency anemia, constipation, fatigue, and other common problems of pregnancy.  Babies born to well-nourished women are more likely to be born in robust health, to feed vigorously, to grow optimally, and to be alert and responsive.  Although there is much more to be learned about the effects of nutrition on fetal growth, development, and subsequent health, the influence of maternal nutrition is being recognized, and the advantages of optimal nutrition are more extensive than previously imagined.”  

What to Eat Before, During and After Pregnancy – Judith E. Brown R.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

(Remember when deciding on any health, nutrition or exercise choice to consult your medical professional.)

Links to great nutrition-related articles:

Plant-Based Diets Lower Risk for Gestational Diabetes

Flavanols Found in Fruit Help Lower Blood Pressure

Healthy Eating & Weight Gain (Ontario Prenatal Education)

Healthy Eating (Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada)

Guide to Healthy Pregnancy (Health Canada)