NUTRITION
80 to 100 grams of protein a day; because every pregnant woman is a bodybuilder!
Nutrition is the cornerstone of a healthy pregnancy. Upfront I will tell you, I have a bias toward Dr. Tom Brewer and his work in the field of pregnancy nutrition. This does not mean that Dr. Brewer's is the only good diet for pregnant women. Hi s program has been around since the early seventies. The diet has been proven over and over to be highly effective in preventing toxemia, gestational diabetes and hosts of other pregnancy complications. A copy of his book The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline may be downloaded at http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ . [NOTE: It appears as though the Blue Ribbon Baby site is down. I'll check back every once in a while to see if it comes up.]
Dr.
Thomas Brewer -- developed diet for pregnant women
Dr. Thomas Brewer discovered that poor nutrition was the cause of toxemia in
pregnancy
In its simplest form, the Brewer Diet recommends 80-100 grams of high quality protein a day for a pregnant woman carrying one baby. This diet is not Atkins. This diet is not intended for weight loss. What you will find is a very well balanced program with protein as its foundation. While there is no 'carb cutting', I have found that when I focus on getting my required protein, dairy and vegetables, I naturally include the recommended amount of carbohydrate. As an added benefit, when you consume a large amount of protein with every meal your blood sugar levels stay consistent. Stable blood sugar prevents sugar and carbohydrate cravings. The other benchmarks of the diet are to salt your food to taste , drink to prevent thirst and obtain enough calories to sustain your system AND nourish your baby.
The following links are to the diet plans themselves.
The Basic Diet The Lacto-Ovo Diet The Vegan Diet
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Joy Jones has recently established a website dedicated to The Brewer Diet. The information is quite extensive and very easy to read. http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/index.html |
What is a Complete Protein? I wrote this page for vegetarians to help explain what a complete protein is and how to form them with a vegetarian diet.
Why is SALT vital to a healthy pregnancy? Salt restriction is an out of date medical recommendation with severe consequences.
I am excited to find Dr. Barbara Luke's website (www.drbarbaraluke.com) dedicated to the nutritional needs of pregnant women; particularly mothers carrying twins or more. Click here to view her Top 25 Food All-Stars list.
Your Daily Pregnancy Nutrition Checklist - This is a Word document that you can print daily to keep track of your protein intake.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/stayhealthy.asp How to Stay Healthy and Low Risk During Pregnancy and Birth
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/bearingnormal.asp Keeping Childbearing Normal Through Nutrition
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutrition.asp Preventing Complications With Nutrition
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/6keys.asp Six Keys to Preventing Complications and Giving Birth to a Healthy Baby
