For You and the Baby: How to Succeed With Holistic Nutrition for Pregnancy

"The content below is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition."

You want to have a healthy, holistic pregnancy.

You know you need to eat right and get enough of the vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to stay healthy and help your baby grow.

But how do you follow holistic nutrition for pregnancy? What does that even mean exactly?

Don’t worry. We’ll lay it all out for you in a comprehensive way.

In this guide you’ll learn:

• The importance of holistic nutrition
• How to know what your holistic diet should look like; and
• How to succeed with your nutrition for a healthy pregnancy

A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy, such as:

• Breasts prepare for milk production
• The belly expands to hold a growing baby
• Morning sickness
• Backaches
• Body temperature rises
• Joints and ligaments loosen to prepare for delivery
• And more

When you follow holistic nutrition during your pregnancy, you have the power to improve your health and the health of your unborn baby.

Whole foods and natural supplements can provide you and your growing baby with ample amounts of:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Enzymes; and
• Phytonutrients

Your baby will get access to those nutrients first, and your body will get the remaining nutrients. This helps guarantee that the baby gets all the nourishment he or she needs to grow healthy and strong.

But are the remaining nutrients enough to keep you healthy?

Poor nutrition can be in the form of:

• Low protein
• Insufficient intake; or
• Micronutrient deficiencies

If the baby isn’t getting enough of the essential nutrition he or she needs, it can increase the risks of:

• Attention deficits
• Lower cognitive functioning
• Obesity; and
• Raised levels of blood sugar and cholesterol

A healthy, natural pregnancy doesn’t happen without effort, and a holistic nutrition plan shouldn’t be just for the mother-to-be.

If you’re hoping to conceive, you’ll want to take all the possible steps to ensure your body is ready to grow a baby.

These steps include:

• Stop smoking, drugs, and alcohol. These things make it harder for you to get pregnant and can increase the risk of a miscarriage.
• Limit caffeine intake. This can hinder your chances of getting pregnant if consumed in large quantities.
• Take vitamins and folic acid. Start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid before you get pregnant to help decrease the chances of birth defects.
• Follow a natural pregnancy diet. Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other foods rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.
• Relax and reduce stress. Getting enough rest and reducing stress as much as possible can make it easier to get pregnant.

The man can do his part in taking care of himself right alongside you to help ensure he’s producing the healthiest sperm possible.

For our male readers, here are just a few things to consider:

• Cut down on alcohol intake. Strive for no more than 3-4 units a day. If you can cut the intake down even more than that, all the better.
• Quit smoking. Or at least avoid smoking near the mother-to-be to avoid any secondhand smoke inhalation.
• Lose weight if your BMI is high.
• Avoid raising your body temperature from hot baths, saunas, jacuzzis, etc.
• Follow holistic nutrition for pregnancy preparation to ensure you’re ready to aid in conception.

Imagine…

Jane just found out she’s pregnant and has told her parents and closest friends the good news.

Her parents, wanting only the best for their little girl, start making a list of all the things Jane should have stocked in her fridge and pantry for the next nine months.

At the same time, her friends are sending her blog articles on the trending foods every pregnant woman should be eating– and avoiding –with each one contradicting the next.

There’s so much information out there about what you should and should not eat during pregnancy.

Don’t let the overload of info confuse or overwhelm you.

There are plenty of foods that you should eat during pregnancy.

This means you have choices. You don’t have to feel stuck eating the same thing over and over for nine months.

Some of these nutrient-dense foods include:

Your green veggies contain many of the vital nutrients your body and your baby need to stay healthy.

One main benefit in leafy greens ( along with beets and strawberries ) is the high amount of folate they contain, which is the natural form of folic acid.

Wild-caught seafood and fish are full of:

• Protein
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Other vital nutrients for pregnancy that are hard to find

Seafood is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help support brain, eye, and nervous system development. Omega 3’s also fight off inflammation.

You do need to be careful with which types of seafood or fish you choose, though, as mercury consumption can be a concern. Stick to:

• Sardines
• Wild salmon
• Shrimp
• Trout
• Atlantic and Pacific mackerel
• Oysters; and
• Herring

You can also consume no more than 6 ounces a week of albacore tuna or no more than 12 ounces of light tuna.

During pregnancy, your digestion is going to slow down so the body can try to extract every little bit of nutrition as possible from the foods you eat.

By adding enzyme-rich foods to your holistic nutrition, you can aid your digestion and help the body break down those nutrients.

A few examples of enzyme-rich foods include:

• Avocados
• Yogurt
• Ripe pineapple
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Papaya; and
• Fermented drinks like kombucha

Does the thought of figuring out what your body needs to carry out a healthy, holistic pregnancy seem complicated?

We understand.

Some foods you probably want to stay away from while pregnant are:

While we know some fish are safe to consume during pregnancy, others contain a high amount of mercury, which is toxic.

You’ll want to avoid:

• Swordfish
• Shark
• Marlin
• King mackerel
• Orange roughy
• And other large marine fish

These foods in their raw or undercooked forms can cause several different infections, such as:

• Salmonella
• Listeria
• E. coli
• And other infections

You can still have your daily cup of coffee or tea.

Much like raw fish, unpasteurized cheese and raw milk can contain bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella.

Unpasteurized juices can also pick up harmful bacteria either naturally or while being stored or collected.

While some vitamins and minerals do come from the food and drink you consume, others are harder to get from diet alone.

The following supplements are considered safe and beneficial during pregnancy:

• Prenatal vitamins
• Folate
• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Fish oil
• Magnesium
• Choline
• Probiotics

Herbs can be used to enhance pregnancy and aid in:

• Minimizing nausea and vomiting
• Reducing the risk of preeclampsia; and
• Shortening labor

You do need to use herbs during pregnancy with caution, however. Before using any herbs or herbal medicine, be sure it’s safe for the stage of pregnancy that you’re in.

The most common herbs used in pregnancy are:

• Ginger - helps ease nausea
• Raspberry leaf - promotes fast labor with minimal bleeding
• Cranberry - helps prevent urinary tract infection, periodontal diseases, and influenza
• Chamomile - aids digestion and morning sickness, and also has calming properties
• Fenugreek - increases milk production
• Valerian - enhances sleep to relieve stress and anxiety
• Anise - used to increase lactation and facilitate birth, among other uses
• Clary Sage - to be used at 37+ weeks to induce labor and help contractions to intensify
• Garlic - antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Peppermint - helps relieve irritable bowel syndrome
• Thyme - manages bloating and stomach aches, and also treats urinary tract infections and the common cold
• Bitter kola - helps ease nausea and vomiting and normalizes blood circulation

Need help figuring out which herbs are safe and right for you and your unborn baby?

HealthierU provides Nutrition Response Testing and holistic chiropractic services.

Dr. Sergi doesn’t just treat your symptoms.

With Nutrition Response Testing, she’s able to pinpoint the origin of those symptoms to get to the root cause of your health issues.

From there, Dr. Sergi treats your problem naturally with holistic nutrition and lifestyle guidance... instead of medication and surgery.

You’ve heard the phrase “Every pregnancy is different.” Then why should every pregnant woman’s diet be exactly the same?

Simple. It shouldn’t.

Dr. Sergi can create a natural pregnancy diet for you based on your body’s needs and the specific nutritional needs of your baby.

Your holistic nutrition for pregnancy can even help prevent or alleviate pregnancy-related health issues that might otherwise be a concern.