have refined my nutritional guidelines into simple rules that are neither aggressive nor dangerous. Of course, there are times when that cake has your name on it, or it’s difficult to resist the convenience of grabbing a sandwich for lunch. You’re absolutely right, it can be difficult resisting the ‘forbidden foods’ on any diet, let alone whilst pregnant when cravings are enhanced. And of course there will be days when you feel frustrated, angry, or resentful at being forbidden from eating what you want – especially if, as is likely, you’ve grown up with the received wisdom that pregnancy affords you a guilt-free opportunity to eat whatever you like.
But when the sugar’s calling, try to remember this. By buying this book you have already exercised your desire for a beautiful, blooming pregnancy and a gentle, controlled labour – and it is something you can achieve with focus, commitment and belief. Ultimately, no one else can do it for you and if you do cheat, you cheat only yourself.
So think positively. I like the old epithet: ‘Rob Peter to pay Paul’. Compromise now for reward later. You’ve got just 35 weeks to follow this diet and get your body into tip-top condition and pristine ‘birthfitness’. It’s not so long in the grand scheme of things and you’ll thank yourself afterwards. After the birth, my mothers always tell me how glad they are that they followed the eating plan.
Asian Culture and Pregnant Mothers
In South Indian and Sri-Lankan culture – which I was brought up in – it is customary for close relatives on both sides of the family to visit a pregnant mother regularly and take her some prepared food. Feeding a pregnant mother is considered to be one of the most meritorious acts in the Hindu religion and women within the extended family take pride in sending food to the pregnant mother. This time-honoured tradition gives practical support to the mother and enables her to rest, giving her a break from cooking. It also acknowledges the pregnancy and shows that the extended family has already begun to care for the unborn baby.
I tell all my mothers that you don’t need to be Indian to follow this tradition. If your mother, mother-in-law, sister or best friend lives nearby, perhaps they could each cook you one meal a week. It can free up a valuable few hours for you in the evenings, particularly if you are still working. Just subtly give them your diet guidelines first – you don’t want them turning up with a meal that has taken hours to prepare but is unsuitable for you.
General Dietary Guidelines
Below you will find lists of both foods to avoid and foods you should actively look to include in your diet. For brevity’s sake and so as to keep the number of Dos and Don’ts being issued to you at a minimum, you will find that this list is not comprehensive. As a general rule, where a food has not been included on either list, you can assume it is okay to eat it, but be guided by your common sense as to whether or not it is suitable for this programme. Above all, the most important list to abide by is the Foods to Avoid section.
Foods to Avoid
Fruit: bananas (mucus-producing), grapes and mango (very high in sugar), citrus fruits
Wheat: bread, pasta and cereals made from wheat
Sugar: cane and refined sugar, fizzy drinks and fruit squashes, sugared cereals, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, puddings (if you have a sweet tooth you can have 2 teaspoons of honey per day)
Vegetables: restrict cooked tomatoes, reduce consumption of aubergines and potatoes, and eat raw salads, spinach and beetroot greens in moderation. Both in Ayurveda and in the Microbiotic diet lightly steamed vegetables are regarded as highly superior to raw vegetables. This is because plant cellulose is digested in your gut by bacteria and this can release large quantities of gas. Once vegetables are cooked it is easier for the bacteria to digest them. In addition to this, in pregnancy the pancreas slows down its secretions of digestive enzymes. So to avoid abdominal distention and discomfort it is advisable to eat steamed or lightly cooked vegetables.
Meat: preserved meats, sausages, pâtés, pork and red meat
Fish: tuna has recently been given a bad press because of high levels of mercury found in its flesh (as a result to industrial waste dumping in the oceans). The metabolism of the tuna collects the mercury wastes easily and this can be passed on to the baby through the placenta, so it’s best to avoid it while pregnant.
Foods to Enjoy
Fruit: pears – the royal fruit, lots of calcium; pineapples – for digestion; apples; peaches; nectarines; plums; avocado; apricots (high in iron)
Caution: have only three fruit portions a day. If you are eating dried fruits, try to choose unsulphured ones and count it as part of your fresh fruit quota. In addition to whole fruit, you may have 1/3 of a glass (150ml) of pressed or squeezed fruit juice a day.
Carbohydrates: rice (preferably brown), corn pasta, oats, barley, lentils
Vegetables: cooked greens, marrows, cucumber, carrots, parsnips and, as a general rule, any local vegetables that are in season (as long as they are not on the ‘avoid’ list)
Meat: chicken and occasionally lamb
Fish: with the exception of tuna, all types of fish are good. Oily fish like mackerel and salmon (preferably organic) are particularly important because they contain omega-3 oils (see box below).
Omega-3 fats
It is important to make omega-3 fatty acids a regular part of your diet for the following reasons:
They help foetal brain and nerve tissue development.
They help boost your metabolism, immune system and skeletal system.
They are good for the brain, helping to elevate your mood and improve memory. They can even help stave off cravings for carbohydrates.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in oily fish such as anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardine and trout. Try to eat such fish three times a week at least. However, because of concerns about mercury and other contaminants in deep-sea fish, pregnant mothers may prefer to buy the fish oil supplement MorDHA, which has been filtered and chilled to remove mercury and other toxins. A vegetarian alternative is to get your omega-3 from oil: hempseed oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil (also called linseed) or from seeds: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds. The oil or seeds can be sprinkled over foods such as cereal. (Note: Flaxseeds (linseeds) are very hard, therefore either grind them lightly (a coffee grinder is good for this) or soak them overnight.) You need about one large tablespoon of the oil or seeds a day. You can also buy the oil in capsule form. Recommended brands are: Mother Hemp Oil (hempseed oil), flaxseed oil, or Dr Udo’s oils. (For stockists of all sources of Omega-3 supplements see Appendix C, page 312.)
Note: Flaxseed oil is the world’s richest source of omega-3, containing double that of fish oils. The essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-9 are also beneficial and are often found with omega-3 supplements. The ideal proportion of these oils is 3:(omega-3):2(omega-6):1(omega-9). This perfect combination is found in hempseed oil.
Nutritional and Herbal Supplements
As well as following the dietary guidelines outlined above I also recommend that mothers take nutritional supplements to maximize nutritional status and aid digestion. This is especially important during pregnancy as the digestive system is under a lot of strain during pregnancy and this can result in problems like constipation, heartburn, reflux and so on.
I recommend that every pregnant mother should take the following supplements:
A general vitamin, mineral and trace element supplement. These are widely available and called ‘Pre-natal’ or ‘Pregnancy’ vitamins. Solgar and Biocare are the brands that I recommend.
Probiotics are the helpful bacteria