NOTE: The guidelines below are NOT vegan or vegetarian friendly. However, both personally and professionally, I am well experienced with vegetarian, vegan, and raw vegan diets and their application in maternal and pediatric nutrition. These guidelines below are for OPTIMAL nutrition. Meaning everything that we, as humans, need for optimal wellness via nutrition. I do not ascribe to any one philosophical, religious, or personal view of nutrition, but instead have studied and strive to utilize what tradition and science has shown to be optimal for us. Thus, a strong mixture of vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, and traditional diets are incorporated into my programs based on what mother personally needs or desires.
The Optimal Diet Guidelines for Preconception, Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
General Dietary Guidelines:
- Unrestricted amounts of fresh organic vegetables and fruits, raw or slightly cooked, use a wide variety.
- Soaked organic whole grains
- Sprouted organic grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds
- Lacto-fermented or wild-fermented condiments and beverages
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil daily minimum, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil, Krill Oil, or other high quality DHA AND EPA source(vegetarian/vegan is not possible as they do not provide EPA, and EPA is a vital component of the brain and brain development for the baby, among other things)
- Raw milk daily from organic pasture-fed cows or goats (learn more about raw milk at A Campaign for Real Milk, www.realmilk.com)
- Raw butter daily from organic pasture-fed cows
- Eggs daily, from organic pastured chicken; added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
- 3-4 ounces of fresh liver, weekly, if possible, from an organic pastured animal source
- Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
- Fresh organic pastured beef or lamb weekly, always consumed with the fat
- Organic homemade bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces
- Other uncommon super foods used daily or as often as possible, like:
chlorella, chlorophyll, spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass, broccoli sprouts, acai, rose hips, green tea, acerola cherry, flax seed, hemp seed, Himalayan pink crystal salt, cacao, maca, etc.
AVOID:
- Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils)
- Junk foods
- Processed Foods
- Packaged foods
- Fried foods – consume fried foods ONLY from home and ONLY fried in coconut oil!
- Sugar – consume ONLY natural sugars; raw honey, grade A organic or wildcrafted maple syrup, raw unrefined cane sugar, stevia, dates, coconut sugar, and palm sugar.
- White flour – only whole grain flours, advised to use NON-GLUTEN flours, so no wheat if possible.
- Soft Drinks or other Carbonated beverages
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Cigarettes
- Drugs (even prescription drugs)
USE WITH CAUTION AND GUIDANCE:
- Herbs
- Homeopathic remedies
- Gluten – if you are sensitive or allergic to gluten AVOID things with gluten!
- Casein – if you are sensitive or allergic to casein AVOID things with processed dairy, use ONLY RAW GOAT MILK dairy products!
Even with an unassisted pregnancy and birth a mother needs to be able to provide OPTIMAL nutrition to her body and her developing baby. The best way to do this is with a Holistic Nutritionist specializing in Maternal and Pediatric care. This does not make the pregnancy or birth assisted, as nutrition is all that would be facilitated, if that is what the mother desires.
For resources, guidance, and additional information please contact me at Contact@LeighAnneDuChene.com.
Nourish Life,
Leigh Anne DuChene
