Pregnancy Nutrition and Supplementation
I have been asked by a few people now what I have been eating, or what my daily food choices look like while pregnant. I have been advised by both my midwife (Open Door midwifery) and my Naturopathic Doctor (Dr. Julie Durnan) about supplementation during pregnancy.
The ACSM recommends 3000 kcal per day, which I feel is outlandish. I have never been one to count calories, but I know that even when I go through periods of hard training, I do not eat that much. Right now, I have an extra meal each day (about 300 cal) and eat every 3-4 hrs to keep my blood sugar even. So far all my glucose and protein tests have been normal and I intend to keep it that way!
Breakfast:
1/2-3/4 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup of plain, organic 3% yogurt (not the fat free stuff!), 1 cup of organic berries (blueberries, rasberries and blackberries) + 1/2 scoop Evopro lactose-free whey protein. I mix this all up in a bowl – yum! I also add: 1-2 tbsp of fish oils (Nutra-Sea or Nordic Naturals), 1 capsule of cranberry extract, 1 prenatal vitamin (Rx from ND, not your local drugstore), 1/2 tsp of Rubus Idaeus (from ND for uterine health), 1 probiotic and 1000-4000 IU of Vit D. And I am taking, for the first time ever, an iron supplement. This was recommended at Week 20 as women who become anaemic while pregnant have a really tough time getting their levels up afterwards.
Snacks -
I usually snack on raw almonds and have another protein shake mixed with filtered water 3 hrs later, after my training session. Sometimes I add a raw meal, with greens if I am a bit more hungry.
Lunch -
Always include veggies either in a soup or salad + I have been eating more sandwiches lately made from yeast-free Oat breads or Kamut flours, with either organic, nitrite-free deli turkey, wild salmon or eggs. I LOVE egg sandwiches! free range and organic of course! (with dill pickle). I am usually on the go at lunch, so this makes sense for now.
Snack -
Midday, to keep energy up and blood sugar level, I reach for more yogurt and berries, plus a sugar-free oatmeal cookie (homemade), with nuts and seeds. As you can see, my diet is low in sugar – which is key in preventing gestational diabetes. Don’t get me wrong though – I have a dessert once per week. A girls gotta live! And I love apple pie!
Dinner -
My husband and I enjoy a large variety of dinners, and they usually include a protein source – wild salmon, organic free range chicken, beef, lamb or eggs plus veggies. I often do not eat a starchy carb with dinner as it is too large of a meal for me these days, plus my training volumes are lower and I do not need it. To quote my midwife, Leanne – The baby need: protein, calcium and iron and I make sure I am getting all of these.
Before bed -
I take my calcium and my psyliium and sometimes more fish oilds, esp on days of heavy training (but not directly together) and have a cup of pregnancy tea.
During the day, I only drink de-caff herbal teas and water, plus the odd de-caf coffee (swiss water processed). I make sure to get 3 litres of filtered water in each day.
So far, so good. I have gained about 16 lbs so far and am at 26 weeks, which is right on track. I have a feeling this baby is going to be a big one as I have been feeding it so well and it loves to do the Irish Jig after each meal. Plus my last ultrasound said she/he was in the 91st percentile for growth. A good thing???? Yikes!
So…..we’ll see!
Happy training!
Carmen