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Being pregnant at the minute, I have to say that it’s such a wonderful period with lots of things to celebrate and learn. However, for me, planning my diet and being aware of what my body needs has definitely been a contributing factor to a feel-good pregnancy thus far. Considering your dietary needs throughout pregnancy is vital to ensure you’re well-nourished and able to support you and the growth of your baby.

Below I have outlined the main dietary considerations for you to think about whilst pregnant.

Dietary Considerations

1. Consume a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet – what does this mean? Consume lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains (gluten free if required), raw nuts and seeds, healthy fats and proteins like meat, oily fish, avocado’s and organic poultry for example.
2. Avoid all processed sugars and refined carbohydrates like cakes, sweets, biscuits, crisps, trans fats and artificial food additives.
3. Protein intake should increase from around 0.8g/kg of body weight (pre-pregnancy) to around 1.1g/kg of body weight and should come from a variety of sources both animal and plant.
4. Omega 3 essential fats, which are crucial for brain development, are found in a variety of foods like milled flaxseeds, chia seeds, oily fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring), organic eggs, etc. Supplementation is also a great option for omega 3’s so as to avoid exposure to mercury from larger fish species like tuna, swordfish and king mackerel.
5. Pre and probiotic-rich foods to ensure a healthy gut microflora for you and baby during birth and lactation.
   • Prebiotics are the fiber-rich foods that probiotics feed and grow on and food sources include: asparagus, bananas, dandelion greens, garlic, honey, leeks, legumes, onions and peas, among others.
   • Probiotics are the ‘good bugs’ or beneficial bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed. Food sources of probiotics include: buttermilk, cottage cheese, fermented vegetables, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, tempeh, live yoghurt, among others.
6. Avoid alcohol throughout pregnancy as it is linked with neuro-development disorders and fetal alcohol syndrome, among others.
7. High levels of caffeine throughout pregnancy have been linked to low birth weight and may also increase the chance of miscarriage. Aim to limit caffeine consumption to approx.. 200mg / day.
   • 1 mug tea = 75mg of caffeine
   • 1 mug instant coffee = 100mg of caffeine
   • 1 mug filter coffee = 140mg
   • 1 can coke = 40mg
   • 1 energy drink = 60mg
   • 1 x 50g bar of plain chocolate = 50mg
   • 1 green tea = 25-45mg of caffeine
8. Keep hydrated by drinking approx. 2 liters of pure water / day. You can also consume caffeine free herbal teas to increase hydration. Water has many benefits but during pregnancy in particular, it aids in digestion and helps form the amniotic fluid around the fetus as well as nutrient transport and waste elimination.

In light of this, if you are struggling with morning sickness or general nausea throughout the day it’s helpful to consider the following;

• Eating small meals regularly throughout the day can help to stabilise blood sugars, maintain energy levels and thus keep nausea at bay.
• Consuming adequate protein levels but also at night before bed can reduce morning sickness.
• Consuming ginger has been shown to be effective in treating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy but according to Firouzbakht et al. 2014, further studies are needed to determine the proper dosage.

As Catherine Jones and Rose Hudson (authors of Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be) state, it’s about being able to “strike a balance between healthy weight gain and nutritional intake. Trying to keep in mind that you are not eating for two, you are eating carefully for one.”

If you’re pregnant, have you struggled with morning sickness or have you been craving anything weird or wonderful? Get in touch. Email Orla at orla@healthbyorla.ie

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So with that in mind I want to bring your awareness to thinking about health differently and understanding what ‘health’ really means and the best way each of us can take steps to achieve it.  Being healthier doesn’t always equate to losing weight. Think about your health in terms of skin health, gut health, mental health, emotional health and not just about losing inches from your waistline.

Our bodies are the most amazing machines and when functioning optimally or in, what’s known as homeostasis, then everything is as it should be and in balance. Our bodies are constantly trying to reach this state of balance but we are continually making that a challenge with our busy lives, our environments and our dietary choices; essentially pushing the boundaries from health states to states of dis-ease. So below I have outlined 5 keys areas that will continually push us out of balance and affect our ability to achieve that all-elusive ‘better health’.

1. Stress

We’ve all experienced stress at some point or other in our lives but for some this is a constant, daily battle. But how does it affect our health? Dr. Sapolski states that in the short term, stress hormones are “brilliantly adapted” to help you survive an unexpected threat. “You mobilize energy in your thigh muscles, you increase your blood pressure and you turn off everything that’s not essential to surviving, such as digestion, growth and reproduction. All of that is spectacularly adapted if you’re dealing with an acute physical stressor—a real one” like a sabre-toothed tiger.

But non-life-threatening stressors, such as constantly worrying about money, a global pandemic or pleasing your boss, also trigger the same stress response, which, over time, can have devastating consequences to your health: So, “If you turn on the stress response constantly for purely psychological reasons, as opposed to a physical stressor, you increase your risk of things like adult onset diabetes and high blood pressure. In this stressed state, you’re also continually shutting down the digestive system, putting yourself at greater risk for a whole bunch of gastrointestinal disorders as well.

2. Toxins

When we think of toxins we think of solvents and chemicals used in industry but we rarely like to think about our makeup, our personal care products and most of all, our food. But the reality is that we ingest a huge amount of toxins on a daily basis so it’s not only important that we’re aware of the source of these toxins but also the impact they have on our health.  So where do they come from? I’ve broken these down into four categories below to help you become more aware of sources of toxins in your diet and lifestyle.

• Endogenous toxins – these are produced inside of your body i.e. waste products from normal metabolic activities like carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid for example.
• Dietary toxins – from things like preservatives, additives; fish; meat; PAH’s (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons); plastics; smoking; water; fruits, vegetables (pesticides, herbicides)
• Personal care products – Perfumes/Aftershaves; shampoos, conditioners; make-up; creams etc.
• Environmental toxins from car fumes; industry chemicals; cleaning products; air pollution; mould.

3. Allergens

A true food allergy is where a person’s immune system produces IgE (Immunoglobulin E) antibodies in response to a particular food they’ve just eaten, initiating a cascade of events that can be life threatening. Food intolerances on the other hand are not IgE mediated and are thought to be caused by specific enzyme deficiencies, gastrointestinal issues or impaired food absorption for example. Intolerances to certain foods generally don’t trigger the immediate reaction associated with food allergies but they are every bit as real and can cause things like vomiting, bloating, diarrhoea, reflux, fatigue, brain fog, skin issues (eczema, psoriasis), wheezing/respiratory issues. 

Generally people will know if they are allergic to a certain food but won’t know if they are intolerant. So, think about the foods you eat on a daily basis and connect the food you eat with how you feel. Do you experience bloating on a regular basis after eating a sandwich at lunch? Does heartburn/reflux affect you on a daily basis? Do you get itchy skin? Are hives an issue? Are you constantly tired?

4. Microbes

Gut health is so important to our overall health and it’s the place where a huge amount of vitamins, hormones and neurotransmitters are produced so it’s vital we keep it healthy so that we can function optimally. There’s a lot more to gut health than just weight lose so it’s essential we have the right fuel for our guts to function and that’s predominately beneficial bacteria, among other things. So, do you include some fermented foods like miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, dairy products for example, in the diet? Or do you live a high stress life and eat a lot of processed foods and sugars that will be contributing to unhealthy gut function?

5. Poor Diet

The biggest driver of poor diet is sugar. Sugar is not just the added sugar to cereals or the chocolate bars etc. but it’s things like sweeteners, cakes, pastries, cereal bars and even foods that convert to sugars very quickly in our bodies like white pasta, white bread, white rice, alcohol.

We all know what ‘healthy foods’ look like and the foods we should be eating but making healthy choices on a daily basis can be challenging and often leads to feelings of deprivation and sometimes binge-style eating habits. I often equate a ‘bad diet’ to putting diesel in a petrol car and expecting it to function. We wouldn’t do it. Yet we continually fill our bodies with sugar and processed foods and expect ourselves to sleep well, perform well at work, be nice to our colleagues and family, and look ‘ten years younger’. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. The right foods are key to our health and that includes the health of our skin, our brains, our hearts and our waistlines. So if we start with looking at the fuel we give ourselves and what health goals we’re trying to achieve, then we’re in a better position to make some lasting changes.  

I also want to stress that health is a journey, more so than a destination. Like building muscle in the gym takes effort and regular practise, so does our health. We make choices every single day, several times a day that affect our health so think about it as one good decision at a time that aligns with your health goals.

What choices do you make every day to positively affect your health? Leave a comment below.

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