Protein

I'm sure getting enough protein was a daunting enough task when you weren't pregnant. Now you have the fear of your baby's health too. Well here's something to ease your mind. Yes everyone says you need protein, protein, protein, but unless you're a body builder, you don't need to load up on it. Of course, it's a whole different story when you're pregnant. Still, it's not impossible to get enough for you and baby.

Meat does have that more complete chain of amino acids, and protein from plant based sources don't. Imagine it as building blocks. When meat is involved, you need less blocks. When you rely solely on plant based sources, you need a few more. Remember, as much as certain people want you to believe it, even meat on its own isn't enough to give you complete, perfect protein.

You need to mix up your sources of protein. You can get it from beans, whole grains, soy products, and nuts. If you still eat fish it makes it a little easier on you. By mixing up these different foods, you can ensure that you're getting all the building blocks you need to complete that chain of amino acids. It doesn't all have to be in the same meal. As long as you have more than one source of protein with in a day, you and baby should be just fine.

My favorites for protein are:

Lentils - Great for protein and as a bonus, it's loaded with iron, fiber, folate and magnesium.

Quinoa - Is a super food. It has the most perfect string of amino acids out of all the grains. If you can include this in your meals as much as possible you're already ahead. It's a great addition to any meal and is extremely versatile. Antoher plus: it has lots of fiber too which is great for constipation caused by the pregnancy.

Trail Mixes -  Nuts have always been known as an alternate source for protein. Trail mixes make, great healthy snacks that are easy for on the go mom-to-bes. They're great for that extra energy boost too.

Brown Rice - Doesn't necessarily kick butt on the protein scale but I like to mention it because it's such an easy switch rather than an "add-on" to your current diet. You up the protein by a bit but it's an everyday staple in most cultural cooking and pantries around the world. This goes for all grains. By switching to brown (whole grains), you'll get more protein and lots of other goodies that comes along with whole foods.
Whole grains are also great for filling you up and keeping you full longer. Because the carbs aren't refined, it takes your body longer to break them down. This gives you a steady stream of fuel rather than the sugar spike refined carbs give you.

Soy Products

Soy has to be one of the most versatile food in the world. It can be made into pretty much anything it seems.

Soy Milk - Not one of my favorite milks on it's own but the chocolate is delicious. Even making your own hot cocoa with it is great. It's one of the creamier milks when you use it in hot beverages but it's great cold when it's chocolate flavoured.

Tofu - Like some people out there, I'm not a huge fan of tofu. I force myself to eat it to get used to it and it seems to work. I find if you stick to the extra firm tofu, you'll enjoy it a lot more. At least I do. My fave way to have tofu is scrambled. It's a great alternative for scrambled eggs in the morning. I'll post my own recipe in the near future.

These are really the only products I personally have opened myself up to. Tempeh is great as well because it is made from fermented soy beans. I find it a little bitter but it can be helped depending on how you prepare it.

***Watch the amount of soy products you eat. Processed foods are already saturated with soy and too much of one thing is never good. It's been proven that soy can suppress hormones your thyroid produces causing health problems. Limit your soy products and when you can replace them from time to time with something else. (ex. bean burgers vs. soy burgers, rice milk vs. soy milk)

I also add protein to my morning fruit smoothies. It's great to balance out the natural sugars so you don't get the sugar high and then suffer from sugar cravings all day. Be careful with the protein you choose. Make sure it is safe for pregnant women. I use pure pumpkin seed protein powder. Pumpkin seed is great as a source of magnesium as well which can help you stay calm. I use Omega Nutrition's pumpkin seed powder.

Health food stores are a great place to get more info on how to stay healthy while being green. I always stay away from synthetic supplements unless certain vitamins can only be derived from non vegan sources other than fish. Health food stores always have knowledgeable employees who work in the supplement section. They can help you pick out the right, natural, vegan supplements for you.

Remember, you should only take supplements if you can't get certain vitamins and nutrients from your regular diet. ALWAYS try to get everything you need from food first. Supplements should only be an insurance plan and not a source of everyday nutrition. Your body absorbs nutrients and vitamins better from whole foods than a pill or powder.

***Remember, always consult your primary care provider and/or a nutritionist before taking any supplements other than ones that are specifically made for pregnancy. I am not a nutritionist or doctor. This is what I do based on the information from my own personal research and the information my nutritionist and midwife have given me. Every one is different. I put the ideas out there so you can ask the questions.

The Big "C"

And I mean the "c" as in calcium.

Osteoporosis

I think this is the word of my....lifetime? I swear it's all I hear.

"Oh my gosh. You don't drink milk? Your bones are gonna turn to dust!"

Aaaaand I resist the urge to roll my eyes and possibly stick out my tongue in a childishly petulant manner.

Everyone these days (everyone as in women) seem to be so preoccupied with getting enough calcium so when they get older, there bones don't crumble away. Remember when I mentioned the dreaded misconceptions that are fed to us day in and day out? Well this is one of them. Dairy will not guarantee healthy bones and teeth. I grew up with lots of dairy yet I have problems with my teeth.

The simple truth is: this paranoia is only getting the milk people paid and is not making healthy strong bones. Best example of how we don't need dairy. In Africa and Asia, dairy intake is extremely low, in some places unheard of. North America and Europe consume the most dairy compared to the rest of the world. Who do you think has higher rates of osteoporosis? If you guessed North America and Europe you're right.

Osteoporosis is virtually non existent in most parts of the world where dairy consumption is very low. So, you do the math.

Now I don't discount the need for calcium. It is an important part of our daily nutrition, but just like every other health fad, in the end, we all find out too much is just as bad as nothing at all.

Being pregnant definitely asks for more diligence when it comes to calcium. What ever you don't take in, the baby will suck it out of you until it needs no more, possibly leaving you with not enough.

Great ways to increase your calcium intake the green way.

 
• Eat lots of dark greens. They are a great source of plant based calcium.
• Drink calcium fortified beverages such as soy, rice, almond, or coconut milk. Be careful with soy milk. A lot of processed and pre-prepared foods have a lot of soy product in them. Too much soy isn't good for the thyroid. My fave alternative is rice milk for hot or warm uses. Coconut and and almond milk I find are better when left cold. Variety is good. I always have one of each in my fridge. If you don't like the taste of these milks, try them in vanilla, it makes a world of a difference but still allows the milk to be versatile.
• Avoid!!! Caffeine. A lot of people are worried about putting calcium into their body, when they really should be worried about keeping it in. Caffeine is the worst for making your blood acidic. So to balance your pH levels, your body will actually leach the calcium from your bones. So now, you have that coffee you had in the morning and the baby taking calcium from you. Talk about a double whammy for your bones. Avoid chocolate (reduce it at least, who can avoid it while pregnant?), cut down/eliminate your coffee and caffeinated teas intake, and stop drinking pop (soda) such as Coke and Pepsi. There's really nothing good in there for you. Gingerale is your best friend if you can't let go of the bubbly. If you rely on coffee to get you going, try other natural alternatives such as; eating an apple in the morning, washing your face with an invigorating face wash, lukewarm showers, eating a proper breakfast, or going to bed earlier and waking up earlier to give yourself enough time to work your way out of bed.  

• Find a natural (non synthetic), plant based supplement. Natural food stores should carry this in their supplement section. I use a German brand called Salus by Salus-Haus. They have many good, natural products. I use their Calcium Magnesium, with Zinc and Vitamin D Liquid Formula. It tastes OK. It looks gross but it's sweet as it's derived mostly from fruit extracts. It can be a little pricey (where I get it from, a 500ml bottle costs around $47.00 at 30ml dose/day) but it's worth it. It's as close as you can get to actually getting the calcium from real foods, just more efficiently. And it's Kosher too!!

I find that these four ways to get your calcium is more than enough. I meet my daily required intake values, and maybe even more on some days. If you decide to take a supplement, don't use it to replace eating real food. Supplements are meant to help fill in what's missing, not replace it. Also, always take it with food, your body will absorb the supplements better that way.

***Remember, always consult your primary care provide and/or a nutritionist before taking any supplements other than ones that are specifically made for pregnancy. I am not a nutritionist or doctor. This is what I do based on the information from my own personal research and the information my nutritionist and midwife have given me. Every one is different. I put the ideas out there so you can ask the questions.

Why I'm Vegan and Choose to Stay Vegan

First I wanted to clarify how vegan I am. It's hard to say what category I fall into because I'm not quite vegetarian either. Some will call me a pescatarian (yes that word doesn't exist so maybe when it's put in the dictionary I'll get some credit), and some will say I'm none of the above. I don't eat land animals or their products such as dairy, eggs, broth, etc. but I do eat fish.

And this is why.

I read the book The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, which I would recommend to anyone who is or isn't vegan. This book changed my life. Her arguments aren't only for the animals but for your health and the environment. I wouldn't even call it an argumentative book. Not once does she say "you should become vegan because..." Silverstone neatly presents the facts for you to interpret on your own. It's not just another celebrity book. She put a lot of effort, thought and care into it because it is a cause/topic she is passionate about.

The book unveils the misconceptions about meat and meat products. It is hard to have to turn around and try to believe that everything you learned in school, about the damned food groups, and everything your parents taught you was not quite true. The scary truth about meat and meat products is overwhelming. I've even had arguments with my husband about it because he believed milk and meat is good for you. Why? Because it just is. Meaning it's just what we were conditioned to know. Every time some one asks me "Why?" and I start off with, "Well do you know what milk does to you?" I get shut down. I'm told they don't want to hear about it or what ever I learned is not true. No one wants to hear the truth or to challenge what they thought was true their whole lives.

So back to why I still eat fish? Well that's because there really isn't anything bad about it. The only downside to eating seafood in general is the high cholesterol found in some species and the high amounts of mercury (our fault, not the fish) they contain. If you include farmed fish then the high amounts of antibiotics is something to think about as well.

By choosing to still eat fish, I've mostly eliminated canned and farmed fish. I don't eat it often, maybe once a week or every two weeks. Sometimes I'll go much longer than that. There are times when I'll eat it more often because of the holidays but it's something that's been reduced in my diet along with the elimination of all other living things and their products.

Why do this?

I like animals, but I don't love them enough to not eat them. I love chicken and I miss it everyday. I do this for my health. I'm asthmatic and suffer from mild depression. Through the book, and testimonials, I learned that a lot of health problems decrease or are eliminated by taking on a vegan diet. Here's my testimonial.

I became vegan-ish (took that term, which she uses for her husband, from Kathy Freston who wrote the Veganist) on January 1st 2010. It was my New Year's resolution. About two months into it, I saw a dramatic improvement with my asthma. I took absolutely no medication and my asthma was controlled. By the end of February, I had enough energy and motivation to start exercising on top of my new diet. By the end of May, I had gone from 190 lbs to 145 lbs. I was a lot happier, felt lighter, and most of all healthier all around.

When spring time hit, I had to start taking my asthma medication again as it was triggered by my allergies. By August, I got discouraged and went back to a regular diet. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I felt heavy and sluggish. I didn't realize it until then, that even though my asthma had come back, it was no where near as bad as it could have been. Not even two weeks after returning to my previous diet, I went from using just my controller medication to using my quick relief medication at least one to three times a day as well. Once I returned to my "Vegan-ish" diet, my asthma was back to being under control. When snow fell and and allergy season was over, I didn't have to take any medication at all again.

Why I choose to stay Vegan....ish?

For two reasons. 

One: After only a half a year being on the diet, going back was harsh on my body. It hit me hard. I was sick, my digestive system was thrown off, and my health went from great to terrible. It put my body through a terrible shock even though I eased myself back into a regular diet slowly.

Two: I'd rather put extra work into getting calcium, iron, and protein than to do it the easy way and have to take loads of asthma medication. By being vegan-ish, I'm decreasing the amount of medication going into my body hence, lowering the amount my baby is being exposed to. What's worse, medication or my diet? You tell me.

So for everyone who continues to question or doubt me, think twice before being closed minded. I do what I feel is best and I'm doing it with the guidance of health care professionals. Meat and dairy isn't everything. They may have some good in them but they have a lot more bad.