The Following Foods Are Food You Should Be Consuming:
1. Fresh grown fruits and vegetables -organic. Garden for yourself! If you can not, or do not have the space. Get involved with a community garden (that gardens organically) or check out a farmer’s market (again you have to ask questions about how the product is grown, do not assume, EXAMPLE: in my area, any of the Amish use toxins on their gardens.) Bake or steam your veggies. eat as many as you can raw for the best nutrient value!
2. Fresh fruits and veggie smoothies that you make from fresh fruits and vegetables that are organic
3. Organic milks, cheeses, and butter
4. Healthy meats: Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Goat, Bison, Deer, and most-Fish are all meats that are the best. NO hormones, No antibiotics! I do not and cannot recommend eating pork, lobster, clams, shrimp or exotic meats such as shark, etc..
~ORGANIC meats are best. Raise your own meat if you can. If you cannot, there are families who do and would be happy to sell meat to you. Many of these small farmers (farming for themselves) are happy to ‘share’ crop with their produce, meats and such-but often it is honestly on the side…. due to the government coming in and telling you what you can and cannot eat. They tell us small farmers what we can and cannot sell for food to you also. Most of (us) do not want the government on our property at all.
5. Healthy Water. No city chemicals to kill the bacteria that grows in the city water! Get a water filtration system. It is worth every penny you spend! Check around and search the web for the best one. They are not all the same!
6. Organic Herbal teas, juices and milk. If you do drink coffee please cut way back. Limit to 1-2 cups a day. For herbal tea. Ask me what herbs are ok in pregnancy. Not all are safe to consume during pregnancy.
7. In place of sugar you can use honey (local raw honey is best), black strap molasses or maple syrup. With these items if an item your cooking calls for a cup of sugar you use 1/2 cup of the items listed previous. It is half ratio. Also it is ok to use is stevia, or stevia products, fruit syrup or fruit juice, applesauce, unrefined sugar (a little is ok sometimes) and dates can be used as sugar too.
8. Whole grains and flours. If you can get grains and grind them yourself. If that is not a possibility for you, some suggestions are: in a food co-op where they purchase natural organic healthy foods, often there will be someone who will have a mill at home and will be happy to do this for the group.
9. Juices. Please make your own. Or you can buy organic mixed juices without added sugars in them at the market. Remember juice is a concentration of the product…you can get a lot of oranges and fruits in one glass of juice so careful to avoid over eating/drinking! Even though it is healthy and good for you –do not overdue!
10. Rice: brown, wild (best) and basmati
11. Seasonings: Natural is best. Organic and natural is the very best! Herbs-learn to cook using herbs. You will not go back to processed junk seasoning when you do! Good salt like was already discussed is ok, pepper, and seasons mixes from herbs and spices are fine. (as with herbs, if in doubt, ask your midwife if the spice is ok to use during pregnancy).
12. Oils, cold pressed, unrefined. Olive & sesame are always cold pressed. Palm, & coconut oil are ok too. At first the change to olive oil will take a little getting used to, but once you are using it and avoiding the oils listed to avoid-you will really like it and not be able to go back. Other items will taste like heavy oiled lard…ewwww
13. Ok—- OCCASIONALLY we all want something sweet -or chocolate. Organic is best always. But if you really behave with your eating on a regular basis-then occasionally a piece of chocolate is ok or some ice cream. Get the organic ice cream-made with few ingredients (yes– it will have white sugar) …it is more expensive but– remember your baby.
