You guys, I wasn’t even taking a prenatal vitamin before I had my IUD removed. Since fearing EVERYTHING under the sun, from eating eggs or deli-meat from the moment we found out we were pregnant – this book has been a saviour.
And then – the prenatal vitamin I tried taking made me feel super nauseous, and ill. I was distraught, and fearful for the unknown. I tried two more prenatal vitamins with the same, awful result. I took them at night, I cut them in half and took one in the morning and one in the evening with food, with water – like every pregnant person I ever spoke with recommended, but bleh. I felt like GARBAGE, nearly immediately after taking them. By chance, one of my favourite Instagram Nutritionists to watch, @nutritionbyrobyn happened to recommend a book on nutrition for expecting or soon to be expecting moms – written by @lilynicholsrdn, called Real Food for Pregnancy.
Robyn recommended it as a must have, noting Lily’s thorough research and findings were beginning to dispel widely accepted prenatal nutrition truths. AND MAN WAS ROBYN RIGHT!
THE LOUDEST MYTHS LILY BUSTED FOR ME WERE:
Don’t be afraid of eggs! (Page 30)
Prenatal vitamins are not the only way to ensure your body and baby have folate. Daily folate recommendations for pregnant women can be achieved with food!
Daily folate intake should = ~ 600 mcg’s. (Introduction XX) This would include the following foods on a daily basis:
1 C spinach
1 .5 C orange juice (can someone sense a smoothie recipe collab with that spinach!?)
2 oranges
2 eggs
8 asparagus spears
1 C brussel sprouts/broccoli
I can eat salmon sashimi (I’m a super fan of salmon sashimi!) and deli meat from reputable establishments. Lily shows you the research, and helps you understand the risks, or why this may be something we feared. (Page 57)
Unpasteurized products like soft cheeses from reputable sources are not to be feared. In fact – unpasteurized foods (honey, sauerkraut, soft cheeses) are beneficial to your microbiome and gut health. (Page 56 & 103)
The carbohydrate recommendations in prenatal nutrition are dying for an update! Conventional nutrition recommends 54-65% of fuel come from carbohydrates, but this should look more like 26%, with an emphasis on healthy fats instead. (Introduction XX) Lily’s first book was Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. This book is changing the lives of expecting mom’s everywhere! To the point that OB’s, and midwives everywhere witnessed (and are still witnessing) patients who followed Lily’s recommendations – improve risks associated with gestational diabetes so profoundly for mom and baby that Dr’s are now recommending the book to expecting mom’s themselves. This led to Lily’s fan base encouraging her to study, research and apply the principles to women who are simply pregnant! And voila – Lily blessed the world with this sweet book right here!
AT THE END OF THE DAY . . .
Lily’s book thoroughly lays out all the research for you, and you understand where the fear stems from. I don’t go around eating sushi every day, or deli meat, unpasteurized cheeses and runny eggs to spite anyone. In fact, I’m still a little nervous when I do have them. But I know I could be missing out on choline from eggs, and omega 3’s from salmon, or folate from counting solely on a prenatal vitamin with folic acid), and I no longer fear them, I understand them better, and we are friends.
Did you know conventional nutrition guides for pregnancy have not been updated in the last 20 years? SINCE 1999!? WHAT!? That’s when BSB released the Millenium album and Brian (my fav) would have been 25!
Lily’s book is setting the pace for mommas everywhere to dig a little deeper into what really grows a healthy little baby. Who doesn’t want to give their child the best possible start in life they could?
In general, nutritional guidelines in North America are 7 years behind the latest study breakthroughs. Then it takes even longer for our previous beliefs to unwind, as the new ones become widely understood, experienced and accepted. I’m so glad I found this book when I did. I follow Lily’s advice, and feel great mentally and physically because of it.
My health is up to me. I listen to trusted sources, and read all sides of the science, to make the best call for me. I will never push my beliefs on another, or cast judgement – because honestly, we must do what sits right with ourselves! I will challenge you to look at the research in this book and make the call that feels right for YOU. Hopefully with more understanding, and less necessary fear. After all, do we ever know anything for certain anyway? May the nutrients be with you!
For more great nutrition myth busting content listen to this amazing podcast with Lily! (Skip to 11 minutes in if you wish to skip the banter at the beginning)!
