Fat, Sick, And nearly Dead

So I have been struggling during this pregnancy to get my veggies into my daily diet. I work at a weight loss clinic where our clients eat 4 cups of vegetables a day. That is a lot. (especially when it doesn't include potatoes and carrots). My parents have started Juicing after watching a documentary entitled "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/ After they and my midwife told me to watch it I finally did. I needed to find some way to get all those healthy green veggies in. It is a super interesting film. My parents have been feeling so much more vibrant and healthier from all the fresh fruits and veggies. So anyway this is a great film to watch. It helped me realize that most American's really don't get the veggies they need.


I do however feel like it is a complete waste of vegetables to juice them. You loose a lot of the bulk of the veggies. (ok and the real truth) I can't stand to drink them. I think they are disgusting. So although I love the idea and the ease of it I really needed to come up with something else. I decided to just make sure I ate tons of veggies. So of course if I want to eat them whole it is going to take a lot for me to learn how to incorporate vegetables into my diet.
How to shop for veggie's
How to cook them so they taste good
How to cook meals that include veggies but don't take forever. (let's face it...it's easy to throw spaghetti on the stove, it's easy to do whatever is already a habit.)


So there is the goal.... Learn to cook healthy meals that taste good but don't take forever to make. Can I do it? I hope so. :)

Eating Healthy for You and Your Baby

A well balanced diet is not only important for your health as an expecting mother but for the growing baby inside of you as well. Your diet is the best place to get all the vitamins and minerals that you need. It is important to eat well for your baby.

Every day of the week you and your baby should have:

1. One quart (4 glasses) or more of milk. any kind will do: whole milk, low fat, skim, buttermilk, or cheese, yoguret, ice cream, ect..
2. Two eggs, 9hard boiled, in french toast, or added to other foods).
3. One or two servings of fish or seafood, liver, chicken, lean beef, lamb, pork, beans, or any kinds of cheese.
4. One or two good servings of fresh reen leafy vegetables: mustard, collard, turnip greens, spinach, lettuce, or cabbage.
5. Two or three slices of whole wheat bread, cornmeal, cornbread, or tortillas.
6. a piece of cirus fruit or glass of juice of lemon, lime, orange, tomato, or grapefruit.
7.  Three pats of butter
8.  Other fruits and vegetables.

Also include in your diet:

1. a serving f whole grain cereal such as oatmeal or granola.
2. a yellow or orange-colored fruit or vegetable five times a week.
3. Liver one a week. ( if you like it)
4. Whole baked potato three times a week
5. Plenty of lfluids, water, juice etc
6. Salf food to taste for a safe increase in blood volume.

You may substitute proteins if you wish, being sure your proteins are  complete, and that you get approximately 100 grams per day, If you substitute, also be sure all the elements necessary for a well balanced diet are available every day.

Iron

We all know that Iron is sucked from the mamma during pregnancy and given to the baby.
Iron is extremely important to keep up on though. Iron helps muscle tone, strength
Without it one may feel:
Brain fog
winded going up stairs,
you'll sleep more.
Varicose veins
Voice may go deeper or more gravily
Heart burn
It is important to have because it keeps oxygen going to the mothers mothers. This will be important through the pregnancy to help you stay motivated to do those exercises as well as to get the oxygen to the uterine muscle during labor. It is labor we need all the strength we can get.
And I realize that as I am writing this there is a reason I have been craving liver. I need iron. I have heartburn and brain fog, and am sleeping a lot...I guess we'll see how it goes.

And of course in order to properly absorb iron we need to make sure our calcium levels are up. it helps the uptake of iron

According to the USDA Dietary Guidlines for Americans 2005
Good Sources of Iron are as follows:

Appendix B-3. Food Sources of Iron

Food Sources of Iron ranked by milligrams of iron per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are ≥ 10% of RDA for teen and adult females, which is 18 mg/day.)

Food, Standard Amount	Iron (mg)	Calories
Clams, canned, drained, 3 oz	23.8	126
Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (various), ~ 1 oz	1.8 -21.1	54-127
Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat, 3 oz	10.2	116
Organ meats (liver, giblets), various, cooked, 3 oz a	5.2-9.9	134-235
Fortified instant cooked cereals (various), 1 packet	4.9-8.1	Varies
Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup	4.4	149
Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, 1 oz	4.2	148
White beans, canned, ½ cup	3.9	153
Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp	3.5	47
Lentils, cooked, ½ cup	3.3	115
Spinach, cooked from fresh, ½ cup	3.2	21
Beef, chuck, blade roast, lean, cooked, 3 oz	3.1	215
Beef, bottom round, lean, 0" fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz	2.8	182
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup	2.6	112
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 3 oz	2.5	177
Beef, rib, lean, ¼" fat, all grades, 3 oz	2.4	195
Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup	2.4	134
Duck, meat only, roasted, 3 oz	2.3	171
Lamb, shoulder, arm, lean, ¼ " fat, choice, cooked, 3 oz	2.3	237
Prune juice, ¾ cup	2.3	136
Shrimp, canned, 3 oz	2.3	102
Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup	2.2	100
Ground beef, 15% fat, cooked, 3 oz	2.2	212
Tomato puree, ½ cup	2.2	48
Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup	2.2	108
Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup	2.2	127
Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup	2.1	127
Refried beans, ½ cup	2.1	118
Beef, top sirloin, lean, 0" fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz	2.0	156
Tomato paste, ¼ cup	2.0	54

^a High in cholesterol.
Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Getting Adequate Calcium

As I have started eating again life has gotten substantially better. Along with now being able to eat normal foods I know my body is getting the nutrients it needs. So just to make sure that we are getting the calcium we need along with those potato chips or whatever source of salt you find you like best we need some other things to adequately get the calcium we need.
For Calcium absorption we need:
Magnesium, vinegar, and electrolites.
We also absorb it best from 4pm till midnight.