Childbearing Years

You have the power to be well, both during your pregnancy and through the fourth trimester.

It is empowering to take charge of nutrition, both for you and for your baby, as well as understand which herbs can support you during these times of profound transformation.

Be in touch with questions: lisa@harmonizedcookery.com

FERTILITY AND THE CHILDBEARING YEARS

This eBook is a wonderful support tool for healing infertility.

This is my prenatal guide, complete with recipes and remedies for common conditions.

Here is a guide to nutrients and recipes for babies as they begin their solid food journey.

Kelly Mom is an amazing, evidence-based website for all questions related to pregnancy, post-partum time and breastfeeding.

THE FIVE FLAVORS

To satisfy the whole being, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tries to include five flavors in each meal:

Sweet (tonic, strengthening): carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, dates, honey, rice, barley, oats

Sour (astringent): sauerkraut, horseradish, vinegar, lemon, chicken, tomatoes, sour dough rye bread

Salty (purgative, grounding): eggs, beans, seaweed, miso, tamari

Pungent (promotes perspiration and circulation): ginger, onion, pepper, scallions, buckwheat

Bitter (cooling, moist): unsweetened cocoa, olives, dandelion, kale, celery, amaranth, quinoa, millet  

Four Food Groups (Pitchford, Paul. Healing With Whole Foods. North Atlantic Books, 2002.)

Nutritionists recommend nourishment from nature’s basic food groups: protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber.

Protein: beans, mushrooms, chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, cheese

Carbohydrate: rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, rye, barley, wheat, oats, potatoes, winter squash, carrots Fat: butter, olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, nuts

Fiber: leafy green vegetables (kale, collards, spinach), salad greens, broccoli, flax seeds  

There is cross-over within these groups, such as: chicken, yogurt, cheese, and eggs contain both protein and fat; all whole grain carbohydrates listed above also contain fiber; fat from nuts also provides protein.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

Some important elements to remember:

Fiber from cooked whole grains maintains smooth digestion and provides energy (oats, quinoa, rice, millet, kasha).

Magnesium and Vitamin C ease leg cramps (oranges, grapefruits, papayas, bananas).

B Vitamins, especially folic acid, prevent potential congenital defects (broccoli, kale, collards, black beans, peas).

Iron strengthens bones, blood, and immunity (lentils, navy beans, sesame seeds, beef, venison).

Mineral balance maintains healthy amniotic fluid (seaweed and unrefined sea salt).

Protein produces albumin, which provides liver support and builds the placenta (dairy, meat, beans, mushrooms).

WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL WELL

Nausea: Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; avoid fatty, fried, and greasy foods. Eat crackers, cereal, raw almonds or white rice every two to three hours. Take vitamin B6.

Constipation: Eat more applesauce, steamed sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, and oats; drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Go for a walk! Exercise stimulates the colon.

Diarrhea: Eat more bananas, white rice, bread, and pasta.

Heartburn: Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; limit caffeinated foods and beverages; swallow a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar before meals.

Here is a link to essential nutrients for pregnancy.

This link offers a complete prenatal guide by trimester.

This is a list of baby food by age and stage. I also provide baby food recipes and snacks.