Diet and Nutrition

The human body is comprised of molecules obtained from the food we consume. The efficiency of bodily functions depends on the nutrients contained in our food and how effectively we digest and absorb them. Beyond fueling essential processes like heartbeat and muscle function (though it excels in this capacity), food also supplies the body with microscopic building blocks necessary to execute an extensive array of highly intricate biochemical tasks continuously.

However, studies sponsored by the U.S. Government have revealed that 80 percent of the American public are not meeting the recommended daily intake of certain nutrients due to poor dietary choices. Consequently, a current pandemic of preventable conditions, symptoms, illness, and disease persists. Achieving optimal nutrient intake is imperative for functional health and wellness, particularly during attempts to conceive and throughout pregnancy, ensuring the birth of a healthy baby. Optimizing your health involves focusing on diet, supplementation (if necessary), avoidance of toxins, and supporting your body through lifestyle improvements and moderate exercise. These measures can help prevent illness and disease and promote a healthy pregnancy, birth, and baby.

The unfortunate truth is that even if you believe you are maintaining a healthy diet, it is probable that you are still deficient in essential nutrients. Modern-day food is often lacking in nutrients and contaminated due to intensive farming methods, global food markets, and prevalent Western shopping, cooking, and eating habits. To a significant extent, we are responsible for this state of affairs—a culture dominated by supermarkets that promote a wide array of sorted, processed, and packaged foods sourced from around the world. These foods are available year-round, uniform in appearance, taste, and texture, and boast extended shelf lives, perpetuating a cycle of nutrient depletion and contamination.

Our food may contain:

  • Pesticides such as glyphosate, herbicides, insecticides, and antifungal agents.

  • Parasites, pathogenic bacteria, and molds.

  • E-numbers, artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives.

  • Components that nourish unhealthy gut bacteria, including certain sugars (refined), and phenols derived from specific foods and chemicals.

  • Growth hormones and antibiotics, commonly found in non-organic meat and fish.

  • Fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum.

  • In addition to our food being deficient in nutrients, we acknowledge that our bodies require more nutrients today than ever before.

WHY?

  1. Increased exposure to pollution and chemicals exacerbates the situation. The more toxins you expose yourself to through the skin, lungs, and ingestion via foods and drinks, the harder your body must work to eliminate them, leading to increased nutrient depletion. Yes, it’s as straightforward as that!

  2. Stressful lifestyles also play a significant role. Increased stress, excessive exercise, inadequate sleep, and chronic illness deplete the body of more nutrients.

  3. Furthermore, certain foods deplete our nutrient reserves, such as caffeine, other stimulants, and refined sugar. Processing sugar demands high levels of nutrients to counteract its negative effects, including insulin production and anti-inflammatory responses, thereby placing additional strain on the liver, which necessitates extra nutrients to store sugar as fat.

“But I’m consuming the RDA, surely that’s enough…”

In order to achieve “health and wellbeing,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formulated what is referred to as the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), which provides a daily dosage or recommended intake of particular vitamins, minerals or optional supplements (such as amino acids and essential fatty acids) to be considered sufficient to protect the body against deficiency diseases. 

However, we are all unique. Without the correct levels of nutrients for you, your body will not function optimally, and illness and disease will be inevitable. Your body’s nutritional needs are as unique to you as your appearance. We all have different nutrient requirements based upon our age, biochemical individuality, genetics, health status, medications, poor dietary selections (including processed and low-nutrient-dense foods), lifestyle choices, and toxic exposure.

Nutrient Deficiency Symptom Assessment

Free Online Self Assessment

Mothers2B has developed the Nutrient Deficiency Symptom Assessment (NDSA) to help you identify your deficient nutrients. Increasing such nutrients may improve your nutrient status, improve or rectify your symptoms and contribute to good health. This is very important as the nutrients in your body are essential to your health and your baby's health. The NDSA provides three pages of the essential 29 nutrients the body requires, each with associated deficiency symptoms for you to work through carefully. There is no simpler way to find out what nutrients you may be lacking, but, most importantly, what you can do to reverse those deficiencies, support your symptoms, and lead to optimal health.

So What to Eat?

LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE NUTRIENTS FOUND IN FOOD. THE VERY NUTRIENTS THAT SUPPLY ALL OF THE NECESSARY BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LIFE AND HEALTH.

Nutrients derived from foods are found in different forms: 

  • Proteins, carbohydrates and fats

  • Vitamins; for example, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and the water-soluble vitamins C and the B vitamins.

  • Trace elements, such as selenium, manganese, molybdenum, and chromium.

  • Plant chemicals, such as bioflavonoids, and antioxidants such as quercetin.

  • Fiber, both soluble and insoluble, to support gut health and the elimination of toxins.

  • Water for hydration (the body is approximately 72 percent water).

We strongly recommend the following food selections:

  • Organic, pasture-raised or grass-fed meats and poultry, including raw dairy.

  • Wild-caught fish.

  • Organic and preferably seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Some nutrient-dense food selections may be allergenic to some individuals, such as eggs, nuts and seeds, including peanuts. It is recommended that you work with a functional and integrative health practitioner and complete a food allergen screen prior to selecting foods or avoid that food if you have a known allergy to it.

Protein

Most of the human body consists of protein. It is used by the body for growth and development, for the manufacture of energy and enzymes, tissues such as muscle, skin, nails, and hair, as well as hormones and antibodies. Protein comes from the foods we consume and can be from plants—such as vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds—or from animals, such as eggs, meat, fish, and poultry. These proteins are made up of numbers of amino acids (the body’s building blocks). Some amino acids are more important than others because they cannot be made in the body and must therefore come from the food we eat, digest and absorb.

Our favorite protein sources:

  • Grass-finished, organic red meats and poultry

  • Grass-finished, organic organ meats

  • Pasture-raised eggs

  • Bone broth made with high-quality, organic bones

  • Organic and raw dairy products

  • Grass-fed gelatin and collagen

  • Grass-fed whey protein powder can be supplemented (ensure third party testing for heavy metals)

Plants are not as abundant as meats, fish and eggs as examples of protein sources and supplementation may be required on vegan diets dependent on the individual requirements. If you are a vegan, please consult with one of our practitioners for further guidance and support through your pregnancy.

We recommend consuming 1.5g/kg minimum protein daily.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are principally starches and sugars found almost exclusively in plant foods such as fruit and vegetables, legumes, pulses and grains. They are broken down via digestion into glucose and absorbed into the blood system. The glucose is then transported via the blood system to the brain, the body’s cells, and the central nervous system where the glucose is used as the main form of fuel to make energy in each of our body’s cells. 

Carbohydrates come in two forms: “fast releasing” and “slow releasing”. Fast-releasing carbohydrates provide a quick release of glucose into the blood, producing what are known as blood-sugar spikes, or a fast rise of blood sugar. These foods include sugar, honey, refined foods, confectionary, and some fruits such as dates and raisins. 

Slow-releasing carbohydrates produce a slower, steadier release of glucose in the blood. These foods include starchy foods, including potato and white rice, whole grains, vegetables, and some fruits. Slow-releasing carbohydrates are the better foods to consume often because they do not create the rapid increases in blood sugar that is related to many conditions and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other related health conditions when overconsumed. 

Our favorite carbohydrate sources:

  • Organic seasonal vegetables (non-starchy and starchy varieties)

  • Organic low-glycemic fresh seasonal fruits such as berries and green apples

  • Organic raw local honey, in moderation

  • Organic soaked and sprouted grains, in moderation

Fats

Fats are often perceived as the primary dietary culprits linked to diseases like heart disease, obesity, and cancer. However, it's crucial to understand that while certain fats, such as manufactured seed oils, hydrogenated fats, and trans fats, can indeed harm our bodies, others are supportive and essential for our overall health and well-being.

Despite their negative reputation, the majority of natural fats derived from plant sources like avocados, nuts, and seeds, as well as animal and fish fats, are essential nutrients required by the body. Specific unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in foods such as nuts, seeds, oily fish, and high-quality olive oil provide essential fatty acids like omega-3, omega-6, omega-7, and omega-9, which are vital for proper bodily function.

Saturated fat has received a poor reputation and as a result of the Ancel Keys Study led the war against fat and the upsurge in low fat diets and an increase in refined carbohydrates and sugars. Saturated fat and cholesterol were blamed for heart disease and obesity while processed vegetable oils, margarines and the advent of the low fat diet was the new rage. 

Quality saturated fats have many important roles in health and body chemistry and are absolutely essential for keeping you healthy and for growing a healthy baby:

  • They help to build healthy cell membranes, cell growth and cell division.

  • Saturated fats provide you and baby with fat-soluble vitamins
    A, D, E, and K.

  • They make important hormones like the sex hormones and prostaglandins that help regulate important body functions such as reducing inflammation in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. 

  • Help elevate mood and lift depression.

  • Help support gut integrity by reducing inflammation.

  • Supports prenatal brain development in babies.

  • Help protect our genetic DNA and RNA.

Our favorite fat sources:

  • Organic pasture-raised fatty meats and wild-caught fatty fish

  • Organic pasture-raised egg yolk

  • High-quality, organic extra-virgin olive oil

  • Organic raw dairy products, including raw butter

  • Organic avocado

  • Organic soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds

Vitamins

There are 13 different vitamins, each with a specific role to play in the body. These are divided into two groups: water soluble vitamins, which include the B vitamins and Vitamin C, and the fat-soluble vitamins, which include vitamins A, D, E, and K. 

Most vitamins are used as co-factors or ‘spark plugs’ that connect to an enzyme to make it work. Just one benefit of nutritional supplementation is that it can provide adequate nutrients to support enzyme functionality. Vitamins are needed to balance hormones, produce energy, support brain and nervous function, act as antioxidants to reduce cellular and genetic damage and premature aging, and support detoxification.

Minerals and Trace Minerals

Like vitamins, minerals and trace minerals are vitally important for most body functions and processes. They are essential for making body tissues such as the bones and teeth, and are involved in energy production, brain, nerve, and cell function, the transportation of oxygen and the management of blood sugar. 

They are also needed for enzyme reactions to support the immune system. Minerals and trace minerals come from food that grows in the soil and the animals that eat that food.

Water

The body is composed of approximately 70% water. It is our most vital nutrient and is involved in every function of the body. It helps to transport nutrients and waste products in and out of our cells, it is necessary for digestion and the absorption of nutrients, and it provides the solution—or plasma—within our lymphatic and blood circulatory systems. Water supports the elimination of toxins via sweat and urine and carries vital nutrients such as vitamins and minerals around the body. It is also essential for managing body temperature and body pH.

Without water we would die within 3 to 5 days. Our minimum requirement for water is approximately 2 pints per day because we lose water through our lungs, gut, skin, and kidneys. Ideally we should drink half our body weight in fluid ounces per day. Alcohol cannot be classified as a drink containing water, as it dehydrates the body if consumed.

It is vital to select a quality source of water. Preferably choose filtered water or spring water in a glass bottle. The quality of tap water differs from area to area and may be full of harmful chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, industrial chemicals, fluoride, chlorine, arsenic, aluminium sulfate, soda ash, and inorganic minerals that are toxic and cannot be used by the body.

If you do not enjoy pure water, it is fine to flavor it using natural fruit juices, like lemon or lime, or herbal teas, such as ginger, spearmint, and green tea. When you feel thirsty it commonly indicates that you are dehydrated. 

Dark-colored urine is also a sign of dehydration. (Please note that excessive Vitamin B2—riboflavin—in a supplement can discolor the urine making it orange in appearance.)

God has graciously provided us with the foods we consume, each meticulously designed. Through His creation, we find wonderful clues indicating which types of foods support specific parts of our body.

  • A sliced carrot looks like the human eye. It is known that carrots are high in vitamin A as beta carotene and this has been shown to support eye function and health. 

  • A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. Research shows tomatoes contain lycopene which is beneficial to heart function and cardiovascular disease. 

  • A walnut looks like a brain with a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. Walnuts are high in essential fatty acids which are important for brain development and function.

  • Avocados target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female, and they look just like these organs. Research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it can help to balance hormones and prevent cervical cancers.