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Real food for mother and baby pdf


Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck - Ebook

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

Ten years ago, Nina Planck changed the way we think about what we eat with the groundbreaking Real Food. And when Nina became pregnant, she took the same hard look at the nutritional advice for pregnancy and newborns, finding a tangle of often contradictory guidelines that seemed at odds with her own common sense.

In Real Food for Mother and Baby, Nina explains why some commonly held ideas about pregnancy and infant nutrition are wrongheaded--and why real food is good for growing minds and bodies. While her general concept isn't surprising, some of the details might be. For expecting mothers and babies up to two years old, the body's overwhelming requirements are fat and protein, not vegetables and low-fat dairy--which is why, for example, cereals aren't right for babies, but meat and egg yolks are excellent.

Nina shares tips and advice like a trusted friend, and in this updated edition, her afterword presents the latest findings and some newly won wisdom from watching her three children grow on real food.

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LanguageEnglish

PublisherBloomsbury USA

Release dateMay 10, 2016

ISBN9781632865717

Author

Nina Planck

Nina Planck, author of Real Food: What to Eat and Why and The Farmer's Market Cookbook is a leading expert on farmer's markets and traditional food. In London, England she created the first farmer's market and in New York City, she ran the legendary Greenmarkets. She has a one-year-old son named Julian, who eats real food.

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Reviews for Real Food for Mother and Baby

Rating: 4.055555555555555 out of 5 stars

4/5

18 ratings4 reviews

  • alynnk_2

    Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

    5/5

    While I’m not yet at that point in my life where I’m settling down and getting married and having babies, I really enjoyed reading through Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods by Nina Planck. It’s loaded with information about food and nutrition while maintaining an easy-to-read style, and perhaps best of all, it doesn’t preach. Planck tells you what she knows – which is, admittedly, a lot, and she brings in the experts to verify what she’s saying, so you don’t have to take only her word on it – and she relates stories about her own pregnancy, but then she leaves it up to you to decide what’s best for your body and your baby.The book is broken down into five sections, beginning with the chapter entitled ‘What is Real Food?’ that starts with a basic explanation of, you guessed it, what the author calls ‘real food’: the old and the traditional. Foods that were eaten long before food became part of an industry, foods that aren’t processed within an inch of their life, and foods that haven’t been enhanced and added-to before they’re sold are the staples of the ‘real food’ diet. Planck then moves on to chapters covering ‘The Fertility Diet’ [what to eat when you’re trying to conceive, and what foods best prepare your body for the rigors of pregnancy], ‘Forty Weeks’ [how the foods you eat can influence your baby’s development], ‘Nursing Your Baby’ [championing the benefits of breastfeeding over formula use], and ‘First Foods’ [introducing your child to something a little more solid]. The back of the book also provides a list of resources for further reading on a range of topics, from postnatal depression to autism and allergies and various birthing techniques.Overall, this is a stellar book. Like I said, I’m nowhere near ready for the baby-specific information, but I read this book cover to cover, and it’s now full of post-it flags for easier future reference. I’ve found myself returning to the first chapter on foods basics more than once. A lot of what Planck presents just makes sense, and with so much information and misinformation floating around in the media – eggs are bad! no, wait, eggs are good! – it’s great to have something to fall back on when everything gets confusing. I’ve even broken it out when having baby-related discussions with friends and plan on presenting a copy or two as gifts to friends in the future. And, yeah, maybe I do look forward to using the information for my own personal use some day.

  • donnerlibrary

    Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

    3/5

    Nina Planck is an advocate for what she calls 'real food. ' These are the staples of our ancestors, prepared in traditional ways. Fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, cheese, and milk minimally processed if processed at all. Planck provides compelling arguments for eating this way based on nutritional comparisons.While some of the ideas she presents for general eating and eating during pregnancy fall quite far from mainstream thinking, she does provide science to back up her claims. The stories she shares of her own pregnancy and how it shaped her diet are interesting. Although there were some aspects of her experiences that I would not have shared during my own pregnancy (such as having glasses of wine), I was able to take away some good information from this section of the book.Planck lost me, however, when it came to the section on baby's first foods. Essentially she fed her son chunks of various table foods almost from the beginning of his solid food experience. While I do not doubt the nutritional value of the foods she was feeding him, my concern is that some of the foods she mentioned would present a potential choking hazard. I simply cannot imagine letting my eight month old daughter chew on a pork chop! Planck also threw out all conventional wisdom regarding babies and allergies, giving her son many foods before his first birthday that most doctors do not recommend.I enjoyed reading this book and I do feel that I learned something from it. I think each person reading this book will have to find their own comfort level with the information presented and take what they can use while leaving the rest behind.

  • ladydzura

    Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

    5/5

    While I’m not yet at that point in my life where I’m settling down and getting married and having babies, I really enjoyed reading through Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods by Nina Planck. It’s loaded with information about food and nutrition while maintaining an easy-to-read style, and perhaps best of all, it doesn’t preach. Planck tells you what she knows – which is, admittedly, a lot, and she brings in the experts to verify what she’s saying, so you don’t have to take only her word on it – and she relates stories about her own pregnancy, but then she leaves it up to you to decide what’s best for your body and your baby. The book is broken down into five sections, beginning with the chapter entitled ‘What is Real Food?’ that starts with a basic explanation of, you guessed it, what the author calls ‘real food’: the old and the traditional. Foods that were eaten long before food became part of an industry, foods that aren’t processed within an inch of their life, and foods that haven’t been enhanced and added-to before they’re sold are the staples of the ‘real food’ diet. Planck then moves on to chapters covering ‘The Fertility Diet’ [what to eat when you’re trying to conceive, and what foods best prepare your body for the rigors of pregnancy], ‘Forty Weeks’ [how the foods you eat can influence your baby’s development], ‘Nursing Your Baby’ [championing the benefits of breastfeeding over formula use], and ‘First Foods’ [introducing your child to something a little more solid]. The back of the book also provides a list of resources for further reading on a range of topics, from postnatal depression to autism and allergies and various birthing techniques. Overall, this is a stellar book. Like I said, I’m nowhere near ready for the baby-specific information, but I read this book cover to cover, and it’s now full of post-it flags for easier future reference. I’ve found myself returning to the first chapter on foods basics more than once. A lot of what Planck presents just makes sense, and with so much information and misinformation floating around in the media – eggs are bad! no, wait, eggs are good! – it’s great to have something to fall back on when everything gets confusing. I’ve even broken it out when having baby-related discussions with friends and plan on presenting a copy or two as gifts to friends in the future. And, yeah, maybe I do look forward to using the information for my own personal use some day.

  • devourerofbooks

    Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

    4/5

    Nina Planck is a proponent of ‘real food.’ She had even written a book on the topic, and was touring for said book when she discovered she was pregnant. As a food activist, Nina did her research about eating before, during, and after pregnancy, as well as feeding young children. When the conventional wisdom sounded wrong to her, she dug deeper to find out what really is best for mothers and babies.This book is broken into 5 parts: What is Real Food; The Fertility Diet; Forty Weeks; Nursing Your Baby; and First Foods. The most important thing to know is probably Nina’s definition of real food. Real food is “old and traditional.” If someone hasn’t been eating it for hundreds of years, you probably shouldn’t either.What I really liked about this book was Nina’s approach. While scientific she was also very relational, sharing her experiences of pregnancy, nursing, and feeding her young baby. She laid out what sorts of foods one should eat and why, but she was not dictatorial about it and suggested certain supplements if you simply cannot eat that food for one reason or another.This book is quite informative and an engaging read at the same time. If you have enjoyed any of Michael Pollan’s books or articles on food and are pregnant, have a young child, or are considering getting pregnant, this is something worth picking up.

Real Food For Gestational Diabetes

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Foreign Language Translations of Real Food for Gestational Diabetes

Spanish

Spanish

Please direct foreign language rights inquiries here. 

For wholesale orders (15 copy minimum), please go here.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Imagine easily managing your blood sugar, effortlessly gaining the right amount of weight during your pregnancy, and giving birth to a beautiful, healthy baby.

This can be you.

With the wrong information (or no information at all), far too many women struggle with erratic blood sugar. This can lead to excessive weight gain, high doses of insulin or medication, and difficult births.

Sadly, this often happens despite following the dietary advice given by well-meaning clinicians; a restrictive diet that leaves them feeling unsatisfied, unhappy, and confused about their blood sugar levels.

In Real Food for Gestational Diabetes, registered dietitian and gestational diabetes expert, Lily Nichols, sets the record straight, offering revamped carbohydrate recommendations and exercise guidelines based on the latest clinical research.

With this book, you have the tools to turn this diagnosis into a blessing in disguise.

    • Why conventional diet therapy often fails and what to do instead.
    • How the right prenatal nutrition can reduce the likelihood you’ll need insulin by 50%.
    • Exactly which foods raise your blood sugar (and more importantly, which foods DON’T raise your blood sugar)
    • How to customize a meal plan with the right amount of carbohydrates for YOU (there’s no one-size-fits-all plan, despite what you may have been told)
    • The truth about ketosis during pregnancy (and why checking urine ketones isn’t useful)
    • Information on insulin and blood sugar-lowering medications used in pregnancy
    • Which foods to emphasize to provide your baby with the right nutrients for optimal development (these real foods have a long history of producing strong, healthy babies)
    • The best prenatal exercises to control your blood sugar and prepare for labor
    • What to do after delivery to prevent type 2 diabetes

Pregnancy is full of unknowns, but one thing to remember is that good nutrition “stacks the deck” in your favor. Whatever the outcome, you know you did everything within your control to have a healthy pregnancy.

Eating a nutrient-dense diet of real food sets you up for a healthier pregnancy, a smoother recovery from birth, and an easier transition into motherhood. Let me show you how.

Get The Book

Get The Book

Foreign Language Translations of Real Food for Gestational Diabetes

Spanish

Spanish

Please direct foreign language rights inquiries here. 

For wholesale orders (15 copy minimum), please go here.

I just finished my fifth pregnancy – we had a healthy boy weighing 8lbs 8 1/2oz. Thank you so much for your course and book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes! They have both been a great help to me!

I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy and followed the dietician’s recommendations very closely… I ended up on insulin a few weeks before I was due, which transferred my care to an OB and I wasn’t able to have the home birth that I wanted.

So for this pregnancy, my husband and I prayed much that God would help us with the diabetes. I found your book, then your website, and then bought the course. Thanks to your real food approach, I was able to manage my glucose on my own through diet and lifestyle (no insulin this time) … I had a glucometer and the strips and tested myself regularly (the glucometer was my accountability partner;-)).

I’m so pleased to share we had a normal vaginal delivery at home with the midwives aid… it was such a more relaxed pregnancy and birth experience! Also, I found gestational diabetes to be a blessing in disguise. I now have a lot more practice and knowledge about how to take care of my health even outside of pregnancy and I’ve dropped some bad habit foods that I had before pregnancy, the biggest being sugar.

Also I want to mention that I donated your book to our local midwives office and they are going to try to make more books available for others!

Helen Penner

I just wanted to say thank you! I recently gave birth to my 4th child (my second with GD). I was eating mostly paleo-ish prior to pregnancy and kept it up through pregnancy minus the occasional cupcake :). I don’t know whether my diagnosis was accurate due to my paleoish diet. Regardless…I failed the test and had to keep track of my blood sugars.

With our 3rd baby, I ate a whole foods diet because that’s just how I cook, but I did follow the carb counts that my dietician recommended. With that pregnancy, my sugars were just fine too. With this pregnancy, I was eating much lower carbs throughout the whole pregnancy not just at the end after I failed my test. I stumbled across your book as I was preparing my question list for my first appointment with the dietician. I read it as fast as I could and found that most of what you recommend in your book, I was already doing. I was relieved and I felt I had some ground to keep doing what I was doing.

I ended up seeing the same dietician as I did with my 3rd child. She gave me the same advice as before. In fact, she told me to eat more carbs and gave me the green light on adding in bread and a little bit of added sugar. She looked at my food log and said I was eating far too few carbs and warned me about ketosis. I went to my appointment with questions about how a paleo diet worked with GD, how I could possible have GD with an A1c of 4.6 (I had it tested three times during pregnancy. 5.1 at 10 weeks, 4.8 at 20 weeks and 4.6 at the same time as my glucose tolerance test around 28 weeks), was it possible to fail the tests because I just wasn’t used to eating lots and lots of carbs, were there natural remedies that I could try, how could a person to eats clean and is pretty active have GD etc. She had no answers. She just told me to get my 175 grams a day and keep eating my whole foods diet.

I was highly dissatisfied that she didn’t have any answers to my questions. I tried to eat 175 grams of carbs. It was so hard. I found myself feeling like I was force feeding myself. Not to mention, it was affecting my blood sugars. I was reaching the 120 mark most of the time, but I had been accustomed to a 100 reading at the 1 hour mark and the low 80s at the 2 hour mark…and I liked being under the target. I could see that if I continued to follow her advice, I’d be in the “failed diet therapy” category, so I went back to my paleo-ish ways.

Week after week, our baby was growing steadily in the 50th percentile and wasn’t showing any signs of being effected by my blood sugar. Our 4th baby was 7 lbs 14 oz and his blood sugars were perfect each time they tested him after his birth. (Our 3rd baby, who I followed the 175 grams rule with was just over 9 lbs.) He was proof to me that how I was eating had served us well and protected us from the risks involved with uncontrolled diabetes and the risks associated with diabetes medicines. I want to thank you for empowering me to follow my gut, to trust whole foods, and to be a little bit of a rule breaker and step away from conventional diabetes advice!

We have a beautiful baby boy and an empowered momma! Thank you for your work and for getting the word out there that whole foods are best for babies!”

Autumn Meyers

Lily, It was your book and blog that helped me control my gestational diabetes during my last pregnancy. It was the only thing that made sense to me! I couldn’t believe the dietician was recommending that I eat so many carbs! Logic tells me that carbohydrates raise blood sugar and that eating them would cause my blood sugar to spike. I think I had a mild case, but I also think if I’d followed their recommendations, I would have been on medication before I delivered. Eating healthy, whole food was (mostly) easy when I was doing it to keep my son healthy.

After he was born, I slipped back into bad habits, but I’ve recently returned to a low carb diet. I’ve lost 28 pounds since the beginning of June by following this plan.

Thank you for the work you do, and for making it accessible to people like me. I don’t think I’d be here without you!

Hallie Valez

Lily, I realize you probably receive many emails like this, but I felt the need to write to you anyway to say thank you. As my daughter turned 5 months old yesterday, I am reminded what a lifesaver you were when I was diagnosed with GD and wanted to take a minute to personally thank you and write a bit of a testimonial. Although I knew I was at risk for GD (over 35, family history of type 2 diabetes…), I naively thought my healthy lifestyle would keep me safe from the diagnosis. I was active prior to and throughout my pregnancy, had a healthy weight to start, and at 28 weeks pregnant had only gained about 20 pounds. I delayed taking the glucola drink that my midwife gave me at the start of my 2nd trimester thinking it was probably a waste of time… When I got the phone call that I had failed the 3-hour glucose test, I was already 28 weeks pregnant. Even though I knew I was at risk, I still felt like a failure. I felt guilty thinking I had been harming my baby for all the weeks I wasn’t monitoring my BG, and worried about what it meant for the rest of my pregnancy and the future health of my baby. My midwife instructed me on how to keep a food log and track my blood glucose, and advised me to eliminate foods that caused my BG to spike beyond the recommended levels. Two weeks later, I showed up to my appointment with her in tears. EVERYTHING seemed to make it spike – even the “hippy” Low GI granola I bought to mix with greek yogurt, and the orange I had for “dessert” (after a dinner of chicken and kale) caused my sugars to spike. I was measuring my BG 10 times a day because I was so anxious. I had so many questions for her that she couldn’t answer, so she suggested I see a specialist who could. I dug into research to prepare myself for the meeting with the specialist. My main question that NOBODY could answer was: is it more harmful to eat a low-carb diet or to go on insulin (after-all, insulin is natural)? By that point I figured the only way to keep my sugars down was to essentially eat a keto-diet. The specialist told me that eliminating carbs was how we treated diabetes in 1900, and recommended I see a nutritionist who would outline a diet plan for me with a set number of carbs at each meal… This is when I bought your book. My number one reason to avoid insulin was because my midwife said it would mean I was no longer a candidate for a midwifery birth. I knew the meal plan I was given would put me on the path to receiving medication to control my sugars. The most crushing thing about getting a GD diagnosis was that it automatically labeled me “high risk”. The consulting OB with my midwife had at one point said he would want to induce between 39 and 40 weeks gestation if baby didn’t arrive naturally before then. All-of-a-sudden my pregnancy was feeling like a medical condition rather than a human one. It made for a stressful last trimester. With your help, I felt confident that eating low-carb (less than 100g/day) was NOT going to harm my baby. I quickly learned what I could and couldn’t eat, and didn’t stress about the occasional BG spike. I ate 6 small meals a day that were heavy in protein and healthy fats, going against what the nutritionist wanted (3 large meals and 2 snacks). I realized later much of the reasoning behind the meal plans for GD is so that they can better plan for medication down the line. It seems all the GD advice is DESIGNED with the idea that it will fail, and assuming the patient will need medication. Even though the OB was still concerned about baby’s size (she was measuring an estimated 9 lbs at 36 weeks), we didn’t induce. The OB looked at my weight gain and blood sugars, and felt I had managed the GD well-enough that he felt comfortable letting me go past 40 weeks. If it weren’t for the occasional spike, he said my numbers looked as if I didn’t have GD at all! Baby girl arrived on her due date. I had a relatively short 6-hour labor as a first-time mom, and baby weighed a healthy 7lbs 13 oz (I also now know how wide the margin of error is for weight estimation by ultrasound). I had ZERO complications during labor. My midwife at one point commented that I was laboring like a 20-year-old! My daughter is a healthy and active little human. She’s growing like a string bean – tall and thin – and meeting all her milestones. At one point I was concerned that she wasn’t gaining enough weight, and her pediatrician just said “Not all American babies need to be fat babies.” I only wish I had been prepared earlier for the GD diagnosis. I feel like my third trimester was the healthiest of my pregnancy due to your nutritional advice. I gained 25 lbs overall during my pregnancy and had ZERO swelling in the third trimester. I even had LESS heartburn than in my 2nd trimester. I only wish I had found your book and blog earlier. If there’s a next time, I feel like I’m already ahead of the game. I passed along your book to my midwife, so she’s better prepared for the next person like me who comes along.

Katie

Montour Falls, NY

I want to personally thank you for your book “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes.” The knowledge and insight you shared in this book truly made a difference in my final 2 months of pregnancy.

I have always attempted to and enjoyed eating a healthy diet since I was a teen. I chose to be a vegetarian at the age of 18 and although I now will eat fish, I have remained so the last 20 years. I am also a ballet teacher by profession, and continued to teach all the way through my most recent pregnancy. I was baffled when in my seventh month, my glucose tests came back with levels that the doctor diagnosed as gestational diabetes. I was referred to a GD dietician who could not see me for another two weeks. I was heart-broken, angry, and I had many unanswered questions. Thankfully my midwife from my first pregnancy recommended your book. I ordered it the very day I was diagnosed, read it in one sitting, and started closely following your dietary recommendations. I found the changes were manageable and you encouraged me to start incorporating more sources of protein in my daily intake. I also started checking my glucose levels three times a day and documenting them until I was able see the GD in person. When I went in for my first dietary consultation, they were pleasantly bewildered. She could not believe my levels were all within range (with room to spare) and told me that whatever I was doing, to keep doing it. I shared your book with her, and from that day until I delivered, I never had a glucose level that was off.

Our baby girl decided to arrive 4 weeks early (October 25, 2020) and by God’s Grace she came out healthy, weighed 5 lb 15 oz, and had no complications. She also passed her glucose tests and was not admitted to the NICU. We are so grateful to God, and we are sincerely grateful to you for your expertise and encouragement through my final months of pregnancy. I believe if it had not been for your counsel, I would have been lost as to where I needed to make necessary adjustments. I am continuing to follow your advice post-partum as I feel both healthier and nutritionally empowered by your keto approach. Thank you and may the Lord continue to bless the work that you do.

Renee Castillo

San Antonio, TX

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At last, a book that challenges the outdated conventional gestational diabetes diet and provides an evidence-based, nutrient-dense, common sense approach to managing it with real food. Lily Nichols’ book is a must-read for any woman worried about – or dealing with – gestational diabetes.

Robb Wolf

New York Times Best-Selling Author, The Paleo Solution

With gestational diabetes on the rise, this book is the perfect tool to empower women to use real food as medicine to better control their weight and blood sugar levels during pregnancy. As a dietitian, it is so refreshing to see a colleague think outside the (cereal) box and propose a different, natural and easy solution to this common health problem.

Aglaée Jacob, MS, RD

Author of Digestive Health with REAL Food

Lily – Thank you for what you’re doing. I am a family doc and professor in West Virginia and, like you, challenging everything we do and teaching the next generation of doctors. I realized how nonsensical the current GDM guidelines are and shared your website & resources with our faculty.   In less than 12 hours, our faculty shifted gears for the presentation. When 1/3 of US deliveries are operative and children are already insulin resistant at birth from high insulin levels in the mom (and infant) we set a child up for disaster later.  It is sad and tragic and mothers are not fully informed.  They “manage” their problem at the expense of their health when the solutions are pretty simple. Why give insulin when you can reverse and prevent the GDM? The patient can make the choice, we just need to give them the choice. Guidelines are almost always debunked and modified. Your real food approach to gestational diabetes is based on science and human metabolism. It will serve mothers well after they deliver, too. I share your stuff as the real meal deal for GDM – our residents and medical students get it. I would love to see what you’re doing get into larger scale medical education. Let’s keep the revolution going together.

Mark Cucuzzella, MD, FAAFP

Professor West Virginia University School of Medicine

Up until 2016, we advised Czech women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) to avoid all added sugars and to limit their intake of total carbohydrates to a maximum of 250 grams per day. The emphasis was on whole grains at the expense of products from white flour. At the same time, we advised against reducing carbohydrate intake below 200 grams per day. The reason for that was our fear of ketogenesis, deemed to be a sign of malnutrition of both the mother and the foetus.

A year ago, I found out via Jan Vyjidak about the results of low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diets in diabetes and about the experience of Lily Nicholls with low carbohydrate diets in the treatment of GDM. It turned out that my beliefs about harmful effects of ketone bodies during pregnancy, which I simply adopted as an undisputed fact, was plucked out of thin air.

A year has passed, and thanks to the diet recommended by Lily, I have found out that patients with GDM mostly do not require bolus insulin. An educational website for women with GDM, which I developed myself, has been amended, and thanks to the kind support of my colleagues, we have jointly corrected also our official dietary guidelines for the treatment of GDM in the Czech Republic.

As a result, the new dietary recommendations for GDM only refer to a maximum limit of 200 grams of carbohydrates per day, there is no minimum recommended intake and in individual cases, the diet can easily be a low carbohydrate diet. Patients who have already been on similar diets before conception are advised to stay course during pregnancy, as long as the diet suits them well. I do not automatically recommend women to adopt LCHF during pregnancy per se, but it is possible to gradually adopt a carbohydrate restricted diet and avoid the need for bolus insulin. We do, however, keep a stricter carbohydrate restriction as an option in cases where postprandial self-monitoring of blood glucose suggests it is necessary.

I would like to thank Lily for broadening my horizons and for improving outcomes of Czech women with GDM.

Hana Krejci, MD

Clinician at General University Hospital in Prague and lecturer at Charles University Medical School

I am impressed by premier gestational diabetes mellitus expert Lily Nichols’ re-examination of the evidence (or lack thereof) behind the unnecessarily high carbohydrate recommendations given to pregnant women. Lily provides excellent guidance in creating a personalized lower-carb, real-food eating plan, along with helpful advice on supplementation, medication management, and exercise. I believe Real Food for Gestational Diabetes should be required reading for all women with GDM, as well as all dietitians and certified diabetes educators.

Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

author of Low Carb Dietitian’s Guide to Health & Beauty

As a nutrition professor, I take my job of educating the next generation of dietitians very seriously and want to arm them with the latest in evidence-based practice. Our students take a Life Cycle Nutrition course followed by a Maternal & Child Nutrition course where we slow down and focus on some important topics specific to prenatal nutrition. After learning about your real food approach to managing gestational diabetes, combining integrative medicine with mindful eating, as well as your credentials and experience, I knew your book would be ideal for our students! I decided to require my Maternal & Child Nutrition class to read Real Food for Gestational Diabetes alongside the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position and Practice papers related to Nutrition during Pregnancy and use both to guide round table discussions and a critical reflection paper.

I just wanted you to know we LOVED your book! We made several recipes in the Food Science Lab and they were all a hit. We especially appreciate your knowledge from both the clinical and research experience you have. Please keep encouraging and educating dietitians and students as you have with your book, blog, and practice!

By the way – I also shared your title with my former coworkers at the WIC clinic. As I read, I keep thinking to myself, “I wish we could give a copy to every WIC client!” I think so many women could benefit from your knowledge and experience.”

Melissa Powell, MEd, RDN

Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Dietetics Program

I have been a believer in low carb nutrition for almost 3 years. It’s been a hard sell to change our curriculum over the years, especially for our pregnant patients! However, it was my manager reading your book that I ordered for the office (likely enjoyed your evidenced based approach) that made her start asking the other RDs if they agreed with a change!

It’s been a year or more, but we’ve now officially reduced the carb recommendations in all teaching materials, menus, and handouts to 15g for breakfast and optional snacks and <45g at lunch and dinner for our GDM patients. Better yet, I no longer get strange looks when I don’t force my pregnant patients to eat carbs if they don’t want to. Our medical director is also becoming receptive to new information, and I look forward to your next book to update any other curriculum as needed! It helps me make my low carb case when the words are coming from another dietitian that isn’t afraid to back it up with some evidence!

Alyssa Gallagher RD, LD, CDE

Perinatal Dietitian

This is the most complete resource available on the topic of gestational diabetes, and frankly, real food nutrition for pregnancy. Lily gives actionable, easy-to-follow steps to help women with gestational diabetes manage their blood sugar naturally. This book that will undoubtedly become the go-to gestational diabetes resource for women and their medical providers who seek more guidance on the safety of ketosis and low-carb diets during pregnancy.

Jessica Beacom, RDN

Co-creator of The Real Food RDs

I want to thank you for your work.  A few weeks ago, my daughter-in-law was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  A friend of hers had recently also experienced it and had used your book to get it under control; her friend had a healthy baby.  My daughter-in-law got the book and asked me for my opinion of your work, since I am also an RD.

I could tell from your website and videos that you and I are on the same page.  ????  I told her that your information is great and she should follow your book.  Between her initial diagnosis and her appointment with the hospital dietitian (just a few days), she took the information from you (and me), immediately implemented it, and had her blood glucose back in the appropriate range.

When she returned from the hospital RD, she said that the RD told her that she was not eating enough carbs.  She laughed because both you and I had told her that’s the information she would be given.  Just to check, she increased her carb for 1 meal, and, of course, her blood glucose increased out of range.  She was surprised that such incorrect information is still being taught.  I want to thank you for validating my information to her.  It was not just from her “mother-in-law”.

Happily, she is enjoying meals with lots of veggies, quality protein, and healthy fat; even posting photos of them on Facebook.  She is doing very well with her blood glucose and weight; her baby girl is due in mid October (my first granddaughter). Keep up the great work!”

UPDATE: I just wanted to give you the final update on my new granddaughter. Thanks to you, me, and my daughter-in-law’s compliance, her baby was perfect. 7lb 8 oz born naturally after (only) 12 hours of labor. She is nursing and the baby is growing beautifully. Your book will be donated to their midwife group, so the information will be passed on. Thanks again!

Connie Martin, RD

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why a mother's diet should be balanced, what foods are not allowed, and which are possible with gv

Are there any nutritional restrictions for a nursing mother? Are there really forbidden foods that can cause allergies in a child?

The maternity hospital gave you a diet to follow while breastfeeding. How strictly should it be followed? Do I need to increase portions and drink more fluids to get a lot of milk? I also heard that some products, such as lemons, can spoil the taste of milk, and the child will refuse to breastfeed altogether. This is true?

Vika Vishnyakova

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The diet of a nursing mother is an old myth that still lives in some Russian maternity hospitals and children's clinics.

The more varied the mother's diet during breastfeeding, the more health bonuses both she and her baby will receive. Most likely, with a balanced and varied diet, your weight will return to pre-pregnancy, but even if this has not happened yet, the breastfeeding period is not the best time to lose weight. You need to provide yourself and your baby with the proper level of nutrients, and this is difficult to do on rigid diets.

However, there are still foods that you should stay away from. I'll tell you more about everything.

What the science says about nutrition during breastfeeding

The diet of a nursing mother appeared at a time when knowledge about the nature of allergies was not enough. Not fully understanding the whole mechanism of its appearance, doctors, just in case, postponed acquaintance with potential allergens until later. It was believed that by the age of three, the child's immune system would mature and be able to withstand the encounter with the allergen.

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In reality, everything turned out differently: the earlier the child got acquainted with the potential allergen, the lower was the risk that he would develop an allergy. In modern recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies in children, mothers are advised not to limit the diet, but to try to make it more varied.

Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in Children - KFAPDF, KB 361

This is the position of leading child health organizations: the best nutrition for a mother during breastfeeding is a balanced and varied diet.

Healthy Diet During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding - WHO European OfficePDF, KB 93

Breastfeeding Diet - US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

all five food groups:

  1. Vegetables and fruits.
  2. Complex carbohydrates: cereals, bread, potatoes.
  3. Protein sources.
  4. Dairy products.
  5. Fats and oils.

And you also need to maintain diversity in each group. For example, eat vegetables and fruits of different colors, use not only meat, but also fish, eggs and legumes with nuts from protein sources.

Breastfeeding Mom's Diet Advice - US Department of Health

And the ratio of animal to vegetable proteins should be approximately the same. Among complex carbohydrates, you should give preference to whole grains and also do not forget about diversity. It turns out that buckwheat and boiled turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day is not a healthy diet option for mom.

Breastfeeding - European Community of Pediatrics, Gastroenterologists, Hepatologists and Nutritionists Commentary

Health Canada Diet

If your diet is balanced and varied, do not take supplements or multivitamins, except for vitamin D. They are needed in rare cases when the diet of a nursing mother is poor or there are health problems. But the doctor should prescribe the composition and dosage of supplements during breastfeeding.

Your appetite will probably increase, this is normal. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a breastfeeding mother may need up to 500 calories in excess of her usual calorie intake to ensure adequate milk supply. But those 500 calories should come from healthier food sources, not soda chips.

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Why a balanced diet is important

Such a diet will help maintain the health of the mother and provide the necessary nutrients to the child. During breastfeeding, it is important to provide yourself with the proper amount of energy, protein, and some important micronutrients: iron, calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid.

These micronutrients may not be enough, because during pregnancy and the onset of breastfeeding, some of them are spent on the needs of the fetus, and then the baby. You can get these substances from dark green vegetables: spinach, broccoli, green beans, as well as dairy products, eggs, legumes, meat and fish.

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If you refuse a large number of foods, it will be difficult to get all these essential nutrients, which can affect your physical condition and well-being, lead to a deficiency of important substances and drag along with you diseases . In addition, the child is more likely to follow the family's eating style as they grow older. The more varied and healthier your diet, the greater the chances of accustoming a child to it.

But unhealthy eating habits can lead to future weight gain and negatively affect food cravings. A study of 1,459 mother-baby pairs found that high body mass index and unhealthy eating habits were more common among children whose mothers followed the so-called Western style of eating, which is high in ultra-processed foods, high-calorie, sweet and fatty.

What not to be afraid of in the diet

Mothers often blame their diet on the baby's restless behavior or minor skin rashes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that only 2-3 out of 100 breastfeeding babies are allergic to any food in the mother's diet.

But by blaming everything on food, we mask the real problem or, conversely, overestimate the significance of some ordinary phenomena, such as newborn acne or prickly heat. If in doubt what kind of rash it is, talk to a competent pediatrician. If the pediatrician suspects a connection between a child’s poor health and food, he will ask you to keep a food diary - this way there will be a potential culprit.

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By eliminating this product for 1-2 weeks, you will either confirm the hypothesis or continue to look for another suspect. But you don’t need to immediately remove all products: this can lead to an imbalance in nutrition, fatigue, nervousness and poor health.

If a pediatrician forbids eating certain foods without complaints about the child's well-being, this is a reason to look for a second opinion. Here are the foods that pediatricians often ban.

Cow's milk. Those children who have a reaction to their mother's food most often have it on cow's milk: the baby may experience abdominal discomfort, colic, skin rash.

But excluding cow's milk in advance, just in case, will not lead to the prevention of allergies in a child. On the contrary, a 2021 Swedish study found that babies whose mothers drink relatively more cow's milk during breastfeeding have a lower risk of developing food allergies than those whose mothers drink little or no milk. The same is true for other potential allergens: if they are excluded, this will not help to avoid allergies in the future, but, on the contrary, will increase the risk of its occurrence.

No need to remove potential allergens from the diet

Valentina Suvorova

pediatric allergist-immunologist

There are foods that are potentially allergenic: milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy. To date, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend that breastfeeding mothers restrict their diet. There are no differences in the prevalence of allergic diseases in the groups of nursing mothers who avoided milk, eggs and other allergens, and mothers who did not follow any diet.

Fish. Separately, it should be said about fish: it is an important part of a balanced diet for any person, especially a nursing mother. Eating fish affects the proper development of the brain and nervous system of the child and reduces the risks of obesity, asthma and allergies in him at an older age.

Mom's fish intake and baby's cognitive development - MDPIPDF, 523KB

Omega-3s and reducing the risk of allergies in the unborn baby - PLOS Medicine

Two servings a week are enough to keep mother and baby healthy. One serving is your palm without fingers.

Limit swordfish, marlin, bigeye tuna, king mackerel or shark. This is due to the high risk of exceeding the permissible level of mercury in their meat. Such types of fish are rarely found in Russia, but if you live in another country or order them specially from afar, then show moderation. It is better to give preference to other options: salmon, herring, saury, cod.

Foods that give mom gas. There is a myth that a mother and her baby have the same reaction to foods. In reality, gases from the gastrointestinal tract of the mother cannot enter the bloodstream and from there into breast milk, so the discomfort in the mother does not mean the obligatory colic in the baby.

However, when food is digested, certain proteins enter the bloodstream and can then pass into mother's milk. Some children may be sensitive to protein and react to it with increased gas production and nervousness. The reaction can be to any product, even to buckwheat or a green apple, and you can find out with the help of a food diary.

How food passes into breast milk - La Leche Liga

Garlic, spices, spices may change the taste of breast milk, but this does not mean that they should be eliminated. The breastfeeding support association La Leche Liga believes that regular consumption of these products will help the child get used to the family diet before introducing complementary foods. Babies begin to get used to these aromas even in the stomach, when they swallow amniotic fluid, so spices should not be ruled out during pregnancy.

What should be limited in the diet

The probability that a child will feel bad from some product in your diet is small, but still there. Therefore, some products should be consumed in limited quantities, and some should be completely excluded for the GV period.

Alcohol. The safest option is not to drink alcohol during breastfeeding. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that sometimes you can drink a glass of wine, but in the next 2 hours after drinking, you should not feed your child. Even without HB, there is no safe dose of alcohol, each glass is your personal choice and risk. And during breastfeeding, it is also a responsibility for the life and health of the baby.

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Thermally processed products of animal origin. These are fish, meat and eggs. If you eat them raw, you can become infected with dangerous bacteria: listeria, salmonella, or botulinum bacteria. They are not transmitted through breast milk, but are not safe for the mother herself - you will probably have to take antibiotics, and this may affect the preservation of breastfeeding. That is, it's not about the products, but about the cooking method: if you want a steak - do not deny yourself, but ask for a well-dan. The same with sushi and lightly salted fish: take baked rolls or hot types of fish, and instead of poached eggs - normally boiled.

Coffee. The recommended amount of caffeine is up to 300 mg per day. How many mugs it is depends on the method of preparation. The baby may have a reaction to coffee, as well as to any product, but this is an infrequent occurrence.

How much caffeine is in a cup of drink

Drink Amount of caffeine, mg
Instant coffee 100
Americano, cappuccino 80-90
Can of Coke, 330 ml 40
Green tea 30-50

drink

The amount of caffeine, mg

Soluble coffee

100

America, cappuccino

80–9000

Coca-Cola bank, 330 ml 9 ml 9 ml

40

Green tea

30-50

What is the result

Breastfeeding diet is a myth. Mom's nutrition during breastfeeding should be balanced and varied.

A potential allergen or food that a child has an intolerance to can be found in the food diary. Eliminating half of the diet just in case is not worth it.

A more varied mother's diet and exposure to potential allergens during breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of future allergies in the baby.

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11 important questions to pediatrician Sergey Butriy


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    • 23. 07. 2018

    Nastya was taken away from the orphanage to her family four times. At first, she, small, was returned back. As a teenager, she left on her own - from beatings and humiliation. There were in her life and theft, and drunkenness, and a madhouse, and a zone. But, despite all her experience, Nastya was able to become a good mother for her son

    Everything was fine until Aunt Tamara started drinking

    “She gave me five thousand when she was drunk. Like, save, hide. The next day he says: "Give me money." I give. She: “Why are a thousand missing?” “As much as I have given, so much I give back.” — “Confess, bitch!” And fucked me with a cord. After that, she began to beat me very often ... I started playing tricks at school, did not obey, they began to complain about me. I was also beaten for complaining.”

    Without understanding why, Nastya went to look for her birth mother

    “The address was given to me by a woman who worked as a cook in the boarding school where my sister was kept. I went into the entrance, found the door, knocked. A woman opened it, so thin, unkempt. There was an unpleasant smell coming from the apartment. I looked at her, turned around and left. And she told me: “Stop!” - and looks, looks at me. Then he says: “Your name is Nastya? Is your birthday on September 23rd?” I say yes". She: “Daughter!” And I ran away. I didn’t feel any emotions for her, except for pity.”

    After that meeting, Nastya visited her mother several times. I tried to talk about something, but the conversation did not work out - my mother was crying, Nastya was embarrassed. Nastya still had no feelings for her, and she stopped walking.

    Recently Nastya found out that her mother now lives in a boarding house for the mentally ill. Frustrated, rushed about. “Imagine, all my life I blamed her, hated her: “Here, drunk!” And she was not to blame for anything! If it wasn't for her disability, she wouldn't have left me! I even thought about getting guardianship over her, but they say that she will be better off in a boarding house under supervision. ”

    Zone

    After the poisoning and the mental hospital, Nastya was transferred to an orphanage in Samara. New place, new people. Nobody asked if she wanted to live there. Nastya crossed the threshold and burst into tears. A man came up, stroked his head: “I understand, it’s hard. If anything, come to me, I won't let you be offended." It was Stas Dubinin. Now he runs the Teremok Growing Center, a project of the Domik Detstva public organization, which helps orphanage graduates to get back on their feet. Stas became a family for Nastya from the first day, but she realized this much later.

    After the orphanage, Nastya entered the school. She lived in a hostel and stole money from a neighbor, a homely girl. They opened a criminal case, gave a year of probation. Nastya had to report to the police every month, without passes - and was noted until she was sent to the camp for the whole summer along with other orphans. Every summer is the same: hard mode, getting up in the morning, exercising, games that make you sick. Nastya ran away. Lived with a friend. Together they robbed people on the streets and "deceived" men for money.

    And went to turn herself in to the police

    “They took me to a youngster. I turned eighteen there and had to be transferred to an adult prison. I was afraid that they would kill me there, and I began to find out what could be done so that I would not be transferred.” "Let's chime your vein? the cellmates suggested. “You will definitely stay.” They took the glass and cut Nastya's hand. They did not get to the vein, and with a bandaged hand she was transferred to the zone. The scars on the arm remained for life.

    Nastya remembers how she entered the living area, into the common room with rows of beds, and huddled in a corner, bursting into tears from fear and loneliness. “A girl came up and asked what I was crying about. I told her how terrible it was that I was alone, that I had nothing, not even a toothbrush... They liked me because I was small. One shampoo gave, the other toothpaste, sweets, tea. They told me how to live in the zone, they supported me. They took me on bail, in general.

    Nastya learned how to work in the zone. I sewed uniforms for the employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the military. “From six in the morning until two in the afternoon you sew, then the shift ends, but you still stay until five to unload. Sometimes they sewed at night. I got the hang of it, I can sew very quickly and with high quality. But I won’t be a seamstress for anything! This is my injury."

    "A very good mother"

    After she was released, Nastya came to her friend in Samara. And I realized that I didn't know how to live. There is no money, no housing, friends are such that it is better to stay away. Nastya did not want to go back to prison. And I went to Teremok, to Stas. He convinced me that first I needed to finish my studies, helped me to recover in the ninth grade of the evening school.

    But Nastya met Yura, got pregnant and dropped out of school. Yura wanted an abortion, Nastya sent him. Nikita is born. The young mother had no idea how to raise a baby, what to do with him. In "Teremka" she was helped with food and diapers, told how to take care of the child, treat, bathe. Nastya even learned how to cook at Teremka - there is a kitchen where she "experimented with products." She graduated from the tenth grade, at the same time studied as a baker. Volunteers looked after Nikita while she went to classes. After the eleventh grade, Nastya wants to study further - to become a lawyer or a journalist.

    She tries to give Nikita everything she herself was deprived of

    “It's probably funny, but I'm grateful to all these people who beat me,” says Nastya. — Thank them for this experience! I don't hit my child, I don't yell at him. Sometimes I put him in a corner, he will stand there for a while, then we talk. Trials hardened me, I became smarter. I am proud that now I am independent, I know what I want, and I understand how to achieve it. I'm glad I left Nikitka, I love him very much... I'm ashamed of what I did: for stealing, for drunkenness. I was a difficult child, but maybe if someone wanted to find an approach to me, someone loved me, everything would have turned out differently ... "0003

    This payment is possible thanks to the Need Help Foundation, which collects money for the work of charitable organizations in our country.