Researchers Recommend Pregnant Women Take 4,000 IU Vitamin D a Day

Okay mommies-2-be, we’ve got you covered in the munchies dept.  No, this isn’t the eat off the veggie tray only list.  BORING, don’t you think?  How about some lettuce wraps stuffed with organic chicken, water chestnuts, and carrot straws sauteed with ginger, garlic, in a splash of canola oil?  Is your mouth watering???  Well then read on…the keys to surviving the super bowl food fest is maintaining your blood sugar levels to curb food cravings and to treat yourself to some yummy culinary delights that support your nutrition goals for your pregnancy.  

On game day, start on the right foot nutritionally.  Even though kick off isn’t until the afternoon, your nutrition game starts in the AM.  Your first play of the day should be a balanced breakfast such as: egg whites scrambled with organic broccoli, red bell peppers, and a 1/4 c. of yukon gold potatoes.  Add a sprinkle of low fat  sharp cheddar cheese to kick up the flavor.Wrap this in a whole grain low-fat tortilla and some mild salsa and you’ve scored a few points for nutrition, flavor, and satisfaction!   

For your next play of the game, have some tasty treats like the asian lettuce wraps mentioned above, or baked potato skins stuffed with seasoned chicken and sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese.  We think that the baked skins is a field goal solution for you and baby. Potatoes are a Super Bowl MVP in our book because it has a low glycemic load and has an enzyme found in the “juice” of the potato that signals the brain that your full!   Another great snack is hummus with grilled zucchini. We think that this will be sure to score some points for your running game. 

If you find yourself not able to prep some of these fab dishes we mentioned, don’t get blind-sided!  Make a play for  the baked low fat organic tortilla chips and double team it with a black bean dip or mild salsa.  Grilled organic chicken on a stick, dipped into some fun creative sauces will be a touch down right before half time. 

You don’t have time to run any of these food plays we mentioned?   Follow our drop back ten yards and punt rule; steer clear of overly spicy or greasy foods that could cause heartburn or indigestion. BabyMomma you’ve got the play book, let us know how you score!  Run your best offense nutritionally and you will be a winner on Super Bowl Sunday.

Wow! We hope that this will be exciting and promising research for those of you trying to get pregnant but are having trouble because of endometriosis.

What is endometriosis?  

Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial cells that normally line the uterus,  grow on other parts of the pelvic cavity outside of the uterus.  This is an extremely painful condition, especially during a women’s menstrual cycle.

How does nutrition play a part in the treatment of endometriosis?

We know from research that EPA/DHA naturally occuring in both fish oil and flax seed oil is excellent at quieting down inflammatory pathways in the body.  It has been used successfully in the treatment of other health conditions such as arthritis and heart disease.  It shouldn’t be a suprise to see that research is now being done with EPA-DHA with regards to other inflammatory conditions such as endometriosis.  We found a recent research study lead by Dr. Sachiho Netsu involving EPA/DHA and rats with endometriosis.  It was found that the EPA/DHA supplementation had a positive outcome.  The part of the uterine lining where most of the endometriosis occurs was suppressed by almost 50% in the supplementation test rats compared to the control group rats who were not given the supplement.

This article is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to replace medical care.  Please contact our office  for further information about how nutrition can play an important role in the treatment of endometriosis.

References

“Oral eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation as possible therapy for endometriosis,” by Sachiho Netsu, M.D. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 90, Issue 4 Supplement, Pages 1496-1502 (October 2008).

“Wanna Be” Baby Daddy’s before you take that next bite of hamburger and fries, try taking a bite out of this article!  If you have been unsuccessful in the baby making department, the cheeseburger from your favorite fast food joint could be the culprit!  Don’t click off this page before finishing this article.  This article is  on how to  be a healthy baby maker naturally!

Most men think that all they have to do is get their partner in the mood and whammo, you are both off making babies successfully the rest of the evening.  Pregnancy planning from his eyes includes a Fillet Mignon dinner  by candle light, a bottle of your favorite wine, and Barry White singing in the background.  When it comes to pregnancy planning for men, you need to think again!  This little romantic dinner may deposit some bucks in the love bank but the reality is it may decrease your chances of conception (especially if the beef was grass-fed).  Now we are not trying to kill the mood, or discourage you from any romantic evening planning, but rather offer some suggestions on some healthy baby-making romantic dinners!

According to a study by Dr. Jaime Mendiola of the University of Murcia, Spain,  it was found that among the couples with fertility problems coming to the clinic, the men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit than those men with low seminal quality. This means that the sperm were not only faster but there were more of them!!   Based on this study, men who want to be fathers should increase their intake of fruits and veggies and decrease their consumption of fatty foods like red meat and fried foods.  It’s time to start packing your lunch with some healthy food choices. Your little swimmers will be that much faster and healthier, who knows that dietary shift may mean that your the father of the next NFL top pick!  Remember that potential NFL possibility  if the guys at work razz you about your veggies and fruit food choice!

There are obviously many factors that influence fertility, and this is only one. But this is an easy one for you to correct and what a difference it will make in the bedroom when you are trying to be the baby making machine you want to be!

What are some other factors that affect male fertility?

Low sperm count has also been linked to phthalate exposure.  Phthalate is that evil chemical found in plastics and some skin care products.   Before you light up that next cigarette, think about the health of your sperm.  Smoking is another factor when we are talking about low sperm count.  Anti-depressants have also been linked to decreased fertility levels in men.  The beer belly may have been a result of too many college parties, but those college parties may come back to haunt you when you are trying to be a baby-making machine.  Obesity in men is a factor in male fertility.  Now that you have read this, it’s time to take your health seriously.  It has an impact on your children from conception forward.  Call us, we are here to help!

References

“Food Intake and its relationship to semen quality: a case control study,” by Jaime Mendiola, Ph.D., et al.  Fertility and Sterility, Volume 91, Issue 3, Pages 812-818 (March 2009)

We have blogged about how important it is to pay attention to your nutrition!  We have found another research article that links the diet choices made in pregnant women with the increase in pregnancy depression.  How can this be so?  Your diet provides the nutrients to build the biochemicals that are in the brain.  If you put junk food into your body, you are robbing your body of it’s ability to make the biochemicals that are vital to healthy brain function.  Please don’t click away from this page, we want to show you the link between broccoli and healthy brain chemicals as well as the link between fatty foods and bad feelings.

According to a pilot study conducted by Dr. Fowles, there is a link between nutrition and pregnancy depression.  This study was conducted on thirteen women while pregnant.  The women who were polled were between ages 19 and 31 years and were classified as low-income status.  The average daily caloric intake was 2653 kcal with 34% of the caloric intake coming from fat.  Their diets were deficient in both calcium and iron, two critical nutrients that are important to a healthy pregnancy for both baby and momma.  Of the women polled, nearly half were experiencing major depression.

Although this study was to show the need for early monitoring of clinically depressed pregnant women, we couldn’t help but notice the link between the high fat, high calorie, low nutrient diet and depression.  Foods that support a healthy brain chemistry are colorful vegetables, fruits, and whole grains as well as lean protein from organic chicken and turkey. 

This article was written for informational purposes only, it is not intended to replace medical treatment for any condition.

References

“Nutrition and Mental Health in Early Pregnancy: A Pilot Study,”  authored by Eileen R. Fowles, RNC, PhD, Christina Murphey, RN, MSN. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, Volume 54, Issue 1, Pages 73-77.

Pregnancy,  for most women is one of the happiest times of their life, but for others it can be a time of confusion, fear, sadness, and even depression.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 10-20% of women will struggle with some symptoms of depression during pregnancy, with approximately 25-50% of those who experience symptoms will suffer from a major depression.  So what is depression?  Depression is a disorder that affects 1 in 4 women at some point during their lifetime, so it should be no surprise that this illness would also touch women who are pregnant. But all too often, depression is not diagnosed properly during pregnancy because people think it is just another type of hormonal imbalance. This assumption can be dangerous for the mother and the unborn baby.

Symptoms of depression include the following:

• Persistent sadness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Loss of interest in activities that you usually enjoy
• Frequent, recurring thoughts of death, suicide, or hopelessness
• Anxious thoughts
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Change in eating habits (diminished appetite or eating too much, especially of carbohydrate rich foods)

Causes of depression can be any of the following:

• Relationship problems
• Family or personal history of depression
• Previous pregnancy loss due to miscarriage or abortion
• Stressful life events
• Complications in pregnancy
• History of abuse or trauma
• Infertility treatments

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, it’s time to get some help, professionally.  Talk with your health care provider about counseling/ psychological support.  You are worth it and so is your baby!!

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace medical treatment.

Does a diet of junk food affect the health of your baby?  Absolutely!!! It’s time to put down the candy, fries, and soda so that you can fully digest the latest research on this subject.  According to researchers from Georgetown University,  a high fat diet increased the risk of breast cancer in the next 2 generations.  Okay in plain English; pregnant rats were given a high fat diet.  The result?  Offspring with breast cancer.  But wait!  There is more!!  The daughters gave birth and their offspring were also battling the same increased risk of breast cancer.   How much risk are we talking about?  80% increase in risk.   This research was released by lead researcher Dr. Sonia de Assis at the American Association of  Cancer Research annual meeting.

What does that mean for you?

Start a food journal.  That is the best way to get honest with yourself.  The journal will be a reflection of exactly what you are eating.  It’s time to change your nutritional ways for the better!  Your baby and your grand babies depend on it!!

References

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,591293,00.html

http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/8/11/3601.abstract

Now that you are pregnant, is it still okay for you to continue your early morning coffee habit on the way to work?  Ladies put your latte’s down and read on.  The New England Journal Of Medicine published the results of this very subject.  The study concluded that more spontaneous abortions occurred in non-smoking women who ingested at least 100 mg of caffeine per day than in non-smoking women who ingested less than 100 mg per day.   Now if we translate that into coffee talk, one shot of espresso at your favorite coffee spot is 64mg.  On the other hand, a sixteen ounce vanilla latte has 150mg. The diet soda’s are posting anywhere from 37-47mg of caffeine.  Remember that everything you eat, drink, think, feel affects your pregnancy either positively or negatively.  You decide, your baby is depending on you!

References

“Caffeine intake and the risk of first-trimester spontaneous abortion” NEJM, December, 2000.

Do not underestimate the role of nutrition during pregnancy! Baby Momma’s, there is a link between what you eat and what happens to your blood pressure during pregnancy.  Vitamin D and Calcium are two nutrients that are important during pregnancy.  Why?  Vitamin D and the mineral Calcium activate the gene needed to activate a susbstance called corin that is produced by the uterus during pregnancy.  Corin is thought to help keep blood pressure low throughout  pregnancy.

So how much Calcium do baby momma’s need? We’ll answer that question in tomorrow’s blog post.

If your blood pressure becomes elevated please schedule with your doctor to determine whether the cause is nutrition-related or not.  At thebumpOC we want to help you to have a healthy pregnancy naturally!

This article is to make you aware of the impact nutrition has on your pregnancy.  It is not intended to be a replacement for medical treatment.