If you’ve listened to any recent podcasts covering prenatal nutrition then there’s a huge chance that you’ve heard of Lily Nichols.
She’s one of the leading experts in prenatal and postnatal nutrition and is also the best-selling author of Real Food for Gestational Diabetes.
Nichols has helped tens of thousands of women worldwide manage their gestational diabetes through the use of a natural approach and she’s a highly sought-after consultant and speaker in all topics related to prenatal health.
After seeing her name practically everywhere online when reading prenatal blogs or listening to her speak on countless podcasts I decided to order her other book Real Food for Pregnancy as it contained pertinent information for our site and would be my go-to piece of literature during pregnancy for guidance on nutrition.
Over the course of the next several weeks I’ll provide you with insights into the book and cover some of the most crucial pieces of information I came across that either challenged traditional thinking or were completely new to me.
Here’s an overview of some of the key points found within the introduction and 1st chapter of her book:
- Traditional cultures consumed animals nose-to-tail and heavily incorporate both fatty portions of meat and seafood in their diets, something that’s missing from the majority of women’s diets nowadays.
- The standard prenatal diet lacks one or more of the following key nutrients: vitamins A, B12, B6, iron, zinc, DHA, iodine, choline
- The majority of prenatal vitamins sold in stores lack adequate concentrations of the nutrients required for a healthy pregnancy and may harm fetal development if they’re made from synthetic nutrients.
- Children born to mothers with gestational diabetes are 6X more likely to develop type 2 diabetes by the age of 13.
- Conventional guidelines recommend upwards 300 grams of carbohydrates per day, which is twice as much as what most women require, especially those who are sedentary or who currently struggle with blood sugar issues.
- Lily Nichols recommends prioritizing the consumption of higher amounts of protein and fat over the standard diet which places way too high of a priority on carbohydrates (most women in our culture obtain their carbs from fortified/enriched foods, not from natural sources).
- If you follow conventional advice about prenatal nutrition, there’s a major chance you’ll risk consuming a nutrient-deficient diet that may lead to complications such as preterm birth or low birth weight.
- Nutrients work synergistically so approaching a whole food diet that is balanced in respect to macronutrient ratios is best practice.
I look forward to sharing more information with you from Real Food for Pregnancy and highly recommend reading this book if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or are planning to conceive within the next year!
Have you read this awesome book yet? If so, feel free to share your thoughts about it with me at katgiuff@gmail.com or comment below! 🙂
