Eating for Two

We have all heard it at one point in our lives.  It is advice that is continually given to pregnant mothers.  If you are pregnant, then you must eat a lot because you’re eating for two.  By the time I was pregnant at the age of 25, I had heard this phrase dozens of times in my life.  So, when I got pregnant, all I knew about nutrition during pregnancy was to increase my volume of food.  However, there is solid evidence and studies that prove how important prenatal nutrition can be to a woman and her baby.  After discovering all of this information, mainly after most of my pregnancy was over, how come I never heard anything about it?  My Doctor did not mention it to me nor did any friends or family.  Why is it not well known that good diet during pregnancy can prevent diseases?

Doctor Tom Brewer is this century's foremost crusader for healthy mothers and babies. In the sixties he stopped drug companies from promoting diuretics for pregnant women with preeclampsia/toxemia, and he eliminated toxemia completely from his own obstetrical practice with what has since come to be called The Brewer Medical Diet for Normal and High-Risk Pregnancy.  Dr. Brewer advocates a simple regimen of good nutrition to prevent and in some cases even reverse a host of common complications of pregnancy, including toxemia, low birth weight, prematurity, and preterm labor. His prescription is so simple it has been largely ignored by the modern medical community, but has been proven over literally centuries of recorded medical history, and forty-plus years of scientific research.

Dr. Brewer has designed a diet that is high in protein and well-balanced everyday.  He claims that you must eat a good diet everyday to give you and your baby the best chance at a healthy start.  According to Dr.  Brewer, 40 years of medical research has proved that bad diets during pregnancy cause:

1.      Stillborn babies.

2.      Low birth weight or premature babies.

3.      Brain damaged babies with less intelligence.

4.      Hyperactive babies with more irritability.

5.      Infection-prone babies with more illness.

A GOOD DIET

A good diet is possible by meeting the following nutritional demands everyday of the week.

1.      One quart (4 cups) of milk. Any kind will do: whole milk, low fat, skim, powdered, or buttermilk. If you do not like milk, you can substitute one cup of yogurt for each cup of milk.

2.      Two eggs.

3.      One or two servings of fish, shellfish, chicken or turkey, lean beef, veal, lamb, pork, liver or kidney.

Alternative combinations include:

•  Rice with beans, cheese, sesame, milk
• Cornmeal with beans, cheese, tofu, milk.
• Beans with rice, bulgur, cornmeal, wheat noodles sesame seeds, milk.
• Peanuts with: sunflower seeds, milk.
• Whole wheat bread or noodles with: beans, cheese, peanut butter, milk, tofu.

For each serving of meat, you can substitute these quantities of cheese:

4. One or two servings of fresh green leafy vegetables: mustard, beet, collard, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, or kale.

5.  Five servings of whole grain breads, rolls, cereals, or pancakes: 100% bran flakes, granola, shredded wheat, wheat germ, oatmeal, buckwheat or whole wheat pancakes, born bread, corn tortillas, corn or bran or whole wheat muffins, waffles, brown rice.

6.  Two choices from: a whole potato (any style), large green pepper, grapefruit, lemon, lime, papaya, tomato.

7.  Three pats of butter.

Also include in your diet, in addition to the above (i.e., don't count one food in two categories):

1.      A yellow- or orange-colored vegetable or fruit five times a week.

2.      Liver once a week, if you like it.

3.      Table salt: SALT YOUR FOOD TO TASTE

4.      Water: Drink to thirst.

It is not healthy for you and your unborn baby to go even 24 hours without good food!  

Your goal is 80 to 100 grams of protein each day for the prevention of toxemia.

MISINFORMATION ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY

You may be told to go on a starvation-type diet if you "gain too much weight". Don't go on a starvation diet! The food you eat every day while you are pregnant builds up the bones, muscle and brain of your baby. Pounds gained you are on a good diet protect and prepare you for labor and breastfeeding.

If you gain a few extra pounds during this pregnancy from eating a nutritious, balanced diet, it won't hurt you or the baby, even if you gain 50 or 60 pounds. Worry if you don't gain enough weight.

"Fast Foods" In Pregnancy

According to Dr. Tom Brewer some of the "fast foods" so often restricted during pregnancy are actually excellent for pregnancy!   He recommends the following: eggs, milk, breads, tortillas, tacos, enchiladas, ice cream, salad bar, beans.

Think about it...these are all quick to prepare yourself, and/or readily available at your local fast food eatery. They are all high in protein and essential vitamins and minerals. They are calorie-full, which is NOT a negative thing when you're literally eating for the life of your baby. They also contain salt which is an essential nutrient...that is, your body (and your baby) CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT IT!

Eggs make a quick breakfast, and they contain 7 grams of high-quality protein each. Each egg contains all the building blocks of life - enough to create a complete chicken!

Milk is easy and refreshing anytime, with meals or snacks. It is high in calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D, and each 8 ounce glass contains 7 grams of high-quality protein.

Two eggs and one quart (4 glasses) of milk each day will give you 40 grams of protein...that's 50% of what you need to avoid toxemia and other protein-deficiency diseases of pregnancy.

Breads and tortillas provide much-needed calories during pregnancy, and whole wheat (or other grain) breads and tortillas are packed with natural vitamins and minerals essential to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. They make very easy meals...and a great way to use up leftovers. Last night's chicken and rice make a great sandwich or burrito...just add some shredded cheese, a little mayo or salsa, and you're set!

Tacos and enchiladas? Sure, why not?! Again, think of how they're made: corn tortilla (whole grain), beans or meat (protein), lettuce and tomato (vegetables). Sounds like the makings of a great pregnancy meal!

How about ice cream? So many pregnant women I talk to mention ice cream like it's on a taboo list. They apologize for having "just a tiny scoop" at a Fourth of July picnic.  As Dr. Brewer says, "If you're going to have a candy bar, have one with nuts." With a glass of milk, it makes a great high-protein, evening snack.

The salad bar in your office cafeteria, buffet restaurant or fast food joint is a great place for a pregnant feast. Choose fresh, dark-green, leafy lettuce or spinach, and add your choice of veggies (yellow squash is a good choice) and add an array of high-protein, high-vitamin and -mineral additions...consider hard-boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, kidney and hard cheeses, and cottage cheese. Fruits are often available as well, so you can probably meet an entire day's vegetable and fruit requirements in one satisfying meal - not to mention getting a significant amount of protein in the deal!

 Main resource used: www.blueribbonbaby.org (Dr. Brewer's website)

Copyright 2004 Natural Lullabies, Inc.