During pregnancy, you need to make sure you are getting “slow” carbs, not “low” carbs. That means the carbs that are slower and more difficult to digest will give you more sustained energy. If you don’t get the right balance of calories, you are likely to experience more nausea, fatigue, headaches, weight gain, and swelling. Focus first on breakfast. Adding a small amount of beans will do the trick for some. What about those on a paleo diet? Skip the beans and grains, and go straight to root veggies and winter squashes. Incorporate those foods into breakfast first. A portion size is between 30 and 40 carbs at a time. Fruit, processed flour, sugar, and cereals are not slow burning carbs. While you don’t need to cut them out completely, they are not doing you any favors with your energy. If you are constantly craving carbohydrates, make sure you are getting 70 grams of protein in a day and plenty of whole food fat. If the carb balance isn’t enough, make sure you are hydrated. For some pregnant women, that takes up to a gallon of water per day. As always, a good probiotic during pregnancy is worth its weight in gold. Consider adding other fermented foods to add to the digestive health. Treat constipation. If all of that still isn’t helping, you may need to look into food sensitivities. Some patients even report that having H. Pylori (a stomach infection) made their morning sickness worse.
Interested in receiving my information on fertility in a series of emails? It’s free, and organized for your convenience. Contact my assistant at DrJohson@aspirehealthkc.com and ask to receive the optimizing fertility series. This includes the blogs on the website and a few extra tips.