Two foods you don’t want to skimp out on before, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding.

Nutrition becomes one of the most important pieces of any pregnancy. All of the cells in the body are essentially grown from the nutrition we provide our bodies. Having a healthy base before getting pregnant, maintaining the essential nutrients during pregnancy to support healthy growth of the fetus, and continuing to supply those nutrients to the baby during breastfeeding is critical.

Having a clinical nutritionist in your back pocket is a great idea to ensure you're getting the nutrients needed via the foods you eat. Today, I just wanted to share two foods that you probably already have in your refrigerator, that you definitely don't want to skimp out on during this critical time of growth.

Pasture Raised Eggs

Here's why:

• The egg white contains protein.  Protein needs go way up during pregnancy, as proteins are the building blocks of our cells!
• The egg yolk is the powerhouse of nutrients. It supplies:
  • choline (for nervous system growth)
  • cholesterol (for hormonal development)
  • Vitamins A, D, E, K (the fat soluble vitamins needed for brain and body development.)
  • Folate
  • Biotin
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Selenium
• The reason you want pasture raised eggs vs. conventional eggs, is that the folate content has been shown to be up to 200x greater in pasture raised chicken's eggs vs. the eggs from chickens raised in confinement.
• Why choline is so important
  • Eggs are one of the best sources of choline. Choline creates the connections between the brain's neurons, and in fact, can protect the baby against neurotoxins FOR LIFE! The more choline the mama eats during pregnancy up to 3 months post partum (if breastfeeding), really does impact the nervous system of the baby for life. 
  • Each egg has 115mg of choline. With a daily RDA of 450 mg during pregnancy, having up to 4 eggs per day helps the pregnant mama consume the recommended amount. 
  • If you can't eat eggs, liver and dairy products also contain choline. 
• Why the cholesterol in eggs is so important:
  • pregnant mamas need extra cholesterol to feed the fetus' brain, nervous system, intestinal tract, in addition to the healthy development of hormones! 
  • All hormones need cholesterol to work properly. 

Grassfed Butter

Here's why:

• Another great source of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
• Selenium
• Copper
• Zinc
• Chromium
• Iodine
• Lecithin, which is essential for the proper utilization of cholesterol.
• DHA for brain development
• Arachidonic Acid (AA) for healthy skin, intestines, and brain
• 4 TBSP per day shouldn't be hard to get! Cook your veggies in butter, eggs in butter, etc.
• If you can't tolerate dairy very well, try ghee, which is a lower dairy option. 

And if you're looking for a great resource to learn more, I highly recommend The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care by Sally Fallon Morell and Thomas S. Cowan, MD.