We talked about this last week but we're talking about it again, and probably every week for quite some time 💖
Let’s talk about one we don't hear a ton about: vitamin e.
Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a crucial role in protecting cells from oxidative damage.
This is an important part of the vitamin E aspect, because if you look up where to find E, you might see that they say vegetable oils, which are a big no no. In fact unrefined vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which actually deplete the body of vitamin E.
Commercial refined vegetables oils have been stripped of vitamin E to begin with, so consumption of these products greatly increases the body's vitamin E requirements.
There are many foods that have this fat soluble vitamin👇
🥜 Nuts and Seeds:
Almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts are excellent sources of vitamin E. Snacking on a handful of almonds or incorporating sunflower seeds into salads and yogurt can boost your vitamin E intake. Bonus for sprouted nuts!
🥦 Green Leafy Vegetables:
Spinach, Swiss chard, and kale are examples of green leafy vegetables that contain vitamin E. These can be incorporated into salads, stir-fries, or smoothies.
🐟 Fish:
Certain fish, such as salmon and rainbow trout, contain vitamin E. Including these fish in your diet not only provides vitamin E but also offers omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health.
🥭 Fruits:
Fruits like kiwi, mango, and blackberries contain moderate amounts of vitamin E. Enjoying a variety of fruits as part of your diet provides a range of essential nutrients, including vitamin E.
🫑 Vegetables:
Bell peppers, particularly the red variety, are a good source of vitamin E. Including a variety of colorful vegetables in your meals ensures a diverse range of nutrients.
🥜 Nut Butters:
Peanut butter and almond butter are good sources of vitamin E. Spread nut butter on whole-grain toast or use it as a dip for fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, so consuming it with a small amount of healthy fat can enhance absorption.
It is also really helpful when it comes to maintaining the gut barrier function. This barrier is crucial for preventing the entry of harmful substances, such as bacteria and toxins, into the bloodstream. Vitamin E may contribute to the maintenance of gut barrier function, helping to preserve the integrity of the intestinal lining and reduce the risk of leaky gut syndrome.🤯
Join my waitlist here to get my pregnancy guide when it launches! Packed with tips, resources and food support for a healthy pregnancy.
The biggest mistake I see people make after birthing their baby is not giving their body the rest it needs. Your body just went through a crazy experience these last nine months and it’s important to give it time to heal and restore itself. I heard many different stories about recovery after birth from my mom’s of ‘I was walking up and down three floors right after birth’ to staying put and not getting out of the house for 40 days. I knew I wanted something in-between these two aspects and learned about the 5-5-5 rule.
5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed.
This gives you a solid two weeks of focused intentional rest. Framing it 5 days at a time can sometimes be really helpful for not just the mom, but for those around her who might be confused why she's resting so much. This prevents you from overworking your body or pushing yourself too hard. The #1 goal is simply to rest!
It also helps to get your priorities in order when it comes to those eager visitors. They will get to see the baby, but they don't get to make the rules (don’t get me started on this!). If you’re respecting your body and taking the time to rest, it will cause others to respect your time as well.
I wouldn't at all say that 15 days is the only postpartum time you need for rest and recovery, but I thought the concept was cool! You no doubt need more time, but it’s a great place to start.
I didn’t end up moving from my bedroom for over a week and when I did, I would walk downstairs and not go back up until the end of the night to not overdo it and let my body heal.
What did you do after birth? A long recovery or right back at it?
Click here to to join the waitlist to grab my pregnancy guide to support you along your pregnancy; packed with tips, recipes and more!
Morning sickness is common among pregnant women, but I don’t think it’s talked about enough!I just read this article about it and thought it was really interesting! I didn't have too much morning sickness, but I know a lot of women do!
One possible explanation for pregnancy nausea is lack of bile. The body makes bile (which is needed to digest fats) and sex hormones out of cholesterol. If not enough cholesterol is available to handle the excess requirements of pregnancy, as most available cholesterol is focused on the production of estrogen and progesterone, this might mean that there is not enough available for the production of bile. When there is not enough bile, eating fatty foods can sometimes cause that nausea.
Now it's not that this is 100% the cause of all morning sickness for all women, but it is a possibility!
So what do you do?
Well what you can do is make sure you are consuming cholesterol. (the old me would be really confused by this sentence but believe it or not my masters held a lot of excellent knowledge about this!).
The 'problem' with cholesterol is not so much the actual cholesterol, but the oxidation of the cholesterol cells which comes from the sourcing of animal products and stress.
👉foods to avoid with cholesterol:
🍖fried foods
🍔fast food
🌭processed meats
🍰sometimes desserts
Research has linked high added sugar intake to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental decline, and certain cancers. Plus, these foods often lack nutrients your body needs to thrive, such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats.
It’s important to consume foods with good cholesterol, even if though the foods above sound appetizing!
Click here to join my waitlist to get my pregnancy guide when it launches! Packed with tips, resources and food support for a healthy pregnancy.
Hey pregnant ladies, I see you over there juggling a million thoughts at once all while growing your human and getting ready for them to come Earthside. It can get overwhelming at first! You’re trying to make all the “right” decisions and do the best things for you and your baby, but Google can lead you down a spiraling path.
I actually used to think about all the crazy things I’d eat when I was pregnant because I didn’t have to worry about gaining weight or being skinny. Obviously I was going to gain weight anyway so let's live it up! While this is a nice thought, those “garbage” foods aren’t going to provide much nourishment to your or baby. Often times they leave you feeling worse! This was just an initial thought haha, I truly wanted to do what would serve my body and baby.
When I was pregnant I definitely thought a ton about the different things i was eating! Growing a baby is important work! I did a lot of research and really upped my game a bit too (gotta keep a growing baby healthy!) It’s funny how these things change over the years and through different parts of motherhood.
There are many different view points on what a pregnant woman should eat but some of the important ones are (THIS is in NO WAY an exhaustive list but keeping it short!):
✨Choline
✨Vitamin A
✨B12
✨Folate (don’t confuse with folic acid!)
✨Glycine
All of these nutrients are important for a pregnant mom and provide a lot of nourishment to baby as well! They can help in so many aspects of development including potentially preventing birth defects. When it comes to being pregnant, your body is doing so much already that it’s important to eat good foods to give your body the energy it needs. Growing a baby is a full time job!
Join the waitlist here to grab my Pregnancy Nutrition Guide when it debuts!
I want to preface this post by saying that everyone’s pregnancy is different! Our bodies all handle pregnancy in their own way. With that being said though, I loved being pregnant.
I’m not saying it wasn’t hard at times, of course there were those moments where I didn’t quite look pregnant, but definitely didn’t fit into any of my clothes anymore (apparently I liked to wear tight things) or couldn’t fly anymore because it was kind of past the ‘safe’ point.
A lot of women I had met over the years were less than thrilled with being pregnant, either they were mad they couldn’t have sushi (spoiler alert you can), or drink alcohol (this one is a little more dicey) or do all the things they used to do while not being pregnant. Some women just felt so achy and overwhelmed plus there was the feeling of just being SO BIG!
But again for me, I felt pretty damn good right up until the last few days before going into labor. I definitely attribute that to my workouts, water intake, meditations, supplements and largely, my food. (When I was writing this it autocorrected to god so let’s throw that in there too). I’m not saying it was perfect all the time (nope), but I put a lot of work into making sure I got a lot of high quality nutrient dense food.
Food has always been a huge focus for me to help with my autoimmune. I really wanted to focus on food during my pregnancy because I know how well the right foods serve my body. What we put into our body helps give us the energy we need (which we really need during pregnancy!), but knowing what food serves your body is key.
I know that a lot of women don’t always know the ins and outs of food and what can really help you and your baby. I’ve decided that I’m putting together a pregnancy guide that outlines a whole boatload of information!
Join the waitlist here to receive in your inbox when it debuts!
