I remember being pregnant and constantly thinking about if I was making the right decisions for my health and my baby’s. When you’re growing a human you might be thinking about A LOT of things, I know I was. And maybe one of those 854,829,738 things is about your gut health, and maybe it’s not 😜 so I’m here to tell you the things that can be helpful or can happen when it comes to supporting your gut through pregnancy.
Having a healthy gut during pregnancy helps with many, many things - including but not limited to, nutrition absorption, strength of your immune system and protection against infection. These are huge factors that play into your overall health and a healthy baby too. It’s so important to find ways that you can nourish your body and feel good.
One of the best ways to support your gut is obviously through the food that you are consuming. We go over a lot of this in my gut guide (check it out here!), but in general, you want to eat a diet of organic produce, healthy fats, antioxidants, bone broth and probiotic-rich fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi. The more of these types of foods you can consume the better.
You also want to do your best to avoid processed foods with things like artificial sweeteners, msg, pesticides and artificial food dyes. Foods that contain these are more likely to disrupt the natural environment of your gut and cause you to feel awful.
Don’t forget that when you have a healthy gut it helps your baby have a healthy gut too!
To learn more ways to support your gut health, grab my Gut Health Made Easy Guide here!
I get asked a lot of different questions when it comes to how to eat healthy during pregnancy, or when trying to conceive. One of my favorite recipes to really, not only enjoy for its taste but for its nutritional value is this Charred Kale and Tahini salad!
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsps Lime Juice
- 2 tbsps Tahini
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
- 1/2 cup Cilantro (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Water
- 4 cups Kale Leaves (stem removed, roughly torn)
- 2 tsps Sesame Seeds (toasted)
- 1 Blood Orange (peeled, roughly chopped into segments)
- 2 tbsps Pumpkin Seeds (optional)
Instructions:
- In a blender or food processor, add the lime juice, tahini, 3/4 of the oil, cilantro, salt and water. Blend until smooth and creamy and the sauce is a nice pale green color.
- Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the remaining oil and half the kale. Let it cook undisturbed for about 1 minute. Continue cooking while tossing the kale around until it is lightly charred. Remove and repeat the process until all of the kale is lightly charred.
- Add the kale to a plate and drizzle with the tahini dressing, top with sesame seeds, orange segments and pumpkin seeds, if using. Enjoy!
Sometimes you just need to have a little treat! And these are DELICIOUS!!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Organic peanut butter without any sugar or palm oil
- 1 cup Maple Syrup
- 3 cups Rice Puffs Cereal
- 1 1/4 cups Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
- Line a pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and maple syrup and mix well to combine. Add the cereal and protein powder and mix well with a spatula until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the cereal mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down to create an even layer.
- Add water to a double boiler or fill a small pot halfway with water and place a heat-safe bowl on top. Bring the water to a boil and add the chocolate chips to the bowl. Melt the chocolate, stirring often. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 30-second intervals.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal, spreading it out to create an even layer. Transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has completely set, about 45 minutes, or overnight.
- Remove the cereal bars and slice into rectangular pieces. Enjoy!
This is a delicious weeknight dinner that is super easy to throw together and it has a little kick to it, which I love!
Ingredients:
- 2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Shallot (chopped)
- 3 1/2 cups Water
- 2 cups Canned Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
- 2 cups Brown Rice Penne
- 1/3 cup Dry Red Lentils (rinsed)
- 2 cups Broccoli (cut into florets)
- 1/2 Lemon (juiced)
- 2 cups Baby Spinach
Instructions:
- Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add the water and coconut milk and whisk in the red curry paste to combine it well. Then, add the penne, red lentils, and broccoli. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the lemon juice and baby spinach. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: this red curry paste is one that doesn’t have too many ‘bad’ ingredients, a lot of the ones in stores are NO. If you can’t find one that doesn’t have a bunch of added sugar you can do chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic salt and some paprika - with a little bit of gluten-free soy sauce (TamarI).
This light, refreshing citrus treat is perfect for cooling you down even on the hottest summer days while satisfying that sweet tooth. With only a few ingredients, it’s simple to make and incredibly delicious!
This recipe makes two servings.
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
¾ cup whipped coconut cream, homemade or store bought
2 drops Lime Vitality
Simply blend it together and enjoy!
Adapted From Young Living Blog
