I love certain things about being pregnant: feeling baby kicks, creating a new human being…….ok, that’s about it. Not such a fan of other side effects. Growing a baby is tough work, and changing hormones can cause stress on our intestinal system & whole body. I’m going to talk about three common pregnancy concerns that may be partially alleviated with diet: heartburn, headaches and constipation.

Heartburn

A growing baby puts pressure on mom-to-be’s stomach, which can force acid into the esophagus, causing burning. All muscles in the body relax during pregnancy, including the lower esophageal sphincter, which can also cause stomach acid to be released up into the esophagus.

TIPS:

-       Eat small frequent meals.

-       Avoid irritants (some may be caffeine, chocolate, seasonings, high fat, citrus, tomato, carbonated drinks).

-       Keep food diary to track your triggers.

-       Eat slowly.

-       Limit fluids with meals.

-       Don’t eat close to bedtime.

-       Talk to your doctor or midwife about taking antacids.

Headaches

Hormones can cause headaches in pregnancy. And not to mention stress!

TIPS:

- Eat small amounts regularly to keep blood sugar up.

- Don’t eat candy or foods that cause spikes in blood sugar.

- Again, watch for any food triggers. Some may be MSG, chocolate, cured meats, red wine, aged cheese, preserved meats (deli meal, hot dogs).

- Exercise

- Relaxation and yoga.

Constipation

This seems to be almost universal among the pregnant women that I talk to.  Movement of food through the intestinal tract is slowed down, due to relaxing muscles in pregnancy. Supplemental iron from prenatal multivitamins can also cause constipation.

TIPS

• High fibre (25 g) diet (beans, fruit and veggies, whole grains). Add 1-3 Tbsp of wheat bran to yogurt, cereal, applesauce, etc.
• Fluids (8-12 cups). Hot drinks might be especially good.
• Activity
• Metamucil
• Probiotics.
• Natural laxatives: prunes and apple, pear or prune juice. These all contain sorbitol, a sugar that draws water into your intestines.
• Try the Fruit Lax recipe below.

Fruit Lax Recipe

Makes 1 cup, or 16 servings (1 Tbsp each)

½ cup raisins

¼ cup pitted prunes

¼ cup pitted dates

6 Tbsp prune juice

¼ cup wheat bran

Soak raisins, prunes and dates overnight in just enough water to cover it.

Pour into a food processor. Add the prune juice and bran and blend well.

If it’s too thick, add orange juice until a paste consistency is reached.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months, or freeze.

First Step Nutrition will be participating in Full Circle Parenting’s Makin’ Mama Happy Series. The topic of this session will be Inspiring Your Child’s Relationship with Food, and here are the details:

We at Full Circle Parenting know that if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!  That’s why we created the Makin’ Mama Happy series, where we introduce you to experts and practitioners in a variety of fields whose combined insight can create powerful and positive shifts in your life.

Our second event is all about INSPIRING YOUR CHILD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.  We know that food issues are one of the leading causes of worry in moms.  From the newborn with latching difficulties to picky toddlers, to uneaten lunches for school-aged children, through teenagers with eating disorders, food issues can create a host of anxieties.  Our goal is to give you lots of perspective, and lots of ideas to give your children the best chance at a healthy, stress-free relationship with food AND to bring about more of what every Mama needs: happiness.

JOIN US on Wednesday, June 23rd, from 6:30 to 7:30pm at Planet Organic Market North (4625 Varsity Dr. NW, at Shaganappi),  to meet our panelists who will bring together three perspectives to help you solve food issues in your family.

Here are our three panelists:

Yulit Price of Composing Lives, mom of 2 and psychologist. Yulit, a member of the Association of Research on Mothering, knows that food is central in establishing family rituals, opening communications, and strengthening connections, and that a mom’s relationship with food has a lifelong effect on her children. Yulit is passionate about supporting mothers and adolescent girls, and has worked with women experiencing emotional eating, as well as eating disorders. Yulit empowers mothers to find their voices, explore their everyday struggles and needs, and to clarify their real cravings and true aspirations for their lives.

Jennifer House of First Step Nutrition, mom of 1 (and one on the way), and Registered Dietitian. Jennifer is passionate about nutrition for families, and about resolving issues with  pregnancy-related concerns, postpartum and breastfeeding, picky eating, and allergies. If you need help figuring out what to eat and offer to your children, how to plan those meals, or even where to find what you need in the grocery store, Jen is on call!  Find out more at www.firststepnutrition.com.

Lisa Kathleen of Full Circle Parenting, single mom, former teacher and school administrator turned parenting coach and parent educator. Lisa Kathleen will bring keen insight into the dynamics of parent-child interactions around food, as well as immediately applicable ideas that will create positive shifts in your experiences with your children. Lisa Kathleen is thrilled to bring you this powerful panel discussion along with two people whose brains she loves to pick!  Find out more at www.fullcircleparenting.com.

Papas and babes in arms are welcome.

You will receive a special gift from each of our panelists, each worth greater than the value of your ticket price.

This event will take place at Planet Organic North,  2745 17th Ave SW, and is limited to 30 people in total.  Register now to reserve your spot!  By phone (403-607-1463) or by contacting Lisa Kathleen, Jen or Yulit.

***Please do not register unless you are sure will be able to attend.  We expect this event to be packed, and want to be sure to have spots for everyone who really wants to come.***

Key 1: Avoid Rewards and Punishments, Praise and Shame

A collaborative article by Jennifer House of First Step Nutrition and Lisa Kathleen of Full Circle Parenting.

Rather than focusing on WHAT to feed your child, we want to focus on one aspect of HOW to feed your child. Picky eating, emotional eating and eating disorders abound in our culture. How you feed your child will affect their relationship with food – positive or negative, throughout their lives.

As adults, we all have a relationship with food. Ideally, you can enjoy the taste of food and the socialization that comes with eating a meal, and eat until you are satisfied but not overfull. Eating to help yourself feel better when you’re feeling depressed, angry or anxious can lead to weight difficulties or illnesses. Many of these eating behaviours stem from how your parents offered foods to you as a child.

Offering any food as a bribe or reward, or taking it away as a punishment, makes certain foods (often “treat” type foods) extremely desirable. We all know that sugar and salt make foods taste yummy, and that they are not particularly good for us in large quantities. Research shows that when anything (activity, object, food) is offered as a reward for doing (or eating) anything else, the thing that is offered as a reward becomes more desirable, while the thing that must be done to earn the reward becomes less intrinsically interesting. When this dynamic is in place on top of the natural yumminess of sugary or salty foods, a child’s desire for those foods can easily get out of control. In many families, dessert is offered as a reward for finishing a meal. Considering the powerful dynamics at play, it’s no wonder that children these days don’t want to eat their veggies!

Another aspect of this dynamic comes into play when children are rewarded or punished, praised or shamed for eating. In our praise-addicted culture, comments such as “You are such a good eater!” or “Good girl! You ate all your vegetables!” are the norm. When we realize that these comments, when offered by a person the child loves, are felt as a reward, we can see how they end up backfiring. As the intrinsic interest in the rewarded behaviour decreases, the child eats to earn the praise, rather than eating simply for the sake of satisfying hunger.

If you have been using these tools in your family, you may need some help shifting to other ways of relating with your children around food. As a first step, consider joining us for our Makin’ Mama Happy Event, where we will explore the other 9 of the 10 Keys to Inspiring Your Child’s Relationship With Food, and help get you back on the right track with some ways to deeply inspire your child’s relationship with food.

Makin’ Mama Happy Event 2: Inspiring Your Child’s Relationship With Food
Wednesday, June 23rd, 6:30-7:30 pm, Planet Organic North
This is a free event with limited seating, and we expect it to be full. Reserve your spot now to avoid disappointment! Contact Jen or Lisa Kathleen or Planet Organic North 403-288-6700 to register.

March is Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is: Celebrate food….from field to table.

“Knowing where our food comes from, how it’s grown and harvested and how to choose foods for the best nutrition is the goal of this year’s National Nutrition Month campaign. Our country has much to celebrate with regard to the food available to Canadians”, says Caroline Dubeau, National Nutrition Month Manager for Dietitians of Canada. “And there are plenty of ways to celebrate:

1)    Spend time at a farmers market to discover new foods;

2)    Involve the kids in preparing the foods and talk about the new foods during meal time;

3)    When you’re at the grocery store, use nutrition labelling to help make healthy food choices;

4)    You can also grow your own garden, if weather and space permit, and preserve the fresh taste of foods by freezing or canning them for year round use.”

Check out Dietitians of Canada nutrition month website: www.celebratefood.ca/ It contains a game to teach which provinces Canadian-produced foods are grown in, and “Did You Know” facts like: “Saskatoon berries commonly known as saskatoons, are purplish-blue berries that grow on a bush. Saskatoon berries people enjoy today are the same crop grown and enjoyed by the Aboriginal peoples of Western Canada hundreds of years ago. ¾ cup contains 6 g fibre; saskatoon berries naturally rich dark royal purple color comes from anthocyanins. Saskatoon Berries rank high in berries rich in anthocyanins with 562.4 mg / 100 g dry basis.”

The website also offers recipes using common Canadian-grown foods:

Baked granola apples

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 2 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
• 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie plate, ungreased

·········································

Ingredients

4 apples
175 mL (3⁄4 cup) low-fat granola

10 mL (2 tsp) margarine

125 mL (1⁄2 cup) low-fat plain yogurt

15 mL (1 tbsp) pure maple syrup

Preparation

1. Core apples, creating a large hollow. Firmly pack with granola and dot with margarine. Place on pie plate.
2. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt and maple syrup; set aside.
4. Place each apple in a dessert bowl and garnish with maple-flavored yogurt

Nutritional information PER SERVING: Calories: 192, Fat: 4.1 g, Protein: 3.8 g, Carbohydrate: 36.9 g, Fibre: 3.6 g, Calcium: 88 mg

Now that I am 12 weeks pregnant with my second child, I can come out of hiding and blog about my experiences! Talking to pregnant women as a part of my job is something I really enjoy. Being pregnant myself is something that I generally do NOT enjoy – but it gives me the ability to emphasize with how HARD it is to follow healthy eating recommendations! Especially in the first trimester, with the aversion, cravings, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Fun. And if you escaped these symptoms, I am very jealous!

So for the past few months, I have been pretty much unable to cook (definitely unwilling, anyways). Mostly due to lack of energy and nausea, which is triggered by my hyper-active sense of smell. And ALL smells are bad smells.  Luckily I have a freezer full of leftovers, but we’ve been eating out a lot more than usual, and also cooking some frozen packaged foods. If I eat something that doesn’t sit well, it might decide to come back up, so I’ve been mainly sticking with what I feel like. Which is mostly salty/bready foods. Like Subway – although I’m limited to the chicken, veggie, meatball or tuna (tuna once a week – I asked and they use albacore which is higher in mercury), as deli meats are out in pregnancy unless heated. Badass Jack’s wraps seem to call to me too. Which isn’t too bad – these things are somewhat healthy. Which truth be told, is not by #1 determining factor in choosing them, even if it should be!

My aversions are mostly dairy – milk and yogurt. Which normally I love, and are nutritious. So I bought a bunch of chewable calcium/vitamin D supplements and hope this aversion goes away before I develop lactose intolerance! So I figure my baby will be ok if I eat what I can when I can, and fill the gap with supplements: vitamin D, fish oil, calcium, prenatal vits, iron. Getting down some of those horse-sized pills is another challenge. Here’s to hoping this passes soon, as the only cure is time!

Feel free to comment and share your stories & tips of eating through the first trimester.

What’s your New Years resolution? My New Years (new decade!) resolution is to buy more local foods. Local foods support the local economy, save transportation pollution and are fresher – therefore tastier and more nutritious. If you haven’t seen the movie “Food Inc” I would recommend watching it. It definitely provides some stories that will inspire you to also choose more local or organic food producers!

While living in Calgary, I certainly don’t have the option to buy fresh local produce like Californians. But we do have local greenhouses. And access to local farms through the Farmers Market and spud! Spud is a grocery delivery service that provides local, organic foods, and is the only carbon neutral grocery in North America. If you want to try it out, we both get freebies if you use the code: CR5-308878

Many small, local farms are also organic. Organic farming practices are healthier for the environment, and therefore better for the world our children will grow up in. However, I think a lot of people get mislead into thinking that organic is automatically healthier, and that’s not necessarily the case. Read my blog “Organic Food – Is it Healthier” below for more info.

Happy New Year! And if your resolution has to do with nutrition…..give me a call!!

As I attended my first Christmas party last night, I thought I should get on the Christmas bandwagon and share some tips for eating during the holidays.

When it comes to all of those Christmas parties, it’s best to arrive with a satisfied, instead of a starving tummy. Don’t skip dinner or other meals throughout the day, so you can justify bingeing on appys and desserts later. I think we all know that moderation is not an option when you arrive starving. Anything & everything in sight will be consumed as quickly as possible! And the dinner you skipped was likely more nutritious than the party alternatives.

Party appetizers often consist of greasy, cheesy, meaty morsels. Choose your favorites and leave the rest. If you see veggies or fruit, munch on these to fill your tummy and get nutrients at the same time. Often chips & veggies taste good enough without the dips. And watch the alcohol – the calories really add up, and our body does not digest fat when the liver is already busy processing alcohol. Plus, add in the cranberry juice, pop or eggnog (gasp!) and you have a meals worth of calories in a glass. Try soda water as a mix instead.

Christmas baking is a tradition in many households. And I certainly don’t want to take your favorites away from you (it’s only once a year!). When baking desserts, you can use non-hydrogenated margarine instead of butter, to avoid lots of saturated fat. I do buy butter once a year though, for shortbread cookies – just not the same without it! You can even make some cookies with whole wheat flour (adds fibre and still tasty, I swear!). Here is a recipe for whole wheat sugar cookies: http://www.foodreference.com/html/whole-wheat.html Of course there’s always the option of gifting gift certificates, candles, soaps and lotions instead of edibles.

Given these tips, also remember that there are 21 meals in a week (plus snacks) and 52 weeks in the year. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your food is “healthy” food that falls within a food group on Canada’s Food Guide and the other 20% can be the “extras” – chips, cookies, cakes, chocolate, alcohol, etc. That way you never feel deprived but still have an overall balanced diet. If you have a few meals in the week, or a few weeks of the year that are not optimal, you have many others to “redeem” yourself!

Happy Holiday preparations to all!

With all of the hype about H1N1 flu this month, each family is trying their best to stay healthy – vaccinated or not! Besides being active, getting enough sleep and activity, and reducing stress, here are some dietary measures to help you and your family fend off viruses this winter:

1)    Eat at least 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phytochemicals. Choose a wide variety of colors, as each color has different nutrients. For vitamin C and betacarotene, choose lots of orange products: squash, carrots, yams, cantaloupe.

2)    Choose organic produce, as it contains more phytochemicals than conventionally grown produce. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants, boosting your immune system and fighting free radicals. One theory behind why organic produce contains more phytochemicals is because the plants naturally need to defend themselves against pests without pesticides, and phytochemicals may help to do this!

3)    Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help make the intestinal environment strong. They are showing promise in boosting the immune system, as a large part of your immune system is located in your intestines. Eat yogurt daily, or supplement to get probiotics every day.

4)    Some researchers link low levels of vitamin D in the winter (due to our northern latitude and lack of vitamin D from the sun), to increased rates of winter viruses. In a large study, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having more colds or cases of the flu. Vitamin D is not widely distributed in our food supply, but can be found in fish liver oils, fatty fish and fortified milk. I recommend everyone take a Vitamin D supplement in the winter: about 1000IU for adults and 400 IU for children daily.

5)    All types of tea may boost your immune system. Also make sure you get enough fluid period – preferably water.

There are also certain things to avoid in your daily diet, as they can reduce your immune system’s ability to fight off viruses. These include: alcohol, sugar and trans fat.

Protein is important in pregnancy, as it support all new cell growth, in both the mom and baby. Beyond meeting these basic building requirements, protein has other benefits: it is slowly absorbed, to control blood sugars and help keep you feeling full for longer. In pregnancy, this can help to prevent nausea, headaches, cravings, food binges and excess weight gain. To take advantage of these benefits offered by protein, you can try to include a source of protein with each meal and snack: eggs, nuts, beans, meat, yogurt and milk are good choices.

Protein needs increase in pregnancy from 45 g for non-pregnant women, to 70 g in pregnancy. And while protein is important, the majority of people – pregnant or not -consume much more than their minimum protein requirement. While there is no harm in this (unless extreme), it is not common to require supplementation with protein powders. If you do have troubles meeting protein requirement in pregnancy (due to nausea, heartburn, or just lack of space in the stomach), you can sprinkle dried milk or whey powder into smoothies, on hot cereal or in baking. However, these protein supplements are missing out on vitamins and minerals that are found in actual food sources of protein.

To estimate the amount of protein in your diet: Keep a food record for a few days, recording what you eat and drink. Then add up the protein using the amounts in foods listed below. You can also contact me for a Computerized Diet Analysis for a more detailed dietary breakdown!

Food Portion Protein                                                                   Grams Protein

Meat, fish or poultry 75 g (2 1/2 oz) / 125 mL (1/2 cup)                         21

Firm tofu 150 g / 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                       21

Egg, chicken 2 large                                                                             13

Cheese 50 g (1 1/2 oz)                                                                        12

Fortified soy beverage 250 mL (1 cup)                                                  6-8.5

Cooked dried beans, peas or lentils175 mL (3/4 cup)                             12

Cow’s milk 250 mL (1 cup)                                                                    9

Yogurt 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                                       8

Peanut butter or other nut spread 30 mL (2 Tbsp)                                  8

Nuts or seeds 60 mL (1/4 cup)                                                              7

Bread 1 slice (35 g)                                                                              3

Cereals, cold 30 g                                                                                3

Cereals, hot 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                              3

Pasta or rice 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                             3

Vegetables 125 mL (1/2 cup) or 250 mL (1cup) lettuce                           2

Fruit 1 fruit or 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                           1

(List supplied by Dietitians of Canada: www.dietitians.ca)

Note about soy protein: the evidence is not clear as to how the hormone (estrogen-like) effects of soy may affect pregnant women. One to 2 servings per day is likely safe, but more than 30g per day is not recommended

I am often asked if organic food is healthier than ‘convential’ food. From a nutrition standpoint, there is little difference (if any), between organic and non-organic dairy products and meats. As for produce, studies have proven that while they may not consistently be higher in vitamin content, organic produce does contain more phytochemicals. And this is great, since phytochemicals quench harmful free radicals in our body and may help prevent diseases such as cancer.

Another reason to buy organic produce is to avoid pesticides. This is especially important for small children, pregnant and breastfeeding moms. We don’t know what these chemicals may do to developing brains and bodies. BUT it is still much better to eat conventional produce than none at all. And if you can only afford to buy certain produce organic, organic apples and dried fruit are easy to find and the conventional forms of these fruits contain lots of pesticides. For more info on the “dirty” and “clean” produces with regards to pesticides, visit http://www.foodnews.org/

As for packaged organic food, a lot of the time they appear healthier, but are  not. The ingredient list is more important than the claims on the front of the package. “Organic brown rice syrup, organic corn syrup, organic honey, etc, etc.” STILL means sugar. And “Organic unbleached flour” STILL means white flour.

Good luck navigating those grocery isles – and let me know if you want a tour! Organic food is becoming easier to find. Which is great for the environment and perhaps, in some cases, our health.