Relevant

Today's ASK Doctor T:

Question: hello - do you offer any resources, literature, counselling on staying raw during our pregnancy and during the birth? We are about 1 month pregnant and are having trouble finding info on this.
Thank you for what you do.

Answer: Hello, and congratulations!

No worry, all animals in nature "survive somehow" during pregnancy while never cooking their foods! The question should really be- how does most of our mostly-cooking society, manage to survive on such a depleted and toxic diet during pregnancy or other times of high demand on our body... Indeed , many diseases are "caused" by pregnancy, but they are usually related to the typical SAD (Standard American Diet), and are not expected to occur in those eating wholesome, unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods such as dark greens (make lots of varied green smoothies such as those offered in our menu), organic fruits (whole, as a salad, and in the smoothies and desserts), cruciferous vegetables, and all the other colorful vegetables you can find in season. Avoid pesticides, fungicides, and other food toxins and stimulants. Beware of heavy metals!
Avoid concentrated sweeteners (maple, agave, etc.). Fat needs are increased during this time of increased caloric demand - eat avocados, olive oil, coconuts and their oil, and organic raw nuts and seeds (3-5 tablespoons a day, no more than that, and no peanuts) in the smoothies (eat slowly, chew thoroughly even if they are semi-liquid), on fruits or vegetable salads, or in desserts (check out the menu online for ideas). Sprouted grains/legumes are fine as well. An occasional steaming of veggies or water-cooking of lentils or small beans will not be harmful, although it's not needed, as long as you get the greens into your body in large, satisfying amounts.
Try to rotate the complex foods (nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, and the forbidden dairy and flesh are all complex), giving the body a rest from immunological exposure to large, complex molecules that can lead to sensitivity. In most of the USA, especially at winter, vitamin D supplementation (D3-5000) is highly recommended for most people, but especially for pregnant women. If tests are done, we will be able tell more about specific individual needs. If not, I would recommend a good source of sublingual B12 (Absorbable methyl-B12), body-ready folic acid (ActiFolate), a good multivitamin/mineral (Multigenics IC, no iron), and DHA from algae (Neuromin). You can get all these professional-quality supplements at Ecopolitan, discounted. A similar "Ask Dr. T" question was previously answered at the Ecopolitan web site - look for the full article in the archives: Healthy Pregnancy: Optimizing Babies' and Mothers' Health During Pregnancy.

You can order these directly from the distributor, they will ship to your home! They are at 800-444-9998, and will only sell to doctors, so you'll have to tell them you are my "patient". At Ecopolitan it's 10% cheaper and no S&H is added.

If you have a nutritional or brief medical question you would like Doctor T to answer, please email us and it may be answered in a future newsletter.