Healthy pre-pregnancy lifestyle changes

A preconception check-up with your doctor is a primary course of action, but several lifestyle changes ideally should be considered in order to put your body in the best possible state. (Try and follow the lifestyle topics on www.whatyouconsume.com). A healthy diet and toxin reduction and testing and checking what you consume are vital elements.

• Top left – shows what not to eat if you want the best possible healthy body.
• Top right – Working late, stressed, drinking coffee, this is not a good place to be prior to having a baby.
• Bottom Left – Food on left is everything to be avoided, UPF, saturated fat, sugar drink.
• Bottom Left – Food on right is perfect in order to reduce the risks of inflammation
• Bottom right – Calm, excellent wellbeing state of mind, and combined with a healthy diet and good hydration this is the aim.

Focus on real food and clean hydration

It sounds easy, but when you consider 60% of the food in a supermarket is ultra processed and contains ingredients you just should not consume, the task is a little daunting. The following food should be considered as a priority. (if you have an allergy to any of the following foods then remove them from the your diet).

• Vegatables and fruits, these can be turned into smoothies as drinks if desired
• Whole grains – (try changing to brown rice to increase fibre)
• Lean protein – Chicken is one of the best, but try to buy chicken that is of quality and has traceability, corn fed or local butcher if possible.
• Eggs
• Leafy greens
• Berries – Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, Avacados, Tomatoes (Important: Wash all fruit and Vegatables before consuming).

Avoid the following:

• Unpasteurised dairy, raw milk cheese,
• Alcohol
• Caffeine, soda or sugary drinks.
• Smoking
• UPF’s – Ultra processed foods – (look for long lists of substances that are just not food!)
• Sugar and particulalry artificial sugars
• Have your water tested to ensure your hydration liquid is free from micro-plastics, nanoplastics, PFAS, heavy metals and any bacteria.
• Check ingredients in the things you put on your skin, soaps, body lotions, lipstick, makeup. (See Cosmetics and Soap Topics)
• Dont eat fast foods of any kind
• Dont microwave anything in plastics
• Dont eat processed meats, Bacon, Sausages, Salami, Deli meats
• Dont eat fried food, chips or crisps

Inflammation

This word is all over the place but what exactly is it? There are two types of inflammation: acute (short term and helpful) and chronic (linked to allergies and autoimmune diseases). Think of it as your body’s alarm and repair system. Inflammation during pregnancy is normal, but too much can be harmful to both the mother and baby and it is important to keep it under control, particularly through the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

Acute inflammation is your bodies’ immune system reacting to harmful bacteria , viruses and toxins and is essential. Did you know that 70% of the immune system lies in your guts? The large bowel (colon) to be precise. There are trillions of microorganisms in the colon like healthy bacteria, viruses and even fungi and they form what is called the microbiome. These microbes react with the immune system, break down the food we eat and influence metabolism, hormones, mood and cognition. Especially they break down fibre to produce the elements needed for a healthy immune system and keep the gut lining strong. We are recommended to eat 30gms of fibre a day but apparently the average in this country is barely half that amount. Without fibre our microbes can’t do their work for us. We need the immune system to react to harmful things and leave alone those that are not harmful. Also to calm down after dealing with the problem! When the immune system doesn’t calm
down we have chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation, is when the immune system reacts to your own body, causes autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Allergies occur when the immune system react to things like pollen or food protein. Your weight is vitally important. Aim to gain no more than 25 to 35 lbs (11.5 to 16kg) during your pregnancy. Subtle signs of chronic
inflammation could be persistent fatigue, low energy, feeling mentally exhausted, brain fog, aching joints, IBS. If you are
concerned that you have any of these persistent symptoms, see your doctor and they may suggest a blood test for C-reactive
protein (CRP) to confirm inflammation.