I’ve written about “juicing” and eating a healthy diet many times before, but being pregnant I have really seen the benefits of keeping up with my healthy lifestyle and decided to write about it again.
At my first prenatal appoint I explained to my doctor that my husband and I juice tons of veggies and fruits on a weekly basis along with eating tons of veggies and that we limit the amount of meat we eat. He told me that because of my diet, I probably didn’t need prenatal vitamins and that they are truly meant for women who don’t eat well. However, with that said, he said would be a bad doctor if he told me not to take them and said not to stress if I forget one day and to just keep up with eating right and taking my vitamins, but to make sure I take one with DHA. This discussion with my doctor made me happy because I have always said that I find it doubtful that women truly need a vitamin if they eat the way they’re supposed to. Let’s be honest, women have been having babies for thousands of years, far before the prenatal was invented.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of restrictions, new technology, new birthing techniques and the list goes on. What did women do before the prenatal? Better yet, what did they do before the epidural? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer in modern science and medicine, but to an extent. Most doctors just give people a bunch of pills when they find out they have some disease or tell them to take a multivitamin instead of stressing that what they really need is to change their diet and incorporate exercise into their weekly routine. In fact, I know this to be true because I have a friend who’s a doctor. And when I asked why more doctors don’t just say, “Stop eating Big Macs, eat more fruits and veggies and get off your ass and move your body” instead of just throwing them pills, he said, “Because they don’t believe us and they don’t listen.” This amazes me. Do people really believe that eating tons of burgers and fries and ice cream and potatoes chips all their life won’t catch up to them? Even if you’re blessed with a fast metabolism that doesn’t make you fat, it doesn’t mean you are healthy. “Skinny” doesn’t mean healthy.
So to get back to my point before I go off too much on a rant, a healthy diet is the true start to a healthy body. What you put in your body shows on the outside. “They say” that weight and health is 80% diet and 20% nutrition. Since my early 20s, diet and fitness have been an incredibly important part of my life, but both have also been trial and error so to speak. I used to have the mindset that if I worked out I could eat whatever I wanted. This isn’t the case. While yes, I “cheat” on occasion and splurge on foods I love from time to time, I mainly eat very healthy. Just because you did an hour of moderate exercise at the gym doesn’t mean you “earned” the burger in fries. In fact, you didn’t “earn it” at all. Does it mean you can’t splurge on it once in a while, absolutely not. But, if you truly want to see results in your health and weight, eating like that all the time isn’t going to change anything, that is unless you’re an elite athlete burning thousands of calories a day.
Since being pregnant, I have kept up with juicing, eating tons of veggies, fruits and beans and I limit my meat intake. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had desserts a few times during this pregnancy. Pregnant or not, I splurge sometimes, but it’s about moderation. This is also the one time in my life where I don’t feel like I have to “diet.” Meaning, if I really want the ice cream, screw it, I’m going to eat it. But moderation is key and continuing to eat all the healthy foods is even more important. I started my day with a big glass of “green juice” that consisted of tons of kale, spinach, arugula, apples, celery, cranberries, carrots and a lime. I can’t think of a better way to feed my baby and my body than with healthy foods. And a side note, I recently read that babies whose mother’s ate really healthy during their pregnancy were more likely to try new foods, have less allergies (if any at all), and like their vegetables. While I’m sure this is just another statistic, I certainly believe my growing baby girl is reaping many benefits from all the veggie and fruits I eat and drink on a daily basis. And, although I probably don’t need a prenatal, I’m not about to take any chances with my little lady so I take one before bed every night.
The truth is, I feel amazing when I eat tons of vegetarian meals and drink my juice. I can see it in my skin, my weight, my sleep patterns, my fitness level…it’s apparent all around. When I eat like crap for a few days, well…we are what we eat, so I feel like crap! People keep telling me I look great during my pregnancy, maybe they’re just being nice, but either way, I feel great so that’s what really matters. I feel far more energetic and strong than I expected to during this pregnancy so far and have kept up with a working out anywhere from five to six days a week. I know that I owe a lot of that to my diet. A healthy body truly starts with a healthy diet, and I want nothing more than to feed my baby and my body the right way!