Diet for pregnancy

[Mariana]

Hi All!!

This is my first message since the format change (quite a while back), and so I'm a bit of a newbie... hope I get things right!

I am happy to report that I am 11 weeks pregnant. Yup, it's awesome... but I am finding myself exhausted, and not as able to take good care of myself and my home...

It's a negative cycle. I work outside the home, and when I don't bring food with me to work, I inevitably end up not eating as well as I should.

(Relying on so-called vegetarian options on menus - steamed veggies, salad, rice (not usually brown!!), some whitemeat fish, occaisionally salmon.)

I know I'm not getting enough sea vegetables, for one thing, and not enough brown rice. Soup? HA. I can barely make myself cook - it's been 100 degrees in Hartford, and in my awful apartment, it's been so hot I've been drinking too much fruit juice, for certain.

To top things off, yesterday I bought a vegan brownie at the natural food store, and I'm not sure if it's related, but I broke out in hives from the lower thigh down! The only thing that helped was to pack ice on my legs and feet. This happened at about 3 am, following a not so great meal which included commercially prepared refried pinto beans (no lard), and mexican (white) rice.

I was kind of desperate and prefer not to each such foods, and the brownie was a rare treat.

Can anyone give me insight into what might have caused this discharge (the hives)?? During my last pregnancy I was plagued by this also, but much further along (third trimester). It was however also summer at the time, too. (Although we had our first break in the hot weather last night!!) I was not eating as well the last pregnancy, although I was vegetarian.

Also, can anyone point me to a complete reference for Macro diet during pregnancy? I want the best for my baby and family. I am kind of a wreck right now, and my partner and I are under tremendous stress, due to shopping for a house to buy!

I can note a definite polarization between him and myself, leading me to wonder if I suffer from a too Yin condition (being hysterical, out of control) and he a too Yang one (cold, rigid, uncompassionate.)

Yes, things are hard, but I know they can improve.

Blessings to you all!!

Mariana
Hartford, CT

[Roy Collins]

Hi Mariana. Congratulations on the pregnancy but you need to chill out because you are too yang now and are repelling yang
mate. This happens quite frequently during pregnancy, as well as the dog days of summer (named after the dog star). Plus, work and other stress -- short temper, short fuse.

You need to relax and find your center. Eat only the barest minimum of salt and no animal food. Blanch, steam, boil,
water sautee and some raw salads is OK now. A lot of greens
and a little fruit but NO fruit juice. Try to avoid pickeled vegetables as too yang and no baked goods or pressure cooked rice. Use more water when cooking grains and vary them every day. Try to keep proportions about 60% veggies (including seaweeds and beans), 30% cooked grains, 5% fruit, and about 5% soup (make that mild miso with seaweed, shiitake, onion)
every other day (one cup only).

You can take in more liquid at this time as well. A little kanten desset on occassion, a little soy milk, a little vegetable juice,
a little herb tea or bancha with mint. But A LOT of GREENS is
really important. Try to stay away from extreme foods (salty
and sugary) and you won't get hives. This is kidney discharge
combined with excess heat. Wear loose, cotton clothing and keep smiling, don't let little things bother you. When they do just swallow your pride and dno't say a word...Walk into another room and meditate or out the door and walk in the woods. Good
quality yin and cultivation of qi is necessary now.

Embryonic stage is replicating all of water evolution. It is a very important time as baby is passing through 2 billion years of evolution. Try to feel this, appreciate life, laugh at small things.
Don't get too rigid with foods --- the veggies and mild miso
and at least 1 cup of whole grains per day are the mos important things right now. If you have to binge go with good quality and eat only a small amount.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

In peace, Roy

[Mariana]

Thank you so much, Roy!

I am grateful for your prompt reply, as guess what! more hives

tonight, about an hour after eating what I thought was a good meal. darnit!!

But I will try to eliminate the things you mention. I imagine regulating salt will help lessen my thirst, as well. Is it alright to drink to slake my thirst until it lessens, or would it be better to drink water more moderately (and excellerate the discharge)?

Would it be wise to take medicinal action to accelerate the discharge?

Thank you very much for your help.

Mariana

[Roy Collins]

Hi Marianna. Discharge is on-going at varying levels for all of us. When pregnant some of these extremes are being passed across the placena wall to baby through blood. Blood should be clean
with good ph balance and proper nutrients, etc. Best not to use
any medicines or other extremes during this time. You can do
Aveno bath for itch and then apply cholophyll squeezed from
spinach or other juicy dark green leaves. Here is a simple
recipe:

1 package of spinach from grocery store.
1 sprig of fresh mint or the contents of 1 mint teabag.
1/8 cup warm water or green tea
a few drops of Tea Tree Oil or Collidial Silver.

Place all ingredients in a suribachi and grind together.
Scoop ingredients onto a double-folded sheet of cheesecloth
and hand squeeze liquid out into a bowl.

Rub liquid lightly onto irritated skin (after Aveno bath)

Remember not to wear artificial fiber, or loose clothes. Try
to relax and stay cool. Keep diet simple as I suggested earlier.
Good quality well, spring or mineral water (no carbonation) is
OK. Avoid citrus in water/tea as this will inhibit proper calcium
formation in growing baby (needed for strong bones).

Here is a list of herbs to avoid during pregnancy:

Aloe
Avacado
Black Cohosh
Blue Cohosh
Cascara Sagrada
Citrus
Pennyroyal
Comfrey
Pigweed
Dong Quai
Feverfew
Licorice
Goldenseal
Sage
Senna
Yarrow
Spices

Good luck.

In peace, Roy

[Bruce Paine]

Roy,

I've been drinking roasted rice/kukkicha tea when thirsty, now-a-days in this heat and humidity and that has done the trick.

The way I make kukkicha is to add kukkicha (bancha twig tea) twigs to (filtered, well, or spring) water in a (glass infusion) pot, bring it to a boil, then turn it off and let it steep awhile.

To make roasted rice/kukkicha, add roasted rice at the beginning with the twigs.

Two excellent glass infusion teapots for kukkicha and other teas and herbs are:

The Catamount glass teapot
( http://www.catglass.com/products/full/16.jpg )
sold at natural lifestyle supplies.

And the Jenaer Wagenfeld Edition Teekanne
( http://www.schott.com/hwg/english/products/special.html ) sold at
Gold Mine Natural Food Company

Maybe Gary will decide to put one if not both of these pots at his new distributing site:
( http://www.cybermacro.com/catalog.html ) if you request it.

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[Bruce Paine]

Sorry but I was testing to see how to post a immediately viewable image.

[Roy Collins]

Hi Bruce. I think the barley mixed with kukicha or singularly will
work out well for you. Barley is one of the more yin grains and
is cooling and soothing the intestinal lining. Barley water was
quite popular in ancient Greece as an aid for poor appetite
which happens on occassion in hot weather. It is also good
for helping to eliminate excess animal protein from the body.

Barley grass juice is another healing plant containing SOD
(super oxidie dismatate) a free radical scavenger in the greatest amount of any food. It is an excellent immune booster and contains vitamin b-12 which works to overcome fatigue and anemia. It is also antiinflammatory. I am currently conducting experiments using barley grass mixed with brown rice and b/g algae in a cultured soy drink with other whole vegetables as
an aid for cancer patients recovering from chemotherapy. I
am trying to approximate the energy dense commercial product
called Ensure (tm) that is used for the same purpose but
whose quality is very poor. I will post the results when I am
through.

I think barley needs to promoted more vigorously in macro circles.
It is also an excellent breakfast gruel and is beneficial for babies
that have already cut teeth. The Japanese call barely "mugi".
Mugi miso is a standard in our house, but as I age I am not using
it as much because it is too salty. I'm glad you are starting to use it and I think you will see good results compared to the fruit juice/kukicha mix you had been using before. Blood will become
more alkaline as well.

In peace, Roy