Nurturing By Nature

Nourishing and Healing with Whole Foods through the Childbearing Years!

foods family

whole

It is important to emphasize "building" and nutrient dense foods during the preconception period, pregnancy, breastfeeding, the growing years (babies, children and teens) or when training as an athlete. 

Foods To Emphasize:

B Vitamins and B12: red star nutritional yeast

Proper Microflora Balance and Adequate Digestion: probiotic foods

Minerals and Protein: cooked and raw greens

Essential Fats and Protein: nuts and seeds

Saturated Fats: unrefined coconut oil, unrefined palm oil and avocado

Minerals: seaweeds and seeds

Protein: legumes, nuts (adequate calories from whole foods only).

Carbohydrates: soaked, sprouted or fermented grains and legumes

Uncommon Wisdom about Optimizing the Vegan Diet:

These recommendations assist vegetarians to get the most nutrition and best absorption and utilization from the food they eat. Some of this advice may be counterintuitive, given the that we have been told by the media for decades now that saturated fat is bad. Please understand that cholesterol and saturated fat are absolutely necessary for good health.  For more info, please see article "The Skinny of Fats". While the authors of this article do not recommend a vegetarian diet, there is much wisdom to be gained by their research. While we all have our different reasons for being vegetarian, it is important to look at the history of food and nutrition, as well as to study the instinctive eating habits of our ancestors as clues to eating as close as possible to the way that nature intended.

Our nutrition science is very young. We didn't even know that vitamins existed until 1911, so we cannot be so arrogant to assume that western nutrition science as it stands, has all the answers or can assure us that the modern vegetarian or standard north american diet is adequate, based on numerical calculations of nutrient content. What we take into our bodies is one thing, and whether or not we have the enzyme systems or co-factors to absorb those nutrients, is another story. As conscious vegetarians, we must consider food preparation  and ingredient synergy as deeply as we consider the quality of the ingredients.

• Add quality saturated fats  to your diet (adjust to your taste/cravings). Saute your foods in butter, unrefined coconut butter and unrefined palm oil).  Minerals and the fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E,  & K all need saturated fat for absorption.
  

• Essential Fatty Acids also need saturated fats for absorption, so please don't avoid saturated fats and overdo EFA supplements to compensate. It is better to consume the adequate nutrients that help absorb EFA's such as saturated fats and minerals.
  

• Cruciferous Vegetables-boil or steam them to break down goitrogens (chemicals excreted by intestinal bacteria when they ingest crucifers). Goitrogens increase the need for iodine when consumed in small amounts and can actually damage the thyroid gland, when consumed in large amounts.
  

• Take special care when cooking grains and soy. They must be soaked, sprouted, fermented or marinated in order to break down the phytic acid. Phytic acid is very irritating to the gut promoting leaky gut syndrome (the underlying cause of food sensitivities). This acid also binds to minerals making them less absorbed and therefore increasing mineral deficiencies.
  

• Also of note, when people switch to a vegetarian and vegan diet, they often tend to become more acidic because of the emphasis on whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.  While it may seem strange, it is possible that a vegetarian might not eat enough vegetables, fruit and alkalizing sea veggies. Instead, they may primarily eat from non animal, but acidifying foods sources.
  

• Iron absorption is increased by adequate B vitamins, vitamin C
  and vitamin A.
  

If you are lact-ovo or lacto vegetarian, then you can add butter, ghee, eggs, raw milk, raw cheese and non-homogenized yogurt to your diet as dictated by your appetite. Pasteurized and homogenized dairy products are processed food items. They are not the nutritious foods that our ancestors once ate. If you cannot access raw milk, then goat milk or organic cow milk is next best in quality, if you feel that you need milk in your diet.

Best Vegetarian Cookbooks:

Wild Fermentation

For the Love of Food

Healing With Whole Foods

Salt Spring Island Cooking

Best Vegan Cookbooks:

Get it Ripe

How it All Vegan

The Garden of Vegan

The Dolce Vegan

Nourishment for the Vegetable Based Family

Extensive Protein Combining Chart

Complementary proteins for optimal protein utilization and absorption (remember that if you are eating a varied diet of whole foods and enough calories for your body, you will be getting enough protein. Conscious consumption of these combinations are to be used to build (as in pregnancy) and to restore (replenish and heal in times of stress and sickness). Sourced from Holistic Midwifery by Anne Frye

lentils + grain

dairy + grain

rice + legumes

corn + legumes

wheat + legumes

wheat+ peanut + milk

wheat + sesame + soybean

rice + nutritional yeast

beans + wheat

beans + corn

soybeans + rice + wheat

soybeans + corn + milk

soybeans + wheat + sesame

soybeans + peanuts + sesame

soybeans + peanuts + wheat + rice

sesame + beans

rice and beans

peanuts + sunflower seeds

greens + millet

greens + rice

lima beans + sesame seeds

lima beans + brazil nuts

lima beans + mushrooms

green beans + sesame seeds

green beans + brazil nuts

green beans + mushrooms

brussel sprouts + sesame seeds

brussel sprouts + brazil nuts

brussel sprouts + mushrooms

cauliflower + sesame seeds

cauliflower + brazil nuts

cauliflower + mushrooms

broccoli + sesame seeds

broccoli + brazil nuts

broccoli + mushrooms

black beans + polished rice

black eyed peas + corn bread

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