PREGNANCY CARE

Malnourishment	Infections	Medications
Environmental factors	Drugs & alcohol	Genetics
Less than optimal health – Mother and/or Father pre-conception

 

The good news is that to a large extent these contributing factors are within the control of the mother and father. By planning their pregnancy and spending 6-12 months healing and enhancing their overall health they can minimize the risks prior to conception.

“If PRIMITIVE races have been more efficient than modernized groups in the matter of preventing degenerative processes, physical, mental and moral, it is only because they have been more efficient in complying with Nature’s laws.”
Weston A. Price

Organic whole foods	Adequate hydration	Quality sleep patterns
Active lifestyle	Mental health	Spiritual health
Emotional health	Optimal breathing patterns

 

For the majority of men and women looking to fall pregnant the journey should begin with a ‘Reduction’ strategy, not simply adding in supplements. Notice that men should be equally involved in the health and healing process prior to conception. It’s a common misconception in the community that only the females need to prepare for falling pregnant. And yet men equate to 50% of the process and can have a significant (positive or negative) impact on the future health of the fetus and baby.

• Abstain from alcohol
• Abstain from drug use
• Avoid over-the-counter medications
• Medications: If you’ve been prescribed medication by a medical doctor then you should discuss your upcoming pregnancy with them and any risk factors that exist. Is it possible to come off the medications if healthy lifestyle choices are adhered to?
• Minimize or completely eliminate your intake of processed foods. By doing so you will also eliminate exposure to harmful additives and preservatives.
• Stop purchasing farmed fish
• Stop purchasing the meat from ‘commercially raised’ animals
• Minimize or completely eliminate your exposure to tap water. In doing so you will minimize your risk of exposure (through water) to heavy metals, chemicals, hormones, viruses, bacteria and other pollutants.
  • Purchase a shower filter
  • Purchase a water filter
  • Avoid drinking tap water
  • Avoid drinking fruit juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, and other premade beverages that may contain unfiltered water.
• Avoid staying up late and ‘burning the candle at both ends’
• Avoid unhealthy relationships that result in negative emotions and stress being experienced.
• Minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins within your home. This may be through chemical cleaners, personal care products, make-up or other beauty products.
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
• Learn to recognize situations and events that create stress in your life and minimize your exposure.
• Minimize your intake of inflammatory foods such as sugar, caffeine, processed foods, additives, alcohol, and coffee.

The 4 White Devils
White Sugar	Processed Salt
White Flour	Processed Dairy

 

It is through these types of REDUCTION STRATEGIES that an emphasis is placed on the ‘Foundation Principles’ of health. You will notice there is a natural shift towards:

• Improvements in sleep patterns
• Adequate hydration on a daily basis
• A diet based firmly on organic, whole foods
• A diet that focuses on vegetables, leafy greens and healing herbs/spices
• Daily physical activity including healing movement patterns such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, slow walking, and breathing patterns.
• Being grateful on a daily basis
• Practicing mindfulness activities such as meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga and breathing exercises.
• Being happy on a daily basis.
• Connecting with friends and family on a weekly basis.
• Greater mindfulness and a lifestyle that is focused on conscious living, organic living, and sustainable living!

The more simple the strategy, the more successful the outcome.

“There are certain characteristics of the various dietaries of the primitive races, which are universally present when that dietary program is associated with a high immunity to disease and freedom from deformities. In general, these are the foods that provide adequate sources of body-building and body-repairing minerals.” – Weston A. Price

In his book ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’, Weston A. Price speaks openly and honestly about his research of primitive cultures around the world and what he feels is contributing to the patterns of degeneration that we are seeing in Western civilizations.

• The potential influence of the health of the father’s parents prior to conceiving the father – influencing the father’s health history
• The potential influence of the health of the mother’s parents prior to conceiving the mother – influencing the mother’s health history
• An inadequate diet and general unhealthy lifestyle of the mother prior to or at the time of conception
• An inadequate diet and general unhealthy lifestyle of the father prior to or at the time of conception
• Inadequate diet and unhealthy lifestyle of the mother during pregnancy
• Inadequate diet and unhealthy lifestyle of the mother while breast feeding
• Inadequate diet of the baby, toddler, adolescent.

If we investigate these primitive cultures and look at their dietary habits and cultural rituals, we can begin to determine why these civilizations were almost completely free from the diseases and ill health that afflicts modern civilizations. Likewise, we can begin to understand what steps were taken to ensure a healthy conception and minimize birth defects.

• Adherence to the Foundation Principles of Health
• Reinforcement of the mother’s (special) nutrition
• Consciousness that not only the mother should have special nutrition but also the father.

So what is this ‘Special Nutrition’ that these cultures all refer to?

Most prominently it was a conscious effort to maximize the intake of minerals such as iodine, copper, manganese and special vitamins (B vitamins and fat soluble vitamins).

So what are the most nutrient dense foods on earth and how can we learn from these ancient cultures to maximize the likelihood of healthy pregnancies and healthy babies?

Modern science is now proving what these ‘primitive’ cultures instinctively knew and practiced religiously. The most nutrient dense foods on earth consist of:

	Category	Comments
1	Organ Meats and Oils	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
2	Bone Broth, bone marrow	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
3	Herbs and Spices	Organic
4	Nuts and Seeds	Organic
5	Cacao	Organic
6	Fish and Seafood	Wild caught
7	Pork	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
8	Beef	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
9	Eggs and Dairy	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
10	Vegetables (Raw and Unprepared)	Locally produced, in season, organic.
11	Lamb, Veal and Wild Game	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
12	Poultry	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
13	Legumes (Cooked)	Organic
14	Vegetables (Cooked, blanched, pickled)	Locally produced, in season, organic.
15	Plant fats and oils	Organic, unrefined
16	Fruit	Locally produced, in season, organic
17	Animal Skin and feet	Organic, biodynamic, free range.
18	Grains and pseudo-cereals	Organic
19	Animal fats and oils	Organic, unrefined.

 

Before trying to conceive, these cultures instinctively knew to maximize the intake of foods rich in specific types of nutrients.

Nutrient Dense Foods
Iodine	Copper
Sea vegetables	Beef Liver
Scollops	Seafood (oysters, tuna, salmon, sardines)
Cod Fish	Lentils
Yogurt	Almonds
Shrimp	Dried Apricots
Sardines	Raw cacao
Salmon	Asaparagus
Eggs	Mushrooms
Tuna Fish	Turnip Greens
Potato	Sesame seeds & sunflower seeds
Manganese	Folate (B9)
Spices & herbs (cloves, saffron)	Dark Leafy Greens (spinach, etc)
Nuts (Hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans)	Asparagus
Mussels, Oysters, and clams	Broccoli
Raw cacao	Citrus fruits
Roasted pumpkin seeds and tahini	Beans, peas, lentils
Chili	Avocado
Sunflower seeds	Okra
	Brussels Sprouts
	Nuts and seeds
	Cauliflower, beets, corn, celery
Vitamins A, D, E, K	Fat Soluble Vitamins
Sweet potato	Rock Melon
Carrots	Tuna Fish or trout
Dark Leafy Greens (Kale)	Sweet red peppers
Squash	Tropical fruit (mango)
Cos or Romaine lettuce	Cod Liver Oil
Dried Apricots	Mushrooms
Fish Roe (eggs, caviar)	Eggs
Nuts (Almonds, pine, hazelnuts)	Pork
Raw seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)	Swiss Chard
Mustard Greens	Spinach
Turnip Geens	Kale, Broccoli
Plant oils (hempseed, coconut)	Avocado
Cucumbers	Prunes
Basil	Cabbage

 

Each of these primitive cultures were reliant upon foods that were readily accessible to them given their unique environment. For example:

Eskimos of Alaska

• Liberal use of organs & other special tissues of the large animal life of the sea.
• Seal oil and seal meat
• Caribou meat
• Plant foods and berries

Indians in the Rocky Mountain Ranges

• Wild game – Moose and Caribou
• The marrow and nutritive qualities of the bones
• Organs of the animals

Islands north of Australia / Archipelagos of the South Pacific

• Shell fish and various scale fish
• Animal life from the sea
• Plant roots and fruits, raw and cooked
• Taro
• Coconut cream

The benefits of organic, whole food supplements include:

• Maximum nutrient density – Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and cofactors.
• No exposure to chemicals or other toxins: Herbicides, rodenticides, fertilizers.
• No exposure to GMO
• Maximal benefit from natural enzymes and ingesting a broad spectrum of phytonutrients.
• Avoid exposure to synthetic vitamins and minerals that are often stressful to your body and can create imbalances within your body’s delicate systems.
• Enhanced bioavailability – This simply means that more nutrients are available and assimilated within your body.

Yes! Our experienced practitioners will listen to your overall health history, analyze your specific needs and then discuss possible strategies with you. Together you can formulate a plan to enhance both the healing process and promote fertility.

Our practitioners are also highly skilled in addressing other key issues often associated with conception or pregnancy.

Hormonal Imbalances	Fertility problems	Endometriosis
Menstrual problems	Nausea and vomiting	Chronic fatigue
Digestive issues	Morning sickness	Insomnia
Back pain	Food sensitivities	Prenatal Fitness
Anxiety	Depression

This is probably the most frequently asked question of our practitioners. First, remember that adding a multi-vitamin to an inflammatory lifestyle is unlikely to provide the ‘protection’ that you’re after. The first step is to develop an individualized ‘reduction strategy’ that will enhance your health and either promote a healthy conception or promote the healthy development of the fetus. Once this is achieved the next step is to implement ‘Life Enhancement Strategies’ that include introducing nutrient dense, organic whole foods with a specific emphasis on ‘special foods’ that are rich in specific vitamins and minerals.

The last step is to implement an organic, whole food supplement that can support a healthy conception/pregnancy. There is a wide range of supplements available and your practitioner will need to assess your individual needs first before a specific recommendation can be made.

Most certainly! Our first recommendation would be to have a (free) phone consultation with one of our Integrative Health Practitioners so that they can introduce themselves and ask specific questions about your health history and previous exercise experience. Once the practitioner clears you for exercise the next step is to undergo a ‘Functional Movement Screen’ to ensure your injury risk is minimal and you’re safe to begin exercising.

The Body Genius Institute has a specialized Movement Coach who can then design and implement an individualized exercise plan that suits your needs.

Can you help me to improve my pelvic floor strength and regain my figure?

Yes. We have a highly skilled physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic floor exercises and is Pilates trained. Regaining your figure involves both exercise and healthy lifestyle choices that include adhering to the Foundation Principles of health. Our skilled practitioners can help to outline a plan that is most suited to your needs.

What advice would you give me to ensure that my baby is getting the most nutrients from my breast milk? And how long should I breast feed for?

Your breast milk is a reflection of your inner health. As such following a suitable ‘Reduction Strategy’ is the first step. This may include minimizing or eliminating alcohol, coffee, sugar, processed foods, additives, or exposure to chemicals in your home (cleaning products, personal care products). The next step is to maximize your overall health with ‘Life Enhancement strategies’ such as regular exercise, adequate hydration, organic nutrient dense whole foods and mindfulness practices. The practitioner may also advise that you supplement your diet with an organic whole food supplement.

As for how long you should breast feed, it may be best to consider the practices of primitive cultures from around the world. These cultures have survived and thrived, free from disease, for many thousands of years. In these cultures it was generally accepted that women should breastfeed their babies for two to four years.

My husband and I would like to have a second baby. How do you think we should wait before conceiving?

To answer this question we can once again turn to the outstanding research of Weston A. Price and his book ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.’

“It is significant that while these important factors are just coming to light in our modernized civilization, the evidence clearly indicates that several so-called primitive races have been conscious of the need for safeguarding motherhood from reproductive overloads which would reduce the capacity for efficient reproduction.”

The Ibos of Nigeria felt it was mandatory to have at least a three-year gap between children.

The people of Peru, Ecuador and Columbia believe that a two and half year gap between each child is the minimum difference of age, and in the majority of cases it is even greater.

Why do these cultures believe such a long gap is necessary? They are conscious of the fact that these matters are related to the health, nutrition and vitality of both parents. They share the belief that the food eaten by the parents will have a definite influence upon the birth, appearance, and character of the child.