Oh, hey there mums to be!
How are you feeling?
Tired? Hungry all the time? Worried? Anxious? Excited? Scared?
Are you on Google every 5 minutes searching for an answer to another pregnancy worry?
Well, that's ok, you are growing a human and it takes a whole lot of work to do that! So always remember to have some compassion for yourself!
I really understand pregnancy is such a huge life-changing experience for you to go through and with it comes lots of changes to your body, mind and eating habits. I hope to alleviate some of that anxiety and answer any questions you might have!
Today's Topic: Food aversions
Wondering why you cannot stand vegetables right now?
Finding that when you try and eat certain food, they make you feel sick, gag or worse; throw up?
(Like we don’t have enough to deal with already!)
I was chatting with my sister-in-law, who is in her first trimester. She was finding every bit of broccoli was making her urge. She felt guilty for not wanting to eat veggies and was worried about the affect of only eating toast or plain food on her health and the baby’s.
This is all very normal, and I think it's important to know the facts. I can help you to understand why you feel this way, possible causes and some tips and tricks to help manage healthy eating habits.
The first trimester is when most food aversions and nausea rear their ugly heads. This also is the time the baby is at its most vulnerable to exposure to outside toxins. ADD REF
Bitter tasting vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage are common food aversions along with many other plant foods.
This is due to wild plant foods containing a type of defence mechanism from pests and fungi and can cause a problem if over consumed, but also contain many fantastic antioxidants. So, if we think back to caveman days, where wild plants were more toxic, it's just our body's natural defence to protect the baby kicking in.
BUT the plant food we eat today is grown and preserved very differently from our ancestors! Therefore, it is important to consume a variety of vegetables and fruit in pregnancy that can help support our immune systems and the health the baby growing inside!
The metabolic shift that your lovely body is going through can be a big factor in these aversions (and cravings).
You may also be finding a heightened sense of smell and strong aromas are very triggering which causes some food aversions too, this all links back to the big old hormonal shift you are facing!
One study found many women wanted colder food like smoothies in the first trimester as they do not have a strong smell.
As with so many factors in pregnancy, our lovely hormone shift and built-in response to protect the baby is partly to blame for the change in our appetites and food preferences. .
Just remember - supplements are essential in pregnancy, they help to fill those gaps that might not be met in a regular pre-pregnancy diet.
Ensure you are taking a good quality supplement, try when you can to mash, blend and add all the veggies you can to smoothies you might be making at home.
(Check out my top supplements in pregnancy here)
Please keep reminding yourself: you are doing a great job carrying that little baby of yours!
These are all normal stages of pregnancy, and they will pass at some point.
Give yourself credit and respect for the amazing journey you are on!
Remember, some days it’s ok to just want toast and butter (or litres of marmite which I kept in my handbag throughout my pregnancy)
Always try to treat yourself with compassion and care, and keep it up, you’re doing great!
Click below to get some top tips on how to get more veggies into your diet, with meal ideas like fritters with hidden spinach, muffins with 5 veggies and soups, soups, soups.
Much love!
Han x