Whether you decide to do whole food supplements or not, really depends on your diet and how much wholesome food you take in to nourish yourself and growing baby.
What Are Whole Foods Supplements?
Sometimes it can be confusing to know what is real and what is synthetic. That's why it is so important to know your sources. I love what I take because they all come directly from food in nature, not chemicals made in a lab. Here's a good run down from Dr. Ben Kim on a few differences between the two:
We also have to remember that taking whole food supplements cannot replace a poor diet. Your intake of vitamins and minerals should first come from the food you eat and whatever you are lacking to use whole food supplements.
What Are Whole Foods Supplements?
Sometimes it can be confusing to know what is real and what is synthetic. That's why it is so important to know your sources. I love what I take because they all come directly from food in nature, not chemicals made in a lab. Here's a good run down from Dr. Ben Kim on a few differences between the two:
- The majority of commercial vitamins supplements are made up of synthetic vitamins.
- Synthetic vitamins do not perform the same functions in your body as vitamins found naturally in whole food.
- Many synthetic vitamins deplete your body of other nutrients and tax your kidneys before being excreted through your urine.
We also have to remember that taking whole food supplements cannot replace a poor diet. Your intake of vitamins and minerals should first come from the food you eat and whatever you are lacking to use whole food supplements.
Some midwives encourage whole food or food-based prenatal vitamins & supplements as insurance that mama and baby will get everything they need plus more. It makes sense why with how depleted our soils are these days and how many vitamins & minerals are lacking in our bodies. The nutrients in the soils are not the same as they were over 100 years ago.
Now, other midwives believe you can get all your nutrients, vitamins & minerals through the food you eat. Period. In some degree, I believe you can… but that’s if you are and have been eating a healthy, wholesome diet long before you became pregnant.
Which is why it is vital to start preparing your body now (if you are not pregnant yet or in between having babies) for making babies through wholesome foods (Check out Super Foods for Mama & Baby - coming soon!) and supplements. It takes time to restore your body after abusing it for many years through eating processed foods, pollution and improper care.
Making a baby is a lot of work for a mama's body and it is best to start "getting the house ready" by cleaning out your body with natural cleanses, a good diet (especially super foods!) and supplements (if needed) before the baby moves in!
Which is why it is vital to start preparing your body now (if you are not pregnant yet or in between having babies) for making babies through wholesome foods (Check out Super Foods for Mama & Baby - coming soon!) and supplements. It takes time to restore your body after abusing it for many years through eating processed foods, pollution and improper care.
Making a baby is a lot of work for a mama's body and it is best to start "getting the house ready" by cleaning out your body with natural cleanses, a good diet (especially super foods!) and supplements (if needed) before the baby moves in!
Now, with all that said… I would like to share with you the whole food supplements I’ve taken with most all my pregnancies (and while breastfeeding too) and am taking today with Bebé Numero Cuatro.
Here are the 8 whole food supplements I take daily for a healthy & strong pregnancy (Note- I take my supplements throughout the day rather than taking it all at once, too much!):
Rainbow Light Pre-natal Multivitamin (once a day)
I've taken this food-based Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatal One Multivitamin since my second pregnancy and have been happy with it. I believe this multivitamin is the second best from the New Chapter Organics Perfect Prenatal. I would've liked to take the New Chapter Organics Perfect Prenatal, but found the price a little too much for our budget. Thankfully this one is less expensive, but good quality and has whole foods, herbs & probiotics to make them easy for the body to digest. Recently Rainbow Light has come out with an organic version
of the Pre-natal Multivitamin... the price is a little higher, but not by much. I've always found Vitacost.com to have the best prices, but Amazon sometimes has good prices too!
I have also played around with the idea of making a homemade multivitamin powder using herbs and whole foods... Bulk Herb Store has something like that and it looks good! You can capsulate it, mix it with some juice or just throw it in your daily smoothie. I believe that would be the next step for me, pregnant or not. I figure doing a homemade multivitamin powder OR tincture would be great for my family's health overall!
I've taken this food-based Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatal One Multivitamin since my second pregnancy and have been happy with it. I believe this multivitamin is the second best from the New Chapter Organics Perfect Prenatal. I would've liked to take the New Chapter Organics Perfect Prenatal, but found the price a little too much for our budget. Thankfully this one is less expensive, but good quality and has whole foods, herbs & probiotics to make them easy for the body to digest. Recently Rainbow Light has come out with an organic version
of the Pre-natal Multivitamin... the price is a little higher, but not by much. I've always found Vitacost.com to have the best prices, but Amazon sometimes has good prices too!I have also played around with the idea of making a homemade multivitamin powder using herbs and whole foods... Bulk Herb Store has something like that and it looks good! You can capsulate it, mix it with some juice or just throw it in your daily smoothie. I believe that would be the next step for me, pregnant or not. I figure doing a homemade multivitamin powder OR tincture would be great for my family's health overall!
Garden of Life Probiotics (3 - 6 pills daily)
A healthy gut flora is essential for a healthy pregnancy & birth! When babies are born naturally through the vaginal area, they get covered with whatever good & bad bacteria the mama has... setting them up for life with a colony of bacteria that can either make a healthy person or sickly person. That is why it is so important to have a healthy gut flora while pregnant. Probiotics also help keep urinary tract infections, yeast infections and Group B Strep at bay while boosting your immunity.
I love Garden of Life's
probiotics and I can feel it working. I have taken different brands of probiotics, but found G of L to be the best for our money. I use both their Ultra Ultimate Probiotics and Women's Raw Probiotics, but I also make sure to eat LOTS of probiotics through drinking homemade kefir & lacto-fermented foods. I have bought G of L on both Amazon.com and Vitacost.com... it just depends on who has the better price and free shipping!
A healthy gut flora is essential for a healthy pregnancy & birth! When babies are born naturally through the vaginal area, they get covered with whatever good & bad bacteria the mama has... setting them up for life with a colony of bacteria that can either make a healthy person or sickly person. That is why it is so important to have a healthy gut flora while pregnant. Probiotics also help keep urinary tract infections, yeast infections and Group B Strep at bay while boosting your immunity.
I love Garden of Life's
probiotics and I can feel it working. I have taken different brands of probiotics, but found G of L to be the best for our money. I use both their Ultra Ultimate Probiotics and Women's Raw Probiotics, but I also make sure to eat LOTS of probiotics through drinking homemade kefir & lacto-fermented foods. I have bought G of L on both Amazon.com and Vitacost.com... it just depends on who has the better price and free shipping!Kelp (1-3 tsp of powder or 2 - 4 caps daily)
I just started taking Kelp with pregnancy #4 and have noticed an increase in my energy levels. Kelp is prized for its iodine content and an excellent source of of calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium and other minerals including trace minerals.
I recently learned that tests done in Japan claim that Kelp can prevent fetus abnormalities! Taking Kelp during pregnancy is also good for normalizing glands, hormones and has a high mineral content. Finally, it acts as an antibiotic and assists the thyroid in releasing iodine into the blood stream when infection is present. Iodine fights infection, which helps prevent disease. This is good to know for those who may be at high risk of infection during pregnancy and/or birth...especially if you are doing a hospital birth.
I prefer to capsulate my own Kelp using fresh powder from Bulk Herb Store (the cheapest & most sure way you are get 100% kelp!), but you can get already capsulated kelp from any health food store or online. Vitacost.com has many great brands & prices too! (Here's my referral link to get a $10 off coupon on your first purchase)
Spirulina (2-3 tsp of powder or 4 caps daily)
I've taken this on and off throughout my 3rd and now 4th pregnancies, but after doing more research... realized that I need to be more consistent with taking this amazing stuff!
Spirulina is packed with a multitude of bio available vitamins including 4 times more B12 than most animal liver. Because it grows in a naturally alkaline environment, it is also comprised of a wide range of essential minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and so on. It is also an abundant source of Beta- carotene (40 time more than spinach), and gamma-Linolein acid.
And that's not all of it... Spirulina is a strong Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It protects the cells, organs, and body tissues from oxidative stress along with stimulating the vitality of cells, in particular red corpuscles to insure proper oxygenation of muscle cells. It is also rich in proteins (18 amino acids), vitamins (E, B1, B2, B3, B12, and ET P), essential fatty acids, minerals, polysaccharides, and trace elements.
Taking spirulina during pregnancy, birth & nursing is great because it helps supports the immune system & joint health, protects & detoxifies the liver-kidney system and supports a healthy inflammatory response & neurological health.
I prefer to capsulate my own Spirulina and buy the powder from Bulk Herb Store (great prices, excellent quality products and good services... what can I say!). As you can see from the pictures above... I didn't capsulate those, but bought it on Vitacost.com for a great price a while back. I am almost out and will be going back to using the capsule machine! If you don't want to capsulate (not enough time or don't care), you can simply mix the Spirulina in some juice (same with Kelp). I find fresh orange juice to be the only way for me to swallow it down... it hides the taste really well.
I just started taking Kelp with pregnancy #4 and have noticed an increase in my energy levels. Kelp is prized for its iodine content and an excellent source of of calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium and other minerals including trace minerals.
I recently learned that tests done in Japan claim that Kelp can prevent fetus abnormalities! Taking Kelp during pregnancy is also good for normalizing glands, hormones and has a high mineral content. Finally, it acts as an antibiotic and assists the thyroid in releasing iodine into the blood stream when infection is present. Iodine fights infection, which helps prevent disease. This is good to know for those who may be at high risk of infection during pregnancy and/or birth...especially if you are doing a hospital birth.
I prefer to capsulate my own Kelp using fresh powder from Bulk Herb Store (the cheapest & most sure way you are get 100% kelp!), but you can get already capsulated kelp from any health food store or online. Vitacost.com has many great brands & prices too! (Here's my referral link to get a $10 off coupon on your first purchase)
Spirulina (2-3 tsp of powder or 4 caps daily)
I've taken this on and off throughout my 3rd and now 4th pregnancies, but after doing more research... realized that I need to be more consistent with taking this amazing stuff!
Spirulina is packed with a multitude of bio available vitamins including 4 times more B12 than most animal liver. Because it grows in a naturally alkaline environment, it is also comprised of a wide range of essential minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and so on. It is also an abundant source of Beta- carotene (40 time more than spinach), and gamma-Linolein acid.
And that's not all of it... Spirulina is a strong Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It protects the cells, organs, and body tissues from oxidative stress along with stimulating the vitality of cells, in particular red corpuscles to insure proper oxygenation of muscle cells. It is also rich in proteins (18 amino acids), vitamins (E, B1, B2, B3, B12, and ET P), essential fatty acids, minerals, polysaccharides, and trace elements.
Taking spirulina during pregnancy, birth & nursing is great because it helps supports the immune system & joint health, protects & detoxifies the liver-kidney system and supports a healthy inflammatory response & neurological health.
I prefer to capsulate my own Spirulina and buy the powder from Bulk Herb Store (great prices, excellent quality products and good services... what can I say!). As you can see from the pictures above... I didn't capsulate those, but bought it on Vitacost.com for a great price a while back. I am almost out and will be going back to using the capsule machine! If you don't want to capsulate (not enough time or don't care), you can simply mix the Spirulina in some juice (same with Kelp). I find fresh orange juice to be the only way for me to swallow it down... it hides the taste really well.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil (2-3 tsp daily)
Yes, I'm sure most of you are cringing & making that yucky face :o) Fermented Cod Liver may not be a favorite food for a lot of people (especially us mamas!), but it is essential for overall health. I take it because I know FCLO is vital for me and my baby during pregnancy & nursing (and for my family too!). If I could recommend only one (or two) supplements for you & your family, it would be Fermented Cod Liver Oil & Butter Oil (more in the next section). Let me tell you why...
FCLO is an excellent source of natural fat-soluble Vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA)... two nutrients that we often lack and DHA is needed for proper brain & nervous system function. If you want to prevent learning disabilities for your baby and growing children, feed them FCLO! It also has over twice the recommended daily amount of Vitamin D in just a half teaspoon. Vitamin D is crucial to fertility & pregnancy and studies show that up to 50% of women & most North Americans are deficient of this important vitamin. Vitamin D promotes proper development of the bones, especially during the 3rd trimester when the fetal skeleton begins to grow quickly.
So, this amazing oil contain large amounts of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, preformed Vitamin A and sunlight Vitamin D!! All essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts in our diets today. Not only that, but it may also naturally contain small amounts of Vitamin K - the important bone & blood maintainer!
I highly recommend Green Pasture's Cod Liver Oil and is the only supplement (along with Butter Oil) I am willing to spend more on for my family, but some might not be able to afford this particular brand. Other brands that I have taken and recommend (but these brands do not have the benefits of the old-fashioned fermentation method) are Garden of Life Icelandic Cod Liver Oil, Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil and Twinlab Norwegian Cod Liver Oil. I know some will say only Green Pasture and nothing else, but I rather encourage you take one of the other options then none at all! If you are going for an even cheaper brand (which I don't recommend), beware of synthetic vitamin A & D often added in and they can be toxic. I also highly recommend taking the liquid form, rather than the pill form because you can get more cod liver oil for less money. The pill form is always more expensive and you will have to swallow about 15 to 20 pills a day to get the recommended amount needed for pregnant mamas! I know you are wondering how in the world you are going to gag down cod liver oil... milk as been my best method for swallowing down the liquid. It helps wash & hold down the fishy flavor and I get less burbs afterwards. I also take it after a good meal.
I buy my Green Pasture Cod Liver Oil through a group buy-in, thus helping me and my family save money. The Green Pasture company often has great sales that pop up randomly at times, so I am always on the lookout to stock up whenever they do a sale. If you are wanting to buy the other recommended brands... again, Vitacost.com (the link is my referral code, which you can get $10 off on your first purchase) is the best place to get good prices! I know I am starting to sound like a broken record about Vitacost, but it is true! Amazon sometimes have better prices than Vitacost, but not always.
Yes, I'm sure most of you are cringing & making that yucky face :o) Fermented Cod Liver may not be a favorite food for a lot of people (especially us mamas!), but it is essential for overall health. I take it because I know FCLO is vital for me and my baby during pregnancy & nursing (and for my family too!). If I could recommend only one (or two) supplements for you & your family, it would be Fermented Cod Liver Oil & Butter Oil (more in the next section). Let me tell you why...
FCLO is an excellent source of natural fat-soluble Vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA)... two nutrients that we often lack and DHA is needed for proper brain & nervous system function. If you want to prevent learning disabilities for your baby and growing children, feed them FCLO! It also has over twice the recommended daily amount of Vitamin D in just a half teaspoon. Vitamin D is crucial to fertility & pregnancy and studies show that up to 50% of women & most North Americans are deficient of this important vitamin. Vitamin D promotes proper development of the bones, especially during the 3rd trimester when the fetal skeleton begins to grow quickly.
So, this amazing oil contain large amounts of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, preformed Vitamin A and sunlight Vitamin D!! All essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts in our diets today. Not only that, but it may also naturally contain small amounts of Vitamin K - the important bone & blood maintainer!
I highly recommend Green Pasture's Cod Liver Oil and is the only supplement (along with Butter Oil) I am willing to spend more on for my family, but some might not be able to afford this particular brand. Other brands that I have taken and recommend (but these brands do not have the benefits of the old-fashioned fermentation method) are Garden of Life Icelandic Cod Liver Oil, Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil and Twinlab Norwegian Cod Liver Oil. I know some will say only Green Pasture and nothing else, but I rather encourage you take one of the other options then none at all! If you are going for an even cheaper brand (which I don't recommend), beware of synthetic vitamin A & D often added in and they can be toxic. I also highly recommend taking the liquid form, rather than the pill form because you can get more cod liver oil for less money. The pill form is always more expensive and you will have to swallow about 15 to 20 pills a day to get the recommended amount needed for pregnant mamas! I know you are wondering how in the world you are going to gag down cod liver oil... milk as been my best method for swallowing down the liquid. It helps wash & hold down the fishy flavor and I get less burbs afterwards. I also take it after a good meal.
I buy my Green Pasture Cod Liver Oil through a group buy-in, thus helping me and my family save money. The Green Pasture company often has great sales that pop up randomly at times, so I am always on the lookout to stock up whenever they do a sale. If you are wanting to buy the other recommended brands... again, Vitacost.com (the link is my referral code, which you can get $10 off on your first purchase) is the best place to get good prices! I know I am starting to sound like a broken record about Vitacost, but it is true! Amazon sometimes have better prices than Vitacost, but not always.
Butter Oil (1-2 tsp daily)
I learned a couple years back that when you are taking FCLO, it is best to also take it with High Vitamin Butter Oil for a more complete absorption of the Vitamin K (found in the butter oil) and Vitamins A & D (in the FCLO) to obtain the full benefits of both of these products.
Butter Oil is produced from cows eating 100% rapidly growing green grass which produces high amounts of much needed Vitamin K & E. The X-factor in butter oil can improve your digestion, strengthen your immune system (contains antibacterial & antiviral properties), protect you from infectious disease and create healthy, strong bones & teeth. When combining the butter oil with fermented cod liver oil, it offers the strongest protection from colds, flu and other sickness and speed healing to the body. Read more on Contents & Benefits of High Vitamin Butter Oil.
Yeah... this stuff, along with FCLO, is amazing and excellent for the health of you and your growing baby! It is another thing I am willing to spend more on. Green Pasture is the only company that makes truly High Vitamin Butter Oil. I have been buying a different brand that costs much less, but we have to take much more to get the benefits and I am not totally sure if it provides all the benefits like Green Pasture's High Vitamin Butter Oil does. A little bit of their Butter Oil each day goes a long way!
Like the situation with fermented cod liver oil... I figure it was better to take some form of high vitamin butter oil then none at all, even if it is not from Green Pasture. I simply spread some on toast or eat it on a spoon topped with some honey.
I learned a couple years back that when you are taking FCLO, it is best to also take it with High Vitamin Butter Oil for a more complete absorption of the Vitamin K (found in the butter oil) and Vitamins A & D (in the FCLO) to obtain the full benefits of both of these products.
Butter Oil is produced from cows eating 100% rapidly growing green grass which produces high amounts of much needed Vitamin K & E. The X-factor in butter oil can improve your digestion, strengthen your immune system (contains antibacterial & antiviral properties), protect you from infectious disease and create healthy, strong bones & teeth. When combining the butter oil with fermented cod liver oil, it offers the strongest protection from colds, flu and other sickness and speed healing to the body. Read more on Contents & Benefits of High Vitamin Butter Oil.
Yeah... this stuff, along with FCLO, is amazing and excellent for the health of you and your growing baby! It is another thing I am willing to spend more on. Green Pasture is the only company that makes truly High Vitamin Butter Oil. I have been buying a different brand that costs much less, but we have to take much more to get the benefits and I am not totally sure if it provides all the benefits like Green Pasture's High Vitamin Butter Oil does. A little bit of their Butter Oil each day goes a long way!
Like the situation with fermented cod liver oil... I figure it was better to take some form of high vitamin butter oil then none at all, even if it is not from Green Pasture. I simply spread some on toast or eat it on a spoon topped with some honey.
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (1 Tbsp daily)
I started taking Raw Apple Cider Vinegar more regularly after becoming pregnant again with my 4th. I had been taking it on & off before I was pregnant, but decided to get more consistent on taking it (and my family too!).
There are many reasons that Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is safe and healthy to take during pregnancy, according to Bragg's website: "It helps to rid the body of sludge toxins and may even help with any complications that may arise or have arisen with pregnancy. It also supports regularity & promotes digestion". But that's not all!
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, even though it tastes acidic, actually helps the body to maintain the vital acid-alkine balance. Keeping our wombs & bodies more alkaline is important as it creates an environment that bacteria, fungus and viral infections cannot grow or survive. RACV is rich in Malic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Calcium, Potassium, Pectin, Acetic Acid, Ash and bacteria. All that helps support a healthy immune system, eliminate heartburn naturally, manage weight control, improve digestion, reduces joint pain & stiffness, clear up skin conditions, prevents food poisoning, can reduce bad breath, a natural remedy for diarrhea, reduces the appearance of cellulite and potentially helps to reduce the levels of glucose in the blood (thus controlling blood sugar levels!). This last one is good to know for pregnant mamas who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetics!
The way I take my RACV is to mix it with a little water, a few drops of stevia (raw honey or maple syrup can be used too) and chug it down with a glass of water in my other hand ready to drink down. The stevia helps take the "edge" off of the that vinegary taste! You can also splash it on your salad or cooked food too. It is not necessary to keep your RACV in the fridge and best to store it out of light.
I like the Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, but I know there are other brands out there that are raw, unpasteurized and have the "mother" (very important for the anti-bacterial & fungal properties!).
Coconut Oil (not pictured)
I almost forgot to include this VERY important food that I have taken daily since I first learned about the many benefits of eating coconut oil. I've taken coconut oil since my first baby, Naomi, was born and still taking it 6 years later!
Coconut oil is an excellent source of lauric acid (contains about 50%), which is a powerful anti-microbial fatty acid that protects the immune system of the mama, fetus and newborn. We pregnant & nursing mamas should eat coconut oil to increase the quality of our womb environment and breastmilk!
Coconut oil provides pregnant mamas & growing babies a rich combination of vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins that are so good for us! Our breastmilk contains about 45 to 50% saturated fat and 20% lauric acid & capric acid which is also found in coconut oil. Lauric & capric acid have potent antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasiticidal properties that support the immune system. These amazing fatty acids give your nursing baby protection from illnesses, viruses (such as herpes & HIV), protozoa (such as giardia lamblia) and bacteria!
Research has found when a nursing mama adds foods rich in lauric acid (coconut oil!) to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breastmilk increases greatly to levels 3 times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. If you were to eat a single meal of coconut oil, it would greatly affect the breastmilk fatty acid structures for 1 to 3 days with the maximum increase happening during the first 10 hours. Amazing, right?
I simply take a spoonful every morning and afternoon. I also like to add it in my oatmeal and smoothies. I also often cook with it, but love to eat it straight from the jar! I'm sure you have figured about by now that I am all about saving money when it comes to buying needed supplements! I have found, again, Vitacost.com to have the best price anywhere for Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (that's my favorite brand, tastes delicious!). I have also bought Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Amazon.com occasionally when their "subscribe & save" program provides a price that is lower then Vitacost.
What about you? Do you take whole food supplements? What do you take and why?
Note: Almost all the links up there are my affiliated links. When you make a purchase through those links... I get a small compensation and its no charge to you! Thank you for supporting me and my family by using the links to make your purchases :o)
Linked up at Simple Lives Thursday & Monday Mania
I started taking Raw Apple Cider Vinegar more regularly after becoming pregnant again with my 4th. I had been taking it on & off before I was pregnant, but decided to get more consistent on taking it (and my family too!).
There are many reasons that Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is safe and healthy to take during pregnancy, according to Bragg's website: "It helps to rid the body of sludge toxins and may even help with any complications that may arise or have arisen with pregnancy. It also supports regularity & promotes digestion". But that's not all!
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, even though it tastes acidic, actually helps the body to maintain the vital acid-alkine balance. Keeping our wombs & bodies more alkaline is important as it creates an environment that bacteria, fungus and viral infections cannot grow or survive. RACV is rich in Malic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Calcium, Potassium, Pectin, Acetic Acid, Ash and bacteria. All that helps support a healthy immune system, eliminate heartburn naturally, manage weight control, improve digestion, reduces joint pain & stiffness, clear up skin conditions, prevents food poisoning, can reduce bad breath, a natural remedy for diarrhea, reduces the appearance of cellulite and potentially helps to reduce the levels of glucose in the blood (thus controlling blood sugar levels!). This last one is good to know for pregnant mamas who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetics!
The way I take my RACV is to mix it with a little water, a few drops of stevia (raw honey or maple syrup can be used too) and chug it down with a glass of water in my other hand ready to drink down. The stevia helps take the "edge" off of the that vinegary taste! You can also splash it on your salad or cooked food too. It is not necessary to keep your RACV in the fridge and best to store it out of light.
I like the Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, but I know there are other brands out there that are raw, unpasteurized and have the "mother" (very important for the anti-bacterial & fungal properties!).
Coconut Oil (not pictured)
I almost forgot to include this VERY important food that I have taken daily since I first learned about the many benefits of eating coconut oil. I've taken coconut oil since my first baby, Naomi, was born and still taking it 6 years later!
Coconut oil is an excellent source of lauric acid (contains about 50%), which is a powerful anti-microbial fatty acid that protects the immune system of the mama, fetus and newborn. We pregnant & nursing mamas should eat coconut oil to increase the quality of our womb environment and breastmilk!
Coconut oil provides pregnant mamas & growing babies a rich combination of vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins that are so good for us! Our breastmilk contains about 45 to 50% saturated fat and 20% lauric acid & capric acid which is also found in coconut oil. Lauric & capric acid have potent antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasiticidal properties that support the immune system. These amazing fatty acids give your nursing baby protection from illnesses, viruses (such as herpes & HIV), protozoa (such as giardia lamblia) and bacteria!
Research has found when a nursing mama adds foods rich in lauric acid (coconut oil!) to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breastmilk increases greatly to levels 3 times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. If you were to eat a single meal of coconut oil, it would greatly affect the breastmilk fatty acid structures for 1 to 3 days with the maximum increase happening during the first 10 hours. Amazing, right?
I simply take a spoonful every morning and afternoon. I also like to add it in my oatmeal and smoothies. I also often cook with it, but love to eat it straight from the jar! I'm sure you have figured about by now that I am all about saving money when it comes to buying needed supplements! I have found, again, Vitacost.com to have the best price anywhere for Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (that's my favorite brand, tastes delicious!). I have also bought Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Amazon.com occasionally when their "subscribe & save" program provides a price that is lower then Vitacost.
What about you? Do you take whole food supplements? What do you take and why?
Note: Almost all the links up there are my affiliated links. When you make a purchase through those links... I get a small compensation and its no charge to you! Thank you for supporting me and my family by using the links to make your purchases :o)
Linked up at Simple Lives Thursday & Monday Mania
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