Pregnancy Health with Emma Jones Phillips
How to achieve optimum health in pregnancy and create an easier birth
Over the years of working as a Naturopathic Nutritionist I have seen many women go through the same patterns in pregnancy but it wasn't until I had my daughter last year that I suddenly found out how important diet and emotional health is in sustaining a healthy pregnancy and recovering quickly after the birth.
We often have a lot of information in the nutritional world about the preconception diet and supplements but when it comes down to pregnancy and after care then there is often caution around changes in diet and supplements. This may then lead the mother and baby into nutritional deficiencies and possible poor emotional welling being.
Here are my top tips for pregnancy Health and how to feel good after the birth and during the breast feeding process. If you are interested in deeper personal knowledge on pregnancy, breast feeding and creating healthy strong toddlers who have a healthy sustainable diet then come along to my workshop;
Pregnancy, Breast Feeding and Children’s Health Workshop
November 28th 10-2 pm @ 1 Fields Park road , Pontcanna, Cardiff, CF119JP @. £50
Everything you need to know on this subject from 18 years experience as a naturopath and experience as a mother.
Traditionally in the Naturopathic nutrition world we say that a woman needs to prepare nutritionally and emotionally 2 years in advance for pregnancy to detoxify and balance out any nutritional deficiencies. I find as a practitioner this rarely happens with clients and therefore the mother may not feel at her best in pregnancy.
A general tip is if a woman hasn't done too much detoxification with her diet to not make too many changes to the diet in pregnancy as this can create side effects. Another general supplement or superfood tip is not to use anything that your body hasn't ingested before whilst in pregnancy or if you do then bring in very slowly as your body will be more sensitive during this time, especially if there was not a preparation time for pregnancy.
The first obstacle that women come across in the first 3 months is cravings for foods that are sweet and stimulating. This is because of hormonal changes and changes in blood sugar. General advice around this time is to be gluten free and take a higher level of protein then normal whilst staying fully hydrated. It's important not to go longer than 2 hours without eating a snack in the first 6 weeks as this will regulate blood sugar and help counteract low energy and morning sickness.
Another note on morning sickness is that it can be severe zinc deficiency so increasing foods that are rich in zinc such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, quinoa, and avocado can restore zinc levels but in some cases zinc citrate supplement is required to resolve severe sickness.
It is a very important need to hydrate in pregnancy and even more in breast feeding. The minimum requirement is 4 pints of water or more.
Although folic acid is prescribed and needed in pregnancy, It is important to take a B complex with the folic acid. As if you increase one B vitamin such as folic, over time the other B vitamins can become low and this has a direct effect on energy. In Australian research there is a strong link with excessive folic acid In pregnancy and tongue tie in babies. Average safe dosage is 400 iu. from a a natural food source supplement .
The importance of good fats in the second and third trimester and during breast feeding cannot be emphasised enough as the omega 3 levels are being used up to develop the babies brain and keep the mother feeling emotionally well. Although Fish oils are not recommended due to the vitamin A levels and pollution, other fats can be life changing such as linseed, hemp, chia and walnuts.
I usually recommend a good DHA vegan supplement at this stage to raise the levels. In fact stretch marks are entirely linked to low omega 3 and poor zinc and vitamin E levels. An increase in omega 3 can prevent or heal stretch marks all together. Coconut oil is wonderful as a source of vitamin E, rubbed on the body and taken internally.
Magnesium is a mineral that is essential and needs to be increased at each trimester to create a more natural, easier birth. This can be found in green foods and nettle tea. If magnesium runs low in the body then it can lead to muscles aches, back problems and a longer labour. Usually a supplement is required to resolve deficiency. It has to be magnesium citrate and only starting with 100 mg. However it is best to consult a practitioner before embarking on magnesium supplements in pregnancy.
Iron is crucial in pregnancy for the energy levels and a healthy placenta. I love to recommend nettle tea and green juices for a source of iron. However the natural supplement spa tone is a water source of iron that is very absorbable with no side effects. I think this is an essential to keep energy levels up and to avoid medical iron that is difficult for the body to absorb and can lead to side effects.
Vitamin D is I important for bones, teeth and emotional health during pregnancy and breastfeeding as the baby is getting a large supply of the mother’s vitamin D to strengthen bones and teeth, the mother can become deficient leading to tooth decay and loss of height due to shrinkage in the spine. Vitamin D is responsible for over 200 hormonal processes so it has a crucial part to play in pregnancy. Spray form is a better option for this supplement and taken under the tongue, average dosage 3000 iu.
During my workshop I will be expanding on all of the above and talking about iodine / thyroid health in pregnancy as well as adrenal health post pregnancy. These two hormonal glands are key to staying well and energised during breastfeeding.
I will also will be covering emotional health and the effect on oxytocin and the breastfeeding process. As well as the importance of support and nourishment during the breastfeeding process and how to successfully wean babies and toddlers the Naturopathic way.
If you can't make the workshop then the recording is available @ £25 please send us an email if you would like to receive this.
Pregnancy can be the most rewarding and beautiful time of a woman's life and to create an enriching experience for the mother, father and the baby. Diet places a massive impact that can affect the Mother and babies wellbeing long term.
The immune system can be at its healthiest in Pregnancy and so it is usually the healthiest time of our life if we make some simple changes to lifestyle.
Before embarking on any major changes or new supplements in pregnancy please consult your Naturopathic nutritionist.
If you would like to book a session with me or another practitioner please contact us.
Emma "Healthy" Jones Phillips
Unleash the Power of the Mind by Steve Phillips
In the Chinese traditional Medicine system, this season (21 Sept – 21st Dec) is related to the Metal element and the mind. In Eastern philosophy the mind is referred to as ones enemy or best friend. So how do we make the mind our best friend instead of our worst enemy?
Our minds are very powerful; there is so much research now that has proved the power of the mind in relation to healing the body. The placebo effect is one of the most commonly known where patients that take the placebo or sugar pill with no intrinsic health benefits as a base experiment and others taking pharmaceutical drugs to see the difference in the effects. Surprisingly many of the placebo patients also gain benefits sometimes as much or more than the patients taking the pharmaceutical drugs!
How can this be? What are the factors that are affecting the healing in these individuals? Well, the mind in these individuals is one of the factors that is helping to influence a healthy outcome. The patients taking the placebo do not know if they have taken the placebo or the drug, but the mind is there telling them that a Dr or a person in a white coat usually is giving them a medication to make them better therefore usually it does.
The mind, if controlled will do what it is told; also it cannot tell the difference between something that has actually happened and something that has simply been thought of. Experiments have been taken where some athletes run and others just meditate on running, then when they checked the physical results they noticed that both were the same!
We think many thousands of thoughts every day and the quality of these thoughts will depend upon the quality of our lives. They can impact our health, relationships, business and general physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Other experiments have proved that the mind also doesn't know the difference between a positive and a negative statement for example if you say to someone “Do not think about a pink elephant” the first thing they think of is a pink elephant, therefore it is important that we monitor what we feed to our minds because
“What we speak becomes the house we live in.” Hafiz.
Here are 3 top tips for helping to control the mind and make it your best friend-
- Meditation – Mantra meditation in particular is a very powerful way of helping to control the mind. Focusing on sacred mantras help to calm the mind and remove unwanted thoughts. You are welcome to come to our Kirtan meditation in Milgis on Sun 22nd Nov where we will be singing mantras with melodious instruments.
- Be mindful and practise catching yourself when you are thinking negatively – Try replacing negative thoughts and words with positive ones:“Watch your thoughts, they become words;watch your words, they become actions;watch your actions, they become habits;watch your habits, they become character;watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Frank Outlaw
- Take time to plan – Write out what is in your head! We have so many thoughts flying around our heads of things we need to do, simply putting pen to paper can help to alleviate and anxieties and then you can deal with it when you have the time.
Finally, simply knowing that this is the season that focuses on the mind can bring us some solace. We may notice that our minds are most focused in this season and that we just need some fine tuning in order to make our minds our best friends. If you need any help in this area you could consider a therapist to help that specialises in the mind and how it works.
Remember to be kind to yourself, you may find that the best reward you have from putting some of these tips into practise is some peace and serenity so that you can truly be more present in your day to day relations with yourself and others.
Up and Coming Events: Please email us to secure your space with any of these events.
Kirtan in the Yurt
Sunday the 22nd Nov 2-4pm Just £5 with Vegetarian wholefood Bowl
Come and experience for yourself the power of mantra meditation, free your mind from its constant thoughts and anxieties, allow it to bathe in the bliss of congregational song
Pregnancy, Breast Feeding and Children’s Health Workshop
November 28th 10-2 pm, 1 Fields Park road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, Cf119JP @£50
Everything you need to know on this subject from 18 years experience as a naturopath and experience as a mother.
Natural Fertility Workshops
Tues 24th Nov, 1st, 8th and 15th Dec 1 Fields Park road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, Cf119JP @£50 Click here for tickets
Emma has worked in the field of Naturopathic Nutrition for 18 years and has had a high success rate in the area of fertility with many of her clients. Some have experienced extensive fertility treatment before meeting Emma, then taken on the Naturopathic aproach and conceived naturally.
This is what a previous client said:
“Me and my partner were trying for a baby for 10 years with three unsuccessful IVF’s behind us we started a nutritional program with Emma "Healthy" Jones Phillips, three months later we successfully conceived. And I gave birth to a healthy baby boy months later.” Anonymous
Thank you for reading this newsletter, we hope it was useful information. Up and coming information for December, detox or retox for the festive season, festive recipes, supporting the body for the winter solstice.
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