Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven

Since I'm planning on getting pregnant in the near future, I decided it would be a good idea to read this book. It's longer and goes more in depth than Skinny Bitch but uses the same blunt to the point, calls you names and tells you the truth strategy. I'll sum it up for you.

Your knocked up, Now give it up
No drinking, smoking, coffee, soda, or medicine. Drink 10 glasses of water a day.

Yes, It's normal
Back pain, shortness of breath, extra pee, itchy crooch, very tired, heartburn, extra horney, cankles, weight gain, gas, moodiness and constipation. Some ways to stop these things from being so bad:

• Heartburn- no fried foods, spicy foods, carbonated drinks. Drink chamomile tea and if it's really bad consult an herbalist or naturopath
• Mood swings- up your vitamin B; apricots, avocado, banana, dates, figs, soybeans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, green leafy vegetables and whole grains
• Morning Sickness- bananas, brown rice, corn, nuts, whole grains, avocado, and potato. drink chamomile, anise and ginger teas

Sugar is Satin
Sugar = mood swings, increased risk of preeclamsia and higher chance of gestational diabetes. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup, sweet & low, splenda and aspartame. Peppermint tea will help kick sugar craving. Subs for sugar: evaporated cane juice, sucanat, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, rapadura sugar, turbinado sugar, raw sugar, beet sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, molasses and agave nectar.

Carbs: Eat'em, Dumb Ass
No simple carbs (most refined, processed foods), eat complex carbs. It will incread serotonin levels, fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils.

Got Duped?Blind Obedience
Are you familiar with the Milgram Experiment? Well read about it, and relate it to the fact that teachers, tv and doctors tell you, you need milk for calcium. There is no proof, give up that thought. We are the only species to drink another species' milk. The protein casein (found in cow's milk) promotes all stages of cancer. Milk is the leading cause of allergies in children. It has Bovine Growth Hormone in the US, which has been banned in many other countries. We need to pasteurize our milk because the machines keep milking, even if it's pus coming out and not milk. Pasteurization destroys good enzymes and creates radioactive particles. It contains dioxin, PCB, BFR, PBDE and pesticides, all are horrible things for your body. If you need supplements, try vegetarianvitamin.com or veganessentials.com. You need 1,000 mg a day. Drink rice, soy or almond milk, eat soy butter, soy ice cream and vegan cheeses.

Secrets and Lies about Protein
Too much or too little is bad for you. Your weight (in lbs) x .36 is the recommended amount, plus 10 when pregs or breastfeeding. There are a number of diseases that you can get from meat that cause still birth, miscarraige and premature births. 70% of the US's antibiotics are for factory farming. There are growth hormones and other hormones in meat. 65 other nations have full or partial restrictions on importing America's meat, that's gotta mean we suck at this! We have earlier ages for puberty and less than 10% are tested for Mad Cow disease. There are no restrictions on the amount of pesticides that are used on the crop they eat. Protein can be found in fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts. There is a soy contraversy and you'll have to figure that one out on your own. Just buy organic and research before you eat.

You (and your baby) are what you eat
What you don't pee or poop, ends up in your blood stream. Read Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz. You are eating fear, grief and rage. You are eating suffering, horror, murder and cruelty. It is the doncomposing, decaying, rotting, flesh of a dead animal. Even Dr. Spock suggests raising your children vegan. Vegans get a bad rep, but when ever someone strays from the "norm" they are frowned upon. Vegan is also good for the planet!

What the Hell to eat
Everyday get a dose of fruits, raw or lightly steamed veggies, raw nuts and seeds, sea vegetables and legumes. There are 8 pages of suggested foods and a 4 week menu plan to get you started.

Pooping
Some reasons for constipation are out of your control, but some things you can change to lessen the pain. It may be your calcium or iron supplements, change them. Make sure your drinking enough water. Exercise. Lots of fiber, which is important for your overall health, not just pooping. If you really need a "stick of dynamite" go for figs, dates, prunes and raspberries.

Trust No One
How do you know which companies care and which don't? You don't, so for your baby's safety, don't trust them. EPA's laws for pesticides are ridiculous. The USDA's so called organic, can have 38 non-organic ingredients. The FDA allows cloned animal products to be sold with out warning anyone that it came from a very sick animal. Get active at www.congress.org.

Cravings: The Monster Inside
They are not usually a reliable indicator for what your body needs. Um, hello, drug adicts crave drugs and smokers crave cigarettes. Dairy is chemically addictive. There are theories that food addiction is related to food intolerance (you want what you can't have), and that cravings area ll psychological. If you crave ice, you may be anemic, if you have a sweet craving, you may need carb refueling if you crave chocolate, you may be Vit B deficient. The trick is to always have something healthy on hand or you may just need to hydrate.

Skinny Mama?
"If you allow your vanity to affect you pregnancy, you're asking for serious trouble." If you are underweight, your baby will be too and may be born prematurely. If you start at a healthy weight, you should gain 25-35 lbs, 3-5 in the first trimester, and 1-2 per week the rest of the time. If your worried, think about this, your baby weights between 6 and 8 lbs, the placenta 1-2, boobs 1-2, amniotic fluid 2, other fluids 2-4, the uterus 2, blood volume 3-4 and fat and nutrient stores 4-7. Get a half hour of exercise a day and eat well and you will be good.

Stupid, Boring Vitamin Chapter
Be a healthy host for your little parasite. 400 mg folic acid supplement, B vitamins and vitamin D. (Plants don't have B12 or D). Keep your iron levels in check. No more than 10,000 IU or Vit A (from animals) per day. Calcium is abundant in lots of things, and fortified in others. Phosphorous helps in the conversion of fat and carbs to energy, eat nuts, seeds, tofu and whole grains. Zinc helps you carry to term. 400mg magnesium supplement may help you have fewer complications. DHA (fatty acid) lowers risk of post-partum deppression, helps with brain and eye development, and theres a smaller chance your child will develop ADD, OCD and depression. Get DHA micro algae supplements. Avoid saturated fats, white sugar, high dietary cholesterol intake, being malnourished or unnecessary medication. Omega 3 fatty acids- from flax seed oil, but don't over do it. ALA (mama omega 3) is in walnuts and their oil, canola oil and leafy green veggies. During stressful times, add vitamin C (which is in almost every fruit and veggie). Vit E helps us use our oxygen efficiantly, nuts, seeds, their oils, veg oils and whole grains. It also prevents miscarriage. Research chlorella, spirulina and nutritional yeast flakes. And talk to the doc about B12, D and essential fatty acid supplements.

Breastfeeding: Suck it up and do it
There is a long list of benefits from breastfeeding. "Mother nature is much craftier than any chemist." It's also good for mommies, releases oxytocin, contracts urterus and promotes relaxation and nurturing. You are faster to recover, have less periods, and are more likely to return to your pre-pregnancy weight. Breast milk is free, always on tap and the perfect temp. It burns 500 calories a day. WHO and UNICEF suggests 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and 2 years with the support of food. If you can't for some reason, (but not just because you think it's gross or something) try a milk bank, www.hmbana.org. Do your own research on the differences between soy and milk formulas, if you absolutely must. www.ars.usda.gov and the Arkensas Children's Nutritional Center.

The Companies You Trust Don't Care About Your Children
Read the ingredients of everything! FDA does not require testing before cosmetics are sold, it's voluntary. European Union outlawed over 1,000 ingredients, the US- 8. Sore nipples, rub breast milk, coconut oil, olive oil or shea butter on it. Use phthalte-free bedding. Read Vegetarian Pregnancy and Baby Book by: Amanda Grant and The Complete Organic Pregnancy by: Deidre Dolan and Alexander Zissu and visit www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

Post Push
You will need lost of support, vent, get help with the baby and housework. Get some me time. Watch out for PPD. You are not supermom, don't try to be and don't get upset when you can't keep up.

What makes a MILF?
Loving yourself and your baby. Just be happy. Enjoy your pregnancy and your baby!!

And if that's not a mouth full, I don't know what is. Lets just see if I can do it, I'll keep you posted and I'll try my best.

Helpful Websites: mommysavers.com; vegetarianbaby.com

Skinny Bitch

For those of you that have not read it, I'll sum it up for you. I do not suggest reading it if you are offended by cursing, or don't like getting yelled at. "A no-nonsense tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!" Obviously, #1 give up the crap. No more coffee, smoking, refined sugars, OTC meds, no excessive alcohol, you know the usual suspects. Carbs: you need them, but try to eat whole wheat and not white flour. Give up meat, it's full of fat. And in the chapter called, "The dead, rotting, decomposing flesh diet" they go on to explain how animals are treated and what chemicals are in them, etc, to convince you to give up meat. It works. Dairy, while coming from those same mistreated animals, is full of fat. Give it up too. It goes through the myths and truths of protein, we need it, but not as much as you might think and you can get it from foods other than meats. Pooping is healthy, try to do it twice a day. Don't trust the FDA and USDA. When looking for organic products, look for California Certified Organic Farmers, Oregon Tilth, Marin Organic Certified and Demeter Certified Biodynamic. You are what you eat so try to eat well. Then it goes through vitamins and where to find them and that you will need to take a B-12 supplement. Next it has sample diets, and suggested foods, that these girls think taste delicious. The end of the book is little fun facts. The authors aren't perfect and you will occasionally see them doing things that are not suggested. Read the ingredients of everything. And control portions. Just being overall smart about what you eat.

I need to include more whole grains, brown rice, barley, rye, buckwheat, millet, oats, beans and seeds in my diet. Spirulina. Ener-G egg replacer. Check out goveg.com. Add more pineapple, papaya, mango and banana, lightly steam all veggies, and add wheat grass, sea vegetables and legumes. Replace coffee with organic decaf tea and fresh squeezed juices. Use natural unrefined celtic sea salt.

Here is my proposed plan, from what I learned in the book:

Week 1- Make breakfast all fruit and lunch all veggies. As we run out of things, condiments and such, replace it with organic vegan. Slow caffeine and nicotine intake. Sounds easy right? Little changes help change a life style, so it's not just a diet, and it might actually stick.

Week 2- No more caffeine or nicotine. Better portion control (especially at dinner). Do yoga every day. Keep up the replacing things with organic vegan.

Week 3- Switch to organic no sulfites added red wine. Keep water in check, 8 glasses a day. No more pills, give up advil and zyrtec and prevacid. Donate blood.

Week 4- Review the book. Research fasting.

And I want to point out that I am starting week 3 now. I am still (although loads less than 2 weeks ago) drinking coffee and occasionally smoking. Sometimes fruit isn't enough for breakfast, so I keep mini muffins and yoga bread around. Portions are under control, I had no idea how easy that would be. And if I go without doing yoga for a day I don't like the way I feel. This is much easier than I thought. But not for everyone. I know. A couple websites to check out: HappyCow.net, VeganPeace.com, VegCooking.com and GoVeg.com.