If you just had a baby, your body recently went through the most traumatic, energy draining, physically exhausting event of its life! For the last 10 months, your sweet baby has been demanding nutrients many times at the expense of your own health. Talk about maternal sacrifice!
It can take up to 3 years to recover the nutrient levels that were depleted during pregnancy and labor. Many moms complain of chronic fatigue, hair loss, hormonal imbalance, mental fogginess, etc for months to years after having a baby. The great news is, you don’t have to experience these symptoms!!
Providing your body with nutrient dense foods and adding in whole food supplements when necessary can get you back into full swing in no time!
Here are some foods to add to your diet postpartum:
1. Pasture Raised Eggs
2. Healthy Cooking Fats- like olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and ghee.
3. Nuts and Seeds- walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds are all great options. Just make sure they are raw and unroasted.
4. Fruits- grapefruit, berries, bananas, cantaloupe, apples, pears, etc are all great options. And don’t forget about super heart healthy avocados!
5. Vegetables- dark leafy greens, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, brussels, etc. Lots and lots of veggies!
6. Broth- homemade bone broth is best, but you can also buy organic, grass-fed bone broth in many health food stores.
7. Seafood- wild caught salmon and tuna are both great options.
8. Chicken and red meat- Please make sure to buy pasture raised chicken and grass-fed meat!
9. Chia Seeds
10. Hemp Hearts
There are many other foods that I could add to this list, but these are my top recommendations to give your body a great nutritional boost after having a baby.
Supplements to consider postpartum:
1. Collagen or Beef Gelatin- Vital Proteins is my favorite brand!
2. Vitamin D3 Liquid
3. Desiccated Liver Capsules- make sure they are from grass-fed cows. Perfect Desiccated Liver is my preferred brand and can be found on Amazon.
4. Probiotic- buy a high quality probiotic that contains at least 6 different bacteria strains and at least 20 billion CFUs. I like Garden of Life and Innate Choice brands.
5. Standard Process Drenamin- This is great support for your adrenals, which is crucial while your body is attempting to balance hormones after having a baby. Make sure you find a reputable MD or DC who sells Standard Process products in your area.
6. Cod Liver- I recommend Green Pastures brand!
7. Whole Food Prenatal- I continue to take my Pure Essence Labs- Mother to Be Prenatal for up to a year postpartum. I HIGHLY recommend a whole food prenatal over the other synthetic options!
8. Juice Plus+: A great boost of vegetables and fruits in capsule form!
Foods to limit and/or avoid post-partum for optimal health:
1. Processed foods
2. Fried Foods
3. Grains
4. Dairy
5. Legumes
6. Soy
7. Refined sugar
8. Unhealthy cooking oils such as corn and canola oil.
Questions? Just ask!
Want to work with me 1:1 to create the perfect diet for you and/or your family? Contact me today at dana@thrivekin.com.