I have to say, this pregnancy has been a good and fairly easy one. I have been lucky – but also I have been hyper-focused on diet and lifestyle goals that have hopefully aided in helping me avoid common pregnancy-related complications. Read more below! #AD @MegafoodCa
I have been focusing on key nutrients in my diet and through my supplementation regime that I do believe have helped reduce and avoid common complications during pregnancy. These include:
Magnesium: Getting adequate magnesium has assisted with good sleep, avoiding muscle cramps, constipation and maintaining good blood pressure. I’m focusing on soy products, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains each day, plus supplementing with Megafood Magnesium at nighttime.
Calcium: Getting adequate calcium has helped me avoid leg cramps and joint pain. I consume fortified plant milk and tofu most days. In addition I take the Megafood Calcium & Magnesium &Â Potassium at night, for a calcium boost.
B Vitamins: Focusing on both B6 (which helps with morning sickness) and B12 (which helps with energy levels) have also been a focus. For B6-rich foods, chickpeas, potatoes, nuts and bananas have been a staple. For B12 foods, nutritional yeast, fortified plant milks have been focuses. In the morning, I take the Megafood B Complex.
Check out these products from Megafood Canada, along with the recipes from this post! Let me know which one you’re going to try first.
I’m working on building up a freezer stash of meals for after baby comes so each week I’m going to be freezing a few meals from my meal preps – while eating the rest of the meals throughout the week. The majority of the ingredients in these meals are that are purchased from Costco. The recipes have short ingredient lists, are high in protein and fibre and they are delicious!
It may be no surprise to you that as a Registered Dietitian, I look at food as medicine. This doesn’t mean that I’m avoiding all medication when it is needed or think others should as well – but there is a role for both medication for the treatment of disease and a role for nutrition in the prevention/treatment of disease.
To compliment my Energy & Immune-Boosting Meal Prep that I shared on Instagram (link) and Facebook (link), I will further explain how I’m using the powerful herb, Canadian Ginseng, to compliment my own health journey.
Grab the meal plan above and head to http://ginsengontario.com/webinar to learn more, watch the on-demand webinar, and for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship to further your education. #AD
Canadian Ginseng & My Health Journey
Asthma:
As a child, I suffered from extremely bad asthma – being hospitalized many times throughout my early years. As the years went on, I became involved in various sports and increased my physical activity; my respiratory system grew stronger. Now as an adult, I am proud to say that my respiratory system hasn’t held me back from running various races, including two full marathons.
Despite how much my lungs have strengthened over time, I am still very conscious of the health of my lungs. Preliminary studies around Canadian ginseng suggest that this herb may assist with the health of the respiratory system.
One trial evaluated Ontario-grown ginseng in the prevention of acute respiratory illness in 128 elderly adults within an institutional setting. After 8-12 weeks of treatment with North American ginseng extract, the seniors experienced an 89% reduction in the risk of developing cold or flu. Most of these seniors had received vaccinations (90%) and the ginseng extract appeared to be safe and complementary.
McElhaney JE, Gravenstein S, Cole SK, et al. A placebo-controlled trial of a proprietary extract of North American ginseng (CVT-E002) to prevent acute respiratory illness in institutionalized older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004 Jan;52(1) : 13-9.
Immune System:
I work in a small acute care hospital, providing coverage to those receiving cancer treatment. I also work with many people in my private practice clinic. Due to the many exposures to vulnerable and sick people each day, it is important that my immune system is strong – for myself and those around me.
Canadian Ginseng has shown promise in benefiting our immune health. Several laboratory studies have demonstrated the immune-enhancing effects of North American Ginseng, including research identifying a protein isolated from the root that had antifungal action and anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity.
Two key studies compared Ontario-grown ginseng with a placebo in randomized, double-blind studies. One of these trials evaluated North American Ginseng (NAG) in the prevention of acute respiratory illness in 198 elderly adults within an institutional setting. After 8-12 weeks of treatment with the NAG extract, the seniors experienced an 89% reduction in the risk of developing cold or flu.
McElhaney JE, Gravenstein S, Cole SK, et al. A placebo-controlled trial of a proprietary extract of North American ginseng (CVT-E002) to prevent acute respiratory illness in institutionalized older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004 Jan;52(1) : 13-9.
Anxiety
For years, I have suffered from anxiety, which I am still trying to actively manage today. I think my fellow Type A Dietitians can probably relate to anxiety related to perfectionism and performance that I seem to have ☺
There is promise of the role of Canadian Ginseng and assisting with anxiety management. The primary active ingredient in North American ginseng is a group of chemicals called ginsenosides. These ginsenosides have many pharmacological actions, including various actions on the central nervous system.
Two clinical trials, with 101 participants, showed that the ginseng extract enhances memory in both normal, young (20 to 24 years of age) and older adults (46 to 64 years of age). The second trial demonstrated that the product enhanced visual working memory and other neurological measures in 64 patients with schizophrenia. Laboratory studies have also demonstrated improved learning and memory, nerve cell protection, and promotion of nerve cell growth.
Sloley BD, Pang PK, Huang BH et al. North American ginseng extract reduces scopolamine-induced amnesia in a spatial learning task. J Psychiatry Neurosci 1999;24(5):442-52.
Rudakawich M, Ba F, Benishin CG. Neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions of ginsenosides Rb(1) and Rg(1) Planta Med 2001;67(6):533-7
Lyon MR, Cline JC, Totosy de Zepetnak J, Shan JJ, Pang P, Benishin C. Effect of the herbal extract combination Panax Quinquefolium and ginkgo biloba on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2001;26(3);221-8
Conclusion I hope that this post shed some light on how Canadian Ginseng has the potential to assist with various health concerns, along with how it can be used in various easy-to-make recipes. Grab the meal plan in the post and head to http://ginsengontario.com/webinar to learn more, watch the on-demand webinar, and for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship to further your education. #AD
These recipes were made with little and big hands in mind! Both kiddos and adults will enjoy the recipes in this one – from mini sausage pizzas to taco cups, they are fun to make and even more fun to eat! As usual, they are all protein-packed, with at least 20 G protein/serving and rich in fibre.Â
I’m all about overnight oats (I have them for breakfast most days) as they really are the perfect way to start your day. Quick, make-ahead and filling – all of these pack in protein (20 g at least) and are rich in fibre!
Today I’m showing you more versions of my overnight oats but Valentine’s Day Edition ! Tell me which one you’re trying first.
