Raw Food Nutrition: On Raw Pregnancy
Written by Tera on March 20, 2008 – -
I was online tonight, googling “raw vegan pregnancy”, and found my way to your site. Looks very interesting. I’ll be perusing here for awhile.
Anyway, …a couple of days ago I found out that I’m expecting another little one (I’m so excited!). I had just started (about three weeks ago) going for 30 days raw. I haven’t been 100 percent, mainly because I’m still figuring out my options for eating, and sometimes I just eat what is available…like when I cook for my family. Adding to that, my husband and I went on a cruise last week and 100% wasn’t going to happen.
That said, I’d say I’ve been 75% raw and I’ve been feeling amazing.
Here’s my question…I know that one of the biggest concerns about a vegetarian, vegan, or a raw diet during pregnancy, is that the mama gets enough protein. I also have learned that getting all of the protein from plant foods is possible but hard. I really want to keep up what I’m doing, but I don’t want to be extreme and put the baby’s development or my own health at risk.
Also, I’m not looking to lose weight while pregnant, but I only want to gain what I HAVE to. I’m starting out like 40 pounds overweight (at least – 5’5″ & 189 lbs). I started the raw diet because I needed to reset my system, taste buds, and habits. Also, I did this because I knew losing weight would be a side effect. I’ve lost about 7 pounds already. Glad to be pregnant but I’m freaking out about the weight gain.
Now I’m a little lost in the sea of “opinions” of whether eating raw, partially raw, vegetarian, etc…makes sense while pregnant. I keep hearing about the need for protein and the essential amino acids that we can’t make sure that we get from eating raw foods…
Ok…I’m through rambling. I’d appreciate anything that you can share that would illumine my way 
The bottom line is that I only want to eat what I HAVE to so that I don’t put on any excess weight
THX,
Chrystal Hurst
Answer:
Hi Chrystal,
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Sounds like you’re doing great.
First thing, if you eat whole fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, etc. every day you’ll be getting plenty of protein and it’s not hard. You’d basically have to stop eating to get a protein deficiency. Protein is the building block of life (amino acids), and is found in all living things. There are so many myths and lies about protein out there floating around. Don’t buy into it. The only ones who will benefit if you do are the BIG businesses that push these myths.
I have eaten a strict vegan diet for going on 18 years. Thirteen of which was also 70-80% raw. I have raised three of our four children on this way of eating since conception (my oldest since he was almost 2), and still feed them this way today. They are all very healthy and never get sick.
5 years ago we went 100% raw. My children love raw food, but are not 100%, as they missed some of the meals I used to make them. In all, they are healthy. It’s their journey, and we as parents need only guide them and give them the best foods we can.
You should check the other diva newsletters or other posts on the divas blog for information that I have given in the past on pregnancy and raw/vegan foods.
As far as your weight, as long as you are eating healthy foods, (NO JUNK) then you will have nothing to worry about. By healthy, I mean fresh whole fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole sprouted grains, and legumes. No processed stuff or other junk.
If you would like to know more, you are welcome to call me for a consultation, let Tera know and she’ll give you my number.
Take Care and warm wishes for a happy pregnancy,
Monique
p.s.
Once baby comes, you’ll definitely want to check out these raw food recipes for toddlers!
Tags: Monique Bastien, nutritionist, pregnancy, raw food diet
Posted in Raw Food Health | 27 Comments »
By bueller on May 6, 2008
Great post! Thank you so much. The more info on this subject the better! I put a link on my blog.
Bueller
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By tracey on Nov 25, 2008
I am 5 1/2 months and only gained 2 lbs so far. my last sad preg. I gained 80 lbs. I eat most days 80% raw some only 50 and I can feel the difference in my energy. Just keep it up and consume as much raw food each day as you can. I love the LARA bars I carry them everywear. Make some fresh juice with some ginger is great.
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By julie on Jun 28, 2009
hi i was just wondering, you haven’t mentioned anything about green smoothies. the reason i ask is because it is my only source of protein… with out it I get warts its kind of funny because i know if my body is lacking it. if you haven’t heard about this and would like the info email me(=
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By elizabeth on Aug 6, 2009
I’ve been eating raw foods for the last few weeks and all of my symptoms have subsided. Is this normal? I’m terrified of what the Doctor will tell me tomorrow. I’m hoping to hear of other experiences with raw food and pregnancy. I must mention that I ate some disgusting nachos at Six Flags yesterday, because they made me dump the organic fruit at the door & because I was STARVING, and got really sick. I hope that was good sign. My nipples aren’t as tender as they used to be as well. I’d love some feedback.
Thanks!
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By Holli on Jan 27, 2010
I am about five weeks pregnant now and I recently went vegan. So far I feel great and love it. I need all the advice I can though in becoming more raw. I have been primarily eating grains, nuts, fruits, veggies, and beans or soy based products. What are some super foods that I can incorporate into my diet.
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By Kristin on Jan 27, 2010
Hi,
I have currently gone raw as well and hope to get pregnant in a couple of months. I would recommend being careful about “going raw/vegan” during pregnancy. If you already were then that is great but starting it during pregnancy can be more of a problem. Your body is full of toxins and a healthy change in diet can cause a major detox, dumping those toxins into your bloodstream. I think some detox is safe as your organs can process it but if you go 100% you may dump too many. Just watch how you feel. If you feel worse not better then you may be dumping too many toxins too fast. By all means eat healthy and as much raw produce as you can and stay away from the processed junk food!
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By Kristin on Jan 27, 2010
Oh and cut out the soy products if you can.
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By Teresa on Feb 5, 2010
What is a typical day as a pregnant raw vegan like?
I just found out that I am 6 weeks and I only feel like eating certain things like spinach or carrots.
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By Tatiana on Feb 9, 2010
I went raw 3 months ago and didn’t transition into it, I just went completely raw. I have subjected myself to MANY toxins over the years, probably more than most people, and before I went raw, I ate absolutely NO veggies or fruits. IT was all meat, cheese, eggs, and wheat products.
I lost 16 pounds and feel great. I just found out I’m pregnant, and I am pretty excited that my body is clean and alkaline. Last year I had two miscarriages. One at 16 weeks. I’m sure this one will keep. If you are pregnant, it’s probably not a good idea to go raw to the extreme that I did, but you could certainly ease into it over the course of a month.
The book that changed my life is by David Wolfe, called SUPERFOODS. I also watch the renegade health show on youtube and have seen probably every raw food video on the internet. It’s very inspiring. Many of the superfoods you will consume have MORE protein than meat, and this protein is more readily absorbed and utilized by the body. I have compared prices on superfoods and have found that livesuperfoods.com has the best prices. Goji berries are one of the best superfoods you can get. I also love inca berries (or golden berries).
In the morning, I put spirulina, chlorella, maca powder, cacao powder, camu camu, aloe vera, fresh organic carrot juice, a handful of greens, and blend it all together. I also do this for lunch and I am rarely hungry because my nutritional needs are being met. When you are getting the nutrition you need, you are no longer hungry. THis is why people who snack on junk food continue to be hungry, because they are nutritionally starving. For dinner, I have a big salad with nuts, hemp seeds (superfood), goji berries, and I make my own dressing with braggs, olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of vinegar. Dressings are usually loaded with sugar.
Going raw will change your life. (I have no connection or affiliation with any of the things I have mentioned, I’m just inspired to help others change their lives with raw, ORGANIC foods.)
If you aren’t eating organic, you might as well spray house-hold cleaner on your salad before you eat it. Think about it.
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Reply by Jennifer on March 25th, 2011
You should never consume aloe vera internally when you are pregnant. It is toxic to a growing fetus and is known to start uterine contractions…that can onset preterm labor!
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By Home Remedies on Feb 12, 2010
During month 5 of your pregnancy you may experience occasional discomfort in your inner thighs, hips and lower abdomen called round ligament pain. This is because the ligaments that support your uterus are carrying load that is increasing. Pelvic tilt exercises helps tone your perineum and ease pregnancy aches and pains.
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By Dylan on Feb 23, 2010
Hi there!
Just finished reading your post on protein. We’re about 90% raw vegan and pregnant as well, and are a little concerned about protein as it seems like you need to eat an awful lot of AFA, spirulina, and Chlorella to get to 70g/day! We eat very well-and my wife is eating ‘often’;)-she’s been taking the sun warrior fermented rice so I think we’ll be okay.
I recently did a bunch of searching about raw cacao and pregnancy-as like most raw foodies we consume a fair bit. it turns out it’s a definite no-no while pregnant and lactating. I searched under theobromine and immediately got an abstract from pubmed detailing severe fetal abnormalities and immune dysfunction with high theobromine intake. it’s a bit dense, but conclusive. here’s the link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15573693
one of the main concerns we’ve found with pregnancy is dha intake. up to 60% of our brains are comprised of it. Flax, hemp, etc only contain small amounts of available DHA-raw algae has more, but still not enough. Our diets, raw, vegan, or otherwise are chronically low in dha due to poor soil and diet choice. do your baby a big favour and consider getting a vegan (golden algae) source of dha-or do like i did, make an ethical compromise and get a microfiltered fish source one for the full term and lactation period. just a thought! good luck to everybody on our great adventures!!!
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By dylan armour on Feb 23, 2010
Hi there!
we’re raw and recently pregnant too, and researching the heck out of it!
cacao, particularly theobromine is a definite no-no during pregnancy and lactation. severe fetal abnormalities and dysfunctional immune systems are the result of high theobromine intake. here’s the abstact..
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15573693
if high consumption cause the defects, what’s the point in risking any, in my mind.
as well, dha is a major concern as it comprises up to 60% of brain matter. we raw kids don’t get tons of it-unless you eat ALOT OF AFA. consider getting a vegan golden algae dha or compromise and get a microfiltered fish one like i did as we live in an area where it’s unavailable (canada)
good luck and peace to us all!!
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By dylan armour on Feb 24, 2010
oh, sorry to repost but, i’m not sure about your comment about nutrition and hunger-my wife is super diligent about her nutrition and she is literally vibrating with hunger every 2 hours. she is also quite active, and a ‘fast oxidizer’ according to gabriel cousens’ methodology, so it may be that too. i think everybody has different experiences, if you’re a pretty clean eater already, it’s important to trust the process and listen to your body.
another little blurb i found on saponified coconut oil (coconut derived soap) confirmed fetoxic effects for it as well. we’re going with olive oil based soap for the pregnancy. there’s a lot of stuff out there-an almost overwhelming amount of conflicting data, but if you wade through it you can often find the straight answer.
i know my wife and tend to think often that well if its good for you then more is even better. not true! for example, taking regular doses of spirulina, afa, and chlorella, in conjunction with a prenatal vitamin-potentially harmful to the fetus. too much vitamin d, vitamin a, etc etc etc can lead to problems. as it turns out, too much gojis lead to problems! we were taking the extract, so we’re off that now. small amounts of gojis (10g)-which is not much-are considered okay.
there is so little research done on our raw, ‘suped up’ side of nutrition that people can inadvertently put their fetus and themselves at risk without knowing. personally, i am doing my research and not trusting anecdotal stories, as everyone’s health history and diet varies infinitely, particularly within the raw vegan ‘superfood’ world. keep it simple, stay organic, do you research, and know what you’re putting in your body would be my advice.
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By Janel on Mar 4, 2010
Are most you ladies taking a b12 supplement??
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By Nancy on Apr 27, 2010
I have been a raw foodist in past and felt fantastic. I tried my son on the diet after a very good friend of mine took me to see David Wolfe. He rapidly lost weight and started to regress in his development. I then added raw milk, fish and continued with raw food and some steamed veg and he got better. It is a massive risk to experiment with your child’s diet be careful and do your research. Variety is the key to much of anything is not a good thing. My son developed tooth decay during the raw food diet and I have found that some of my raw food mummies have had the same problem. My second child adopted the diet her brother had and she has perfect teeth and health. Please like everything make an informed choice. Nancy
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By Isobel on May 6, 2010
PLEASE read this article by Shazzie on raising children as raw vegans.
http://shazzie.com/blog/is-the-unraw-unvegan-movement-rumbly-in-your-tumbly/
She doesn’t believe it’s possible without supplementing and even though she’s been vegan herself for 25 years, she supplements and her child eats egg yolks and honey as well as supplements.
As she points out, there’s nothing “natural” about eating vegan and if it’s important to you for ethical reasons, you still need to find a way to ensure that your child gets the nutrition they need to develop fully – and that is NOT possible on a raw vegan diet alone.
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By Cayl Misselbrook on Jun 1, 2010
Just want to know if anyone has a formal raw food diet for the last 2 months of pregnancy. Specific foods to be taken as well as suplements.
I appreciate any help.
Caryl
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By Natalia on Jun 16, 2010
Hello ladies,
How about raw cacao, hot or cold? I heard it’s not safe during pregnancy, but I really want it.
thanks,
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By watermelon on Aug 2, 2010
Please help me
I was raw before my pregnancy for some 1 and half months, then found out I am pregnant and I feel so sick that I cant almost eat, anything, no fruit (it smells so bad to me right now except apples and grapes) and so I dont eat much, just a little. If I eat something cooked I feel much worse and womit. The only thing I can eat (am into som 6 weeks of pregnancy)is grapes and apples but really in such small amounts that Im hungry. Is it ok not to eat? Maybe my body just wants to cleanse, or should I force myself and womit? I have to tell that after some 3 days of not forcing myself into eating I feel much better than before. But on the other hand I want to give to my baby everything to be healthy.
thank you so much
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Reply by Tera on August 3rd, 2010
Hi, Sunshine.
I know that Fiona, on the Raw Mom site (www.rawmom.com) just finished about two weeks of inspiring posts and notes about pregnancy on the raw food diet. I would check out those resources if I were you. Go visit http://www.rawmom.com/blog and get in touch with Fiona via the contact form!
Hugs and happy, healthy baby vibes!
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Reply by Alissa on July 20th, 2011
Try to add some ginger to your diet… it REALLY helps with nausea and eating
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By Nadia-Francina on Aug 12, 2010
Hi, I also have a question to add to this, would you recommend any sites/books for pregnancy related raw food recipes?
Thanks
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Reply by Tera on August 12th, 2010
Hi, Hon.
You can check out loads of resources on the http://www.rawmom.com site. xoxoxox
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By lina on Sep 5, 2010
Hi, I am very much interested to become a raw veggan.My journy started when i found myself gaining weight more and more after my pregnancy ,I was not able to loose the baby weight . I started the master cleanse diet and I lost some of the weight so now i decided to become a raw veggan if not 100% atleast 80%,but i will alone in this journy my husband he is a great fan of animal products. Now the question is how can i start and how can i cary on on this journey?
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By Alyssa on Oct 25, 2010
Hi Lina, I am new to eating raw and have found swayze foster to be very simple and easy to follow, she practises a low-fat, high fruit raw vegan diet and for me, it has been very simple and yummy and easy to follow, and I never stick to anything for more than a few days, but this is just wonderful. Her website is fitonraw.com
hope that helps x
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By Sabina on Aug 26, 2011
Hi I have been on an off raw for a number of years and want to become more raw throught my pregnancy. I am about 8 weeks pregnanat and sprout my own Greens. I have looked on websites that say sproted greens (alfalfa, sunflower, fenugreek, snow pea greens/sunflower greens) should not be eaten as they may contain salmonella. Other sites say it is fine to eat (I am well aware of the benificial health properties of eating these foods). Not sure what to believe please help!!
PS also is home grown wheatgrass in the same risk group too?
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