Ok, I know this is a particular situation and not many of you might have answers but I thought I'd try.

I am trying to eat as much fresh produce as possible. I am pregnant and 6 weeks away from giving birth and I am starving constantly. I try and eat fruit and salads but filling "a big hole" with fruit and salads is difficult! Fruit will keep me satiated for like half and hour and then back on to the start! And I do not have the energy nor the time (looking after a small toddler) to be eating every half an hour! I put mushrooms in my salads to make them a bit more filling and eat at least an avocado a day. So I am eating quite a bit of fats (not worried about the percentage of fats or whatever in my diet at the moment, there will be time for that later) and filling things like bananas but there is only so many bananas I can eat in a day before I get completely sick of the stuff! So anybody any ideas how to get more "healthy, quick and filling" stuff into myself, even if SAD... I don't mind, I just need to be a satiated and not be thinking about food all day long!

if you feel that you are not sated enough

i recommend you try making some raw hummus

get sunflower seeds.. they are pretty cheap

grind them

then put some spices in it
and water

u can add a little olive oil if u want

lemon and garlic is what most people use

but u can chuck the garlic and use whatever

use it as a dip with other greens

like kale or celery or bell peppers

it will fill you up

last time i did that

and i just had a small bowl of it

i was SO FULL!!!

it is amazing how filling it is

You might want to contact Jinjee Talifero (sp?). She is a leading raw foodist who has written a book on raw pregnancy and she herself went through raw pregancy. Shazzie is also another leading raw foodist who went through a raw pregancy. Shazzie is UK based.

Jinjee's web site is www.thegardendiet.com And if I remember correctly, Shazzie's should be www. detoxyourworld.com
You may want Google her to check.

If you can't/don't reach either of these raw food teachers, I would highly, highly, recommend you get in touch with a senior raw foodist for nutritional guidance and support for your own nutritional needs and your baby's needs. Pregancy is no time to make raw food "mistakes" that can easily be avoided, or to struggle so much with your appetite and diet that you are walking around with an "empty hole" feeling of hunger all the time..

Even a traditionally trained and state licenced nutritionist who is vegetarian friendly will be of value in figuring out your nutritional needs for your baby and yourself on your raw diet. I wouldn't go at this alone right now without some feedback from professional support. Much luck!

PEACE
Choco

I wouldn't be fanatical about veganism or "rawism" if it's not working for you. You've got a new life on the line to take care of.

Don't be afraid to try foods that are "wrong" and see how you feel.

One avocado a day is not enough to support your needs. You need alot more fat than that, especially when breastfeeding (breastmilk is around 50% fat).

Take DHA, make sure you're getting enough protein. Studies on rats show that a low-protein diet during pregnancy results in small brains (in the baby rats).

Not sure how much I can offer by way of pregnancy advice, but I think it's a time to celebrate your own body and the new one it has created. Don't consider eating a chore or no, you really won't feel 'full.' When losing weight we try to eat more volumnous (I know that's spelled wrong) foods that have a lot of water. Maybe you could try more fatty, sweet indulgent foods, like maybe go to TWO avocados! Also eat more bananas, nuts and seeds, sprouted grains, etc. Yes, you will still probably be eating more often... but I think you'd be doing that in a non-raw pregnancy. Maybe more green smoothies? I like to add banana and avocado to mine and it seems more filling for less work and time to eat it all... anyway, you'll find what works and I wish you luck and blessings!

Go on fitday or one of those sites to see what your caloric intake is -- it should be around 3000 right now. Do what everyone above said. Sprout almonds if you can get a hold of raw ones and make nut milk. Eat brewer's yeast if you are not taking supplements, and get in the sun. Definitely, dramatically increase your fat intake in any way you can. Right now this is imperative for the reasons above. I had a high raw pregnancy with my last one, but did eat dairy (sorry guys!). Good luck!! Glad you are listening to your body -- your baby will thank you later.

I wore a fanny pack over my hump and under the bumps, for the last trimester. It was filled with snacks so that I could eat every half hour if I felt like it. If you eat a lot at once, so you won't have to eat again in a matter of minutes, your crowded stomach may not be too happy. And we all know the lack of energy that comes from eating too much... I think if you have the urge to eat every half hour, then by all means make the time and get yourself a fanny pack. heeheeee congrats to you!

Your constant hunger means that your food is not giving the baby + you what you need. Your diet sounds mighty deficient for a pregnant woman, especially in protein.

First thing, if you want to have a healthy baby and it's not too late - go get a bottle of DHA (neuromins), and take it.

2nd thing: eat lots of nutrient-rich food even if it means dairy or egg or meat, tho you may not crave all these items. This is no time to rigidly follow rawfoodism, veganism, or vegetarianism. This is serious!

I had not eaten any dairy or egg for years, but when I got pregnant the desire for dairy became overwhelming. I didn't give a damn that it came from a cow in a factory farm; at that time this food was needed. I made the sign of the cross over it, prayed for the animals involved, and ate all I wanted. And I made the right decision. You will not get the chance to repeat this particular pregnancy; you have to get it right. Good Luck and best wishes to you & your family.

PS: I read this on a rawfood site:

We need to remember, the question isn't "Is it conforming to someone else's dogma?" it's "does it serve me?"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2008 05:16AM by Horsea.

I would avoid the animal products, I read in Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin that on "The Farm", which was a vegan commune, they delivered about a thousand babies on the commune and only one lady ever had preeclampsia/eclampsia and she had it for all her pregnancies so she was unique.

Ok, thanks very much everyone for your advice. I agree with the people that say this is no time for "dogma". I am not following anything rigidly, not veganism, vegetariansm, raw-foodism, anything. All I have done is increase A LOT my consumption of natural produce. I do not eat a lot of dairy, but I do not feel like it. I do not see the need either, I consume "rice milk" that is calcium-fortified and try to get other calcium-rich foods. I am being careful with my protein intake, eat some eggs, a small amount of meat and some fish. But i DO find that all of these food weigh me down... and I need the energy... it's difficult being 34 weeks pregnant and having a toddler to look after (and working part-time, too). I am not worried about the percentage of fats and eat a lot of it a day in several raw and non-raw forms. Definitely a lot more fats than those in on avocado... or two

I will look into all of your suggestions... the DHA and all the rest. I have recently started supplementing with a main-stream supplement and feel a little better. Unfortunately I really have no time for sprouting or making my own milk or stuff like that. In fact a 60% raw pregnancy has worked well for us so far (or so I thought) my appetite has only gone up in the last 2 weeks. But I will make sure I get as many nutrients as I can... and will try to consult with a nutritionist.

Thanks again to all.