Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes—both physically and mentally. Although I experienced some discomfort in the first trimester with all-day morning sickness, I have now regained my energy and am starting to feel great again! In saying that, it’s flu season here in the US, so I’m trying my hardest to keep healthy for myself and bub.
Here, I wanted to share with you all what a typical day on my plate looks like to ensure I’m eating the best I can for the little one, some immune-boosting supplements I’m taking and why I prioritize sleep for optimum wellness.
My typical day on a plate…
As I’m 17 weeks pregnant I’m still getting food aversions! So fuelling my body with four nutritious meals a day can be really hard for me, especially when I have no appetite half the time and most foods STILL make me nauseous just by looking at them. When I don’t eat enough good food, my immune system becomes weak, and that’s what I’m trying to avoid at the moment. I don’t want a cold or flu while I’m pregnant, that’s the last thing I want to happen to my body while I’m growing a mini human. Which is why I’m really focussing on my key meals and supplements for the day. So, generally, a typical day for me at the moment (guided by my doctor) is:
Breakfast (8am):
A thick breakfast smoothie consisting of a scoop of natural Made Of vanilla protein powder, a tablespoon of almond butter, a handful of frozen spinach, a scoop of marine collagen, a teaspoon of chia seeds, half a frozen banana, crushed ice, and coconut water. Or if I’m not feeling like a smoothie I’ll have plain yogurt with mango, berries, banana, chia seeds and honey drizzled over the top.
I then take my daily supplements with my smoothie so I’m taking on a full stomach with food. I’ve had an aversion to drinking water since becoming pregnant, which is really bad. So I’ve been drinking water with lots of ice and a quarter of a lemon squeezed in to mask the no taste of water. This seems to be working a treat for me. I’m just going through lots of lemons, but at least their full of VIT C! haha.
Lunch (1.30pm):
I’m usually not hungry by this time, but I make myself eat because I’m starting to feel tired and nauseous with headaches. So I’ll make myself a protein salad, and this usually perks me up for a good four hours. I used to eat tuna all the time, but as I’m pregnant my doctor has advised me not to because of the high mercury levels in tuna, so I still need my protein intake of which I’ve substituted tuna with hard boiled eggs as the thought of chicken or red meat makes me cringe.
The salad consists of baby spinach, grape tomatoes, cucumber, hard boiled egg, pasteurized feta cheese, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste
Snacks:
Pistachio nuts, pretzels, mandarins.
Dinner:
Okay, so I’m almost NEVER hungry at dinner. So I’ve been making a bean and brown rice dish which includes red kidney beans, onion, capsicum, green beans, tamari low sodium soy sauce, pumpkin seed oil, and corn kernels.
My view on diets…
I used to follow intermittent fasting, but now that I’m pregnant growing a healthy baby is my number one priority. So no diets, just being healthy as can be.
My ultimate guilty pleasure…
Well, my chocolate cravings have come back! They were absent in my first trimester which was a good thing as I have a massive sweet tooth haha! But my absolute guilty pleasure is a Pink Berry dairy-free frozen yogurt with mochi balls, then almond butter drizzled over the top. YUM, my mouth is watering right now.
What I DON’T eat in the name of health…
I’m not a big red meat eater. My mother brought me up kinda red-meat free only eating chicken and fish. And, I really dislike broccoli and shellfish. I’m sorry I just can’t stand the taste of those. I’m probably one of the fussiest eaters I know haha. Waiters hate me! Also, I’m sure this will pass after my pregnancy, but I can’t stand Italian and Indian food at the moment. So sad.
Daily supplements/vitamins I’m currently taking…
- Swisse Vit D as I’m deficient. It helps support me so I get healthy bones and teeth*
- Swisse VIT C and Manuka Honey Chewable vitamin, this helps support my immune system and antioxidant activity. I’d also love to take their winning Swisse Women’s Ultivite, but I can’t as it’s not recommended during pregnancy, BUT I will be taking it once the little one is born as it’s a great multivitamin especially for women made with adaptogenic herbs that reduce stress and improve mood and energy! Exactly what I need!
- Elevit Prenatal
- DHA for brain support—helps with baby brain forgetfulness and increases IQ of my growing baby so research says
- Protein powder
- Marine Collagen
The changes I’ve made during pregnancy…
Obviously, pregnancy comes with A LOT of things I can’t eat and do. I’ve upped my supplement intake, but most notable is I can’t consume Kombucha as it contains alcohol, is not pasteurized and contains caffeine. I’m also doing low impact yoga and prenatal yoga. This helps me to prepare for childbirth whilst strengthening key areas to help my body carry the baby.
How I boost my immunity during the cooler months…
I’ve been staying warm and upping my supplements so that I don’t get a cold. I’ve been taking the Swisse VIT C and Manuka Honey Chewable Vitamin, and it’s really tasty too!
Also, SLEEP! I always get a minimum of 8 hours every night, if not more. Sleep helps with my stress, my skin, my immune system my thinking and memory. Actually, it helps with just about everything! If I don’t get those 8 hours, I just can’t operate. Love my sleep.
My favorite immune-boosting foods…
Honey on yoghurt, lemons in my water and freshly squeezed OJ with the pulp and all! I try to eat a lot of fresh produce and do no takeouts.
