Aristotelous - The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan: Eat Clean & Feel Good with Complete Nutrition

Copyright 2018, 2022 by Aimee Aristotelous

Originally published by Skyhorse under the title The Whole Pregnancy

Photographs by Alan De Herrera:
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The following photos were styled by Judean Sakimoto; recipes created by Chef Elizabeth Whitt:

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available on file.

Cover design by David Ter-Avanesyan

Cover photo from Shutterstock

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6867-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-7055-3

Printed in China

For the two in my life who made me a mom, Richard and Alex, and for my own mom and dad, Norma and Steve.

Foreword

By Dr. Kenneth Akey, MD

W ho will sound the alarm? Who will stand up and unabashedly speak the truth regarding our childrens and familys health? It is an obvious fact that our opulent, overindulgent society is sadly unhealthy. Why? Many very bright minds with vast resources are supposedly working together for the good of our precious children. And there is so much interest and passion to help.

Fortunately, there are voicesauthors and researchers today actively looking for answers. There are many books on the shelves about nutrition and health. Thank God for these people. Un fortunately, many of these books are mainly interested in weight loss, not true good health.

Aimee Aristotelous is authentically passionate about the health of the pregnant mother and pre- and post-delivery infant. She is a certified nutritionist and the amazing mom of little Alexander, both of whom I have the privilege of knowing as their pediatrician. I love spending time with Aimee, her hubby Richard, and little Alex during their well checkups. At two years old, Alex has not had one sick visitstrangest thing!?

Aimee is a committed advocate of healthy families. She has written and presented on numerous nutrition topics via social media, television, and live presentations. It is a pleasure and an honor to be a part of her book. I speak about nutrition with every patient I see, just as Aimee does with her clients and contacts. Not to be too simplistic, but nutrition is what health is all about.

Almost every book I have ever read about health, nutrition, or preventive medicine has included a long list of chronic, extremely common medical conditions. Ill only list the several that I see every day: toxic substances in our environment, food additives, sweeteners, fast food, junk food, and over-medication all have been associated with the emergence of new dangers and tragic illnesses, including speech delays, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), allergies, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. These are horrible conditions and diseases that become more prevalent every day.

What can you, an expectant mother or new parent, do? You can read about nutrition in books and on the internet, buy food from reputable sources, or even grow some of your own vegetables and fruits. You can follow people like Aimee and her contributors on Facebook and other social media. You can always be learning and looking for new information. My point, and the point of The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan , is to be curious, investigate, read ingredient labels, be wary and distrustful of processed foods, be proactive, and search out a healthy lifestyle. Speak louder than the processed food industry and fast food companies and dont compromise your familys health.

Thanks to Aimee and her contributors for providing the truth about how to have a healthy pregnancy and baby through pure and natural nutrition. I encourage you to take heart and dive into the following pages with excitement, and also with a deep sense of urgency. Good reading, good health, and God bless!

Introduction

Y es, you can have a healthy, gluten-free pregnancy! Whether you have celiac disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) or you just feel better when avoiding gluten, The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan is a safe and nutritionally superior gluten-free guide that helps expecting and postpartum women achieve ideal health and weight during pregnancy and beyond. Implementing philosophies of current, highly-effective gluten-free nutrition trends that, until now, have not been fully introduced to the prenatal and postpartum populations, The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan offers a detailed dietary regimen that is based on whole and unprocessed foods, low-glycemic carbohydrates, quality proteins, and essential fats.

This book is a nutrition education guide, recipe book, and meal planner all in one! Whether you are non-vegan or vegan, this book is for you as it caters to both nutrition lifestyles, containing information and recipes which include both animal- and plant-based proteins. It also provides special instruction for each stage of pregnancy, including the first, second, and third trimesters, as well as the fourth trimester of postpartum weight loss and nursing. Furthermore, it will inform you about deceptive marketing strategies and harmful ingredients used by commercial baby food manufacturers, and advise how to provide the most beneficial nutrition for your infant.

The recipes and meal plans found throughout The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan vary with regard to dietary lifestyles, stages of pregnancy, trimester-specific dietary needs, pregnancy-related conditions, and lengths of preparation/ cooking time. Since not everyone enjoys cooking or has the time to spend in the kitchen, the meal plans and recipes fluctuate in terms of simplicity and time. You will find that many of the meal plans contain basic instructions as opposed to detailed recipes for the sake of ease and time constraints. If you are someone who wants to get a bit more adventurous in the kitchen, I have more than 100 detailed recipes for you!

In addition to being a recipe book and meal planner, The Whole Food Pregnancy Plan provides a broad spectrum of nutrition information regarding required vitamins and minerals, as well as superior forms of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. You will learn about the superstar nutrients needed during preconception and each trimester of pregnancy, as well as how to obtain them. If youre wondering how you will meet your fiber and folic acid requirements while avoiding gluten, Ill show you a variety of exceptional, nutrient-dense options which boast naturally occurring nutrients as opposed to fortified versions that are found in most commercially-made gluten-containing foods.