Navigating Nausea from Pregnancy on Paleo

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fbchef-banner-01.jpgThere’s a 2-for-1 sale until Xmas Eve on this cookbook we contributed to. Get yours here!

Thanks, Lauren, for this awesome question that I know many other pregnant Paleo women will be able to relate with!

Hey Neely,
First of all I am so very appreciative for what Paleo Plan has done for my husband and I. We have been trying to conceive without success. My doctor suggested changing my diet and exercising more regularly. We researched a lot of different options and decided to try paleo. My husband is an avid cross fitter so he heard about paleo through crossfit blogs.
We started this summer and love the change in our lives. I don’t think we will ever go back to our “old” lifestyle. We have cheat days occasional but don’t enjoy them because we feel terrible when don’t eat true paleo. So…I lost 15 lbs and yes we are expecting our first baby.
Here is my issue, I am 7 weeks pregnant and incredibly sick. I have aversion to meats and prefer not to eat solid foods. I am eating white rice just plain, but even veggies are hard. I would love to stay paleo, but the foods aren’t particularly bland. Is there a book or recipes you would recommend for pregnancy and paleo? I want to make sure I still get all the nutrients but would rather eat liquids than solids and super bland foods. Anyway didn’t know if you had any experience in this area. Let me know.Thanks,
Lauren

morning-sickness-300x300.jpgHi Lauren,

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! I’m SO happy to hear that you got pregnant, and possibly because of Paleo. Yes!

As for dealing with nausea from pregnancy, I’m sorry to hear that… I can relate, though. Not in that I’ve ever been pregnant, but sometimes I just do not want meat or vegetables because the thought of them makes me sick.

Actually, I feel like that a lot, so I’ve come up with plenty of of bland, carby, rice-like foods that are Paleo.

Bland Paleo Food Ideas

The first and foremost is tapioca crepes. You can make plain crepes, which are similar to saltines in blandness, or banana tapioca crepes. Recipes are here.

Or this is not as bland, but if you get hannah sweet potatoes or Japanese sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes if you tolerate them) and just bake them in or out of tin foil in the oven, they are very mellow with a little sweet flavor.

Also try these recipes from Paleo Plan:

Eating these things by themselves will help you stay away from the toxins in grains, and therefore keep your hormones more balanced, which will in turn help the nausea. Most of these recipes will also provide you with a little protein and fat so your blood sugar doesn’t get low, as I’m assuming it’s been doing.

But also, pairing any of these things with a little bit of your favorite meat when you’re up for it can really help the meat go down easier. When I’m in an “I hate meat and everything with flavor” phase, but I know I need to eat meat or I’ll feel bad, I’ll often make a tapioca crepe or pumpkin flatbread and wrap some Applegate turkey up in it. It’s like a white bread turkey sandwich but Paleo. Or I’ll do the same with just a plain scrambled egg for a Paleo white-bread-egg sandwich effect.

Read Peggy Emch’s Stuff

Also, Peggy Emch, who is a gorgeous, vibrant Paleo/Primal mother of 2 (and a friend of mine), has written extensively on Paleo and pregnancy at theprimalparent.com, and this article in particular might be insightful for you.

Supplements

One last thing is that sometimes nausea during pregnancy can be caused by a B vitamin deficiency, so make sure you’re taking your pre-natal vitamins, especially because B vitamins are mostly found in meat ;) Make sure the supplement you’re taking does NOT contain folic acid, but natural folate instead (folate is the form of folic acid your body prefers). I like Designs for Health Prenatal Pro.

I hope this is helps you deal with nausea from pregnancy on Paleo! Maybe the things I’ve suggested are still too flavorful for your sensitive belly, but perhaps you could ask your husband to make a couple of them for you when you’re feeling bad and just try them out. You might be surprised. Also, make sure that when you do have an appetite, you take advantage of it and feed yourself lots of of fat and ample protein.

Best wishes to you and your family!

Kindly,
Neely