
This article was originally posted on The Bloom Method’s site, and is written by Brooke Cates, a dear friend and owner of The Bloom Method. She called me up one day recently and asked my opinion on drinking cold-pressed juices duringΒ pregnancy. This blog post was written inΒ response to thatΒ conversation!
As expecting moms, weβre often told what we can and cannot consume during pregnancy. Some of these nutritional guidelines are quite outdated and unclear while leaving us questioning the viability of information given. As I ebbed + flowed through the endless guidelines, I would often find myself thinking, if expecting moms can drink soda while pregnant, I should be able to drink fresh pressed vegetables right?
During my first trimester, I experienced some extreme food aversions. Extreme in the sense that some of the things I could no longer tolerate were food choices I had consumed on a daily basis before getting pregnant. One of these has continued to linger throughout my pregnancy, and even though my body lets me enjoy it from time to time, seared greens [of all varieties] has become one of the more significant aversions Iβve experienced.
When it comes to food, what I eat is a huge reflection of how I feel and what I can provide my body with through my daily meals. Losing the ability to eat seared greens once, and sometimes twice a day, was something I really struggled with.
I eat healthy for a reason [or several], and now it seems even more crucial that I pack my diet with the most nutrient-dense foods. After all, the food we consume are the building blocks to our health and now I was growing a human with the help of those same nutrients.
I found early on when the aversions to seared greens began that I could replace this food group with fresh pressed green juice and didnβt seem to avert from it at all. In fact, my body began to crave my daily green juice, and I honored it throughout my entire first trimester. Well into my second trimester, I continue to indulge in various green juices a week.
This particular consumption sparked concern with a handful of friends and colleagues as itβs commonly understood that pressed juice isnβt safe for expecting women due to its lack of pasteurization. In stating that Iβve consumed pressed juice throughout my pregnancy and in large quantities for that matter, itβs also important to include that I am extremely picky about where my juice comes from and only consume juice from two local sources in Boulder. Both sources juice only organic fruit and veggies, and I always make sure I drink the juice within 24 hours of it being juiced.
In wanting to shed a little light on the whole βpressed juice isnβt safe for expecting womenβ conversation, I sought out detailed information from our in-house master nutritionist, Sarah Jane Sandy.
Sarah was quick to support my decision in enjoying the juice but as usual, also very thorough in her explanation of her guidelines on juicing during pregnancy.
βFresh pressed juices can be safe during pregnancy, but there are a few things to be aware of! Itβs recommended that pregnant women skip the fresh juice provided at juice bars, restaurants, and other places that sell fresh pressed juice because the juice is unpasteurized. The problem with unpasteurized juices during pregnancy is that if the fruit and vegetables are not properly washed, then itβs possible to get sick from bacteria like salmonella or E. coli.
Pregnancy changes your body, including your immune system, in many ways. You are more vulnerable to illnesses, including food-borne illnesses. Not only can these pathogens harm you, but many of these can harm your fetus. When it comes to your unborn child, itβs always better to play it safe. Store-bought juices are βsafe,β but they do not contain the nutrients and enzymes your body needs because theyβve been heavily heated and processed. With proper handling, juicing during your pregnancy can be done safely from home.β
Here are some tips for juicing at home safely:
So when making nutrition decisions that differ from the standard βpregnancy guidelinesβ make sure youβre well educated and speak to a professional before you consume. Donβt be afraid to ask questions and shop around for the best quality ingredients. Always choosing companies that operate with a high sense of integrity is going to be the best at keeping you and baby healthy is undoubtedly number one.
As for enjoying a juice and working through a potential food aversion that can offer support to yours and babyβs bodies, I say Drink Up! Just make sure that you follow the guidelines that Sarah recommends above and always listen to your body.
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