E ATING

C L E AN O N A
BUD G E T
Mya Shuck
Sacred Joy Midwifery

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“ O U R N ATU R AL S TATE
is one of balance, wholeness, and vitality.”
-Sally Fallon
Nourishing Traditions
 3

IS IT E VE N
P OSSIBL E T O E AT
WE LL ON A BUD G E T ?
As the spotlight on how our food arrives to our tables becomes brighter each day, there is a lot of
misconstrued information out there about what it really means to eat well and what it requires
financially for family to commit to eating well. Everywhere we look, there is a new product out
there that is advertised to revolutionize our health, but it requires quite the commitment from our
wallets. It’s a commitment that most families cannot realistically afford to buy into. Truthfully,
eating in a way to foster a healthy pregnancy, breastfeeding journey, and in child raising is not as
expensive as everyone may think and this handout is supplied to help you do just that. At Sacred
Joy Midwifery, our desire is to guide you on a path of wellness for you, your baby, and your
family as a whole, and that begins with what you eat.
"Dietary changes are best achieved gradually, as an understanding of food and your own needs deepen.”

-Ronald F. Schmid
Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine

DAIRY
P ROD UC T S
Dairy products in order of
enzyme, vitamin, and
nutrient content (from least
to greatest):
-Non-organic, pasteurized, homogenized
non-fat, 1%, 2% milk
Non-organic, pasteurized, homogenized
whole milk
-Organic, pasteurized, homogenized
whole milk
-Organic, pasteurized, un-homogenized
whole milk
-Organic, grass-fed, pasteurized, un-
homogenized whole milk
-Organic, grass-fed, raw milk

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The benefits of milk and
other dairy products
Milk provides many beneficial nutrients,
enzymes, and vitamins that are not only
great for the average person, but incredibly
beneficial for pregnancy. This includes
Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, healthy fats, and
calcium. Unfortunately, milk that is readily
available to the public is pasteurized, a
process that not only kills any potential bad
bacteria, but kills good bacteria and
enzymes as well. It reduces vitamin content
and digestibility of milk, and therefore
should only be consumed as the last option.
When you can, it’s best to purchase raw/
pasture-fed milk, cheese, yogurt, and
butter.
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Where can I find raw
dairy products?
The first place to check is your local health
foods store, if you don’t have access to one
or they do not stock raw dairy products,
here is a few online resources that can
direct you to some, as well as provide you
more information on the benefits and
safety of raw milk:
www.realmilk.com
www.westonaprice.org
www.thehealthyhomeeconomi
st.com/benefits-of-raw-milk/
C A R BO H Y D R AT E S 5

Carbohydrates are a complex topic (see what I did there? :) ) Nearly everything contains
carbohydrates, so it can be confusing to understand how much you should have and
what form they should come in. To simplify this, carbohydrate 101 says that
carbohydrates supply our energy come in two forms: Complex and simple. Simple
carbohydrates are things like sugar, soft drinks, and refined flours. Complex
carbohydrates include whole vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
Eventually, all carbohydrates get broken down into glucose, it’s just a matter of how
quickly that happens. The difference between the two is that simple carbohydrates cause
an almost immediate blood sugar spike because they come in the most simple form,
whereas complex carbohydrates take a while to break down and therefore, gradually
increase the blood sugar in a more manageable way.

In pregnancy, we are especially concerned with your carbohydrate intake for many
reasons. 1. We want you to have energy! Pregnancy can be taxing on your body and you
need energy to sustain such a task. 2. Your baby needs glucose to grow; now is not the
time to begin a popular diet, but to focus on consuming whole foods with lots of complex
carbohydrates. 3. Too many carbohydrates, especially simple ones in sodas, refined
flours, and sweets can be detrimental to you and your baby. Not only are these types of
carbohydrates taxing on your body, but they can make for big babies! (more on this in
the sugar and other sweeteners section).

Repeat after me:

1. Carbohydrates can be a good thing!
2. My baby and I need carbohydrates to be healthy.
3. I will seek out healthy sources of complex carbohydrates.
We suggest a carbohydrate intake of mostly organic, whole grains, fruits, vegetables,
and legumes. While the cost of nourishing your body in this way may appear expensive,
there are many things you can do to cut costs, including planting your own garden and
maybe even canning some of your produce, shopping seasonally, and shopping what is
on sale. If you’re on food stamps, shopping at a farmer’s market actually doubles your
money!
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S U G A R A ND O THE R
S WEETENER S
From the morning cup of coffee with
that heaping spoon full of cane
sugar, to that sweet treat you get
every time you go to your mom’s
house, consuming sugar can be a
very fond experience. Often times,
sugar itself can trigger fond
memories and feelings of comfort,
but in excess, its toll on our bodies
certainly outweighs the positive
emotions it brings about.
I’ll cut right to the chase and let you
know that we want you to limit your
sugar intake in pregnancy. Not only
does sugar cause an unhealthy,
rapid increase in blood sugar that
temporarily satisfies you, but it can
also lead to a condition called
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Gestational Diabetes, where you are
actually temporarily diabetic in
pregnancy and are more likely to
get Type ll diabetes later in life.
Sugar is also heavily linked in
research to depression, anxiety, it
feeds a yeast infection in your body,
and is linked to many other chronic
illnesses. Now you see why we want
you to limit sugar as much as
possible!
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Since nearly everything
has sugar, here are some
tips for eating sugar well:
• Choose honey as your added
sweetener: not only does it contain
healthy enzymes, but it is actually a
complex sugar won’t cause such a • When grocery shopping, look at the
dramatic upswing of your blood labels of your food. Any word on the
sugar. If you can’t have or don’t like ingredients that ends in -ose, is a
honey, date sugar or dehydrated sugar. Lots of sugars are hidden in
cane sugar juice are good options as our foods in this way.
well
• When you consume sugar, pair it
• Bake your own sweets when you with a form of protein to help your
can; while this is not actually body integrate it
avoiding sugar, it gives you more
control of how much and what types • At all costs, avoid high fructose corn
of sugar is in the food that you eat. syrup for you and your family.
P RO TE IN
7

Proteins are made up of amino acids, 8 of which are essential. They are vital components in nutrition because they help keep your immune/respiratory/cardiovascular system functioning
well. They also help the body recover from strenuous activity. Protein sustains our energy and protects us from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In pregnancy, they are the building blocks
for your baby. The baby’s hormones, growth, metabolism, and sexual development are made possible with protein. There are many special demands of tissue building that can only be met
with adequate protein, not just for baby but for your blood expansion, placenta, breast growth, milk production, immune system, blood clotting, etc. Some good sources of healthy proteins
are organic, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs, and dairy products. While there are good sources of vegetarian protein such as peas and legumes, consuming strictly vegetarian protein can
deplete your body of Vitamin B12.
As organic, pasture-raised meats grow in popularity, bulk food stores such as Costco, are beginning to sell these good protein sources at cheaper prices per pound. Another good option, though
the upfront costs are large, is buying an entire slaughtered cow and freezing it.

FAT S
Fats are a controversial topic and have been for a while now. But
the truth is, fats are actually really beneficial for our bodies and
are absolutely needed in pregnancy. The best options for fats
come from fatty fish such as salmon or sardines, as well as dairy
products, eggs, and other high fat meats/organs. As far as oils
go, expeller-expressed oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, and
coconut oil should be used instead of hydrogenated oils that are
already rancid like margarine or shortening. Other oils that
should be avoided are safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and
canola oils because they cannot be heated to high temperatures
and while they are high in beneficial linoleic acids, Western diet
usually has excess of this acid and is an unhelpful addition to
your diet.
While oils like margarine are cheaper, buying butter or other
healthy oils in bulk or buying it locally from a farmers market is
a good way to lower costs.

Image retrieved from http://healthylivingmadesimple.com/complete-proteins-101/

E NZ Y M E S
Enzymes not only aid in digestion, but they are also the catalyst to biochemical actions
that must take place in the body to keep us alive and growing. Enzymes can be found in
raw dairy products, fermented foods, Bee products, sprouts, and lightly cooked meats
(including organs!). Find fun ways to incorporate enzymes into your diet that you enjoy:
for example, Kombucha, a popular fermented drink, is a great hydrator and is full of
happy little enzymes to colonize your gut and take the load off of your pancreas to
produce your digestive enzymes. If you’re looking for inexpensive, high-enzyme foods,
you can sprout your own legumes and grains before eating them, or even make your own
fermented foods. Here is a resource for getting started with these disciplines at home:
https://draxe.com/sprout/
M INE R AL S
Minerals are inorganic substances which may appear in combination with organic
compounds. They are required for physiological processes including catalysts for
biological reactions like muscle response, neurological transmissions, digestion, and
utilization of nutrients from foods. They also balance the production of hormones and
help maintain fluid balance and normal pH within the body. Most of our modern foods
are void or stripped of mineral content, so it’s important to seek out foods and
supplements that contain minerals. Additionally, consumption of sugar, refined flour, and
hydrogenated fats depletes the body of minerals. Taking a trace mineral supplement can
be beneficial, as well as consuming foods such as seaweed and bone broth can increase
the mineral content in your body. It is important to consult your health care provider
about dosage, as excess minerals can be toxic to the body. Good resources for mineral
supplements can be found under the vitamin tab.
VITAM INS
8
Vitamins are organic nutrients required in tiny amounts to maintain growth and a normal
metabolism. Vitamins function with in part with enzymes. While vitamin supplements can
be helpful, some synthesized vitamins used in pills and added to foods are not
biochemically identical to natural ones and as such, are not as useful to the body.
Vitamins should be consumed in our foods, but because we typically are not used to
eating a ton of high vitamin foods, supplements can be used and are especially
recommended in pregnancy when the need for vitamins is crucial. Here are a few sources
to some whole food prenatal and regular vitamins that are great additions in pregnancy.
https://www.innateresponse.com/
https://megafood.com/store/en/women-s-health/
baby-metm/
WATE R
Dehydration can lead to exhaustion in anyone, but in pregnancy its affects are even
greater and it can also cause nausea, vomiting, increase Braxton Hicks, and even induce
labor. We recommend you consume half of your body weight in ounces in water each day.
It can be helpful to have a certain water bottle that you prefer and know how large it is so
that you know how many full bottles you must drink to hit your goal. There are fun ones
out there that are based around drinking a certain amount each day and others that even
connect to an app on your phone. You can find some of these here:
https://www.amazon.com/Reminder-Water%EF
%BC%8CVshow-Hydration-Watertight-
Intelligent/dp/B075RSL16V
R E FE R E NC E S
9

Fallon, S. (2001). Nourishing

Traditions. Washington, DC:
New Trends Publishing.

Frye, A. (2006). Holistic

midwifery: A comprehensive
textbook for midwives in a
homebirth practice. Portland,
OR: Labrys Press

Planck, N. (2006). Real food:

What to eat and why. New
York, NY: Bloomsbury USA