Pregnancy: Folate vs. Folic Acid

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, chances are you’ve heard about folate and it’s importance for your growing baby.

Folate, also known as B9, supports healthy neural tube development, DNA synthesis and methylation and facilitates healthy brain development. All of this growth starts within the first 28 days after conception which is why many doctors will urge a prenatal containing folate prior to conceiving.

Given how critical folate is for your baby’s brain and overall development, it’s important to make sure that your prenatal has the correct form. When comparing prenatals you’ll usually find folate in one of two forms: folate or folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, it must be converted to folate in order to be usable.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Unfortunately no. Up to 50% of women have what’s called an MTHFR gene mutation that prevents them from completing this conversion. The result is folic acid in your body that is completely unusable. And because folic acid is is water soluble, anything that isn’t used will simply be excreted through urine without ever having benefited baby.

You most likely won’t be tested for the MTHFR gene mutation so when you’re choosing a prenatal, check the label to make sure it contains the form of folate that you know your body (and baby!) can use. Folate should be listed as one of the following:

5-MTHF  

5-methyltetrahydrofolate

L-methylfolate

In addition to your prenatal, you can get the active form of folate from food. Some examples of folate containing foods include:

Avocado

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Eggs

Leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and lettuce

Nuts & Seeds

Are All Calories Created Equal?

Nutrition is as simply as understanding ‘calories in and calories out, right?’. It’s a question that comes up over and over again with my clients along with, ‘should I be counting calories?’. My answer is always unequivocally no! I get it, I really do. The idea of counting calories has been ingrained in many of us and we’ve been made to believe that when it comes to managing our health and weight, calories are all that matter.

So what are calories? If we’re looking at it from a purely scientific angle, calories are a unit of energy. From this perspective, it would mean that one calorie of fat would in fact be the same as one calorie of carbohydrates because both be worth one unit of energy.

However, if we dive deeper and examine calories in the context of health and nutrition, calories can be very different. While calories do provide energy, they also provide information. Information that tells our bodies’ to release hormones which ultimately impact our feelings of satiety or conversely, our cravings.

For example, say for a mid afternoon snack you had the option to eat a cookie or two hard boiled eggs, both around 140 calories. If calories were all the same then it wouldn’t matter which option you chose right? Wrong! The cookie, which is made of mostly refined carbohydrates, is going to cause a big spike in blood sugar and an equally large crash. If you read my blog on blood sugar you’ll remember that that crash is what leaves us craving more processed, sugary carbohydrates. The eggs on the other hand are composed of mostly fat and protein, neither of which have much impact on our blood sugar which leads to more feelings of satiety and less cravings. When it comes to any health related goal, feeling satisfied is absolutely critical for long-term success.

Lastly, for all my calorie counters out there, remember that counting calories erodes an innate ability to decipher what our bodies’ need - be it protein, fat, or fiber, and how much. So rather than looking at food as purely numerical, look at it as information.

Are Natural Sugars Really Healthier?

While less refined foods are generally associated with better nutritional density, this isn’t totally the case when it comes to sugar. In short, our bodies treat all versions of sugar, whether it’s honey, coconut sugar, or cane sugar the same: they are broken down quickly into our bloodstream which causes a rapid blood sugar spike and provide little to no nutritional value. There’s definitely something to be said for less processing and it’s true to some degree that natural sugars contain slightly more trace minerals than their refined counterparts. However, the amount you would have to consume to gain any sort of daily requirement would be excessive. Ultimately, any benefit would be negated by all the sugar just consumed.

At the end of the day, sugar is sugar. Just because something is made with natural sugars (sadly!) doesn’t mean you get a free pass to consume unlimited quantities.

So should ALL sweets be off limits?!

NO! It simply means approach all sweets as treats, pay attention to portion size and enjoy in moderation.

Easiest Shredded Chicken

Having prepped protein on hand is one of the easiest ways to may sure you’re able to have balanced meals throughout the day. I love this shredded chicken because it’s so versatile - add it salads along with an olive oil based dressing, throw it in a wrap with some avocado, or eat it straight from the fridge for a quick bridge snack.

I always recommend prepping proteins in advance because it’s the macronutrient I see most often lacking from client’s diets and it plays critical roles in our body. Protein is made of various amino acids which are the building blocks for every cell in our bodies. If that wasn’t enough, eating enough protein helps to keep our blood sugar stable, supports our immune system, and impacts our hormones.

The amount of protein a person should consume varies based on a variety of factors including their lifestyle and goals. However, I generally recommend anywhere from .75-1.0 grams per pound of body mass.

If getting enough protein is proving to be a pain point for you, consider adding this to your meal prep rotation.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs chicken (breasts, thighs or a mixture)

• 1/2 cup of bone broth or chicken stock

• Pinch of salt

• Black pepper to taste

• Optional seasonings: garlic powder, paprika, etc

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts and stock inside slow cooker, stock should come about half way up the chicken

2. Season with salt, pepper and any other seasonings of choice

3. Cook on high for 2 hours until chicken is no longer pink and easily pulls apart

4. Using two forks, shred chicken inside the slow cooker. Doing so in the broth will help ensure the chicken absorbs some of the liquid and doesn’t dry out

5. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days

Lactation Energy Bites

When you’re a breastfeeding mom, easy snacks are key to have on hand. Your body is working really hard to keep your baby fed and nourishing food is key to keeping your healthy and happy. These no-bake bites are packed with protein, healthy fats and fiber which are all essential nutrients for milk production.

Included in this recipe are a few ingredients, such as oats, flax seeds and brewers yeast, that are considered galactagogues. Galactagogues are ingredients that are thought to support and improve breast milk production. While more research is needed to understand exactly how much galactagogues impact milk supply long term, they are certainly packed with good for you nutrients that your body needs postpartum.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup old fashion oats (certified gluten-free if needed)

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds

• 1-2 Tbs Brewers Yeast (can be a strong flavor so add to taste)

• 1 Tbs hemp hearts

• 1 Tbs chia seeds

• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

• 1 cup nut butter of choice (I love a 50/50 combo of peanut and cashew)

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• Pinch of sea salt

• Optional: 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

• Optional: 1 scoop of protein powder

Directions:

Mix everything together then form into balls. If mixture is too dry, try adding a little more nut butter. Store in fridge and/or freezer.

Almond Blueberry Muffins

Gluten free, diary free and sweetened with maple syrup, these muffins are packed with simple ingredients you can feel good about. I like to keep a batch in the freezer so that they’re ready to go when the mood strikes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour

• 2 tbs flax meal

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 3-4 tbs maple syrup (depending on sweetness preference)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 tbs coconut sugar (optional)

• slivered almonds (optional)

Ingredient swaps:

• No flax? You can leave it out!

• No applesauce? Use 1/2 cup milk of choice instead

• No almond extract? Use 1 tsp vanilla extract

• No blueberries? Use any kind of berry or even a cubed apple that has been sautéed in a little butter and cinnamon until soft!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a  12-cup muffin tin with 9-12 liners (depending on how big you want your muffins) or coat with butter or melted coconut oil (I use coconut oil)

2. In a large bowl combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and flax meal

3. In a separate bowl stir together the egg, almond milk, apple sauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract

4. Pour dry ingredients into wet and stir with a whisk or rubber spatula until combined

5. Fold in blueberries

6. Divide the batter evenly among 9-12 muffin cups depending on how big you want the muffins.

7. Top with a sprinkle of coconut sugar and slivered almonds (optional but encouraged)

8. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and a knife or toothpick comes out clean

Should You Always Buy Organic Produce?

One of the major problems with non-organic, also called conventional, produce is the use of pesticides. Certain pesticides have been linked to health concerns such as hormone imbalances as well as negative environmental outcomes like stripping our soil of its nutrient density.

However, like everything with nutrition, it isn’t all or nothing. Just because you can’t buy organic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat produce at all. In fact, the benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies ultimately outweigh the risk of exposure, especially if you’re washing your produce well.

My advice is to buy the best you can that works within your budget. Need to pick and choose? Learn the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15! These lists are put together every year by the Environmental Work Group and inform us which fruits and vegetables in the U.S. have the most pesticides and which have the least. Take a look at the lists below:

Dirty Dozen (2021)

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale, collard greens, mustard greens

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Cherries

8. Peaches

9. Pears

10. Bell peppers

11. Celery

12. Tomatoes

Clean 15

1. Avocado

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onion

5. Papaya

6. Frozen sweet peas

7. Eggplant

8. Asparagus

9. Broccoli

10. Cabbage

11. Kiwi

12. Cauliflower

13. Mushrooms

14. Honeydew melon

15. Cantalope