The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

When you are expecting, there is an overwhelming amount of rules: you can do this, you can't do that, eat this/not that... and there is an equally overwhelming number of books to read.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I bought and quickly returned many-a books. There was only 1 pregnancy book that I kept and if this below was released when I was pregnant, this would have been a book that I kept as well.

Jonny Bowden and Allison Tannis have put together a reference for moms-to-be to help you figure out what foods are best to eat during your pregnancy. Broken down into trimester, this book is very well organized and does not require you to read it cover-to-cover. Rather, you can read it on a need-to-know basis.

Not only do the authors fill you in on foods that you probably never thought of eating during your pregnancy that will make a difference in your baby's life, but they tell you why. They don't just say eat this and not that- they give you the medical reasons (in layman's terms) of why you should eat this or that and what good it will do for you and your baby.

The book includes "fast fact" boxes that will give you helpful and sometimes fun information such as:

* Vitamin B6 helps alleviate morning sickness.
* Anemia can show up during your second trimester if you're not getting enough iron.
* Iron supplementts commonly cause constipation. You may find them less of a problem if you take them on a full stomach and dink plenty of fluids.

Another helpful box you will find throughout the book is "Jonny's Tasty Tips." Here, the co-author highlights tasty ways for you to enjoy the foods that he is recommending. Some of these foods include:

* Chives, Leeks & Lamb during the first trimester.
* Figs, Chia Seeds & Watercress during the second trimester.
* Cranberries, Herring & Rhubarb during the third trimester.

The remaining chapters in the book cover pre- and post-natal days from fertility to breast feeding and everything in between. Giving you the knowledge about the best foods that you can eat

* to help with the aches, pains and complaints of pregnancy
* while breastfeeding your newest arrival
* during the post-partum period that may even help alleviate the symptoms of post-partum depression. According to the authors, there area foods that have "depression-fighting power"
* to help with your fertility and start you off with a healthy pregnancy before you even conceive.

A very important chapter, in my opinion, contains information on what the authors call "tricky foods and herbs." We have all heard of certain herbs, foods and/or activities that we should avoid while pregnant- especially during the first 12 weeks of a baby's development. Things like alcohol/caffeine consumption, artificial sweeteners, hot dogs (yum!), herbal supplements and more. The authors tackle these topics and give you the information that you need to make informed decisions regarding your lifestyle while pregnant.

To me, the book reads like an encyclopedia, not too overwhelming, easy to find the information you need and very well organized/broken down into sub-sections. I can open it up, find what I need and move on. Complete with color photos, nutritional information, fact boxes and more- I think this is a perfect addition to any pregnant woman's bookshelf- just to have as a reference. It would probably make a good gift for someone that you know is pregnant.

This is actually the first review I have ever written. I am, though, an avid reader of them and base about 90% of my purchases on reviews, so I have to share my love for this book. This is my first pregnancy, and like other reviewers, I was confused and overwhelmed by the do's and don't's with your diet during pregnancy. This book breaks those down plus so much more. It is one of the easiest reads and reference books out there. I have been able to follow along by trimester, trying to read the trimester emphasized foods before entering it or at the beginning. This book broadened my diet as I would try to find recipes or ways to incorporate the highlighted foods into my diet as well as keeping the prior trimesters additions and rolling them over into the next. This book doesn't just tell you what to eat, it provides the "why." It also provides subtle differences in the way a product is prepared or purchased that really affect the nutrients in the item. Such as mushrooms....specific ones provide a stronger pow of nutrients. Also for example is the comment about celery and how it is important to buy it organic as it is one of the 12 most contaminated foods with pesticides. I typically ate healthy before this book, but this book has provided me with the knowledge to make small tweaks to my diet as well as open me to a broader range of food. Again with the small changes to diet, I now add organic flax seed on top of my morning granola to give me an extra punch of fiber, which I tend to need more of just in general. I can honestly imagine referencing this book not only through pregnancy and breastfeeding (as it has a section for this too), but also for everyday life as the foundation foods are power foods that should be in our diet not just to help develop our little ones, but to also better ourselves. I am now looking to buy another one of Jonny Bowden's books for my in-laws as they have just received results of high cholesterol and borderline diabetes.