In the video and article below, Dr. Stephanie Mancuso gives a straight-forward approach to help us Get Comfortable with healthy eating.

Nutrition is of the utmost importance during pregnancy. You have to remember that your body is creating another human being and foods are the building blocks for that creation.

Eating smaller more frequent meals throughout the day is best. Those meals should be balanced meaning each meal should contain healthy organic sources of protein, vegetables, salads, fruit, unprocessed whole grains and healthy fats.

Some examples are:

Protein -- organic chicken, turkey, deep sea fish (not farm raised), lean red meat (preferably grass fed) and eggs

Vegetables -- organic lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, cucumber, onion, carrot, celery, beets, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, bok choy, brussel sprouts, cabbage, leeks, garlic, chives, kohlrabies, radishes

Salads (Lettuces & Greens) -- arugula, beet greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, kale, mustard greens, radicchio, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine, spinach, swiss chard and watercress

Fruit -- organic blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, watermelon, oranges, grapefruit, apples, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, guavas, honeydew melon, kiwis, kumquats, lemons, limes, loganberries, mangos, mulberries, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and tomatoes

Unprocessed Grains/Legumes -- wild rice, brown rice, lentils, chick peas, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, quinoa, sprouted breads

Healthy Fats -- olives, olive oil, avocados, coconuts, coconut oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil and raw nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts (peanuts tend to be very toxic -- so it’s best to avoid)

Despite the overwhelming and contradictory information out there about nutrition, eating well can be very simple. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Ask yourself if I living in the forest 200 years ago what would I eat?  The answers to that question are the foods you should be eating on a daily basis.

Please notice I do not have a dairy section on this list. Many people believe that the only way they can obtain enough calcium is by consuming large amounts of dairy products and that is just not the case. Dairy products are pasteurized and pasteurization destroys many of the valuable nutrients found in raw milk like iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, lactose and interestingly enough Calcium -- the main reason many drink milk in the first place. Pasteurization also destroys the useful lacti acid bacilli. Hence, the milk cannot sour, quickly decomposes and harmful germs multiply. For these reasons, I am a proponent of raw milk (if your body can tolerate it) even during pregnancy and for infant feeding. While controversial, it should be an area that you look into and research for yourself. The following are some excellent resources -- www.mercola.com, www.realmilk.com. Calcium can also be obtained by eating dark green leafy veggies like kale, spinach, broccoli, oranges, peas, black beans, baked beans, salmon, sardines, sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, almonds and oat straw tea.

Dr. Mancuso has been combining her love of chiropractic and nutrition and helping patients create health from the inside out, without the use of drugs or surgery for the past 10 years. In 2002, Dr. Mancuso opened the Infinite Potential Center for Healing in Scottsdale, AZ.  Over the years, she has observed the effects of poor nutrition on the structure and function of the body and has centered her practice around empowering people to take charge of their own health through superb nutrition and lifestyle changes. For more information or to contact Dr. Mancuso please visit http://infinitepotentialcenter.com.