The 1 Key Nutrient to Stay Healthy From Pre-Conception to Postpartum by Niminsha Gandhi
Healthy fats play a critical role from conception to postpartum recovery. Good fats are essential for your baby’s growth, especially for the development of the nervous system, retina, and brain, which is made up of 60% fat. A diet high in essential fatty acids protects against postpartum depression, depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, and other mood and behavioral disorders. Maternal stores of DHA can be reduced as much as 50% during pregnancy, which could be a factor in postpartum depression.
The system and science behind Ayurveda puts a strong emphasis on helping mama recover for 42 days postpartum, where she is fed all sorts of delicious, high-fat foods. This helps her rejuvenate, balances hormones, and helps mom produce high quality breastmilk. Good fats include coconut oil, ghee, tallow, lard, grassfed butter, raw cheeses, full fat yogurt, pasture-raised eggs, wild fish, pasture-raised meats, nuts, seeds, and unrefined nut and seed oils.
A nice ritual to add into your daily routine is to drink a cup of golden milk with one teaspoon of ghee before going to bed each night. The ritual in itself is VERY soothing to the Vata dosha!
About the Author : Nimisha Gandhi is a functional medicine and Ayurvedic nutritionist, Yoga Nidra teacher, and Moon Cycle Wisdom leader. In Nimisha’s private practice, Moon Cycle Nutrition, she specializes in fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum care with an emphasis on the mind, body, and soul. Her work is research-based, intuitive, and from the soul.
Jane Austin is an internationally recognized Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher and Teacher trainer empowering women and pregnant people to trust their bodies as they transition into parenthood and beyond.
