Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Doctor-Recommended Plan for Baby And You! Everyone says, when you're pregnant, you're eating for two. But I wrote this book because I want to change that thinking. I want you to eat for you . What do I mean by that? My patients know. As an OB/GYN with a full-time practice--not to mention in my roles as Chief Women's Health Correspondent at ABC News, and as co-host of The Doctors --it's my mission to deliver the most accessible, up-to-date and action- able information to ensure you stay healthy during your pregnancy, and deliver a beautiful, bouncy bundle of joy at the end. (And I've delivered more than 1,500 of them!) That means you'll need to know the essential vitamins and key nutrients your little one needs to grow, and which foods stave off defects, gestational diabetes, and other complications. And it means you should ask your OB/GYN or midwife to join you in learning, so you can work together to control your nutrition. With 66% of reproductive-age women overweight or obese, the need to combat unhealthy and uninformed eating is a responsibility we all share. But "eating for you" also means being practical. Because I know you're more than just a mom-to-be. You're a mom-to-be who's got a thousand other jobs, from career woman to budding chef to amateur yogi to professional Pinstagrammer and possibly, maybe, if you have 5 minutes left, wife (and perhaps you're a mom already, in which case, you know what I mean). No matter how you spend your time, chances are you don't have much of it--and certainly don't want to spend the next nine months measuring the folate counts in every box of cereal, or starving on your next road trip because Burger King doesn't serve kale. You need nutrition. And you need it now. And although cooking your own food is the surest way to maintain a healthy diet, you probably can't do so every day for the next nine months. That's why I wrote Eat This, Not That! When You're Expecting, the only book of its kind by a doctor qualified to talk about nutrition, physiology, and disease--who will also tell you what to do the next time you're at the salad bar, in the yogurt aisle, or at Mickey D's. Because, let's be honest, momma's gonna crave a little Mickey D's. And she's going to need clean energy, too. That's why I'll also tell you how delicious wild salmon, fresh and creamy smoothies, and time-saving foods like rotisserie chicken or frozen meals can be essential building blocks for healthy trimesters. In the end, you'll discover not just what to eat, but how to enjoy the foods you love. You'll eat for you, while nourishing baby, too. Why You Need This Book--Now If you were to walk into my office, the first thing you'd realize about me is, I'm a woman (what gave it away?), a doctor (with an M.D. from Columbia), and a mother (on my desk are photos of my two kids, now teenagers somehow). But shortly after that, you'd learn I'm also formally educated in Nutrition. Oddly enough, not too many people can say they're all of those things. During my 16 years of practicing medicine, I've met a lot of nutritionists who aren't credentialed doctors and a lot of doctors who aren't credentialed nutritionists. That's why, after becoming an M.D., I decided to get Board Certified in obesity medicine, and complete a Master's in Human Clinical Nutrition at Columbia. I needed those credentials to talk about nutrition because I talk about nutrition a lot, and not just with my patients. When you're on TV, telling women to lose weight, gain weight (in a healthy way), and eat right, you better know what you're talking about. More importantly, you better also provide actionable advice. It's amazing how few doctors, even OB/GYNs, do that. They don't because they can't. When I went to medical school at Columbia, and graduated in 2000, we had almost zero formal nutritional training. Over the last 15 years, we've seen a growing shift in not just interest in nutrition but in nutritional information. The medical community is finally catching up, realizing food is medicine! How to Use This Book At its core, Eat This, Not That! When You're Expecting is meant to tell you what to eat when you're pregnant. You'll learn: * The essential nutrients, and where to find them * What to order when you're eating out * What to buy, aisle-by-aisle in the supermarket * How to cook delicious craving crushers and healthy meals * And how to stop worrying, live healthfully, and enjoy the next amazing nine months. But the reason it's so distinctive is that it's practical. I offer delicious recipes, compliments of Fit Pregnancy, but also tell you what to eat at the drivethrough, or during a burger craving, or when you want ice cream--so you can buy the right kind for you, and ask yourself: If a food is not a good fuel for my body, and my baby, why eat it? So I Can Eat Ice Cream? The burning question--right? Of course you can eat ice cream, and I'll tell you why in a moment. But first, I want to say that I'm not a big fan of labeling any food "bad" or "good." In medicine, few things are that simple. Ice cream is no different. In fact, I'd give it an A: it has calcium, protein, fat. (Find my favorites on page 262.) It's only problematic when we eat too much, or add too many toppings. That's why I think Eat This, Not That! When You're Expecting is the perfect title. It's not meant to be the definitive bible. It's meant to show you a better way to eat. And if you're feeling nauseous, or having trouble gaining weight, or, heck, just want a nice dessert after a long day--eat ice cream! Stop by my office. I'll write you a prescription. To your health--and baby's, too, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Board-Certified OB/GYN Excerpted from Eat This, Not That When You're Expecting: The Doctor-Recommended Plan for Baby and You! Your Complete Guide to the Very Best Foods for Every Stage of Pregnancy by Jennifer Ashton, David Zinczenko All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
