Extraordinary Health Magazine Extraordinary Health Vol 21 | Page 36

Healthy Pregnancy & Nutrition 34 by Dawn Jarvis, MS, RD, LDN Garden of Life® Corporate Nutritionist Dawn is a licensed Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian with a passion for natural health. She has more than 30 years of nutrition education experience. It is natural for pregnant mothers, particularly first-time moms, to worry about whether they are they eating enough and getting all the essential nutrients necessary for themselves and their baby. The physiological demands of both pregnancy and lactation not only create the need for more calories and protein for the growth of the baby, but also for essential vitamins and minerals—some of which are especially important to produce a healthy baby. Kind Organics Prenatal Multi from Garden of Life has been thoughtfully formulated by nutritionists to deliver wholesome certified organic food vitamins at optimum levels to naturally support a pregnant mom at one of the most nutritionally challenging times of her life. Here’s an overview of the key components of Kind Organics Prenatal Multi. It Starts with Iron Iron-deficiency anemia is common in pregnant women since the amount of iron that a woman requires increases to make enough blood cells for you and your baby. Also, the developing fetus needs to store iron to use after birth, placing an increased demand on the mother. It’s tough to get all the iron you need from your daily diet. That’s why Kind Organics Prenatal Multi is formulated with 18mg of natural plant iron that comes from organic curry leaves, which is easy on the digestive system. Modern medicine has identified that iron absorption and utilization in the body are greatly enhanced by vitamin C and bioflavonoids, so we also included organic amla berry, which is rich in these vital nutrients. Now on to B Vitamins B vitamins are very important to health because they help the body obtain energy from food, and they also help form red blood cells. Most women experience tiredness during pregnancy; therefore, adequate intake of B vitamins is essential for maintaining good energy levels. Kind Organics Prenatal Multi contains guava, which is high in energizing B1 and B2 vitamins, along with zinc. Holy Basil is included to deliver other important B vitamins such as B3, B6 and pantothenic acid.† All-Important Folate An important B vitamin found naturally in green leafy plants, folate is used by the body to make new cells, including those that will form the brain, spine, organs, skin and bones of a baby. Folate deficiency can result in megaloblastic anemia, which causes weakness, fatigue, irritability and headache. Folate deficiency also increases the likelihood of having a premature or a low birth weight baby. For pregnancy, 800mcg is usually recommended to prevent neural tube defects. Most supplements and fortified foods use the chemical form of this nutrient called folic acid. However, Kind Organics contains organic lemon peel, providing 800mcg of food-based folate to help keep mother and baby healthy.† Ginger and Peppermint for Nausea Kind Organics Prenatal Multi also contains organic ginger and peppermint to help alleviate feelings of nausea and morning sickness, typically associated with pregnancy.† Here’s to a healthy pregnancy and baby!