Maximise Nutrients
Resources:
- Nutrient tracking software (online and mobile) that you can use for a week or two to get a good overview of how much of each nutrient you are getting through your diet click here
Tips:
- If you are in the preconception phase, aim for the levels recommended for pregnancy.
- Your partner and should eat the same nutrient dense foods that you eat, his sperm health also relies on the nutrients he's getting in his diet.
- Our ancestors didn't measure or calculate their nutrients and they didn't use supplements, yet they had healthy children... Always remember that food is the most powerful way to nourish your body.
Why RDI’s aren’t always helpful
RDI is the Recommended Daily Intake (or RDA recommended daily allowance in the US) and this is what people refer to when they say things like 27mg of iron is recommended during pregnancy. It’s also used on the back of your supplement bottles and prenatal when it says things like 50% of RDI - this means that it meets 50% of what’s needed daily of that specific nutrient.
But here’s why RDI’s aren’t solid advice you can rely on:
- Firstly, an RDI is (as stated by the Australian dietary guidelines) “the amounts of specific nutrients required on average on a daily basis for sustenance or avoidance of deficiency states”. Well I don’t know about you but I don’t just want to ensure sustenance. I want to thrive and I want to gift my babies as many nutrients as possible to set them up for a healthy life. Reference -https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/images/nutrient-refererence-dietary-
- The statement “There are no data on the needs for XXX nutrient in pregnancy” is a common occurrence in the guidelines. In which case an AI (adequate intake) is given instead and it’s basically a best guess for what’s needed.
- RDI’s are often a calculation and not based on studies in pregnant women.
- Science takes a very long time to make it’s way into policy, which means the RDI’s are in many cases outdated information.