Sea vegetables in general and kelp in particular are other miracle foods from which pregnant mothers and nursing mothers can greatly benefit.
- p.639, Conscious Eating* by Gabriel Cousens
*Conscious Eating has been referred to as the “Bible of Vegetarians,” for both beginners and advanced students of health.
Why are sea vegetables beneficial to pregnant and nursing mothers?
Sea vegetables contain extremely high levels of iodine.
Iodine is an element that most of us are deficient in. There are many factors that contribute to this deficiency. The main reason being that we don’t normally get the needed amount of iodine from the food we consume on a daily basis.
Another reason is due to widespread increased intake of and exposure to chemicals such as: fluoride, bromides, chlorides and mercury. (See the article The Importance of Sea Vegetables in Restoring and Maintaining Your Health by Steven H Horne RH (AHG) IIPA and Kimberley Balas ND for more information.)
Pregnant women have a greater-than-normal excretion of iodine in their urine. A low thyroid gland can weaken and unbalance the rest of the endocrine and hormone system. A deficiency in iodine and thyroid function can lead to a build-up of estrogen in the system. Iodine is essential for the development of the thyroid of the fetus. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may cause a mentally retarded baby.
-p.640, Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, (emphasis mine)
Iodine is essential to our reproductive health – the breasts, uterus, and prostate need large amounts of iodine alone. Iodine also encourages healthy skin, eyes, and nerve function.
Iodine is required by every cell in our body!
But not only do sea vegetables contain high amounts of iodine…
Besides iodine, sea vegetables are rich sources of iron, magnesium, potassium, boron, silica, selenium, and chromium. They are also loaded with essential fatty acids, vitamins (including vitamin D) and water soluble fibers which make them excellent bone-building and tissue repairing foods. Sea vegetables are also known to improve hair color and quality, skin tone and texture, fingernail strength and ease arthritic symptoms.
-from the article: The Importance of Sea Vegetables in Restoring and Maintaining Your Health
With all that sea vegetables contain they are a food that can only contribute to a healthy pregnancy, birth and child.
My Personal Experience
I am currently almost 3 months pregnant with our second child. Since about a month before we conceived until the present, I have been consuming sea vegetables in a live, liquid nutrition form. I feel confident that my body and baby are getting everything needed.
I am currently still breastfeeding our 22 month old daughter and I feel secure knowing that my breast milk is full of the same nutrition I receive from the high quality organic liquid sea vegetables.
A noticeable difference that I have perceived between this pregnancy as opposed to my first is the absence of fatigue. During the first trimester of my first pregnancy, I remember feeling overcome with fatigue. I would need to lay down and take mid-day and afternoon naps. But now, even with a 22 month old needing me, I have plenty of energy. I contribute it fully to my intake of liquid sea vegetables.
From my personal experience I cannot recommend to you enough that you eat or drink your vegetables – sea vegetables that is… especially if you are expecting. I personally take Body Balance daily, which is where I get my sea vegetables. Click here to read more about Life Force International’s Body Balance.
December 24th, 2008 at 2:34 am
I know, thank sea vegetables are very useful for our health, but actually on the picture, they don’t look very tasty.
March 14th, 2009 at 12:31 am
The issue with sea vegetables is more around what you eat with them. Sushy is great, but not when you are pregnant. What else do you eat with sea weed?