breastfeeding mom with questions

[mariposa825141]

hi everyone! I'm new here. For the past ~7 years I've been incorporating more raw into my diet, mainly following "Eat to Live" to some degree. For the past year I've been wanted to go mostly or completely raw but my problem is that I have trouble reaching my calorie goal (1500 minimum, 1800 is preferable) while breastfeeding. I need at least 1500-1800 to have adequate milk for my baby. I know this exact amount because I've counted calories for so long that through trial and error I know the minimum needed for sufficient milk supply.

Anyway, I love raw juice, smoothies, but I have a strong aversion to the taste of raw nuts. I've tried many different kinds, and high quality raw nuts. I just can't eat them. I love roasted nuts, and while I could eat those, that would defeat the purpose of going raw.

The problem I'm facing is that I simply can't get up to 1500-1800 calories between raw fruit and veggies. I can get to barely 1200 but my milk supply suffers. Any ideas on what I should do? Should I just eat as much raw as I can and then eat whatever I can scrounge up to get to the 1500-1800 mark? Right now I've been eating whole wheat bread with roasted nut butter to get me up to my needed intake. Should I just stick with that until baby is weaned?

I normally have 2 cups raw fruit juice, 2 cups raw green juice, a huge green smoothie, lots of water, and a truckload of raw fruit each day.

thanks for any thoughts/ advice.

ps, I am 5'8" 138 lbs, so I'm doing this mainly for health and not weight loss. If I lose a few pounds that's fine but I don't want to get under 130.

[Living Food]

Sprouted legumes like lentils + mung beans, sprouted pseudograins like quinoa and amaranth, sprouted sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, add soaked chia or flax to your smoothies. You can even sprout wheat and dehydrate to make raw bread if you want.

I have a strong aversion to the taste of raw nuts. I've tried many different kinds, and high quality raw nuts. I just can't eat them. I love roasted nuts, and while I could eat those, that would defeat the purpose of going raw.

Do you soak them? Soaking improves the taste, and sprouting improves it even more. Sprouted nuts taste "meaty" and quite good.

[ilovemysoldier]

What about coconut oils, cacao butter, avacados, and seeds like chia, sunflower, or hemp?

[Raw Angel Mom]

I never worried about the calories and my milk didn't go down. I notice eating almond will boost the milk production. I consume a lot of e3live then and i took a special herbal tea to stimulate more milk.

Your body will guide you. Consume hemp seeds if you can, they are amazing in term of nutrient and rich in essential amino acid. Sesame seed is great with calcium. Make room with a lot of leafy greens food and nice fresh fruits.

I loved smoothie in those days and it was easy to add stuff. Gojji berries are a great source of iron and it is packed with vitamin C. Always monitor your b12 level while nursing. Many vegan food do have the good B12 such chlorella, mushroom, sunflower sprout etc.... research.

Anyway, go with the richness and freshness of food versus calorie.

You can look into energy soup from dr. Ann Wigmore (skip the rejuvelac and use water instead), it is a very rich soup and quite balance.

[zinny]

Hi Raw Angel Mom,

I am wondering if you have tried putting a spoonful of nut butter into your smoothie. Personally, I like the taste of raw nuts, but notice that it can be very hard to detect the taste of some of the mild nuts (eg Brazil nut butter) when they are in sweet smoothie with stronger flavors (eg banana). You might also try the sprouted nut butters.

Eating more avocado is another option (again, you could throw some into a smoothie if you don't like the taste so much).

Have you seen Natalia Rose's writings about breastfeeding while raw? I think that she would suggest that you eat more greens to boost your milk supply, ie that you need more calcium rather than more calories. (She would also suggest that you keep eating some cooked foods if that's what your body needs to prevent detox--detoxing while pregnant/ breastfeeding is not the way to go.)

[Raw Angel Mom]

Hi Raw Angel Mom,

I am wondering if you have tried putting a spoonful of nut butter into your smoothie. Personally, I like the taste of raw nuts, but notice that it can be very hard to detect the taste of some of the mild nuts (eg Brazil nut butter) when they are in sweet smoothie with stronger flavors (eg banana). You might also try the sprouted nut butters.

Eating more avocado is another option (again, you could throw some into a smoothie if you don't like the taste so much).

Have you seen Natalia Rose's writings about breastfeeding while raw? I think that she would suggest that you eat more greens to boost your milk supply, ie that you need more calcium rather than more calories. (She would also suggest that you keep eating some cooked foods if that's what your body needs to prevent detox--detoxing while pregnant/ breastfeeding is not the way to go.)

No, i don't mix nut with my smoothie or didn't then.

I would just soaked my almond and then eat them. There are herbs as i mentioned that truly work in term of stimulating the milk production.

They didn't have information much about how to feed raw children, baby and nursing. Eat ton of Goji berries, they are rich in IRON, vitamin A, C, etc.... Calcium, there are many plant food rich in them. I went 100% raw while breastfeeding and my child did wonderful. You cannot go wrong with top quality food. I had colon hydro therapy, these were amazing, they cleanse your colon from toxin and therefore it prevented them to be re-absorb by my body. Look into this. I am not a doctor but i know one thing, your intuition as a mother is far more valuable then anything. I understand to go with logic and expert but understand also that they are human and nobody can understand the bound that you have with your child. So take and leave and do what feels right.

All the best

p.s I am not a doctor so research and discern

[Conscious Midwife]

I'd definately go with a raw nut milk or adding nut butter to smoothies and maybe masking the taste with a different variety of fruits, agave or even cinnamon, ginger or other strong herbs/ seasonings.

Also an avocado daily would not be too much for a nursing mom and maybe even make an easy on the go snack like kale chips or rawritos might give you a little extra without being too filling.

By teh way do you ever make banana icecream?

[michigan roman]

ide make homemade nut and seed milks constantly , then use them straight or as bases for fruit smoothies

almond mylk with banana - almond mylk with avacado and cocoa - hemp seed mylk with fruit - etc etc etc

[robh]

I have a strong aversion to the taste of raw nuts. I've tried many different kinds, and high quality raw nuts. I just can't eat them. I love roasted nuts, and while I could eat those, that would defeat the purpose of going raw.

Eating pasteurized nuts and getting the minerals, fats, calories and vitamin E (almonds) is a better than avoiding them because they are not raw.

I am a living example that raw fooders can thrive on pasteurized nuts. Now, they aren't as good as a raw nut that's been sprouted (aka soaked). A living nut that is full of wonderful, heat-sensitive compounds that you normally wouldn't get is far better than a pasteurized nut. If, however, the choice is pasteurized nuts or no nuts, eat the pasteurized nuts.

My two cents on the topic, anyway. :)