Comments on: Pregnant vegetarian bleg

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:10:58 +0000

PP, to put my comments into perspective, I’ve been vego for nearly 30 years and my 3 kids and partner are also all vego. My partner had problems with iron and protein also. All the best and good luck.

By: Pregnant Peach

Pregnant Peach — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:16:11 +0000

Yes I’m the pregnant one.

I would like to thank everyone for your comments and I will try the recommendations.

Also i will like to thank Nicholas for helping.

Thanks again and it was nice reading the comments.

By: Helen

Helen — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 01:36:53 +0000

It’s an unfortunate feature of pregnancy that your taste and smell is turned upside down. You hear a lot about people craving stuff they don’t normally eat, but it’s also the case that things you previously enjoyed suddenly make you wanna vomit. Let alone things that make you wanna vomit at the best of times.

Sorry, that contained no useful advice.

By: observa

observa — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:33:12 +0000

Well it seemed to have some relevance to the topic at hand, but perhaps the answer lies somewhere ‘in rust we trust’. Works for some of us.

By: observa

observa — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:16:42 +0000

Speaking of iron and spinach and stuff reminded me of that old schoolboy joke about what part of Popeye never gets rusty. You know, the bit that’s always dipped in Olive Oil. well most of us were too young to get it too.

By: joe2

joe2 — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:39:47 +0000

Silverbeet is full to the brim with iron.

Great chopped fine in salads, steamed , easy to grow and for some reason neglected.

By: James Rice

James Rice — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:57:02 +0000

My partner suggested that the expectant mother try a variety of multi-vitamin/mineral tablets - she may have fewer problems with some brands than others. My partner took an Elevit tablet once a day during her (vegetarian) pregnancy. (And the little nipper turned out fine - I think she's gifted...) My partner also thought getting enough sleep, as well as constantly nibbling on dry biscuits, helped her minimise nausea in general. As far as sources of iron are concerned, I think eggs are also a reasonable source of iron (as are a number of vegetable sources), while perhaps not being as good a source as various red meats. According to a US government website, 100 g of boiled (whole) egg contains 1.19 mg of iron, while 100 g of fried (whole) egg contains 1.98 mg. In comparison, 100 g of a lamb's body (lamb, roast, cooked, lean only eaten) contains 2.12 mg of iron, while 100 g of cow body (beef, roast, roasted, lean only eaten) contains 2.65 mg. The equivalent numbers for smoked salmon and canned, water-packed tuna (alluded to above) are 0.85 mg and 1.53 mg respectively.

By: ChrisPer

ChrisPer — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:50:23 +0000

Those who have made dried meat know that its bulk and fattiness are greatly reduced. If you buy shaved biltong, it is about as meaty as BBQ-flavour potato crisps, and you don’t have to handle fresh stuff. A steak dries down to next to nothing, so eating a moderate serve of biltong is a great way to eat a healthy serve of meat. Of course, I can’t testify whether it will trip her yuk-detector, but in my experience a pregnant person can get homicidal if someone stands between them and a steak dinner.

I suspect that her tastes, therefore, might change a bit to help her adjust.

Oh – when the baby is growing and starts solids – they need fat. Don’t think that fashionable lean food is healthy for a child. If they get fat in the diet they cope, they sleep. You need to know this.

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:15:35 +0000

Yes, Funny how the memory plays tricks. Still it’s an easy mistake to make when Collingwood won the premiership this year.

By: observa

observa — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:09:58 +0000

“Id have thought a caring employer might point his employee in the direction of an actual qualified authority, rather than present her with the compiled ignorance of this lot.”

Personally, I wouldn’t get involved at all because of the liability. Consult your industry association on this first and if that fails ring Ken Parish on the pretext of a social chat or whatever. You might be able to manipulate him into giving you a freebie.

By: James Farrell

James Farrell — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:58:15 +0000

Essendon, actually. But it was a great comeback. I stand before you condemned: a wretched ingrate.

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:45:34 +0000

I put a small amount (teasooon or so) of blackstrap molasses on my muesli in the mornings, and i have it with soy rather than cow milk – both for iron-ingesting reasons. I have no problems with iron deficiencies. Molasses is definitely the way to go.

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:31:05 +0000

Caroline,

I agree with you. James is a meanie. (Posing – like most of us – as a relatively nice, reasonable person.)

Don’t be fooled!

He is someone whom I took to the MCG. Someone for whom I had the good grace to arrange a Collingwood comeback.

And now he’s engaging in evasive word games! Soon we’ll hear that his last comment was not an apology.

Shame, Shame, Shame.

By: James Farrell

James Farrell — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:42:52 +0000

Sorry, Nicholas. I either missed or forgot that bit. You can hardly blame me when it was such a long post.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:14:00 +0000

Contraire saint. FAB is just . . . fabulous. Ferro gradumet for some of us, is akin to ingesting cement, not terribly useful.

James you’ve suffered from an iron deficiency have you? Your contribution is noteworthy only for its nastiness.

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:37:42 +0000

James,

She’s seen a dietician – who was mentioned in the post. The dietician does not appear to have come good.

By: saint

saint — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:36:06 +0000

Apart from oral iron (and the stuff from health food shops is useless, should get iron tablets like ferro-gradumet from chemist), dietary changes (David’s advice is sound) – there are other treatments like iron infusions, depending on the cause of anaemia. If she hasn’t already, she should definitely see a doctor to determine the nature and cause of her anaemia and determine best treatment, particularly if pregnant.

By: Ken Parish

Ken Parish — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:01:21 +0000

Yes, but it’s a very amiable, good faith brand of ignorance.

By: James Farrell

James Farrell — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:38:11 +0000

I’d have thought a caring employer might point his employee in the direction of an actual qualified authority, rather than present her with the compiled ignorance of this lot. Why not replace the last sentence with ‘Anyone know a dietitian?’

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:34:05 +0000

I imagine that protein and iron are the issue. Lots of spinach: fresh is best, but frozen is more convenient. The protein in legumes is of more benefit than the protein in meat (which is more concentrated than the human body can effectively use).

I recommend something like a banana smoothie in the morning, with say whey protein, bananas, honey (or liquid malt extract) and milk (I also add fresh-ground LSA – linseed, sunflower and almonds).

In the evening, I recommend dahl or split pea soup.

By: Ken Parish

Ken Parish — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:14:05 +0000

It depends on what attribute of meat your employee finds repugnant. If it’s the moist, fatty, slimy aspect, then jerky’s dry, dessicated but smokily flavoursome meat essence might be just the thing.

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:20:10 +0000

The idea that beef jerky or biltong will appeal to someone put off by red meat certainly strikes me as pretty odd. But who knows?

By: Caroline

Caroline — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:15:19 +0000

What a caring employer you are Nicholas. (This is probably a world first).

By: Caroline

Caroline — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:11:34 +0000

F.A.B. Iron pills, not your average iron pill.

By: Tony T.

Tony T. — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:49:47 +0000

Take her to Vlado’s for a good force-feeding.