Healthy beginnings: how I navigated the Weston A. Price preconception diet
Embarking on the journey toward parenthood is an incredible adventure, and I found that preparing my body for this life-changing experience was key. Today, we’re diving into the Weston A. Price preconception diet, a nutritional approach that I have found helpful in preparing my body for pregnancy.
Before we delve into the details, if you’re interested in nourishing recipes for every stage of life, be sure to check out my popular What is the Weston A. Price Foundation? post, where you’ll discover the research and inspiration that led Dr. Price to his discoveries.
Note: This is not nutritional advice. The information in this blog post is my personal experience and opinion. It may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own physician’s medical care or advice. Always seek advice from your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding nutrition, medical conditions, and advice, and before you begin any dietary changes.
My experience following a Weston A. Price preconception diet
As a mom of four, the Weston A. Price preconception diet is one of my favorites to recommend to any friends or family hoping to get pregnant sometime soon. It has been one of the best ways to help get my body ready for pregnancy. And it is so delicious that you will wish that you had heard of it sooner!
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My GAPS diet journey
Way before I even had children, I used the GAPS diet to restore my wellbeing. Originally, I used this diet to help get my energy levels up, and my health issues disappeared at the same time. I am so grateful I took the time to do that before I started my pregnancy journey!
If you’re wondering about the differences between the GAPS diet and the Weston A. Price or Nourishing Traditions diet, you can think of it this way: The Weston A. Price or Nourishing traditions diet is the “well person’s diet,” great for anyone without any health issues to overcome. The GAPS diet is the “sick person’s diet,” designed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and based on the Weston A. Price diet principles.
Preparing my body for pregnancy with optimal nutrition
Carrying a child is a huge undertaking for the body. Here are some of the key principles that I used when following the Weston A. Price preconception diet:
- I researched the Weston A Price Diet. Dr. Price’s discoveries are essentially a focus on the importance of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. He found different foods that were rich in these nutrients, such as like cod liver oil, grass-fed dairy, and organ meat. Dr. Price observed traditional cultures prioritizing foods like these for people who were soon to become parents, both the father and mother.
- Since I knew that my health was suffering, I followed the GAPS diet initially. You can read more about my experience with the GAPS diet and how it changed my life here.
- Another idea is to do a combination of the two, which is nice if you want to keep things simple, I think. Since the GAPs diet is based on principles in the Weston A. Price diet, it is easy to combine the two.
Nutrient dense foods during pregnancy
When it comes to carrying a child, I found it important to understand the toll that it can put on my own body. So much of the energy and nutrients that I consume during pregnancy go towards carrying the baby, which is why I found spending some time building up nutrient stores before conceiving to be so beneficial.
Here are a few of my favorite books that I found helpful when getting started:
One of the key factors in the Weston A. Price preconception diet is to include lots of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, K, and E. I made a big effort to try and eat as many foods as I could that are rich in these vitamins. Some foods that are rich in those vitamins are:
- cod liver oil
- grass-fed dairy
- grass-fed butter
- Organ meats
- Fish eggs
- Grass fed animal fats
Embracing the Weston A. Price Diet for preconception health
I found that getting my body ready for pregnancy didn’t have to be time consuming or complicated. I found it very worthwhile to spend any extra time and money on nutrient-dense foods that can help my body be prepared for growing my little one in those first nine months, and afterwards during nursing as well.
To make it even easier, Weston A. Price was able to discover the best foods so that we can easily know which foods to focus on to get those healthy fat-soluble vitamins with healthy foods.
Here are the foods I focused on when I was focusing on the Weston A. Price diet for preconception health:
- Meat Stock or Bone Broth (depending on whether I am on GAPS or a full Weston A. Price style diet)
- Egg Yolks
- Organ Meats (I tried to focus on cooked liver, raw liver, or raw liver supplements)
- Grass Fed Dairy
- Cod Liver Oil
- Fish Eggs
- Sardines or another type of small, oily fish
- Grass-fed meat
- High-quality, fresh seafood
- Plenty of animal fats from grass fed animals
Balancing a nutrient-dense diet with select supplements
As a mom of four kids, I found it so helpful to prepare my body as much as possible before I conceived, and Weston A. Price has discovered the principles of a simple, effective diet to do just that.
It is so simple: All I did was focus on the foods that I was eating (like the ones listed above). Lots of supplements were not a part of my routine, as Dr. Price recommends well sourced food for primary nutrients. The supplements that Dr. Price did find very helpful are cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil.
The role of cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil
Dr. Price found that high quality cod liver oil provided many important nutrients. When combined with grass fed butter, he found that the two work synergistically to really support the body well.
- Cod liver oil (Rosita or Green Pastures are my favorite brands!)
- High Vitamin Butter Oil from Green Pastures
Enhancing nutrient absorption with healthy fats
With this diet, the main focus is to give your body a hearty amount of fat-soluble vitamins. Dr. Price found so many reasons why these vitamins are important for the body (especially right before a pregnancy!) and he found it important to mention the value of eating healthy fats with these vitamins.
More modern research also shows that the body uses healthy fats to allow the body to digest and use vitamins in food (source). Think of fat as a catalyst to help the body use all of those vitamins for the body.
Weston a Price Preconception Diet Video
Some of our favorite Weston A. Price style recipes
Nourishing Traditions chicken bone broth
Nourishing Traditions lemon mousse
What has worked for you?
If you are a new parent, how did you nourish your body before conception? What foods worked well for you? Share in the comments!
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High vitamin butter oil from green pastures
Dr. Price’s Nutrition and Physical Degeneration Book
The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook
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GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and opinion. It is for general information purposes only, may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own physician’s medical care or advice. Always seek advice from your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding nutrition, medical conditions, and advice. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read on this blog.