The Brewer diet differs from what many women are being told by doctors and media about pregnancy weight gain. In fact, this diet pays no attention to how much you gain and focuses all of it's attention on the specific foods you are eating.

What is the Brewer Diet?

The Brewer pregnancy diet was developed in the 50's and 60's by Dr. Tom Brewer after he discovered, through research, that preeclampsia is caused by an abnormal blood volume due to malnutrition. He realized that in order to prevent this condition, pregnant women need to consume a diet that is rich in nutrients and high in protein.

The Brewer diet is based on 4 main things: Plenty of calories, high protein, salt to taste, and unrestricted weight gain. No more worrying about the scale, but you do have to pay extra attention to what you are putting in your mouth.

What is a typical Brewer Diet menu?

For those who follow today's low-fat fads, the Brewer diet may seem a bit extreme.

It requires the following servings each day:

• 4 milk/milk products
• 5 whole grains
• 2 vitamin C foods
• 1 vitamin A food
• 2 dark green leafy vegetables
• 3 fats and oils, 2 eggs
• 6-8 servings of protein

On top of these requirements, the following is recommended: liver once a week, salt to taste, and unlimited water.

Why is it good for pregnant women?

Even overweight women can suffer from malnutrition. Restricting weight gain during pregnancy is not a good idea if it means cutting out important nutrients from the diet. The Brewer diet can help you focus on getting the right kind of nutrients in good amounts, including plenty of protein and good fats.

Women have noted that the Brewer diet alleviated their morning sickness quite well. As mentioned, the Brewer's diet was also developed to reduce the chances of preeclampsia, and is even thought to reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes.

From personal experience

I tried the Brewer diet during my last pregnancy and really enjoyed it. Although it seems like a lot of food when you are eating it, I did not gain too much weight. I felt incredible while eating this way, though I must admit, I sometimes felt as if there was no way someone could possibly eat that much protein and that many eggs! You do get used to it.

I have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar,) and the Brewer diet kept my blood sugar stable and gave me lots of energy. I was also never hungry, and didn't have as strong of an urge to snack and eat too many sweets.

If you're interested in reading more about the specific requirements of the Brewer Diet, visit: www.DrBrewerPregnancyDiet.com

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Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS

Vanessa is a Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Nebraska and holds an MS in Clinical Psychology. She is a certified trauma professional with a special interest in helping people heal from trauma and complex trauma.

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