Pregnancy- and the Foods that Got me Through It

One of the things I first learned about pregnancy was to not listen to anything that anybody told me. I got a lot of people trying to give me a heads up about what to expect, and no offense to everyone's good intentions, but almost none of it happened!

Fist of all, in the very beginnings of my pregnancy I knew the very moment I was pregnant. Instantly my body seemed to respond by putting on an extra 5 pounds of water weight and I was sluggish and bloated. Impossible you say? My doctors gave me a funny look when I said this too, but I am telling you, I knew the exact moment I conceived. It would be about 3 or 4 weeks before I would convince myself to take a test, and yup. Just like I thought, a little pink plus sign showed up in less than a second. After confirming the pregnancy with the doctor, I decided that maybe I should put my natural chef training to good use. I had even done extensive research on prenatal health and nutrition and written a paper on it, and I felt I was prepared to eat an excellently balanced diet for me and for my baby. But you know what I found in those first few weeks? Screw "nutrition" I could hardly get myself to eat! All I wanted, and I mean the only things in the world, was bagels and cream cheese. I am not exaggerating when I say I ate bagels and cream cheese sprinkled with garlic salt for three meals a day, every day. Part of me was thinking, "this isn't very good for me!" and the other part thought, "who the hell cares?!" So I went with it. And it seems my baby is no less healthy for it, in fact she is active and happy and my own weight is a little under average. Eat healthy you say? Kiss my ass, you have probably never been pregnant.

Next came my love for anything sour and for iced tea. And I found something that blessed me with both! Peace Tea in the sweet lemon flavor. It came in this huge can and I could only find it at Lucky's in the refrigerator section. Beau bought armfuls of it and I took it everywhere with me. It was around this time that I was reading more about pregnancy and trying to prepare myself for what was to come. They told me to expect to be tired and they told me to take my prenatal vitamins and they said it would still be a while before I would "show". Well, I was anything but tired since I didn't have a choice but to be wide awake. My job was very physically demanding and I was working very hard, 5 days a week, sometimes 6. My prenatals seemed to be the biggest cause of my "morning sickness" so I was not taking them and I already had the tiniest of little bellies. So already, nothing was going as it was suppose to. (or as I had read it was suppose to.) I was very aware of my body at this time and I could almost feel the changes going on inside of me. Maybe it had something to do with my years of yoga practice and being aware of myself, but I felt my pelvis grow heavier and my belly was becoming rounder. Apparently feeling pressure in your pelvis is not something everyone else notices, but the pain would have me laying on the hard floor rocking back on forth on my back. I don't have a clue as to how women can go months and months and not know they are pregnant!

By about 4 months, I really began to realize that you cannot trust everyone else when it comes to pregnancy. I felt the baby move for the first time, and even though my doctor said it was impossible, I knew what I had felt and it was a teeny little goldfish sized baby fluttering around in my tummy. Also around this time I was slowly weaning myself off of bagels and was finding a new love in the classic sour things like pickles. I also ate salt and vinegar chips and sour patch kids (until my mom told me how bad that sour candy is for you!) And then my greatest craving of all... sushi. I knew how bad it was to want sushi, so I tried to repress it at first, but eventually I decided that a little sushi wouldn't kill me and I caved. I ate mostly the cooked stuff but would sneak some salmon every now and then. (which I later read can be an excellent mood booster!) Sushi with tons and tons of wasabi on it and smothered in soy sauce. That is what I wanted at least once a week. Unfortunately my work was taking it's toll on my back, and soon I suffered a back injury that forced me to quit my job and stay on bed rest for a few weeks. Without my income, sushi was no longer affordable, but Beau and I still go out every once in a while when I am wanting it really bad.

The biggest lie of all of the pregnancy lies was that the 2nd trimester would be the easiest. In my 2nd trimester I made several trips to the ER for various things. Pain, bleeding, a horrible flu, you name it. I was sick multiple times and this was also when my back was injured so I was bored on the couch most of the time. But the good that came out of it all was that I discovered my new craving was really spicy Mexican Food and I took comfort in chili rellenos... lots of chili rellenos. I was also able to start taking my prenatal vitamins without getting sick.

Thankfully, my back began to heal and my 2nd trimester was coming to a close. I had not gained nearly as much weight as everyone said I would. I walked every day with Beau and was feeling really good, even on days when I got almost no sleep. I mentally prepared myself for the third trimester and everything that the books said would come along with it... you will be constipated, you will have hemorrhoids, you will have swollen feet and be tired and crabby, etc. I kept thinking "holy crap, the 3rd trimester must be awful!" But so far, as with everything else, none of it has come true! Could it be becuase my new favorite food is yogurt? I know yogurt helps with digestion, and I have taken to eating two homemade yogurts a day for the last couple weeks. Also, strawberries and other fruits are in season and I fill up on those all day long. As for my "crabby mood", I have read that omega-3's are really good for a mood booster and I take a fish oil supplement every day! So no crabby Jasmine here! I am actually feeling better than I have for this whole pregnancy. And on top of my yogurt craving, I have found the most fantastic thing in the whole universe. Ben and Jerry's Key Lime Pie ice cream!

Now I am in the home stretch and I have about 10 more weeks tops of being preggo. I am suppose to expect to "continue to be constipated, etc. and to feel uncomfortable. Swollen feet, fatigue, moody..." But we will see how that goes.

So far I have followed none of the rules that I thought I would follow when I got pregnant (I have always been such a health nut! The old me would have passed out to hear of me eating bagels 3 times a day!) and my body has followed none of them either. And now while I read all of these books about what to expect after the baby is born, I have been taking it all with a grain of salt. I think the best thing I have learned throughout this whole expereince is to stop trying to control everyting so much! Just listen to your body and go with the flow. :)

Quality vs. Quantity

There is something about The Dave Matthews Band mixed with sandalwood incense that just makes me feel good... maybe it's just me, I don't know. But anyway this blog is not intended to be about my music and scent preferences. For the last couple days I have been musing on the issue of quality vs. quantity. On average Americans spend significantly less on food than say the French or Italians. And we even make more money than the French or Italians! Why is it that the average American is willing to feed their family cheap food substitutes that are bad for your health in the name of convenience? Being that food is literally the fuel for your body, you would think that people would take a little more time to carefully plan healthful meals and provide their bodies with the best! And the thing is, it is not a hard thing to do and it can even be fun. When did cooking go from a necessary but joyful exploration of colors and flavors to a dreaded thing to be done as quickly and mindlessly as possible? And where are we spending all that other money that is not being spent on food? Can it really be so very important?

I have often found that I can easily spend my entire paycheck at specialty food stores and fruit stands. Nothing excites me more than coming home after discovering a new little grocery store and preparing a simple meal with my findings. Nothing can compare to the satisfaction you feel after taking some fresh pasta and some herbs and turning it into a healthy and beautiful lunch. Not only is it pretty to look at, but oh how tasty when it is fresh! I often refer to food magazines as my favorite "porn" and I get such a kick out of trying new flavors. Now tell me, why would you not want to spend a little more for something so delightful?

Beau and I were able to explore a really fun little market today when we were trying to think of things to do. It is called Market Hall and you can explore their website (www.markethallfoods.com) but the experience is not the same as being there in person. It is this fantastic store and when you first walk in there is a bakery and a coffee stand. Two of my favorite things so I was instantly drawn in. Then there are rows and rows of imported olive oils, salts, spices and they even carry my very favorite brand of chocolate! I was in heaven and we spent quite some time sampling cheeses and looking at jars of fancy mustard and spices. In the end we had to leave with a bar of my dark chocolate that I usually go all the way to San Fransisco to buy (it is that good!) and some fresh pasta with a little tub of creamy garlic sauce. And this is what started me thinking... I would love it if there were more little European markets like this one! But would the American public go for it? The market was certainly busy, but it was nestled in Berkeley after all which is known for being inhabited by foodies. The rest of America seems ot be less excited by expensive cheese, probably thinking it is just not worth it when you can go to Costco or the regular grocery store and buy whatever yellow cheese is on sale. And did you know that most yellow cheddar cheeses are yellow becuase they are dyed?! That just can't be good for you! Wake up America, we are eating crap!

And then the question was brought up again: quality vs. quantity? when it was time for Beau and I to go grocery shopping this afternoon. I had a basic list written down with some of the usual stuff- some meats, veggies, and a few staples like milk and cereal. So the question was, where to shop? Safeway is the obvious choice for being on a budget. And I don't usually mind shopping there, but most of our list was veggies this time and to be honest, I just can't see spending any money at all on Safeway produce! It is tasteless and even though it is cheap, why buy it if it doesn't taste good? So we decided we would go to a produce stand where the veggies are pretty cheap and get our staples at Safeway. Ok sounds good... but then we got to the meat counter and we were going to buy fish for dinner tonight. One look at the butcher counter and we were grimacing at each other. Go for the cheap stuff or spend a little more for something that looks a whole lot more fresh? We opted for fresh and ended up going to Whole Foods to buy some cod and organic milk. (I hate to be stingy but I refuse to put any dairy into my body that is not organic.) All in all the extra money for better quality adds up to be not so much more than if we had just bought everything at Safeway. I did not actually do the math, but I would say we spent maybe an extra $10.

If you have not read French Women Don't Get Fat, I really suggest that you do. I have read it numerous times along with her other books and I can often be found on her website looking for dinner ideas. It is not a "diet book" as the title implies, but really just a look at the differences between American and French culture and ways to enjoy food with a more "French" attitude. I love to read it and remind myself to slow down and really savor the art of not only eating, but living as well. I love reading about the ways French women think of food and their little "secrets" as to how they keep from getting fat while still enjoying all kinds of foods that some Americans have sworn off forever for fear of their figure. But have you noticed that while Americans are absolutely obsessed with certain foods, we are so terribly unbalanced? We swear off carbs, eat only frozen foods or even eat only cabbage soup all in the name of dieting, and we are still some of the fattest and most unhappy people in the world! We have some serious issues when it comes to food and I have my own personal theory that it is because we forgot how to cook and how to eat. As far as I am concerned, food effects everything from your sex life to your school grades and everything in between. And I am not just saying all this because I am a chef. Food is a huge part of my life and I get immense joy from it. Maybe I should have been French... So here is a challenge for you. Ditch the fast food and frozen dinners for a while and find a specialty store in your area. Spend a little more money on quality ingredients and make yourself something fabulous!

And while you are doing that, ponder this little quote I found in French Women Don't Get Fat:
"French women don't get fat because they have not allowed new attitudes and modern theories of how the body uses food to overrule centuries of experience."

The French don't let modern science get in the way of food... why do we? We deserve better than that. Modern science has its place, but they place should not be in your pantry or in your food. As far as quantity vs. quality... I'm going to stick with quality and I hope I can convince more people to do the same.

Za Za Nasty

If you are looking for a lovely little Italian restaurant with good pizza and that adorable little "wood burning oven" atmosphere do not go to Zza's. A small building with red brick walls on the outside and hideous green decor on the inside, I have actually been dying to try out this seemingly hole in the wall Italian place. Usually "hole in the wall" conjures images of so-so decorating and hard to find parking but excellent food. Not so with this place. This was indeed just a hole in a wall that I should have ignored.

We wouldn't have even ever ventured into this place except that sometimes, God forgive me, pregnancy makes me tired. And on such days, cooking seems entirely impossible. It was one of those days and I was absolutely going nuts over the idea of sushi. I wanted sushi SO bad, but at the last minute decided to go get a pizza with Beau to save some money. The thing was, we could hardly afford to go out at all and in the back of my mind I was feeling very guilty for not cooking. But we drove around the corner and ventured into the small place called Zza's.

What I instantly noticed was the lights were so dim you could hardly see anything at all. After a quick scan at the menu I noticed how pricey it was and hoped at least the portions would be sufficient enough to make it worth while. Unfortunately, the $3 drinks were teeny tiny, the free bread that is so popular to serve at Italian places tasted burnt on top and the pizza that we ordered was lukewarm and was the size of one of those frozen pizzas you buy at the grocery store for 99 cents. Those frozen pizzas taste better than what we ate. I was sorely disappointing and feeling even worse for making us go out in the first place. Not only had I failed to create yummy food at home but I also spent our money on what I was sure was not going to be enough to keep poor Beau satisfied. And now we had $20 less for our groceries! Ugh... So if you are in Oakland and you want good food, do stay far away from Zza's. With all of the amazing places to eat, I am surprised they are even open for business. They should be ashamed.

I give it 1 star for the very smiley service and the crayons that Beau had such a good time doodling with all over the paper tablecloth.