We are lucky enough to have some amazing expert advisors here at The Journey. One of which is our lovely paediatrician Mona Amin @pedsdoctalk. Dr Mona is particularly focused on preventive medicine and laying foundations for long term health. So, we decided to ask her how she approaches this when it comes to her own pregnancy.

Dr Mona’s four pillars:

CLEAN EATING: no, this doesn’t mean no treats! This means avoiding processed foods as much as we can. It also means portion control (being especially mindful on stress eating). Focusing on having a healthy relationship with food. Probiotic food is another one. I eat probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir and kimchi. I did this even prior to my pregnancy. Research is increasingly linking long term health to a healthy gut. The whole microbiome includes that of the mother too. This also includes avoiding antibiotics where you possibly can.

STRESS REDUCTION: a tricky but big one. Finding your own way to manage it. For me personally I deal with this with meditation and yoga. I meditate thirty minutes in the morning. I used to do ten minutes but have recently managed to increase this. Plus yoga once a week.

EXERCISE: Everyone, depending on their pregnancy can do different things as ‘exercise’ is a broad term. I am happy to be able to do HITT, weights and cardio and yoga. That mix helps me to stay healthy and feel good. I genuinely think it has an impact on the health of the baby to have a good and healthy regimen when it comes to exercise/eating right. Click here for more on exercising during pregnancy with another one of our resident experts Natalie Ferris.

SLEEP: something we all struggle to get enough of but needs to be prioritised as much as possible.

Ultimately, I believe that these things are important for everyone. I teach these things to my teenage patients as well as parents. I am a paediatrician but my husband is an ER doctor and he sees a lot of the long term consequences of choices that we make when we are younger (heart attacks/diabetes etc). A lot of these can be impacted by how we choose to eat, how we approach stress and if we exercise. Focusing on these four pillars is a great set up for a healthy future when hopefully you won’t need a lot of meds.

For more from Dr Mona check out our recent podcast with her on some of the main themes/trends she is seeing as a paediatrician (plus much more). You can also check her out on instagram @pedsdoctalk. 

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This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The information on this website has been developed following years of personal research and from referenced and sourced medical research. Before making any changes we strongly recommend you consult a healthcare professional before you begin.

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