Super Easy Drinks, Soups, and Smoothies for a Healthy Pregnancy

I love smoothies!  I love soup! I love super easy nutritional and delicious meals.  I was instantly glued to this book when I first saw it!  My husband always teases me about soup and smoothies.  (he calls me the "Soup Queen" ... not necessarily because my soups are amazing [they are pretty awesome] but because I love them so much I make soup all the time!)  I make a smoothie every single morning.

So why focus on drinks?

Being adequately hydrated is necessary at every stage of life but during pregnancy and when you are breastfeeding, it becomes even more vital because of the many physiological changes that are taking place.

The average woman is estimated to be composed of around 50% water; for a 130 pound woman, this means she contains about 8 gallon of water.  Blood contains around 83% water by weight, muscles 76% and skin 72% and even bone contains 22% water by weight.

It is estimated that two thirds of the weight gain of pregnancy can be attributed to water.  This accounted for by increases in blood volume; the growth of the uterus, placenta and the breasts; and the development of amniotic and other fluids.  And, of course, the developing baby who is composed of around 94% water by the end of the first trimester and 75% water at birth.  

And because water is constantly being lost- through respiration, perspiration, urination, defecation and other bodily processes.  As the body relies on maintaining a pretty constant amount of water, it is vital for good health that we take in water from foods and drinks every day to be adequately hydrated. 

I found this chapter extremely interesting and informative.   

Other Information I loved about this book was:

~Caffeine Chart and Information: Doctors recommend no more than 200 mg (super informative... I don't drink coffee, but it is nice to know what beverages estimated amount of caffeine are {coffee, cola, chocolate, even tea})
~Focus on Pregnancy Nutrition: This was very interesting.  She tells you specifically why you need certain nutrients during pregnancy/nursing.
~Best Months for Produce Chart:  Good to know!  Buying fruit and vegetables in season means that you are more likely to gain the optimum amount of vitamins from that food. This chart tells you what month has what fruit and vegetables in season.
~Choosing Fruit and Vegetables and what to look for: I am such a picky person when it comes to picking out produce.  It was nice to read and know more about what to look for.
~The RECIPES!  This was amazing, she breaks down each recipe; serving size, how many calories, and nutrition facts like grams of protein, fats, and carbs for example.  She also includes a "Good for..." and "Source of..." and "High in..."
~Major Nutrients for each recipe Chart.  I found this extremely informative.  This told you exactly how much of what vitamins and minerals are in each specific recipe.
~How to make Homemade Herbal Tea (I only drink herbal tea and it's on occasion but this was good to know!)

The recipes are easy to follow, quick to make, and completely scrumptious!  My favorites were the Berry Boost Smoothie {which was "Good for: Aiding Digestion, High in: Vitamin C, and Source of: Fiber and Calcium"} Apple and Carrot Juice {Good for: Boosting Immunity, and Source of: Vitamin C} And my absolute favorite is Bun In the Oven Mocktail! So good.  But I love cranberry juice so it sort of just fit.

There are so many amazing recipes in this book, not to mention this book is packed with nutritional information, simple facts and comments.  It's definitely something I will recommend to all my pregnant and nursing friends!

BUY IT!!  Super Easy Drinks, Soups and Smoothies for a Healthy Pregnancy is available online at Amazon.com for $16.99 (on sale right now for $11).

Note:  I was given a copy of Super Easy Drinks, Soups and Smoothies to conduct this review.  No other compensation was given.  All opinions are mine.