Fat, are you getting enough?

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) are vital to your health and your baby's health too!  EFA's are simply components of fat.  Without them, your body is unable to function properly.  When we consume these foods ,especially Omega-3 fats, our bodies can then produce DHA and EPA's which is fuel for our brains and our developing baby's brains. 

It is important to have a diet that includes these essential fatty acids, because we can not manufacture them on our own.  Examples of these good fats include:

Omega- 3 fatty acids:
Flax, walnuts, cold pressed canola oil, wheat germ and dark green leafy vegetables.  DHA and EPA are the most important and active forms of Omega-3 and are predominantly found in oily fish and seafood.

Omega-6 fatty acids:
Soy oil, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, tahini, corn oil and most nuts are all examples of the other essential fats we need.  However, we often have an abundance of these Omega-6 in our diet which are largely found in dairy, eggs, and animal meat (poultry).  As a result if you already consume these types of foods you won't likely have to change your diet to get more of these fats.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding a mother is depleted of her essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3's.  In fact, each child gets less EFA's than the previous child, depleting the mother even further, UNLESS the mother augments her diet with EFA's, like flax oil and oily fish.Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant should ensure that she has a diet rich in Omega 3.