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PICKLES & ICE CREAM: The Complete Guide to Nutrition During Pregnancy by Mary Abbott & Anne Hunt Hess

PICKLES & ICE CREAM: The Complete Guide to Nutrition During Pregnancy

By

Pub Date: Aug. 9th, 1982
Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Cutesy title aside, a straightforward if routine look at nutrition in pregnancy--useful simply as an update because our knowledge is expanding so fast. Nutritionist Hess and home economist Hunt are comfortable teachers with a good format: lots of self-assessment questionnaires and quizzes, followed by sound advice liberally sprinkled with case histories. Basically, pregnancy outcome can be affected by nutrition--and there are some firm guidelines that can be followed. Hess and Hunt cover each food group and the requirements for each stage of pregnancy; also, what to do about nuisancy diet-related problems like nausea and hemorrhoids, and how nutritional needs are affected by more serious conditions such as diabetes and toxemia. The news: limits or requirements for weight gain can be disregarded; it's more important to keep track of nutrients, caloric needs, and vitamin/mineral intake for a balanced diet. Also, effects of caffeine use during pregnancy are still being debated; but alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs are definite no-nos. And soft drinks are bad news because they are empty calories (no vitamins or other nutrients) and often contain caffeine. Helpful as a starter, reliable as a current fill-in.