We are in for such a treat today because Lauryn is sharing the postpartum supplement and nutrition plan that Dr. Daryl Gioffre recommended to her.
If you aren’t familiar with Dr. Daryl Gioffre or his brand Get Off Your Acid, allow us:
Dr. Daryl Gioffre is a highly sought-after longevity expert who uses a cutting-edge approach to nutrition to help his patients fight inflammation and achieve and maintain an optimal level of health and energy.
In his most recent episode (listen here) he discusses how we can heal our gut, tests we can take, how healing our gut can heal disease and how our overall health and performance will benefit from doing so.
And in case you missed his first podcast episode, you can listen to it here. He talks about changing your life by reclaiming your health, getting off your acid and making decisions that can have life-altering effects.
Highly recommend both episodes, especially if you’re into health & wellness. Dr. Daryl is a wealth of knowledge and shares valuable, useful, tangible tips that can help you & your quality of life.
He should know, he’s a former Sugar Addict turned Health Machine. So he knows firsthand what it takes to overcome challenges in the pursuit of superior health.
Anyway, he gave Lauryn this whole protocol to follow for optimal health, not only for her, but for Townes too (through nursing). These recommendations are good for the gut-brain connection, recovery, and overall nutrition.
Keep in mind Dr. Gioffre recommended this specifically for Lauryn but said we could totally share it as a general protocol on the blog. AS ALWAYS, do what works for you and check with your own healthcare provider on what is safe for you.
Let’s get into it:
The Best Supplements For Postpartum Depression, Gut Health & Nutrition
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A note from Dr. Daryl Gioffre: An alarmingly growing body of new research has linked postpartum blues or depression to INFLAMMATION. This is one of the reasons why Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is so critical.
We also now better understand the role of the gut-brain connection (via the vagus nerve) in regulating mood, and a 2013 study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry found a strong correlation between inflammation, serotonin levels (95% of serotonin is produced in your GUT) and postpartum depression, which is why it is so important we take a close look at our guts and keep them healthy.
Further, the research on the link between nutrient depletion during pregnancy and lactation and postpartum blues and/or depression has shown that nutrient depletion can affect the production of key mood-regulating neurotransmitters, like serotonin, and that lower levels of folate, Vitamin D, iron, selenium, zinc, fats, and fatty acids have all been associated with a higher risk of not feeling well postpartum.
With that said, these are the key supplements I recommend for a quick and safe recovery, followed by the most important foods and nutrients to lower inflammation and support the recovery process.
Postpartum Supplements:
♡ Alkamind Acid-Kicking Omega-3 Fish Oil:
+ Take 4 softgels daily with food (2 with lunch, 2 with dinner). This will give you 4 grams of Omegas.
+ Omega-3 deficiency is the #1 cause of post-partum blues and depression, so keep it up.
♡ Nordic Naturals Ultimate DHA & children’s DHA.
+ If you are breastfeeding, you need to take an ADDITIONAL children’s fish oil for your baby, as they need more DHA (and you need more EPA for inflammation). Baby will be stealing YOUR omega-3, so now you both get what you need.
♡ Alkamind D3 + K2
+ Take ½ dropper daily with first meal of day (12 drops daily in mouth = 6,000 IU).
+ Will pass through to the baby via breast feeding.
♡ Innate Baby and Me Prenatal Supplement by Innate Response (without Omega-3 or Vitamin D3, as these will go RANCID in a prenatal, becoming pro-inflammatory)
+ Take 2 capsules per day.
+ An excellent pre and postnatal multivitamin. Since the dose is only 2 pills vs the 10 that are in most prenatal packs, and it’s whole-food based, it offers the synergistic benefits that you get when using a food-based product.
+ Contains the B vitamins including folic acid (for baby’s brain development) you need for brain and nerve system support, as well as 18 mg of iron (will reduce fatigue, and for potential blood lost during pregnancy).
♡ Acid-Kicking Minerals
+ Critical to get magnesium into the body. Drink twice daily (will also help to keep milk supply up).
+ I would also use a magnesium lotion daily.
♡ Acid-Kicking Greens
+ Drink 1-2x daily
♡ Klaire Labs Therbiotic
+ Take 1 capsule before bed
+ For healthy gut-brain connection
♡ Collagen
+ For tissue and cartilage repair, and preventing hair loss
Additional Tips:
All of the nutrients I am about to mention here you are getting in the ABOVE supplement list, however, would be good to focus on these foods rich in these micronutrients as well:
♡ Iron.
It’s important to replenish the iron you lose during childbirth. If you’re breastfeeding, your iron stores supply your baby with iron for their proper development and thyroid function. Good iron sources include red meat, clams, oysters, and my favorite, green leafy veggies. Try to drink my Acid-Kicking Greens twice daily, as this will also STRENGTHEN your red blood cells, which will increase your iron levels.
♡ Vitamin B12.
B12 is required for proper red blood cell development, energy production, and helping to form our DNA. Babies with inadequate B12 levels are often more irritable, and have an increased risk for failure to thrive, developmental delays, and poor brain growth. The best sources are sardines, wild-caught salmon, clams, tuna, liver, and beef. There is also B12 in the Baby and Me pre/postnatal supplement I suggested above.
♡ DHA
An omega-3 fatty acid. Infants of mothers with a high DHA concentration in their breast milk have been shown to have improved brain and vision development. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, there has been research in the role of DHA in enhancing mental focus, and reducing inflammation and the risk of postpartum depression. Good sources include salmon, sardines, grass-fed eggs, as well as chia, flax, and hemp seeds . Most moms should continue to take a DHA supplement after pregnancy because many do not get enough in their diet. This is why I suggest an ADULT Omega-3, as well as a children’s DHA.
♡ Choline.
Choline is a nutrient similar to folic acid that is crucial for brain development. The needs for this nutrient increase during pregnancy and are the highest in breastfeeding moms. Choline is very important for infant memory and brain development. The best food sources of choline are grass-fed eggs and organ meats like liver. I also love these plant-based options – raw nuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts, and flax seeds, all high in choline content. Edamame is also a great source of vegan choline. Legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans, and pinto beans are also great sources of vegan choline.
♡ Vitamin D.
It supports the immune system, brain, and nervous system and also reduces risk of postpartum depression and anxiety. The best dietary sources of Vitamin D are fatty fish like salmon and tuna, liver, egg yolks, and a 30-minute walk in the sun daily.
♡ Selenium.
Eat at least 2 Brazil nuts daily, to get the recommended dosing of SELENIUM (more is ok – you can also make my chocolate chia pudding recipe, and swap the cashews FOR ½ cup of Brazil Nuts). Also found in sunflower seeds and chia seeds.
♡ Folate.
Important for baby’s brain and nerve system health. Found in spinach, leafy greens, beef liver, black-eyed peas, broccoli, and avocado.
♡ Iodine.
Have these sea vegetables – ¼ teaspoon of kelp OR dulse for iodine support to promote healthy thyroid function.
To promote breast milk production:
♡ Dr. Daryl’s Acid-Kicking Tea
Ingredients:
+ 16-20 oz. of filtered water
+ 1 inch of fresh turmeric root
+ 1 inch of fresh ginger root
+ 1 lemon slice (do not boil, just add to tea before serving)
Directions:
+ Peel the turmeric and ginger and chop it into small pieces (the smaller the better).
+Add turmeric and ginger pieces into a pot with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring to a simmer for 10 minutes and serve (simmer longer if you want stronger tea). Squeeze a lemon slice into the cup and enjoy.
+ Bonus – add a scoop of Acid-Kicking Greens to the cold tea.
+ my wife drank a few cups of this DAILY postpartum, and was SO powerful with breast milk production.
+ Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for a healthy iced tea.
Best Foods for Postpartum Recovery:
These foods are very beneficial for postpartum recovery, so stock up.
♡ Fiber-rich slow burning carbs (quinoa, wild rice, cauliflower rice, sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon, squash (butternut, spaghetti, winter), root vegetables, yams, etc).
♡ Raw nuts and seeds (almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds).
♡ Healthy proteins (organic eggs and chicken, grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, buffalo, wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, trout, herring, etc.)
♡ Seaweed.
♡ Legumes soaked to prevent gas (adzuki beans, chickpeas).
♡Coconut, avocado and sesame oils, pastured butter, and ghee for cooking vegetables.
♡ Olive oil for drizzling over fiber-rich fat-burning carbs or veggies.
♡ Bone broth (a nutritional powerhouse and good for just about anything).
In addition to the above list of postpartum foods, soups are an essential part of the postpartum diet. They nourish on many levels and warm the body to improve circulation and metabolism. Healthy fats are key to sustain good milk flow and improve mental stamina. The foods listed above will not only facilitate tissue healing, but many of them also contain key nutrients that support hormonal health and hence emotional balance in postpartum recovery.
Stay away from sugary and overly processed ACIDIC foods as these will just create more inflammation and greater imbalances, slowing recovery time.
Nutrition and eating the right foods are just one piece of the postpartum pie.
Self-care is also about nurturing yourself with rest, and whatever else speaks to you, whether it’s music, nature, meditating, BrainTap, or journaling. Most importantly, take time for you DAILY.
Consider adding these anti-inflammatory foods to your diet:
Anti-inflammatory foods are the cornerstone of healthy postpartum recovery.
Anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich foods help inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines ―molecules that regulate inflammation levels. Since your goals are to heal your body, rebuild your tissues, protect your mental health (inflammation is the cause of postpartum blues and depression), produce nutrient-rich breast milk, and restore your nutrient levels, anti-inflammatory foods should be the cornerstone of your diet.
♡ A wide variety of fresh, colorful vegetables (especially leafy greens)
Think green juices, green smoothies, green soups, steamed or sautéed greens, and salads (with lime, lemon, ACV, EVOO…avoid other vinegars because of the yeast).
♡ Low-sugar fruits and berries
(especially blueberries which I call BRAINberries).
♡ Iron-rich proteins
Like grass-fed beef, buffalo, lamb, bison, and bone broths.
♡ Healthy fats
Like coconut oil, avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and pasture-raised butter (i.e. Kerrygold brand).
♡ Fatty, low-mercury fish
Like wild-caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, trout.
♡ Fiber-rich slow burning carbs
for healthy gut microbiome (and gut-brain connection).
♡ Quinoa, wild rice, cauliflower rice, sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon, squash (butternut, spaghetti, winter), root vegetables, yams, etc.
½ cup per meal, not to exceed 1 full cup/day
♡ Probiotic-rich foods
Like kimchi and sauerkraut help maintain a healthy gut, which helps quell inflammation throughout your body while improving digestion (but avoid the ACIDIC ones such as kefir, kombucha, and yogurt).
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If you’re pregnant, postpartum or know someone who is SAVE THIS POST. As you can see Dr. Gioffre is so damn knowledgable when it comes to health & wellness. We’re so happy that we could share these supplement and nutrition tips with you. Be sure to check out his books too: Get Off Your Sugar and Get Off Your Acid.
Again, consult your own healthcare provider to see what works for YOU. Lauryn just wanted to share what was worked for her, as always.
x, The Skinny Confidential team.
+ you can meet Dr. Gioffre in his first guest blog post here.
++ if you’re into healthy & delicious food, check out this post.
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