Pregnant Woman on 'Raw-Food" Diet Raises Concerns Over Developing Baby's Nutrition
A popular Australian designer is raising eyebrows with her commitment to a "raw-food" diet during her pregnancy that has drawn criticism for perceived neglect of fetus health.
Loni Jane Anthony, 25, reveals that she is a vegan and insists that eating the way she does is important to her developing baby. Consuming "mono-meals" such 10 bananas for breakfast or six mangos for lunch and a salad for dinner is the result if years of unhealthy eating and heavy consumption of alcohol which led Anthony to experience health problems and drove her to a healthier eating regiment for her and her baby.
The transition, however, has not come easy and has led to admonishment from people who feel she is putting her baby at risk.
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"I've had a lot of judgment from people thinking I'm nuts and saying 'Why is Loni eating 10 bananas for breakfast? Is she crazy?' People tend to shut you out because you're not in the social circle of alcohol or drinking coffee ...They're in their comfort zones of eating junk and they don't want to be around someone who makes them feel guilty," Anthony told News.com.au.
Still, prenatal nutritionists are concerned that with such an extreme and limiting diet Anthony could be keeping vital nutrients from her baby and even putting the fetus at risk.
"Nothing can replace a balanced diet for a healthy pregnancy," Bridget Swinney, author of "Eating Expectantly: A Practical and Tasty Guide to Prenatal Nutrition," told Yahoo News.
"Any kind of extreme diet during pregnancy raises a lot of red flags for me. First, you really need protein to build a baby, and it should be around 20 percent of your diet … Not to say this diet isn't possible - there are plenty of women who are vegan through pregnancy - but she takes it to an extreme that's kind of scary."
Prenatal nutritionists recommend consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables but also to focus on eating zinc for brain development and omega-3 fats for brain and eye development and calcium.
Melinda Johnson, a prenatal nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns that any type of restrictive diet could be a sign of more severe problems.
"Research has demonstrated that restrictive eating plans tend to lead to disordered eating, poor body image, poor self-esteem, and even to full-blown eating disorders," Johnson warns.
