Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Be aware of your food choices, especially when pregnant

Eric Marcotte, MD
Physician
January 31, 2012
41 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I come back into the exam room, keeping my best poker face, sit down and turn to face her.  She’s on the edge of her seat, nervous and barely able to contain herself, maybe not even sure which answer she wants.

“Congratulations,” I say. She lets out her breath and smiles, huge.

“Thanks!”

Once the adrenaline settles down and she can hear me again, we start talking through the changes she can expect and the ones she needs to make.  I give her a very short ‘safe’ list of over-the-counter medicine she can take if needed.  She gets a prescription for pre-natal vitamins.  I remind her to avoid all alcohol and really put the screws on for her to quit smoking.

“Yes.”  “Ok, doc.”  “Mmm-hmm.”

Then I hold my fingers up about half an inch apart.  “This is how big your baby is right now.  It’s brain, bones, muscles, everything have to grow and the only food your baby gets it what you eat. Do you want your baby to be made from McDonald’s and soda pop or from healthy food, organic vegetables and fruits?  Now is the time to decide.”

The light that goes on, the Aha! moment I get to see is pretty cool, let me tell you.  This is often one of the conversations that feels like I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

What I’ve realized over the years is this is true for all of us, all the time.  Every part of our bodies and brains is being constantly re-made, day by day.  The trillions of cells that make me are not the same ones that made me even a few years ago.  Some of our cells are not the same ones they were even yesterday.

Our bodies are constantly repairing and replacing cells by the billions and the only raw materials we have to work with is what we eat.  So, you are what you eat.  I am what I eat.  Everybody is the peculiar mix of Big Macs, broccoli, Guinness, apples, Twix, Doritos, salmon, and whatever else they eat – and nothing else!

Just take that in for a moment.  Think back to what you ate today or yesterday.  Cocoa Puffs?  It’s in there.  Chardonnay?  It’s there too.  Fast food, snacks, sodas?  Yes, yes, and yes.

One of the best ways I know to change your life is simply to become aware.  Mindless eating, mindless couch-sitting, and mindless sleep-skipping are pretty popular ways to feel like absolute crap.  Just being attentive to what I eat, what I drink, how active I am, and whether I get to bed early enough can help me actively choose to feel better.  If I go around on auto-pilot, I’m likely to grab chips for a snack, conveniently forget to run, sit at the computer way too late and feel like I deserve.

Be aware of your choices – you are making the you of tomorrow.

Eric Marcotte is a family physician who blogs at doctorfoodtruth.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

How changing patient workflow can make using an EMR fun

January 30, 2012 Kevin 7
…
Next

Analyzing what the President said about health care

January 31, 2012 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: OB/GYN, Obesity, Patients, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How changing patient workflow can make using an EMR fun
Next Post >
Analyzing what the President said about health care

More by Eric Marcotte, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    How diet and exercise beat high blood pressure

    Eric Marcotte, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Our growing ability to prolong life and our shrinking ability to pay for it

    Eric Marcotte, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Baby Boomers are driving the next wave of joint replacements in medicine

    Eric Marcotte, MD

More in Physician

  • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Discover the power of patience

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • A doctor’s journey through narcissistic abuse [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • A doctor’s journey through narcissistic abuse [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Pioneering space race research: G-forces and human physiology

      Earl Howard Wood, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to pick the right mutual funds to reduce your taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • What is the physician’s role in the food is medicine movement?

      Deb Kennedy, PhD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • FDA Panel Endorses DFMO for Kids' High-Risk Neuroblastoma in Remission
  • How Bad Will This Respiratory Virus Season Be? CDC Weighs In.
  • Esketamine Tops Quetiapine in Treatment-Resistant Depression
  • Everything (Maybe) You Wanted to Know About Sarilumab for PMR
  • Parkinsonism Case Tied to Welding, Improved With Chelation

Meeting Coverage

  • Use of Recent Diagnostic CT Scans for Palliative RT Planning Reduced Treatment Time
  • Hypofractionated RT for Breast Cancer Post-Mastectomy as Effective as Standard RT
  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • A doctor’s journey through narcissistic abuse [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • A doctor’s journey through narcissistic abuse [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Pioneering space race research: G-forces and human physiology

      Earl Howard Wood, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to pick the right mutual funds to reduce your taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • What is the physician’s role in the food is medicine movement?

      Deb Kennedy, PhD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Be aware of your food choices, especially when pregnant
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...