Protein - How Much is Enough, Part I

The last couple of days – with temperatures reaching the mid 80s – I have been experiencing edema in my feet and ankles. A funny sight, really – feet, which are already on the thick side, puffy and chubby-looking, connected to ankles that wrinkle with the extra mass and legs that look relatively normal. Roomy sandals are definitely helpful, as are extra pillows for propping up the feet when laying down or a chair or exercise ball to do the same thing when sitting.

Most pregnancy literature doesn't seem too worried about edema in pregnancy. In fact, it's considered normal, especially in the 3rd trimester, where I am find myself at the beginning of now. The only times for worry supposedly are when swelling is experienced in the face and/or occurs suddenly and very severely. These symptoms could apparently be warning signs of preeclampsia or other potentially-dangerous conditions.

Most recommendations are simply to drink plenty of water, elevate the feet as much as possible, and avoid tight-fitting footwear and/or clothes that may restrict blood flow.

Causes of edema are generally linked to normal pregnancy physiology, but some potential causes link edema with insufficient protein intake. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein among non-pregnant women ages 19 or older is 46 grams a day, or 0.8 grams/kg body weight/day. This figure is increased by 25 grams throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy. According to these guidelines, I would personally need a minimum of 54 grams of protein a day were I not pregnant, but, now that I am, I would need to be ingesting at least 80 grams of protein a day. I have to confess, I don't think I've been getting this much! I am probably close on some days, but, when I analyze it objectively, on most other days I probably fall short. The protein-containing foods I consume on a daily basis include a couple of eggs, a small handful of nuts or seeds, a cup or so of yogurt, and either a legume or meat dish, sometimes both. The more irregular sources of protein may include cheese or nut butter.

I've begun to wonder if using a protein powder, or a protein bar, might be helpful to reach the level of protein intake that I need – and that may be expressed through my recent bouts with edema.

Upon beginning my education in a university nutrition department that highly values WHOLE foods and for the most part rejects highly-processed, made-in-a-lab food products, I realized that things like Clif bars and Zone bars really didn't belong in a diet based on whole foods – at least with no real frequency.

So now I'm drawn to wondering if such things would have a negative impact on my baby and I, were I to experiment using such products to reach the goal of 80 grams of protein a day. I will continue considering this in my next post.