Why I wrote this book.

Hi, I’m Lily. I’ve specialized in prenatal nutrition for most of my career as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator. Most people know me for my pioneering work on nutrition for gestational diabetes, which is the type of diabetes that is first diagnosed—or first recognized—during pregnancy.

My work in this field has spanned from nutrition public policy to clinical practice to consulting to research. In these roles, it became clear that the conventional prenatal dietary advice (in other words, U.S. government dietary guidelines) does not reflect the latest scientific evidence, nor does it provide equivalent nutritional value when compared to the diets consumed by traditional cultures. I was dismayed when following these guidelines that a large proportion of my clients with gestational diabetes “failed diet therapy,” but I had to wonder if they really failed or if the diet failed them.

After extensive research, I developed my real food approach for managing gestational diabetes and, lo and behold, the outcomes were far better than conventional diet therapy. Fewer women “failed” the diet (meaning they did not require insulin or blood sugar-lowering medication), prenatal weight gain stayed within normal, and they had healthier infants overall.

I was encouraged to write my first book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes,to get the message out to other moms, dietitians, and healthcare providers and within a few months, it became (and remains) the bestselling gestational diabetes book on the market. It is used in several maternal nutrition courses at the university level, is recommended to medical students, and has even influenced prenatal nutrition public policy internationally.

Most importantly, I’m heartened to regularly receive messages from mothers, even those who have had gestational diabetes in previous pregnancies, who share stories of their smooth pregnancies and healthy babies as a result of their efforts in following my approach.

Of course, the benefits of real food aren’t limited to women with gestational diabetes…

I started getting asked to write a book on general prenatal nutrition shortly after the release of my first book. Midwives and doctors who had seen the positive impact on gestational diabetes wanted to have a resource for their non-diabetic clients. They also wanted my evidence-based summary on other topics related to pregnancy, like supplements, exposure to toxins, the validity of typical “foods to avoid” lists and more.

Every chapter in Real Food for Pregnancy is meticulously cited, so much so that my husband jokes that I have written a textbook. I wouldn’t go that far, but as a self-confessed nutrition nerd, I want you to know that I’m not “making this stuff up.” I believe every woman should have access to the most accurate information available, whether or not she’s a researcher or nutritionist herself.

Ultimately, I hope Real Food for Pregnancy can serve as a one-stop resource for moms and healthcare providers. We can help the next generation have better health by getting better nutrition information in the hands of expecting moms. You with me?