

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.
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…
All pregnant women stand to benefit from a nutritionally complete diet based on whole, unprocessed foods.
After extensive review of the literature, I’m back with book #2.
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?
Professional Bio
Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition and exercise. Drawing from the current scientific literature and the wisdom of traditional cultures, her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. Her bestselling book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes (and online course of the same name), presents a revolutionary nutrient-dense, lower carb diet for managing gestational diabetes. Her unique approach has not only helped tens of thousands of women manage their gestational diabetes (most without the need for blood sugar-lowering medication), but has also influenced nutrition policies internationally.
Lily’s second book, Real Food for Pregnancy, is an evidence-based look at the gap between conventional prenatal nutrition guidelines and what’s optimal for mother and baby. With over 930 citations, this is the most comprehensive text on prenatal nutrition to date.
Lily is founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition(™) where she helps other practitioners up-level their knowledge of perinatal nutrition through her mentorship program to become a Specialist in Prenatal Nutrition (SPN). In addition, she is co-founder of the Women’s Health Nutrition Academy, which offers cutting edge continuing education on women’s health, spanning everything from nutrition to fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause and much more!
She writes at www.LilyNicholsRDN.com, exploring a variety of topics related to real food, mindful eating, and pregnancy nutrition.
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