>>16011549You want lots of nutrient-dense like seafood, eggs, dairy, fruits, berries, nuts, and vegetables. Their consumption is strongly correlated with improved cognitive outcomes, particularly when consumed early in pregnancy:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235239641630161Xhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190507080134.htm#:~:text=Analysis%20of%20the%20results%20showed,attention%20capacity%20and%20working%20memory.
Make sure you’re getting lots of lutein and carotenoids:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7948203/#:~:text=A%20potential%20association%20between%20maternal,zeaxanthin%20supplementation%20improve%20cognitive%20performanceAnd choline (found particularly in eggs):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722688/#:~:text=Supplementing%20the%20maternal%20diet%20with%20additional%20choline%20has%20been%20shown,against%20neural%20and%20metabolic%20insults.
The benefits of DHA are well-established- take fish oil supplements if you can’t get whole salmon. Protein is very important. Avoid starch, sugar (except in whole fruit), and anything processed with artificial colorants, sweeteners, and preservatives. Avoid soft drinks like the plague. Stay away from household chemicals, makeup, deodorant, and anything exposed to plastic/BPA/pthalates.
Also watch your water supply- lead in water lines is obviously linked with a ton of bad outcomes, but surprisingly so is fluoride:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5915186/#:~:text=In%20multivariate%20models%20we%20found,GCI%20and%20IQ%20scores%2C%20respectively.
Make sure your wife gets lots of sleep, sunlight, and exercise (though don’t overdo it) and avoids stress (helps to keep her social). If all of this sounds intense, it is, but remember you’re trying to mimic the optimal conditions of the hunter-gatherer world. My wife and I followed the above steps and have one healthy son with another on the way.
