Key Nutrients For Postpartum Depletion

There are numerous reasons you might be feeling fatigued after giving birth. While you may be thinking it’s a lack of sleep, one of the main reasons most often is postpartum depletion. For nine months, you were giving many of your nutrients to your growing baby, making the postpartum months a crucial time to load up on nutrients. There are many vitamins that are depleted in the body, but the four most common are iron, magnesium, zinc, and B12. Below we’re sharing some of our favorite foods to maximize the intake of these nutrients as well as ways you can incorporate them into your daily meals. 

IRON: One of the most common ways to get iron into the body is through eating red meat, but for those looking for a more plant-based option, some of the best sources of iron are beans, lentils, or spirulina. Beans and lentils are great as they can be added to soups or chilis and kept in the freezer for an easy lunch or dinner. Not to mention, warming foods are incredible for your body postpartum. 

ZINC: Zinc is a key nutrient in helping with boosting your immunity, something that is also incredibly beneficial for those that are breastfeeding. For getting adequate zinc into your diet, we recommend nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Make a big batch of homemade granola with nuts and seeds or even switch to using walnut milk in your daily dose of caffeine. 

MAGNESIUM: The ultimate mineral we all could use more of! Similar to zinc, foods high in magnesium are nuts and seeds, as well as dark leafy greens. We love making hearty winter salads with kale, a warm grain like brown rice or quinoa, roasted vegetables, and nuts. Have a sweet tooth? The ultimate magnesium-filled dessert might just be a Medjool date filled with almond butter. 

B12: While we try to opt for plant-based foods whenever possible, B12 is not found in most produce. When in doubt, we turn to eggs or wild salmon for a nutrient-dense source of protein and B12. It makes all the difference in our energy! Looking to supplement even more? Chaga mushroom powder does contain a fair amount of B vitamins that we love starting our day within a smoothie.