Diet and Breastfeeding

I get questions all the time about what we should and should not be eating while breastfeeding.

Important to know when you start breastfeeding is that you are using 500 extra calories (when the baby is using you as his or her only source of nutrition).
That is a lot. And your metabolic rate is high all day long. So you can afford to and need to consistently eat more to keep the balance. What most people don't realize is you need to drink more too, just like when you excercise and burn calories you replace fluids. To metabolize fat we need a lot of water and to make breastmilk you are metabolizing fat.

It is always good to eat a healthy and balanced diet. After that it is good to watch for things you and/or your baby react to eliminating them from the diet is fine as long as over all you have all food groups covered. Diet is a huge issue as we all have to eat eveyday and what we eat affects how we feel. Diet is also a very personal issue so I try not to generalize - what works for one person may not be great for an other.
I am always happy to answer specific questions.