Loni Jane Anthony, Mom Who Stayed On 80:10:10 Diet During Vegan Pregnancy, Says Son Is 'Thriving'
A woman’s nutrition is important to maintain good health, especially during pregnancy, when eating for two is essential to receive the adequate nutrients and minerals for a healthy, growing fetus. Twenty-six-year-old Australian blogger Loni Jane Anthony recently challenged the traditional pregnancy meal plan by staying on the 80:10:10 diet, consisting of 80 percent carbs, 10 percent fat, and 10 percent protein solely based on fruit and water. After coming under scrutiny on the Internet and several doctors, the health blogger is responding to the backlash, emphasizing her 3-month old son, Rowdy Nash, is “thriving.”
“It is a really good feeling to prove to a lot of people that what I was doing was the right thing,” Anthony told 9 Stories. “I think for a lot of people they don't want to believe that something so simple actually works. The negativity doesn't get to me one bit because I know what I'm doing is right."
Anthony stresses this is not a diet but rather a lifestyle, as most of her meals consist of raw, uncooked fruit and vegetables, and smoothies loaded with dozens of bananas. During her pregnancy, the new mom would eat about 20 bananas a day, with the approval of her doctor who originally "backed her diet all the way." Anthony, who finds comfort in her doctor’s support said: “Deep down, I know that I am doing the right thing but it is nice to have a doctor clarify that," the Daily Mail reported.
Although Rowdy is “hitting all these milestones,” a diet that lacks variety and essential nutrients could lead to long-term developmental problems. The American Dietetic Association does support well-planned vegan diets as healthy for infants and toddlers. Vandana Sheth, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a vegetarian herself, told The Huffington Post, "Vegan eating patterns can be healthy for anyone at any stage of life as long as it's well-balanced.
Anthony admits she has slightly altered her diet to include more high-fat foods like avocado and hemp seeds, since she plans to raise Rowdy vegan. However, she revealed on her Tumblr page, “he can then make his own decisions with that,” once he’s older.