Pregnancy Diet Foods - The Pregnant Womans Babys Health & Safety Guide On Healthy Eating
Posted: Monday, March 09, 2009
by Kacycarr
http://www.spotthepimple.com
You your pregnancy and diet - I am not sure that pregnant women is warned enough about their diet as much as they are strongly forewarned about the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol while pregnant. In pregnancy anything that is a threat to the expectant mother`s health and that of her unborn baby needs to be pressed vigorously. A woman expecting a baby needs guidance and pointing in the right direction to make sure she is aware of all the factors that are good, and them that is not so good. The direction she needs to take should point towards the foods she eats and how much is considered safe for her to stay healthy throughout her nine months of carrying life. Eating healthy in pregnancy can ease some of them discomforting pregnancy symptoms, and if you're trying to conceive then a healthy balanced diet can help spur on conception.
The outcome of eating a healthy diet in pregnancy will have you feel good and healthy, and from this feeling your baby will be rewarded. Before you embark on a diet or exercise while pregnant then it needs to be approved by your GP or midwife.
A pregnant woman needs starch-based foods (complex carbohydrates) in her diet and plenty of them. People tend to be mis-lead over this believing that starch-based foods are 'fattening'. In truth, they contain about half the calories than the same weight of fat. Fruit is not important in a pregnant woman`s diet, it is vital. Even if not with child, fruit is a healthy eat. If possible your pregnancy diet should have you consume daily at least five portions of fruit and vegetables. There is a vast variety of fruits you can select from so you are not limited to one particular type, which is good news if you don`t like a certain fruit. Breaking down what a portion is: one large fruit can mean an apple, pear or banana. Small fruits such as plums you are allowed to eat two of. A cup of berries or grapes is fine. Some women prefer stewed or canned fruit; if this is your forte then your daily allowance is two tablespoons. If your treat is dried fruit then 1 tablespoon only. By all means have a glass of fresh fruit juice but no more than 150ml.
About Bananas
Bananas: Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fibre. A banana gives an immediate, continual and generous increase of energy. Study showed that two bananas could provide enough energy for an arduous 90-minute workout. Bananas in a diet can help prevent particular illnesses. Bananas are high in potassium yet low in salt, making it ideal to control blood pressure. They can also help restore normal bowel action (constipation.)
Bananas contain tryptophan, a sort of protein that the body changes into serotonin. This is supposedly supposed to help you relax and avoid depressive moods and give heartburn relief. If you eat banana slices between meals it helps keep blood sugar levels up thus keeping morning sickness to a minimum.
The body cries out for protein and especially more so in pregnant women. Although protein is suggested as a body want, foods containing it should be eaten within moderation. Those foods are: Meat, fish, pulses and chicken. Of course you have more to choose from so ask your doctor or midwife for their advice.
It`s natural to see body changes in pregnancy, and one most common difference is weight gain (getting fat.) You mustn't add to this by eating too much fat. Throw out the frying pan and use the grill. If you do fry, use unsaturated oil such as corn, sunflower or olive oil. Absorb fat drips off fried foods with kitchen roll. Use low fat spreads and low-fat milk, cheeses, yoghurts, and other dairy foods rather than full-fat varieties. Cut down on sugary foods and sweet drinks, not only is too much unhealthy but also bad for teeth. They are high in calories, and too much may cause weight gain.
Too much salt is not good regardless. A sprinkle of salt is all you need to cook your vegetables and no more. In the UK people eat 50% more salt that is suggested as a safe amount. Salt raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure causes:
- 60% of all strokes
- 40% of all heart attacks.
- Salt contains sodium and chlorine (dangerous elements.) But when the two elements are combined to make a new compound it reacts differently than if they were ingested separately.
- A healthy pregnancy diet should consist of foods containing iron, calcium and folic acid
- A developing baby needs nutrients from day one of the pregnancy.
- Iron: Eat red meat, pulses, dried fruit, bread and green vegetables.
- Calcium: Dairy products
- Folic acid: Green vegetables, brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals.
Food which may have high levels of listeria is a food you have to be seriously cautious about. Listeria is a bacterium (germ.) Pregnancy ups the odds in a woman becoming infected with listeria which can result in complications. Risky foods are:
- Under cooked meats and poultry eggs. All meat foods should be cooked right through. Eggs should be eaten hard boiled with no dip.
- Soft cheeses such as brie.
- Shellfish and raw fish.
- Unpasteurized milk.
Natural weight gain in pregnancy is expected but, excess not so natural fatness can cause problems. It is more difficult to lose this extra weight after giving birth.
You should take folic acid tablets for at least the first 3 months of pregnancy. Folic acid is a vitamin which occurs naturally in certain foods. Eat these while you`re pregnant and you ensure you and your unborn baby good health. Consumption of folic acid in early pregnancy will help lower the risk of having a baby born with a spinal cord problem such as spina bifida. A healthy pregnancy will always happen if common sense is practiced when needed. For example: Say no to beer and fags.
Some pregnancy tips
You don`t have to eat for two. A developing baby is provided with nourishment from its mother through the umbilical cord, so the mother`s diet throughout the nine months is very important.
A woman needs about 2100 calories daily whereas a pregnant woman needs 2500 calories.
About 35% of calories should come from fat, which is primarily found in butter, oils, margarine, dairy products and nuts. Check out that you have no problems with eating nuts. Having a nut allergy can be extremely dangerous. 10% of calories should come from protein 55% of calories should come from carbohydrates.
It is common in pregnancy to suffer from constipation. To help with the problem eat lots of fibre-rich food. Whole meal bread, prunes and prune juice is effective for loosening up. Drink plenty of liquids (2 to 3 litres of water daily.) It is normal for a pregnant woman to see weight gain of about 10 to 12kg (22 to 26lb) anything "excessively" over this estimation is not healthy. Talk to your GP if you're concerned about your weight
Although we have highlighted the problem of weight gain and the importance of your pregnancy diet, you must not, and I emphasize most importantly that you must not go on a diet to lose weight. The fat belly will not go away until baby is ready to make his or her appearance. When we talk of pregnancy diet we mean keeping healthy by eating the right foods and not abstain from it to shed the pounds.
About pregnancy? Do you know all there is to know about being pregnant to stay healthy throughout the nine months
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