ehealthyland.com

Now that you’re a mum-to-be, you need to fine tune your eating habits to ensure that you have a balanced and healthy diet. If your diet is poor to begin with, it is even more important to make the transition to eating delicious, nutritious, well-balanced meals. It is important to try and increase your intake of certain vitamins and minerals (such as folic acid and iron) and calories (slightly) during your pregnancy. Limit junk food, as it offers little more than empty calories (calories with few or no nutrients).

Your body becomes more efficient when you’re expecting a baby and makes even better use of the energy you obtain from the food you eat. You will probably have everyone advising you to eat for two but the truth is that the average woman does not need any extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy and only about 200 extra calories per day for the last three months. Two hundred calories is equivalent to two rotis without ghee, a medium katori (bowl) of chole or rajma, a couple of idlis, or a couple of aloo tikkis.

The fact that a woman is pregnant is perhaps the happiest moment for her, as motherhood is the most wanted aspect of womanhood. There are a lot of guidelines that a pregnant woman ought to follow and of course intake of nutritious food is of prime importance during pregnancy.

The food that the mother consumes forms the intake for the foetus as it thrives on the food intake of the mother. Hence it is necessary for the mother to consume nutritious food for the foetus to grow in a healthy manner and for herself too to make her pregnancy a healthy and enjoyable period.A good diet is inclusive of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats, vitamins and good amount of water.

Iron:Iron is essential to maintaining a sufficient level of blood supply to the growing baby and the placenta. As many women’s iron stores are not enough for meeting the increased requirements during pregnancy, a daily low dose iron supplement (30mg) is often recommended during the second and third trimesters. You can help prevent iron deficiency anemia by eating more iron-rich foods like lean red meat, fish, poultry, dried fruits, whole-grain breads, and iron-fortified cereals.

Calcium : This is vital for the healthy development of your baby’s bones and teeth, which start to form at about week eight. You will need about double the quantity of calcium than is normal. At least three servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese is essential to meet expectant mother’s calcium needs. Apart from diary products, good sources include leafy, green vegetables. Diary products are also high in fat, so if possible choose low fat varieties such as skim milk. The recommended daily amount of calcium during pregnancy and breast feeding increases significantly from 800-1200mg.

Protein : Try to eat a variety of protein rich foods, because your needs increase during pregnancy. Vitamin B6 is needed for the proper utilization of protein. Fish, meat, nuts, peas, beans and diary foods such as milk and eggs all supply protein, but animal sources can also be high in fat, so limit your intake of these and choose lean cuts of meat whenever possible.

Vitamin A:Vitamins are providers of healthy skin, good eyesight and also aid in developing strong bones. Carrots, dark green leafy greens and sweet potatoes are good sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin C : This will help to build a strong placenta, enable your body to resist infection and aid the absorption of iron. It is found in fresh fruit and vegetables and supplies of the vitamin are needed daily because it cannot be restored in the body. A lot of vitamin C is lost by prolonged storage and cooking, so eat fresh produce and steam green vegetables or eat them raw.

Fiber : This should form a large part of your daily diet, since constipation and piles are common in pregnancy and fiber will help prevent it. Besides rich sources like fruits and vegetables, brown rice, nuts, cereals including oats, beans, peas and pulses etc are good sources of fiber.

Water: Water plays a key role in your diet during pregnancy. It carries the nutrients from the foods you eat to your baby, and also helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, excessive swelling, and urinary tract or bladder infections. Most importantly, drinking enough water, especially in your last trimester, prevents you from becoming dehydrated which can then lead you to have contractions and premature, or early labor. Pregnant women should drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day. You can drink juices for fluid, but they also have a lot of calories and can cause you to gain extra weight. Coffee, soft drinks, and teas cannot count towards the total amount of fluid you need as they have caffeine which actually reduce the amount of fluid in your body.

Consume ample calcium-rich foods:As most people know, calcium helps build bones in the baby and prevent bone loss in the mom. Calcium also helps prevent pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and is important for normal functioning of nerves and muscles.

The pregnant mom needs 3 or more glasses of low-fat or nonfat milk or fortified soymilk every day before, during, and after pregnancy if she plans to nurse her little one. You can cook your rice or oatmeal in milk instead of water to sneak more calcium into your diet. Also, look for non-conventional sources of calcium, such as foods fortified with calcium. Aim for at least 1,000mg a day.

Get enough fluid:Getting enough nourishing fluids, like water, is important during pregnancy to prevent constipation and provide for the expanding blood volume that carries oxygen and nutrients to both the mother and baby. So, carry a water bottle, take 8 swigs of water every time you see a water fountain (1 swig = 1 ounce), and drink a glass of water between each meal and snack. Also, drink nutritious beverages, such as reduced-sodium V8, orange juice, or nonfat milk to get your fluids.

Vitamin B6:Food rich with vitamin B6 like pork, gram, and whole grain cereals and bananas supply this type of vitamin for the body. The vitamin not only aids in the formation of red blood cells but also for the effective use of protein, carbohydrates and fat by the body.

Vitamin B12:This vitamin helps in the formation of red blood cells and helps to keep the nervous system healthy. Meat, fish, poultry and milk provide this vitamin. People who follow a vegetarian diet should take a vitamin B6 supplement.

Vitamin D:Fortified milk, dairy products, cereals and breads are all important sources of vitamin D that aids in the absorption of calcium and for the development of healthy bones and teeth.

Folic acid:Green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, peas, beans and nuts are all rich in folic acid that helps a lot in blood and protein production and effective enzyme production. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects that occur during the early stages of pregnancy. Hence a good amount of folic acid is necessary for the body before pregnancy and during the early weeks of pregnancy. Despite the presence of folic acid in one’s natural diet, pregnant women are advised to take folic acid supplement.

Incoming search terms:

• images on healthy iron containing food
• iron rich fruits
• healthy tips for a pregnant woman