5 Key Principles to Pregnancy Nutrition

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest article.

If you missed the other two articles in the series you can read them by clicking the links below:

1. Nutrition in Pregnancy

2. What Not to Eat When You are Pregnant

If you already eat a healthy diet, there may only be small adjustments you need to make to your diet to ensure you are eating right for the next night months. These five key principles will ensure that you remain fit and healthy, and that baby gets all the nutrients he or she needs to grow to be strong and healthy.

#1 Drink Plenty of Water

For a healthy pregnancy, it is critical that you drink enough water, as it will help to flush the toxins from your body and fight water retention. Water will also help with constipation and headaches associated with pregnancy.

#2 Avoid Processed Foods

The best way to begin your pregnancy is with proper nutrition. That includes the elimination of processed foods that are high in fillers, sodium, salt, and preservatives, which could potentially pose a risk to baby. In addition, you are far more likely to gain extra water and suffer with fluid retention when your diet contains processed foods. Instead, opt for healthy, whole food choices that are good for you and baby.

#3 Buy Organic

Organic foods are becoming more readily available and they are also becoming more affordable. Therefore, your goal should be to buy organic whenever possible. This is especially true when it comes to dairy products, meats, and eggs. Organic foods are higher in amino acids and fatty acids than the non-organic version. When it comes to fruits and vegetables at least make sure that those with the highest pesticide concentrations are organic. These are peaches, celery, apples, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, bell peppers, kale, cherries, grapes, and potatoes.

#4 Eat Vegetable With Every Meal

As you get further along in your pregnancy it becomes even more important to make sure that you eat vegetables with every meal. They are high in fiber and that will help with constipation associated with pregnancy. You’ll also feel fuller and you’ll obtain tons of nutrients.

#5 Every Meal Should Include Healthy Fats

Healthy fats include olive oil, organic butter, coconut oil, raw nuts, nut butters, and avocado. These fats will help you to feel full while providing you with nutrients, and they provide the kind of healthy fats that help with your baby’s cognitive development.

Include these five key principles in your pregnancy nutrition and you’ll be on your way to well balanced nutrition throughout your pregnancy. Of course, you should always follow your doctor’s orders when it comes to nutrition.

Nutrition for a Healthy Mom and Baby

Being pregnant should be a joyous time, but for many it’s a scary time with preeclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension, toxemia, and other conditions. While you may not be able to avoid having a problem during your pregnancy, there are some nutritional things you can do to reduce your risk. Let’s have a look at some of those eating strategies.

* You should never be shy about dairy products because as a mother to be you need at least 4 servings or 1000-1300 mg of calcium daily. You also need at least 4000 IU’s of Vitamin D3 per day.

* Iron is very important during pregnancy.

You need to get at least 27 mg a day. You can increase your iron by taking an iron supplement. In fact, your doctor may instruct you to do so.

The top 10 foods for iron are:

o Artichokes
o Beans, chick peas, lentils and soybeans
o Dark, leafy greens (ie spinach, collards)
o Dried fruit (ie prunes, raisins)
o Egg yolks
o Iron-enriched cereals and grains
o Liver
o Mollusks (ie clams, oysters, scallops)
o Red meat
o Turkey or chicken giblets

* Pregnant women need at least 70 mg of Vitamin C daily. Vitamin C helps to fight off infection and keep you healthy.

Some good sources of Vitamin C include:

o Oranges
o Strawberries
o Tomatoes
o Broccoli
o Dark Leafy Greens

* You likely will have huge cravings but at the same time, you should decrease your fat intake so that it is no more than 30 percent of your total daily calorie intake. Make sure to read labels.

* Omega 3s are important for the development of your baby’s vision and brain.

* Easy on the mayo or cheese limiting your cholesterol to 300 mg a day.

* Protein develops every cell of your baby. You need to eat 80 to 100 grams of protein a day. If you find that the smell of meat makes you sick, keep in mind that you can get your protein from drinking a whey protein shake.

Being pregnant isn’t easy and eating healthy can be a real challenge.

Some days you’ll feel fantastic, while other days the idea of eating is the farthest thing from your mind. A healthy weight gain is generally 25 to 35 pounds. However, if you are underweight, you should gain 28 to 40 pounds and if you are overweight, you should gain15 to 25 pounds.

When your nutrient intake isn’t the best it could be, you increase your risk of developing pregnancy related conditions such as preeclampsia, pregnancy hypertension, toxemia, and HELLP syndrome.

I’m Pregnant - Should I Eat Differently Now?

As a mom-to-be, you’re likely more cautious about what you eat. Early on that might be focused around morning sickness, but as time goes on its becomes a concern to make sure that you are eating nutritiously.

So what should the diet of a pregnant woman look like?

Here’s how to make sure both you and your baby get the necessary nutrients.

* Foods that are rich in protein such as eggs, chicken, lean meats and legumes (i.e. beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, etc.)
* Fruits and vegetables – fresh is always preferred. Other options include dried, frozen, and canned. Berries are rich in antioxidants. A diet that includes a good balance of fruits and vegetables is preferred. Below you will find those listed that are high in folic acid.
* Starchy foods such as pasta, potatoes, bread, and rice.
* Dairy foods such as cheese, yogurt, and milk.
* Plenty of water to remove toxins from the body.

Sources of Folic Acid

During pregnancy folic acid intake is important because it helps to protect an unborn baby from developing neural tube defects like spina bifida. Your doctor will tell you how much folic acid is recommended. The following are good sources of folic acid.

* Vegetables including avocados, endives, green peas, broccoli, baby carrots, seaweed, cauliflower, parsley, spinach, Brussel sprouts, mustard greens, beets, Romaine lettuce, and asparagus.
* Legumes including Romano beans, lentils, white beans, black beans, edamame, kidney beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans.
* Pasta, bread, and bagels that are made from enriched wheat flour.
* Fruits and berries such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, blackberries, and clementines.
* Seeds and nuts such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts.
* Juices including pineapple juice and orange juice from concentrate.
* Enriched breakfast cereals.

During your pregnancy, making healthy food choices is important. There may be some foods that don’t agree with you – of course, you should avoid those foods. There are many choices under every category so choose an option that you enjoy and that agrees with you.

Calorie counting may not be necessary; however, weight gain is a common concern among mothers-to-be so it’s a good idea to monitor your weight, and to at least be aware of the foods you are eating. Cravings can be hard to control and often changes in metabolism can result in burning calories differently. Making healthy food choices will help with weight gain and ensure you and baby are getting the nutrition you need.

Pregnancy Nutrition Tips You Should Know

We already know just how important it is for us to be well nourished throughout our pregnancy. These nutritional tips are easy to implement and are highly beneficial so why not implement them today?

Just One Apple a Day Will Keep Asthma Away

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ Who hasn’t heard this before?

But what many are unaware of is that the research shows that eating just one apple a day throughout your pregnancy will actually reduce your child’s risk of developing asthma when he/she is older. One of the studies learned that when mothers ate apples regularly throughout their pregnancy these children had far less wheezing and other asthmatic symptoms.

Eat a Banana to Reduce Swelling

Edema is common with pregnancy. However, the potassium that is in bananas can actually help to reduce your swollen feet and legs. So why not go ape and start eating plenty of bananas.

If You Want a Happy Baby Eat Chocolate

In 2004, Finland scientists found that eating just a small amount of chocolate regularly throughout your pregnancy led to having a happier baby. The study questioned 300 women who ate chocolate throughout their pregnancy and they reported happier babies than their counterparts. However, this doesn’t give you an excuse to eat chocolate excessively. Remember just a tiny bit daily will satisfy your chocolate cravings and keep your baby happy. It’s a win-win.

Skimmed Milk Equals Whole Milk

If you have always drank skimmed milk and the thought of drinking the fatter, richer whole milk doesn’t sit well with you, there is some great news – Skim milk has as much calcium as whole milk it just doesn’t have the same fat content. So you can drink with the worry of calories and enjoy all of the benefits.

Coal and Mud Cravings Mean More Iron is Needed

If you have strange cravings to eat coal or mud, it means your likely need more iron. Visit your OB or midwife to be tested for anemia. You can increase your consumption of foods that contain iron or if you’re really depleted you may be given an iron supplement.

Woman who are pregnant commonly stress and worry about whether they are eating right. A healthy diet is a great start. These simple tips are a great way to add to your nutrition and they will benefit both you and your baby.

Pregnancy Nutrition Wholesale and Processed Foods

Pregnant women commonly ask whether it’s okay to eat proceeded foods when you are seeking optimal nutrition during pregnancy. And the answer is…. Yes and no. If you are focusing on keeping your weight gain lower while keeping your baby healthy, then saying no to processed foods is a going to be a real benefit to you.

Then again, processed foods are part of our culture and imagining life without them can be difficult. Let’s look at the pros and cons of processed foods and whole foods.

Processed foods offer us convenience over unprocessed foods. If you find yourself growing hungry while out running doing your errands, it’s quick and easy to stop at a fast food restaurant, order, and be on your way in minutes. Processed food is also much cheaper than whole foods.

If you are on a budget then processed foods may seem like the logical way to inexpensively stay full and satisfy your cravings. In fact, you might think that having lunch meat while you are pregnant is the perfect way to make sure you get your protein at each meal without the expense of purchasing and preparing lean cuts of meat.

However, there are many disadvantages to processed foods including that they are packed with fillers, calories, and sodium. This can cause you to gain excess weight, cause fluid retention, lead to indigestion or bloating, and not provide the best nutrition for you and your baby. At best, they should be used as a short time solution occasionally.

Most of us are already aware of the pros to eating a diet made of whole foods. They are higher in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, all of which are important to a healthy successful pregnancy. Whole foods, especially organic whole foods, are chemical free, hormone free and do not contain many of the questionable fillers that can be harmful to a developing fetus. Even though these foods seem more expensive, they actually are better value because you stay full for longer and you get the nutritional value.

The main disadvantages include cost and preparation time. It can seem like a lot of effort to prepare a meal when you can grab something on the go. You really can have the best of both worlds. Start by slowly incorporating whole foods into your life. One of the best places to buy whole foods is a local farmer’s market where you’ll find organic fruits, vegetables, and meat that’s fresh. Start by changing your habits slowly. For example, try taking an apple with you along with some nuts when you are out running errands or eat before you go so you aren’t hungry while out. Be creative.

Best regards.

Pete