Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Pregnancy Nutrition Help - Eating Healthy during Pregnancy

Nutrition help during pregnancy is of the utmost importance. In fact, nutrition and dietary planning should start early- as a part of pre pregnancy. What constitutes a healthy diet? Grains, vegetables, fruits, protein, milk, and milk products are the basic essentials of a healthy diet.

Nutrition Prevents Pregnancy Complications

A healthy diet ensures that the mother does not get complications during pregnancy. Anemia, morning sickness, constipation, fatigue, and mood swings can all be reduced or completely avoided with a healthy diet. Diet and nutrition also play an important part in the fetus’s development.

Carbohydrates

Preferably, eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates, as compared to simple carbohydrates.
Foods such as vegetables, fresh fruits, cereals, and whole grain breads

Proteins

Protein rich foods help in the development of the baby’s fetus. Some of these are tofu, fat free milk, yoghurt, and nuts.

Milk And Milk Products

Milk and Milk products are a great source of calcium and helping strengthening the bones and teeth. You can have milk, yoghurt, and cheese.

Fruits And Vegetables

Fresh fruits and freshly cooked green leafy vegetables should be taken as part of your diet. They are excellent sources of Vitamin C (citrus fruits), vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin B and folic acid. Mangoes, papaya, peaches, carrots, spinach, lettuce, sweet potato, and apricots are some of the fruits and vegetables you can have for pregnancy nutrition help.

Fluids

You must drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated. Drink lots of juices as well. You can have orange juice, which is rich in vitamin c. Avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, and colas.

Foods Rich In Iron

Iron rich foods prevent you from becoming anemic. Some foods with iron content in them are potatoes, spinach, beans, tofu, lentils, and artichokes. The doctor may prescribe you prenatal vitamins with iron in them, if he thinks your body is low on iron content.

Nutrition help during pregnancy is necessary to ensure that the mother has a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Pregnancy - Healthy Diet Plan

Pregnancy Diet Plan- Eat Healthy

It is imperative to have a healthy pregnancy diet plan. The pregnancy diet plan plays an important role in the health of the mother and the growing fetus inside her womb.

It is not just during pregnancy, but also before it that you must have a proper diet plan in order. This diet plan must be pursued in right earnest, as soon as you plan your pregnancy. Here is why

A Diet Plan in the Pre Pregnancy Stage

In the early stages of pregnancy, the fetus develops very fast. The vital organs also have to develop and if the mother is lacking in nutrition, chances are the fetus will not develop into a healthy infant. This is the time when you may not even know you are pregnant. That is why, pre pregnancy diet planning is very important.

It takes nine months for a baby to be created and these nine months are vital for its growth and development. This is the time, in its whole human life, that the human being grows the fastest. Which means, it must have a proper diet to support its growth? This requires thorough preparation even before you conceive.

Folic Acid and Calcium Supplements

When you visit your doctor at the preconception stage, he will prescribe you folic acid vitamin tablets. Folic acid is very important for the healthy growth of the baby’s brain and spine. Without it, the baby could develop spina bifida or neural tube defects (NTD). Chances of preterm delivery, placental abruption, spontaneous abortion and low birth weight also increase. That is why doctors prescribe folic acid to pregnant mothers.

Calcium is another mineral that your doctor will prescribe. Calcium helps in bone building, strong teeth and strong muscles. Without that extra intake of calcium, you could suffer from hypertension, pre eclampsia, preterm delivery and your baby from low birth weight.
So now you know why pregnancy diet plan plays such an important role during pregnancy

Pregnancy Nutrition Guidelines

Pregnancy Nutrition Guidelines and Nutrition Talk

The baby in the mother’s womb must get essential nutrients for its healthy growth and development. Here are the pregnancy nutrition guidelines for a healthy pregnancy.

During pregnancy, do not ever go on a diet.

Do not drink caffeinated products like colas, tea, and coffee.

Pregnancy nutrition requires you to completely avoid drinking alcohol, smoking, or doing drugs; these can be very harmful to the unborn infant.

Do drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. This ensures that your body does not get dehydrated.

Do Eat Foods Rich in Iron

Nutrition during pregnancy requires that you to eat foods rich in iron. Iron is required to form blood in your body as well as blood cells in your baby. Lack of iron can cause anemia, which can prove fatal at times. It also prevents fatalities caused by excessive bleeding while giving birth.

Do eat foods rich in protein

You require at least 60% more protein in your diet, when you are pregnant. The protein helps the growth of the mother’s placenta, uterus and helps the baby to grow.

Do eat foods rich in calcium

Calcium is important for the bones, teeth and muscles of your baby. If the baby does not get enough calcium, it takes it from the mother’s bones to help it grow.

Do taker Vitamins

Pregnancy Nutrition Supplements are essential for the baby’s growth. Folic acid is a B vitamin. Without it, the baby can develop severe abnormalities of the spine and brain, such as neural tube defect (NTD) and spina bifida. As soon as you conceive, your doctor will prescribe you 400mcg of folic acid a day and if you have a history of NTD, then he will prescribe 500mcg. Follow these pregnancy nutrition guidelines to ensure the health of your baby.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron and other nutrients from food. Good sources of vitamin c include citrus fruits and some vegetables.

The doctor may also prescribe special pre-natal vitamins during pregnancy. It is best to take vitamins only after doctor’s recommendation. Those were some pregnancy nutrition guidelines. We wish you a pregnancy made of excellent diet and nutrition for your baby and your wellbeing.

Pregnancy - Required Nutritions

Nutrition during Pregnancy- Eating Right to Stay Healthy

Nutrition during pregnancy is important for the mother. If she eats right, she will probably have a less problematic pregnancy. The symptoms of pregnancy can get aggravated if you do take the right pregnancy nutrition. You can also develop other complications during pregnancy, such as anemia and pre-eclampsia by not eating right.

Healthy Nutrition during Pregnancy Includes

Cereals- Eat fortified cereals for breakfast. These provide you with all the basic nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fiber content.

Milk and Milk products- Milk and milk products are very good source of calcium and calcium is good for the bones and teeth. Calcium intake is a must for a pregnant mother. Milk, yoghurt and cheese are sources of calcium and good nutrition during pregnancy.

Fruits and vegetables- Have freshly cooked vegetables and eat lots of fresh fruits and citrus fruits. These are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber and can prevent constipation and acidity. Wash the fruits thoroughly before you eat them.

Lentils and nuts- Lentils, nuts and soy are excellent sources of protein. Proteins are the building blocks of the human cells and are very important for the baby’s healthy growth in the mother’s womb.

Do Not Go On a Diet during Pregnancy

Nutrition during pregnancy does not mean that you must eat only specific foods or go on a diet. Either of them is unhealthy for you and your baby. Eat a variety of foods, which are rich in nutrients.

Dietary Supplements

Even before you have conceived and as soon as you make a preconception, visit to your doctor, he will ask to eat some kind of folic acid supplements. Folic Acid is important for the healthy growth of your baby’s spine and brain. Without it, your baby can suffer from serious birth defects. Your doctor will also prescribe you calcium and other special prenatal vitamins. You must never buy over the counter vitamins, without asking your doctor’s advice.

Nutrition during pregnancy helps you and your baby to stay healthy. After all, this is the time when your baby grows the fastest and it must have a nutritious diet to sustain growth and health.

Pregnancy - Nutritious Diet Plan

What Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

It is very important to eat a nutritious diet during pregnancy. By now, we all know what foods constitute a healthy diet, but do we know what foods to avoid during pregnancy.


The Foods That You Must Avoid During Pregnancy

We must avoid eating unwashed vegetables- Vegetables are usually sprayed with pesticides. Eating them with out washing can cause harm to you and the baby in your womb.

Eggs-It is better not to eat eggs during pregnancy, because eggs can give you salmonella infection.

Raw meat- Raw meat contains harmful bacteria, which if ingested by the mother, can cause untold harm to her and the baby.

Fish and Sea food- Do not eat fish during pregnancy, especially king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. These contain mercury and mercury poisoning can cause the infant delayed development and brain damage. Smoked seafood, fish exposed to sea and river pollution, and raw shellfish should also not be consumed.

Unpasteurized milk- Unpasteurized milk has harmful bacteria that can affect both mother and child and cause immense damage. It may even cause miscarriage.

Caffeine- Avoid taking caffeine in any form. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes loss of water and the essential nutrient calcium from the mother’s body. Some studies have shown that, it is a major cause of low birth weight and birth defects in the newborn infant. It is also associated with miscarriage.

Alcohol- Alcohol can play havoc with the male and female reproductive systems. It is best to avoid it during pregnancy. It is also known to cause fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a form of mental retardation and the only mental retardation that is 100% preventable, in the baby.

The Ideal Diet

Now, you that know what foods to avoid during pregnancy; the ideal pregnancy diet plan would be a healthy vegetarian diet of freshly cooked green leafy vegetables, pulses and fresh fruits, and foods rich in carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals