Eating For Pregnancy

Eating for Two

Health in Harmony offer some tips to eating a healthy diet to provide the most beneficial ways of eating during your pregnancy.

To eat well during pregnancy you must do more than simply increase how much you eat. You must also consider what you eat. Although you need about 300 extra calories a day, especially later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly and those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby’s growth and development.

The extra food you eat shouldn’t just be empty calories — it should provide the nutrients your growing baby needs. For example, calcium helps make and keep bones and teeth strong. While you’re pregnant, you still need calcium for your body, plus extra calcium for your developing baby. Similarly, you require more of all the essential nutrients than you did before you became pregnant.

You’ll also want to be sure that you’re getting good whole grains into your diet. Whole grains help regulate your digestive system and may ease pregnancy related constipation. You can choose from breads, rice, oats, barely, and many other grains. Soak or sprout your grains to make them more easily digestible.

Be sure to eat your veggies with good fats – these help your body to absorb all the vital nutrients fruits and vegetables offer.

A good iron level is important to pregnancy. Try to get good, iron rich foods instead of simply relying on an iron pill. Some women find iron pills are constipating, and they’re not as well absorbed as foods would be.

Making bone broths – stocks – from bones will give you and your baby lots of important minerals. Bone broths also give you gelatin which helps enhance digestion. And they add flavor! Chicken and beef/lamb stocks are very easy to make, and creating soups from them is also very easy.

Fats are good for you – traditional fats. Avoid the old “industrial fats and oils” such as corn oil, soybean oil and shortening. Use lard and tallow from pigs eating a clean diet (pig diet varies by farm) or cows eating grass. Use olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. Use butter. Eat your veggies with butter. Cod liver oil has been shown beneficial during pregnancy and lactation. Traditional fats are vital for your body and for your baby. It is fat that builds your baby’s brain. To skimp on fat is to deprive your child nourishment he or she vitally needs for brain development.

Leafy green vegetables and deep orange produce are especially important. These help regulate your digestive system and provide rich antioxidants from a natural, food based source. In addition, fresh produce can provide folic acid – a nutrient vitally important to your growing baby. Be sure leafy greens are cooked as they can be hard to digest raw.

Food based iron sources are egg yolks, meats, molasses, and raisins. Enjoying a vitamin C rich food with your iron rich food is a great idea. The vitamin C boosts the absorption of iron in your blood. Have your eggs with a glass of OJ at breakfast!Another simple way to get iron is to cook using a cast iron pan. This will give you trace amounts of iron.

An excellent pregnancy diet is the cornerstone to having a healthy baby. It is totally under your control and it is totally your responsibility, but remember have a treat once in awhile as it is all about balance.

Most importantly, stay happy and positive, take the time out to do things you enjoy to stay calm such as soaking in a bath or a special pregnancy massage.