A Healthy Diet For Pregnant Women

Today, I want to share about a healthy diet during pregnancy. I know most of you want to know about it right ? :)

If knew that you are pregnant, congratulations! Now that you are about to become a mother, you may be wondering what you can and cannot eat, and how many calories you need. At this time you may not be so appetizing, especially if you suffer from morning sickness. But try to eat healthy food when you can. A healthy diet will make you feel better and will help your baby get all the nutrients it needs to grow. Eat frequently in small quantities and often drinking water can help combat nausea and fatigue you are experiencing. Different from what you hear, you do not need the extra calories in the first two trimesters, so do not think that you need to eat for two person. (you + your baby)

Focus On Folic Acid
Also known as folate or folacin, folic acid included in the group of vitamin B. It is important during pregnancy because it is one of the few nutrients known to prevent neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. Your body also needs to produce red blood cells as well as norepinephrine and serotonin (chemical components of the nervous system). It helps make DNA (the genetic material of the body) of normal brain functions and is an important component in the spinal cord fluid. Health experts recommend that all women planning to become pregnant or in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to take 400 micrograms of folic acid supplements. Aside from taking supplements, health experts also recommend that your diet contains foods rich in folate.

Here are some delicious food that can inspire you :
-Broccoli and peas soup
-Orange with candied ginger and dates
-Meat casserole and black eye beans

Should I Change My Diet For Pregnant?
Now that you are pregnant, it is important that you eat healthily. This is to ensure that you and your unborn baby gets all the nutrients that's needed. If you realize that your diet is not so good, it's time for you to start practicing a healthy and balanced diet. Your daily meals should include foods from the four variations of the following food groups:
-Fruits and vegetables:
You can buy it in the form of fresh, cold-frozen, canned, dried or in juice. Aim to eat five servings a day from this group.

-Starchy foods:
These include rice, bread, pasta and potatoes. Try choice of whole grains.

-Foods rich in protein:
This includes lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs and nuts. Try aiming for two servings of fish a week, including oily fish.

-Dairy products:
This includes milk, cheese and yogurt are rich in calcium.
Do I Need To Eat More Since I Was Pregnant?
Your body will become more efficient when you're pregnant and it can use the available energy from the food you eat better. In general, women do not need extra calories in the first six months of pregnancy, and only about 200 extra calories a day for three months.Two hundred calories is equivalent to:
-Two slices of whole wheat bread and margarine / butter
-A roll pastry spring rolls (not fried)
-Piece of cheese with bread

Your appetite is the best indicator for how much food you need to take. You will find your appetite fluctuates during your pregnancy:
-During the first few weeks, your appetite will decrease dramatically and you do not  want to eat a  perfect meal, especially if you experience nausea or motion sickness.

-During the middle of your pregnancy, your appetite is the same as before you were  pregnant or  slightly increased.

-By the end of pregnancy, your appetite will increase, but if you suffer from heartburn  or a full feeling  after eating, you may be able to eat frequently but with little amount of food.

The best way is to eat when you are hungry. Eat nutritious and balanced meals each day and your weight gain will happen gradually in line with the development of your unborn baby.

Should I Take Any Vitamin Supplements?

In an ideal world that is free from sickness or allergic to certain foods, balanced diet is what pregnant women need. But the fact is , antenatal vitamin and mineral supplement is a guarantee to help you meet your nutritional needs .

You are advised to take 400mcg of folic acid a day for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. When your content grows, you will need an iron supplement. The level of iron in your body will be examined during pregnancy and your doctor will advise you on what you need. Calcium is also important and you need twice the amount per day than before.

Ask your doctor about special multivitamins for pregnancy . It should contain folic acid , vitamin D , iron and calcium . Get multivitamin also contains vitamin C , vitamin D , B vitamins such as B6 and B12 , potassium , zinc and vitamin E.

Do not take any vitamin supplements containing retinol , vitamin A from animal elements . If taken in large quantities , retinol can be toxic to the unborn baby. However, vitamin A from plant elements ( carotene ) is safe. Moreover, do not take vitamin and mineral megados (megavitamin ) as this can harm the baby .

Talk to your doctor about the supplement for you if you:

- A hardcore vegetarian

- Diabetes or gestational diabetes

- Experienced pre-eclampsia

- Suffering from anemia

- Never give birth to babies with low birth weight

What Foods Should I Avoid While Pregnant?
There are several types of foods you should avoid during pregnancy because it can harm an unborn baby:-Shells found in laksa and char kway teow should be boiled before they are put into the food , but you  should tell your seller to not put it in the food because you do not know if it is cooked properly or not .

-Materials in steamboat dishes that are not cooked. Make sure the broth is heated to a boil each time new material added, especially shellfish, meat and eggs.

-Cheese with a white rind like Brie and Camembert moldy, and blue cheeses such as Stilton netting. All these cheeses may contain listeria, a bacteria that can harm your baby.

-Pate, raw or undercooked meat and eggs. All this is a source of bacteria that can harm your baby. When cooking meat or eggs, make sure it is fully cooked.

-Raw seafood, such as oysters or sushi.

-Fish shark, swordfish or marlin. Fish containing mercury (mercury) naturally present in amounts that  are not safe. Tuna also contains mercury, so limit your intake to no less than four medium -sized cans or two fresh steaks a week.

-The heart and liver products (pate, liver sausage) should be avoided as these may contain large amounts of vitamin A retinol types. Too much of this substance can be harmful to an unborn baby.

-Reduce or stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy. If you like to drink, do not drink more than two  units, once or twice a week, and do not drink to get drunk.

-Limit your caffeine intake to 200mg even a day. That means two big cup ( mug ) of instant coffee or  four cups of tea or five cans of cola a day. Instead, you can take coffee or cola without caffeine.
How Many Times Should I Eat Each Day?
Even if you are not hungry, chances are your baby is hungry, so try to eat regularly. Aim to eat three main meals a day with two or three healthy snacks in between. And if sickness, allergies to certain foods, heartburn or indigestion make you tough to eat, eat more frequently in small amounts. You may find that eating five or six small meals a day are more easily accepted by the body. Eating foods high in fiber and made ​​from whole grains will help you feel full. Furthermore it is more nutritious.