Читать книгу Ultimate, Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting Guide - Lilian Paramor - Страница 10

In a word, what every pregnant woman should do when it comes to food is – relax! This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care about what you eat, or that you can ignore all warnings. What it does mean is that you have two powerful allies to help you have the best pregnancy nutrition – instinct and Mother Nature’s bountiful pantry.

In a nutshell, use these principles as an overall nutrition guide:

•Eat more plant foods: That’s fruit, vegetables, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains, with these forming the bulk of your diet. Of course, the less refined the better and preservative-, colourant- and GMO-free. If you can use organic or home-grown produce, that’s a bonus.

•Eat fewer animal foods: Not only are these linked to increased disease patterns, animals are often reared using antibiotics and synthetic hormones that you will ingest. Slaughtering procedures cause a rush of adrenaline and cortisol in the animal and these hormones are retained in the flesh and may influence your pregnancy and birth hormones adversely. Dairy products are also animal foods and it is a myth that you need cow’s milk for healthy skeletal development of your unborn baby and your dental health. If you do eat animal produce, choose medication-free, free-range and organic options.

•Include foods in all the vibrant colours nature provides: This is what most people would do if they were attuned to their instincts and, interestingly, this is nature’s way of ensuring you get all the different nutrients you need – so eat with your eyes!

•Keep meals simple: Balance is not essential in each and every meal but can be achieved over the course of a day or even a week. Don’t use too many ingredients at the same time and you’ll find that your digestion will work more efficiently.

•Don’t eat for two: Simply follow your appetite when it comes to quantity, as long as it is for healthy foods. Many expectant women prefer smaller meals more frequently, to sustain them throughout the day while keeping them feeling comfortable.

•Reduce or preferably avoid food additives: Basically this means that you should eat as little processed, refined food as possible. Remember that fruit is Mother Nature’s fast food – perfect for snacking.

•An occasional lapse won’t harm you or Baby: Eat healthily most of the time and your body will accommodate the occasional treat. Be honest with yourself though, and aim to eat good food at least 80% of the time.

•Don’t drink large amounts with meals: This hampers digestion because the enzyme-containing digestive juices become diluted. In effect, your food will not be utilised optimally and you will be more likely to suffer from indigestion.

•Avoid fasting: Fasting is not advisable at any stage of pregnancy, either for Baby or Mom. As a result, religions that practice fasting mostly make provision for partial abstinence. Unstable blood sugar levels, dizziness, low blood pressure and dehydration risk are all reasons why one should not fast.

Superfoods for two

Include these seven foods in your diet regularly throughout pregnancy, while enjoying an abundance of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetable varieties, and you and your baby will be in tip top health.

1.Dates: for Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), energy and stable blood sugar

2.Avocados: for many necessary nutrients, EFAs and efficient digestion

3.Coconut: for immune system strength and circulation system protection

4.Grapefruit: for regulating and controlling cravings

5.Beans of all kinds: for protein, iron, fibre, folic acid and calcium

6.Green veggies: for folic acid and calcium

7.A little good quality honey: for its antibacterial properties

Caution: Baby-growing in progress!

Some foods are associated with increased allergy risk, toxic bacteria or excessive discomfort in an expectant mom, so you’d do well to avoid or reduce these six:

1.Allergy-risk foods like dairy products, refined grain products (bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits), shellfish, eggs and peanuts

2.Exotic mushrooms, onions and garlic

3.Tree and ground nuts – though preservatives or rancid produce is the real problem

4.Animal food pâtés

5.Blue-veined and aged soft cheeses

6.Dried meat products like biltong