You are what you eat

Congratulations you’re pregnant!!  Concerned about your eating habits or what to eat? Maybe you feel like you want to eat everything or some of you just can’t keep anything down. I have some helpful tips to help you maintain a healthy “Diet” during your pregnancy.

Many moms are often misled that they need to start eating for two. Don’t get me wrong- you ARE eating for two but on average you only will need an extra 300 calories a day. If you’re very thin, very active, or carrying multiples, you’ll need even more. But if you’re overweight, your health care provider may advise that you consume fewer extra calories.

As your pregnancy progresses you’ll probably get advice from everyone — your doctor, family members, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers (like me!) — about what you should and shouldn’t be doing. As promised here is my advice on maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy. And when I say “Diet”, I don’t mean ” to go on a diet” I mean your food diet overall. Pregnancy is NOT the time to eat less or to go “On a Diet“.

One of the first things you will need to do is look at what you can and cannot eat for great pregnancy nutrition:

• Stop ALL caffeine. Yes there are loads of sites that tell you a couple of cups of coffee a day won’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean that it will do you any good. Caffeine overstresses the adrenal glands and sends LOTS of stress hormones into your bloodstream, which keeps you in permanent fight or flight mode. This is exhausting for your poor body which is already dealing with extreme fatigue from all the changes happening with your pregnancy and can have a big impact on the welfare of you and your baby. Some studies show that caffeine can lead to miscarriage, so play it safe and stay well clear!
• Say goodbye to runny eggs! You MUST cook your eggs all the way through so that the yolk is solid to prevent salmonella. I am sure just the sight of runny eggs in the first trimester will send most of you running!!
• Load up on leafy green vegetables like spinach which contain lots of folic acid. You should also be taking a folic acid supplement as this is essential in the first trimester of pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Taken daily whilst trying to get pregnant and in the 1st trimester of pregnancy folic acid can reduce the risks of neural tube defects by up to 70 percent. Some cereals are full of folic acid.
• Drink MORE WATER! This may seem like a contradiction in terms when you’re running to the loo every two minutes, but most pregnant women don’t drink enough BECAUSE of this! Hydration is essential for pregnancy health. And will keep your skin GLOWING!
• Don’t eat undercooked meat. You may love a tender cut of rib eye steak or filet that is pink in the middle, but you won’t love the coli form bacteria, salmonella, or toxoplasmosis that may be hiding in it.
• Try to eat a different colored vegetable with every meal. Each vegetable contains different macronutrients so by eating from the whole spectrum, you can be certain that you are getting everything you need to grow a healthy baby and stay in great shape through your pregnancy!
• Stay well clear of raw shellfish as it could well cause food poisoning. Cooking shellfish will eradicate some infection, but it won’t destroy the algae related infection associated with red tides. I know ladies—this was tough for me- NO SUSHI!!! Sigh…
• Avoid the BIG fish- Tuna, swordfish, shark, and king mackerel a miss as the contain high levels of mercury. If you must have canned tuna (I know cravings are unbearable!) opt for the chunk light tuna over the Albacore. Be sure to  eat no more than 1 can a week!
• Eat protein with EVERY meal. Protein is the building blocks of life and your baby needs a LOT of this to grow, so never skip out on your protein! Trust me- I did not eat hardly any protein for the first trimester. My previous posts will tell you that my main staple was Mac & Cheese…mmm, Love those carbs! But I needed to eat more protein. As a lover of fitness and nutrition I should have known better! Even a protein shake!
  
  
• Peanut Lovers be cautious with peanuts and other nuts if you or your partner have allergies including asthma, eczema, or hay fever. It is also thought that peanuts can lead to your baby developing a peanut allergy. So my advice—if in doubt, leave it out! It’s really not worth the risk for the sake of a bag of nuts—surely!

Fast Food During Pregnancy? YES!

Gotcha! Yes, there are fast foods you can enjoy…but not the ones you were thinking of. You know me better than that! 

Here’s a list of my faves: 

• Single-serve fruit bowls. Handy little 4-ounce fruit cups that count as a serving of the daily recommendation for fruits and vegetables. Choose varieties packed in their own juice rather than in sugary syrup. Or make your own ahead of time and pack in small containers for a quick vitamin packed snack!
   
• Soy milk Available in 8-ounce servings of plain, chocolate, and vanilla flavor. Stash one in your purse or briefcase (they don’t need to be refrigerated). One bottle can supply one-third of your daily calcium and vitamin D needs during pregnancy.
   
•  Raisins A 1-ounce box provides 2 grams of fiber, 4 percent of the daily recommended amount of iron, and even 1 gram of protein. Yay for fiber!!!!
   
•  Easy-to-make trail mix. Mix a handful of shredded wheat-type cereal with a handful of dried cherries, cranberries and almonds. Keep a zip-lock bag full in your desk or car for a handy, crunchy snack.
   
• Salad bar. Some fast-food restaurants and many grocery stores have salad bars where you can serve yourself practically the whole day’s worth of fruits and vegetables. Load up on spinach, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, raisins, and nuts. Add chickpeas and kidney beans for a protein boost. Be careful you can be trapped with the high fat dressings. Opt for the vinaigrette or bring your own (Don’t worry, I won’t tell).
   
• Baby carrots Carrots are full of vitamin A and fiber and you can find them in single-serving bags. Dip them in nonfat yogurt mixed with a little bit of ranch dressing for an extra dose of nutrition. Look for other prewashed and prepackaged veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, and stir-fry them together for dinner.
   
•  String cheese If you don’t know about string cheese now, just wait until your baby is a toddler — this food will become a snack staple. Low-fat mozzarella sticks are chock-full of calcium and have some protein.
   
• Boxed, calcium-fortified orange juice (now available in many grocery stores). A 4-ounce serving provides half the daily requirement of vitamin C and about 15 percent of your calcium needs. Choose 100% juice, many boxed juice is made with High-Fructose Corn Syrup instead of using 100% juice.
   
• Single-serve boxes of cereal (not the sugar-coated kind) or packages of instant oatmeal. Stash a few in your desk at work for a snack. Almost all breakfast cereal is now fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. 
  
  
• Single-serve cottage cheese bowls (available in the dairy section of most grocery stores). Cottage cheese is a good source of protein and calcium.
  
  
• Fage Greek Yogurt, my favorite! Yogurt can provide you with 25 percent of your daily calcium requirement, protein, and fiber ;). This particular brand contains no added sweeteners, thickeners or preservatives. This yogurt is an excellent source of protein due to its unique straining process. Vegetarians can eat FAGE TOTAL and is also suitable for diabetics, pregnant women and people on gluten-free diets. It can also be used to cook with in your favorite recipes since it will not separate in high heat. If you like it sweet- just add agave or honey to sweeten, add some granola and delish! It doubles as Sour Cream!  You can put it on your turkey taco salad, grilled chicken tacos, on everything! Who knows your pregnant right?

As always Enjoy being a Spoiled Mama!

 *All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

 

 

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Tags: DIET, healthy pregnancy, NUTRITION, pregnancy