Commercial detoxes and fad-diet flushes can be dangerous even when you aren't pregnant. Add a fragile fetus to the mix, and detoxes could mean bad news for your body and your baby. Detoxes often use dangerous stimulants and herbs that are not be safe to use during pregnancy. If you feel like you need to detox while carrying your child, a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and a few lifestyle changes can help you remove toxins from your body in a safe and effective way.
Pregnancy is a time when most women gain weight. While the idea of gaining weight may cause distress, your growing baby, placenta and amniotic fluid account for some of the added pounds. Although you may not look forward to an increase in your weight, pregnancy is not the time to lose weight or to take diet pills.
When you wander the aisles of the grocery store, it seems that every food item has both an organic and non-organic, or conventional variety. Since the 1990s and into the 21st century, organic foods have grown in popularity. By 2005, 4 million acres of farmland were dedicated to organic farms, up from 1 million in 1990, according to Dr. Alan Greene at The Daily Green. When you're pregnant, you may wish to eat more organic, or exclusively organic to protect your baby from exposure to pesticides.
Eating for two can be difficult. Eating for three can seem almost impossible if you don't know how to do it effectively. Expecting twins puts an additional strain on your body and requires not only an increased calorie intake but also an increase in specific nutrients and vitamins. Knowing some of the tricks to adding healthy calories to your pregnancy diet will help you keep those babies growing according to schedule.
Your body faces many changes during a pregnancy. Swollen feet, exhaustion and an increased need for vitamins and nutrients are considerations during the gestation period. Throughout history, women have used various herbs to reduce pregnancy discomfort and obtain essential nutrients. Knowing the properties and reported effects of an herb will help you make an informed decision about its use.
When you're pregnant, you want to get as much nutrition as possible, so protein supplementation may seem like a good idea. Protein powders come in a variety of flavors and can add as much as 30 grams of protein instantly. Though your body does need protein to help the baby growing inside you, it may not need as much as you think. Protein powder may be unnecessary.
When you are pregnant, you need to eat certain foods to make sure your baby's brain develops properly. Your baby will need plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients, such as choline and zinc, for his brain and nervous system to develop properly. Also, make sure you get enough folic acid in your diet so that your baby's neural tubes develop properly. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid. You'll also find it added to bread and other grain products.
While nutrition is important to the health of all individuals, pregnancy is a time when inadequate nutrition can affect the health of both you and your unborn child, and may even put your pregnancy at risk. Your doctor may recommend prenatal vitamins to help you obtain adequate amounts of important nutrients.
Being pregnant is not a license to give in to every craving and to gain unhealthy weight. Following a moderate pregnancy diet lets you minimize your weight gain and increase the likelihood of giving birth to a healthy baby. If you are pregnant or soon plan to become pregnant a number of books may help you find ways to avoid giving in to those cravings and to choose healthier foods.
Pregnant women need to pay special attention to their diets -- and since many vegetarians are already in the habit of balancing meals and monitoring nutrients, eating during pregnancy may feel very familiar. If you're new to vegetarian eating when you get pregnant or if you're just concerned that your diet could be more balanced, ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist who can evaluate your specific diet.
