The basis of the well-being of the expectant mother and the health of the baby is a balanced, varied, and healthy diet. Yes, an expectant mother should avoid harmful products, such as alcohol and caffeinated beverages, and lean on healthier foods. It is important for the good health of both the mother and the baby. So in this article, learn about dietary habits during pregnancy and learn how to plan.
5 Basic Dietary Principles For Expectant Mothers
To make the gestation period as easy as possible, to protect your health and the baby’s, follow our advice. It will prevent your body from:
- A deficiency of essential nutrients and numerous nutrients
- Spikes in glucose
- Cholesterol drops
- Metabolic disorders
- Various pathologies associated with eating disorders
Besides, it will also make sure that you do not suffer from depression. These tips will help you stay confident in your own reflection in the mirror and not exhaust yourself to lose weight after childbirth. Following is the universal advice of modern nutritionists that work for every mother.
Include Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs To Your Diet
If there are no special contraindications, fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs should be on the plate at each meal. These are the natural suppliers of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. In 2019, British scientists, after conducting a large-scale study, confirmed this fact.
According to them, following a Mediterranean diet, based on functional foods, is the best nutrition model for expectant mothers. Thus, without worrying much, you should focus on eating more fruits and vegetables for your and baby’s good health.
Give Up Alcohol Addiction
Women who abuse alcoholic beverages during or after pregnancy put their baby’s health at great risk. Frequent consumption of alcohol can cause a miscarriage, early birth, and other complications. Therefore, expectant mothers need to say goodbye to alcohol for the health of their babies.
To quit alcoholism, you may need to get the help of professionals, which comes at a high cost. However, if you have health insurance, some or all part of your treatment can be covered. One of the most popular insurance plans among residents of New jersey is United Healthcare insurance.
So if you reside in New Jersey, you should browse which rehabs in New Jersey take United Healthcare insurance and contact them to get immediate treatment. Remember that for a healthy pregnancy and improving overall health, quitting addiction is important.
Eat Homemade Foods
It is advisable to eat freshly prepared and high-quality functional foods at home. Only in case of emergency, you can use the services of restaurants and cafes that serve fresh and healthy foods. Avoid casual catering establishments, refuse to snack on hot dogs, shawarma, and other street food with unknown ingredients.
It is also important not to eat foods that have preservatives and artificial sweeteners. They are high in chemicals that help to increase the shelf-life of a product and are damaging to health. During pregnancy, homemade food is the best!
Avoid Going On Extremes
You should not follow the advice of well-wishers and eat “for two.” You should increase the size of the usual servings as well as their calorie content only after consulting a doctor. A doctor will suggest you eat more if there is a real need for this.
On the contrary, you should not starve yourself and follow diets for weight loss without a special medical recommendation. Although some food restrictions and fasting days are also sometimes introduced during pregnancy, they are under the strict supervision of a specialist.
Eat More Often
The universal recommendation is to eat regularly in small portions, with equal intervals between meals throughout the day. This allows you to avoid acute bouts of hunger and, as a result, overeating, eating fast food, and other nutritional disorders.
And also reduce the risk of unpleasant symptoms and pathologies that plague many expectant mothers. The most common ones include gastroesophageal reflux, dyspepsia, constipation, edema, etc. Take care of yourself properly during this time for your baby’s healthy birth.
Key Nutrition Points To Consider
For those who are among the adherents of a healthy lifestyle and have always adhered to proper nutrition, these differences will be almost invisible. This is because they are already fully consistent with the concept of a healthy lifestyle.
Follow Doctor’s Advice
Diet during pregnancy should be in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician, family doctor, dietitian, and observing the mother. They have an arsenal of scientific knowledge and practical skills.
Besides, they know the family history and assess the objective state of health of a pregnant woman and an unborn child. Due to these factors, they will be able to adjust the choice of food during and after pregnancy.
Follow Eating and Drinking Regimen
It is necessary to eat and drink clean drinking water regularly and prevent long periods of hunger and thirst. You should be more responsible in compiling your own diet, avoiding the use of non-recommended foods.
First of all, it is necessary to exclude or limit those foods that have undergone deep industrial processing as much as possible. These include foods such as spreads, mayonnaise, other ready-made sauces, sweetened bottled drinks, chips, snacks, etc.
Avoid Experimenting By Eating New Dishes
For the prevention of allergies and food intolerances, avoid eating new or previously untested foods for this period. The first acquaintance with dishes at a party and gastronomic experiments based on culinary posts on the Internet are also best left for later.
Also, instead of imported or exotic fruits and vegetables, choose local gifts of nature. It is desirable in accordance with the season, or use berries and other fruits and vegetables of the season. Just keep in mind that this is not the right time to experiment by trying new foods.
These are some dietary considerations during pregnancy. We are hopeful that following these recommendations would help you stay healthy during and even after pregnancy.
