Pregnancy and nutrition: Food habits during pregnancy

BOLOGNA, Italy - April 21, 2015 - PRLog -- A healthy diet during the nine months of pregnancy is the first gift that a mother can do to her baby as it will later affect its physical constitution and health.

Food cannot only affect a baby's health, but also the following aspects:

·        the well-being of the pregnant woman;
·        her emotional balance;
·        the quality of her sleep;
·        postpartum recovery.

The false belief that a woman during pregnancy should "eat for two" is still very widespread.

In fact, energy requirements during pregnancy, increases in the first months by only 200 calories a day, which roughly corresponds to an extra snack, for example an apple and a yoghurt.

Only during the last months, to tackle the baby growth spurts, a pregnant woman should increase her caloric intake by about 500 calories a day.
Therefore, "binge eating" has no justification, so it is advisable to check the calorie intake and reduce the weight gain to 10-12 kilograms.
A balanced diet, which is important at any time of life, becomes essential in this sensitive period.

6 rules to eat properly during pregnancy

To prevent putting on too much weight, just follow some simple rules, maybe 5-6 times a week, and allow yourself some leeway in the weekend:

·        First, divide your calories intake into several meals a day (2 main meals and at least two snacks), so as not to overload the digestive system and control your "hunger pangs";
·        Your diet should be very rich in fresh foods, fruits and vegetables in season, to cope with the increased need for vitamins and minerals necessary for proper foetal development;
·        You should eliminate raw meat and fish;
·        Limit coffee as much as possible, convenience or canned foods, fried foods and refined sugars in general, such as snacks or biscuits;
·        Remember to drink plenty of water, at least 2 litres a day, both to prevent and combat water retention problems and bowel irregularities, and to cope with the increased demands of liquids due to foetal development;
·        To curb nausea, afflicting many women in this period, some foods, like toasts or rice crackers, may also be useful.
Two other good anti-emetics are ginger and umeboshi plums, foods widespread in macrobiotic cooking.

Both during pregnancy, and in the subsequent breast-feeding period, it is crucial to take a sufficiently high amount of vitamins and nutrients, since the foetus, for its proper development, draws on the resources and reserves of its mother's body.
Obviously, it is good to keep in mind that an increased need for nutrients does not automatically mean more food, but "healthier food choices".

Vitamins and nutrients essential in pregnancy: a help from supplements

Should food not be sufficient to ensure the intake of all necessary nutrients, to avoid deficiency states it may be useful to supplement the diet with specific products containing, for example, folic acid, a vitamin essential to maternal tissue growth.

Folic acid may also contribute to the maintenance of red blood cells and the reduction of fatigue, especially when taken in combination with iron and vitamins B2, B6 and B12.

It should also be noted that, especially in the last months of pregnancy, the need for iron necessary for the maternal organism increases.
So, to prevent deficiencies, resulting in anaemia, do not forget to take, with food, or with special supplements if the former is not enough, appropriate doses of this precious element (sea-weeds are rich in it and, in general, good iron sources are legumes, liver, nuts and all types of red meat).
Another essential vitamin, which you may need to add, is vitamin C (found in kiwi, strawberries, Savoy cabbages, peppers and, in general, all citrus fruits). This substance is not only involved in different metabolic and immune processes, but also contributes to the absorption of iron and selenium, and, so to speak, to the activation of folic acid.