Thursday, February 17, 2011

What to Eat When Pregnant: Foods for Good Health

Proper nutrition is important for expecting mothers. When you follow a nutritious diet, it increases your likelihood of having a strong, healthy baby. If conflicting advice has got you confused about what to eat when pregnant, follow these simple tips and you can't go wrong.

Eat Foods in Their Natural State
If you value your health, stay away from processed foods. When foods are processed, they are filled with sugar, salt, and chemical additives that are designed to improve the shelf life and enhance taste. The sugar in processed foods can contribute to weight gain and diabetes. Sugar also feeds cancer, increases cholesterol, weakens eyesight and interferes with the absorption of protein. The high salt content in processed foods can cause hypertension and strokes.
Even though the chemicals used in processed goods are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, they are toxic for the human body. You share everything you eat with your unborn baby, so when you consume foods that contain toxic chemicals, you put your baby's health at risk.
Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are full of the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain your health while you are pregnant. For instance, leafy green vegetables contain calcium and iron; citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C and folic acid; and cauliflower contains potassium. All of these nutrients, along with others, work in unison to help your unborn baby thrive in utero.
Fruits and vegetables also provide plenty of carbohydrates and fiber for the body. To get enough fruits and veggies in your diet each day, nibble on them regularly. Also, add at least one veggie to every meal.
Eat Meats and Poultry That Don't Contain Chemicals
Poultry and meats provide you with the protein and iron that you need to help your baby grow properly in the womb. Protein is considered the building block of the body because the amino acids found in this nutrient helps build your unborn baby's muscles, internal organs, fingers and toes.
Iron is vital for the formation of red blood cells that carry oxygen through the system. If you don't get enough iron in your body during pregnancy, your baby will take what he needs from your reserves and leave you fatigued and pale.
It's no secret that poultry and meats are littered with growth hormones and antibiotics. The growth hormones are used to make livestock grow bigger, faster. The antibiotics are used to manage diseases that result from the animals' inhumane living conditions.
When you eat industrially raised meat and poultry, these chemicals can cross the placenta and pollute your unborn baby's body.
In addition to chemicals, the feed that industrial farmers give to their livestock contain the leftover parts of slaughtered animals. Cows are vegetarian by nature, so feeding them anything that contains animal byproducts is unnatural and inhumane.
Buying all of your meat and poultry organic will take the worry out of ingesting toxic chemicals. Organic farmers are not allowed to use hormones in their livestock. The use of antibiotics is only allowed when disease is present.
In addition to eating healthy, drink plenty of water while you are pregnant. Water keeps you from getting dehydrated and helps you maintain enough amniotic fluid for your fetus to float in. If your amniotic fluid gets too low, it can cause your baby to rest on your uterus and increase his risk of leg and arm deformities.

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