Pregnancy is a time when you will face all sorts of dietary and nutritional challenges. And what you eat has never been more important. 300 extra calories are required to compensate for the nutritional needs of pregnancy, and this should get you a weight gain of 25 to 35 extra pounds on the average. Weight varies from woman to woman, and the physiognomy, the overall body peculiarities and genetic predisposition are relevant factors. Moreover, the impact of the hormones on the body weight is great.
The baby takes all the necessary nutrients from the mother's diet, and everything that you eat will affect the baby's health for ever. This is why so many doctors emphasize the fact that no alcohol consumption is acceptable or safe during the nine months of pregnancy. As for the main issues related to your diet during pregnancy, it is not enough to provide calories to your baby, but nutrients, enough calcium, vitamins and minerals to allow for the growth of the little being in the womb.
Besides vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, protein, water and fat play an essential nutritional role. The diet during pregnancy can be established by servings, quality, food category and recommended daily allowance or RDA. American women can now eat better and within the right proportions thanks to the dietary guidelines published by the US government. Therefore read product labels very carefully before you consume anything. This is the first thing that a mother can do to protect her baby.
PROTEIN should be taken from lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. It regulates cellular growth and blood production.
CARBOHYDRATES represent the daily energy dose and they are taken from fruits and vegetables, potatoes, pasta, bread and cereals .
Healthy valuable FAT is responsible for energy stores and some of the organ functions. Cold-pressed oils, seeds, dairy products, almonds, nuts and hazelnuts are the best sources of valuable fat.
MINERALS and VITAMINS (iron and calcium in particular) come from fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy greens as well as from meat.
An increasing emphasis is put on diet during pregnancy because of the effort to control fetal development and thus prevent the health problems that may appear later on. Folic acid for instance is essential, and many doctors recommend a supplementation in order to insure a good baby growth. Many women choose to take folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy.
Clarify all the aspects of diet during pregnancy by talking to your doctor. Don't leave anything out.
Author Resource:
Regine Hehn is a fat loss enthusiast. She wrote a great Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle Review and owns and maintains http://thefatlossreview.com/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle-review.html .
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