Five Nutrients to Get During Pregnancy
How to Increase Your Intake of 5 Nutrients When You're Pregnant
While a healthy diet is crucial at all times for general health, it is even more important during pregnancy. Making sure you get enough folic acid, iron, calcium, fiber and water can help you feel great and stay healthy during your pregnancy.
Folic Acid (Folate) Before You're Pregnant
Folic Acid is important for helping to prevent neural tube defects, birth defects that can affect the spine and brain, such as spina bifida. If you're considering becoming pregnant, take folic acid for as long as possible before you conceive (at least six months is ideal) and throughout your pregnancy.
Since the neural tube develops very early in pregnancy, many women don't know they are pregnant until it is too late to prevent these defects. Taking folic acid consistently as well as consuming foods high in folate, such as leafy greens, beans, fortified breads and cereals, orange juice and avocado, can ensure the health of your baby and greatly reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
Iron and Your Baby
Iron helps the body in the formation of hemoglobin, which increases during pregnancy and carries oxygen to the tissues and organs of the growing baby. Pregnant women also have a higher blood volume, which increases their iron needs. Women should increase their iron intake during the last trimester because this is when the baby needs the most iron.
Choose a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement with iron, and eat foods that are high in iron, such as meat, seafood, lentils, molasses and leafy greens. Eating a source of vitamin C along with iron-rich foods can help increase their absorption: for example, eat beef with tomato sauce, or toss red peppers into your spinach salad.
Calcium Strengthens Both Your Bones
Calcium helps to ensure that the mother's bone mass is maintained while the baby's skeleton develops normally. If a pregnant woman doesn't consume enough calcium during pregnancy, the growing baby will leach it from her bones. Calcium also aids in development of the heart nerves and muscles.
Top sources of calcium are, obviously dairy products, including milk, yogurt and cheese. Also add sardines, salmon, leafy greens and almonds to your diet to boost your intake.
Fiber-Rich Diet is Good for Both of You
Increasing your fiber intake during pregnancy will help you and your baby. A major complaint during pregnancy is constipation, and eating more fiber is the top way to battle this. Choose whole grains, oatmeal, beans and whole fruits and vegetables, not juices, on a daily basis. Incidentally, this is a general diet that is good for your baby, too.
But remember that increasing your fiber intake quickly can cause constipation instead of preventing. Do it gradually, drink plenty of water and walk every day and your body will soon be working as it should.
Water Reduces Water Retention
Many women complain of retaining water during pregnancy, and, believe it or not, the top way to combat this is by drinking more water. It also helps your body flush out toxins, replace amniotic fluid and , obviously and most importantly, stay hydrated.
Aim for six to eight glasses per day. If getting up during the night is a problem, consume most of your water before dinner time.
By increasing your intake of these five nutrients during pregnancy, you can be well on your way to feeling great for these nine months, and giving birth to a healthy baby.
Nutrition Is More Important During Pregnancy
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