Posts Tagged ‘diet during pregnancy’

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Foods rich in folic acid and good during pregnancy

Friday, May 10th, 2013

During pregnancy, it’s very important to have a good diet which includes all the nutrients in good quantity. A good diet not just ensures proper growth of the baby but also gives strength to the mother. Here are some of the foods, which are rich in folic acid and are a must to have during pregnancy:

• Lentils are one of the best folate-containing foods that can be included in the diet during pregnancy. They are easily available in every store and contain many other nutrients like iron, fiber, etc. Even the cooking process takes very less time and they can be prepared in various different ways, according to the taste.

• Asparagus should also be included in the daily diet for fulfilling the requirements of folic acid in the body. Different recipes can be used for making delicious dishes; its 1-cup serving contains 79 mcg of folate which is good during pregnancy.

• Leafy green vegetables contain folic acid in a very good amount; even the concentrations of vitamins are very high. In leafy vegetables, broccoli tops the list after spinach, as its 1-cup serving contains 104 mcg. Even mustard greens, kale, collard are also liked for their taste and nutrient values like calcium, vitamin C and iron.

• Sunflower seeds contain 82 mcg of folic acid; one can take handful of them in the daily diet. They are best for munching during the snack time; they can even be taken in other forms like baked breads with them as toppings or the salads or soup which have them for crunchiness. They are also a good source of calcium and iron.

• Tomato juice is a must to have during pregnancy; it helps in fulfilling the folic acid requirements in the body. It is best to take iron pills with a glass of juice as it helps the body in absorbing the iron. It’s also very rich in Vitamin C, sodium as well as potassium.

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Be more careful in your 5th month of pregnancy

Friday, December 7th, 2012

The second trimester starts in your 5th month of pregnancy. Every month is marked by number of physical changes, which leads to certain side effects. You can avoid these changes with potential diet and exercise. Diet tips are quite important if you want to avoid the complications of physical changes. These physical changes could be your anxiety and depression which could only be removed with healthy diet.

Recommendations of the health authorities

According to Pregnancy Association, the pregnant women are supposed to gain 1-2 pounds of weight. The weight keeps on increasing till the 3rd trimester starts. They must consume 347 additional calories than before. These calories are supposed to come through nutritious and healthy sources like proteins, whole grains and some simple carbohydrates needed to be avoided like fatty carbohydrates and sugars.

Diet recommendations

Consume sugarcane’s and mango juices in bulk besides plenty of dietary fiber. It will help you to easily carry the baby and will strengthen your body’s condition.

Avoid uncooked sea foods and meats as well.

Consume more cereals like pulses and legumes since these are rich in proteins. It helps in growth of your baby and also you can provide supplements to your baby by eating nuts.

Avoid canned juices and drinks. Also, never go for smoking and alcohol since it will cause complications in pregnancy.

A woman must consume 250 grams of whole grains and 190 grams of proteins with 8 teaspoons of healthy oils. The second trimester is quite a crucial stage and she needs to have at least five cups of fruits and vegetables in this period.

The pregnancy period of 5th month includes knowing the right amount of food consumed besides nutrients and therefore trying to find the nutritious content of food you consume. Moreover, it is necessary to know the calorie intake and work outs your need to consume daily.  Surely, you need to know a little more of healthful group in this stage of your baby’s growth. It is better to consult a dietitian that will guide and plan your ideal pregnancy diet.

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Enjoy the second month of pregnancy

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

There is a lot to look forward towards second month of pregnancy. You need to know about your body changes and fetus growth week by week. The fifth week or the 2nd month is very crucial phase of growth. There are many certain features and symptoms which alerts a mother to be healthy for the growth and development of the baby.

Month two of pregnancy:

In the 2nd month of pregnancy, the features of baby continue to develop. The tiny buds start growing into arms and legs start forming. At the side of head each ear starts begins as a little fold of skin. In the second month of pregnancy, the ears, eyes and fingers start forming.

The heart of baby start forming and by the end of the month, the fetus growth becomes faster. The prime organs start developing in this phase along with the limb buds.

The neural tube is well formed i.e. spinal cord, brain along with digestive tract and sensory organs that begins to develop. The embryo starts moving and bones starts to replace cartilage.

Symptoms of 2nd month of pregnancy:

Although, the bump of mom does not become visible too much, still she may feel nausea at time and morning sickness as well. There may be mood swings yet along with breast tenderness and areola darkening. She may feel more tired and can also prone to frequent urination.

For more confirmation and safe side, visit your gynecologist to assure the symptoms. Make sure your family members and your husband take better care of your family for healthy pregnancy and better growth of your baby. As the fifth week or the 2nd month finishes, the baby starts looking more like a tadpole. It increases about 2.54cm (1 inch) long in its size with weight around 9.45g along with the weight gain of the mother.

Nutrition in 2nd month:

The mother is supposed to balanced nutrition for the proper fetal development. If she has bad habits like smoking, drinking then they must be left away. Moreover, the prenatal phase requires folic acid and multivitamins. Since your baby’s most critical development has taken place. You need to take more care till your chances of miscarriage drops, which considerably becomes less after three months into the pregnancy.

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Food cravings and nausea during pregnancy

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

The rapidly growing baby inside the mother derives direct nutrition from the mother. Body under goes many hormonal changes during this period; these changes have direct effect on a pregnant woman’s appetite and food preferences. During the first trimester, you may even lose interest in eating due to hormonal changes. The actual reasons for this feeling have not been ascertained. Women who vomit heavily may become dehydrated and lose minerals and essential minerals along with each throw up. The condition where the pregnant woman is unable to keep liquids down is known as hyperemesis gravidarum in medical terms and needs immediate medical help. After the first trimester the condition may improve for some or might continue for up to fifth month.


Most women experience craving for a particular kind of food during this period at one stage or another. Indulging yourself in food is one of the privileges of pregnancy. However, you should take care about eating right and healthy during this period. Every other person you come across during pregnancy may advice to eat for two whereas though you have to actually provide for two (Yourself and your baby) you do not have to double the quantity of what you eat. The trick is to maintain a balance between taste and nutrition.  Even tasty food can be nutritious. You can download the recipes from internet or ask your friends and relatives to share some. Normally a woman gains 10 kg to 13 kg during pregnancy, which includes 3kg to 4 kg of the baby’s weight and rest is the weight of the tissues developed to support the baby (breast tissue, placenta, fat stores, and amniotic fluid).


Make an effort towards eating fresh fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. You can even spread out the meal intake across the day, taking small meals at short intervals. You need 1,000 milligrams of calcium to meet the growing needs of your baby and body to develop healthy teeth and bones. In addition, calcium helps circulatory system, muscular system, and nervous system to run normally. Rich source of calcium are dairy products, figs, whole pulses and beans such as Rajma. Along with Calcium, Vitamin D also helps in constituting baby’s teeth and bones. 600 IU a day of Vitamin D is the recommended dosage for a pregnant woman. This vitamin can be obtained from fish, milk, fortified juices and Asparagus.  Foods rich in fibre help relieve constipation, a common problem during pregnancy. Foods with high fibre include wholegrain in bread or rotis, oats and dry fruits.


Insufficient nutrition in pregnant women carries long-term implications even after the baby is born. A malnourished foetus diverts all available nutrients to fulfill the needs of the cell which are require it immediately thus leaving the cells which are of importance later in life.

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Know about the Food cravings during pregnancy

Friday, August 10th, 2012

It is very common to go through food cravings while pregnancy. The food mostly desired by pregnant ladies includes salty and spicy foods and in sweets chocolates and ice creams are most preferred. When the survey was done, according to that around 40% ladies desires sweets, 30% ladies desires snacks and  20% spicy foods and rest 10% demands citrus fruits.

Let us have a look what does these cravings signifies

Cravings for chocolates and sweets signify to the deficiency of Vitamin B. If a pregnant lady desires red meat then it is due to the deficiency of proteins whereas other ladies who crave more for proteins were supposed to fewer intakes of fatty acids. Therefore, to reduce food cravings flax oil is advised to reduce the intake of desired food. On the other hand, some nutritionist says that there is no connection between food cravings and pregnancy diet. Not any study shows the relation between body nutritional diet and food cravings.

How to control the cravings

Healthier and nutritious breakfast on regular basis can reduce food cravings.

Evening and morning walk maintains overall health and keep unnecessary cravings at a bay.

Proper diet during pregnancy may reduce the food cravings. A well balanced diet which includes green leafy vegetables, proteins, vitamins, minerals and whole grains are very much necessary to avoid cravings as well as proper growth and development of the baby.

Try to control your emotions as pregnant ladies have different mood swings, due to which they may feel irritated at times. Therefore, make them easy by eating something healthy or give them emotional support to decrease intensity.

Sometimes the pregnant ladies are occasionally indulged in their favorite foods. Although, before taking it make sure to reduce the portion size of that particular food or beverage whatever she demands except hard drinks and sodas.

You can choose healthy alternatives if food cravings are not reduced after such efforts. Like if you want to eat some juicy and spicy, opt for citrus fruits and fresh mixed fruit juice rather than canned one. Eat frozen yogurt if you desire to eat an ice cream.

Well these cravings are very common and the mood swings of the pregnant ladies may also lead to risks like in the first trimester she feels very sick and suffers from morning sickness and frequent urination which may irritate the pregnant lady. Moreover, food cravings may be quite opposite to that of a pregnancy diet. Therefore, they are advised to go for meditation to take control of such inconveniences.

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