use these principles as an overall nutrition guide:
•Eat more plant foods: That’s fruit, vegetables, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains, with these forming the bulk of your diet. Of course, the less refined the better and preservative-, colourant- and GMO-free. If you can use organic or home-grown produce, that’s a bonus.
•Eat fewer animal foods: Not only are these linked to increased disease patterns, animals are often reared using antibiotics and synthetic hormones that you will ingest. Slaughtering procedures cause a rush of adrenaline and cortisol in the animal and these hormones are retained in the flesh and may influence your pregnancy and birth hormones adversely. Dairy products are also animal foods and it is a myth that you need cow’s milk for healthy skeletal development of your unborn baby and your dental health. If you do eat animal produce, choose medication-free, free-range and organic options.
•Include foods in all the vibrant colours nature provides: This is what most people would do if they were attuned to their instincts and, interestingly, this is nature’s way of ensuring you get all the different nutrients you need – so eat with your eyes!
•Keep meals simple: Balance is not essential in each and every meal but can be achieved over the course of a day or even a week. Don’t use too many ingredients at the same time and you’ll find that your digestion will work more efficiently.
•Don’t eat for two: Simply follow your appetite when it comes to quantity, as long as it is for healthy foods. Many expectant women prefer smaller meals more frequently, to sustain them throughout the day while keeping them feeling comfortable.
•Reduce or preferably avoid food additives: Basically this means that you should eat as little processed, refined food as possible. Remember that fruit is Mother Nature’s fast food – perfect for snacking.
•An occasional lapse won’t harm you or Baby: Eat healthily most of the time and your body will accommodate the occasional treat. Be honest with yourself though, and aim to eat good food at least 80% of the time.
•Don’t drink large amounts with meals: This hampers digestion because the enzyme-containing digestive juices become diluted. In effect, your food will not be utilised optimally and you will be more likely to suffer from indigestion.
•Avoid fasting: Fasting is not advisable at any stage of pregnancy, either for Baby or Mom. As a result, religions that practice fasting mostly make provision for partial abstinence. Unstable blood sugar levels, dizziness, low blood pressure and dehydration risk are all reasons why one should not fast.
Superfoods for two
Include these seven foods in your diet regularly throughout pregnancy, while enjoying an abundance of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetable varieties, and you and your baby will be in tip top health.
1.Dates: for Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), energy and stable blood sugar
2.Avocados: for many necessary nutrients, EFAs and efficient digestion
3.Coconut: for immune system strength and circulation system protection
4.Grapefruit: for regulating and controlling cravings
5.Beans of all kinds: for protein, iron, fibre, folic acid and calcium
6.Green veggies: for folic acid and calcium
7.A little good quality honey: for its antibacterial properties
Caution: Baby-growing in progress!
Some foods are associated with increased allergy risk, toxic bacteria or excessive discomfort in an expectant mom, so you’d do well to avoid or reduce these six:
1.Allergy-risk foods like dairy products, refined grain products (bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits), shellfish, eggs and peanuts
2.Exotic mushrooms, onions and garlic
3.Tree and ground nuts – though preservatives or rancid produce is the real problem
4.Animal food pâtés
5.Blue-veined and aged soft cheeses
6.Dried meat products like biltong
HEALTHY HYDRATION FOR TWO
Water plays a vital role in the body. It transports nutrients and oxygen around the body and carries waste out of the body. It regulates body temperature, cushions and lubricates the joints, and keeps mucous membranes moist. Without enough water, you’ll get dehydrated very quickly, causing a range of problems like constipation, confusion, reduced energy levels, poor protein uptake and muscle deterioration.
Your developing baby’s first home is in a “bag of waters”. Although hydration isn’t the only thing that can affect the amount of amniotic fluid, severe dehydration can reduce the volume and keep your baby from developing well.
To keep well-hydrated throughout pregnancy, you need to heed your thirst signals or drink 1,5–2 litres of good quality water or other healthy beverages a day. It’s easy to do this – drink five glasses of water and three cups of other healthy beverages, like rooibos or green tea.
Remember not to drink large volumes with a meal as this dilutes the gastric juices, making digestion less effective. Take note of these special pointers:
•The body’s natural excretory cycle is in the early morning. Drink a mug of hot water in the morning if your bowels feel sluggish, and eat breakfast foods with a high water content, such as most fruits, to help stimulate kidney and bowel function.
•Add a little agave syrup or granules to your healthy tea if you are anxious or highly-strung, as sweet flavours can alleviate anxiety and give you extra energy.
•According to Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, bitter flavours help improve memory, so if you’re struggling with “pregnesia”, drink a cup of plain rooibos tea twice a day.
•If you’re not sure about the safety of your water supply, use a home filter system or boil water before use.
•A bottle filled with water, iced rooibos tea or another healthy beverage will keep you well hydrated and comfortably cool if you sip on it during your work day.
Water is the only liquid that’s essential for humans. Of course, some herbal teas (made with water) will contribute to your enjoyment and healthy hydration levels. It’s important to know which beverages must be reduced or avoided:
✗Avoid all alcohol as there is no proven safe level.
✗Try to drink no more than one cup of coffee a day, and ensure that it is good quality coffee – very few instant coffees are good.
✗Limit herbal teas to no more than three fairly weak cups a day, as these may accumulate in your system and some are associated with discomfort or risk in pregnancy.
✗Gas cooldrinks often contain caffeine and have an unacceptably high sugar content. Artificial sweeteners in diet drinks are often harmful for you and Baby too.
✗Commercial fruit juices are often not pure fruit and may be full of unhealthy preservatives. They also contain large amounts of sugar.
✗Freshly squeezed fruit juice in moderation is healthy, but when juiced, the fruit sugars are released very quickly and may cause a sudden spike of sugar in your system. Fructose release is much slower when eating the whole fruit.
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS IN PREGNANCY
For those who like to engage their brains more than their instincts when it comes to nutrition, the following section will be a useful guide. It is important to know that many of the most essential nutrients for pregnancy can be found in rich abundance in plant foods, though in pregnancy a good quality supplement is generally advised. These six important nutrients are abundant in plant foods:
✓Iron can be found in green vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, raisins and avocados.
✓Folic