People often get confused between a healthy diet and a low fat diet. They are not the same!. When we talk about a healthy diet it basically means everything in moderation. Fats and sugars should be kept to a minimum while pregnant as this can not only be bad for your health but can also cause diabetes in your unborn baby or even gestational diabetes in yourself. Although gestational diabetes will only last the length of your pregnancy, it can still cause problems for you such as larger babies, increase the risk of deformaties and also a greater risk of premature labour. Because of this, pregnant women are advised to keep sugars and fatty foods to a minimum.
One thing that is very important in your pregnancy diet is to raise your calcium levels. When babies are forming in the uterus, they have no qualms in zapping all the calcium they can find, including from their own mothers bones! Make sure that you drink enough milk and eat enough cheese (hard cheese only!) to keep both you and your baby strong. Another good idea would be to increase the amount of green vegetables you are eating. These are great foods to eat when pregnant because they are full of folic acid and iron which will again help you and your baby stay strong.
Deciding which foods to eat when pregnant should be determined on their nutrient value. If something is high in vitamin C, eat it! If something is high in calcium, eat it! If something is full of saturated fats and is of no nutritional goodness, put it down! The only vitamin you need to be careful of is vitamin A (found in pate and liver) as too much can be harmful to a developing baby. Also try to steer clear of too much oily fish. One or two portions a week should suffice.
Begin now to learn all about the best foods to eat when pregnant and you will be giving your baby a fantastic head start in life. After all, isn't this what you really want?
