I’m Afraid of Not Losing the Baby Weight: What is the Best Food for Pregnant Women to Gain the Right Amount?

It is a common worry, wondering what to eat while pregnant so that you don’t gain too much weight during pregnancy. But gaining too much doesn’t just make it harder for you to shed the excess once your baby is born. Eating the wrong food for pregnant women can also result in gestational diabetes, difficult labors, and of course unwanted weight gain.

Gain Weight Girl! Your Pregnancy Diet Includes Eating More

So how do you keep yourself on track? The good news is that pregnant women must and should gain weight! This is the first time in your life that you should be happy to see the numbers on the scale steadily rising. So don’t ever approach your pregnancy diet as a “diet,” but instead as a well calculated eating process that enables you and your baby to grow together.

Set Your Sights High: What to Eat When Pregnant for that 20-35lb Gaining Goal

If you are of normal weight when you become pregnant, then it is recommended that you gain anywhere from 20-30 pounds over the course of your pregnancy. This weight shouldn’t be put on through processed junk food or sugary treats- so even though you shouldn’t be dieting in the ordinary sense of the word, you should be choosing to eat foods that will help and not harm your growing baby.

1.    Be very aware of how much sugar you take in everyday. Especially the hidden sugars found in fruit juices and condiments like ketchup and jam. Sometimes, even though you may not be eating candy or cookies, you will be taking in too much sugar throughout the day.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

2.    Don’t rely on heavily processed carbohydrates for your pregnancy diet’s “bread and butter”. Protein is one of the most important food sources that you can give your growing baby, so don’t fall into the trap of eating too many “wheat” products that are also packed with sugar and offer no fiber.

3.    Give in to your snack attacks! It is perfectly fine to snack throughout the day to keep your hunger steady and to regulate spikes in your blood sugar, but make sure those snacks are wholesome fruits, or veggies with hummus. Skip on the pretzels or chips, and instead nosh on something that will fill you up and keep you satisfied until your next meal.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Why Omega 3’s Are Essential for a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

When you become pregnant, you will hear that your body needs all kinds of nutritional help- a diet rich in omega 3’s tops that list. This could be because most prenatal vitamins don’t have Omega 3’s in them. Nonetheless, they are incredibly important to the development of your baby and should be included daily in your diet.

Omega 3’s are fatty acids that are sometimes called simply, essential fatty acids. The reason that Omega 3’s are considered “essential” is that it is impoassible for your body to produce it on its own, and you can only derive it from other food sources or supplementation.

This is why it is very important that you make sure to include it in your diet, you won’t be able to get it to your growing baby otherwise.

What do Omega 3’s do for a Healthy Pregnancy Diet?

Certain studies have shown that infants who are exposed to higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid, (DHA) an omega-3 fatty acid, were found to have advanced attention spans for their age, well into their second year of life.

Also, during the first six months of living, these babies were two months ahead, developmentally, than babies who had lower or non-existent levels of DHa in their blood.

Giving your baby a leg up in the brain department is important for any of us. If you can give your baby this brain-making fatty acid in the womb to boost their ease into personal growth, it makes perfect sense to do so.

But your baby being advanced beyond his years isn’t the only benefit for including omega-3’s in your pregnancy diet. I Want A Great Pregnant Click

How do Omega-3’s help my Baby and Myself During my Pregnancy Diet?

Having a diet rich in essential fatty acids can also help your fetus’s brain build exponentially better and more efficiently. It also helps form the retinas successfully, giving your child the best chance possible at having great eyesight.

They also aid in developing the nervous system. From the brain, to the eyes, to the nervous system, omega-3’s pretty much run the gamut when it comes to benefits for your baby.

For you, getting enough omega-3’scan help reduce your risk for post partum depression, minimize your chance or a pre-term baby, and even reduce your chance of developing preeclampsia. So invest in some flaxseed oil or organic eggs, your baby will thank you! I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy: Second Trimester Suggestions

Your second trimester is a special time for you and your baby, with development fully underway your cravings will have kicked in- which makes now the perfect time to decide which foods to avoid during pregnancy and which ones to gobble up!

Perhaps one of the most exciting factors about your second trimester is that the sex of your baby has been determined, and while there are many miscues surrounding food cravings and gender prediction (starchy must-haves? It’s a boy! – Sugary, sweet treats? It’s a girl!), there will be cravings that you will need to address and manage.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

For your child’s growing fingers and toes, as well as his or her eyelids, eyelashes, nails and hair you need to be making sure that you aren’t eating empty calories that won’t aid in their proper development. Sugar is probably the biggest food to avoid during this time and protein is the most important nutrient to incorporate.

Pregnancy Nutrition is Protein Packed and Sugarless!

This is by far one of the hardest food cravings to manage. So how do you go sugarless and pack in the protein? Well, first you must be intentional about your diet and go about making it structured enough to provide proficient protein, but still flexible enough to make way for certain cravings.

Amino acids are paramount to your child’s hair, teeth, nails and bone development during this time. Hopefully your first trimester nausea has abated and you can once again face chicken, beef and eggs.

How do you Successfully Create a Sugar Free Pregnancy Diet Plan to Aid your Baby’s General Development? I Want A Great Pregnant Click

When it comes to going sugarless, all it takes is for you to make a few small changes. If you had a diet that was heavy in sweets before you found out you were pregnant, making the transition may sound difficult at first.

But it is only a matter of time until your taste buds and cravings fall into line with your eating habits. You can train your body to crave healthier foods by feeding cravings with a non-sugary treat.

Feeling like you need a sugar fix? Reach for an organic apple with raw cashew or almond butter. Tempted by the Carmello in the check out line? Bake an apple in the oven and drizzle it with raw honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Going sugar free will never have tasted so good! I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Mercury Missteps: Fishy Foods to Eat While Pregnant

There is and always will be buzz surrounding high-mercury fish and foods to eat while pregnant. While your body can greatly benefit from the healthy fats found in certain fish, you can also seriously harm your growing baby by exposing it to high levels of mercury in the womb. The best thing to do, if you have a hankering for some seafood, is to do your homework. I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Friendly Fish: The Best Fish to Include in Your Pregnancy Diet Plan

This list is the one that you can rejoice in! For those that have always been lovers of seafood, print this out and tuck it in your purse. While there are a ton of diet no-no’s when you are pregnant- especially when it comes to mercury- this list will help in giving you a little more freedom when you go out for date night at your favorite surf and turf restaurant.

Enjoy two 6-oz servings per week:

Butterfish        Scallops
Calamari        Flounder
Caviar (farmed)    Haddock
Crab (king)         Herring
Pollock        Sole
Catfish            Crawfish
Whitefish        Salmon
Shrimp            Clams

Fish to Forget: AVOID eating altogether (but this list is much smaller, so that’s a plus!)

Grouper
Marlin
Orange roughy
Tilefish
Swordfish
Shark
Mackerel

Fish to Catch or Release: Eat no more than two 6 oz servings a month

Mahi Mahi        Cod
Crab (Dungeness)    Tuna (canned)
Snappe    r        Perch
Snow crab        Skate
Monkfish        Crab (blue) I Want A Great Pregnant Click

What are some Unique Ways to Get Fish into My Pregnancy Diet?

Fish is a funny thing, either you love it or you hate it. There isn’t many people who kind of like fish, and that’s because there is a distinct taste found that many either embrace or push away.

But if you really would like to incorporate the healthy benefits of the fatty acid found in fish and get the best they have to offer in protein, then why not try and incorporate these interesting ways to eat fish:

Open-face mahi-mahi tacos – Fresh avocado and organic pico de gallo and mahi mahi over a bed of sautéed cabbage make this option a fun and protein packed way to incorporate fish.

Baked Tilapia and Coconut Plantains with Brown Rice – After baking your tilapia to your liking, try frying some organic plantains in coconut oil and placing over long-grain brown rice. This is a wonderful combination of protein and carbohydrate and is a unique Jamaican style entrée. I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Iron Isn’t Just for Popeye: How to Fix Fatigue with Proper Pregnancy Nutrition

It’s an all too familiar feeling, you sluggishly pull yourself out of bed for yet another trip to the bathroom, wondering why proper pregnancy nutrition insists that you drink have your body weight in water a day. Then you try and get through your day without falling asleep at your desk or at the wheel. I Want A Great Pregnant Click

You longingly stare at coffee shops as you pass them by, while another yawn escapes from your body. It’s not easy making a baby. And its no wonder why! Creating life can take a lot of the life out of you, but the reward is so worth it! I Want A Great Pregnant Click

How Can I Trade in Sleepiness for Restfulness? A Pregnancy Diet Plan for an Awake Experience

First, make sure you are taking an iron supplement. Some women will rely on their prenatal vitamin alone to meet their iron needs. But if you have ever been anemic, or find that your fatigue isn’t getting better as you progress through your trimesters, you may not be getting enough.

As a rule of thumb it is better to get your additional iron from food as opposed to supplements. Here are a few food ideas to increase your iron naturally. Some of these may surprise you.

Oatmeal

Not only is oatmeal a wonderful source of fiber and complex carbohydrates, but steel cuts oats also have plenty of iron! Top your favorite bowl of oatmeal with some walnuts for healthy fat an d drizzle with raw honey and you will begin to feel your energy soar.

Free range dark meat poultry..I Want A Great Pregnant Click

If you were a dieter before you became pregnant you may have been one of those that always shied away from dark meat because of all the magazine articles you read about their higher fat content.

But the good news is that now is the perfect time to pile up your plate with those coveted chicken thighs. Rich in iron and super tasty, dark meat is an excellent way to get enough iron to battle fatigue in the evening time.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Spinach and Olive Oil: Two of Popeye’s Favorite Things Should Top Your Pregnancy Foods List

All dark, leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of iron. Eat them raw and drizzled with some healthy fat-packed Olive Oil. Or, sauté them in some olive oil and sprinkle sea salt over them. Delicious!

A Better Deal with Small Meals: How to Create the Perfect Pregnancy Diet Plan

Depending on how many diets you have tried over the years, you may be familiar with the smaller meals equals smaller waist equation, but during pregnancy the word “diet” in the traditional sense should be banished from your pregnancy diet plan. This diet plan’s only job is to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need and the right amount of calories for healthy and gradual weight gain.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Remember, weight gain is the goal- however, how you are gaining that weight and which foods are assisting you in that feat will be the difference maker in a healthy body before, during, and after your little tot arrives.

How Do Smaller Meals Regularly Help With Proper Pregnancy Nutrition?

First, if you are finding that you’re beginning to bloat rather excessively after every meal, the discomfort you may be feeling may not be entirely pregnancy related it might be portion related.

Granted, you will bloat more in general during pregnancy than you did during your monthly periods. But if you want to keep yourself as comfortable at meal time as possible consider scaling back the size of your meals.

Reasons that small is best:

1.    You won’t become over tired. Yes, you are going to more fatigued during your pregnancy. This won’t be unavoidable, but if you are routinely finding yourself extremely sluggish around mealtime there may be a correlation. I Want A Great Pregnant Click

I would suggest trying to cut back the size of your portions to make sure that you are satisfied but not in pain. Its easy to think that your are “eating for two”, but that myth has proven to only become a crutch for unhealthy eating and overeating. So be sure that you listen to your body’s signals.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

2.    You can get more done throughout the day. Naps are wonderful things to take during your pregnancy, especially during the first and second trimesters. They will help your body get the time it needs to work its hardest in creating the beginning and finishing touches on your guy.

Sleep Patterns and Portion Sizes: Pregnancy Nutrition and Naps

If you find that you are living in a constant state of sleep, look to your meals. Cutting the size of them can help you to stay awake longer, and sleep more soundly during those times of needed rest.

Tips to Trick Your Mind Into Sticking With Your Healthy Pregnancy Diet Plan

If you are finding that you are struggling with staying on track with your nutritious pregnancy diet plan, there are a few tips you can try to trick your body into submission. For the most part, women will find that they are more motivated than ever to eat clean and give their little growing baby all that he or she needs.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

But sometimes when you find yourself physically uncomfortable for so long, it can become so much more enticing to give into some comfort foods to keep yourself happy.

Simple Ways to Waylay Those Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

-Outwit the snack attack.

Snacking can ruin even the most carefully planned pregnancy diets, so be sure to get enough food at each meal without overeating. If you find yourself consistently hungry between meals you may not be getting enough protein or eating too many refined carbohydrates.

If that is the case you will be easily persuaded to grab something quick and easy- and undoubtedly unhealthy for you- since most fast food is the quickest way to unwanted weight gain and chemical consumption.

And remember chemicals are very bad for the baby, especially artificial sugars, trans fats, and high-fructose corn syrup- all of which have been linked to abnormality in infants.

-Balance your metabolism with meal timing

To assist you in outwitting the snack attack, eating smaller, more nutritious meals more often will allow for shorter amounts of time between meals and further enable you to keep unhealthy snacking at bay.

Balancing your metabolism with a steady stream of healthy food is not only great for your hard-working-baby-making body, but also is the best way to gain the right amount of weight for your height and body type.

Mistaken Hunger Cues – Water Before Eating Pregnancy Foods

-Drink more H20

Just as in any other time of your life, you may be mistaking hunger cues from your body will the onset of dehydration. So before you reach for that bad snack choice, rethink your day’s water intake. It is recommended that you drink half your body weight in pounds, in ounces of water (70 ounces if you weight 140 pounds), so chances are you may just be needed a good old fashioned watering.I Want A Great Pregnant Click

Even if you feel like you’ve gotten enough water it is never a bad idea to drink a full glass before you decide on what to eat. It will take the edge off and may give you a little more time to make a healthy choice as opposed to eating whatever you can get your hands on.