Archive for Diet
Pregnancy Tip: Put Some Salt In Your Diet!
Posted by: | CommentsSalt is a nutrient that is needed daily by all humans. It is most important for proper cell maintenance andd creation and therefore is a critical nutrient in the diet of a pregnant woman. As a pregnancy progresses, a woman’s body will make additional blood (about 40 – 50% more) in order to ensure adequate oxygenation and nutrition of the unborn baby. To do this, the body must retain additional fluid and one of the properties of salt is fluid retention. If salt is restricted during pregnancy, this additional blood volume may not be made and the nutritional needs of the unborn baby will not be met. This may occur because the placenta’s growth is retarded or stopped or it may even peel off of the uterine wall.
The unborn baby is not the only one to suffer from too little salt. The pregnant woman will be more prone to hypertension, toxemia and other nutritionally derived diseases. Women who are put on low salt diets in the mistaken belief that this will keep them from retaining fluid and swelling, or keep their blood pressure down frequently become more edemic, rapidly gain weight from the water retention and find their blood pressures soaring. These are normal body responses to a salt deficiency and a coping mechanism to restore the necessary balance in the system.
When a woman meets her daily salt need by “salting to taste”, her body retains the correct amount of fluid to meet its needs and the excess salt is removed from the body via the kidneys. Edema in well-nourished women is not pathologic and may, in fact, have some benefits for the mother and baby. The pregnant woman will be more prone to hypertension, toxemia and other nutritionally derived diseases. Women who are put on low salt diets in the mistaken belief that this will keep them from retaining fluid and swelling, or keep their blood pressure down frequently become more edemic, rapidly gain weight from the water retention and find their blood pressures soaring. These are normal body responses to a salt deficiency and a coping mechanism to restore the necessary balance in the system.
Yvonne Lapp Cryns is the owner of Midwives .net – http://www.midwives.net Yvonne is the co-founder of Nursing Programs Online at http://www.nursingprogramsonline.com and a contributor to The Compleat Mother Magazine at http://www.compleatmother.com .
Yvonne is also a law school graduate, a registered nurse and a Certified Professional Midwife.
Article from articlesbase.com
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Diet and Lifestyle Changes – Food and Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy
Posted by: | CommentsChances are that you will have to make some diet and lifestyle changes as you prepare for pregnancy. And prepare for pregnancy period you must, because a planned pregnancy can be a dream come true, where as an unplanned one, can be a nightmare.
A Well Balanced Diet
A healthy diet is a must in preparing for a healthy pregnancy. A well balanced nutritious diet made up of fibers, vitamins and starch, green leafy vegetables, fruits, citrus fruits to provide your baby with vitamin C, fortified cereals, and foods rich in folate(supplements of folic acid) are recommended, because they prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord in babies. Also, foods rich in iron and calcium; nuts, dry fruits, bread, milk and yoghurt are good to eat. Avoid drinking too much coffee and raw or uncooked meat. Avoid dairy products and seafood.
Fertility Enhancers
There are certain foods and herbs, which are male fertility enhancers and reduce female infertility as well. Ginseng, flaxseed oil, and palmetto are some of these that enhance male fertility. Vitex, evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil help in reducing female infertility.
No Smoking, Drugs Or Alcohol
When you’re planning to have a baby, you and your partner will have to under go some diet and lifestyle changes that you may not like in the beginning, but remember, these are for the good health of you and your baby. Give up smoking, drinking and drugs at once. They can be very harmful and do not create a favorable atmosphere for the baby in the mother’s womb.
Exercising For A Healthy Pregnancy
Ask your doctor and start some mild form of exercise, like walking or swimming or some yoga and some deep breathing exercises to bring down your stress levels. Ask your partner to do these exercises together with you. And avoid very strenuous exercises like horse riding or deep sea diving or skiing.
What You Shouldn’t Do
You should avoid saunas and hot bathtubs, as this may cause a neural tube defect in the baby.
Avoid contact with heavy metals, radiation, and hazardous chemicals.
Avoid taking any medicines without the doctor’s knowledge, and inform him that you are preparing for a pregnancy, so that he informs you of medicines that may interfere with your health during this special time.
When’s The Best Time to Have Intercourse.
This is a special time for you. You must definitely have sexual intercourse during the most fertile period. This is the period when the ovum is released from the uterus and is ripe for fertilization. It stays that way for 12 hours, after which, it starts to degenerate. This happens anywhere from the 12th to the 16th day of the fertility cycle, known also as the most fertile period or ovulation period. If you have sexual intercourse before or during this period, there is every chance of you getting pregnant. Of course, there are other factors at work too and that is why we recommend healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle. Don’t forget to read good books and articles on the net about having a healthy pregnancy. These will make you wiser and prepare you for the arrival of your little bundle of joy.
It’s a beautiful and special time when you start pregnancy planning. You prepare to welcome a new life and start a family. Diet and lifestyle changes become quite the norm. You must also plan the time of your sexual intercourse during your most fertile period, so that you can conceive soon enough. If male fertility is hampered ask your partner to take fertility enhancers to enhance male fertility. Female infertility can also play spoilt sport. Keeping all these things in mind to have a healthy pregnancy will help. Here are some things you should know……
Article from articlesbase.com
The Top Ten Changes You Can Make to Your Pregnancy Diet Plan
Posted by: | CommentsChanging your pregnancy diet plan can be daunting, but there are many ways that you can incorporate healthy dietary changes into your life without causing a lot of upheaval. Pregnancy and nutrition is primarily about making the kind of lifestyle changes we all should make—whether we’re pregnant or not—to ensure our long-term health and well-being.
Most women should make these changes step-by-step. To help facilitate this process, here is a list of the top ten changes you can make in your diet during pregnancy:
1. Increase Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s have been proven to have a profound effect on your baby’s cognitive development, as well as on maternal health during pregnancy. Your nutritionist can point you towards a fatty acid supplement that will help you get the Omega-3s you need.
2. Drink Lots of Water
Most women don’t drink enough water, period. This is especially true during pregnancy. However, drinking enough water can cure a lot of pregnancy complaints such as nausea, hunger, water retention, and headaches. You should be drinking half your body weight in water every day as a minimum.
3. Eat Protein with Every Meal
Protein has essential amino acids to aid in your baby’s development, and it helps keep you feeling full and satiated for a longer period of time than carby snacks. You should eat protein with every meal, including your snack breaks.
4. Steer Clear of Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar is a ticket to weight gain, no matter what food the sugar is in. And artificial sweeteners are packed with troublesome chemicals. Instead, opt for stevia, raw honey, agave syrup, or xylitol to satisfy your sweet tooth without calories or chemicals.
5. Cut Back on Caffeine
You can safely consume 150mg of caffeine during pregnancy, so aim for cutting back slowly to that amount. That’s the equivalent of one cup of coffee or two cups of black tea. From there you can try drinking green tea, white tea, and eventually herbal teas.
6. Stay Active
It can be tempting to lay off exercise when you are pregnant and dealing with complaints like morning sickness, weight gain, water retention, headaches, and so forth. But exercise can actually help ease the common aches and pains of pregnancy. So make a pact to stay active throughout the next nine months—if not the rest of your life!
7. Eat Whole Foods
Whole foods are free of sodium, fillers, and additives that processed foods contain, so they are better for your overall health, as well as your baby’s health and wellbeing. Switching to whole foods can also help you control weight gain.
8. Switch to Organic
Organic foods contain none of the troubling pesticides or hormones that have been shown to cause a negative impact on the health of the expectant mother or your developing baby. You should begin by switching to organic meats and dairy products; from there you can switch to organic fruits and vegetables if you wish.
9. Eat Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are fats like coconut oil, olive oil, organic butter, nut butters, raw nuts, and avocadoes. These fats are actually good for your baby’s development and for your own health. They also help you feel satiated between meals for a longer period of time, helping you curb the impulse to overeat.
10. Take Baby Steps
It can be tempting to try to change your lifestyle overnight. However, behavioral experts agree that it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. Therefore, you should focus on making small but lasting changes that stick. Don’t stress out about changing your whole life overnight.
Are you looking for the best advice for a diet during pregnancy? Need advice about pregnancy and nutrition? Visit http://whattoeatwhilepregnant.com/ for exercise recommendations and eating tips for a healthy pregnancy.
Article from articlesbase.com
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Your Pregnancy Diet Plan: 4 Changes You Shouldn’t Make
Posted by: | CommentsSo many facets of your pregnancy diet plan are about changes you should make. You should go organic, you should cut back on sugar, you should start taking supplements. But what about the behaviors you’ve had for years?
What are the parts of your lifestyle you should keep, even after pregnancy? Is there any change you should definitely say no to? There are actually four changes you shouldn’t make during pregnancy, no matter how gung-ho you may feel about changing to a new and healthy lifestyle:
Don’t Go Cold Turkey
If you are addicted to any substance, such as caffeine or sugar, be forewarned that going off that substance cold turkey can be very stressful. Your body is addicted to the substance and a sudden change in your behavior could cause you to go through a difficult detox. This sudden change could make you very sick, and put a lot of stress on your unborn baby.
It’s much healthier to slow step down your consumption of caffeine or sugar. With caffeine, you can safely ingest up to 150mg per day throughout pregnancy. So aim for that amount at first.
Then step down to green tea, white tea, and herbal teas, if you so desire. With sugar, try switching to stevia, xylitol, agave syrup, or raw honey, all of which will curb your sweet tooth naturally.
Don’t Change Your Entire Life at Once
Most studies prove that switching your entire way of doing things overnight rarely lasts. Your brain needs time to build up new habits; in fact, it can take 3 to 4 weeks before a new behavior becomes ingrained as a habit. So don’t aim for changing your entire life overnight, which won’t last more than a week.
Instead, take baby steps. Incrementally change your life for the better. Look for ways that you can take a step toward health with each decision that faces you. Think of your new behaviors in the long term rather than the short term. In other words, think of how you want to look and feel beyond pregnancy.
Don’t Give Up Exercise
It can be really, really tempting to give up exercise. In fact, you may just not feel up to it if you are dealing with issues like morning sickness, water retention, or other common pregnancy complaints. And some forms of exercise, such as very high-impact aerobic activity are not recommended for pregnant women.
This doesn’t mean that all forms of exercise are forbidden, however. In fact, exercise is essential for a healthy pregnancy. It keeps you in shape and toned for labor, and helps to ease many of the aches and pains you feel during pregnancy.
A regular exercise routine will also help you get back into the swing of things after having your baby. You should look into low or no-impact forms of exercise, such as yoga, water aerobics, swimming, or walking.
Don’t Give Up Fats, Carbs or Any Other Food Groups
Pregnancy and nutrition should never be about giving up a food group. In fact, you should be encouraged to eat any of the following, often forbidden foods:
• Caffeine can be enjoyed in small increments (no more than 150 mg per day);
• Healthy grains such as millet, quinoa, brown rice, and sweet potatoes as well as dark leafy greens and fruits can round out your healthy carb quota;
• Small amounts of low-mercury seafood (lobster, shrimp, crab, flounder, and catfish) can be enjoyed twice per week;
• Healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocadoes, nut butters, and organic butters should be a vital part of your diet.
Are you looking for the best advice for a diet during pregnancy? Need advice about pregnancy and nutrition? Visit http://whattoeatwhilepregnant.com/ for exercise recommendations and eating tips for a healthy pregnancy.
Article from articlesbase.com
Healthy Pregnancy – Top Tips For The Best Pregnancy Diet
Posted by: | CommentsWhen following a pregnancy diet it’s important to try to eat a variety of foods. The best diet for pregnant women includes:
Fruit and Vegetables, preferably fresh. Aim for at least five portions a day.
Calcium rich foods – dairy products such as cheese, milk and yoghurt.
Foods rich in protein are equally important in a pregnancy diet. These include lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses (beans and lentils). These are also good sources of iron.
Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes – wholegrain is better
Fibre – this helps prevent constipation and is found in wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, pulses and fruit and vegetables.
Not following a high fibre diet and eating the wrong kind of foods will not only leave you feeling bloated and sluggish, but this is what will be left on your body as fat once the baby is born. This will be hard to shift! Eating the right kind of foods will keep your energy levels up, sugar levels stable and feeling more comfortable throughout the day.
You should also try to cut down on fatty foods such as cakes and biscuits and junk food like hot dogs and french fries. This can also help you to avoid putting on too much weight during pregnancy.
Remember When Pregnant: the food you eat is the food the baby eats! Donuts, cake, chips, burgers, french fries….would you feed this to your baby??
If you find yourself hungry throughout the day, the ideal pregnancy diet allows healthy snacks. It is important not to go hungry when pregnant. If you’re hungry, your baby probably is too! Healthy snacks to have instead include currant buns without icing; sandwiches or pitta bread; chicken or lean ham; low-fat yoghurts; cottage cheese; vegetable and bean soups and fruit. This can be fresh, tinned or dried.
Taking the right vitamins and minerals is essential to maintain a healthy pregnancy and is included in most pregnancy diets. The most important vitamins and minerals are:
Folic Acid – You should take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement from the time you stop using contraception until the 12th week of pregnancy.
You should also eat foods containing folate – the natural form of folic acid – such as green vegetables (especially broccoli) breakfast cereals and brown rice.
Iron – Pregnant women can become deficient in iron, so it is important to eat a lot of iron-rich foods. Try to have some food or drink containing vitamin C with any iron-rich meals because this helps your body absorb iron.
Tea and coffee can make it harder for our bodies to absorb iron, so cutting down could help to improve iron levels
Good sources of iron include:
red meat
bread
fortified breakfast cereals
green vegetables
beans and lentils
Although liver contains a lot of iron, you should avoid eating it while you’re pregnant as it contains vitamin A which can be harmful to your baby. This also includes pâté which is usually made from pork liver. If taking a multi-vitamin supplement make sure it doesn’t contain vitamin A.
Vitamin D – You should take supplements containing 10mcg of vitamin D each day. It is found in a small number of foods but we get most of our vitamin D from summer sunlight – but be careful not to burn if out in the sun.
Weight gain in pregnancy varies and depends on your pre-pregnancy weight. On average women put on 10–12.5kg (22–28lb) over the duration of their pregnancy. If you gain too much weight your health can be affected blood pressure could become increased. But equally, it’s important that you don’t try to follow a conventional diet.
If you are concerned about your weight gain or have questions such as: how much weight “should” I gain? Am I gaining weight too fast? What exercises are safe for pregnancy? Which foods should I eat? How can I speed up my weight loss after? Please go to www.squidoo.com/good-pregnancy-without-pounds for more information.
Article from articlesbase.com
Pregnancy Nutrition: Is Protein Powder a Safe Supplement for your Pregnancy Diet?
Posted by: | CommentsFinding something that you like to eat during the first few weeks of pregnancy can be really difficult if you are suffering badly with morning sickness, and that awful metallic taste that you get at the back of your throat and so a lot of women turn to protein powder to boost their pregnancy nutrition.
Soon it becomes an easy option to supplement your pregnancy diet plan and protein powders start to make a regular appearance in your pregnancy nutrition.
A lot of OBGYN’s and midwives will have no problem with this and when it comes to the option of eating nothing or having a protein shake because it is the ONLY thing that will stay down, I can see the advantages.
However, there’s a lot of things about protein powders that are misunderstood and once you know the facts you may think differently next time you’re looking for an easy nutritious meal option.
Firstly protein powders come in many different forms. Protein powder can be made of lots of different bases such as rice protein, pea protein, hemp protein, but by far the most common is whey protein and soy protein (usually concentrate or isolate).
Now all protein structures are different and contain different amino acids and so using a protein powder that is based on just one protein or a mix of two or three proteins is unlikely to give you a wide enough amino acid spectrum to provide adequate nutrition for you and your growing baby – kind of defeats the purpose of having protein powder – right?
Protein powders are not wholefoods. They are processed and refined to the point of rendering the substance we know as protein powder completely unrecogniseable to the human body. Any level of processing and manufaturing will denature a food by altering its chemical structure. The heavier the refinement process, the more denatured a food becomes.
Whey protein as an example has to be handled at low temperature as its protein structures are extremely fragile. But todays whey protein powders are produced by drying skim milk at extremely high temperatures and then using the powder to bulk out energy bars, body building products and protein shakes.
Soy protein initially starts out with a lot of phytic acid (which blocks the body’s absorbtion of vitamins and minerals), enzyme inhibitors (the body uses enzymes to break down food and access nutrients), and isoflavanones (which mimics the effect of oestrogen in the body and is carcinogenic). It is then processed at extreme temperatures to reduce (but not eradicate) the effects of these undesireable properties. However, more toxins are formed during high-temperature chemical processing, including nitrates, lysinalanine and MSG and several of the proteins are so denatured that they become unusable to the human body (eg. lysine).
So what you are left with (in any protein powder) is a highly processed and refined substance that is so far from its natural state that the body does not recognise it as food.
Now in addition to all the harmful toxins that a protein powder contains your poor body also has to deal with a UFO (Unidentified Food substance of questionable Origin!). So because it has so many other jobs to do your body can’t cope and instead of flusing the toxins out, it shoves them somewhere where they will be less poisonous to the body – in your FAT!
Get this, the body will actually lay down excess fat just to store the toxins and keep them away from your baby and your body. Then it will drain all your water from your cells AND what you drink to dilute the toxins to a point where they are so dilute they no longer pose a threat to your body. So as well as getting fat, you’ve also got a massive water retention problem (which makes you look even fatter, congests your tissues and decreases the water available for amniotic fluid – essential for your baby’s protection, nourishment and development).
You still thinking protein powders are a good idea?
Thought not.
So you see protein powders are not the best option in pregnancy. They don’t do what they say on the tin, (i.e. give you enough protein to provide a good source of nutrients to supplement your pregnancy diet), and for all the benefit you get from them you may as well opt for a Big Mac instead!
The best sources of protein for pregnancy (and in fact in any human diet) are wholesome natural foods, ideally organic animal proteins, like chicken, beef, fish and eggs, or vegetable proteins like pulses, legumes and nuts. If you find you can stomach solid food then nutritious broth based soups are a thousand times better for you than a protein shake!
Nisha is the UK’s leading Pregnancy Fitness and Lifestyle Conditioning Coach. To grab your place on her 14 Day Free Pregnancy Fitness Coaching Program which guarantees to get you in the best shape of your adult life wilst pregnant, go to ==> http://www.the9monthclub.com/start
Article from articlesbase.com
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Best Diet For Healthy Pregnancy
Posted by: | CommentsIt?s common knowledge that it?s important to adopt a pre-pregnancy healthy diet if you want a healthy pregnancy and baby. In taking better care of your nutrition before conception; you increase the odds of protecting your fetus in the early weeks of pregnancy when the risks of miscarriage can be rather high.
Your diet is one of the most important factors regarding your own health before, during and after pregnancy; so why not eat healthy and get fit for life. Your baby will also thank you for taking good care of your body which will nourish and support all of his or her needs right up until the birth. If you are planning to breastfeed your baby then your diet will also play a major role with that too.
What exactly does a nutritious pre-pregnancy diet will keep both mum-to-be and her baby healthy look like anyway?
Basically you will need to quit anything that is not good for your health as it won?t be good for the baby either. Avoid those foods and drinks as well as habits that can damage your health like smoking, drinking alcohol, soft drinks like colas and junk food for starters. By eliminating these bad habits you are heading in the right direction to adopt a pre-pregnancy healthy diet that will work wonders for your well being and that of your baby.
A healthy diet means more than not eating bad foods as you will need to replace them with healthy food choices. Increase foods like leafy green vegetables, brown rice, whole grains, low fat dairy and plenty of fresh fruit. These foods will ensure that you and your baby get the essential nutrients needed during pregnancy. More of fiber in the diet would ensure that the toxins get removed from the body more efficiently.
Foods that are rich in folic acid like green leafy vegetables and fortified whole grains reduce the incidence of neural tube birth defects. Your doctor may recommend folic acid supplements but a large orange will provide 54 mcg or just two spears of broccoli yields 61 mcg which is around 10% of the minimum daily requirement of around 500 mcg. Do remember to either lightly steam or eat leafy green vegetables by cooking it slightly as overcooking can destroy the folic acid content and not cooking would make it little difficult to digest.
If you are already taking multi vitamins in your diet then do not forget to check the label as the brands do differ quite a bit. Most prescription prenatal supplements contain 800 to 1,000 mcg of folic acid so be careful not to overdose or it may mask a condition called pernicious anemia. You would be amazed to know that research has found that the body absorbs the synthetic version of this vitamin in a better way that that found naturally in foods?
Do keep in mind that if you adopt a healthy pre-pregnancy diet you will have a healthier body which in turn has a better chance of producing a healthy child. A few minor changes in your diet can guarantee you a problem free pregnancy and motherhood experience.
Mithun Rao writes various articles on health and diet. Read more on how to get pregnant with a baby boy or girl and other true facts on how to get pregnant on her website.
Article from articlesbase.com
Healthy Diet During Pregnancy tips
Posted by: | CommentsIt is an old wives’ tale that pregnant women must eat for two. Though it need not be taken literally, eating a balanced diet is necessary both for the growing fetus and the expectant mother. At no cost can you forget that the mother is the sole source of nutrition for the unborn baby so every bite that she has, counts. You will have to keep up with the body’s increasing demands for food and nourishment by supplying it with sufficient enrichment to carry and deliver a healthy baby. But that doesn’t mean that you can gorge on just about anything (especially not junk!) only to put on weight, without getting the right nutrition in the process. Anemia, pre-eclampsia, mood swings and fatigue are just a few of those health conditions that you can be affected with if you have poor eating habits during pregnancy. You have to fit in wholesome, well balanced meals into your diet chart for both your and your baby’s health. Apart from the usual nutrients, the need for iron and folic acid will have to be fulfilled through supplements. If you are a mum-to-be or planning to be one, tips mentioned here will guide you along a healthy pregnancy. Healthy Pregnancy Diet
Starchy foods like cereals, whole grains, dals, pulses, pasta and bread are all a good source of proteins and carbohydrates. Make it a point to add a lot of starchy food to your diet for that extra energy that you will need throughout your pregnancy period.
Since they have essential amino acids and vitamin B-12 along with good calcium content, dairy products like skimmed milk, yoghurt, buttermilk and cottage cheese should be taken in generous amounts.
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of fiber along with other vitamins and minerals. Indulge in at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. It can be in a dried or frozen form, although canned fruits should be avoided. A glass of fruit or vegetable juice equals 1 portion of fruit or vegetable.
Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of fiber and you must not ignore them.
Essential animal proteins are available in plenty from meat, fish and poultry. But vegetarians need not worry as consuming 1.5 oz of nuts and 2/3 cup of legumes will give the same amount of proteins.
Keep yourself well-hydrated. Drink plenty of water apart from other fluids like juices, milk, etc. But be sure to drink clean, filtered and preferably boiled water, to guard against water-borne diseases. Avoid canned or packaged juices as they contain preservatives and high sugar content – both of which can be quite harmful to pregnant women.
Keep a check on the fats and oils that you use like ghee, butter, coconut milk and coconut oil. Try to avoid these as much as you can and instead go for less-oily or non-oily food.
High sugar items such as cakes and pastries should also be avoided as besides causing excess weight gain, they are of no use.
Not only the food but the interval also plays a part, so instead of going for 3 large meals a day, break them up into 5 or 6 smaller ones each time you feel hungry. Your body knows it all, so trust your body and read the signs it shows.
Apart from the food that you need, you might need some additional vitamin and mineral supplements like folic acid, calcium and iron. They can be easily had in a tablet form but only under strict medical supervision and a doctor’s advice.
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Healthy Eating Diet For Healthy pregnancy And Fertility
Posted by: | CommentsThere are several factors that can increase the chances of getting pregnant. However, the simplest and easiest way is choosing a healthy daily diet. Nutrients and vitamins present in the food are very useful in boosting the fertility rate, which automatically translates into greater chances of pregnancy.
Healthy diet for pregnancy is essential not only to boost fertility and reduce the risk for pregnancy-related problems but also for the overall health of a woman as well.
The following are essential nutrients and vitamins that can definitely help a woman increase her chances of pregnancy
Proteins from vegetables
Although protein is highly available in red meat, better and healthier alternative for protein source are found in vegetables. Beans, lentils, and legumes are a great source of protein, as well as spinach.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates still play an important role in the balanced diet as it provides the much-needed energy for daily activities. However, do away with refined sugar, white rice, white bread, and other processed sources. Better substitutions for these are brown sugar, brown rice, and whole grain bread. Switching to less processed alternatives can have a significant effect in the diet.
Fats from Dairy Products
Full-fat dairy foods help women increase fertility rate. Ice cream can help in the ovulation process. However, they should also monitor their intake as they may also acquire fats from other sources.
Multivitamins
These supplements help women on fertility issues. But before rushing to the drugstore to get one, they should always seek a physician for advice to which multivitamins they should take.
Iron
Foods with high levels of iron can help prevent fertility-related problems. Furthermore, iron is needed to maintain healthy supply of blood to the fetus, making it essential part of pregnancy diets. Good sources of iron include green vegetables, beans, lean meat, and poultry products. Protein sources, such as meat and poultry, help maintain healthy level of iron.
Calcium and Vitamin D
Foods containing high levels of these nutrients should always be a part of pregnancy diets as it helps with the development of the baby’s bones and teeth. Milk and vegetables are very good sources of calcium and vitamin D.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is necessary as it helps on the production of a woman’s sex hormones and increase fertility rate. Good sources include citrus fruits.
Monounsaturated Fats
While Trans fats, which are commonly known on food labels as types of hydrogenated oils, are bad for people’s health, not every fat is bad. Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, helpful to relieving fertility problems.
Omega-3
Omega-3 doesn’t only boosts fertility but also greatly improves heart condition, thus it is an essential part of pregnancy diet. This highly important nutrient is commonly found in fish.Flax seeds are also good source of omega-3.
However, healthy pregnancy diet should be maintained along with the avoidance of unhealthy foods and vices to effectively live a healthy lifestyle. The following should be avoided.
Alcohol – It can greatly reduce a woman’s fertility rate, as well as pregnancy-related problems.
Cigarettes – this should definitely be avoided. Cigarette smoking has always been linked with birth-related physical defects, as well as other health problems.
Caffeine – as with alcohol, it also reduces the chances of pregnancy. Avoid high-caffeine beverages like coffee, tea, and tea, and foods like chocolate.
Processed foods – These contain chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, and other unhealthy substances that can affect fertility rate. Processed foods include canned goods and foods coming from fast food chains.
Fish with high mercury content- Mercury can cause pregnancy-related issues such as birth defects. Avoid king mackerel, swordfish, shark, and tilefish, as these fishes are known to have high levels of mercury.
There are also specific diet programs for different kinds of lifestyle. However, before taking a specific program, a woman should consult a nutritionist first to help guide her on the proper diet.
Healthy pregnancy and diet should always come together. To put it simply: the healthier the foods in the diet, the better the chances of getting pregnant and having healthier pregnancy. Combined with proper exercise and avoidance to vices, a healthy diet will definitely yield great and satisfying results.
Alice J. Johnson
Pay Close Attention Here:
To increase your chances of getting pregnant there are some things that can’t be explained in a short article. Take a look here to find out more secrets on healthy pregnancy diet.
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SparkPeople.com Shakes Up Online Diet Industry, Offers Premium Services for Free
Posted by: | CommentsSparkPeople.com Shakes Up Online Diet Industry, Offers Premium Services for Free
CINCINNATI (PRWEB) December 29, 2005
SparkPeople.com (http://www.sparkpeople.com), a leading diet and health website, announced today that it will begin offering its services to consumers for free. This move is significant in an emerging $ 200 million industry, led by subscription-based players like Weight Watchers Online and eDiets.com, which charge between $ 100 and $ 300 per year for their services.
Only a few days after switching from a subscription-based to a free site, word of the announcement is spreading quickly in health and diet blogs and message boards. Diet-Blog.com featured the news this week with a homepage article about SparkPeople exclaiming “A Truly Free Weight Loss Program!” The story went on to explain “(SparkPeople’s) tools are every bit as powerful as eDiets (or better depending on your opinion).”
SparkPeople’s goal is to give away at least $ 100 Million worth of online services in 2006. Before switching to the free, ad-supported model the company charged users approximately $ 100 per year for membership to their premium diet and health site.
Chris Downie, SparkPeople.com’s founder who sold his first company to eBay in 1998, commented on his company’s decision saying, “The free, ad-supported model fits our mission of helping millions of people reach their goals using health and fitness as a springboard to success.” Downie explained that “a convergence of factors including the dramatic increase of online ad spending, a growing obesity problem, a strong consumer demand for personalized online programs, and our expertise managing large online communities all played heavily into this decision.”
The company has been further encouraged by the early success they have seen with their healthy pregnancy website, BabyFit.com (http://www.babyfit.com), which made a similar move in February 2005.
Online diet and fitness sites like SparkPeople.com, Weight Watchers Online, and eDiets.com, help users lose weight by providing them with personalized fitness programs, interactive meal plans and calorie counters, support message boards, healthy living tips, motivation, and information. Upon registration, users customize their nutrition and fitness programs to suit their personal goals, body type, and preferences.
Online diet user Kelly Elle from Ontario, Canada commented on her results using an online program saying, “I’ve been on SparkPeople for about 5 months and, gratefully, have lost about a pound a week. Far more than that, though, I have made some big adjustments in the way I live my life. I have lost a total of 26 pounds—that’s 12.6% of my weight. I realized though, that I have stopped striving to lose weight. Instead, I live a different life. It’s not difficult. It’s not deprived. It’s healthy.”
The elusive lifestyle change that Elle mentions is what SparkPeople wants for their members. Rather than teaching users to stay on a diet or continue counting points, SparkPeople gives members specific nutrition and fitness plans that are easy to follow, gradually helping them transition to a healthier lifestyle as they gain confidence and learn new skills. Becky Hand, R.D., SparkPeople’s lead dietician, explains that “this is the approach that consumers must take if they want to get off the diet rollercoaster forever.”
A recent survey of over 1,000 SparkPeople.com members supports the idea that people have indeed been on a rollercoaster of weight-loss ups and downs. The survey revealed that SparkPeople’s average member has tried four other diets before joining (44 percent had tried Weight Watchers, 18 percent tried eDiets, 32 percent gave “low carb” diets a chance, and 53 tried and failed their “own version of a diet.”)
“People are frustrated with traditional diets,” Downie said. “They are looking for a lifestyle that they can live with long-term, one that doesn’t feel restrictive, but instead feels very positive and motivating. We work hard to make SparkPeople.com feel this way and our users seem to love it. We hope that by making our site free, millions more people will experience lasting weight-loss success.”
About SparkPeople
SparkPeople.com is a premium weight loss and healthy living website that guides and supports people who are ready to stop dieting for good and make the transition to a permanent, healthy lifestyle. The SparkPeople philosophy, combined with smart motivational strategies and a collection of personalized online tools, has helped thousands of members lose weight and keep it off. SparkPeople.com is the only premium diet site to offer their services for free.
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