Posts Tagged right choices
Healthy Diet For Pregnancy – Good Food For Conception
Posted by in Pregnancy on February 15th, 2010
Many women ask if there is a specific healthy diet for pregnancy. In fact, it all goes much deeper than that. Conception is really a fragile miracle as so many things must happen in just the right order that on paper, it seems impossible. However, it does indeed happen-millions of times a year. Yet for many of us, conception doesn’t “just happen”, with around 15% of us experiencing difficulties.
There are so many different things that can go wrong-ranging from blocked fallopian tubes, deformed sperm, immature eggs and many other causes. There are so many different barriers to conception that for some couples, it can take much longer than anticipated or even not happen at all!
Some couples just keep trying, whereas others turn to the medical profession for help. Sadly though, even with intervention, these procedures only lead to a viable pregnancy for about a quarter of the time. Some procedures can be horribly invasive. Others are time-consuming and some are very costly. However, there is an alternative. The importance of food cannot be overlooked and ensuring that you eat a healthy diet for pregnancy is absolutely vital.
Recent studies have shown that what you eat, your lifestyle choices and levels of activity can stack the reproductive odds in your favor providing you make the right choices. Just think about it. We all know that our diets and lifestyles can affect our hearts, our eyesight and the chances of developing potentially serious diseases, including cancer. Reproduction is just another system within the body and it makes complete sense that our diets can affect it radically.
It is amazing that so much emphasis has been put on costly reproductive procedures and yet scant attention has been paid to the connection between a diet for pregnancy and its beneficial effects. There is very often a focus on revenue generating techniques rather than simple self-help measures which you can do for yourself.
So, what should you be eating?
1. Avoid trans-fats, such as those found in many commercially prepared products and fast foods
2. Use unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oils
3. Concentrate on eating good sources of vegetable protein, such as those in beans and nuts and place less emphasis on meats
4. Choose unrefined carbohydrates, such as wholegrains, avoiding processed white breads, cakes and flours
5. Up your intake of calcium and dairy foods generally. It is more advisable to eat full-fat versions whilst trying to get pregnant
6. Take a good all-round multivitamin and folic acid for 3-6 months prior to trying to conceive
7. Eat foods rich in iron, particularly those from vegetable sources
8. Keep well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid fizzy drinks and alcohol, keep tea and coffee to a minimum
9. Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, then take steps to get down to a healthy BMI
10. Moderate exercise is very important. Too little will adversely affect conception but too much can also be bad too
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Article Source: Healthy Diet For Pregnancy – Good Food For Conception
Breast is best for our Children (so far…)
Posted by in Pregnancy on October 25th, 2009
Today I read about a recent study into infant formula. The results implied quite strongly that formula fortified with essential fatty acids (in this case DHA) improved the cognitive brain development of the baby. This is yet another piece of evidence to support the far reaching benefits of essential fatty acids for the brain, from infant through to the elderly.
The experiment involved 229 infants. One group were given formula from birth and were split into two groups – one given a traditional formula and the other given a formula with added DHA. A second group split in the same way were given formula from 6 weeks (after breastfeeding) and a third group from 4-6 months. At 9 months the babies were given a problem solving test. In both the “from birth” and the “from 6 weeks” groups, the babies from the DHA supplemented groups performed better in the test.
This certainly suggests that if you do choose to formula feed over breastfeed for either health or logistical reasons (for example, many mums are unable to breastfeed) it is worth choosing a formula that does supplement with essential fatty acids (and probiotics too, based on the results of other studies). However, as a mum who breastfed both my children for 9 months, what about the mums who do choose to breastfeed? Is there anything they can learn from study and other studies like this?
Of course there is. Their diet is our diet, and we must make the right choices in what we eat to ensure our children get the optimal start in life nutritionally. Breastfeeding is currently known to be the best option for the pre-weaning stage, but as infant formulas improve every year in what they have to offer, is there a competition on?
Yes there is, and so there should be! Anything that means our children get an improving nutrition has to be a good thing. So if you choose to breastfeed, that is brilliant, but don’t rest on your laurels. Make sure you have a well balanced and healthy diet that includes lots of essential fatty acids through oily fish, seeds and vegetable oils. Limit your saturated fat but ensure your diet is high in calcium. Unlikely high sources of calcium include broccoli, bok choy and oranges.
But my advice would be to also take a high quality supplement that is formulated specifically for breastfeeding women. Of course we want to eat healthily, but the truth is we’re often tired, usually in a rush and regularly eating on the hoof between feeds, sleeps and so on. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to steer clear of high, refined sugar foods such as biscuits and chocolate, as much for the mother’s energy levels as for the child’s health, but I understand that sometimes a healthy, home-cooked meal is hard to come by.
When I was breastfeeding I took a Pregnancy & Lactation Formula but many friends had recommended that i did. Of course I will never know if it made a difference to my children’s’ development with nothing to measure it against. But at the time it was nice to know that I had a buffer, on those nights I fell into bed after just a bowl of cereal.
Sam worked in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and became more interested in the role diet and nutrition plays in people’s health, so her studies took her in a more nutritional direction. She now works at a company who sell health products such as Pregnancy & Lactation formula, as well as, breastfeeding supplements. For more information please visit, http://www.totallynourish.com.
Article Source: Breast is best for our Children (so far…)
How to Get Pregnant Fast – Achieving Pregnancy Quickly by Improving Your Diet
Posted by in Pregnancy on October 17th, 2009
The food that you eat has an impact on every single cell in your body and the old adage, “You Are What You Eat” certainly rings true. If you are wanting to know how to get pregnant fast, then your diet probably has more of an impact than you will ever realize.
Good nutrition certainly does not mean giving up all the foods which you love, but it is about making the right choices most of the time, whilst recognizing that you can still have occasional treats without beating yourself up about it. When you are trying to conceive quickly, you do have a very good reason to improve your diet and the thought of getting pregnant faster should be the motivation which you need.
Dietary changes are unlikely to have an immediate noticeable impact, but as soon as you begin to make the proper changes, you are increasing your chances of getting pregnant quickly. Ideally, dietary preparation should begin around 3-4 months before you are hoping to conceive as it can take three months for a new batch of sperm to be produced and up to three months for your ovum to mature.
Fats
Although in some respects, fat has got a bad name, there are both healthy and unhealthy fats and if you are wanting to know how to get pregnant fast, you should include essential fatty acids in your diet as these are a vital component of every human cell and play a large part in regulating hormones. To ensure that you get a good intake, try to have a portion of nuts or seeds, such as flax seeds, daily plus some oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel. Whilst trying to conceive, you may wish to consider taking an essential fatty acid supplement.
Fiber
We all know that enough fiber is essential to help to regulate our bowel movements and prevent constipation, but did you know that fiber can also help to regulate estrogen, by preventing excreted estrogen being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Contrary to popular belief, the best form of fiber is not necessarily bran, as this can block the absorption of certain nutrients. It is better to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, beans, nuts and seeds.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are those which have not already been broken down prior to being eaten, for example, wholegrains, beans and pulses and vegetables. To optimize your health, it is important to avoid simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, fruit juice and honey and stick to eating the unrefined versions.
Soya
For those wanting to know how to get pregnant fast, it is believed that soya can play an important role which should not be overlooked. It can both lower cholesterol and prevent cardio-vascular disease. In addition, it has a role to play in balancing both male and female hormones. Over the last few years, there has been a rise in conditions which are believe to be related to the increase in estrogen-like chemicals, including breast cancers and prostrate cancers. These increases are also thought to be related to reproductive and menstrual problems which impact directly on fertility.
The Phyto-Estrogens in soya, are thought to be able to block estrogen, an excess of which is implicated in various fertility issues, such as fibroids, endometriosis and, crucially, the disruption of the second half of the menstrual cycle, making conception difficult. Try adding soya milk to your diet, along with Tofu, ensuring that all forms are not genetically modified and organic where possible.
Despite researching and putting into practice tips on getting pregnant quickly, some couples still do not conceive after several months.Rather than leaving matters completely to chance, it makes sense to implement a tried and tested method which is guaranteed to work.
Dietary measures are just one of a number of proactive steps you can take and if you would like to see details of a holistic system which will eliminate infertility and give you the baby you so want, please visit How To Get Pregnant Fast.
Article Source: How to Get Pregnant Fast – Achieving Pregnancy Quickly by Improving Your Diet
