Pregnancy and Essential Nutrition
By Liz
Barrington, Natural Body Healing
It’s an exciting time whenever you decide to have a baby; yet
disappointingly for many 'would-be' mothers, pregnancy often
doesn’t happen as easily or as quickly as you may wish, perhaps due to diet, lifestyle or hereditary
factors.
So, if you’re planning to have children, in order to have the
greatest chance of conceiving successfully, you should make sure
you have as healthy a lifestyle as possible, to prepare the body
well in advance, so that it the cellular environment is
right for conception. You also need to eat a
balanced, yet varied diet that contains all the nutrients needed
by both a mother and her growing baby.
It’s also important for all women of childbearing age to
get sufficient amounts of folic acid, which is essential for
human health.
Anyone therefore wishing to become pregnant is advised to 400
micrograms of folic acid
(Vitamin
B9) a day.
Reducing general levels of stress and also giving up or reducing
alcohol intake is often recommended for those men and women who
are wishing to conceive. Zinc and selenium are important in
healthy sperm production and a varied diet is therefore
important for men too, in order to provide adequate amounts of
these key nutrients.
If you’re already pregnant, it’s
important that you daily consume a healthy diet that contains adequate
amounts of all essential nutrients, including sufficient levels
of iron, calcium and folic acid; otherwise these will be
depleted from your own bodily supplies.
Yet despite the fact we may
think we get the nourishment we need from the food we eat, these days with intensive
farming and modern-day food manufacturing processes, it can in
fact be difficult to obtain all the nutrients your body needs on
a daily basis; not to mention the needs of your growing baby
too. You are what you eat and drink, and therefore, your
foetus will also develop according to whatever you decide to
consume.
Research shows that during
pregnancy, the health of both the mother and child are vastly
improved by taking dietary supplementation designed to
fill the nutritional gaps missing in the diet and to provide an
increased level of nutrients that are vital during the stages of
pregnancy. These studies also show that an unborn child
actually competes with the mother for nutrients. Therefore
a lack of nutrients in your diet could lead to health issues for
either yourself or for your child, or both.
Healthy ‘prenatal’ nutrition is
necessary to ensure you have a more comfortable pregnancy
throughout, and with less food cravings. You’ll also have an
easier delivery, and importantly a healthier baby, with much
greater success throughout nursing.
Formulated for pregnant and
lactating women and including 800mcg of folic acid,
Nature’s Prenatal
provides a balanced combination of the essential vitamins and
minerals to support the nutritional needs of both mother and
baby during pregnancy and throughout breast-feeding.
Folic Acid
is essential for the developing foetus, as it helps reduce the
risk of the baby suffering from a brain or spinal cord birth
defect. A woman should take 800 mcg per day, which is already
contained in this balanced formulation. This supplement also
contains ginger root to help soothe the stomach.
Red Raspberry
possesses astringent properties and the leaves have been used
for centuries as a support to the reproductive system,
especially during pregnancy. Studies show that Red Raspberry
helps relax the uterus, which is important during pregnancy and
subsequent childbirth. This herb also helps the body control
morning sickness and also alleviates diarrhoea.
Zambroza
is
a ‘super-charged’ antioxidant-rich juice drink that protects the
body’s tissues against oxidative stress (free radical damage)
and inflammation. It also helps the body fight the effects of
ageing, maintains healthy cell growth, promotes energy and
greatly enhances the immune system. Zambroza is of huge benefit
during pregnancy to help protect both mother and unborn child;
because it greatly strengthens the immune system, Zambroza
dramatically reduces the risk of environmental and food
allergies, including conditions such as
eczema and nappy rash.
For more information on these 100% natural supplements and more, please
visit
essential nutrition for women.
Important Dietary and Lifestyle
Recommendations
There are however, certain foods that pregnant women should
avoid for the sake of their growing baby. Although vitamin A is
essential for good health, for those women who are pregnant, or
who might become pregnant, they should not take vitamin A
supplements unless advised to do so by a health professional.
Large doses of vitamin A during early pregnancy has been linked
to birth defects. Liver and liver products (e.g.
paté) can contain large amounts of vitamin A, so these should
also be avoided.
Expectant
mothers should also avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin and
should eat no more than 2 portions of oily fish such as tuna,
mackerel, salmon and kipper per week because of the levels of
potential contaminants in these fish. The mercury present in
these fish can potentially harm an unborn child’s nervous
system. However,
Omega 3
supplements from Nature’s Sunshine contain the essential
fatty acids needed for healthy cell growth, and are
guaranteed to be pure and totally FREE from dangerous
contaminants.
Sea
vegetables are excellent foods for pregnancy. Lack of
iodine
can cause stunted growth, mental deficiency, puffy facial
features and a lack of muscular development. Sea vegetables can
help increase haemoglobin levels and also reduce constipation
and stretch marks in pregnant mothers.
Alcohol and caffeine should also be removed from your
diet, as it can damage an unborn child. High levels of caffeine
can often result in babies having a low birth weight, or can
even lead to pregnant mothers miscarrying. Caffeine is added to
some soft drinks and energy drinks, as well as occurring
naturally in foods such as coffee, tea and chocolate, so try to
avoid these if you can. Smoking is definitely not
recommended during pregnancy.
And don’t forget, please make sure you drink 2-3 litres of water
every day to ensure both you and your baby’s body are fully
hydrated. Water also helps remove the extra toxins from your
body and from your baby’s body.
To
further assist you, we've also provided some
tips for
taking herbal supplements and provided answers to
some FAQs.
The
products links stated in this article can only be purchased from
this website in UK and in Europe.
Furthermore, because of strict regulations in the sale of
nutritional products in Australia, our range of NSP products
there are rather limited, so we have a separate section on our
website for you. Therefore, if you live in Australia,
please click
here.
The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the
medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care
professional.
|
