Congratulations! You are pregnant. That's exciting huh? You're probably wondering what changes you should do in order to insure your baby as well as your self the best health. You actually should modify some things in your life style, such as your eating habits, but don't you worry, I am going to provide you with some simple steps that you should follow during you pregnancy in order to ensure the ultimate health
Your friends and family are always encouraging you to eat right? You always hear them say "A pregnant woman should eat for two" huh?
Is that necessarily true? Of course not. It is physically impossible to consume that much food. However, you should increase your food intake a little bit.
The first trimester: No increase is needed.
The second trimester: Add 340 calories to your diet.
The third trimester: Add 450 calories to your diet.
***The rules above apply only if you were consuming a balanced healthy diet before pregnancy.
Huh? but what is calorie and how would you know what to add into your food to get this extra amount of calories.
Well calorie is simply the translation of energy from common language to your body's language. And in order for you to understand how much food you should add into your diet in order to equal these amount of calories, you could follow these simple rules:
TYPICALLY- On Average-
1 serving of fruits and vegetables = 60 calories
1 serving of grains = 125 calories
1 serving of meats & al = 150 calories
1 serving of milk & al (regular fat)= 120 calories
So if you observe how many servings you need normally following the food guide and do some cross multiplications, you will have a clear understanding of how much food you should add to your diet. But the whole point is to show you that you shouldn't increase your food intake by too much in order to maintain your health as well as your baby's health.
It's important increase your food intake by adding more grains and lean meats to your diet, rather than adding fatty foods;
i.e.: junks, fried food etc...
On top of the energy requirement, you need to increase your intake in some of the vitamins and minerals which we talked about early on. Two of the most important ones are FOLATE and IRON. The following table will provide you with some explanation on how you should add these minerals to your diet, but you should still ask your doctor about it.
Your friends and family are always encouraging you to eat right? You always hear them say "A pregnant woman should eat for two" huh?
Is that necessarily true? Of course not. It is physically impossible to consume that much food. However, you should increase your food intake a little bit.
The first trimester: No increase is needed.
The second trimester: Add 340 calories to your diet.
The third trimester: Add 450 calories to your diet.
***The rules above apply only if you were consuming a balanced healthy diet before pregnancy.
Huh? but what is calorie and how would you know what to add into your food to get this extra amount of calories.
Well calorie is simply the translation of energy from common language to your body's language. And in order for you to understand how much food you should add into your diet in order to equal these amount of calories, you could follow these simple rules:
TYPICALLY- On Average-
1 serving of fruits and vegetables = 60 calories
1 serving of grains = 125 calories
1 serving of meats & al = 150 calories
1 serving of milk & al (regular fat)= 120 calories
So if you observe how many servings you need normally following the food guide and do some cross multiplications, you will have a clear understanding of how much food you should add to your diet. But the whole point is to show you that you shouldn't increase your food intake by too much in order to maintain your health as well as your baby's health.
It's important increase your food intake by adding more grains and lean meats to your diet, rather than adding fatty foods;
i.e.: junks, fried food etc...
On top of the energy requirement, you need to increase your intake in some of the vitamins and minerals which we talked about early on. Two of the most important ones are FOLATE and IRON. The following table will provide you with some explanation on how you should add these minerals to your diet, but you should still ask your doctor about it.
Other things you should do during your pregnancy:
1. Some exercise, but not too intense, a 30 minutes walk per day is good enough.
2. No smoking.
3. No drinking.
4. Stress management.
It is always best to ask your doctor or dietitian about specific dietary modifications required for you, because the ones which are provided above are general for all pregnant women. Some differences might occur due to genetics, weight, health condition, etc.
1. Some exercise, but not too intense, a 30 minutes walk per day is good enough.
2. No smoking.
3. No drinking.
4. Stress management.
It is always best to ask your doctor or dietitian about specific dietary modifications required for you, because the ones which are provided above are general for all pregnant women. Some differences might occur due to genetics, weight, health condition, etc.
