Pregnancy diet tips you need to hear
Pregnancy doesn’t change the fundamentals of a healthy diet. Even when pregnant, get enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Consuming a balanced diet is something everyone says. Here are 5 rules of a healthy pregnancy diet:
1. Don’t eat for 2 people
Firstly eating for 2 people is a myth! You need to eat nutrient-dense meals just for yourself (1 person) and the fetus does its job by taking in the right nutrients from your diet itself.
Eshanka Wahi, Wellness advocate and Nutrition Coach says, “The recommended daily calorie intake for a woman is around 2,000 calories a day, which should be derived from nutritious foods (and not sugary unhealthy cravings).”
In your third trimester, you need extra 200 calories, depending on how active you are which can easily be derived from:
-A small, toasted whole grain pita, filled with a tablespoon of hummus with carrot & celery.
– A slice of wholegrain toast, with mashed avocado/ peanut butter/ banana & nuts.
2. Don’t give into cravings
Pregnancy is not a time to indulge in mindless binging and giving in sugar cravings. A lot of pregnant women think it’s their free pass to eat anything which becomes an extremely unhealthy practice leading them to gestational diabetes along with massive weight gain throughout their pregnancy.
Like everything in life, this is a mind over body situation. If you’re craving something sweet- refrain from sugar and eat a small healthy treat made with antioxidant-rich ingredients. Instead of using sugar such as Dates, Fruits (naturally sweet but also contain lots of beneficial plants compounds and fibre), Berries (an excellent, nutritious choice for stopping sugar cravings and have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), Snack bars (made with whole oats and sweetened with fresh or dried fruit, rather than table sugar), Sweet potatoes (provide you with a sweet taste and can help keep you feeling full so you won’t experience sugar cravings later in the day).
3. Stay extremely hydrated
“Apart from water, find other nutritious ways to be hydrated. I personally drank a lot of broth, soups, and inflammatory teas throughout the day which worked very well. Eating small meals throughout the day helps way more especially in the third trimester when the baby is taking up a lot more space in the tummy,” says Wahi.
4. Eat the rainbow
Eating a lot of colourful vegetables, good fats, and good sources of protein is ideal when pregnant. Limit simple carbs. To avoid simple carbs, stay away from processed and refined foods since they contain more sugar and offer less nutrition. It consists of white bread, white rice, chips and candy. Instead, go for whole grain bread, wild rice, quinoa, oats, baked sweet potatoes and fresh fruit.
5. Don’t get into mama bear mode
Have you wondered how Bollywood mommies lose their postpartum weight quickly? For instance, Alia Bhatt’s first appearance after giving birth to daughter, Raha shocked everyone. That’s because your favorite celebs stay active through prenatal yoga, and breathing exercises throughout the pregnancy. Deep breathing yoga techniques can help to maximise the amount of oxygen you take in, which is good for you and your growing baby. Relaxation techniques like prenatal massage, longer savasana, meditation, and acupuncture can also be very helpful during pregnancy.
