Garbh Sanskar: Healthy Foods To Eat During Pregnancy I

Remember :  A growing baby benefits from a mother's diet throughout the day. Pregnancy is a crucial time for women to eat more iron, calcium, protein, vitamins A, B and C, folate, magnesium, selenium (required for the thyroid gland) and zinc. All these nutrients can be found in fresh produce and lean protein.

BANANAS: During 1st Trimester or before conception:
Peel a banana and take a bite or slice or mash it into your diet. Why? Because there are so many fabulous nutrients in banansa, plus they're easy on your stomach. One large banana contans 4 g of fiber and about 30% of your daily vitamin C and vitamin B6 needs.

We've all heard that bananas are potassium-rich - a large banana contains about 480 mg of potassium, nearly one-fourth of your daily requirement.Potassium fights high blood pressure

Banana's contain close to 40 mcg of folate which as we've seen is a very important nutrient for your baby's neural tube development. (The neural tube forms and closes in your first trimester, but the way, making it even more important to get plenty of folate right now!)

Vitamin B6 helps regulate your sodium/potassium levels, which can be imbalanced if you're vomiting. Your large banana includes 0.5 mg of vitamin B6.

For additional help, bananas are also a good source of magnesium (37 mg) and potassium (480 mg), minerals needed for healthy fluid balance. Perhaps this combination of fluid-balancing nutrients is why eating bananas after vomiting is a common "old-wives" home remedy.

People who consume diets rich in potassium are 50% less likely to have a stroke compared to their non-potassium-consuming peers, according to a study recently publsihed in Neurology.

Some pregnancy-related benefits to eating bananas:
1) Adding bananas to your diet during pregnancy can help you keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. High blood pressure in later pregnancy can lead to complications such as eclampsia
2) Getting plenty of calcium is vital if you're pregnant because your growing baby is pulling this mineral from your bones. If bananas can help postmenopausal women keep their bones healthy, they can help you, too.
3)Bananas help keep low blood sugar levels and healthy cholesterol levels during pregnancy

You can make a great smoothie by blending a cup of yogurt, a sliced banana, and a cup of crushed ice until thick and smooth. Try it with plain togurt and a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries, a banana, and a splash of orange juice for a luscious, refreshing treat!

Craving ice cream? Make a healthy banana split with a banana cut lengthwise and topped with frozen yogurt, fresh berries, and sliced almonds. It is both decadent and delicious!

ALMONDS; 1st Trimester
Almonds are a great source of Folate, one of the most important nutrients for you in the first trimester. Folate is the natural form of folic acid, and folic acid supplementation is recommended for prevention of birth defects. Eating foods such as almonds that contain folate can help boost you and your baby's folate levels, supporting a healthy pregnancy. In your handful of almonds (20-25 nutes) you'll find 10mcg of folate. It's worth notching that if you're having more than one baby at a time - lets say twins - you probably need even more folate/folic acid.

• Research on nutrition in pregnancy suggests that reducing glycemic load of foods may improve pregnancy outcome. Foods with a low glycemic load, such as vegetables, nuts, and berries, are easy for your body to use.
• Research suggests that diets with a low glycemic load during pregnancy may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and may also reduce the risk of having a baby that is considered large for his or her gestational age. Scientists aren't suggesting you restrict food intake during pregnancy, just make healthier choices (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, high-fiber whole grains rather than crackers and cookies)
• Almonds are a source of antioxidants, which are natural compounds that help you and your baby fight free radicals, keeping you and your baby healthy
• Studies have connected almonds consumption with heart-healthy effects. Almonds elevate the good cholesterol in the blood and lower the levels of bad cholesterol.
• Almonds improve your blood circulation, so more oxygen and nutrients can reach your baby. He or she is sure to get all the building blocks he or she needs to grow big and strong!
• Buy almonds that are uniform in color and not withered or limp. Raw almonds are delicious :dry-roasted almonds have not been cooked in oil. And check that the label doesn't include sugar, preservatives.Eat whole rather than peeled  almonds, the skin contains most of the baby-nourishing nutrients.
  

Almonds together with a piece of fruit like and apple makes a great snack. 

AVACADO : 2nd Trimester

Avocados are one of the most decadent fruits on earth and one of the healthiest, too. Avocados are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats to help you and your baby enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

Fat! that's what usually comes to mind when people think of avocados-thanks to the popularity of low-fat and anti-fat diets. Remember that not all fats are created equal. The fat in avocados is mostly healthy fat, and you NEED that fat. That's right: you need to be eating fat! As of week 17, your baby starts to accumulated fat undeer his skin. This fat will provide energy and help keep your baby warm after birth, plus it will give him of her those cute baby cheeks we all love to kiss.

As your baby grows, he/she is creating millions of new cells, and each one consists of a series of membranes, each of which is made of fat. Most of the fat in avocado is monounsaturated fat, the kind found in plants. These healthy fats are important to provide your body with adequate energy, for cell membrane health, and for manhy other functions.

That crowing belly of yours will love that avocado contans 3g of polyunsaturated fat int he form of omega-6 fatty acids. These good fats are important for your skin's health - and with all that stretching and growing going on, you'll be glad to have these fats helping your skin stay pliable.

There is much more to avocado than fat. In each cup of avocado, there are 16g of fiber to help balance your diet. There are 205mcg of folate, which is almost a third of a pregnant woman's daily needs. Even though your baby's neural tube has closed well before your second trimester, folate is still very important for your baby's proper development.

A cup of avocado has 22mg of choline, a nutrient needed for your baby's healthy and brain development.

Your cup of avocado has more than half of your daily needs of vitamin K and a third of your daily needs of citamin B6. Plus, it's a good source of vitamin C and every important mineral in your diet: copper, magnesium, manganese, sodium, potassium, selenium, calccium, phosphorus, and iron. WOW!

EAT FAT, ABSORB MORE NUTRIENTS!
Eating fat is important because it helps your body absorb more nutrients. Certain nutrients like vitamin A and E can't be absorbed unless there's fat in your digestive system. Avocados have nutrient-absorption-supporting fats and over 200IU of vitamin A in just 1 cup. Vitamin A is a key antioxidant in your body and in your baby's body. Plus, vitamin A plays a role in regulating growth - something that is happening very quickly in your second trimester as your belly continues to expand. So don't skip the dressing on your salad or better yet add some avocado to your salad and let the fat help your body get more nutrients from your food.

There are so many easy ways to get this nutritious, luxurious fruit into your diet. The easiest of all is to simply cut up some avocado and add it to your salad. It's particularly delicious with  grapefruit ,spinach-and that's a recipe for a nutritional powerhouse of a salad. Or, for a great snack, mash up some avocado and add some garlic and a splash of lemon. I've even been known to eat a whole avocado as a mini-meal right out of the skin!

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

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