Over the next few weeks I will be exploring topics related to pregnancy, fertility and prenatal to postpartum care; including nutrition, fitness, supplementation and other lifestyle changes that will benefit your pregnancy. I will also start a series on how to feed infants to reduce the risk of food sensitivities and how to plan their diet around the optimal windows of time that they have adequate digestive enzymes to process the newly introduced foods. If you know someone who is pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, please forward this blog post to them so then can sign up to receive the information!
What you eat right before and during your pregnancy can affect the health of your growing baby. Even before you start trying to get pregnant, you should take special care of your health. Adopting and maintaining healthy eating patterns before your pregnancy will provide benefits that go well beyond your immediate well-being, by supporting your future pregnancy and ensuring a healthier you later in life.
The complex processes that occur during pregnancy require a rich supply of protein, vitamins and minerals for both mother and child. If you’ve built up good stores of nutrients before conception through a healthy diet, the added demands of pregnancy can be met with modest adjustments. If, however, your nutrient stores are low, you run a greater risk of diet-related problems during pregnancy, such as anemia. Because they will miss out on critical nutrients during their development, these same nutrient deficiencies could also place your baby at risk.
It goes without saying that the foods we consume on a daily basis can affect our health in a positive or negative way. Nutrient rich foods can bolster our immune systems, allow us to age gracefully, help us maintain a healthy figure and carry us through the day as it supplies the necessary energy for our bodies to do work. Foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients, also called ‘empty calories,’ can have the opposite affect; leading to suppressed immune systems, bodies that look old before their time and lead to extra pounds that seem to creep on year after year. Pregnancy is the one time in your life when your eating habits directly affect another person.
Because of these reasons it is crucial to assess where you are at with your health, weight and dietary patterns as early as possible before pregnancy. By improving your eating patterns, nutritional status, weight and your health you will enter into the pregnancy in a better place for you and your baby. But remember that it is never too late to start!
Angela Pifer, CN Seattle Nutritionist
Please visit my website for further information. http://www.nutritionnorthwest.com/Seattle-Nutrition-A-Healthy-Pregnancy.htm including two new downloads: Healthy Pregnancy Guide and Healthy Eating Guide for Infants and Toddlers.
Categories: Pregnancy
