A guide to eating healthy during pregnancy in order to avoid health related problems for a pregnant women and their baby.

1. ==== ====
One of the most pressing issues for pregnant women today is diet and nutrition. With the
availability of preprocessed foods and fast-food restaurants, it’s easy to unconsciously do harm to
oneself by making poor food choices. For more information and tips click here:
http://www.diet-for-pregnant-women.com/
==== ====
While much has been written concerning pregnancy diets, I have witnessed quite a few health
conscience women go through the process of pregnancy while maintaining surprisingly good form.
I have seen that they all had these few do's and don'ts in common.
Do;
Eat From a Variety of Foods
Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Pregnancy diets should include fruits and
vegetables along with high quality low fat cuts of meat, poultry and *fish as their staple. Whole
grain breads, cereals and pastas should be eaten a bit more sparingly.
Take a Daily Supplement
Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet. You should take a
good prenatal vitamin supplement to ensure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and
minerals every day. Vitamin C, Folic acid, Iron, and Calcium are nutrients which pregnancy
requires in abundance. This should be a consideration in all pregnancy diets.
Stay Hydrated
The importance of staying hydrated during pregnancy is often overlooked. During pregnancy your
blood volume will increase by forty percent and water is necessary for this process. Fluids are also
needed to carry nutrients to cells and take waste products away. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day
minimum. While 100% juice may be a healthy alternative to soda and colas, when you are
pregnant it should not be an alternative to water. Also, be aware that teas, coffee and soda, which
are natural diuretics, will pull the water out of your body. Water is vital to all pregnancy diets.
Don't;
Skip Meals
You want to strive to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. This might not always be
convenient or possible, but certainly don't skip breakfast. With all pregnancy diets, this first meal
will have a big effect on the rest of the day. You don't want to go hungry until two in the afternoon
whereupon you devour anything and everything in your path. Try to start your day with a small
protein item in combination with a little oatmeal. The oatmeal will break down slowly and prevent

2. your appetite from getting too out of hand by balancing your blood sugar. Oatmeal is a solid choice
in pregnancy diets.
Over Eat
Before you start eating for two, remember that one of the two of you is about the size of a grain of
rice at first. You only need about 300 extra calories a day when you're pregnant. Keep an eye on
your calories and remember to concentrate on highly nutritious, low caloric foods. Remember,
after you deliver, you are still going to want to look good. If it start's to get crazy for you, then set
aside a cheat day, (only one per week), where you can indulge yourself. Of course, nothing
harmful to your child. Often overlooked, a cheat day can be effectively employed in most all
pregnancy diets to help you eat clean during the other six days of the week.
Eat Processed Foods
The ingredients you can't identify on the package are often chemicals. These are bad new and
should be exclude from all pregnancy diets. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, processed
meats, and msg in all its different names. Fast food restaurants are loading their foods with a
number of chemicals to be avoided at all times, let alone during pregnancy diets. Avoiding
processed foods and the chemicals that come with them could be the single biggest favor you do
for your child.
Some Things to Remember
Eggs are a great source of protein and other essential minerals and vitamins that can be included
in pregnancy diets, but you want to be sure they are fully cooked. Avoid lightly cooked or raw
eggs, and foods with raw egg ingredients.
Dairy, can be a good source of protein and much needed calcium in pregnancy diets, just be sure
they are from sources that have been pasteurized.
*Fish, which boasts omega-3 fatty acids that can help a child's brain development, are a great
meal choice for pregnancy diets. But some varieties should be shunned due to high levels of
mercury, a pollutant that can affect a child's nervous system. Avoid the larger species of fish that
live longer and accumulate more mercury in their flesh, like swordfish, shark and marlin. However,
the benefits of fish can safely be reaped in pregnancy diets by eating smaller amounts, 12-16
ounces per week, of certain types that are known to contain the least amounts of mercury. Some
of these include trout (freshwater), tilapia, white fish, catfish, pollock, sardines, anchovies and
herring.
Copyright 2008 John Franco. John Franco has been directly involved in the Health and Fitness
Industry for close to thirty years. After witnessing hundreds of postnatal women joining the gym to
regain their figure, he has observed some amazing transformations and become a firm advocate
of proper diet coupled with regular exercise. To take the mystery out of how you should be eating
to permanently strip fat, increase energy and maintain good health, visit
[http://www.fatfreemommy.com]

3. Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Franco
==== ====
One of the most pressing issues for pregnant women today is diet and nutrition. With the
availability of preprocessed foods and fast-food restaurants, it’s easy to unconsciously do harm to
oneself by making poor food choices. For more information and tips click here:
http://www.diet-for-pregnant-women.com/
==== ====