Keeping Fit & Healthy Foods During Pregnancy //

Fitness goes hand in hand with eating right to maintain your physical health and well-being during pregnancy. Pregnant or not, physical fitness helps keep the heart, bones, and mind healthy. Now that i am in my 3rd trimester, i am feeling more tired than before so even a simple walk can make all the difference. 

Benefits of physical activity during pregnancy:

• Exercise can ease and prevent aches and pains of pregnancy including constipation, varicose veins, backaches, and exhaustion.
• Active women seem to be better prepared for labour and delivery and recover more quickly.
• Exercise may lower the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
• Fit women have an easier time getting back to a healthy weight after delivery.
• Regular exercise may improve sleep during pregnancy.
• Staying active can protect your emotional health. Pregnant women who exercise seem to have better self-esteem and a lower risk of depression and anxiety.
• Results from a recent, large study suggest that women who are physically active during pregnancy may lower their chances of premature delivery.

When pregnant, I am conscious of the amount of sugar I eat. I don't want it to affect the baby in any way so I try to make some healthier choices and start adding some super foods to my diet, It's the least I can do for 9 months and I really think it makes a difference.

Eating a variety of healthy foods during pregnancy could help to develop his/her healthy eating habits by getting them accustomed to healthy foods. I really believe this to be the case as Arabella loves all the foods I eat, has never been sick or even seen a GP!

Here are the top 10 foods to eat as often as possible during pregnancy, that will give you and your baby the best nutrition.

Spinach

All leafy greens are ideal vegetables during pregnancy, but raw spinach is especially good because it has one of the highest amounts of folate found in any food. Folate (folic acid), as you may know, is super important for the unborn baby and an adequate amount decreases the chance of birth defects, preterm labor, and pre-eclampsia. Spinach also contains just about every vitamin and mineral that you need for pregnancy, even calcium, which is why it’s considered a superfood. Throw a handful of raw spinach in a smoothie  (add a banana and you’ll never taste the spinach).

Eggs

Eggs are an almost perfect food in that for very few calories and very accessible. You receive a relatively high amount of high quality protein and healthy fat. Eggs also contain nutrients like iron, choline, and folate that keep your amniotic membranes strong and help prevent birth defects. 

Greek Yoghurt

I am a huge fan of this versatile, fermented, high-protein, low calorie food and eat it in smoothies all the time. Greek yoghurt promotes gut health for both you and your baby and is high in the all-important protein, which is building your baby cell by cell. It also provides a serving of calcium, important for bone health of you and baby. At the moment, only one brand is available in Irish Supermarkets 'Fage' . Do not confuse with 'Greek-Style Yoghurt' which is full of sugar. 

Berries

Berries and other foods high in antioxidants will remove the free radicals from your system, protecting you both so load up on the blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries every single day. I add mine to my cereal and smoothies every day. 

Vegetables

To make sure you’re getting the most nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are important to your health and your baby’s health in different ways, eat a wide variety of colours when you choose vegetables. 

Salmon or Fish Oil

I have read about the importance of the Omega-3 fats during pregnancy so I take a supplement every morning- Aside from making your baby smarter, these healthy fats have been found to decrease inflammation in your body, lower the risk of post-partum depression, lower the risk of pre-term labour and pre-eclampsia, and even lower your baby’s chance of developing allergies later in life.

Sweet Potatoes

I have completely switched to sweet potatoes now and hardly ever eat white. I started giving them to Arabella from 6 months and never looked back. They are high in fibre, which our bodies truly need during pregnancy as our intestines are being squashed and crowded. But they also contain carotenoids, which convert as needed to Vitamin A in our bodies. Sweet potatoes are also high in Vitamin C, which helps you to absorb iron and prevent anemia, a common diagnosis during pregnancy. Another benefit is the high amount of potassium, even higher than a banana, an electrolyte that will prevent leg cramps. 

Lean Meat

I am not a big meat eater but try to eat some during pregnancy as protein is so important- Lean meats are not only an excellent source of high-quality protein, but also contain other vital nutrients like choline, & iron. The best lean meats are grass-fed beef, free range chicken, turkey (NOT deli turkey or any deli meat for that matter), salmon, and lean pork.

Walnuts or Chia Seed

If you don’t like fish or want to take fish oil, you can still get a nice serving of omega-3 fats by consuming walnuts and chia seeds. While all nuts and seeds are excellent sources of fat and fibre during pregnancy, walnuts and chia seed should be included as often as possible because of this. you can add chia seeds to smoothies  and throw walnuts on salads.

Beans and Lentils

Beans are a great plant-based source of protein, as well as fibre and other nutrients needed for pregnancy (iron, folate, zinc). They’re cheap and easy. Zinc-rich foods like beans have been shown to prevent pre-term labour, pre-eclampsia, and low-birth weight babies.