Healthy diet rules during pregnancy

BEST GIFT  YOU CAN GIVE TO A CHILD DURING PREGNANCY IS A HEALTHY DIET AND REST.

Introducing the principles of healthy eating, which I have often written about will make a healthy diet become habit faster than you expect :). Improving your well-being is the best reward, and subsequent effects will come to you. Use  healthy diets and become a role model for your baby for life. Help your child to understand that the meal supposed to be a fuel that allows you to function well and feel good. Show that the food can be tasty despite the lack of sugar, processed products, colorful beverages and many tempting delicacies.

During pregnancy you need to take care of your and your baby’s health.

Follow the rules:

• Try to eat more often, but eat smaller portions
• Eat 5 times a day – 3 main meals and 2 snacks. But if you need to eat more often – do it! But let it be small portions and without eating in between!
• Remember to eat meals at regular times. If you regulate your metabolism, your body will not lose unnecessary fat, waiting too long for the next meal. Constant intervals between meals during the day, will not program the body in this way, but long one will indeed. Eating at regular intervals – will also allow you to maintain adequate blood sugar, which will prevent hunger.
• But if you experience hunger – Make sure your snacks are only healthy products such as carrots, bananas, pickled vegetables, apple, a handful of peanuts, paprika or a spoon of sesame paste (rich in calcium), a glass of fresh vegetables or dried fruits such as plums, figs, dates Apricots, cranberries. Remember to carefully brew dried fruit. This will remove the sulfur and other harmful substances used in the drying process
• Drink in the morning (on an empty stomach) a glass of boiled warm water with a hint of lemon – it will stimulate the liver, stimulate intestinal function, improve metabolism, prevent constipation, remove toxins
• Eat varied and always warm breakfast. I recommend protein-fat breakfast, which contains good quality fat, valuable protein, vitamins and minerals. This early morning meal is beneficial to the body because it will give you a feeling of satiety for longer than breakfast with carbohydrate. In addition, it promotes the reduction of adipose tissue and does not cause blood sugar jumps. The added advantage of eating your first protein-fat meal is that cortisol levels are the highest half an hour since waking, and therefore a carbohydrate breakfast would result in additional glycemic increase and insulin purging. Such a reaction of the body consequently leads to a decrease in sugar and a feeling of hunger, and sometimes even weakness and drowsiness.
• Protein-fat breakfast is especially suitable for people living in constant stress and suffering from insomnia. In the beginning you can start the day for a few days and compare the occasional carbohydrate breakfast. I guarantee you will notice a big difference. However, I always say that every organism is different and has different needs. Watch your body reactions and if you feel it is not the right meal for you, tailor it to your taste and needs.
• Try not to eat for the first breakfast (on an empty stomach) raw fruits, juices, yoghurts or salads.
• Eat fruits in the first half of the day and do not mix them with other meals or dairy.
• Carbohydrate meals will best for the second breakfast to add energy for the day.
• Do not drink during the meals – different products require different digestion time. During sipping, gastric juices are diluted, resulting in prolonged digestion and a feeling of filling, which can cause bloating. It is best to drink fluids 30 minutes before meals and 30 minutes -1 hours after meals. This will ensure better digestion, because you will avoid diluting the gastric juice that contains hydrochloric and digestive enzymes and is bactericidal.
• Limit dairy, and make an exception for eggs, because it’s a rich lecithin, valuable protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Lunch should include wholesome protein, complex carbohydrates and plenty of vegetables.
• Do not combine protein with carbohydrates. Leave at least a dozen minutes between these products. If you can not separate it, then slowly chew your food.
• Combine the following products: carbohydrates / fat + vegetables / fat + vegetables / fat and protein. The pregnant woman’s metabolic is slightly altered and may not work at its highest rate. These problems also result from the typical physical changes, and  some pregnant women often face problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Properly combining products can reduce the risk of these types of problems and will facilitate digestion. The digestive system, from the oral cavity to the very end, is a very diverse environment and the products that you get  are digested under different conditions. Carbohydrates are digested in alkaline medium and proteins are acidic. By combining products from both groups you can cause certain ingredients not being properly digested and remain intact in the intestines. Popular and delicious lunch at Polish tables, pork chop with potatoes, is a huge thing for our digestive system. Proteins need a lot of hydrochloric acid, very little starch. By combining high protein carbohydrates with protein or by alternating them, we cause incomplete digestion of proteins in the stomach. Later digestion of proteins in the duodenum and the small intestine occurs in alkaline environment, other enzymes already active are unable to replace hydrochloric acid. These undigested proteins cause fermentation and seeding processes in the intestines. Consequently, it can lead to serious illness in addition to poor health.
• Do not combine fatty and acidic products at the same time – excess acid closes the gallbladder , and fats are digested by bile, so you burden the liver.
• Eat veggies cooked or blanched and if eating raw it can only be a 1/4 of the total amount. Always eat them with fat. Cooking and blanching causes fiber to separate from minerals and vitamins such as carotenoids and vegetables are better absorbed. Exactly the same is done by saliva if the food is well chewed. Fat is needed for raw vegetables to bild up the bile that will aid the digestion in the duodenum. It is essential to absorb these carotenoids. Raw vegetables are difficult to digest, and are also a nutrient for bad bacterial flora (hence bloating). More vegetables are cooked for good flora (ex inulin).
• If you do not have medical advice to reduce your fat intake then do not give it up because it will provide you with energy and will help you rebuild some tissues.
• Eat light dinner, up to two hours before bed. It can be with eggs, lean meat and fish, baked or cooked vegetables, vegetable salads, cooked sausages, fish paste.
• If you like to eat bread, for example, choose whole grain cereals, preferably rye bread with rye. Bake rye bread with folic acid and silicon and stimulate the growth of probiotic bacteria.
• Do not drink cold drinks before bed!
• After a warm meal, especially after fats, also try not to drink cold beverages.
• Eat slowly and chew very carefully – it’s important! The signal to the brain will reach after 20 minutes, only then you will know that you are fed and then it will be time to digest.
• Do not overeat Try to finish the meal before you get a feeling of satiety.  Savor your food, do not push it. It counts the quality of the dish, not quantity.
• Do not eat snacks between meals. Drink still water – every hour at least 1-2 glasses. Let it be your habit.
• Eat when you feel hungry, do not eat meals for the future just  “in case”.
• Eat only those products that serve you, and refuse those that harm you.
• Have a strong will in the store, and you will not have to fight with yourself when you open the cupboard or refrigerator.Read the labels carefully – when you see preservatives, sugar – put it back on the shelf!

Often it turns out that products that are considered to be healthy and well influencing your mood can hurt you both. You should be especially careful even when consuming vitamins. More does not mean better!

Also remember about the following points.

• It is very important not to exceed the recommended dose of vitamin A (over 500 IU of retinoid derivatives). Too high a dose of this vitamin in the form of retinol is teratogenic, which increases the risk of developmental defects of the fetus. So avoid eating liver and all supplements that contain high amounts of vitamin A. If you consume fish oil choose one that will not exceed the daily dose of this vitamin.
• Remember, pregnant women are absolutely prohibited from consuming drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, as they threaten the development of the fetus. Limit and even eliminate drinks like cola, caffeinated beverages or black tea.
• Be careful with coffee! If you can not imagine a day without a little black, drink up to one cup of good quality brewed coffee. More I wrote HERE
• Exclude raw, undercooked meat and fish, and crustaceans and molluscs from the diet, as they may be contaminated with Campylobacter jejuni, this can only be killed at 40 degrees Celsius. It is dangerous because it can cause gastroenteritis and n children it can cause acute appendicitis. Avoid eating these products also because of the high risk of toxoplasmosis. If a woman is infected with the disease two to three months before conception or in the first trimester it may result in miscarriage, fetal death or defects such as hydrocephalus
• Also  salmonella is dangerous ,you can get infected by eating raw or undercooked eggs and even their shells. Therefore, eggs must be thoroughly washed before cooking. The future mom should therefore give up raw egg products such as home-made mayonnaise, protein foam, tiramisu and of course egg liqueur.
• Also avoid smoked products due to the presence of carcinogenic nitrosamine and limit the consumption of fried products. Avoid also dried meat because it is not chemically treated and can therefore contain a lot of harmful bacteria.
• Avoid some spices such as thyme, rosemary, arnica, sage, safflower, juniper, wormwood, coriander, large amber, black pepper, peppercorns,  tarragon and peony, as they can cause premature contractions.
• Do not eat fast food!
• It is not recommended to eat goji berries because they contain small amounts of poisonous alkaloid – atropine, which has diastolic properties and stops urine.
• Try to exclude wheat because it is your enemy and one of the most genetically modified products!
• You should also limit your intake of tyramine (blue cheese, feta, red wine, liver, pate), which increases blood pressure and increases your heart rate.
• Avoid products such as: packaged lettuce, unpasteurised products and blue mold cheese and ripening cheeses  and liver pate. They may include listers, listeriosis bacteria – a disease that can cause pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal death, premature birth or severe neonatal disease.
• Exclude aspartame, because in large quantities it can cause uterine contractions (found in sweets, chewing gum and candy)
• The risk group also include peanuts, which can cause allergies in children. Researchers are constantly investigating whether they do more harm than good. Opinions are divided, so I recommend caution. There may be mold in the nuts that produces mycotoxins. If your family is affected by illnesses such as allergies, eczema, a, asthma or hay fever, you should definitely avoid peanuts during pregnancy and feeding.
• Watch out for canned foods as they contain sodium benzoate that can cause allergies.
• Limit the baking powder because it contains sodium phosphate, which aggravates the absorption of iron.
• Citrus fruits are highly allergenic and are often recommended to be eliminated from the diet. Each case is different, so consult your dietitian or doctor for elimination.
• Limit processed products, even such as corn or chocolate breakfast cereals, because they cause high blood sugar spikes and weight gain also for the baby.
• Exclude sweets, which due to the presence of trans fats are causing overweight, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Prepare healthy sweets and desserts yourself.
• Please refrain from canned sauces they contain a lot of salt, sugar, harmful fats and preservatives.
• Limit salt intake, and instead choose for example sea salt or other low sodium or iodized salt. But even with healthier alternatives, use salt in small amounts.
• Never freeze once products that were defrosted already – this can lead to salmonella.
• Store food as instructed on the package.Under no circumstances do not eat outdated products.
• Carefully wash vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruits, even though you will peel them.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with suitable liquid and warm water. Do not forget the thumbs, the space between your fingers and wrists.
• Keep raw meat away from other food.
• Take care of proper product storage and preparation of meals.
• Keep hygiene in the kitchen, wash the counters and kitchen surfaces with antimicrobial liquids daily.
• Use a separate chopping board for meat, preferably a glass one.

I guess the list of right and wrong is long and you have already begun to think that for a few months you can say goodbye to the pleasures of the palate. I assure you do not have to!

The food is supposed to be tasty first and foremost. Of course, you can give yourself a little slack and have a moment of pleasure, but remember that these whims are everyday! If your diet is healthy and you provide yourself with all vitamins and minerals and also avoid harmful products, you have a great chance that your pregnancy will proceed without  difficulty.

photo. Marta Wojtal