Anticipating the arrival of your little one is an exciting time – a time that can come too quickly for some.
There are so many things we are supposed to avoid or take more of when pregnant, it can be hard to keep track.
It turns out a study reveals there is something mothers can do while pregnant to help keep our bun in the oven until the timer is done.
It is not hidden knowledge that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is optimal for human health.
However, growing a little person inside you can make you want some menu items that would make your obstetrician cringe.
While indulging in the occasional basket of chili fries won’t cause you to go straight into labor (well, most of the time), keeping a relatively clean diet is essential for carrying to term.
A PhD candidate just gave pregnant women one more reason to open that cookbook they got 6 birthdays ago.
Science Daily reports:
“University of Queensland PhD candidate Dereje Gete analysed the diets of nearly 3500 women and found high consumption of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, cabbage, green beans and potatoes before conception helped women reach full term pregnancy.”
So little developing bodies are just as sensitive to a healthy diet as big ones are.
Inflammation is a major cause of many ailments in the body, including ones that can affect pregnancy.
Gete says, “Traditional vegetables are rich in antioxidants or anti-inflammatory nutrients, which have a significant role in reducing the risk of adverse birth outcomes.”
Eating a plant-based diet is beneficial anytime you begin, but for women thinking about beginning a family, or adding to their brood, now is the time to take action.
Gete adds:
“Women depend on certain stored nutrients such as calcium and iron before conception, which are critical for placenta and foetus tissue development.
Starting a healthier diet after the baby has been conceived may be too late, because babies are fully formed by the end of the first trimester.”
You may be thinking, “having the baby a few weeks early may not be such a bad thing seeming my pants don’t fit well as it is.”
Unfortunately, those born prematurely “face a greater risk of metabolic and chronic diseases in adulthood, as well as poor cognitive development and academic performance,” Professor Mishra said on Science Daily.
A premature birth is one which occurs prior to 37 weeks of gestation, and affects 15 million babies a year, according to the World Health Organization, making it the leading cause of death among children under 5.
So you have decided you want to have a baby, or just found out the good news you are now eating for two (congrats!), where do you start?
It may feel nearly impossible to go from chips to carrot sticks overnight, but if you use the easy transition tips to clean eating from the Better Change Project you will be bringing up tofu and chia seeds seamlessly at the next play date.
(h/t Better Change Project)