Healthy Diet Plan To Lose Weight While Pregnant

Pregnancy brings with it a surge of excitement for the pregnant couple and their loved ones. Nonetheless, this is also the time when a lot of care is needed by both the mother and the baby yet to be born. While the world is dealing with the COVID-19 scare, taking care of the pregnant woman’s health and wellbeing has become even more critical.

“It is essential for pregnant women to understand their body and take proper guidance when it comes to diet, exercise, and rest. Maintaining a healthy diet not only keeps infections away it also helps in keeping the mental stress at bay. At no other time in life is nutrition as important as before, during, and following pregnancy. It is rightly said – ‘You become what you eat’ and for women who are expecting or are planning on having a baby they must eat healthy and fresh foods. A healthy diet feeds the unborn child’s overall growth. This also increases the expecting mother’s immunity, ” Dr Sunita Dube, MD radiologist and healthcare entrepreneur.

A healthy immune system makes an expectant mother less likely to experience infection or illness. “As a mother of two and a medical practitioner for 17 years, where I also consult pregnant women, I have observed that during this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. During pregnancy, it is important to eat every two hours. I recommend this to every pregnant woman I consult that they should have at least two tablespoons of pure ghee and a handful of dry fruits every day, ” Dr Dube advises. Here are some tips to keep in mind while planning your diet chart for pregnancy.

Eating For Two

Poor eating habits and excess weight gain may also increase your risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy or birth complications, says Dr Akta Bajaj, Sr Consultant and head- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare. Here are the food items that you should avoid.

Though it’s a rich source of Vitamin A, B12, copper and iron, a pregnant woman should avoid consuming them in a large quantity to avoid Vitamin A and copper toxicity. One should restrict it to once a week.

Consuming processed food during pregnancy increases the risk of excess weight gain, diabetes and other complications. This can also have long-term health implications in the child too.

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Raw eggs may be contaminated with salmonella, which can lead to sickness and an increased risk of premature birth. Pasteurised eggs can be used instead.

It’s essential that a pregnant woman should maintain a healthy diet. During this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. A mother-to-be needs 350–500 extra calories each day during the second and third trimesters. “If a diet lacks key nutrients, it may negatively affect the baby’s development. During pregnancy, you need to consume extra protein and calcium to meet the needs of the growing fetus, ” explains Dr Bajaj. Here are a few things you should consider adding to your diet during the gestation period.

Legumes are excellent plant-based sources of fibre, protein, iron, folate (B9) and calcium — all of which your body needs more of during pregnancy.

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Vitamin A is essential for growth and the differentiation of most cells and tissues. It’s necessary for healthy fetal development. Orange, yellow, and green leafy vegetables such as carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, apricots, and oranges are excellent sources of vitamin A for pregnant women.

Eggs are the ultimate health food, as they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. A large egg contains 77 calories, as well as high-quality protein and fat. It also packs many vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables like broccoli and dark, green vegetables, such as spinach, contain many of the nutrients pregnant women need. They are rich in several nutrients that are important for foetus’ development.

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To make sure that what you eat helps your body and also helps you stay interested, spread out your food through the day by following different food ideas. You can mix and match the following depending on how much you can eat and whether you are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

A woman’s meal during pregnancy should be well-balanced, rich in nutrients, easy to digest and delicious - so she should be happy enough to eat it as her state of mind plays a vital role in the child’s overall development. Along with considering changes in diet to suit your baby’s developmental needs, a mother-to-be and people around her should also pay importance to stress management, physical activity, and happiness. A pregnant woman should eat at regular intervals, do doctor-suggested physical exercise and have a healthy sleep cycle. To even out intake of all nutrients needed by a mother, her meals should include pre-breakfast snacks, breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, evening snacks and dinner. Apart from that, she must regulate tea or coffee consumption, strictly stay away from alcohol or any substance abuse and should keep herself well-hydrated.

If the numbers of meals are making you feel overwhelmed, don’t be. Make sure you eat in limited quantity and focus on keeping a decent gap between the meals. For instance, your pre-breakfast snacks and breakfast can have a one-hour gap between them, likewise for mid-morning snacks and lunch. Keep three to three and a half-hour gap between your breakfast and lunch. Keep a two-three-hour gap between your lunch, evening snacks and dinner. If at any point, you feel bloated or heavy, take a light walk in or around the house, and consult your nutritionist or gynaecologist.

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Also remember it is okay sometimes to miss a meal or two, but it should never be encouraged. Skipping meals disturbs your body’s cycle and can make you weak, dizzy or nauseous. Keep alternating between food items, so you do not get bored of eating the same thing, but avoid junk food as much as possible. If you are not okay eating any particular food item or dish, do not force yourself and alternate it with something else with similar nutritional values. For any hunger pangs between the meals, you can always munch on some dry fruits, nuts, fruits and healthy snacks.

A: During pregnancy, it is advised that women should eat everything, but what is often ignored is that everything should be consumed in moderation. The guidelines for eating well for a healthy pregnancy are simple and easy to follow. When, where, and how much a woman eats is flexible, and should be governed by the necessity of the body, explains Dr Dube.

A: It’s essential that a pregnant woman should maintain a healthy diet. During this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. A mother-to-be needs 350–500 extra calories each day during the second and third trimesters, says Dr Bajaj.

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A: Morning sickness is a typical phase during pregnancy, which happens due to body’s reaction to human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Experts advise women who suffer from extreme morning sickness issues to follow intuitive eating; of course, they should avoid foods that are big no during this time. But they can listen to their body and follow the meal they prefer and consider a healthy intake of nutrients to help the foetus grow. Additionally, avoiding greasy, fried, stale food during these days can also help in keeping the morning sickness issues to a lesser uncomfortable point.As a general guide, pregnant mothers need to eat a healthy diet, high in nutrients and low in sugar, salt and saturated fats.

It’s normal for a pregnant mother to gain weight — however, gaining too much or too little weight increases the risk of complications for you and your baby.

Healthy weight gain depends on a mother’s weight before pregnancy. Evidence supports using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a guide for how much weight gain is recommended during pregnancy.

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A well balanced diet is usually enough to meet your nutritional needs during pregnancy. However, some foods contain higher concentrations of certain nutrients which are specifically recommended during pregnancy.

Folate, iron, iodine and vitamin D are nutrients needed to support a growing baby’s health and development and can prevent certain conditions. If you are planning a pregnancy, you should start taking a folic acid supplement at least one month before you fall pregnant and for 3 months after conception. Folic acid supplements have been proven to help protect against neural tube defects.

If you are considering taking or currently taking any supplements, please discuss this with your doctor or midwife, as doses can vary depending on your individual circumstance.

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A healthy, balanced diet includes a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups. It’s also advisable to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Most of us have days when we eat well, and days where our intake of ‘treat’ foods may be higher. Pregnancy cravings can also make this harder to manage, especially when they’re for foods which are high in sugar, salt or fat.

If you are suffering from morning sickness or severe vomiting during pregnancy, it is important to eat what you can at the time. You should contact you doctor or midwife if you are concerned.

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It used to be thought that pregnancy food cravings