What To Eat When Pregnant: Detoxing From Sugar And Caffeine
Run a simple Google search for what to eat when pregnant and chances are, the top two foods you should eliminate are caffeine and sugar. Both of these ingredients are in the average woman’s diet, and it’s necessity for anyone seeking the proper foods to eat when pregnant.
Unfortunately, both sugar and caffeine are addictive substances that will cause a range of not-so-pleasant symptoms if you detox from them too quickly. So how can you eliminate these food items, stay healthy during pregnancy, and still mitigate the effects of detoxing? Read on for your foolproof detox plan to eliminate sugar and caffeine during pregnancy.
What You Should Know about Su
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Aside from the usual issues of weight gain, tooth decay, and rapid increases in blood sugar, sugar poses an entirely different set of problems in pregnant women. During pregnancy, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream more rapidly than when a woman is not pregnant, which causes the pancreas to kick in and create more insulin. This can cause a vicious cycle of elevated blood sugar levels while the pancreas tries to catch up. This state can lead to gestational diabetes.
If you think you can sidestep the issue by using chemical sugar substitutes such as saccharine, sucralose, or aspartame, think again. These chemicals cannot be processed in the fetus’ developing liver. This can lead to a host of issues and abnormailities for both the baby and for you.
Eliminating Sugar
The good news is there are natural sugar substitutes that can help curb your sugar cravings as you detox from eating sugar. These healthy substitutes include stevia, raw honey, xylitol, and agave syrup.
These substitutes have been used for ages and have no unhealthy effect on the fetus or on your body during pregnancy. In fact, even after pregnancy, you should consider using only these types of sweeteners.
As with anything during pregnancy, moderation is key. Will one piece of cake be devastating to your pregnancy? No. But by eliminating the refined sugars and focusing on using healthy sweeteners, you can be assured that you are providing the best nutritional health for yourself and your baby during pregnancy. It also has the added benefit of helping keep your weight in check.
What You Should Know about Caffeine
Caffeine crosses the placental barrier, which is only one reason why it can be unhealthy for pregnant women and their babies. Most doctors agree that you should consume no more than 150mg of caffeine per day without harming your fetus.
That’s the equivalent of one cup of coffee or two cups of black tea on a daily basis. However, many women want to completely eliminate caffeine during pregnancy because they don’t want to run the risk of harming the baby.
Eliminating Caffeine
If you choose to eliminate caffeine, cold turkey is not the best way to go. In fact, you can make yourself quite ill if you go cold turkey and detox too rapidly. The best course of action is to slowly step down your caffeine consumption over time.
If you are used to drinking coffee, try stepping down to black tea, then green tea, then white tea. If you want to completely rid yourself of caffeine, then switch to herbal teas.
You should know that chocolate and some headache medicines also contain caffeine, so keep that in mind when calculating your daily allotment.
As with anything, know that moderation is the best solution. Simply by making the effort to control the amount of sugar and caffeine you consume during pregnancy, you are taking a big positive step to improve your health and the health of your unborn child.
By: Isabel DeLosRios
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Are you looking for the best advice for what to eat when pregnant? Need advice on the best foods to eat while pregnant? Visit The Diet Solution Program: What to Eat While Pregnant for exercise recommendations and eating tips for a healthy pregnancy. www.whattoeatwhilepregnant.com.
What To Eat When Pregnant: 4 Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Nutrition
What to eat when pregnant can be a pretty tough decision once you are finally sure you are pregnant. When you are faced with the reality of growing and nurturing another human being that is completely dependent on you for nutrition, it can be hard to know what the best choices are.
Add morning sickness, other life stresses, and the need to keep up with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, and you can become completely overwhelmed when trying to eat well for your unborn baby. Here are four steps to help you figure out what to eat when you are pregnant.
Step One: Go Natural
The first step should be to eliminate processed
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foods as possible from your diet. Whenever possible, choose foods in their most natural and simple states. For example, opt for a grass-fed steak rather than a hot dog or deli meat on your luncheon salad. Processed foods are a no-no for several reasons.
First, they contain chemical fillers that could have a negative effect on your health and wellbeingand your baby’s toowhile you are pregnant.
Second, processed foods are generally higher in calories than their more natural counterparts. While a 20-30 pound weight gain is best during pregnancy, we want to make sure we track those calories and don’t pack them in with processed foods.
Thirdly, whole foods provide a range of nutritional benefits, such as higher fiber content, that are a huge boon to you and your baby.
Step Two: Go Organic
Have you been seeking a reason to go organic but never felt you could justify the cost? Congratulations, now that you are pregnant you have every reason you need!
When selecting meats, dairy products, and eggs, you should opt for organic when possible. At the very least, antibiotic-free and hormone-free products will work if you can’t find or afford organic ones.
The chemicals in non-organic food products are simply too much of an unknown quantity when it comes to your baby. So take this opportunity to make the switch to organic foods.
Step Three: Eat Your Greens
While pregnant (and after you have your baby, too) it’s important to eat a vegetable with every meal. Veggies are a fantastic way to get fiber, and you need to increase the amount of fiber you consume once you become pregnant.
Constipation is a common pregnancy complaint, usually due to prenatal vitamins and hormonal changes that your body is undergoing. Increasing your fiber intake also helps you to feel fuller and more satisfied after a meal, which can help you keep your weight gain within normal parameters during pregnancy.
Step Four: Eat Your Fats
It’s perfectly healthy to eat fats during pregnancy; in fact, it’s necessary for the development of your fetus. The key is to consume the right kinds of fats at every meal.
This is not a free ticket to eat fried chicken and lots of other foods that are high in saturated fats. Healthy fats include olive oil, organic butter, nut butters, avocadoes, and coconut oil. These fats are rich in the kinds of fatty acids that your body needs to function at its prime, and will help you provide the right nutrition you need for your growing baby.
In addition, eating fats can help contribute to feelings of satiety, helping you to feel full and satisfied after eating adequately at meal.
A trip to your local health food store, farmer’s market, or food co-op can be an exciting and flavorful way to get your nutrition plan during pregnancy on track.
By: Isabel DeLosRios
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Are you looking for the best advice for what to eat when pregnant? Need advice on the best foods to eat while pregnant? Visit WhatToEatWhilePregnant.com to get exercise recommendations and learn what to eat when pregnant.
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