If you have ever been pregnant, then you’ll know how much it can throw your body and brain for a spin. We’ve all heard of or experienced the famous cravings and rollercoaster shifts in appetite which come with being pregnant. Your nutrition becomes the baby’s nutrition, and for many pregnant women, this is something of a wake-up call to eat the right things and be as healthy as possible.
Accordingly, it is no surprise that there is a range of health fads, treatments, superfoods, supplements, and lifestyle choices that have all become incredibly well known in recent years. With this, unfortunately, have come a lot of health fads that seem to be worth little, and which pass after a few years. But at the same time, an entire knowledge base of advice and recommended foods has been built up, which really can help you through a successful pregnancy.
Satisfying the Cravings
Beyond the health of the baby, there is also a whole food and lifestyle market that has sprung up around satisfying the – at times odd – cravings of the mother. Pregnant women typically undergo serious hunger pangs and cravings for particular foods, and this is all related to the body seeking the right nutrition for its own needs and the needs of the growing baby as well.
And so, a great deal of dietary advice for pregnant women is not just about optimal nutrition – although that is of course the most important thing – but also about making things a bit more comfortable for the mother. In other words, choosing the foods and nutrients that can help stave off uncomfortable hunger pangs and cravings.
Best Food and Drink for Pregnant Women
So, what are these superfoods, drinks, and nutrients that can aid a woman through pregnancy? And how do we separate the ones that really work from those that are purely born out of novelty fads? Identifying the ones that do work might be a start. Here then are some of the best things to eat and drink if you are pregnant:
Dairy
The reason why you should increase your daily consumption if you’re pregnant is that your body and your little one will require extra protein and calcium. The most abundant source of this is dairy products, so be sure to stock up on milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Legumes
Legumes are a class of vegetables that include lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, and soybeans (“beans and peas”, in other words). These foods are a great natural source of fiber, protein, iron, folate, and calcium. Accordingly, eating your beans and peas is a terrific way to work a plentiful supply of these nutrients into your diet.
Hydrogen Water
One of the most successful health phenomena over recent years, hydrogen water has nevertheless shown itself to have some staying power. And this is on account of the fact that it actually works. Hydrogen water can avert all sorts of problems related to oxidative stress. Synergy Science, the world leader in hydrogen water, advises that this makes it great for solving a range of pregnancy-related problems.
Salmon
In actuality, all fatty fish rich in omega-3 are great foods to eat during pregnancy. However, the delicious salmon stands over and above the others as a top source of the nutrient, which is shown to increase gestational length. This means salmon can help in avoiding premature births, ensuring your child gets full nutrition for the full pregnancy term.
All the foods listed here also have one additional benefit – they can help you feel fuller for longer. Accordingly, eating them is not only a way to optimize your pregnancy, but to make it more comfortable too.