For one, you want to reduce toxicity prior to and while pregnant. Also, many women initiating a pregnancy are often overweight or obese.
It's time to find out what you should eat.
How Much Weight Should You Gain?
Babies usually weigh between seven and nine pounds. Women of average weight are advised to gain between 37 and 54 pounds during pregnancy. Women with a BMI over 30 should only gain between 24 and 42 pounds.
What Should You Eat?
Cravings may urge you to eat processed foods. Remember, the foods you eat need to make your baby strong and healthy, and that does not include Twinkies.
Eat foods that are rich in folic acids, especially during the first trimester. Spinach, beans, peas, avocado, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and dark leafy greens are full of folic acid.
Increasing your fiber intake will reduce constipation, indigestion and heartburn. These digestive issues tend to present during the second trimester. Black beans are very high in fiber and are easy to incorporate in soups and salads.
You really need healthy fats in the third trimester. Stick with salmon, avocado, dark chocolate, chia seeds, and nuts that are rich in fats.
Smart Snacking
Make a list of five items you love to eat. Keep them as staples so you aren’t forced to eat processed foods. Your hormones fluctuate so rapidly that you don’t want to be caught off guard.
It may help to keep in mind that the food you eat when pregnant will affect your child’s health over a lifetime.
Listen as Dr. Nicole Avena joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss best eating habits for pregnancy.
Dr. Nicole Avena is a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction.