The first three months of pregnancy is observed as the first trimester. It is the most adventurous phase with surprising changes. The first trimester is no less than a euphoric journey with symptoms like morning sickness, mood swings, and food cravings.
However, each pregnancy has its own unique symptoms. It has been observed that some women undergo much difficulty in transforming their daily diet while others are not likely to face any food aversion.
Dos and Don’ts
A Healthy diet and proper nutrition are essential to maintain both you and your child’s health. Hence, these are the following Dos and Don’ts which you must strictly follow during the phase:
Dos
- Intake of folic acid in proper quantity. Doctors prescribe medicines with folic acid content. Nevertheless, consumption of natural folic acids like leafy vegetables, beans, oranges, rice, avocado, etc is equally necessary.
- Have small brunches after certain intervals. This will not only satisfy your hunger pangs but also well for your appetite.
- Foods with high protein contents like fishes, meats, eggs, milk and other dairy products are considered to have lots of biological values. In case of vegetarians, replace the above-mentioned non-veg. Items with soy proteins, dal, legumes, and pulses.
- If you are in your first trimester then you have high chances of suffering from constipation. Thus, your diet chart must include complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, dalia, quinoa, multigrain flour, and oats. These inclusions will add loads of fibre to your daily diet.
- Being anaemic can be fatal in the long run of pregnancy especially during labour. So, your daily diet must have a consistent supply of iron. Spinach, lotus stems, wheat germ, oatmeal, dried fruits, and dried beans are rich in iron.
- The pregnancy is not the good time to exclude ghee and butter from the diet. Make a combination of some good fat with ghee and oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids like olive, flax oil and canola.
- Eat food fortified in zinc. It regulates the secretion of insulin and other enzymes. Sources of such foods are poultry, beans, whole grains, dairy products, and beans.
Doctors recommend increasing the intake of natural juices, coconut water, fresh whole fruits, milk, and chaas. This helps to satisfy those occasional cravings and keep you full.
Don’ts
- Consuming only three major meals a day.
- Having aerated drinks, drinks containing caffeine and other related beverages.
- Meats which are undercooked
- Unpasteurised milk
- Products made out of refined flour.
- Foods containing trans-fats. Always check the nutritional information mentioned on the food label for such information.
- Taking iron supplements only for proper supply of iron in your body.
- Do not take supplements unless and until your doctor or dietician prescribe the same.
- Avoid supplements which are fortified with both iron and zinc. As iron can have a detrimental effect on the function of zinc. Consult your doctor before taking one.
- Packaged fruit juices contain added preservatives and artificial sweetening agents. Thus, always opt for drinking natural juices.
With this simple regime like this your journey of being a mother will be more ecstatic, joyful and healthy.
No comments