Diet During Pregnancy by Gaby Espino

When a woman is pregnant or has just given birth, what she eats plays a very important role in her weight. Following a balanced diet plan can avoid drastic weight gain and assists in recovering the body figure quickly. Remember that the old saying “pregnant women should eat for two” is a myth! Adjustments on what to eat need to be made but they need to be gradual and controlled. Here are some tips for the beautiful new mothers:

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1. Follow a diet plan: like in every other moment, it is very important to have moderation. Think about yourselves and the baby; there should be no reason for any extreme diets during this period because it can affect the heath of both. The key is MODERATION, eat at least 5 times a day and include carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats and vegetables in your daily meals. Always give priority to the consumption of protein, these have a lot of nutrients that the baby needs and helps the mother have an active metabolism.

2. Include a lot of fiber: Another important thing is to include fiber in the diet. During the pregnancy and the weeks following, it is very common to suffer from constipation due to the hormonal changes and the pre-natal vitamins. To dispose of this uncomfortable situation, it is key to include beans, brown rice and many vegetables in the meals as well as drink plenty of water.

3. Consume foods that contain folic acid: This nutrient is very important during the pregnancy because it protects the baby from suffering malfunctions and greatly minimizes the risk of premature birth. The foods that contain the greatest amounts of folic acid are spinach, asparagus, lentils, whole grains, sunflower seeds and beef liver.

4. Gradually increase the consumption of calories: During the first trimester of the pregnancy, it is not necessary to increase the consumption of calories. An increase in calories during this time will result in weight gain. During the second trimester of the pregnancy, an increase of 300 calories should be consumed and in the third trimester an increase of 450 calories more than the usual should be consumed. These calories should come from good proteins and carbohydrates, not from empty calories of fruits, sweets and desserts that do not provide any important nutrients and gain weight in an important manner.

5. Calm cravings in a healthy manner: It is normal to have cravings during this beautiful period, however, there are ways to calm them without eating foods that will cause weight gain. Sugar-free gelatin is an excellent option to calm cravings of sweets without affecting the weight and the best is a protein shake from Yes You Can! Diet Plan that tastes like dessert, which gives 15 grams of protein and only contains 80 calories.

Always add a complete healthy multivitamin supplement. 

Gaby Espino