The news of pregnancy leaves women with a lot to think about.
While the first and foremost thing in any potential mother's mind will be that magical moment when they hold their newborn baby in their arms for the first time, most will also spend much of their pregnancy worrying about the health of their child.
If you are pregnant then it's time to start thinking about what you can do to ensure the healthy growth and development of your unborn child.
The best place to start is always to look at your own health and, in particular, your diet.
Pregnancy puts a great deal of strain on the body, so it is important to give your body everything it needs to work efficiently.
Remember that you are also eating for two, and this means that you are in charge of providing your growing baby with all the nourishment it needs to survive and to grow.
What Are You Eating It's time to take a good long look at the kinds of foods you eat.
How much of your diet is really healthy, and how much of it is nutritionally worthless indulgence food? Just because something is labeled as 'sugar-free', 'low fat', or as a 'healthy option', that doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you.
Chances are foods carrying these labels are only slightly less unhealthy than similar brands.
What you need to look at instead is the nutritional value of foods.
Pregnancy dieting is less about cutting back on sugar and fat, and more about increasing your intake of essential nutrients.
Most foods are now packaged with nutritional information, and this can help you determine which meals will give you the most nutrition.
Of course, this can all be very confusing.
An easier way of ensuring that you meet the nutritional requirements of your pregnancy is simply to eat lots of fresh foods, and in increasing variety.
Every food group is important, and the fresher the produce the better.
Reduce Where It Counts Some women think that by reducing the amount of fat in their diets they are helping their baby.
While it is true that too much fat can be a bad thing, it is important to remember that your body needs more calories during pregnancy - up to 60% more, in fact.
If your diet contains unhealthy amounts of fat it would be wise to reduce the amount of fatty foods you eat, but there is no need to cut it out of your diet altogether.
Fats can actually be quite useful, and fatty products like cheese also contain calcium, which is essential to the development of your baby's bones.
Eat More Vegetables Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any healthy diet, not just because they are fat-free but also because of the nutrients they contain.
It is said that each person should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables every day.
Now that you are eating for two, that amount needs to increase.
Of course, vegetables are only one part of a balanced diet.
You also need to ensure your baby has enough protein in its diet, so eat plenty of fresh, lean meat and fish too.
While the first and foremost thing in any potential mother's mind will be that magical moment when they hold their newborn baby in their arms for the first time, most will also spend much of their pregnancy worrying about the health of their child.
If you are pregnant then it's time to start thinking about what you can do to ensure the healthy growth and development of your unborn child.
The best place to start is always to look at your own health and, in particular, your diet.
Pregnancy puts a great deal of strain on the body, so it is important to give your body everything it needs to work efficiently.
Remember that you are also eating for two, and this means that you are in charge of providing your growing baby with all the nourishment it needs to survive and to grow.
What Are You Eating It's time to take a good long look at the kinds of foods you eat.
How much of your diet is really healthy, and how much of it is nutritionally worthless indulgence food? Just because something is labeled as 'sugar-free', 'low fat', or as a 'healthy option', that doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you.
Chances are foods carrying these labels are only slightly less unhealthy than similar brands.
What you need to look at instead is the nutritional value of foods.
Pregnancy dieting is less about cutting back on sugar and fat, and more about increasing your intake of essential nutrients.
Most foods are now packaged with nutritional information, and this can help you determine which meals will give you the most nutrition.
Of course, this can all be very confusing.
An easier way of ensuring that you meet the nutritional requirements of your pregnancy is simply to eat lots of fresh foods, and in increasing variety.
Every food group is important, and the fresher the produce the better.
Reduce Where It Counts Some women think that by reducing the amount of fat in their diets they are helping their baby.
While it is true that too much fat can be a bad thing, it is important to remember that your body needs more calories during pregnancy - up to 60% more, in fact.
If your diet contains unhealthy amounts of fat it would be wise to reduce the amount of fatty foods you eat, but there is no need to cut it out of your diet altogether.
Fats can actually be quite useful, and fatty products like cheese also contain calcium, which is essential to the development of your baby's bones.
Eat More Vegetables Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any healthy diet, not just because they are fat-free but also because of the nutrients they contain.
It is said that each person should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables every day.
Now that you are eating for two, that amount needs to increase.
Of course, vegetables are only one part of a balanced diet.
You also need to ensure your baby has enough protein in its diet, so eat plenty of fresh, lean meat and fish too.