Dietary Guidelines For Pregnant Ladies

Pregnancy is a normal physiological condition during which a baby is growing inside the mother's womb. There are different hormonal changes causing taste changes, food cravings and associated nausea, vomiting or gastrointestinal issues. During pregnancy the nutritional requirements are increased to meet the demands of the body for proper growth and development of the baby. 

Positive nutritional support during pregnancy leads to a good outcome for both mother and baby. 

Eating a balanced diet is very important and never think of starving yourself to avoid weight gain during pregnancy. 

A basic guideline is given is given below: 

- Consume a diet containing vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. 

- Take Vitamin supplements as prescribed by your doctor.

- Vitamin A containing supplement should be avoided especially during the first 3 months. 

- Drink 1-2 cups of fresh milk daily. If you like drinking flavored milk you can enjoy adding your preferred flavors.

- Avoid caffeine containing drinks. 

- Soak 7-9 almonds overnight and eat them with 3 dates in morning. 

- Take a cup of yogurt with bread or parahata (Asian bread ) 

- Eggs are safe and good source of protein. Take in any form you like boiled, omellete etc. 

- Oatmeal is healthy and helps with preventing constipation. 

- Morning sickness is common during the first 3 months, to prevent vomiting don't stay with an empty stomach, take some crackers or wheat biscuits' when you wake up in the morning. 

- Avoid taking too much liquid during mealtimes.

- Avoid foods with strong odors. 

- Drink coconut water or lemon drink whenever easily available.

- Eat proper meals containing meat, vegetables or lentils . Take small frequent meals if you face any digestive issues. 

- Totally avoid soft drinks. 

- No alcohol and No smoking. 

- Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. 

- Avoid spicy and oily foods.

- Diet needs to be modified if you suffer from any other medical condition or gestational diabetes.

Have a safe and heathy pregnancy. 

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Introduction To Malnutrition

Malnutrition results from inadequate intake or abnormal GI assimilation of dietary calories, excessive energy expenditure, or altered metabolism of energy supplies by an intrinsic disease process.

Both outpatients and inpatients are at risk for malnutrition if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Unintentional loss of >10% of usual body weight in the preceding 3 months
• Body weight <90% of ideal for height.
• Body mass index (BMI: weight/height2 in kg/m2) <18.5

Two forms of severe malnutrition can be seen:

1. marasmus, which refers to generalized starvation that occurs in the setting of chronically decreased energy intake without systemic inflammation, and 
2. kwashiorkor, which refers to selective protein malnutrition due to decreased protein intake and catabolism in the setting of acute, life-threatening illnesses or chronic inflammatory disorders. Aggressive nutritional support is indicated in kwashiorkor to prevent infectious complications and poor wound healing.

Etiology

The major etiologies of malnutrition are 

• starvation,
• stress from surgery or severe illness, and 
• mixed mechanisms. 

Starvation results from decreased dietary intake (from poverty, chronic alcoholism, anorexia nervosa, fad diets, severe depression, neurodegenerative disorders, dementia, or strict vegetarianism; abdominal pain from intestinal ischemia or pancreatitis; or anorexia associated with AIDS, disseminated cancer, heart failure, or renal failure) or decreased assimilation of the diet (from

pancreatic insufficiency; short bowel syndrome; celiac disease; or esophageal, gastric,or intestinal obstruction). 

Contributors to physical stress include fever, acute trauma, major surgery, burns, acute sepsis, hyperthyroidism, and inflammation as occurs in pancreatitis, collagen vascular diseases, and chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or AIDS opportunistic infections. 

Mixed mechanisms occur in AIDS, disseminated cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic liver disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and renal failure.

Introduction to Multivitamin Supplements and Understanding Megavitamin therapy.

A vitamin is one of a group of organic substances, present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs that are essential for normal body metabolism.

There are 13 vitamins that a human  body needs. They are

• Vitamin A
• B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate)
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

Each vitamin has specific function in the body and if there is a low levels of certain vitamins, there may be certain health problems and illness. 

Fat soluble and Water soluble Vitamins
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and the liver. Fat-soluble vitamins are easier to store than water-soluble ones and can stay in the body as reserves for days, some of them for months.

Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats (lipids).

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins do not get stored in the body for long - they soon get excreted in urine. Because of this, water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones.

Vitamins C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take vitamin supplements.

Vitamin Supplements; The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, however vitamin supplements are indicated in some people in order to prevent or treat deficiencies.

Multivitamin and mineral supplements are easily available in different pharmacies so it is important to understand the need and indications for these supplements and to avoid dangerous overdoses. 

Indications For Vitamin Supplements: In otherwise healthy people, most scientific evidence indicates that multivitamin supplements do not prevent cancer, heart disease, or other ailments, and regular supplementation is not necessary. 

However, there may be specific groups of people who may benefit from multivitamin supplements for example,:

• people with poor nutrition
• couples planning for pregnancy 
• During pregnancy & breast feeding
• elderly individual
• people living in sun deprived areas need vitamin D supplements. 
• vegetarians etc