When you are pregnant, nutrition is the key to giving your unborn baby a chance at a healthy childhood and fewer adult health problems. Good nutrition can determine quality of life, both inside and outside the womb. The mayo pregnancy diet concentrates on basic good nutrition to avoid many of the possible pregnancy problems that can occur.
- Afterbirth breaking loose before labor
- Birth defects
The food pyramid is a diet guideline that emphasizes balanced nutrition. What is good for the mother is good for the baby. Foods you should eat the most of are at the bottom of the pyramid, while less critical nutrition foods make up the smallest section. The goal of the pyramid is to provide all the nutrients needed for mother and baby’s strong bones, healthy heart and weight control. The mayo pregnancy diet emphasizes good health through proper nutrition.
Like the food pyramid, babies are built one step at a time. Healthy cell division makes for a healthy baby. There are foods that offer the optimal nutritional benefit and they are included in the food pyramid. The pyramid includes food choices to get adequate carbohydrates, proteins, fats, oils and dairy products. But is the mix of these important food groups that makes good nutrition.
With the mayo pregnancy diet, you start with basic dietary nutrition for mother and baby’s health.
- Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods
- Limit the amount of trans fat
- Avoid cholesterol producing foods
- Use calorie counting to control weight
- Eat regularly to maintain blood sugar levels
- Do not use alcohol while pregnant
But how do you know which foods to choose. The mayo pregnancy diet will guide you through food selections. During much of the pregnancy, it is important to add enough calories to provide adequate nutrition to the baby. The usual caloric increase is a recommended 300 calories. But these calories should be nutritional.
- Beans which are high in vitamins and minerals
- Lean cuts of beef
- Fruits and berries which contain crucial folate and Vitamin C
- Lower fat cheese which contains calcium
- Eggs fortified with omega-3 fatty acids
- Low fat milk fortified with Vitamin D
- Low fat yogurt for zinc and B vitamins
The mayo pregnancy diet should only be undertaken after consultation with your doctor. But there is no reason to be bored with your diet while pregnant. Controlling weight while providing critical nutrients to your baby is not difficult. There are hundreds of recipes online that can assist you with creating delicious meals using those foods you should be eating. The mayo pregnancy diet is for those mothers who want to insure their baby develops normally with less risk of birth defects. And isn’t that what every mother-to-be has as her goal?