Preggy Mom's Strategies (2 of 2)

● Follow Through on Folic Acid

This B vitamin is an important nutrient during pregnancy. Folic acid is essential to the baby’s organ formation and the development of his brain and nervous system. It aids in the production of red and white blood cells; it is also a genetic. Your baby will produce billions of cells in the course is sufficient source of folic acid in your diet. Pregnant women should have at least 100 mcg of folic acid a day.

● Fiber Reminder

One of the most frustrating conditions that come with pregnancy is constipation. Fiber is useful in fighting constipation. It improves bowel movement by lubrication the colon with increased water content, thereby solving any constipation problem.

It is also helpful to know that many foods that are high in fiber are also loaded with iron. B vitamins, and minerals such as zinc and magnesium, which are all just important during pregnancy. A pregnant mother should aim for 150 g of fiber a day.

● Calling for Calcium

The baby in your stomach draws about 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium a day to form bones and teeth. It is important that your diet supports this need. Plus, if you’re planning to breastfeed, you must prepare for it even as you are pregnant. Your body must have enough calcium in store to support lactation. Calcium also reduces the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Dairy products, especially milk, are the best known source of calcium.

Preggiy Mom's Strategies (1 of 2)

● Eating For Two

If you think of nothing else while you’re pregnant, please think of what you will put in your mouth and the effect it will have. We know you must be sick of hearing this now, but we cannot over emphasize the importance of nutrition while you ar pregnant. If you’re having a hard time resisting sweets and chasing after vegetables, keep these thoughts in mind.

● You will feel better and look better if you eat well.

● Good nutrition helps prevent stillbirth and low birth weight.

● If you eat well, there’s less possibility of delivering prematurely.

● Good eating habits create a strong uterus which is needed for a problem-free delivery.

● Nutrition is your best defense against infection on you and your baby.

● Good food is what your baby needs most; if you do not give him the nourishment he needs, you may stunt his growth.

Remember, eating well means eating right. Every nutrient, vitamin and mineral plays a critical role during pregnancy. You must always stay within your obstetrician recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.

● Pump Up The Iron

Iron is the single most important minerals during pregnancy. It is essential for the transport and use of oxygen in the body.

For Mom: Iron deficiency is associated with low pregnancy weight gain and poor maternal immune status. Iron prevents low birth weight and premature delivery. That’s why during pregnancy, You will need to double your usual daily iron requirement (at least 30 to 40 mg.)

For Baby: Iron helps support the growth of the placenta—the main source of nourishment for your baby. It also needs to be stored in the baby’s tissue for use during the first few months after birth.

Where to get it: Lean red meats such as sirloin, rounds, and the like are good sources of iron. You may also try spinach, beans, lentils, molasses, chickpeas, dried apricots, and iron-fortified cereals.

Positively Pregnant

Pregnant should be a time for happy thoughts and hopeful anticipation. Experts say that a mother-to-be’s disposition, whether pleasant or sullen, may have a bearing on the future personality of her child. But experts stress that how a pregnant woman behaves—her lifestyle and dietary habits—during the nine-month gestation will definitely affect the baby’s physical and mental development.

The Mighty Mushroom

DON’T JUDGE A VEGGIE BY ITS COLOR. WHITE BUTOON MUSHROOMS HAVE A GREATER ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY (MEANING THEY MAY HAVE MORE DISEASE-FIGHTING ABILITY) THAN TOMATOES, GREEN PEPPERS OR CARROTS. THESE SMALL FUNGI ARE ALSO LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE MORE EXOTIC SHITAKE AND OYSTER VARIETIES. MAKE BUTTON MUSHROOMS A SALAD STAPLE, SLICE THEM THINLY FOR A SANDWICH TOPPER OR ADD THEM TO PASTA SAUCE. - Bethany Gumper

Would you know …?

Peanut Butter and Diabetes

Eating nuts or peanut butter may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Nuts, high in good fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), may help stabilize glucose and insulin levels, whereas saturated fat (from foods such a butter, cheese and meat) and trans-fat (from foods such as processed baked goods) decrease the efficiency of insulin, which controls blood sugar. – Journal of the American Medical Association

Eye Danger

A study in the Journal Lipid Research confirms previous findings that extremely high levels of statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) in the blood may increase cataract risk studies have also shown that taking statins with certain drugs, such as the antibiotic erythromycin, can slow statin metabolism and increase blood levels of statins in the body. Be sure to inform your doctor of all the drugs you are taking when on statins.

Duct Tape Zaps Warts

Duct tape may eliminate warts more effectively than cryotherapy ( a treatment using liquid nitrogen). When using liquid nitrogen). When placed on warts for 6 days at a time for up to 2 months, duct tape made the warts disappear 85 percent of the time, compared to 60 percent for cryotherapy, researchers found. – Achieves of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

How many hours of sleep does my 4-year-old need to be properly rested?

Preschool children (ages 3 to 5) should get between 10 and 12 hours (including naps). Older ages 6 to 12 needs at least 9 hours of sleep a night. And teenagers (age 13 to 19) need at least 9 hours of sleep a night. And teenagers (age 13 to 19) need 8 ½ to 9 hours, says Carl E. Hunt, M.D., director of the National Center on sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, Maryland. Getting an adequate amount of sleep helps kids stay healthy and achieve their best in school, while chronic lack of sleep interferes with learning, memory, mood and behavior. It also makes children more prone to accidents. Dr. Hunt’s tips: ● limit soft drinks loaded with caffeine before bed; ● keep distractions like TV’s and computers out of kid’s bedrooms; ● try to allow time for them to unwind. – Christine Brophy

Nonsurgical Tendon Treatment

Tendon problems commonly called “tennis elbows” and “jumper’s knee” can often be treated nonsurgically with a minimal invasive procedure using an ultrasound-guided needle, according to researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. When tendons (the tissue that connects muscles to bones) become stained, overused or injured, scar tissue can form, which doesn’t allow for proper movement, causing pain. These problems often are treated with surgery (in which tendons are cut and reattached and scar tissue is removed) which may or may not be successful. The new procedure works by breaking up scar tissue and calcifications (tiny calcium deposits that build up in chronically injured tendons), allowing the body to regenerate new tissue to restore tendon elasticity and normal function. – Christine Brophy