Why Is Healthy Nutrition So Important during Pregnancy?

There is no need to convince anyone that proper nutrition for pregnant women is extremely important, because wrong nutrition (not balanced, not rational) can provoke the development of edema, increased blood pressure, impaired placental blood flow, nausea, vomiting, and so on. And it is not because of the woman being poisoned, but because of her vital processes being affected.

Consider the three super products for pregnant women, the regular consumption of which has a positive impact on the health of a woman and the formation of the fetus.

Rabbit Meat Is the Best for Pregnant Women

The first product is rabbit meat. It is in the rabbit meat that most protein is contained, which is 21% of the total weight. What is the function of the protein in the body? It contributes to construction, transportation, production of energy and performs the protective function of the enzyme. All immunoglobulins, all protective antibodies are proteins. And it is impossible to build a future body without protein!

Pregnancy is an amazing process, especially when you think what tremendous growth the fetus undergoes in a woman‘s body. From a completely invisible cell it turns into a human being weighing about 3 kg in just 9 months. Of course, this requires a protein. It is also worth saying that rabbit meat is the lowest in cholesterol and is the most hypoallergenic meat.

Eating Cottage Cheese during Pregnancy Provides Calcium

The second product is cottage cheese. Of course, the dairy products also include proteins, but the expectant mother and her baby are in special need of calcium, and cottage cheese is known to be a source of calcium. Calcium is the basis of bone formation, and its deficiency in pregnant women leads to two negative consequences: misformation of normal bones in the fetus and osteoporosis (calcium loss from bones) in the woman herself. Also, we should keep in mind that our bodies have tiny bones in the middle ear that are responsible for transmitting audio signals to the receptors in the brain. If the mother lacks calcium in the first three months of pregnancy, the child may be born deaf. And, of course, calcium is important for women during pregnancy because many women with the lack of calcium in the body start to suffer from crumbling teeth.

Broccoli Provides Pregnant Women with Folic Acid

The third product is broccoli. What is this product rich in? It is rich in vitamin B9 (folic acid). Folic acid is especially needed in the early stages of the fetus development (the formation of the nerve tissue and central nervous system). Moreover, formation of red blood cells and transfer of oxygen are impossible without folic acid. It turns out that there are two objectives to be achieved by introducing broccoli into the diet: forming the nervous tissue and fetal nutrition. In addition, this is a source of fiber, which is very important for the pregnant women, who are often predisposed to constipation.

How Much of These Foods Should a Pregnant Woman Eat Daily?

The question arises: what is the daily intake of these products? The diet of an expectant mother should contain a minimum of 100 grams of rabbit meat per day; there should be 100-150 grams of cottage cheese and 600 grams of broccoli. It will help to avoid constipation and will provide a solid foundation for the healthy cells of the future organs. The servings are small, but the expectant mother should eat varied foods to provide the child with all the components of biochemistry without gaining weight herself.

Cheese

Do not eat:

• soft cheese with mold, such as brie, camembert and other kinds of cheese with a similar composition and type of skin, such as goat cheese;
• cheese with mold-like pale blue streaks, such as Danish blue, Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
• Cheese with mold may contain Listeria, the bacteria that cause listeriosis. Even a mild form of this infection in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, birth to a stillborn child and severe diseases of the newborn.

Eggs

Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, avoid foods that contain them, such as homemade mayonnaise.
Before use, make sure that the eggs are thoroughly cooked, that yolks and whites are hard. This prevents the risk of salmonella.

Milk

Do not drink raw (not pasteurized) milk, including not pasteurized goat or sheep milk. Do not eat any food that contains it, such as goat cheese. The milk should undergo thorough heat treatment or pasteurization.

Pasty

Avoid all types of pasty, including vegetable pasty, as they may contain listeria, which were mentioned above.

Meat

Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. Boil the meat and poultry thoroughly to have no traces of blood and no “pink colored meat”. Be especially careful with sausage and ground meat.

In some countries, pregnant women are not advised to eat smoked meat or fish, because there is also a risk that the food may contain listeria bacteria. However, pregnant women in the UK are not given such advice, because they believe that the risk is very, very low.

Liver

Do not eat liver or products containing liver, such as liver pasty or liverwurst, as they may contain large amounts of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can harm your baby.

Foods Containing Vitamin A

Do not take:

• high-dose multivitamin supplements;
• fish oil;
• any supplements containing vitamin A.

Fish

Eating some species of fish should be limited. These include tuna and other fatty fish species. In addition, you can not eat raw shellfish, as it can cause food poisoning. It is best to also give up going to sushi bars.

Alcohol

You should not drink alcohol, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive. Alcohol can seriously and irreversibly affect the development of your child.

Caffeine

You should limit caffeine consumption during pregnancy – no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. High levels of caffeine can lead to the birth of an infant with low birth weight. Too much caffeine can also cause a miscarriage. Be careful: except coffee and tea, caffeine is naturally found in some foods and is added to some non-alcoholic beverages.

But do not get disappointed, if your favorite foods are included in the “black list”. You have a unique opportunity to discover other dishes, while eating the favorites is impossible. So, you are sure to broaden the list of your most desirable foods and dishes after pregnancy.

The researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Development (USA) have analyzed the data on health status, lifestyle and diet of more than 13,000 women aged 22 to 45 years. Approximately 6% of the participants of the study reported that they were diagnosed with “gestational diabetes” (diabetes of pregnant women) during pregnancy. This disease is characterized by the period of gestation, it is accompanied by a breach of carbohydrate metabolism and increases the risk of complications during pregnancy. The disease may also affect the health of the newborn baby.

After analyzing the statistics, the researchers found that the women, who liked much animal fats and foods high in cholesterol before pregnancy, had a twice higher risk of getting ill with gestational diabetes.

The experts recommend that the women, who are preparing for pregnancy, reduce the consumption of foods containing large amounts of fat and cholesterol. For example, if the number of animal fats is reduced by at least 5%, the risk of gestational diabetes is reduced by 7%.

Scientists believe that the reason can be pesticides, hormones or contaminants found in the feed for livestock. The chemicals can accumulate in the fat of animals that eat contaminated feed or grass. In addition, the cattle are regularly given hormones to stimulate their growth.

The sons of the women, who had eaten beef in large quantities (more than seven beef meals per week), demonstrated 24.3 percent below normal sperm concentration. This was stated in the article published in the journal Human Reproduction.

The Specialist Group from the University of Rochester Medical School in New York has studied the data on 387 partners of women who sought to become pregnant. The data on five U.S. cities were presented. The information on them was verified by both the mother and the father. The study was conducted between 2000 and 2005.

Of the 51 men, whose mothers were actively eating beef during pregnancy, 18% had the amount of sperm, which, according to the classification of the World Health Organization, was not enough for normal fertilization.

The study, conducted by the scientists from Cornell University, has shown that children, unlike adults, prefer bright and colorful dishes. For example, a child will gladly eat even broccoli and fish from a plate, which is decorated with seven different images and painted with 6 colors. Adults need only three items and three colors in the picture. So, it is not the parents’ remark, but the color of the plate that is crucial for the child when he or she sees porridge or steamed vegetables.

By the way, last year the British Tesko company invented another way to feed little fastidious kids with tasteless cauliflower. The company has raised cauliflower, which is literally colorful. Purple, yellow, green cauliflower is colored this way not because of the use of chemical substances. Cauliflower has just been hybridized with other species, including broccoli.

What Causes Heartburn in Pregnant Women?

Heartburn during the period of early pregnancy is associated with the gastrin hormone, which controls gastric secretion and has special receptors in the cerebral cortex. Elevated level of the gastrin hormone in the body is a person’s genetic feature. During pregnancy, gastric secretion may be increased, and heartburn will be the result of it.

Another reason is that mother and fetus are connected with an umbilical cord. The fetus produces gastrin, which makes the pregnant woman increase the production of gastric secretion. In this case, there also appears heartburn.

When having heartburn, it is necessary to:

• maintain frequent split meals
• avoid such foods as onions, garlic, sauces, fatty and spicy foods
• change the heat treatment of foods that cause heartburn.

Foods Causing Heartburn

Heartburn may also appear after eating such innocuous products as meat, chicken broth, and cabbage. At the same time, lemon is not the cause of heartburn.

Heartburn Treatment

To treat heartburn, antacid medicine is used. But the medication should be prescribed by a doctor. Therefore, if the fit of heartburn is very strong, you should ask for professional help.

The scientists from the National French Agricultural Research Institute have discovered that when expectant mothers consume a certain group of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the intestinal walls of their children become more permeable. This allows a greater number of substances and bacteria pass into the bloodstream, causing the immune system to produce antibodies.

Dr. Gael Boudry believes that due to this impact the children’s immune system can develop and mature faster. As a result, the child gets sick less often.

Source of the image: Photl.

The cherished dream of the parents of school children is to see their child adapted to the new conditions as soon as possible. And the rules postulated by the doctors will help to protect the child from seasonal colds and to foster the love of healthy living.

1. Healthy and Tasty Food

It is believed that kids love fast food. In fact, they just like to eat. Think about why your child prefers pizza to dinner at home? Maybe he/she likes cheese and tomatoes, so cook vegetable stew or French saute that the child will surely enjoy. If your child is a sweet tooth and loves pastries, replace cakes and cookies with useful fruits and nuts. Explain why potato chips, sweet soda water and hamburgers are harmful.

Home cooking seems dull to a child? Cook a dish of Italian and French cuisine together – vegetable pasta or minestrone soup – it will be useful and very tasty. Life without Coke may seem too boring. Replace it with fruit or vegetable juices. And instead of a dessert you can offer a beautifully served plate with fruit.

But what is a real must in the children’s diet? Pay attention to the pumpkin, red peppers, carrots, lemon, and cranberry – these foods contain vitamins A, E, PP, F and C. Calcium is very important for the teeth and bones, and there is a lot of it in cheese, cottage cheese, and sesame. A lot of useful microelements can be found in nuts, seeds and legumes. Keep in mind dairy products and vegetable probiotics (onion, garlic).

2. Morning Fitness against the Cold

Love for sports is instilled from childhood. Explain to your child that fitness helps to wake up, to finally get rid of sleepiness and lethargy. It is desirable to do the exercises at the same time and before breakfast. The minimum program includes arms swinging, bending, squatting, jumping in place, push-ups.

If your child does not go in for sports, be sure to arrange an active weekend: horseback riding, a swimming pool, a skating-rink, an outdoor festival and playing with a dog – ask the child what he/she likes.

3. Respiratory Gymnastics Helps to Avoid Health Conditions

For the child not to catch a cold, the doctors recommend breathing exercises. Here are two most useful exercises to prevent colds and the flu.

• The child should put the hands on the ribs on both sides of the chest and imagine that he/she is smelling a scenty flower. A slow inhale through the nose (the ribs should move), and an exhale. The stomach and shoulders should remain stationary, and the ribs and hands should move. Repeat 3-4 times.
• It is done standing, with the feet together, and the arms stretched along the body. As the child hears “one”, he/she raises the hands sides up, then the child inhales, holds the breath and slowly puts the hands down with the continuous exhaling sound “ph-h-h ‘. Repeat 2 times.

4. Day Regimen Stops the Flu

A clear and thoughtful daily regimen not only helps with the discipline and teaches us not to have a time trouble, but also protects against colds, if managed correctly. Discuss daily routine with the child and hang the schedule in the best visible place in the room. Remember that sleeping should take at least 9-10 hours. And be sure to include daily walks and exercises (at least 2-3 hours).

5.Massage to Prevent Catching a Cold

One should not necessarily go to a specialist (unless, of course, there is medical evidence). Self-massage will also be useful. Walking on massage mats stimulates the reflex zones of feet. Massage of ears is a great way to wake up as soon as possible: grasp the ear tips with the thumb and forefinger and pull them down a few times.

A vibratory massage of the chest is good for the respiratory system and prevents illness and cold. It is quite easy to tap your chest with a fist as you exhale, pronouncing vowel sounds.

6. Drawing, Constructing, Modelling

These lessons develop fine motor skills and thus help to quickly learn to write beautifully and stimulate the development of intellectual abilities.

7. Speaking to Parents

Share your experiences at dinner, ask about the child’s relationship with peers, his/her thoughts and wishes. Do not speak badly about his abilities and try to criticize less. On the contrary, strengthen the child’s confidence in his/her abilities and encourage progress. It is important not only to take care and be close, but also to teach a child to be independent and to learn to express his/her own opinion.

Source of the image: Photl.

Philadelphian scientists from Monell Chemical Senses Center came up with the discovery that babies form their food preferences while they are in the womb. The study that was published in the Pediatrics journal shows that flavors are transferred from the mother to the fetus in the amniotic fluid.

Lead researcher Julie Mennella explained to NPR News that a number of flavors were proven to find their way to the baby via the amniotic fluid or breast milk, among them garlic, mint, vanilla, anise and carrot.

Experiments were conducted in which women were given garlic capsules and sugar capsules before they had their amniotic fluid sampled routinely. Then researchers gave the samples to people to smell – and the flavor of garlic proved to be easily recognizable. So these smells are carried to the babies in the womb who certainly taste them since small accounts for 90% of taste.

The next stage was to establish whether the children retain memories of the tastes they were exposed to. For this three groups of pregnant women were made up, one group drinking carrot juice daily while they were pregnant, members of the second group taking juice while they were breastfeeding, and the third group took no carrot at all.

As soon as their children could eat solid food, researchers offered them portions of cereal made with and without carrot juice. Those babies who had already been acquainted with carrot flavor via breast milk or the amniotic fluid showed definite preference for carroty cereal.

Therefore it’s highly natural that children begin to get accustomed to foods and tastes they are likely to get when eating together with their parents later from the earliest time possible.

Linda Bartoshuk, taste researcher at the University of Florida, is one of those scientists who are deeply interested in Dr. Mennella and her team’s findings.

In her interview to NPR News she said these results go a long way towards the possibility of building up children’s health from the very beginning. Exposing a baby to healthy flavors – carrots, broccoli, lima beans and the like – while in the womb may be a sure way to set most salubrious food priorities for the whole life, she said.

Source of the image: Photl.

According to the experts, these substances are found mainly in genetically modified crops and can substantially harm the health of pregnant women and their future children.

The study was conducted by the scientists from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Sherbrooke. The experts have taken tests of dozens of women to see what can badly affect the health of mothers and babies. The traces of toxic substances were found in more than 93% of pregnant women and 80% of yet unborn babies. The studies indicate the presence of the chemicals in a woman’s body, which get there due to such food as meat, eggs, milk and other products of farm animals which are fed with genetically modified crops.

The results of the study, according to the scientists, show the danger of producing genetically modified products, even though the manufacturers believe that no potentially harmful and dangerous chemicals can harm the health of a woman. It has been proved today that these chemicals can cause allergic reactions and lead to the most terrible consequences such as abortion or even cancer.

Source of the image: Photl.

According to one of the leaders of a recent study, Professor Du Feng from the University of Western Texas, this is due to the fact that adolescent girls, who have a TV in their room, tend to spend in front of the screen much more time.

As a result, they have less active lifestyle and prefer watching their favorite TV shows rather than having some mobile activities. In addition, a TV-set, as noted by Dr. Feng, helps to increase the amount of fast food eaten by the participants of the expertiment. In total, during the experiment the scientists have observed 597 children aged 5 to 9 years and interviewed their parents. The experts have taken into consideration the information regarding sex, age, height and weight of the children, and their daily habits.

It has been discovered that 75% of children have a TV-set in their room, while 32% of boys and girls are either already overweight or facing a serious risk of obesity. So, these kids spend on average 3.5 hours per day watching TV, while others spend in front of the screen 2.58 hours per day. In addition, the children who have a TV-set in their room eat fewer fruits and vegetables, and the scientists point out that it is associated with the content of commercials that promote unhealthy lifestyles.

Source of the image: Sheknows.

Such a conclusion has been made by the researchers from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. According to the results of this new study, the children who were eating balanced food under the supervision of dietitians and were getting a sufficient amount of orange vegetables rich in vitamin A, such as carrots for example, began to grow more intensively than their peers.

The study involved about 200 children aged from 3 to 16 years. It turned out that the children who were not tall but were getting balanced food rich in vitamin A, grew by a total of 8 cm during a year, in contrast to the children of the same height who continued to eat the same way as before and demonstrated the increase in their height of only 4 cm.

The scientists from the Hebrew University, who have conducted the study, say that most children with short stature are absolutely healthy, but suffer from a hidden lack of vitamins and various microelements. It is known that the lack of vitamin A, iron and zinc leads to the slowing down of growth. The way out is balanced food for children containing these elements.

Source of the image: Photl.

According to the author of this idea, Miriam Simun, the post-graduate student at the New York University, this product is a temporary trend because in future she plans to deal with the question of ethics of modern biotechnology, and the first step in this direction should be the revolutionary type of cheese produced by her.

As noted by Miriam Simun, the cheese made of women’s breast milk is a starting-point for an active discussion of this topic. From her point of view, some people like the product, and some of them find it disgusting. Mrs. Simun found three breastfeeding mothers who agreed to have their milk turned into cheese. She scanned the mammary glands of the women to diagnose possible diseases, and then the milk was subjected to pasteurization, and finally cheese was made of it.

3 kinds of cheese are presented in the gallery, and their taste depends on the predominance of a particular kind of food in the diet of a lactating woman. The cheese is of great demand, and many speak about its useful properties. Simun hopes that her cheese will make people think about the future use of resources of the human body – blood, hair, and sperm – to help those who will need it.

Source of the image: Momlogic.

By the age of seven years such falling behind is on average equal to 7 points of the classical IQ test. The difference is not dramatic, but still noticeable. And it is the prenatal period that is vitally important for the development of intelligence: if the pesticide-treated products are used in the babies’ complementary feeding, they do not affect their mental capacity.

The scientists advise pregnant women to eat organic or farm products when it is possible, and fruit and vegetables from shops should be thoroughly washed with a soft brush to wash away all possible traces of fertilizers.

Source of the image: Photl.

Taking into account that the problem of childhood obesity in the United States becomes more important, this kind of advertisement, appealing directly to minor children and bypassing their parents, is recognized as “illegal practices”. However, the defendant reacted to the accusations in a specific way. McDonald’s solicitor said it was exclusively the problem and the fault of the plaintiff’s that she could not make her daughter ignore the advertised toys. At the moment, the giant restaurant is being one of the largest distributors of toys. The case is transferred to federal court.

Source of the image: Dailycontributor.

At the age of one month more than fifty percent of the babies were receiving only breast milk for food, and more than forty percent were being fed only with artificial mixtures. Other children were being fed with descented milk of other women. After the children had reached the age of six months, only thirty percent of the mothers continued to feed them with their milk.

After that and during the period of childhood from six months to a year, the researchers asked the mothers about the frequency with which the children finished eating all the food offered to them. It turned out that only 26% of the children who had been breastfed from birth suffered from overeating. On the contrary, overeating was typical of more than 60% of the children who had been fed with mixtures or transferred to artificial feeding at the age of six months.

According to the scientists, the children’s food behavior during the first months of their life lays the foundation of the feeding behavior which will stay invariable for the rest of the person’s life. Accordingly, such an addiction can cause overweight or serve as effective prevention of obesity.

Source of the image: Photl.

According to the authors of the study, introducing complementary foods should take place before reaching the age of six months. And feeding with breast milk, in its turn, threatens with certain risks to the health of the developing organism.

• First of all, breastfeeding causes a high risk of iron deficiency anemia. Moreover, anemia can take a lot of time to discover.
• Apart from that, the researchers note that the child has a greater tendency to be allergic to foods after consuming only mom’s milk for a long time.
• In addition, the children who are breastfed for a long time may suffer from further problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

However, whenever the authors of the study suggest complementary foods, they do not mean artificial mixtures based on milk, but real “adult” food.

The authors also note that they are by no means opposed to breastfeeding of babies, they merely shift the starting date of using complementary foods from six months to four months.

Source of the image: Photl.

For example, foods like soft kinds of cheese can bring on listeriosis, a dangerous infection caused by the listeria monocyotogenes bacterium that can be found in cheeses. During pregnancy this infection is particularly noxious and leads to various detrimental complications – it is likely to cause miscarriage, premature labor or stillbirth. Even if the birth has gone off successfully, there’s a chance of your baby developing septicemia, meningitis or pneumonia.

Therefore some eating tips are in order.

1. Drink only pasteurized milk. All foods prepared with unpasteurized milk should be avoided.
2. Soft cheeses that are definitely unsafe include Camembert, brie, feta, blue-veined cheeses, many Mexican cheeses (queso blanco fresco, for one). Semi-soft cheeses of the mozzarella type, pasteurized cheeses, various spreads, cream cheese, cottage cheese and all kinds of hard cheeses are all right.
3. If you hunger for luncheon meats, hot dogs and the like, heat them up well, make them steam.
4. Smoked seafood is better off the table, unless a little in cooked entrées.

Source of the image: Photl.

Oh, it’s not quite what we had as babies. Upon extraction female milk gets pasteurized, lemon zest and vanilla are added during churning; then it is ready for being made into ice cream. The dessert, called Baby Gaga, which is 75% female breast milk, a shot of Calpol and a rusk, goes for £14 per serving.

The Icecreamists’ management advertises the new ice cream as wonderfully tasty and wholesome. Founder Matt O’Connor said that while some people are inclined to shun it, they really shouldn’t, for it is a “pure organic, free-range and totally natural” product. There is no reason at all to avoid what our babies are pleased to feed on.

Anyway, the demand made the restaurant issue appeals for female milk donations and promise £15 for 10 ounces of milk. Will we be drinking breast milk during the whole lifespan now?

Source of the image: Photl.

The scientists’ opinions vary as to the question of useful effect of the antioxidants on the process of conception. A recent experiment has proved that antioxidants reduce ovulation. In the course of the study, the scientists added antioxidants in the ovaries of laboratory mice, and as a result, the ovaries produced too few ovules, which in its turn would reduce the probability of conception significantly.

Source of the image: Photl.

Start the Day with a Healthy Breakfast

If pregnant women don’t have breakfast, or eat less food in the morning, then they may feel dizzy and will usually eat excess food afterwards. Also a good breakfast ensures that the baby gets the required calories, since you have slept for around 6 to 8 hours during the night without any food. Some people might tell you to have a meal during the night, but it’s unnecessary and can be solved by a healthy breakfast.

Have Disciplined Meals When Pregnant

Plan ahead and think what you are going to have for the rest of the day, so that you can ration your nutrients accordingly. If you go to work, carry healthy snacks like fruits, whole-grain crackers or carrot sticks. If a pregnant woman doesn’t plan, then they will probably end up eating whatever they feel like and thus gain excess weight.

Have Fibrous Foods Low in Fat and Sugar

Pregnant women could try canned fruits. You should also check the fat and sugar content in the labels. If you can’t help yourself from eating a sugar rich meal, you should also have something wholesome like milk; this inhibits an increase in blood sugar that might trigger fat storage processes. Sugar rich food usually makes pregnant women hungry in half an hour because of the production of insulin, but an intake of fiber ensures that they feel full; this also triggers excess fat removal.

Eat before attending a party or social event

If your stomach is somewhat full, you will most likely be able to avoid food that contributes to excess fat. Parties are usually filled with enticing but fatty food. You don’t want to gain excess weight by eating food you don’t need but are attractive.

Eat Before Shopping

Similar to the above strategy, this ensures that you don’t buy unnecessary food on whim. Stick to a shopping list and buy only what you need.

Pregnant women Should Eat Broiled, Baked or Steamed food

You should request your food like this in the restaurant; most often they will acknowledge the needs of a pregnant woman. Food cooked this way does not contribute to excess fat gain.

Sneak in Fruits into Theaters

Not only does this save money, but the food in theaters is fatty and sugar rich.

Drink Plenty of Water

Pregnant women often confuse dehydration with hunger. If you think you feel hungry despite eating healthy food, this is a sign that you are not drinking enough water. Water also has many other beneficial effects on the body.

Pregnant Woman Shouldn’t Eat for Two!

This is actually very common. People love to make pregnant women eat as much as they can and eat food they should not take. Avoid this and don’t eat trying to please others. A simple “thanks, but no, thanks” goes a long way and is polite.

Eat Carefully and Enjoy All Your Meals

Research has shown that on average a person will eat 750 more calories when they are eating with someone else. The reason is that when you are eating with someone else, you will usually be busy talking to that person or be engaged in something else; if you don’t mind what you are eating, you will definitely eat more. You can try the following method to both reduce the amount of food intake and increase the deliciousness of your meals: Chew your food for a long time and try to focus on exactly how the food tastes. You will realize that each bite is savory. You will eat less, but enjoy more.

Following these nutrition tips will help you avoid gaining excess weight during your pregnancy and enjoy your mother-to-be time!

Source of the image: Pitterpatter.

No choice? Then don’t offer any!

Instead of asking a children if they want to take a medicine, parents should tell them that they “need” to take their medicine and offer them the choice of taking a chewable one or a liquid one. You can also ask them their preference of whether they want the medicine before or after their meal. Another way to offer them a choice is to ask them what drink they would like to swallow the medicine with. These choices make it easier for the child to accept their medicine.

But you don’t have to go for all the choices listed here. The basic idea here is that your offer of choices to your child should convey the idea that they have some form of control over their lives. This way, they don’t develop rebellious thoughts and grudges when they are asked to do something they “have” to do, like taking a medicine.

Bottom line is that, if the child doesn’t have a choice of doing something, the parent should at least let them choose HOW or WHEN they want to do it.

Lay your terms

That’s the absolutely minimum demand that you have and that cannot be negotiated. Still, try to offer choices within those boundaries. These limits are related to health, safety, rules, rights and such concepts. These are things you NEED to control.

Ask the child for choices

Ask them what they want for dinner; be creative in your approach and ask them if they have something delicious in their mind. But before offering this critical choice, make sure to lay out the terms first (unless of course there are no restrictions). Never force your child to pick something you want to make. If the child chooses a food that meets your restrictions, then it is perfect. Everyone wins and is happy.

The choices should respect both parent and child

Parents should not threaten their children by saying something like, “Quit watching TV, or no TV for the week.” This isn’t really a justified choice. An equally respectful choice would be something like, “Either keep watching TV, or play with the new toy that I bought you. The decision is yours.” Again, either way the child would be happy. You are just making sure that your child isn’t watching too much TV.

Random Solutions:

• If you offer your child either yoghurt or apple juice and they want both, ask which one they would like first.

• If a child keeps on being irksome, give them the choice of stopping by themselves or your having to take an action which they might not like.

• If a child is disappointed with one of their choices, support them and tell them that they have the choice of going for something else next time.

Further Options for Parents

Sometimes parents get carried away with winning every time they offer choices within boundaries that they constantly use it. But these parents often forget that there are situations when there are other options. You shouldn’t go over the limit and overuse choices. Stay within rational limits and have fun.

Source of the image: Photl.

The poll embracing 2,000 parents shows that even before the baby is delivered the happy parents get busy to obtain a pram, a car seat, whatever, letting go of nearly £1,500.

A spokesperson for BabyDam called it a “staggering” sum of money to pay before the birth, though everybody knows that having a baby entails considerable expenses – “and it only gets worse once you have your bundle of joy as nappies, milk and food are added in.”

Too true, for nappies, clothes and food have been found to come to £3,793 in the first twelve months.

Getting the nursery done up and furnished with a cot and special furniture takes away the fattest wad – around £547. Then a pushchair that scoops out £265 and a car seat for which parents leave about £131 in the store. Purchasing a travel cot and a high chair push the total figure up by £182.

Clothes are generally bought for the average amount of £106 plus £747 throughout the year as the baby grows and clothes have to be replaced.

Next in line are baby monitors that take something like £68 out of the wallet; sterilizing and feeding equipment that eats up further £82, whereas smaller items related to the baby’s bath and toilet in a bundle cost £148.

The year’s medicines amount to £96, the formula and baby food gradually add up to £1,108, and nappies to nearly £887.

Toys is the item that is often bought before the baby is born for the average amount of £74, but there’s usually another £771 spent on new more toys and games as the year is drawing on.

Source of the image: Photl.

So every day the average parent has to somehow steer the kid(s) from gobbling some sweet stuff and wash it down with a fizzy drink to eating fruits and vegetables that are looked upon by children as the worst meal ever… And the results of the survey reveal that 60 per cent parents find themselves in perplexity over what to say except to fall back on time-honored ways of persuading.

The most popular meal lies ever are as follows:

1. Vegetables help you grow big and strong.
2. Popeye got his muscles from eating spinach.
3. This looks like fruit but it is called “sports candy”.
4. If you eat carrots you will be able to see in the dark.
5. Don’t eat apple pips, or they will grow into a tree inside you.
6. Those who eat a lot of crusts have curly hair.
7. Drinking fizzy stuff will make your teeth soft.
8. All right, give it to me, I’ll throw it away.
9. Sweetcorn helps kids grow as big as the Big Green Giant.
10. If the ice cream van plays music, it means there are no more ice creams left.

(Be careful with the last one for you may get caught on it!)

That’s what 80 per cent mothers keep saying to their unwilling offspring day after day trying to install the habits of wholesome eating. Half of them have to suppress a guilty feeling when they are doing that, again twice each day!

A spokesperson for Philips AVENT said that meal times may well be “the most stressful part of the day” for millions of parents.

Nevertheless it’s worth it for toddlers ought to get the nutrients they need to grow up properly, even if it means telling endless fibs and generally turning meal times into “a nightmare”.

Source of the image: Photl

Scientists of the University of Brighton examined nutrition of 3000 adolescent girls. The earliest puberty was recorded among the ones who consumed meat dishes several times a day.

In addition, the scientist also noted that early puberty increases risk of cancer and certain chronic diseases. Doctors advise that children should not eat meat every day.

Source of the image: Photl.