Proper Pregnancy Nutrition

Proper Pregnancy Nutrition - The most common question that women have throughout pregnancy is how to control their weight with proper pregnancy nutrition. After all, you want to eat right to give the maximum nutritional benefits to your baby as it grows and develops within you.

Keeping your weight gain to a minimum is helpful after you have the baby, as it's much easier to get back into shape if you don't have much weight to lose. An average weight gain of around 20-30 pounds will help you stay fit and active during pregnancy while still giving your baby everything she needs to grow healthy for birth.

So how can you keep on track with a healthy weight gain through pregnancy? The best tips for eating well and controlling your gain are presented below.

Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods are best avoided during pregnancy, as they contain excess fillers, sodium, and calories that can lead to water retention and weight gain. How can you eliminate processed foods from your diet?
To start with, instead of eating lunch meat while pregnant, you should find a whole and natural source of lean protein instead. Raw nuts, nut butters (without added salt), lean cuts of organic and hormone-free meat, and organic eggs are all excellent sources of protein.
These protein sources are also lower in calories, free from fillers, and don't contain the excess sodium that is found in processed meats and foods. They're a great way to stay on track nutritionally without ingesting those questionable extras that come with processed foods.

Reduce Your Intake of Gluten and Wheat
Even if you don't have sensitivity to wheat or gluten when not pregnant, you can develop one when you are carrying your baby. So if you are experiencing issues with excess weight gain and water retention, try eliminating wheat and gluten from your diet.

You can replace these carbohydrates with quinoa, millet, brown rice, and sweet potatoes, all of which are healthy grains.
These grains also have the added benefit of being high in fiber, which will help you maintain regular digestion and elimination throughout pregnancy. These grains are also great for reducing gastric bloating and indigestion, a common complaint during pregnancy.

Eliminate Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
It's time to tame your sweet tooth if you want to keep from gaining excess pounds during your pregnancy. Cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other sugar derivatives should be avoided if you want to combat water retention and weight gain during pregnancy. But don't think that artificial sweeteners will help, either. These man-made sugar substitutes are chock-full of questionable chemicals that could potentially harm your unborn baby. Instead, seek all-natural sugar alternatives such as raw honey, agave syrup, stevia, and xylitol. All of these will help curb your craving for sugar without chemicals or a huge caloric punch.
Cut Back on Caffeine

Finally, one of the best nutritional choices you can make during pregnancy is to cut back on caffeine. If you are addicted to coffee or tea, you should slowly step down your consumption rather than try to quit cold turkey. The detox symptoms from suddenly ceasing your caffeine habit can be particularly difficult to handle during pregnancy.
Most physicians agree that you can consume 150mg of caffeine daily without harming your baby, so try to bring your consumption down to that level. You can step down from coffee to black tea to green tea to white tea, and finally switch to herbal teas if you want to eliminate caffeine altogether. Try upping your intake of water during this time to flush toxins from your system and help eliminate any detox headaches you may experience. Proper Pregnancy Nutrition