5 Nutrition Tips for A Healthy Mom & Baby

I've been tapped to write weekly articles for DietsInReview.com, a great online health resource. I'll be Tweeting/Pinning/Facebook-ing them once they're published, but will also provide links to them here for multiple easy access points. Enjoy!

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Photo courtesy of DietsInReview.com

5 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Mom & Baby

We’ve all heard the old adage, “You are what you eat.” This concept is even more important during pregnancy. Not only are you what you eat, but your baby is what you eat. As soon as conception occurs the embryo requires nutrients for developmental processes like cellular division and protein synthesis to occur. The baby’s growth and development are extremely rapid, and if the appropriate nutrients aren’t available when the baby needs them that part of its development will be abnormal or could even fail completely. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how nutrient deficiencies can seriously compromise your baby’s health ... Read the full article here: http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/08/your-baby-is-what-you-eat-5-prenatal-nutrition-tips-for-optimal-health/

Super Easy, Super Healthy Summer Gazpacho

Keeping your blood sugar stable and eating a nutrient-rich diet are two important hallmarks of proper prenatal nutrition. But when you're eating for two, it can be a challenge to satisfy your growing appetite without sacrificing quality (or taste). That's why I love, love, love this simple recipe. It's packed with vitamins and minerals (especially if you use organic ingredients) and it couldn't be quicker or easier to make. Plus, perhaps best of all, it's DELICIOUS and you can eat as much of it as you like without feeling guilty. Enjoy!

Simple Gazpacho
4 large heirloom tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1 garlic clove

Salt & pepper
2 avocados (opt.)
Olive oil (opt.)

Wash & coarsely chop first 5 ingredients. Add to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Top with chopped avocado and/or a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4.

Preventing Preterm Delivery

A recent study found that a high intake of sweetened beverages - whether sugar-sweetened or artificially-sweetened - is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.

Premature newborns face an increased risk of complications such as immature lungs, pneumonia or intraventricular hemorrhage.

Aside from the risks surrounding preterm delivery, sweetened beverages also increase a baby's (and its mother's!) odds of developing more fat cells or becoming obese or diabetic later in life. They can also increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.

So what to drink? Filtered water is always a great option, as are herbal teas. If you must have something sweet, try no more than 4 oz. of a freshly-squeezed fruit juice, and consider diluting it with a bit of water to minimize blood sugar spikes.


Sources:
1. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/complicationspremature.htm/
2. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=199317
3. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/pregnancy/story/2011-10-02/Eating-sweets-early-in-pregnancy-can-mean-obese-baby/50637776/1
4. http://www.naturalnews.com/027713_gestational_diabetes_soft_drinks.html