Food Aversions in Pregnancy

Food Aversions in Pregnancy

July 30th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Many pregnant women will experience some sort of food aversion. Sometimes the aversion is so strong that the woman can not even stand the sight or smell of the food in question. Just like cravings, aversions generally occur in the first trimester, although the dislike of the food in question may continue well into the pregnancy, the response should become milder.

Aversions are normal, and generally can be blamed on the hormones that are running wild in a pregnant woman’s body, especially in that first trimester. While they are nothing to worry about, they do often cause pregnant women to miss out on foods that provide much-needed nutrition. If you are experiencing an aversion to a healthy food, or even an entire food group, you don’t have to choke it down. Just make sure you fill the nutritional gap in your diet with other healthy foods that supply the same nutrients.

Some of the most common food aversions are to foods like dairy, eggs, meat, and green vegetables. These are all important to a healthy and balanced pregnancy diet. Fortunately, with a little effort you can replace the nutrients found in these foods with other choices.

Skipping the Dairy Case

If it’s just milk you can’t stand, you have a number of other dairy choices to fill the void, such as cheese and yogurt. But if your aversion extends to all things made with milk, you will have to turn to some other foods to make up the difference. Hopefully you aren’t also turned off by leafy green vegetables such as spinach, as they are a great source of calcium. You can also choose calcium-fortified orange juice, and add a supplement just to be safe.

Temporarily Vegetarian

Meat is a very common culprit in food aversions, but it’s also an important source of protein and iron. If it’s just red meat, turn to poultry and fish. If you can’t bear those either, you can meet your needs by adding legumes, beans, and soy products to your diet. Again, an iron supplement might be a good idea, since it is such a vital nutrient during pregnancy. You might also find an aversion to eggs accompanies your dislike of meat, but if not, they are a great source of protein as well.

Turning Green

When those healthy green vegetables are the last thing you want to think about putting into your mouth, you are unfortunately missing out on a great source of nutrition. Make up for them by eating a wide variety of the fruits and veggies you can stomach. You can also try hiding the greens in other foods. Add finely chopped greens to pasta sauces or soups, and you probably won’t even realize they are there. If you can’t trick yourself, ask someone else to do it for you. If you don’t know where the offensive food is hidden, you might not be so bothered by it.

Food aversions can be annoying, especially when they involve foods you may have really enjoyed prior to your pregnancy. The good news is they will likely fade as the pregnancy progresses. As long as you make smart changes to your diet to replace the nutrients from the foods you can’t stand, your food aversions will remain just an annoyance and not a problem for your baby.

Gestational Diabetes and Your Diet

Gestational Diabetes and Your Diet

July 28th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Around the end of the second trimester, a glucose tolerance test will be performed on most pregnant women to check for signs of gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes affects only pregnant women, and while relatively rare, is serious for both mom and baby. Luckily, it is not difficult to control with the proper diet and monitoring.

The Basics of Gestational Diabetes

Having gestational diabetes does not mean there is any reason to suspect that you had diabetes prior to pregnancy, or that you will continue to have problems afterwards. Although no one is certain what exactly causes it, there is reason to believe that hormones from the placenta may cause insulin resistance. This is a condition where the action of insulin in the blood to work on glucose and turn it into energy is blocked, leaving high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. This results in hyperglycemia.

The extra glucose in your blood will cross the placenta and enter the baby’s blood. This causes the baby’s pancreas to secrete more insulin in response. High insulin levels in newborns have been linked to breathing problems and a higher likelihood of obesity later in life. Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are often larger than average, as they have received too much energy in the form of glucose.

How to Treat Gestational Diabetes

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, one of the first things your doctor will recommend is a major overhaul of your diet. You will require a special eating plan, and will probably be told to monitor your blood sugar levels. Although you should discuss your new meal plan with your doctor, there are some general recommendations to follow to eat right and control the symptoms of gestational diabetes.

What to Eat

Glucose levels in your blood are directly related to the foods you eat. The foods that cause the highest levels of glucose are carbohydrates, so any woman diagnosed with gestational diabetes will have to be very careful about eating the right carbs. You shouldn’t give up carbs altogether – this isn’t healthy for you or your baby. But you will need to get your carbs from the right sources.

Skip simple carbs, especially anything high in sugar. Instead, choose the complex carbs found in whole grain foods. These will break down more slowly in your body and prevent spikes in blood glucose that can be caused from fast-acting sugars and refined carbs. Be sure to balance your intake of carbs throughout the day. Avoid having a large amount at one meal; instead, spread your intake out over several meals.

Another thing to remember is that you should eat throughout the day. Don’t skip meals or snacks. Eating regularly keeps a steady level of energy and prevents urges to overeat or eat the wrong things due to hunger.

Although it may be tempting to switch to artificial sweeteners to fill the gap left by the sugar in your diet, try not to give in. Not all artificial sweeteners are safe during pregnancy, and even those generally thought to be ok simply don’t have enough research behind them to be absolutely certain of their safety.

The restrictions of a gestational diabetes diet are not always easy to follow, but remember that you are doing it for your baby’s health. Also bear in mind that it will not be forever; you only have to continue with the diet until the end of your pregnancy, at which point the gestational diabetes will be at an end.

Food Cravings and Nutritional Deficiencies

Food Cravings and Nutritional Deficiencies

July 22nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Although most food cravings during pregnancy don’t signify anything other than hormones, hunger, or suggestibility, some experts believe that strange food cravings may actually be a sign of a nutritional deficiency. These unusual cravings for inedible non-food items are known as pica, and they affect a very small number of women.

Normal Cravings During Pregnancy

Most pregnant women will experience some sort of craving for a food or beverage at some point in the pregnancy. Fluctuating hormones are generally to blame. Food cravings can be just as much emotional as physical, especially during pregnancy when those hormones are causing emotions to run high. Certain foods may bring a sense of comfort or security.

Many women will notice that they seem to be very suggestible during pregnancy. A commercial for or mention of a certain food can set off a very strong craving for that item.

Generally, food cravings during pregnancy are for normal foods, although not always the healthiest choices. Some women do crave very healthy foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, but most crave junk foods such as potato chips, baked goods, or ice cream. While not all of these cravings are a good idea to indulge regularly, they don’t indicate any sort of problem and are a completely normal part of pregnancy. Most often, a food craving is not for a food that contains any special amount of nutrition, so it seems very unlikely that the body is trying to tell you something by craving a food that won’t supply much nourishment.

The main problem that might arise from this type of craving is causing a certain level of irritation to the father to be who is sent out in search of a certain food at random times of the day and night!

Abnormal Cravings

While most women will crave completely harmless foods, a small percentage will experience a condition known as pica. This term is used to describe a craving for something very unusual, non-nutritive, and generally unsafe for consumption. These cravings can include dirt, soaps and detergents, and other odd choices.

There are some people who believe that this type of craving may be related to a nutritional deficiency of some kind, however there is currently no strong evidence to confirm it. Presently, no one really knows what actually causes pica.

If you have reason to suspect you have some sort of deficiency in your diet, you should talk to your doctor. Most pregnant women who are eating a balanced diet and taking a prenatal supplement daily are not at risk for a major nutritional deficiency. The most likely nutrient to become too low during pregnancy is iron, and this is indicated by symptoms such as fatigue, and not by food cravings. Although you may often hear people say things like “I am craving meat, my iron must be low!” there is no evidence to support pregnancy cravings as being connected with low levels of vitamins or minerals.

If you are craving a healthy food, go right ahead and indulge it. It probably doesn’t mean you were low on the nutrients provided by that food, but it certainly can’t hurt to consume a little more. On the other hand, cravings for unhealthy or junk foods should be satisfied carefully and in moderation, to keep your diet healthy and balanced.