It is important to adopt good eating habits before getting pregnant: you should eat healthily, regularly and in a balanced way
There is no miracle diet that will help you to get pregnant, but it is true that when that is what we’re seeking, and when this has been achieved – it is important to follow a healthy, balanced and regular diet. Besides making us feel good, following a good dietary regime during this period will help us to acquire a healthy lifestyle that can also be maintained in the future.
Eugin Clinic nutritionist, Dr. Magda Carlas helps us have a better understanding of what habits we should follow during this period of our lives.
When trying to get pregnant
“From the moment we try to get pregnant, we should take into account how balanced our diet is, and in particular, the consumption of folic acid,” says the doctor. Folic acid is found in vegetables, especially in the ones with green leaves, such as spinach, chard or lettuce. “Folic acid helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. If you don’t consume enough of them, supplements can be taken,” she adds.
When a woman is thinking about getting pregnant, she has to watch her diet. First of all, common sense and eat as healthily as possible: it is not the time for restrictive diets, trying new things or being irregular with meals, quite the opposite. “We have to eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily, and eat in a varied and regular way: it is important to keep up good habits every day,” says the doctor.
What is considered a healthy balanced diet?
Not all women have a clear idea about what it means to follow a healthy and balanced diet. These are some of the essential habits that every woman should follow before, during and after pregnancy.
10 essential eating habits for a balanced diet
1. Eat fruit and vegetables daily. It isn’t enough to eat one portion of fruit or vegetables a day: this food must be present in each of our meals.
2. Include fish in 50% of our main courses. Fish contains a lot of iodine, a nutrient that women need at this time. We can combine the protein intake of fish with eggs.
3. Skimmed milk twice a day. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, an element that we particularly need to help form the baby’s bones. People with normal weight can combine natural yogurt with low-fat cheese.
4. Avoid saturated and hydrogenated fats. We have to try to eat as naturally as possible: the less processed the food, the better. Cold meats, ready meals and confectionery products, well away from the kitchen.
5. Limit stimulants: coffee and tea. Coffee has a bad reputation, but tea also contains a stimulant: theine. It is good to stay calm and relaxed as far as possible, and so it is better to consume these kinds of beverage in moderation.
6. Always consume small amounts. It is advisable to avoid big meals. If we get used to smaller meals, we can avoid heavy digestions and we will feel better.
7. Eat every 3 to 4 hours at regular times. You should try to eat regularly and at the same time, just as we should not let more than four hours go by without eating anything. It is better to have 5 small meals than 3 big meals.
8. Avoid excess salt and sugar. Most natural foods already contain the salt and sugar that our body needs: do not give it more.
9. Avoid alcohol. This is a toxic drink for our body. It is necessary to moderate its consumption, and in the case of pregnant women, avoid it altogether.
10. Vary the menu. In addition to keeping ourselves amused and having fun in the kitchen, following a varied diet will help us enjoy more what we eat. Repetition is boring!
