Essential Nutrients You Need to Conceive
Can't wait to have a baby? Or are you trying to get pregnant?
Being pregnant means your body needs extra nutrients for your baby. Healthy diet during pregnancy not only keeps you fit but also help your child in proper growth. A healthy pregnancy diet will promote healthy delivery of developed child. As a mom to be you should know what nutrients may help your baby or you need the most.
Well there is no magic formula for healthy pregnancy diet and mostly the nutrients are same during pregnancy such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains food items. But there are some nutrients that deserve special attention while you are pregnant. Here we discuss essential nutrients you should add to your diet while conceiving, take a close look on them.
What to eat and add to your diet
1. Vitamin B9, popularly known as folic acid is essential for healthy development of your child's brain and nervous system. It helps prevent neural tube defects and serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Lack of this vitamin may increase the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight. You can add fortified cereals in your diet as it is a great source of folic acid and for good source of naturally occurring folate, add citrus fruits, dried beans and leafy green vegetables.
2. Calcium is essential to build strong bones and teeth in your baby. You can get daily calcium diet from dairy products, orange juice, salmon and sardine, almonds and dried figs, sesame seeds and fortified soy products. It also helps your muscular, nervous and circulatory system runs normally during pregnancy. For pregnant teenager, 1300 milligrams per day calcium is needed.
3. Vitamin B12 is equally essential for healthy nervous system, easily found in dairy products and in meat. It is also found in cereals and fortified soy milk.
4. Zinc ensures healthy eggs and builds body protein. You can find it in crab, lamb, cocoa, roasted pumpkin seeds and roast beef. It creates DNA and keeps you fertile.
5. Vitamin D similarly acts as calcium and body required this for the healthy functions. It helps builds baby's teeth and bone. Good sources of vitamin D are fatty fish and fortified milk.
6. Protein promotes baby's growth, especially during the second and third trimester. It is the basic building block of our body and found in meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy products, and poultry.
7. Iron is another essential nutrient, help in healthy blood production and for a sound immune system. Blood volumes expand to accommodate changes in your body during pregnancy and also help your baby make his or her entire blood supply. This doubles your iron need while you are pregnant. Sources of iron include poultry, fish and lean red meat. Also found in nuts, dried fruits and iron fortified breakfast cereals.
8. DHA (omega three fatty acid) helps in normal development of the brain and nervous system found in fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon.
In addition several supplements are also available at the market these days. But before adding any supplement in your diet during pregnancy, it is advisable to consult with your doctor.
Being pregnant means your body needs extra nutrients for your baby. Healthy diet during pregnancy not only keeps you fit but also help your child in proper growth. A healthy pregnancy diet will promote healthy delivery of developed child. As a mom to be you should know what nutrients may help your baby or you need the most.
Well there is no magic formula for healthy pregnancy diet and mostly the nutrients are same during pregnancy such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains food items. But there are some nutrients that deserve special attention while you are pregnant. Here we discuss essential nutrients you should add to your diet while conceiving, take a close look on them.
What to eat and add to your diet
1. Vitamin B9, popularly known as folic acid is essential for healthy development of your child's brain and nervous system. It helps prevent neural tube defects and serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Lack of this vitamin may increase the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight. You can add fortified cereals in your diet as it is a great source of folic acid and for good source of naturally occurring folate, add citrus fruits, dried beans and leafy green vegetables.
2. Calcium is essential to build strong bones and teeth in your baby. You can get daily calcium diet from dairy products, orange juice, salmon and sardine, almonds and dried figs, sesame seeds and fortified soy products. It also helps your muscular, nervous and circulatory system runs normally during pregnancy. For pregnant teenager, 1300 milligrams per day calcium is needed.
3. Vitamin B12 is equally essential for healthy nervous system, easily found in dairy products and in meat. It is also found in cereals and fortified soy milk.
4. Zinc ensures healthy eggs and builds body protein. You can find it in crab, lamb, cocoa, roasted pumpkin seeds and roast beef. It creates DNA and keeps you fertile.
5. Vitamin D similarly acts as calcium and body required this for the healthy functions. It helps builds baby's teeth and bone. Good sources of vitamin D are fatty fish and fortified milk.
6. Protein promotes baby's growth, especially during the second and third trimester. It is the basic building block of our body and found in meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy products, and poultry.
7. Iron is another essential nutrient, help in healthy blood production and for a sound immune system. Blood volumes expand to accommodate changes in your body during pregnancy and also help your baby make his or her entire blood supply. This doubles your iron need while you are pregnant. Sources of iron include poultry, fish and lean red meat. Also found in nuts, dried fruits and iron fortified breakfast cereals.
8. DHA (omega three fatty acid) helps in normal development of the brain and nervous system found in fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon.
In addition several supplements are also available at the market these days. But before adding any supplement in your diet during pregnancy, it is advisable to consult with your doctor.
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