Now that you've found out you're pregnant, your whole outlook on life and the way you are living it begins to change----and you begin to take notice of all the pieces of advice that people around you are dropping as if on cue. All those motherly types who know what's best for you, even more than your doctor does, will tell you that eating for two is just what you need to do now, to build up your strength and make sure the baby is well fed. But the other side of the coin is just as adamant: "don't overeat, no no no---be careful, don't gain too much weight, you must stick to a diet during pregnancy".
Well, yada yada yada. What did our great- grandmothers do way back when, when there was no rampant technology, nor fast foods, nor any modern conveniences-----what did they do? Did they meticulously count their calories, watch their weight, fret over a gained pound or two? Naw---they went for a walk, worked their rear ends off doing daily chores and working, and ate mostly food grown locally and purchased fresh in the market. They probably had hardly ever heard of something called a calorie, never mind worried about it.
They didn't have grease laden burgers beckoning to them from every corner, or chicken nuggets with fries; there were no prepackaged TV dinners touting their cardboard tasting contents; and the technology then was not anywhere near as advanced as today, so they worked harder, were more physically active on a daily basis, and in doing so---burned more calories in a day just going about their lives than we do today. Pregnancy was something that was an expected fact of life, and it was treated as such, with some celebration, but nothing like the megamillion dollar industry it is today.
So, here we are today with all our conveniences and stressors and in some cases, whacked out ways of looking at pregnancy. What kind of a diet during pregnancy should we be following since our bodies have not yet genetically caught up with our technologically supported lifestyles. The emphasis here is on the word "diet"----which way you take it to mean. Some of us who look at food and the calories jump from the food to our hips and thighs regard the word "diet" to mean just that---reduction of intake of calories so the weight gain during pregnancy is minimal.
So what is the answer for all of us that are worried about maintaining a decent healthy diet during pregnancy----something that would encompass both the eternally slim and the fat magnets that walk through a grocery store and gain 10 pounds just walking past the cake aisle. Most women who do not have much of a weight gain problem are concerned mainly with just eating right and making sure they get enough water, enough vitamins, enough fiber, and lots of exercise. They rarely give a thought to the amount of calories they are taking in, because for them calories are not a problem and not something they need to worry about.
I guess, for all of us as a mixed bag of body types, and metabolisms that run the gamut of the scale; the answer lies in the middle area of a little of both ways of looking at things. A good diet during pregnancy for the good of the average female would be one that is well balanced nutritionally, includes lots of water, a goodly amount of fiber, lowered calorie intake, almost no intake of fast foods or prepackaged drivel from the grocery store, and daily exercise to keep the calorie furnace burning at maximum efficiency.
You don't have to be a mental giant to get the gist of all this----these facts are nothing more than what you have been told all your life for healthy eating and reducing weight gain---the only difference is now you are maintaining this diet during your pregnancy for you and the baby, so make sure you stick to it faithfully. There are no extraordinary measures here, just good old common sense for healthy eating; and these days, we get so caught up in our whirlwind lives, that common sense is hard to come by.
Well, yada yada yada. What did our great- grandmothers do way back when, when there was no rampant technology, nor fast foods, nor any modern conveniences-----what did they do? Did they meticulously count their calories, watch their weight, fret over a gained pound or two? Naw---they went for a walk, worked their rear ends off doing daily chores and working, and ate mostly food grown locally and purchased fresh in the market. They probably had hardly ever heard of something called a calorie, never mind worried about it.
They didn't have grease laden burgers beckoning to them from every corner, or chicken nuggets with fries; there were no prepackaged TV dinners touting their cardboard tasting contents; and the technology then was not anywhere near as advanced as today, so they worked harder, were more physically active on a daily basis, and in doing so---burned more calories in a day just going about their lives than we do today. Pregnancy was something that was an expected fact of life, and it was treated as such, with some celebration, but nothing like the megamillion dollar industry it is today.
So, here we are today with all our conveniences and stressors and in some cases, whacked out ways of looking at pregnancy. What kind of a diet during pregnancy should we be following since our bodies have not yet genetically caught up with our technologically supported lifestyles. The emphasis here is on the word "diet"----which way you take it to mean. Some of us who look at food and the calories jump from the food to our hips and thighs regard the word "diet" to mean just that---reduction of intake of calories so the weight gain during pregnancy is minimal.
So what is the answer for all of us that are worried about maintaining a decent healthy diet during pregnancy----something that would encompass both the eternally slim and the fat magnets that walk through a grocery store and gain 10 pounds just walking past the cake aisle. Most women who do not have much of a weight gain problem are concerned mainly with just eating right and making sure they get enough water, enough vitamins, enough fiber, and lots of exercise. They rarely give a thought to the amount of calories they are taking in, because for them calories are not a problem and not something they need to worry about.
I guess, for all of us as a mixed bag of body types, and metabolisms that run the gamut of the scale; the answer lies in the middle area of a little of both ways of looking at things. A good diet during pregnancy for the good of the average female would be one that is well balanced nutritionally, includes lots of water, a goodly amount of fiber, lowered calorie intake, almost no intake of fast foods or prepackaged drivel from the grocery store, and daily exercise to keep the calorie furnace burning at maximum efficiency.
You don't have to be a mental giant to get the gist of all this----these facts are nothing more than what you have been told all your life for healthy eating and reducing weight gain---the only difference is now you are maintaining this diet during your pregnancy for you and the baby, so make sure you stick to it faithfully. There are no extraordinary measures here, just good old common sense for healthy eating; and these days, we get so caught up in our whirlwind lives, that common sense is hard to come by.
About the Author:
Dawn Eastman puts forth information and articles on the subject of Weight Gain During Pregnancy. For more information on Weight Loss After Baby visit our site.
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