Tag: Supplement

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How to Supplement Your Pregnancy Diet Plan

Your pregnancy diet plan is about more than just the right foods to eat while pregnant. You should also be concerned about getting the right kinds of supplements in the correct amounts. In doing so, you can give your baby everything she needs to develop and grow into a healthy infant.

Proper supplementation will also help keep you healthy and strong throughout the next nine months. A good prenatal vitamin should be part of your daily routine, but you should also make sure you are getting adequate amounts of these four vitamins and minerals:

Folic Acid

Folic acid is important during pregnancy because it is essential to the development of your baby’s neural tube, also known as the spinal cord. One of the most common biurth defects involving the spinal cord is spina bifida, in which the cord fails to close properly. This leaves the nerves exposed, causing a range of health and developmental problems.

Before pregnancy, you should be taking 400mcg of folic acid. Once you conceive, you should increase this amount to 600mcg. Some prenatal vitamins contain as much as 800mcg. As with many supplements, more is not always better, so consult with your OB/GYN if you are taking more than 1000mcg daily.

Calcium

Calcium is crucial to the development of strong, healthy bones. But if you neglect to increase your calcium intake during pregnancy, it could have serious consequences for your own health. Your body prioritizes your baby’s development, and if you aren’t taking enough calcium for the two of you, the baby will leach the calcium she needs from your own bones. This will, of course, negatively affect your bone density.

To keep this problem from occurring, you should take a calcium supplement and eat foods high in calcium. Organic, all-natural dairy products do contain calcium, but non-dairy products contain it as well. To add variety, as well as calcium, to your diet, try okra, oranges, cabbage, green beans, chickpeas, black beans, salmon, almonds, hazelnuts, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Iron

Iron helps to carry oxygen in the blood, for both mother and child. Prior to pregnancy, a woman needs 15mg of iron daily. After pregnancy, her need increases to 30-50mg, especially from the 20th week of pregnancy on.

Most women are iron-deficient before pregnancy and the problem is exacerbated, which is why anemia is such a common pregnancy complaint. Aside from taking an iron supplement, you should eat foods such as lean, all-natural beef, pumpkin seeds, beans and chick peas, lentils, and green vegetables to increase your iron consumption.

Omega Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids have a profound effect on the development of your baby as well as on your own health during pregnancy. Omega-3s help your baby to form her retinas, build her brain, and develop her nervous system. The positive effect of Omega-3s goes beyond your baby’s development while you are pregnant.

Babies who received adequate amounts of Omega-3s during pregnancy have been proven to have longer attention spans than babies who did not receive Omega-3s. This change lasts well into the second year of life.

For expectant mothers, Omega-3s can help prevent preeclampsia, can minimize your chance of preterm labor, and can help reduce your risk for postpartum depression. You should get at least 250mg of Omega-3s throughout your pregnancy.

Foods high in Omega-3s include organic eggs, dark green vegetables, flaxseed oil, and walnuts. Certain types of fish contain high levels of Omega-3s as well, but you need to be sure to watch the mercury levels.

Sardines, anchovies, and salmon all contain high levels of Omega-3s but are relatively low in mercury, so you can enjoy them in two six-ounce portions twice a week. A high-quality fish oil supplement is beneficial as well.

 

Are you looking for the best advice for what to eat when pregnant? Need advice on the best foods to eat while pregnant? Visit http://whattoeatwhilepregnant.com/ for exercise recommendations and eating tips for a healthy pregnancy.

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A Diet Plan Or Diet Supplement?

For many people dieting is a continual effort. All too often weight loss is a short-term affair followed by a steady regain of lost weight. The internet is flooded with diets and diet products, all trying to tell you that you will finally lose the weight if you purchase the next greatest diet, pill or drink. So what is a person who really wants to lose weight to believe? Should you use a diet or a supplement? Surely there are fine products in both categories that will allow you to take the weight off and finally lose those extra pounds! So which direction should you take; a diet plan or a diet supplement?
 
There is no substitute for a good diet plan and we suggest you start one if you haven’t already. A good diet supplement is just that; a supplement to a quality diet program! While it’s true that some supplements do cause you to lose weight, supplements alone generally have no long-term effect because they don’t teach you new eating habits or lifestyle changes. On the other hand, supplements do play a very important part of the diet puzzle.
 
A winning diet plan teaches you a new way to live. It’s never easy to change ones lifestyle but permanent weight loss requires just that. The effects of a quality diet will bring you many positive changes in your life, many that you haven’t even considered! Successful dieting not only leads to a slimmer, healthier body, it also has a powerful effect on ones emotional well being! Many successful dieters report a greater sense of self-assurance and self-esteem, which naturally bring new experiences and even opportunities that where not there before!
 
A quality diet supplement can enhance a quality diet program and expedite the weight loss achieved by dieting alone. Weather it’s an appetite suppressant, fat burner or fat blocker, quality diet supplements do have a place in your weight loss routine. For example; if you suffer with hunger pangs as you try and reduce your caloric intake, then logically a quality appetite suppressant would be of benefit to you as you progress towards your goal.
 
If you only have a few pounds to lose I suggest using a good diet program alone. Some diet supplements do have side effects and those should be considered before starting any diet supplement. For example, a popular supplement that is marketed and sold as a “fat binder” may leave you doing nothing but running to the restroom all day. It works but at a cost to the dieter. Whether you choose to add a supplement to your diet program will be up to you but do your homework first.
 
A quality diet program and diet supplement go hand-in-hand. Find a quality diet program that fits your personality and with a history of customer satisfaction. For many dieters a diet plan that includes plenty of support will be a great benefit. Many online diet programs offer online support groups as part of their membership. Take advantage of these support groups as they can be an priceless resource. Then, if you decide to add a supplement, consider what type will best help you “supplement” your diet program.  

Maureen Davis is a diet and health expert and proprietor of the Today’s Diet Review website where she critiques and reviews diet and diet products. You can read her reviews as well as consumer reviews of popular diet products at http://www.todaysdietreview.com

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