Top 3 Nutrients for a healthy pregnancy

When your newly pregnant, it can be a time of real joy, but also an anxious and overwhelming period, as you want to do everything you can take keep your baby happy and healthy through the next 9 months and beyond. There is a huge amount of advice on the internet, as to what you should and shouldn't be eating, along with what supplements to take and this can feel an added pressure at a point when you may be feeling total exhaustion and a rollercoaster of ravenous hunger or sick to your stomach, I've been there twice and remember it well. I want to try to help simplify all the chatter and give you my top 3 nutrients to focus on getting into your diet straight away.

If you are struggling with pregnancy nausea and living off a very limited diet right now, don't panic, you can still get these nutrients from a good quality prenatal supplement, until the nausea starts to subside and you can introduce these foods. In my next blog, I will cover exactly what to look for in your prenatal supplement so watch out for this coming soon.

Calcium

• Calcium is essential for the development of an infants bones, teeth, heart and nervous system and as the baby is prioritised, an insufficient intake of calcium can affect a mothers bone health, which is particularly important for those of us having babies in our 40's, when we may be experiencing the initial symptoms of peri menopause where bone health becomes is super important.

• Low maternal levels of calcium care also associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, which can increase blood pressure to a dangerous level both during and after birth.

• The recommended daily dietary amount during pregnancy is 1000mg, if you are dairy free, you can still get this amount through non-dairy foods. So what could this look like across your daily diet?, try any combination of the below

200ml full fat organic plain yoghurt - 230mg

112g cottage cheese - 142mg

100g tofu - 510mg

95g curly kale - 143mg

200mg organic milk - 240mg

40g feta - 144mg

100g sardines in oil - 500mg

40g okra stir fried - 88mg

3tbsp red kidney beans - 75mg

12 almonds - 62g

1 heaped tsp tahini paste - 129mg

Magnesium

Magnesium requirement is increased during pregnancy to 360-400mg daily and a deficiency is common at the end of the first trimester which can contribute to:

• pre-eclampsia

• foetal growth retardation

• pre-term labour

• leg cramps

• potential insulin resistance and diabetes

• SIDS

• maternal anxiety and low mood

There are many great ways to get magnesium into our diet every day and some of the high calcium foods foods above also contain great levels of magnesium, see below for a list of the most magnesium rich foods to include daily

Pumpkin seeds

Flax seeds

Brazil, almonds, cashew or walnuts - 1/4 cup is 100mg

Dark leafy green veg eg spinach, kale, bok choi - 1/2 cup is 100mg

whole grains such as brown rice, oats, quinoa

legumes and Tofu

Dark chocolate 70% or higher - 30g is 50mg

Iron

• Iron is such a crucial nutrient, I believe for pregnancy and maternal health and the majority of women I see in my clinic, have low iron levels during pregnancy and in the years following, which can cause a whole host of unwanted symptoms including fatigue, hair loss, restless legs, anxiety and depressive feelings, frequent infections. It can also have a big impact on other areas of our health including our hormonal balance, thyroid and immune function.

• Its highly possible you may also have to supplement this mineral as well, since the requirement during pregnancy is 30mg per day and our ability to absorb iron is affected by a number of factors, such as having good levels of stomach acid and what other foods we eat iron with. For example, coffee and tea, can hinder absorption, as can calcium rich foods. To ensure you are getting good levels through your daily diet, try to include lots of the below foods. Eating these foods with vitamin C rich foods will increase our bodies ability to absorb iron.

per 100g

• Grass fed beef - 2mg

• Pinto beans - 5.1mg

• Pumpkin or sesame seeds - 15mg

• Tofu or white beans - 10mg

• Sundried tomatos and kidney beans - 9mg

• Chickpeas - 6.2mg

• lentils - 3.3mg

There are also other very important nutrients to include during your pregnancy, such as Vitamin D, Vitamin A, folic acid and omega 3 and its always important to try to eat a healthy balanced diet to ensure you get these daily. However, a good quality multi-vitamin can be a great additional tool, to ensure you and your baby are covered during a time when you both need a high level of nutrients and may be struggling to eat a varied diet due to to pregnancy symptoms, my next post coming will take you through what to look for to get the best from your pre-natal multi supplement which will ensure you get the correct levels of all the above vitamins and minerals i've mentioned and discussed

If you would like help to understand what foods to eat and how to find the best quality, effective supplements to keep you and baby healthy and happy. Perhaps your dealing with pre existing health conditions, that you would like help to manage during your journey to motherhood and beyond or would love to get your energy back so you can fully enjoy everything this period of your life has to bring then please get in touch today and book your free 30 minute health mot with me by clicking on the link below

https://my.practicebetter.io/#/6053af492a832607e0c6b3c9/bookings