Pregnancy Nutrition special part 1: Before Pregnancy

1. In a special of three parts, we will look in detail at how your eating pattern is related to pregnancy. For the best overview, I have separated this into nutrition before, during and after pregnancy. Proper nutrition in all three stages of pregnancy is very important, not just during pregnancy, as most people think.

1. In this first part we will start at the beginning: You want to get pregnant! In order to give the unborn child the best possible start, and to allow conception to occur as quickly as possible, you may need to slightly change your 'normal' diet. Through a healthy diet, with some pregnancy-specific adjustments here and there, you prepare your body for the difficult period of pregnancy and beyond. So not only good for the unborn child, but also for yourself.

1. Let's take a look at the influence of different foods and nutrients.

Carbohydrates

1. Although carbohydrates do not directly increase your chances of pregnancy, they are good for your body. In this way you can prepare your body and give it strength for the difficult period to come. It is true that certain carbohydrates contain nutrients that do increase fertility.

1. Think of Vitamin B, anti-oxidants and iron. To get the right carbohydrates in a healthy way, think of a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a few multigrain sandwiches for lunch and multigrain pasta for the evening. In addition, it is important to also eat small amounts of carbohydrate-rich food in between.

1. To prevent your body from constantly reacting very violently and extremely to the (extra) intake of carbohydrates, you should take carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed by the blood. You can determine this by paying attention to the Glycemic Index of your food.

2. To prevent your body from always reacting very violently and extremely to the (extra) intake of carbohydrates, you should take carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed by the blood. You can determine this by paying attention to the Glycemic Index of your food.

1. Do you want to know more about this? Click below for the Read my special about the Glycemic Index: Glycemic index special

1. The latter is especially important for women who have PolyCistic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of reduced fertility in women. This hormone imbalance only gets worse when you have regular insulin spikes. Too much insulin in your blood directly affects the functioning of your ovaries and possible irregular ovulations.

1. It is precisely by observing the previously described Glycemic Index that you can better control these insulin peaks

2. By paying attention to the previously described Glycemic Index you can better control these insulin peaks

Vegetables and Fruit

1. In addition to the necessary vitamins and minerals that fruit and vegetables provide, eating them is also important because of the anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants fight against free radicals that can enter your body through, for example, sunlight, but also through second-hand smoke. These radicals can damage eggs and, in men, sperm.

2. In addition to the necessary vitamins and minerals that fruit and vegetables provide, eating them is also important for the anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants fight against free radicals that can enter your body through, for example, sunlight, but also through second-hand smoke. These radicals can damage eggs and, in men, sperm.

1. So eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. A recommended amount is 3 bowls of vegetables and 2 bowls of fruit per day.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

1. For optimal fertility the (healthy) omega-3 fatty acids are of great importance. The main source of this type of fatty acids is fish such as herring, salmon, sardines and a number of tuna. If you don't like fish, or are a vegetarian, food supplements are available on the market.

Alcohol

1. Well, do I need to say something about this? It is of course best to let the alcohol stand for a while, although it has not been proven that very moderate alcohol consumption can affect your fertility. However, moderate alcohol consumption is also directly related to the speed at which you can become pregnant.

2. Well, do I need to say anything about this? It is of course best to let the alcohol stand for a while, although it has not been proven that very moderate alcohol consumption can affect your fertility. However, moderate alcohol consumption is also directly related to the speed at which you can become pregnant.

1. If you have an irregular cycle, you better leave the alcohol completely.

1. Needless to say, once you are pregnant, alcohol is completely out of the question! Remember that you may already be pregnant without knowing it yourself. If you still happily drink your wine or beer, you could potentially harm the fetus.

Coffee and tea

1. Coffee and tea, generally caffeine, cause your blood veins to squeeze, reducing blood flow to your major organs, including your uterus. Reduced blood supply may cause the egg to adhere poorly in the uterus, leading to termination of the pregnancy.

1. If you want to quit Caffeine, it is wise to taper it off slowly. Stopping caffeine all at once can cause headaches as well as withdrawal symptoms.

1. Yes, caffeine is addictive and your body can react violently in the absence of this stimulant.

Iron

1. Anemia, and thus iron deficiency, is a common problem (27%) in women who have just become pregnant. Not only this group of women is bothered by this, but also women in general. During menstruation you lose a lot of blood, and with that also a lot of iron. It is therefore very important to replenish your iron reserves, especially if you want to become pregnant. If you eat little meat, which contains a lot of iron, or are a vegetarian, you can buy multivitamins with iron on the market.

Water

1. Drinking plenty of water does not directly affect fertility, apart from its positive effects on overall health. But drinking water does replenish your reserves. Reserves that you will soon need for making amniotic fluid, for example, and for feeding your unborn baby.

Listeria Bacteria

1. Listeria bacteria can be found in some ready meals, French cheeses and other unpasteurized dairy products. Normally you will not notice this, but a pregnant woman is more than 20 times more likely to become ill than non-pregnant women. This is important not only during pregnancy, but also for pregnancy.

1. The listeria bacteria can cause a miscarriage, even if you usually don't even notice it.

1. First take a critical look at your fridge and look at the best before dates. If you don't trust it, just throw it away! Immediately lower your refrigerator a few degrees for better cooling.

1. What not to eat: Smoked fish, raw sushi, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk and other unpasteurized dairy products. So no raw milk from the farmer, no matter how tasty this may be!

1. Would you like to know more about pasteurization and dairy products in general? Then read my special on dairy products. Dairy products special

Folic acid and other vitamins

1. Getting all vitamins and minerals from food is quite difficult. Therefore, in preparation, get food supplements that are specially sold in preparation for pregnancy. This of course also contains folic acid, which you absolutely need to minimize the risk of serious abnormalities in the baby.

Flavonoids

1. Flavonoids help your body fight the free radicals mentioned above. Plenty of choice, because lots of fruit contains this nutrient: cherries, grapes, blueberries, peaches, tomatoes and oranges, among others.

Alkaline

1. Food with a relatively high alkaline content has a positive influence on a healthy secretion of the woman. This directly affects the speed at which you can become fertile. Think about: apples, onions, peaches, olives, cherries, celery, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, cabbage, mangoes, cucumbers and / or potatoes.

Influence of nutrition on gender

1. Can you really influence the sex of your baby through your diet? There are many factors that determine gender, and most of them cannot be controlled. You can, however, try to give nature a helping hand with the help of the fact that your diet influences your secretion. The composition of this secretion ensures, for example, that X sperm cells will feel better than Y sperm cells, or vice versa.

1. Do you want a daughter? Drink and eat lots of milk products, and avoid salt as much as possible:

1. Do you want a son? Do not eat or drink dairy products and give salt a central place in your diet (do not overdo it!)

1. Also attention for the man!

1. Until now we have only talked about the woman, but there are also a few important things for the man to prepare for conception, and to make conception as smooth as possible.

1. Did you know that 40% of cases of infertility or impaired fertility are due to men? This could be due to complete infertility, or poor cell quality or a low cell count.

1. But that's not the only reason for a man to prepare: Did you know that fathers who drank about 2 glasses of alcohol in the month before conception now have a child who, on average, 185 grams lighter than normal? A bad start for the little one, because a lower weight directly affects mental and physical development, which can affect the entire life of the new world citizen.

1. A healthy diet will certainly help to produce good sperm cells both qualitatively and quantitatively:

1. Anti-oxidants help to combat the damage of the sperm by the radicals, and have a stimulating effect to make your sperm more vibrant and mobile.

1. Zinc deficiency will lower your testosterone and sperm count.

1. Just as for the partner, folic acid is also important for the man. This can also be done in the form of nutritional supplements.

1. Milk, cheese, yogurt are good for calcium â € “For Vitamin D, milk and salmon are great.

1. You can of course be tough, and still have a beer or a glass of wine now and then, but why take the risk? The same also applies to smoking.

1. And thenâ € ¦ In this first part I have given you as many tips as possible on how to prepare your body for an upcoming pregnancy through your diet.

1. In the next part we will look at what to look out for during pregnancy. Your baby depends on what you eat!

1. Click below to read Part 2: Pregnancy Nutrition special part 2: During Pregnancy