We know pregnancy is a normal physiological process for women, but it puts an extra burden to the normal physiological process in pregnant women. The extra burden is due to the fast growing fetus as well as a part of normal physiology in mother’s body to prepare for the extra load/burden for optimal growth and development of fetus inside mother’s womb. During pregnancy the nutritional requirement is more then normal due to rapidly growing fetus and changes which occurs in the mother’s body, such as growth of uterus from normal of approximately 150 grams to 1,500 grams during full term pregnancy.

The nutritional requirement is approximately 10% to 15% more then normal requirement during pregnancy and this is applicable for most of the nutrients, e.g. proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements/minerals and other micronutrients. The calorie requirement is also 10-15% more then normal calorie requirement of non pregnant woman.

Recommended protein intake during pregnancy:

It is recommended that protein requirement should come from fish, poultry, white meat, milk and milk products, beans, nuts, pulses, and cereals (such as rice, wheat, maize etc. depending on local tradition and food habit). Avoid red meat, although it is very good source of high quality protein. Protein is essential for growth and development of new cells and repairing injured cells as well as for replacement of old cells. Protein is the basic foundation of all living beings and its adequate intake should be ensured during pregnancy.

Fat intake recommendation:

Fat requirement should be met from vegetable/plant source, as they contain high amount of unsaturated fatty acids (mono and poly unsaturated fatty acids) which are good for heart and cardiovascular health. Avoid fats from animal sources as they contain high cholesterol.

Carbohydrate recommendation:

The carbohydrate required should come from whole grain cereals. It is better to avoid refined cereals. Whole grains are rich source of fiber (which relieves constipation which may be a common problem during pregnancy), many vitamins and minerals, which may not be present in refined and processed cereals.

Vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients requirement:

Liberal amount of fresh fruit consumption can supply required vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. Prefer locally grown fruits over imported fruits from outside. Some of the fruits recommended during pregnancy include mango, guava (very rich source of vitamin C), strawberry, banana (rich in carbohydrate and iron), gooseberry (richest source of vitamin C), grapes, papaya, melons etc. Consumption of fresh vegetables, especially fresh green leafy vegetables is recommended, which supply vitamins and minerals as well as adequate fiber required during pregnancy.

Health is in fact like a game, but far more dangerous than playing Monopoly. When growing up in our younger days most of us played the odd game of Monopoly. There is some talent required to win, and you had to make wise choices by investing in various utilities as the game went along. The journey of our lives is not unlike playing games where it can take us in different directions.

As the game and the rolling of the dice continues, it becomes more obvious about the choices we made earlier in the game. In our daily lives we all are rolling a dice one way or another. It depends on the choices we make. We may not actually see the numbers in front of our eyes, nevertheless the numbers are there.

Making choices about health is also a numbers game and we are making them every day, knowingly or unknowingly, right ones or wrong ones. Making the right choices in health is a crucial step in the right direction. To learn and to gain knowledge is a good and correct way to succeed with any health issue.

Diet is the number one subject. We must look at our diet and lifestyle and scrutinize the food we are eating very carefully to attack any health issue and to solve it the natural way without pharmaceutical drugs.

People have a very strong reliance on pharmaceutical medicine. They may cure the symptom, but they don’t cure the core problem. Drugs do not address or fix the cause of the illness. Doctors don’t talk much about diet or lifestyle changes. They only subscribe drugs and as we know, drugs do have side effects which create other ongoing problems.

Time after time studies have confirmed the right food, plant products, and supplements can stop certain cancer tumours from multiplying and growing. This is nothing new. It has been known for years the power of nature can prevent illness including some cancer.

One of the problems is that the natural remedies are often overshadowed by the massive marketing of pharmaceutical drugs. Most people are unaware of the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle changes. A regular amount of exercise and the right diet is the starting point for curing many common health problems without any side effects of using drugs.

Processed food is the major cause of illness and decease. Any processed food is unhealthy because of the artificial ingredients. Processed meat is one of the most effected food and the intake reduced to the bare minimum.

When shopping for food, read the fine print on labels and look out for certain numbers on packaging. Remember the Monopoly game about making the right choices? There is some similarity. Give it a thought while shopping.

Ask yourself this question: ‘Am I ready to do anything to better my health?’ If the answer is yes, than you owe it to yourself to learn all about it. The other question is: ‘Do you wannabe a healthy person or an unhealthy one?’ Gain knowledge, read as much as possible about any health issue because knowledge equals power. This will help you to make the right choices.

Remember that goals and targets are great, but action steps are a must for any success in health. Natural cures come in many forms, from home-made remedies to supplement’s natural remedies and alternative treatments to start living a healthier lifestyle.

My Own Health Viewpoint!

Health is real wealth, not a big bank account.

It is necessary to change our eating habits and correct the diet. Otherwise it will brutally end the comfortable assumption that we would continue our good health without interruptions. If we keep on papering over the cracks every time fresh cracks appear or existing ones widen, we add more sickness. Think about this for a second… when it comes to health issues, it’s like a crash course for most of us