The Whole Food Blog

The best pregnancy nutrition should be comprised of a lot of high fiber, low fat whole foods for a sound, balanced diet. Hopeful mothers need to monitor their nutritional needs carefully. When seeking the healthiest pregnancy nutrition, know that it is more effective to consume vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that come from whole foods, not isolated supplements. Whole foods are much easier for the body to absorb, whereas isolated vitamins and minerals are often flushed out before the body can process them to use for fuel.

Calcium is a valuable mineral for flawless pregnancy nutrition. Still, it is challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Some of the more typical sources of calcium are broccoli, yogurt, cheese, milk, and beans.

For those about to take a calcium supplement, not only is it important for pregnancy nutrition that the calcium originates from whole foods, it is similarly important that Vitamin D2 is present. Vitamin D2 is central to assist the body in absorbing calcium and is a crucial component for healthier bone strength and density.

Folate, also called Folic Acid and Vitamin B9 is another basic nutrient for total pregnancy nutrition. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body to generate healthy new cells. That is why folate is indispensable for pregnancy nutrition as hopeful mothers create new life. Moms who add enough folic acid in their diets are taking the right actions toward preventing birth defects, especially of the baby’s brain.

For appropriate pregnancy nutrition, a woman needs roughly 800 mcg of folic acid daily. Nursing mothers only require about 500 mcg. This quantity may not be easy for some to get to, as it requires up to six servings of whole foods such as spinach, beans or asparagus, every day. If a pregnant woman is not getting plenty of folate from whole foods, then whole food multi-vitamins should be investigated.

Expectant mothers are aware that a pregnancy nutrition plan should include calcium supplements.  The March of Dimes reports, however, that a woman’s calcium supply is fairly consistent throughout her adult life.  This is not to say that calcium supplements are not important.  What’s true is that many women do not get the appropriate amount each day even before becoming pregnant.  Only when a proper pregnancy nutrition plan is investigated do they realize the problems with their typical diet.

Women between the ages of nineteen and fifty are encouraged to consume around 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily.  Most only get about 700 milligrams more often than not.  The recommended amount is even more important for pregnancy nutrition as the baby needs a portion of the 1,000 milligrams.  If the body can’t get proper nutrients from the food consumed, then calcium supplements will keep it from having to borrow calcium from other body parts, like the bones of the mother.

Relying solely on calcium supplements is not a great idea, but they can be an effective tool for pregnancy nutrition.  Along with supplements, pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding would be wise to obtain calcium from other natural sources.  Those unopposed to dairy products will find them to be a good source.  Other natural choices are dark green, leafy vegetables.  Many food and drink manufacturers are now supplementing their products with calcium, especially orange juice producers.

Choosing the Proper Calcium Supplements for Pregnancy Nutrition

It’s too bad that the amount of calcium contained in most daily vitamins is not enough to match recommended quantities.  Additionally, problems with calcium absorption in the body may arise.  When considering pregnancy nutrition, it is important to select calcium supplements that the body understands and assimilates properly.  The best picks are whole food calcium supplements.

When it comes to pregnancy nutrition, mothers-to-be should consider supplementing with whole food vitamins.  These types of vitamins are extracted from natural sources rather than chemically engineered, and the result is better pregnancy nutrition before conception, during fetal development and after childbirth.

By eating a balanced diet, expectant mothers are able to extract the necessary daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, fats, and energy sources needed to keep their bodies running the way they were intended to work.  The unfortunate truth is that many women don’t eat a properly balanced diet any more, which accentuates the need for specialized pregnancy nutrition.  Adding supplements such as whole food vitamins allows expectant mothers to regain some of those essential compounds that may be missing from the processed foods most people eat every day.

Whole food vitamins utilize sources found in nature, rather than synthesized compounds.  The advantage, whether as a part of pregnancy nutrition or not, is that they are more easily absorbed and utilized by the body.  The best places to find health-sustaining whole food nutrients is through a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, but few people actually get enough of these foods in their day-to-day regimens.

Naturally occurring whole food vitamins come from fruits, vegetables, and food grade herbs.  Because the body recognize these compounds—as opposed to synthetic or isolated vitamins—it knows how to put them to use.  In the case of vitamins that have been isolated from their whole food sources or even created in the lab, as much as 90% of them pass directly through the body with no actual benefit.

Making whole food vitamins a part of an overall pregnancy nutrition regimen helps ensure that the nutrients are actually being absorbed and used for the health of both the baby and the mother.

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Folate, also called Folic Acid and Vitamin B9, is an essential nutrient for healthy pregnancy nutrition.  Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body create healthy new cells.  That is why folate is very important for pregnancy nutrition as hopeful mothers create new life.  Moms who include sufficient folic acid in their diets are taking positive steps toward preventing birth defects, especially of the baby’s brain or spine.

Everyone has heard the stories about pregnant women who can’t control their mood swings.  Plenty of medical research points to a deficiency of folic acid in pregnancy nutrition for fostering depression and other psychiatric disorders.  In the book, “Food, Your Miracle Medicine” (Copyright 1993), Jean Carper states, “That folic acid can act as an antidepressant is no secret among scientists“.  The book goes on to point out that McGill University’s Dr. Young found “accumulating evidence that folic acid deficiency can contribute to depressed mood“, and that eliminating the deficiency often cures the depression.

For proper pregnancy nutrition, a woman needs about 800 mcg of folic acid daily.  Nursing mothers can back that down to about 500 mcg.  This level may not be easy for some to reach, as it requires up to six servings of foods such as spinach, beans or asparagus, every day.  If a pregnant woman is not getting enough folate from whole foods then a health food vitamin should be investigated.

Foods with folic acid in them include:
*  Leafy, green vegetables
*  Fruits
*  Beans
*  Peas
*  Nuts

Some enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid.  Again, it is important to be sure that the folate is attached to a natural whole food complex of B vitamins.  You can find more effective whole food vitamins for pregnancy nutrition on the Internet than you will find in most retail stores.  Just be sure to search for a natural health food vitamin to obtain the highest quality pregnancy nutrition available today.

The added stress of pregnancy can create an increased demand for vitamins in the mother’s body.  When the body is in stress mode, more adrenal hormones are produced, which speeds up metabolism.  This can cause a rapid depletion in nutrients stored in the mother’s body thus robbing the mother and the fetus of valuable vitamins and minerals.   That is why proper pregnancy nutrition requires a very safe, balanced diet including essential nutrients like folate or folic acid.

For proper pregnancy nutrition, many experts agree that it is better to obtain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from whole foods, not isolated supplements.  Whole food nutrients are easier for the body to absorb, whereas isolated vitamins and minerals are often eliminated as waste before they can actually be put to use.

Essential elements of pregnancy nutrition include:
*  calcium
*  protein
*  phosphorus
*  potassium
*  folic acid (folate)
*  Vitamins A, D, C, E and the entire B complex.

Nutrition facts point to calcium as an important mineral for sound pregnancy nutrition.  It is especially challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods like fruits and vegetables.

Some of the more familiar sources of calcium are:
*  Broccoli
*  Yogurt
*  Cheese
*  Milk
*  Beans

Dandelion is a natural source of calcium from a whole food source and alfalfa has a high level of calcium, but these are a little harder to include in daily pregnancy nutrition.  There is one whole food calcium supplement that includes dandelion and alfalfa along with other whole food calcium sources, but you won’t find it in a typical health food store.

It is equally important that Vitamin D2 is present in the calcium supplement for perfect pregnancy nutrition.  Vitamin D2 is crucial to aid the body in absorbing calcium.  In one particular natural whole food calcium supplement, 3 types of calcium are included with different absorption characteristics, and Vitamin D2 is present to augment the absorption of calcium.

Of course some supplements may be necessary to get all the required nutrients for proper pregnancy nutrition.  However, it is important to consider how they are made and where the nutrients are coming from.  Isolated vitamins like those typically found on store shelves will be next to useless for sound pregnancy nutrition.  In addition to supplements, there are whole food formulas that provide sound pregnancy nutrition in health drink concentrates.  These drinks make it easy for expectant mothers to get the nutrients they need for perfect pregnancy nutrition while satisfying whole food requirements.

Obtaining the best pregnancy nutrition today requires pregnant women to learn more about including plenty of whole foods in their diet.  Whether expecting or not, the need for a balanced diet that includes vitamins and minerals from whole foods is common sense.  This is even more significant when pregnancy nutrition is involved as a healthy diet that includes plenty of whole foods is a perfect way to help the baby develop to its full potential.

Since weight gain is always a consideration for pregnancy nutrition, it’s a good idea to know in advance how many additional calories are needed.  According to the Institute of Medicine, “Active pregnant women need about 2,500 to 2,700 calories per day during the second trimester and 2,650 to 2,850 calories per day in the third trimester. Inactive women will require fewer calories.” One way to avoid any lack of proper pregnancy nutrition is to eat the best whole foods while avoiding empty calories.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are relatively low in calories for the amount of nutrition they provide.

In addition, excellent pregnancy nutrition can be obtained from all natural whole food concentrates and supplements.  Research shows that supplements made from whole food ingredients are absorbed by the body more efficiently than those formulated with isolated vitamins and minerals.  Raw, whole foods and all natural whole food concentrates prepared at low temperatures are more likely to contain live enzymes, which can allow for more effective absorption of the nutrients into the cells.

By choosing the right whole foods as part of any pregnancy nutrition plan, both the mother and baby will have the best prospects for a healthy birth.