What To Eat While Pregnant
It is important to change your diet once you discover you're pregnant. This does not mean that you need to eat for two (adult sumo wrestlers) but you can have that extra cookie you've been eyeing. Some of these things you can get from prenatal vitamens, but the key is to make sure that you are getting a large amount of fresh fruites and vegitables.
Things you may have known:
*Folate or Folic Acid: Found in green veggies, and beans.
*Iron: Found in red meat, fish and whole grains.
*Calcium & Vitaman D: Found in dairy products
Things you may not know:
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
It is recommended that you get you get plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids during your third trimester. This will help develop the baby's visual, cognitive and motor skills. Now I know that it is a cardinal sin to recommend anything with the word "fat" in it but let me explain. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish, flax and meat from animals that were fed greens. These foods are recommended for people with a history of cardiovascular disease because they promote good cardiovascular health. So it's not just good for your baby.
Chocolate!
Believe it or not but there was a Yale study done on women who ate chocolate 5 or more times a week during their pregnancy and exhibited a reduction in preeclampsia. Chococlate does have an ingrediant that promotes good cardiovascular health. Just don't gorge yourself on it.
Preeclampsia is a disease that affects 5% of all pregnant women. This can be a very serious disease and is the cause of 76,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 infant deaths each year so it is not to be taken lightly. The symptoms can be swelling, weight gain and headaches. Basically symptoms of pregnancy, also watch for vision problems and eat your chocolate.
