Paleo Dieting During And After Pregnancy
Paleo diet is not only completely safe but also helps to prevent conditions related to pregnancy like excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. In a nutshell the Paleo complaint foods are more nutritionally dense than the sugar laden diet and the diet with grains. Without the requirement of supplementation the pregnant woman is sure to meet the nutritional demands with the Paleo diet
During pregnancy there are metabolic changes that occur which makes women less tolerant to high levels of protein as they normally could. So the Paleo dieters are required to take 0.6 grams of protein per kg body weight.
When carbohydrates are concerned carbohydrate consumption should be increased during pregnancy. A woman practicing a Paleo diet and eating less fruits compared to vegetables needs to increase the carbohydrates between 50 to 100%. This can be achieved by increasing fruit consumption, especially fruits with more carbohydrates.
Another important nutrient to be considered is the calcium, and the Paleo diet is criticized for its absence of calcium rich foods like dairy. However the absence grains that are irritating to the gut which impairs the calcium absorption and also the levels of magnesium is increased, which helps in absorption of calcium, levels out the issue. Since the calcium requirement is very much more during pregnancy, it might be necessary to take calcium supplements and or a small amount of dairy from organic grass fed cows to meet the increased needs.
Conventional pregnancy nutrition recommendations suggest women to eat immediately after waking and every two to three hours to avoid nausea, crankiness and fatigue. The high protein and fat content of the diet gives higher satiety while the foods low in glycemic index helps in controlling the hormones fluctuations that causes hunger.
The high omega three fatty acids EPA and DHA in the diet supports fetal brain and eye development.Great Paleo foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, nuts and avocados.
The iron needs in pregnancy increase drastically during pregnancy. The diet consisting of red meat is a great source of iron, that too heme iron the most easily assimilated form. The Paleo diet restricts the intake of grains and dairy products high in phytates blocking the absorption of this crucial nutrient. Hence facilitates more iron absorption.
Paleo diet, which is devoid of processed foods, sugary foods and more of low glycemic foods helps in gestational diabetes and during pregnancy induced hypertension.
Paleo diets during pregnancy also helps after pregnancy as the babies delivered have a lower incidence of colds and shorter duration of illnesses. The iron deficiency anemia preceding the pregnancy can be overcome as the Paleo diet is rich in iron and folate. The benefits of high iron and fatty acid levels continue after labor and delivery particularly during lactation.
The excess weight gain associated with pregnancy can be easily tackled with the Paleo diet as it gives great fuel to the post natal exercise and helps in keeping the body fit. The quality of the mothers milk is also increased with more consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Paleo diet gives a feeling of well-being and also decreases post-partum depression.
During pregnancy there are metabolic changes that occur which makes women less tolerant to high levels of protein as they normally could. So the Paleo dieters are required to take 0.6 grams of protein per kg body weight.
When carbohydrates are concerned carbohydrate consumption should be increased during pregnancy. A woman practicing a Paleo diet and eating less fruits compared to vegetables needs to increase the carbohydrates between 50 to 100%. This can be achieved by increasing fruit consumption, especially fruits with more carbohydrates.
Another important nutrient to be considered is the calcium, and the Paleo diet is criticized for its absence of calcium rich foods like dairy. However the absence grains that are irritating to the gut which impairs the calcium absorption and also the levels of magnesium is increased, which helps in absorption of calcium, levels out the issue. Since the calcium requirement is very much more during pregnancy, it might be necessary to take calcium supplements and or a small amount of dairy from organic grass fed cows to meet the increased needs.
Conventional pregnancy nutrition recommendations suggest women to eat immediately after waking and every two to three hours to avoid nausea, crankiness and fatigue. The high protein and fat content of the diet gives higher satiety while the foods low in glycemic index helps in controlling the hormones fluctuations that causes hunger.
The high omega three fatty acids EPA and DHA in the diet supports fetal brain and eye development.Great Paleo foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, nuts and avocados.
The iron needs in pregnancy increase drastically during pregnancy. The diet consisting of red meat is a great source of iron, that too heme iron the most easily assimilated form. The Paleo diet restricts the intake of grains and dairy products high in phytates blocking the absorption of this crucial nutrient. Hence facilitates more iron absorption.
Paleo diet, which is devoid of processed foods, sugary foods and more of low glycemic foods helps in gestational diabetes and during pregnancy induced hypertension.
Paleo diets during pregnancy also helps after pregnancy as the babies delivered have a lower incidence of colds and shorter duration of illnesses. The iron deficiency anemia preceding the pregnancy can be overcome as the Paleo diet is rich in iron and folate. The benefits of high iron and fatty acid levels continue after labor and delivery particularly during lactation.
The excess weight gain associated with pregnancy can be easily tackled with the Paleo diet as it gives great fuel to the post natal exercise and helps in keeping the body fit. The quality of the mothers milk is also increased with more consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Paleo diet gives a feeling of well-being and also decreases post-partum depression.
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