6. Fill Up on Fluids
Water is a nutrient that is just as
important as macronutrients and micronutrients. Water acts as your
body’s transportation system to carry nutrients to your body cells as
well as your baby’s. Water helps to regulate body temperature through
perspiration and by transporting oxygen through the body, carrying waste
products away from the body cells, cushioning joints, and protecting
body organs. Proper hydration before, during, and after is a vital
component of a healthy pregnancy.
How Much to Drink
Pregnant women need extra fluid to
support their increased blood volume and for amniotic fluid. Because the
body has no provision to store water, the amount of water you lose each
day must be continually replaced to maintain proper hydration. During
both pregnancy and breastfeeding, women should aim to drink eight to
twelve 8-ounce glasses of water per day. This may increase if you are
perspiring in hot weather, when exercising, or if you have any type of
fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. Inadequate water intake can lead to
problems like fatigue, muscle weakness, and headaches, just to name a
few. For the fetus, dehydration can affect adequate nutrient transport,
induce poor waste removal, create too warm an environment, and decrease
cushioning. These can all affect fetal growth and development. Being
properly hydrated can help to reduce swelling and bothersome
constipation. Staying properly hydrated can help you to feel more
energized, give you an improved sense of well being, provide greater
endurance and stamina during physical activity, and improve your
digestion and elimination.
Water contributes close to 55 to 65
percent of an adult’s body weight, and during pregnancy your body’s
water needs expand substantially. Water is present in every part of your
body: 83 percent of blood, 73 percent of muscle, 25 percent of body
fat, and even 22 percent of bones are made up of water.
The best and easiest way to get your
fluids is simply by drinking water. Other fluids that can contribute to
your daily intake include fat-free or low-fat milk, club soda, bottled
water, vegetable juice, seltzer, and fruit juice. Be careful of drinking
too many beverages, such as juice, that are healthy but also pack in a
lot of calories. Stay clear of alcohol and most herbal teas, and limit
coffee, tea, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, and other caffeinated
beverages. If you feel thirsty, your body is telling you that it is
already becoming dehydrated, so drink up.
Drink, Drank, Drunk
Like everything else, drinking water
should be part of your healthy lifestyle—you should make it a habit.
Make a commitment today to start drinking water on a regular basis. You
should be in the habit before you even become pregnant. You should start
out with a moderate goal and work your way up. It may help to start a
water diary on a calendar to keep track of your current intake and your
progress. If you need help increasing your water intake, follow some of
these helpful tips:
• At work or at home, take water breaks instead of coffee breaks.
• Keep a bottle of water at your
desk, on your counter at home, or in your car when traveling so you have
it available to sip throughout the day.
• Get in the habit of drinking a
glass of water before and with meals and snacks. Besides helping you to
stay hydrated, it can help take the edge off of your appetite.
• Use a straw to drink your water.
Believe it or not, using a straw can help you drink faster and make a
glass of water seem a little more manageable.
• Drink water instead of snacking while watching television or reading a book.
• Keep a two-quart container of
water in the refrigerator, and make it your goal to drink it all by the
end of the day. This also gives you a constant supply of good, cold
water.
It is normal to get thirsty once in
awhile, but if you are excessively thirsty and find yourself drinking
large amounts of water, this could be a sign of a medical condition such
as diabetes. If you feel you are drinking because of severe thirst, as
opposed to a healthy habit, speak to your doctor. 7. Fabulous Fiber
Fiber is exclusively found in plant
foods; it is the part of the plant that our bodies cannot digest. Fiber,
also called dietary fiber, is categorized as a complex carbohydrate,
but because it cannot be digested or absorbed into your bloodstream, it
is not considered a nutrient. There are two types of fiber: soluble and
insoluble. Each type has a different beneficial health function in the
body. It is important to eat a variety of fiber-rich foods every day
that will provide you with the health benefits of both soluble and
insoluble fiber.
Soluble Fibers
Soluble fibers naturally found in
plants include gums, mucilages, psyllium, and pectins. Foods that
contain these fibers include peas, beans, oats, barley, and some fruits
(especially apples with skin, oranges, prunes, strawberries, and
bananas) and some vegetables (especially carrots, broccoli, and
cauliflower). Soluble fiber binds to fatty substances and promotes their
excretion, which in turn seems to help lower blood cholesterol levels.
According to the American Heart
Association, soluble fibers, when part of your everyday low-fat and
low-cholesterol diet, can aid in slowing the absorption of sugar into
the bloodstream, which in turn can help to control your blood sugar
levels.
Insoluble Fibers
Insoluble fiber is known as
“roughage.” The insoluble fibers give plants their structure. Insoluble
fibers naturally found in plants include cellulose, hemicellulose, and
lignin. Foods that contain these fibers include whole-wheat or
whole-grain products, wheat bran, corn bran, some fruits (especially the
skin), and many vegetables including cauliflower, green beans, potatoes
with skin, and broccoli. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water, but
they hold on to water as they move waste through your intestinal tract.
By holding on to water, they add bulk and softness to the stool and
therefore promote regularity and help prevent constipation. Insoluble
fibers also help accelerate intestinal transit time, which means they
decrease the amount of time that waste stays in the colon. This cuts the
time that potentially harmful waste food substances can linger in the
intestines.
Fabulous Fiber Benefits
Fiber may not bring the word
“fabulous” to your mind, but maybe it should. Basically, fiber comes in
and goes out of the body. However, it does some pretty amazing things on
its travels. Fiber helps to promote good health in many ways. Studies
show that a diet rich in fiber as part of a varied, balanced, and
low-fat eating pattern may help to prevent some chronic diseases. No
matter how good your present health is, you can certainly benefit from
adding more fiber to your diet. Fiber not only promotes health but also
may help to reduce the risk for digestive problems, heart disease, some
types of cancer, and diabetes. A fiber-rich diet can also help to
promote weight management.
There is such a thing as too much of
a good thing. Eating more than 50 or 60 grams of fiber per day may
cause a decrease in the amount of vitamins and minerals, such as zinc,
iron, magnesium and calcium, that your body absorbs. Large amounts of
fiber can also cause gas, diarrhea, and bloating.
How Much Fiber?
A diet rich in fiber is important at
all times, but it can be especially helpful during pregnancy. A
fiber-rich diet can help to prevent constipation, which plagues many
pregnant women. The average American only eats about 12 to 17 grams of
fiber daily, which is well below the recommended levels, so make sure
you make the necessary changes to your diet to boost your fiber! Adults
under the age of fifty should get 25 grams a day; adults over fifty
should get 21 grams. When boosting your fiber intake, it is important to
increase your intake gradually and to make sure you are drinking plenty
of fluids.
Getting Your Fill of Fiber
Adding fiber to your diet may be
easier than you think. Just looking at the fiber content on the
nutrition facts panel on packaged foods can help you be aware of what
you need to do to increase your fiber intake. Choose foods that are good
sources of fiber and have at least 2.5 grams or more of fiber per
serving. Make simple switches by substituting higher-fiber foods, such
as whole-grain breads, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, fruits, and
vegetables for lower-fiber foods such as white bread, white rice, candy,
and chips. Eat more raw vegetables and fresh fruits, and include the
skins when appropriate. Lightly steam these foods, which can preserve a
lot of the fiber content. Plan your meals to include high-fiber foods
such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, or whole-grain starches. Simply
adding extra vegetables to your favorite sandwiches, soups, and
casseroles can make a world of difference.
What better way to start your day
than with a high-fiber breakfast cereal such as bran cereal or oatmeal?
Look for cereals that contain at least 3 to 5 grams or more of fiber per
serving. Add some fresh fruit to the top of your cereal for an extra
fiber boost. Since both soluble and insoluble fibers are important for
good health, eat a variety of high-fiber foods to ensure you get a mix
of both types of fiber. Make good use of your snacks by choosing those
that will increase your fiber intake. Nibble on dried fruits, popcorn,
fresh fruit, raw vegetables, whole-wheat bagels, or whole-wheat
crackers. Try something different and add legumes, or dried beans, to
your diet at least two to three times per week. You can add them to
salads, soups, casseroles, or spaghetti sauce.
Don’t rely on juice for daily
servings of fruit. Whole fruits contain more fiber than juice because
much of the fiber is found in the skin and pulp, which is removed when
the juice is made.
Fiber-Rich Foods
There are a variety of foods that contain fiber. Try a variety and add fiber-rich foods to every meal.
| Food
| Serving Size
| Fiber (grams) | | FRUIT | | | | Apple with skin
| 1 medium
| 3
| | Banana
| 1 medium
| 2
| | Blueberries
| ½ cup
| 2
| | Figs, dried
| 2
| 4
| | Orange
| 1 medium
| 3
| | Orange juice
| ¾ cup
| less than 1
| | Pear with skin
| 1 medium
| 4
| | Strawberries
| 1 cup
| 4
|
VEGETABLES | | | | Broccoli, cooked
| ½ cup
| 2
| | Brussels sprouts, cooked
| ½ cup
| 3
| | Carrots, raw
| 1 medium
| 2
| | Potato, baked with skin
| 1 medium
| 4
| | Spinach, cooked
| ½ cup
| 2
| | Tomato, raw
| 1 medium
| 2
|
NUTS/BEANS | | | | Beans/Lentils, cooked
| | | | Baked beans
| ½ cup
| 3
| | Kidney beans
| ½ cup
| 3
| | Lentils
| ½ cup
| 4
| | Navy beans
| ½ cup
| 4
| | Peanut butter, chunky
| 2 T
| 1.5
| | White beans
| ½ cup
| 4.5
|
BREADS AND GRAINS | | | | Brown rice, cooked
| ½ cup
| 2
| | Pumpernickel bread
| 1 slice
| 3
| | Wheat bran
| 1 tablespoon
| 2
| | Whole-wheat bread
| 1 slice
| 2
|
CEREALS | | | | 100% bran
| 1/3 cup
| 8
| | Bran flakes
| ¾ cup
| 5
| | Oatmeal, cooked
| ¾ cup
| 3
| | Raisin bran
| ¾ cup
| 5
|
SNACK FOODS | | | | Peanuts, dry-roasted
| ¼ cup
| 3
| | Popcorn, air-popped
| 1 cup
| 1
| | Sunflower seeds
| ¼ cup
| 2
|
Fiber Supplements
Many fiber
supplements contain only small amounts of fiber compared with the
amounts that are found in foods. With supplements that contain more
fiber, it is easy to overdo your fiber intake, which can inhibit the
absorption of many nutrients. Fiber supplements may help relieve
constipation, but most health experts advise using food as the primary
source of dietary fiber intake. If you feel you need more fiber in your
diet through a supplement, talk to your doctor first.
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