How To Eat A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
Beverley Brooke

Perhaps the number one complaint of women trying to watch their weight during pregnancy is that they are hungry all the time. True, pregnancy does result in an increased metabolic demand on the body, which can cause you to be hungry. Many women also experience a number of cravings during pregnancy, which can make healthy eating challenging.

The first thing to remember is that the idea that you should eat for two is wrong. You only need an additional 300 calories per day, and generally you dont need these calories until you are well on your way to the second and third trimesters.

So what can you do to help manage your weight and stick to a healthy diet?

Remember that during pregnancy it is vital that you do not cut back on your caloric intake. This has the potential to rob your baby of essential nutrients that are necessary for his/her growth and development. Here are some tips to help you stick to a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy:

Avoid skipping meals. If you have a habit of skipping breakfast, youll find that you are not only more fatigued but ravenous during your pregnancy, which will result in overeating. Be sure that you eat each meal every day.

Try eating several mini meals throughout the ay. This will not only help you feel fuller longer, it will help minimize the nausea often experienced during the first trimester.

Satisfy your cravings with nutritious snacks. Have a variety of healthy things to snack on readily available so you avoid overindulging in foods that are too decadent. If you are craving something sweet, consider having some mini chocolates near by or opt for a cup of hot chocolate. Both are far better for you than an entire candy bar or piece of cake.

Exercise during your pregnancy. The act of exercising in and of itself will be plenty to motivate you to stick to a healthy diet. Youll feel better about yourself and find that you have more energy throughout the day.

Avoid high calorie beverages. Soda pop (which isnt good for you anyway, particularly during pregnancy), juices and other flavored drinks often contain a good 100-300 calories per serving. Stick to water or flavored water during your pregnancy.

Drink lots of water. You may think you are hungry when in fact you are actually thirsty at many points during your pregnancy. In fact, the brains hunger and thirst centers often get mixed up, so people often feel hungry when they are in fact dehydrated. The better hydrated you are, the les likely you are to overeat.

About the Author

Article by Beverley Brooke, author of “Ensure A Healthy Pregnancy For You And Your Baby And Lose Weight After Pregnancy” – visit http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com for more on a range of pregnancy health issues

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Carb Pills – Can You Now Have Carbohydrates On The Adkins Or South Beach Diet

Low carbohydrate diets, like the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Weight Loss Plan, are not always that easy to stick to. The problem a lot of people have is how few carbohydrates they can have. They may be able to follow a low-carb diet for a few days, but then the cravings become more than they can handle. One possible solution people have been turning to is anti carb pills. Just so you know, these are not prescribed by a doctor, but are supplements that contain all-natural ingredients.

While the South Beach and Atkins diets don’t get as much media attention as they once did, they are still popular diets. But why would people go on such diets if they’re only going to end up having major food cravings? The reason is that the diets work quite well, but only when you stick to them. However, carb pills claim to solve that problem in a unique way.

It should be noted that newer low-carb diets allow people to have more complex carbs–whole grains for example. Still, it can be quote tempting to have a piece of cake every now and then. The idea behind the carb pill is that you can eat some of the carbohydrates you crave, and then the ingredients in the pill will prevent your body from absorbing the carbs in those foods. One such ingredient is white bean extract, which is 100% natural, and appears to be safe.

You should, ideally, take carb pills just prior to eating anything that has more carbohydrates than your diet plan allows. If you forget to take it before eating, you can still wait until after your meal, but it won’t be quite as effective.

Here is a basic overview of how carb blocking pills work. Fat builds up in your body after carbohydrates are broken up by the pancreatic enzyme known as alpha amylase. These carbs can be burned through expending energy, but if you take in more than you can get rid of, then the extra gets stored as fat. Carb pills keep this from happening by preventing the digestive enzymes from going to work on the carbs. This allows them to pass through the body without getting absorbed; in theory, anyway.

So, the question is whether or not carb pills really work. The practical answer is “it depends”. The medical and scientific communities have not done a lot of research on these pills, and therefore have not embraced them as a weight loss option. However, the companies that make these pills have conducted studies of their own. Their research has shown that as much as 45 grams of carbohydrates may not be absorbed by the body when carb pills are taken.

However, what these studies fail to test is how this carb blocking affects low carbohydrate diets like South Beach and Atkins. So, while they may help keep your body from storing extra carbohydrates as fat, there aren’t any conclusive results in relation to specific diet plans. That being said, carb pills could still be worth trying.

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