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If we can reach mothers during pregnancy (or even before conception) then we would be helping children before they are even born. I can't think of a better gift to give the next generation.
If you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, keep the following in mind: Your fertility will be maximised if you eat well. I love it when I see couples planning to get healthy before conception. Eating alkalising foods such as fruits and vegetables will help you detox before you get pregnant, and will also help prepare your body for pregnancy.
I have found that women who detox before conception have much easier pregnancies, especially when it comes to nausea and morning sickness. The more toxic you are, the more likely it is that you'll have a hard time during the first few weeks of pregnancy.
If you're already pregnant, I suggest you try ginger for nausea. Also, have regular snacks throughout the day because an empty stomach increases your chances of nausea. In my opinion, the best trick for combating nausea is to press on the two pressure points just below the wrist. Look them up online to find out exactly where you need to press. That helped me a lot and I still use it today with my kids.
Digestive discomfort and pregnancy also go hand-in-hand. It is rare that you see a pregnant woman who doesn't complain of one or all of these: constipation, haemorrhoids, indigestion and heartburn.
The trick is to make sure that your diet and lifestyle are in optimum shape to help you through these symptoms. Personally, I found that eating whole grains and extra fibre helped me a lot during pregnancy. Also, flax seeds soaked overnight in water and taken on an empty stomach can remedy constipation, they worked amazingly well for me!
I also found that my heartburn got worse when I ate late at night, when I ate sugar, and when I ate fried or very greasy foods, so avoiding these made a world of a difference.
One of the most common things I hear from pregnant women is that they are having a lot of cravings and sugar binges. Having some cravings is normal, but what you do need to watch for is an appetite or cravings that are getting out of hand.
Sometimes a woman who starts off her pregnancy underweight will naturally want to eat more to gain enough weight to sustain her pregnancy. But sometimes we get cravings because our body needs a particular nutrient that we're not getting from our food.
Therefore, our body keeps telling us to eat more, in the hope that we obtain that missing nutrient. But when you eat processed junk-food that is so common today, you're very unlikely to get what you need and so you continue to have cravings and binges.
Speaking of binges, there is always the question of weight gain during pregnancy. I have spoken to a number of different women who are afraid to get pregnant for fear of gaining weight; others who diet fiercely before getting pregnant to allow for weight gain; and others who see pregnancy as their ticket to pigging-out and gaining all the weight they want!
I must say, none of these options are healthy. Gaining 10-15kg during pregnancy is normal, and if the food you eat is healthy, then you should have no problem losing the weight after giving birth.
In today's society, women (and even men) are often judged by their weight. Losing weight quickly after delivery has somehow become an indication of success. When I gave birth, I received more comments about my weight than I did about the baby or any other aspect of my health.
So, just keep this in mind: if you eat healthy, you should be able to breeze through pregnancy and sing through its niggles.
There's a lot more where this came from. I have exposed my personal pregnancy diary in my new book on how to enjoy natural pregnancy and childbirth.
The book, I Want A Healthy Pregnancy, will be out on Saturday. Come join us for the book launch and book signing at Seef Mall's Organic Foods & CafŽ at 11am. All Are Welcome.
Make sure you're on my mailing list so you can take advantage of the special offer I will give only to people on my list!
Sign up at www.AliaAlmoayed.com
Tune in to Alia Almoayed's weekly live internet radio show, Dare To Be Healthy. This show airs live every Monday night. Go to www.AliaAlmoayedRadio.com
