As soon as your baby arrives in this world, it loses contact with your umbilical cord through which it got nutrients from your body. Hence, the responsibility of providing baby with a diet that will build thatgeneral physical stamina and help in cognitive growth, lies with you. If the baby is breast feeding, your post pregnancy diet should consist of a balanced spread of nourishing foods.
Post pregnancy, you may want to lose weight, but never compromise with your diet for attaining your desired body figure. Equally important is nourishing yourself, with the motive of building up your health and energy levels, as staying healthy is very important for you. Eat a nourishing food and perform post-pregnancy exercises in order to slowly work towards attaining your pre-pregnancy figure and fitness.
Post Pregnancy Diet Tips
DHA
Spruce up on your DHA stocks as DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is vital for the healthy development of your new-born baby’s nervous system, its brain, heart and retina. This omega-3 fatty acid also prevents the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in your baby. Your breast milk is the primary resource of this nutrient for your baby.
You can replenish your DHA reserves by eating moderate servings of salmon (about 2 oz a week as per FDA recommendations because consumption of a greater amount of this fish will result in increased mercury consumption by your baby, which is undesirable). Vegans and vegetarians can build up their DHA reserves by consuming edible algae, seaweed, yogurt, flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, soybean oil, broccoli, cauliflower, and papaya.
Dairy Products
Never ignore dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cottage cheese, which rank high on the nutrition meter. They are a storehouse of energizing B vitamins which are required by both you and your baby for building your respective energy levels.
Calcium and vitamin D, important constituents of dairy products, are not only required by the newly born baby for strengthening its bones, but also by the mother for strengthening her bones as well, as pregnancy tends to weaken the mother’s bones due to meeting the calcium and vitamin D demands of the fetus. Vitamin D consumption also prevents rickets in the baby.
Iron
Maintaining adequate levels of iron in the post pregnant mother will prevent her from becoming anemic due to iron deficiency. The new-born baby also requires its normal quota of iron for preventing anemia, and it depends on breast milk for obtaining the same.
Spinach, beans, and lentils are good sources of heme-iron whereas chicken, lean beef, seafood, veal and ham are excellent sources of non-heme iron. Foods made with these ingredients should form a mandatory part of the daily meals menu of a woman in her post pregnancy.
Fruit Juice
Juices of fruits such as blueberries are a rich source of carbohydrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates supply the much-needed glucose for energizing your muscles and maintaining a healthy status of metabolic activity in your body. Anti-oxidants remove toxins from your body, thus protecting the vital organs such as your heart from disease and damage.
Vitamins and minerals go a long way towards building healthy tissue in your body, providing the overall energy and maintaining the healthy functioning of the different parts of the body.
High-Fiber Foods
High-fiber foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and leafy green vegetables are healthier than their low-fiber counterparts.
These foods contain essential vitamins and minerals, and they provide enough roughage to prevent constipation, which is very important to prevent pressure on your reproductive system while clearing bowels.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.