What should be the diet of a pregnant woman. Long-chain PUFA intake during pregnancy

The nutrition of a pregnant woman must include all the right substances. Let's consider the main necessary substances by groups (for example, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, etc.). For each group we will describe:

1. Why this group of substances is needed (how it affects the condition of the pregnant woman, the growth and development of the child, etc.);
2. What products contain this group of necessary substances;

Squirrels. Animal and vegetable proteins in the diet of pregnant women

For what. Protein, in simple terms, is the main building material for new cells. Pregnancy is a real big construction site. The uterus grows, the breast grows, the placenta is formed and grows, the child grows - protein is needed for this growth. In addition, when protein is broken down, needed by the body thermal energy. It is thanks to the normal level of protein that we are resistant to stress, to the effects of infections and toxins. And, of course, if there is not enough protein in the body, then the body is exhausted, subject to harmful effects. Proteins are animal and plant origin. Both those and others are broken down in the body, forming amino acids. The body produces more amino acids from animal proteins than from vegetable proteins. But even for the breakdown of animal protein, more energy and time are needed than for the breakdown of vegetable protein. In addition, more waste products are obtained from the processing of animal protein, and they need to be removed from the body, and this is an additional burden on the kidneys, liver, and so on. That is why such a necessary product as meat, in recommendations for pregnant women, always comes with reservations, such as: “it is necessary, but in small portions, low-fat varieties, etc".

Note. All of the above has importance in the case when the pregnant woman is a vegetarian. In this case, you need to be doubly careful about the diet, as you need to ensure that the body is sure to receive the right amount of protein.

What foods contain proteins

Animal proteins are found in:

• Meat of low-fat varieties;
• Bird (domestic)
• Fish;
• Eggs.
• Milk and dairy products

Note: Any sausage products cannot be considered as a source of animal protein.

Plant proteins are found in:

• legumes;
• Mushrooms;
• Seeds;
• Nuts.

• 25% - meat or fish (120-200 grams);
• 20% - milk and liquid dairy products (400-500 g);
• 5% - eggs (no more than 1 pc).

We remind you that all these products (meat, fish) are best stewed, boiled, steamed, baked, and not fried. Eggs are better to boil, or to make an omelette.

Fats. Animal and vegetable fats in the diet of pregnant women

During pregnancy, the body needs the fats and fatty acids they contain. The consumption of fats within the norm has a beneficial effect on the formation and development of the child's brain, his vision, and also reduces the risk of having a child with low weight.

Fats come in 4 different types, in addition, they are divided into useful and harmful.

The optimal rate is 75-85 g per day. Of these, 15-30 g (1-2 tablespoons) of vegetable fats (sunflower, corn, olive oil, a few nuts). The rest of the fats are usually taken from the meat, fish and dairy products eaten during the day. It is in order not to "overshoot" the norm of fats, it is recommended to choose meat and fish of low-fat varieties.

Carbohydrates and fiber in the diet of pregnant women

Carbohydrates are the main energy component of the body's work, a kind of fuel. With a lack of carbohydrates, the body begins to break down its proteins, which leads to negative consequences for a pregnant woman and a child: a drop in immunity, sharp drops mood, sharp swings between cheerfulness and fatigue, lack of fetal weight, and so on. In the diet of a pregnant woman should be carbohydrates in the amount of 350-500 grams daily. Moreover, it is very important that this norm is “recruited” at the expense of foods rich in fiber. It is noticed that in modern conditions life of a woman (even not pregnant) receives an insufficient amount of fiber. And during pregnancy, fiber intake (and replenishment of carbohydrate balance) is especially important. If you “lack” fiber, then most often pregnant women suffer from constipation and hemorrhoids, you can read more about this in the article. It is very important to prevent these problems with proper nutrition. So, the required amount of carbohydrates is best and most correctly obtained through foods rich in fiber. These are the products:

• Bread coarse grinding;
• Cereals;
• Vegetables and fruits;
• Dried fruits;
• Bran;

Note. With the correct (according to the norm, 350-400 g) fiber intake, it is very important to drink enough fluids (see Fluid during Pregnancy). Otherwise, without fluid, fiber can also lead to constipation.

For example, daily intake oatmeal, filled with fruit juice with pulp - will provide easy daily cleansing of the intestines, without problems and constipation. You can make any juice, apple, add carrots, oranges, pears. It is better to add fruit pulp to the juice so that it is thick. And do not forget to add a spoon (dessert) olive oil so that all vitamins are absorbed.

Everywhere it is written, and all pregnant women understand that they need to eat fiber. But not everyone can force themselves. Therefore, you need to come up with a combination of the proposed products that will please you. Perhaps it will be milk porridge. Perhaps cereal with milk, juice, kefir. Perhaps - just cutting vegetables and fruits. The main thing is that the resulting dish can be eaten with pleasure.

Minerals in the diet of pregnant women

• Calcium. Important component bone tissue, blood. Participates in the process of blood coagulation, normalizes the activity of the neuromuscular system. Found in: milk and dairy products, egg yolk, Rye bread.
• Phosphorus. It plays an important role in the formation of bones, is part of the energy-accumulating enzymes of cells. Contained in such products: fish and seafood, cheese, cottage cheese, milk, nuts, bread, beans, peas, oatmeal and buckwheat.
• Sodium. The main regulator of water metabolism in the body. Main product - salt. Approximate intake of salt. In the first half of pregnancy, you can consume up to 10-12 g of salt per day, in the second half you should limit yourself to 8 g, and in the last two months of pregnancy - up to 5-6 g per day, or less.
• Potassium. Important for development and work of cardio-vascular system. Contained in such products: apples, plums, apricots, peaches, gooseberries, blueberries, dried apricots, raisins, oatmeal, baked potatoes.
• Copper. Important for blood formation. Contained in such products: nuts, grains and legumes, meat, animal liver, egg yolk.
• Zinc. An important element in the composition of the blood and muscle tissue. Found in: meat (red), legumes, nuts, whole grains, dairy products.

Microelements in the diet of pregnant women

• Iron. The main function is to participate in the formation of blood. Briefly, iron is found in lettuce, spinach, prunes, apples, grapefruits, pomegranates, lemons, buckwheat and oatmeal, rye bread, meat, animal liver, in egg yolk. Most experts (doctors) agree on the issue that it is very difficult to maintain the level of iron within the normal range only with food. Therefore (especially if you plan to cesarean section, an operation that requires normal level hemoglobin), it is recommended to monitor (by regular blood tests for hemoglobin) the level of iron, and take iron supplements recommended by the doctor.

Note. From my own experience, I can say that neither apples (3-4 per day), nor buckwheat, nor pomegranates (it is sour, from it heartburn), nor the liver, by themselves right level do not provide.

• Iodine. Participates in the formation of thyroid hormones. Contained in such products: sea fish, seaweed, meat, eggs, milk, beets, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, apples, grapes, plums.

In general, regarding iron and iodine, we can draw the following conclusion. Not recommended rule out completely products containing them. And it doesn’t make sense to specifically “stuff” with seaweed, buckwheat and apples. After all, all the same, there will be meat or fish in the diet, there will be the same buckwheat, apples, sometimes eggs. As much as possible, the body will take from them, the rest will be supplemented by the drugs prescribed by the doctor.

Vitamins in the diet of pregnant women

• Vitamin A (retinol). Important for the development of the embryo (heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes). Helps maintain vision. Contain such products: liver, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, carrots.
• Vitamin C ( vitamin C). Helps to avoid stretch marks important component for the absorption of iron by the body. Contain such products: black currant, rosehip, strawberry, green onion, cabbage, tomatoes, spinach, citrus, kiwi.
• Vitamin D (ergocalciferol). Helps to regulate the level of calcium and phosphates in the body, improves immunity. Contain such products: butter, fish fat, egg yolk.
• Vitamin E (tocopherol). Antioxidant, promotes normal state placenta, blood vessels. Increases the immune defense of the body (in combination with vitamin C). Contain such products: green beans, peas, wheat, corn, oats, lettuce, liver, kidneys, nuts, vegetable oil.
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine). Normalizes work nervous system, promotes normal exchange substances in brain tissue. Contain such products: bread, yeast, legumes, meat, liver, milk.
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Participates in the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Provides optimal weight gain. Improves condition skin, mucous, nervous system. Contain such products: milk, eggs, cottage cheese, liver, meat, yeast.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride). Responsible for the absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates by the body. Necessary for the formation of the nervous system of the child. Relieves symptoms of toxicosis (nausea). Contain such products: yeast, beans, kidneys, meat, egg yolk, milk.
• Vitamin B 9 ( folic acid). Takes part in the processes of division, development and growth of cells of tissues and organs. The substance is necessary for the normalization of hematopoietic processes - with its participation, blood elements are formed - leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets. Contain such foods: beans, walnuts, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, hazelnuts. Since folic acid is easily lost during cooking, it is recommended to take it in preparations. Reception should be started from the moment you decide to become pregnant, and up to and including the 12th week of pregnancy. The daily intake is 400 mcg.
• Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). Responsible for development nerve cells and red blood cells. Contain such products: liver, kidneys, heart, egg yolk, meat, cheese, buckwheat.
• Vitamin H. Deficiency leads to early toxicosis, pigmentation. Contain such products: soy, peanuts, onions, cabbage, spinach, apples, tomatoes, yeast.

Fluid intake during pregnancy

In short, during pregnancy, a woman should drink from 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. In this range, fluctuations are possible (depending on the duration of pregnancy, on the condition of the woman, the tendency to edema, season and living conditions, weight, etc.). This volume includes all liquids consumed per day: soups, compotes, juices, water, etc.

Essential foods for a pregnant woman's diet

Much has been written about exactly how a pregnant woman should eat. If you try to follow all the advice, measure out all the norms, try to eat everything that is necessary and healthy, then there will simply be no time for anything other than food. Yes, and eat all this is simply impossible physically. Therefore, it is logical to choose products that contain the recommended “usefulness” to the maximum. And do not abuse the "harmful". About what is categorically impossible and what it is desirable to avoid is described in detail in the article. Let's see the list of "winning products". I repeat, we will choose those products that contain the maximum set of everything that is needed during pregnancy. Here is an approximate recommended daily amount of these products.

• Meat, 150-200 g.
• Fish, 150-200 g.
• Eggs (yolk), 2 pcs per week.
• Milk and dairy products. Milk 200 g, dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, curdled milk) 200 g.
• Cereals, cereals, wholemeal bread, 150 g.
• Vegetables. There are no volume limits. Potatoes no more than 100 g.
• Fruits. There are no volume limits.
• Dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes), 2-3 pcs.

Nuts (walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, cedar), 2-3 each, or a mixture of different nuts

It is important to eat right and high quality throughout pregnancy. Therefore, you should choose and buy in Mom's Store for pregnant and lactating women, which you can take with you for a walk, on a trip or to a maternity hospital. These products have an excellent composition, and most importantly, a balance between fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

All substances necessary for growth and development, future child receives from the mother's body. Therefore, in order to give birth to a healthy, cheerful baby, you should Special attention pay attention to your diet during pregnancy. During this period, it is very important that a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins enter the woman's body with food. That is why we are talking about the diet for a pregnant woman today.

Proteins are needed for the formation of cells in the body of a child. Proteins are found in hard cheeses, meat, fish, whole cow's milk, ocean and sea fish, bread, potatoes.

Fats and carbohydrates are required as a source of energy. In addition, fats are necessary for the production of new cells. To provide these substances to a growing organism, the expectant mother needs to add chicken eggs, liver, butter, cheeses and lean meat to her diet. Carbohydrates are known to be found in various cereals, pasta, potatoes, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Mineral salts are necessary for the formation of bone tissue. They are also needed for the body's water metabolism and the normal course of many chemical processes.

The baby's body really needs mineral salts. Their deficiency can lead to serious developmental disabilities. Mineral salts are found in cheeses, fresh cottage cheese, milk, all types of cabbage, bread, legumes, potatoes, cereals, fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables. These products contain a sufficient amount of salts of magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and iodine.

Of course, a growing, developing organism really needs vitamins. They will protect both mother and baby from the penetration of microbes into the body. Vitamins are also involved in various metabolic processes. They are found in a wide variety of foods.

For example, in butter and vegetable oil, sour cream, cottage cheese, fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, freshly squeezed juices, cereals, meat, fish, liver products, etc. During pregnancy, it is not always possible to provide the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins. Therefore, during this period, on the advice of a doctor, you can take vitamin complexes.

For the normal development of the child, he simply needs vitamin D. His dosage should be determined by the doctor. He will advise necessary products or preparations that contain it.

The diet of the expectant mother is not a diet. It's normal balanced diet. It is useful not only for the expectant mother and her baby, but also for other family members. Therefore, separate cooking for a pregnant woman is not required.

Nutrition for the expectant mother

A woman expecting the birth of a baby should include in her daily diet half a liter of whole cow's milk, or kefir. And at the end of pregnancy, dairy products should be more. Every day, a woman should eat her vegetable dishes, steamed or in the form of salads, 1 chicken egg, some whole grain bread, a bowl of porridge and one liquid dish. In this case, vegetable fats should be 30% of the total daily intake. It can be, for example, 30 g of unrefined vegetable oil.

Meat and fish are best eaten boiled, stewed. It is enough to use them 2-3 times a week. To fully satisfy the body's need for phosphorus, you need to include pink salmon, herring, mackerel, caviar and green pea.

To get enough magnesium, eat seaweed, cereals, especially buckwheat, wheat bran, soft-boiled eggs. Salt intake should be kept to a minimum. This will help prevent swelling.

Most doctors recommend that women use products that grow in the same region. With exotic, not familiar products, you need to be more careful. Not always the body properly absorbs the substances contained in them. This can cause diathesis in a baby in the first months of his life.

The amount of food consumed is also very important. Overeating, like malnutrition, is harmful to a woman and her unborn child. daily requirement in nutrition depends on body weight, height, sex, age, professional activity of a pregnant woman.

In the first half of pregnancy, a woman needs an increase in calories by 25%, and in the second half - up to 30% of the normal intake.

Overeating during the day is undesirable due to the subsequent increase in body weight of a woman. This often becomes one of the causes of toxicosis. And toxicosis has the most detrimental effect on the child and can cause a developmental delay. Also excess weight often causes difficult births.

Therefore, it must be remembered that a woman's body weight for the entire pregnancy should not increase by more than 10 kg. Moreover, weight gain should not be earlier than 4 months of pregnancy. Means, allowable rate weight gain is no more than 350 g per month.

Malnutrition can cause premature birth. Also, a lack of food for a pregnant woman can cause a lag in the development of a born baby.

Food should be taken in this way. In the first half of pregnancy, eat 4 times a day. In the second half - no more than 5-6 times, but reduce portions. They should be no more than 35% of the usual norm. Nutrition for expectant mothers should be limited to the use of sweets, pastries, confectionery.

During pregnancy, especially with rapid weight gain, you can arrange fasting days. At this time, eat only cottage cheese, sour cream and drink compotes. Be healthy!

Healthy eating and watching your figure are the fetishes of recent decades. People who want to be healthy and beautiful spend hours gyms and carefully calculate the calorie content of their food, sometimes, for the sake of quickly achieving results, rushing to extremes.

We will not talk now about dubious rigid diets with the complete exclusion of certain substances from the diet (for example, a diet without fat or a diet with low content fats), which a sane person is unlikely to go for. Let's talk about complete nutrition, proper nutrition, including fats-proteins-carbohydrates, and in a rational ratio. And let's start, perhaps, with fats, which are often terribly afraid of everyone who fights for a slender figure.

There is no need to be afraid, you need to know the information! If you sincerely still believe that butter is evil, vegetable oils you need to use only expensive olive oil, and a low-fat diet is a direct path to healthy weight loss, our series of articles is just for you. So, get acquainted - fats and oils

The main thing that you must learn is that fats in the diet are necessary for the normal functioning of the body. Problems with them arise for those who use either the wrong fats, or the wrong amount, or (as in a popular joke) do not know how to cook them.

Yes, in terms of calories, fats are more than twice as high as carbohydrates, but this does not mean that losing weight should be abandoned altogether!

Why does the body need fat? Their main functions are energy and structural. Simply put, Fats are an integral part of cell membranes and are the most important source of energy.(if one gram of carbohydrates is equivalent to 4 kcal, then one gram of fat is already 9 kcal). In addition, they contain important fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), promote better absorption of many substances and are directly involved in many processes in our body. Properly selected oils can even perform healing functions! And we are not yet considering the “side” properties of fats, such as thermal insulation of the body, “storage” of water, improving the taste of food, and so on.

Why does the body need fat from the outside? Because the body itself is not able to fully provide itself with them and simply has to get them with food. There is even a very speaking scientific term - “essential fatty acids”, that is, there is nothing to replace them in nutrition, period.

Fatty acids and their properties

What are fats and are they all equally important and beneficial for the body? As you know, dietary fats can be vegetable(sunflower, olive, linseed oil etc.) and animal(lard, butter, fish oil, etc.) origin. We will talk about each of them in more detail in separate articles, but now it is important for us to learn the basic general information.

Great importance has a qualitative composition of consumed fats. Any fats consist of special organic "bricks" - fatty acids. Those, according to their chemical structure, are divided into saturated (the bonds between carbon atoms in them are extremely saturated, therefore they are not very active in the biological sense) and unsaturated (they contain one or more unsaturated (double) bonds in the molecule, in place of which hydrogen can be attached - they are lighter react with other substances in the body at the site of their fragile double bond). The latter, in turn, according to the number of double bonds, are divided into mono- and polyunsaturated.

Saturated acids(for example, stearic and palmitic) for the most part are easily synthesized in the human body and are difficult to digest, so their excess intake from the outside is undesirable and leads to the accumulation of calories. Unsaturated acids are digested much easier and perform more important functions. For a full existence, the body needs both.

Several acids from the unsaturated group are the most important essential (omega fatty acids) that the body cannot synthesize itself, but needs them. These are polyunsaturated omega 3(linolenic acid) and omega 6(linoleic acid). The value of omega-3 is difficult to exaggerate - the health of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, brain function and condition directly depend on it. mental sphere, normal development fetus in pregnant women. In the vast majority of cases, unfortunately, today the average diet of a “Western person” is desperately lacking precisely omega-3. Omega-6 is also extremely important, indirectly strengthening immune system, participating in the formation of prostaglandins, regulating the work of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system, allergic reactions.

It is interesting that the derivatives of these two acids have the opposite direction of action: some narrow the lumen of blood vessels and bronchi, increase inflammation and thrombosis, while others dilate the bronchi and blood vessels, suppress inflammation, reduce thrombosis.

(There is an assumption that a sharp shift in the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids towards omega-6 recent decades led to an increase in the risk of occurrence and widespread inflammatory diseases and allergies.)

So, animal fats (meat and lard, fish, poultry, dairy products) in their composition are mainly saturated acids, and vegetable (oils, nuts, cereals) are mostly unsaturated. But do not think that it follows from this that in the pursuit of health, only vegetable fats should be consumed! Only a balanced diet, including all the main types of fatty acids, without “biases” in one direction or another can be considered optimal.

Yes, almost all animal fats contain the most important phosphatides and sterols, actively involved in various processes vital functions (we will talk about their significance for the body a little later in a separate article), some are very significant unsaturated arachidonic and oleic (omega-9) acids. Animal fats are also sources of essential fat-soluble vitamins A and D.

Unsaturated linolenic acid is rich in marine fish and animals (especially from northern latitudes), fish oil. Pork lard and butter are champions in the content of saturated fatty acids among animal fats, slightly less in pork, fatty sausages and cheeses. There are many phospholipids in poultry and fish, cheese, and eggs. Arachidonic acid found in eggs and offal, oleic - in pork and beef fat. Eggs, cheeses, butter are rich in cholesterol.

Vegetable fats in turn, they are the most important sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids, they are rich in phosphatides, that is, they also supply the body with valuable substances that are involved in a number of significant processes. Some vegetable oils also contain saturated fatty acids (palm and coconut, for example).

The leaders in the content of well-absorbed vitamin E are seed oil walnut and wheat germ oil. Rich in omega-3 acids flax-seed and oil from it, as well as camelina oil, but the main source of omega-6 in the normal diet is sunflower oil. It is not indispensable, but the unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, which is abundant in olive oil, is also very important.

An intermediate place between animal and vegetable fats is occupied by margarine, which includes vegetable and animal fats, milk, salt and egg yolk, as well as all kinds of additives "to the taste" of the manufacturer - dyes, preservatives, flavors ... Margarines are very different in production technology and according to composition, therefore, in general, it is impossible to unambiguously speak about their nutritional value and benefits in principle.

(Now you can evaluate, for example, a healthy mediterranean diet, which is on everyone's lips, with an abundance of fish and olive oil, and the diet of the average Belarusian with a clear bias towards meat and sunflower oil, that is, with a clear excess of omega-6 compared to omega-3.)

Part 2. Fats: too little or too much? How to use fats?

What happens if there is too little fat in the diet? No, not a quick cherished weight loss, but a lot of problems in the body. For example, lethargy and apathy, metabolic disorders of certain substances, slowing down of detoxification processes, a sharp decrease in the number of certain enzymes and hormones, deterioration of the skin and hair, an increase in the risk of all kinds of inflammation ... With a lack of fat intake, the body rebuilds its work, trying to make up for the deficiency through its own synthesis, in vain spending additional strength and energy, besides getting a result of not quite “that quality”. In very advanced cases, we can already talk about the development of atherosclerosis, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and impaired blood supply.

What happens if there is too much fat in the diet? First of all, a violation of the digestive processes (bile does not have time to emulsify all the incoming fat). Also, deterioration in the absorption of protein and some macronutrients, an increase in the need for vitamins, disorders fat metabolism. From here follow - an increase in body weight with all the consequences, a sharp increase in the risk of developing atherosclerosis, diabetes, gallstone disease

That is, any extreme is unacceptable. From the foregoing, it becomes clear that the body needs fats, but fats must be of high quality and consumed in moderation.

How much fat to consume? But here there will be no general answer, since the amount of fat that should come from food depends on many factors: your age, health status, volume of physical and mental activity even those around climatic conditions! The more energy the body uses, the more fat is needed to replenish it. Very average daily rate fat consumption by a healthy adult ranges from 1-1.5 g per kilogram of weight (about 30% of the calorie content of a person's daily diet) - and taking into account the body's need for fatty polyunsaturated acids, a third of these approximately seventy-hundred grams should be vegetable oils and two thirds are animal fats. Reduce with age total fat intake plus change the ratio of vegetable and animal fats in the diet to about 50/50.

How much fat does the body need? There are several methods for determining this amount, but none of them can be considered ideally correct. Most nutritionists agree that the amount of fat in a woman's body should be 18-25%.

The simplest, albeit approximate, result is the measurement of body volumes: the waist should be divided by the volume of the chest and separately by the volume of the hips. If both numbers obtained exceed 0.8, then the amount of fat in the body is too large.

How to consume fat correctly? The nutritional value different fats is different and largely depends on the digestibility of fat by the body. It, in turn, depends on the melting temperature of a particular fat - the higher this temperature, the worse the fat is digested and absorbed. to fats with high temperature melting include, for example, mutton and beef fat, with low - many vegetable liquid fats, butter, lard, margarines.

Improper storage, high-temperature cooking, as well as deep technical processing can “spoil” even the most valuable fats. In the light or when stored for too long, fats turn rancid and oxidize, the use of such a product has adverse effect on the body. intensive heat treatment leads to the destruction and oxidation of fats and their useful components(the fat in the frying pan “smoked” - which means it is already collapsing) with the parallel formation and release of unhealthy substances like carcinogens, the neutralization of which takes great amount forces and resources of the body. Strong technological processing with the aim of increasing the shelf life, leveling the color or strong natural smell of the oil often transforms the structure of the product so much that it is no longer necessary to talk about any of its benefits.

For example, unrefined vegetable oil and butter are unprocessed fats and much more useful than, for example, margarine obtained by hydrogenation with the formation of the most harmful trans-fatty acid isomers, or refined vegetable oil (we will also talk about this in more detail in the relevant articles) .

The calorie content of fats of animal and vegetable origin is approximately the same. Don't forget also that when you mention daily allowance we are not talking about pure fats - vegetable spoons or cubes butter. So-called "hidden" fats are found in many foods, especially in the confectionery and fast food categories, and can greatly disrupt the caloric balance if ignored. In addition, it should not be forgotten that factors such as overuse alcohol and "heavily processed" fats can impair the activity of enzymes responsible for fat metabolism.

So, we hope that from the first article of the cycle you have understood that fats in a full-fledged healthy diet are extremely necessary. You just need to learn how to choose and use them correctly.

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January 14, 2018 Now the world is experiencing a boom in "superfoods" - hyper-healthy foods, a pinch of which can cover almost a daily allowance. necessary for the body nutrients. The editors of the portal site decided to conduct their own study of the popularity and usefulness of chia, including real experience portal readers and Facebook friends, including Maria Sanfirova, author this review and part-time vegetarian with decent experience ...

January 09, 2018

Details Created on 08.10.2013 17:54

The distribution of food during pregnancy can be represented as a pyramid. At the base of the pyramid are foods that should be more common in the diet of a pregnant woman and make up the majority of it. Products are located at different levels of the pyramid for a reason. The closer to the top, the less important is the share of food in the diet of a pregnant woman.

From the first days of pregnancy, a woman's body needs a constant supply of high-grade proteins, the main building material for cells and tissues. Proteins in the mother's body break down into components (amino acids), from which the mother and fetus synthesize new proteins that they need more. Insufficient food intake saturated with proteins, contributes to the development of anemia (anemia) and a decrease in resistance to infection. So try to eat more products with high content protein. Lean fish, meat, legumes, nuts, fresh eggs (but not raw) are all high in protein.

Fats are used in the construction of cells and provide the body with energy, in addition, the value of fats lies in the fact that they contain important fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K, D) and fatty acids. The diet of a pregnant woman should contain up to 40% vegetable fats. Vegetable fats contain unsaturated fatty acids, are rich in vitamins and can lower blood cholesterol levels. You can use vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, mustard, olive. Animal fats such as cream, butter, sour cream, lard should be consumed in small amounts.

Most of the daily diet should be foods high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main and most efficient source of energy, it is the fuel for muscles during physical work and active activities. And to endure and give birth to a strong and physically developed baby requires enough strength and skill. The daily requirement for carbohydrates is 3-4 times greater than for proteins and fats. A pregnant woman should get carbohydrates mainly from foods rich in vegetable fiber(wholemeal bread, cereals, vegetables, fruits). These products, in addition to carbohydrates, contain vitamins and mineral salts and contribute to the improvement of bowel function, strengthen the muscles of the heart, improve kidney function. However, excess sugars and starches that are not converted into energy, turn into fat, which accumulates in the body, can affect physical development and well-being of the baby, disrupts the activity and elasticity of the joints and muscles involved in childbirth. It is important that a significant part of the diet of a pregnant woman is fiber. Fiber improves bowel function, prevents rotting food and flatulence. Better preserved normal composition intestinal microflora in the mother, which indirectly is the prevention of dysbacteriosis in the baby. The main suppliers of fiber are fruits and dried fruits, vegetables that you can eat in any quantity. During pregnancy, the need for vitamins and minerals. The lack of vitamins and microelements in the diet can cause metabolic disorders in the body of the mother and fetus, various complications during pregnancy, and increased susceptibility to infections. Vitamins C, A, D, E, B vitamins, folic acid must be present in the diet.

Pay special attention to the combination of products.

If you combine foods wisely, you can ensure more efficient absorption of food. A person does not benefit from food that is not digestible. If the food is poorly digested, then this can lead to rotting and fermentation of products and the formation of substances harmful to the body of the mother and child. In addition, the fermentation process is accompanied by gas formation, which can lead to flatulence and unpleasant sensations This is especially harmful in the last stages of pregnancy. But what is especially important harmful products disrupt the normal composition of the intestinal microflora, and against this background, dysbacteriosis, thrush can develop, skin function worsens, not only in the mother, but also in the baby. Try not to take the first, second, third dish at once, it overfills the stomach and puts pressure on the fetus, the food is poorly digested and poorly absorbed. Eat often and in small portions.

Cook and eat with a sense of gratitude “for daily bread.”

Cook in a good mood. Eat with pleasure, in a relaxed atmosphere. Let peace and joy reign at the table, eat, thinking about something pleasant, try not to discuss exciting matters at the table, forget about the worries of the day for a while.

If the expectant mother is tired, agitated or irritated, it is better to postpone the meal for a while, and at this time take a comfortable shower, listen to music. Drawing helps a lot, especially the depiction of your feelings in a drawing!

If a woman does not feel well, it is better to drink juice, or a vegetable broth, or an infusion of mint, lemon balm, rose hips with honey, and eat later, with good health.

Do not rush at the table, chew all food thoroughly. ,

Eat only when you are hungry, try not to snack on the go. It is better to follow the rhythm of nutrition, eat at about the same time, then the body will be able to prepare - prepare digestive juices and food immediately and will be well digested.

Proper food preparation will help preserve as much as possible useful material contained in products.

Try to choose for each dish rational mode cooking. Don't overcook foods; try not to reheat the same dish several times, it is better to set aside only the portion that will be used. Cook in the most gentle way: baking, steaming, stewing. Avoid frying, boiling in large amounts of water, with this method of processing products, many useful substances are lost.

If possible, do not cook for several days at once.

Do not use aluminum utensils and metal graters when cooking.

Introduce new and unusual foods into the diet gradually, in small portions, let the body get used to it. If possible, observe the wise law: "Get up from the table with the feeling that you could eat something else."

Remember that for a pregnant woman, it is not calories that are important, but the quality of food, its naturalness, primarily a “living” cell (whole cereals, raw vegetables and fruits, fresh meat and dairy products ...).

Fats are an indispensable component in the nutrition of women, including those who are expecting a baby. In addition to the main, energy function, fats perform many other tasks. They are included in the composition of cells, participate in the functioning of enzymes, help the work of some vitamins, and are precursors of hormones. This makes the role of fats during pregnancy special. It is important to ensure that they are regularly supplied with food, but their quantity must be strictly defined. What foods contain healthy fat for pregnant women, and which ones are harmful?

Fats during pregnancy: why are they needed?

Fats, or as they are more correctly called - lipids, which come with nutrition during pregnancy, are considered the most energy-rich "fuel". Due to the breakdown of 1 g of fat, the body receives 9 kcal. But this is not their only property. Lipids are actively involved in plastic processes (building cells and tissues of the body), as they are part of the structural component of cell membranes. Lipids form many biological active substances- hormones, some of the enzymes and mediators.

Together with dietary fats during pregnancy, certain useful substances enter the body of a woman and baby - lecithin and other phospholipids, a fat-soluble group of vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, sterols and many other components. The role of polyunsaturated acids, which enter the body with food, is especially important. They are a structural component of connective tissue fibers, make up shells nerve fiber, form the walls of blood vessels, which is especially important at the time of laying the organs and tissues of the fetus.

Undoubtedly, the benefits of fats in cholesterol metabolism, due to unsaturated lipids, its metabolism is activated and excesses are removed from the body, which is the prevention of atherosclerotic vascular lesions. The prevention of hepatosis of the liver (cell obesity) will be no less useful for fats of the same group, fatty acids do not allow drops of fat to stagnate in hepatocytes.

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life, the correct laying of all tissues and organs, as well as the future health of the fetus, largely depends on her health and lifestyle. A significant role in this is played by special classes of lipids. First of all, these are omega-three polyunsaturated acids, the benefits of these fats are especially obvious. Starting from the third trimester of pregnancy, and continuing throughout the first three months after the birth of the baby, these substances actively accumulate in the nervous system of the fetus. It helps proper development all brain structures and full neuropsychic development. Also, it requires a constant supply of omega-3 acids in order to reduce the risk of miscarriage, to prevent the birth of premature babies. Due to them, the risk of gestosis is reduced and depressive states, thrombosis and disturbances in the rhythm of the heart are prevented. Given the benefits of this type of fat, it is important to ensure that the diet is enriched with vegetable oils and oily marine fish.

The benefits of fats belonging to the group of phospholipids (special compounds of fatty acids with phosphoric acid and polyols). These components are extremely important for the full development of the fetus - due to their sufficient amount, the cells of the nervous system, heart muscles, liver tissue and the reproductive system of the baby are formed. These healthy fats important for the mother herself - they normalize the coagulation processes, which will prevent bleeding during pregnancy and during the birth of the baby. One of healthy fats- lecithin, helps in normal operation liver of a pregnant woman, preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in her cells.

Reducing the amount of fat in the diet of a pregnant woman

If you, fearing the negative impact of cholesterol or other components, sharply reduce the amount of fat in the diet (reducing almost to zero), this will not make nutrition more healthy and correct. Deficiency of lipids entering the body during pregnancy can threaten with irreparable consequences for the mother and her baby. This is especially true for the phospholipid component and omega acids. A sharply reduced amount of fat (especially during the laying of organs) can threaten neural tube defects and abnormalities in the development of the skin, suffering visual analyzer, as well as defects in immunity both in the fetus and in the pregnant woman. In addition, it is due to fatty foods that the reserves of fat-soluble vitamins are replenished, if the amount of fat in the diet is sharply reduced, this threatens with serious hypovitaminosis. Pregnancy is a time of increased expenditure of all resources, and the first signs of fat deficiency will not keep you waiting - the skin becomes dry and cracked, hair falls out, pustules appear.

No less unpleasant will be the increase in the amount of fat that the expectant mother consumes. Fatty foods are difficult to digest, have a large number of calories, which leads to the formation of obesity and liver problems, the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. But these are not all the troubles that an excess of fat in the diet can threaten during pregnancy. The abundance of dietary lipids leads to an increase in blood viscosity, and this is dangerous for thrombosis of small and larger vessels. Dangerous and oversaturation of the diet with polyunsaturated fats. Their excess in the process of metabolism gives a lot of intermediate, underoxidized substrates. They can overexert the liver and kidneys and lower immune defenses. Thus, the amount of fat in the diet of a pregnant woman should be optimal and balanced in terms of quality.

Which fats should be limited and which should be added?

Pregnancy is a time when the diet should be monitored more carefully. Avoid animal fats (lard, interior fat), as well as products with margarine. It is worth reducing the amount of foods rich in cholesterol - hard fatty cheeses, animal kidneys and liver, goose and duck, fatty meat - pork or beef. If pregnancy occurs against the background of pathologies of the digestive system, liver or pancreas, fat restrictions will be even more stringent.

It is worth expanding the diet due to vegetable oils and a small amount of butter, seeds and nuts, sea ​​fish, eggs and fish liver.