Some Tips on Eating Right for a Healthy Pregnancy and Baby

The importance of including essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) in your diet when you are pregnant cannot be stressed enough for the good health of the developing foetus.

Both parents (during pre-conception) need good nutrition to ensure healthy babies. It goes without saying that toxins in the form of alcohol, drugs, nicotine and caffeine have a detrimental effect on the foetus, and are to avoided prior to and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. What you take in – so does baby!

Why Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)?
Essential fatty acids help to develop the immune system of the growing foetus.

These are fats that are essential to our health. The body cannot produce them, so our only source comes from what we eat. One of the easiest ways of getting our daily fix is through flax oil (for omega 3)

EFA’s are a vital component of every human cell, and the body needs them to

• insulate nerve cells
• keep skin and arteries supple
• balance hormones
• keep us warm
  

Digestion
High quality oils (digested in the infant’s stomach) slow digestion down, and thus allow complete digestion of proteins in the stomach preventing absorption of proteins in the intestines, and the subsequent development of allergies. In a similar vein, high quality oils strengthen the cellular walls of the intestines, promoting efficient and complete digestion of foods and the correct absorption of the breakdown products of digestion.

Deficiencies
A deficiency in omega 6 oils result in: failure to thrive, diarrhoea, skin problems,

poor hair growth, and poor utilization of food energy. A deficiency in omega 3 oils, symptoms include neurological and visual abnormalities.

Virgin Coconut Oil is a must for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Breast milk contains lauric acid, (anti viral, anti bacterial properties) which is one of nature’s methods of ensuring a strong immune system in the infant. Virgin Coconut Oil has the greatest concentration of lauric acid in nature (50%), and therefore its inclusion in the mother’s diet ensures a good supply for breast milk and baby.This oil is easily digested by the infant’s immature digestive system – it is truly a must for infant growth and health.

The Good Oil Diet for healthy child raising, mothers-to-be and breastfeeding should include fresh, cold pressed, EFA rich, natural oils.