Have a healthy and happy pregnancy by including power foods and power naps in your daily routine. Have a look at the benefits of power food and power naps during pregnancy.Your body undergoes so many changes during pregnancy! You cannot expect the same from your body and need to take care of it more than before. Prenatal power foods and power naps are great ways to charge your body that is tired of carrying the additional weight for long.
Power Foods in Pregnancy
If you want to be mindful about gaining weight in pregnancy, you need to choose your foods wisely. Here we shall look into some of the power foods in pregnancy that can make a big difference in the way you enjoy it. Let us take a look below:
1. Fish
Fish specially cod or salmon with fresh herbs and olive oil can do wonders. These fish are known to boost up development of your baby. It is important you stick to the low mercury fishes like these to get DHA and omega 3 fatty acids in sufficient amounts. To be on a safer side, you must include only those fishes in your diet which are recommended by your doctor.
2. Dark Chocolate
Yes you heard it right! You can reduce chances of dangerous conditions in pregnancy like preeclampsia and lower your blood pressure level with dark chocolate in moderation. Again before including it in your
diet, you must consult your doctor. He or she may suggest the appropriate ways to consume dark chocolate during pregnancy safely.
3. Green Leafy Vegetables
Dark green vegetables are loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. You can try the power foods like spinach, broccoli along with and lemon juice.
4. Avocados
The nature's perfect foods or avocados are rich in vitamin E, mono-saturated fats and beta carotene that you need in good amounts now. You can add avocados in your sandwich and enjoy the taste.
5. Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potatoes are loaded with more nutrients than the ordinary ones. These are rich in vitamin A and are considered highly essential for proper growth and development of your foetus. You can try the roasted or boiled potatoes with olive oil for a change.
6. Legumes
The beans and legumes are packed with nutrients that both of you richly deserve during pregnancy. You can get all the nutrients like fibre, vitamins, foliate or calcium and iron that you can possibly think of. Try the cilantro or cumin with some salt.
Power Naps during Pregnancy
Your body is already doing a lot of work of carrying the baby for so long. This is the time when you shall feel the urge to sleep more than before. However, while you may feel tired, it might get difficult for you to sleep well specially in the
third trimester.
Sleep problems are mostly associated with high blood pressure. Thus, it is important to take power naps rather than waiting for your usual sleep time. Retire to bed and take a short break whenever you feel tired. Getting sleep for at least 9 hours a day is essential at this time.
Power naps can be a great way to refuel your tired body and look forward to some activities in the day ahead. Napping for less than 30 minutes can lessen your tiredness and also ensure you do not get over tired. If you are overtired, it might interfere with your sleep patterns and make it difficult for you to fall asleep easily. Thus, make sure to keep aside your works and nap for sometime in between.
Practising some
relaxation techniques to calm down your mind can be helpful when you feel stressed. Listening to soothing music and visualising calm pictures can be a great way to calm your muscles down.
Keeping your bedroom cool and dark can help you relax well. Along with sleeps, make sure to make time for some exercises as well after consulting your doctor. Combination of all these factors shall ensure you enjoy a healthy and a happy pregnancy. So, go ahead and look forward to a wonderful experience of your lifetime.
How are power foods beneficial for pregnant women? Why should pregnant women have power naps? How much of sleep is needed by pregnant women? Discuss here.