How healthy was that meal? Probably healthier than your usual breakfast, lunch or dinner meal is, and eating a healthy diet daily can go a long way to helping you achieve the pregnancy you want. Getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals from the food you eat instead of a daily supplement is the best way to ensure your health, and to increase your chances of getting pregnant. The most important vitamin is Folic Acid, also known as Folate.
So, from which foods can you get the Folate your body needs? The best sources include dark leafy green vegetables, dried beans and peas, citrus fruits and many berries. Breads, pastas, and other foods made from grains have been fortified with additional amounts of Folate. Eating a balanced diet should ensure that you are consuming enough Folate to help prevent spinal defects when you become pregnant.
Some other important vitamins and minerals include vitamin E, C, B12, calcium, iron and zinc. Vitamin E besides being a great antioxidant also helps to normalize the menstrual cycle and balance the hormones. It also helps your body to utilize other vitamins and minerals, so it is an important vitamin that you should be sure you are getting enough of in your daily diet. Foods rich in vitamin E include safflower and corn oils, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and nuts.
Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, helps your body fight off infections, speeds the healing of wounds, assists with the strengthening of blood vessel walls, and also helps to bind cells together. The best-known source for vitamin C is citrus fruits and juices. However, spinach, broccoli, red and green peppers, tomatoes, berries, potatoes with the skin attached, and black pepper also contain vitamin C.
Vitamin B12 is another very important vitamin that helps with the formation of red blood cells, keeps the nervous system healthy, and is needed for the rapid synthesis of DNA during cell division. Although it is not thought that women need extra amounts of B12 during pregnancy, being sure that you are getting the recommended amount of 2.6mcg is the best thing to do. Good sources of B12 include meats, fish, dairy products, and eggs. Many breakfast cereals are also fortified with additional B12.
Go To Page: 1 2
