Healthy Living … We should consume food, food should not consume us!

Healthy eating is a key factor in promoting good health in women and staying healthful is the best decision one can ever make. Ladies spend a great deal of time, money and efforts to stay fit by joining gym, pursuing different diet regimes and desi- totka’s. Healthy diet is not about staying undernourished; rather you become physically active, mentally strong and emotionally flourished. One must not forget that a fresh and healthy food choice is the best investment. Healthy diet helps to maintain our over all health by providing necessary nutrition’s prevents high blood pressure, hypertension, and obesity and reduces disease risk.

If you feel overwhelmed and confused by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advices out there, then you are not alone. However to make your life easier, I have formulated a simple way to plan, enjoy and stick to healthy diet for women in different phases of their lives.

Diet Plan for Pregnant Women

You may need to drop some long-established eating habits and learn how to walk a fine balance between getting enough nutrition for your baby, and avoiding foods that can harm both of you. Normally, women are expected to gain 10-12 kg of additional weigh during the progression of their pregnancy. Please reach out to your doctor, if:

• weight gain is more than 2 kg’s per week
• high birth weight for newborn in the past
• history of newly born with breathing problems
• any history of birth defects
• family history of diabetes

Your Meal Plan

• 7:00 am: handful of almonds along with a cup of milk
• 8:00 am: 2 egg whites, whole bran cereal or chapatti, cup of milk/ tea
• 11:00 am: Tea, chicken nuggets
• 1:00 pm: 1 bowl of yogurt, 1 bowl of green salad, 1 bowl of curry/ lentil/ vegetable and 2 pieces of meat
• 5:00 pm: Tea, sandwich or chickpeas
• 8:00 pm: 1 bowl of yogurt, 1 bowl of green salad, curry and 1 chapatti
• 10:00 pm: a cup of milk

 Things to Avoid

Pregnant women should NOT consume the following:

Bakery products, root vegetables (edible plants that grow under ground such as potato, sweet potato, carrot, radish and etc.) banana, mango, refined carbs like pizza, pasta, burgers and any type of soft drinks.

Diet Plan for Pregnant Women with Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which your body cannot properly use and store food for energy. The fuel your body needs is called glucose, a form of sugar. Healthy eating is the cornerstone of managing diabetes. Here, I have created delicious meal plan that makes it easier for pregnant women to follow a diabetes diet.

Your Meal Plan to Balance Blood Sugar

Breakfast (344 Calories)

• half cup yogurt
• half cup almonds
• scramble egg with 1 slice of bran bread

AM Snack (62 Calories)

• 1 medium orange

Lunch (397 Calories)

• Chicken sandwich with 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 1 sliced tomato
• 1 apple

PM Snack (172 Calories)

• 4 dried apricots
• 8 walnuts

Dinner (515 Calories)

• Boiled Beans
• Cooked spinach and chicken gravy
• 1 cup of fruits

Diet Plan for All Pregnant Women

Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is very important, as your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. A vast majority of women stop eating eggs, meat, nuts and fish during their pregnancy and rather focus more on sugar, refined sugar, spices and rice. Following food items must be avoided:

• Sugar
• Processed food and meat
• Monosodium Glutamate (Chinese Salt)
• Refined Grains (such as white bread, white rice and etc.)
• Trans Fat (Cakes, pies, cookies, Margarine, Doughnuts and etc.)

A pregnant woman should include in her daily diet at least:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Turmeric
• Garlic
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Organic Coconut and Olive Oil

Diet Plan for Women with Diabetes

Women who are not pregnant will find some useful tips to help control their diabetes in the following table:

• Early Morning: Nuts in plain yogurt
• Breakfast: Chicken sandwich with 1 glass of orange juice
• Mid-Morning Snack: Fruit salad with almonds
• Lunch: Mutton gravy, chapatti and beans salad
• Tea: Chicken Samosa, Tea with low fat milk
• Dinner: Steak or grilled chicken, Meat gravy with chapatti
• Extras: Chicken. Salad, chickpeas, nuts and add more proteins

Fight Back Nausea:

The healthy diet make all the difference during the pregnancy, you can feel better by following the tips below:

• Have something healthy to eat before coming out of bed; an apple is what a doctor ordered.
• Take small and frequent meals. Listen to your body and restraint from over eating.
• Fight your sugar cravings with healthy substitutes such as fresh fruit salad and yogurt.

I encourage you to take action now because action is the key to all success. If you would like to share your tips or ideas, let me know in the comment section.

Happy Reading & Healthy Living

Dr. Ayesha Azam Khan