Pregnant and Postpartum Fitness: New Knowledge - Mini Book on Healthy Pregnancy

Author: Li Hui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Pregnant women should not eat too many acidic foods. After becoming pregnant, many women enjoy eating acidic foods. In some regions, there is an unscientific saying that "sour for sons, spicy for daughters." Why do pregnant women crave acidic foods? During pregnancy, the placenta secretes a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which inhibits gastric acid secretion, gradually reducing stomach acid and significantly lowering the bioactivity of digestive enzymes. This not only affects the normal digestive function of pregnant women but can also cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Due to the physiological needs of pregnant women, they have a strong desire to eat acidic foods. After consuming acidic foods, gastric acid secretion increases, alleviating nausea and vomiting, enhancing the activity of digestive enzymes, promoting gastrointestinal motility, and increasing appetite. However, when pregnant women eat acidic foods, they should not overconsume them. It is best to avoid hawthorn, as excessive consumption can cause uterine contractions and, in severe cases, lead to the risk of miscarriage. Pregnant women should drink plenty of water It is essential for pregnant women to maintain adequate fluid intake daily. In addition to their regular diet, they should drink 8 glasses of water. Drinking 1 glass of water in the morning can lower blood concentration and promote blood circulation. Drinking 1 glass of water 1 hour before meals helps stimulate the secretion of digestive fluids and enhances appetite. Of course, traditional Chinese refreshing beverages such as chrysanthemum tea, roasted barley tea, and senna tea can also be consumed. Green bean soup, lily bulb soup, and other drinks are excellent for cooling, quenching thirst, and detoxifying, and can partially replace plain water. Additionally, eating watermelon is beneficial. Watermelon contains 94% water, as well as sugar, protein, and various vitamins, which not only replenish fluids but also strengthen the immune system. Pregnant women do not need to force extra meals The saying that "a pregnant woman needs to eat for two" has recently been debunked by an experiment conducted by the Nutrition Research Center at the University of Cambridge. Their study found that most pregnant women do not need to alter their eating habits to give birth to healthy babies. Among the 8 participants in the experiment, a slender film consultant who was pregnant for 42 weeks only occasionally indulged in extra food. By the time of delivery, her total caloric intake had only increased by 11,723 kilojoules, which is significantly less than the recommended 334,960 kilojoules. Meanwhile, she gained only 7.25 kilograms in weight, but her baby weighed 5 kilograms. Another participant, a 32-year-old office worker, experienced a significant increase in appetite from the early stages of pregnancy and ate 5 meals a day, consuming 4 times the normal amount. By the time of delivery, she had consumed an additional 602,920 kilojoules, but her baby's weight was average among the 8 infants. During the experiment, all 8 pregnant women were allowed to eat according to their appetite, but why did the first woman, who ate less, give birth to a larger baby? The study concluded that this was primarily due to differences in metabolic rates among the pregnant women. The first woman's metabolic rate decreased during pregnancy, with only a limited increase in the later stages, while the second woman frequently felt hungry, which was related to her consistently higher metabolic rate throughout the pregnancy. The experiment demonstrated that pregnant women do not need to force extra food intake; normal eating according to appetite is sufficient. However, it must be noted that one important point remains: pregnant women should...