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Eat Right to conceive - Top Tips of The Month!
Protein-rich foods - 25% of your daily plate
Protein-rich foods represents 25% of your daily plate* (ie 4 handfuls a day)
o Peas, and pulses,–fibre, phytoestrogens, zinc
o Nuts and seeds: good source of omega 3 and 6 essential fats, selenium
o Meat, soya, dairy and eggs: essential fats, iron
And to help keep blood sugar levels and hormones balanced just have protein with each meal and snack
The nutritional information of this page is based on Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s work and is not intended as medical advice. Any dietary change should be made in consultation with your GP.
September Tip - Pregnancy and Morning sickness
Morning sickness tends to be worse when blood sugar levels are low and so tends to be at its worst first thing and around 5 o'clock in the evening. To keep blood sugar levels balanced eat as often as you need but certainly leave it no more than 3 hours, have small meals and snacks and have a protein-rich food each time you eat. You shouldn't have a high protein diet in pregnancy, just enough to help slow the release of sugar from your carbs into your blood and prevent blood sugar highs and nausea-inducing lows. So for instance if you have bread have chicken or houmous on top to add some protein. You may also find it helps to have some snacks like oatcakes by the bed for if you wake in the night or to eat as soon as you wake in the morning.
Ginger may also help relieve nausea, try ginger oat biscuits or tea to help keep your stomach feel more settled.
If you still feel sick it may be worth seeing a nutritionist who can recommend a magnesium and vitamin B6 supplement to help take the dreaded nausea away.
If you are being sick do make sure you are replacing fluids to avoid dehydration and do check with your midwife if the sickness means you cannot hold down food or water.
The nutritional information of this page is based on Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s work and is not intended as medical advice. Any dietary change should be made in consultation with your GP.
August Tip - Smoothies to the rescue
If really you don’t have the time to eat 8 portions of fruit & veg a day, you can blend 2/3 portions in delicious smoothies.
Go for whole fruit or fresh smoothies (made from whole fruit) rather than juice as juice has the fibre removed and so is high in available sugars and can upset the body’s delicate balance of blood sugar and also fertility hormones
Vegetable juices are good as they provide many nutrients but generally less sugar
The nutritional information of this page is based on Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s work and is not intended as medical advice. Any dietary change should be made in consultation with your GP.
July Tip - Forget 5 a day and move up to 8 a day
Increasing your 5 a day by 8 a day provides fibre to help you cleanse your body and antioxidants which may help protect your genetic material.
You can split into 8 sections:
o 5 portions of vegetables a day
o 3 portions of fruit a day
If you find it difficult to eat 5 portions of vegetables a day, take a carrot/celery at work to munch at 11, put two vegetables in your sandwiches and two on your plate in the evening.
The nutritional information of this page is based on Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s work and is not intended as medical advice. Any dietary change should be made in consultation with your GP.
June Tip - Fuit & Veg, 50% of your daily plate
Vegetables and fruit should represent 50% of your daily plate. (ie 8 handfuls a day)
Chose a rainbow of colours as each colour provides different vital nutrients
o Yellow and orange good source of antioxidants , vitamin C
o Red and purple powerfully packed with antioxidants
o Green good source of Vitamin C and E, B vitamins, Manganese , Magnesium
The nutritional information of this page is based on Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s work and is not intended as medical advice. Any dietary change should be made in consultation with your GP.