Good Nutrition Begins Before Birth
Good Nutrition Begins Before BirthGood Nutrition Begins Before Birth
When does good nutrition become important in our lives? For some people, nutrition may not enter their concerns until they are well into adulthood, when they begin worrying that the foods they eat may increase their risk of developing diabetes or heart disease. Others worry about nutrition only when it causes them to gain weight as their metabolism slows with age.
For parents, the first time they may become aware of their children’s nutrition is when their babies first start eating solid foods. Then there are decisions to make. Which foods are best? Should my baby or small child eat sweets? Is my picky child eating enough of the right kinds of foods to grow? The decisions become more complicated as babies become toddlers and start making demands and refusals for food, and parents must balance their children’s wishes with what’s good for their health. And as children get older and go to school, they are more influenced by peers, the media, and the food available at school, and suddenly nutrition can become a major issue in parents’ minds.
In fact, in this site I’m going to argue that good nutrition starts in the womb. Your role as a prospective parent begins with the choices you make while you’re pregnant.
We used to think that babies grow and develop inside their mothers about the same way regardless of the mothers’ health and nutrition. A fetus, it was thought, would simply feed upon the reserves of energy and nutrients stored in its mother’s body and get everything it needed from her internal supplies.
Now we know that that picture is not entirely true. How well a mother eats and how she cares for herself make a big difference in the quality of nutrition her baby receives. If you are reading this site, it’s likely that you are either planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant and wondering how to eat well for your baby’s health. Congratulations on taking the time to educate yourself about nutrition now, at the beginning of your child’s life. Your effort will help to better your own health and the long-term health of your future baby.
A growing body of research is showing that the time a baby spends in the womb is the period when the foundation for her later health is put into place. Research has now shown that the events that happen in fetal life can in part determine a person’s
chances of developing diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity in adulthood.
As a mother-to-be, your first step in improving your child’s nutrition is to take care of your own health and nutrition before and during pregnancy. By doing so, you will be helping to ensure your child’s health at birth and into adulthood.
For parents, the first time they may become aware of their children’s nutrition is when their babies first start eating solid foods. Then there are decisions to make. Which foods are best? Should my baby or small child eat sweets? Is my picky child eating enough of the right kinds of foods to grow? The decisions become more complicated as babies become toddlers and start making demands and refusals for food, and parents must balance their children’s wishes with what’s good for their health. And as children get older and go to school, they are more influenced by peers, the media, and the food available at school, and suddenly nutrition can become a major issue in parents’ minds.
In fact, in this site I’m going to argue that good nutrition starts in the womb. Your role as a prospective parent begins with the choices you make while you’re pregnant.
We used to think that babies grow and develop inside their mothers about the same way regardless of the mothers’ health and nutrition. A fetus, it was thought, would simply feed upon the reserves of energy and nutrients stored in its mother’s body and get everything it needed from her internal supplies.
Now we know that that picture is not entirely true. How well a mother eats and how she cares for herself make a big difference in the quality of nutrition her baby receives. If you are reading this site, it’s likely that you are either planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant and wondering how to eat well for your baby’s health. Congratulations on taking the time to educate yourself about nutrition now, at the beginning of your child’s life. Your effort will help to better your own health and the long-term health of your future baby.
A growing body of research is showing that the time a baby spends in the womb is the period when the foundation for her later health is put into place. Research has now shown that the events that happen in fetal life can in part determine a person’s
chances of developing diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity in adulthood.
As a mother-to-be, your first step in improving your child’s nutrition is to take care of your own health and nutrition before and during pregnancy. By doing so, you will be helping to ensure your child’s health at birth and into adulthood.
Category: Healthy Eating During Pregnancy
Food nutrition facts which are essential to know. Here I have created some concise flashcards, hope you find them useful.