Pregnancy 2010 - June

Angela - I think you look very cute on your picture:flowerforyou: . I also like the food posts, they're very interesting (I would pass on the achovies, though)
The one thing i want to buy with this baby is a swing/glider. I just never thought I would need one, but now with a toddler and a baby, i will probably use it.

Challenge question -

I can't wait to get my jogging stroller! I love to run, I ran up until about week 20, after that it was too hard to breathe. I can't wait to pack up the kid and do our first 5 or 10k together!

I love the idea of doing my first 5 or 10k with my baby boy. Great idea!

Angela, Shoppingqueen, Yessie -- it's so interesting to read your baby-gaga "status" updates. All 3 of you are so close together in your due dates, guess whatever month it was must have been a cold one.

Just found a pretty cool website that calculates over 200 activities based on your weight. It's supposed to be pretty accurate.....

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/calculat.htm

Went in for my OB appt yesterday and have gained too much weight. :-( Their scale put me at 179 when I went in which means I've gained 17lbs so far. I'm only supposed to gain 20ish the whole pregnancy. :-( I know there's room for improvement in my diet so I'll be working on that, but I just feel upset and disappointed. And before I get the responses, I won't do anything drastic, I know I have to eat, I wont be starving myself and will work on eating the healthy stuff and somehow ignor these cravings (snickers! ice cream!)

Didn't someone recently post a link to a website with a whole bunch of pics of baby rooms etc?! I can't find the link and I thought I emailed the link to myself, but can't find it :-(

http://projectnursery.com/ - my FAVE!!!!!!!!!

100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

1st Trimester

APPLESAUCE
Applesauce is a great food for event he pickiest eaters. But it's a perfect food for any mothers-to-be who are suffering from morning sickness! Applesauce is gentle on your stomach. It's packed with Valuable nutrients for you and your baby. And it's a good source of fluid to help you stay hydrated. Grab a spoon and dig into some applesauce - it's one of the very best foods for your first trimester.

* Flavonoids in the skin of apples are great antioxidants that help keep your body healthy by fighting off damaging free radicals, and they help support your immune system so you dont' catch a cold or the flu

* Fuji apples have th greatest amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, and they are very high in antioxidant activity. Red delicious apples are a close second

* If you're making applesauce from scratch, be sure to leave the skin on since it's where you'll find a lot of the apple's healthy compounds.

* The best way to eat your applesauce - homemade or store-bought - is organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown witout pesticides and herbicides, which means they are healthier for you.

* Researchers have found that organically grown fruits and vegetable have higher camounts of flavonoids annd other nutrients than conventionally grown food, making an organic apple or applesauce a super-healthy choice.

* When you choose apples for their flavonoid content, remember: the redder, the better!

* Fatigue is a major symptom of the first trimester and can leave some women feeeling really lethargic. The antioxidants like the ones found in organic applesauce can help.

* Quercetin is a powerful flavonoid found in apple skin and other produce like citrus fruits and onions. Quercetin battles with free radicals to prevent them from damaging the cells in your body - not to mention your baby's developing cells. Your body has to spend a lot of energy repairing the damage so eating foods that are packed with antioxidants can save your body energy.

* Apples are among the most heavily sprayed produce in North America. Pesticides are toxic to your body and are even more damaging to your vulnerable growing baby.

* If organic is not available, use water or a special fruit and vegetable wash to wash the wax off the peel of your apple, since mst of the pesticides end up in or just beneath the peel. But don't peel your apples, because the skin is what hols the majority of the antioxidants and vitamins!

THE RICHES ANTIOXIDANT FOODS
The US department of agriculture conducted a comprehensive study of the antioxidant content of more than 100 commonly consumed foods in 2004. Not surprisingly, the top of the list was dominated by fruits and vegetables. Some of the highes-randing antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits on the list were wild blduberries, cultivated blueberries, cranberries, artichoke hearts, blackberries, Red delicious apples, granny smith apples, raspberries, prunes, strawberries, black plums, cherries, russet potatoes, plums, and Gala apples.

JONNY'S TASTY TIPS
Believe it or not, it's super-esy to make your own applesauce! And when you make it yourself, you know it's healthy.

Here's all you have to do: Buy a mix of organic apples, including some red-skinned apples for those all-important antioxidant flavonoids and some tart, crisp apples like Granny Smith.

Once you get your apples home, wash, slice, and core them and then toss the slices into a deep, heavy pot. Cook them covered on very low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until they soften and can be stirred into the thick but soupy consistency of applesauce.

Want to up the ante? Add even more antioxidant oomph by tossing in some fresh cranberries or a little pure cranberry juice. You can also stir in a little spire in the form of cinnamon or ginger to add antioxidants and help quell morning sickness

Store your homemade sauce in the fridge in a sealed container or can it for long-term storage. Besides eating it plain, you can use it as a topping for pancakes, yogurt, or frozen yogurt. Yum!!

100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

3RD TRIMESTER

BLACK BEANS
A favorite in Mexican dishes, black beans (also known as turtle or black turtle beans) are a tasty and nutritious addition to your pregnancy diet. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reported that black beans are as rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins as grapes and cranberries, two fruits that are antioxidant starts. Try adding black beans into your diet - they're packed with nutrients that you and your baby need.

* Black beans are also a good source of manganese, iron, thiamin, phosphorus, and magnesium.

* 1 cup of black beans have an astounding 15 g of fiber, more than half of your daily needs. Plus, there's tons of folate (over 250 mcg per cup).

* Black beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral molybdenum. This is definitely one of the lesser known minerals, but it's role in the boyd is nothing to ignore. Molybdenum is an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads and salad bars and even to dried fruit.

* A cup of black beans has about 180 mg of that famous feel-good compound tryptophan. tryptophan is an essential amin acid, which is your body is used to make niacin (a B vitamin) and serotonin (a feel-good hormone that is thought to stabilize mood and promote sleep). With baby kicking and squeezing your insides, sleep can be hard to come by right now, so eat your beans before bedtime!

* MEAT EQUIVALENT. These smoky-flavored beans are a good source of protein. If you eat them with a whole grain, such as whole wheat poasta or brown rice, or corn, it provides a protein comparable to that of meaat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fat found in these foods.

JONNY'S TASTY TIPS
You may have seen black bean salsa's selling for big bucks in gourmet stores and catalogs. But it's so easy to make your own. There's no excuse for spending the money. Take a can of black beans, a package of frozen corn, and a jar of salsa that's the heat you like it. I love adding minced fresh cilantro and a finely chopped fresh sweet onion to the mix, too. Stir them together and enjoy this incredibly tasty dip!

Another all-time favorite is black bean soup. Yum!! It adds a ton of flavorful nutrients to a basic can or two of black beans. The way I make it is fast and easy, too. I saute chopped sweet onion and minced garlic in olive oil with whole cumin seed, black mustard seed, and plenty of dried Greek oregano. Then I add diced green pepper and diced paste tomatoes, splash in a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a dollop of hot sauce, and toss in a couple of cans of black beans. When it's bubbling, I mash the beans with a potatoe mashed to make the soup thick and rich. After stirring well, I serve up this luscious soup with a dollop of plain yogurt and some minced cilantro on top. YOu can pour it in a bown over a scoop of brown rice for a complete protein meal. And don't forget, leftovers make the ideal dip for chips or veggie sticks!

PREVIOUS POSTS
1st Timester:

ALMONDS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100150-almonds-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods
ANCHOVIES: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100146-anchovies-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods-during-pregnancy
APPLESAUCE: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100145-applesauce-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods

2nd trimester:

AVOCADO: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100148-avocado-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods
BASIL: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100147-basil-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods
CHIA SEEDS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100153-chia-seeds-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods

3rd Trimester:
BLACK BEANS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100156-black-beans-3rd-trimester-healthiest-foods

Wow, you're so close to your baby being born! Congrats! You look so small in your pic I was surprised to read that you've gained 40 lbs. This forum is great for motivation to stay and get healthy :-D

100 HEALTHIEST FOODS TO EAT DURING PREGNANCY

1st Trimester

BANANAS
Peel a banana and take a bite or slice or mash it into your diet. Why? Because there are so many fabulous nutrients in banansa, plus they're easy on your stomach. One large banana contans 4 g of fiber and about 30% of your daily vitamin C and vitamin B6 needs.

* We've all heard that bananas are potassium-rich - a large banana contains about 480 mg of potassium, nearly one-fourth of your daily requirement.

* Banana's contain close to 40 mcg of folate which as we've seen is a very important nutrient for your baby's neural tube development. (The neural tube forms and closes in your first trimester, but the way, making it even more important to get plenty of folate right now!)

* Vitamin B6 helps regulate your sodium/potassium levels, which can be imbalanced if you're vomiting. Your large banana includes 0.5 mg of vitamin B6.

* For additional help, bananas are also a good source of magnesium (37 mg) and potassium (480 mg), minerals needed for healthy fluid balance. Perhaps this combination of fluid-balancing nutrients is why eating bananas after vomiting is a common "old-wives" home remedy.

* People who consume diets rich in potassium are 50% less likely to have a stroke compared to their non-potassium-consuming peers, according to a study recently publsihed in Neurology.

* Potassium fights high blood pressure

* A study at the University of California found that bananas may prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Some pregnancy-related benefits to eating bananas:
1) Adding bananas to your diet during pregnancy can help you keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. High blood pressure in later pregnancy can lead to complications such as eclampsia
2) Getting plenty of calcium is vital if you're pregnant because your growing baby is pulling this mineral from your bones. If bananas can help postmenopausal women keep their bones healthy, they can help you, too.

* Bananas help keep low blood sugar levels and healthy cholesterol levels during pregnancy

JONNY'S TASTY TIPS
Bananas and rice are a famous home remedy for an upset stomach, but if you're not feeling sick, try these instead: Alice a banana lengthwise and smear a little peanut butter on each cut side; or slice a banana into plain or vanilla yogurt; or add strawberries to make your own version of strawberry-banana.

You can make a great smoothie by blending a cup of yogurt, a sliced banana, and a cup of crushed ice until thick and smooth. Try it with plain togurt and a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries, a banana, and a splash of orange juice for a luscious, refreshing treat!

Craving ice cream? Make a healthy banana split with a banana cut lengthwise and topped with frozen yogurt, fresh berries, and sliced almonds. It is both decadent and delicious!

PREVIOUS POSTS
Fertility Foods:

ARUGULA: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100458-arugula-healthiest-foods-for-fertility

1st Timester:

ALMONDS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100150-almonds-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods
ANCHOVIES: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100146-anchovies-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods-during-pregnancy
APPLESAUCE: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100145-applesauce-1st-trimester-healthiest-foods
BANANAS:

2nd trimester:

AVOCADO: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100148-avocado-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods
BASIL: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100147-basil-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods
CHIA SEEDS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100153-chia-seeds-2nd-trimester-healthiest-foods

3rd Trimester:

BLACK BEANS: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/100156-black-beans-3rd-trimester-healthiest-foods