For pregnant mothers, the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet is never greater. Recent research indicates that even for mothers who are overweight during their pregnancy, eating a healthy diet can help their child avoid becoming obese later in life.
Setting the Tone Early
Researchers at Baylor University School of Medicine found that mothers who eat diets even moderately low in fat can help determine the likelihood of their child becoming obese later in life. They also found that this is true regardless of the mother’s weight level during the pregnancy.
Eating a diet rich in lean meats, organic produce and whole grains is healthy for both mother and child. Mothers should be especially careful about eating fish, which may contain mercury. Healthy meats can include organic poultry and lean cuts of beef. Other options include nuts, soy products and legumes.
In order to assure pregnant mothers are getting enough vitamins and minerals, taking a prenatal vitamin can also be helpful. Often, mothers need a boost of healthy vitamins to maintain their own physical health and help their child off to a healthy start.
Breast Feeding is also recommended as the best way to help children develop a healthy immune system and to support gut health. Breast milk provides the best foundation for children to have all of the vitamins, minerals and protein they need as they start life. Additionally, children who are breast fed also benefit from the antibodies present in the mother’s milk. The American Pediatric Association recommends a mother breast feed for the first 12 months.
Children who are fed a healthy diet from the beginning benefit in multiple ways. In addition to obtaining healthy bacteria to maintain gut health, they also are less likely to become overweight and develop early onset type 2 diabetes. Children who eat a diet with few processed foods and foods that do not contain high amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup products also test higher in intelligence tests and perform better in school.
In addition to eating a healthy diet, children also benefit from minimum exposure to toxic chemicals in their childhood environment, such as pesticides and household chemicals. While it may not be possible to entirely eliminate every potential danger to your child, the better foundation you provide for them from the beginning, the better their health will be their entire lifetime.
What healthy things do you do for your kids? Let us know in the comment section!
– The Alternative Daily
