Vegetarianism and Pregnancy

During pregnancy, every woman tries to follow a healthy lifestyle. Especially this concerns the nutrition of the future mother. But what to do if before the conception of the baby you were an ardent fan of vegetarianism and basically do not eat animal food, about the benefits and indispensability of which doctors repeat?

Are pregnancy and vegetarian compatibility?

A pregnant vegetarian is not uncommon in the modern world. More and more women are switching to this food system, because it is useful for both figure and health. In addition, scientific research proves that even without the use of animal products, it is possible to bear and give birth to a healthy baby. Meat, fish and dairy products are far from the only source of protein and amino acids available to a modern person.

As you know, a vegetarian diet does not contain some minerals and vitamins. You can get them from plant foods. For example, calcium is found in legumes and broccoli, almonds and sesame, in many vegetables with leaves of dark green color. The iron-containing diet includes nuts and dried fruits, beets, cereals. And to enter the body of vitamin B12, you should eat sea kale and fermented soy. In addition, vitamin complexes for pregnant women are mandatory.

As for the benefits of vegetarianism , it is well known:

• less fat, calories and, accordingly, less weight gain;
• lower amount of cholesterol;
• due to vegetable proteins, the load on the kidneys is not so strong;
• such a system of nutrition does not provoke the development of chronic diseases.

Raw food is not less useful during pregnancy than vegetarianism. Moreover, women who are accustomed to eating only fresh vegetables, berries and fruits, nuts and greens, are not guaranteed to be toxic (since the digestive system is already clean and does not contain toxins), and edema, because in the body there is no extra salt. In short, raw food and pregnancy are compatible. It is desirable that the diet of a pregnant vegetarian is under the supervision of a doctor.

However, it should be borne in mind that if you have eaten animal products prior to conception, then it is not necessary to abruptly switch to vegetarianism, much less veganism. Your body can react to this not in the best way, because it is a great stress. Waiting for the baby is not the best time for experiments, and you need to gradually switch to any food system. Only then will it benefit.