Understanding the Food Pyramid

A food pyramid is a nutrition-based food groups created to form a pyramid. The lower a certain food is at, the more often you should consume it to meet your body’s nutritional needs.

A good food pyramid will divide its levels into three: on every meal or daily, weekly, and monthly. Foods grouped at the lower level are to be consumed on your every meal or on a daily basis. These foods usually contain vital nutrition such as carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Foods placed at higher levels will also have nutrition, but it will serve in different way. By seeing what the kinds of food and how often you should consume it to meet your needs, you can easily construct a good diet program and practice healthy eating.

You will see red meats, salt, butter, and several other kinds of food often considered being unhealthy at the top of the pyramid. This means you can still have these foods, but you should eat them sparingly instead of on a daily basis; that is why these foods are placed at the top of food pyramid in the first place.

It is also a sign that a good and healthy diet can also be a delicious and enjoyable one. Once you are able to program your own diet, you will be able to live healthier life and achieve physical condition you are aiming at easily.

Going Vegetarian during your Pregnancy

A good vegetarian diet has a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, and nuts and some eggs and dairy or their equivalent if you so choose. Fast food, highly processed junk foods, and canned fruits and vegetables are eaten rarely if at all.  It’s imperative that you make wise food choices at this crucial time, since a pregnant woman only needs approximately 300 more calories per day and about 10-16 extra grams of protein; however, the body’s need for certain nutrients increases significantly. Every bite you take is important when you’re pregnant.

While the RDAs (recommended daily allowances) for almost all nutrients increase, especially important are folic acid, iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12. Attention to adequate amounts of vitamin B-12 is crucial for vegetarians who choose not to eat eggs and dairy.

Work closely with your healthcare professional during this transition.  The changeover from a meat-eating to a vegetarian diet can be rough on your body as it actually goes through a detoxification process during the transition. So, you want to ensure your baby is getting all the nutrients it needs at this time, and is growing and developing at a healthy rate.  Start very slowly; perhaps only one or two days per week eating a vegetarian diet.

Gradually work soy and other plant-based proteins into your diet, and little by little use them to replace proteins obtained from eating meat products.  Be sure to adequately supplement your diet with a quality prenatal supplement, and get adequate amounts of exercise and exposure to sunlight to promote your body to naturally produce vitamin D.

With careful planning, observation, and your healthcare professional’s guidance, the transition to vegetarianism during your pregnancy can be a cleansing and healthy start for both you and your baby to a lifetime of optimal health.