How to own your pregnancy health

At The Pregnant Vegan we are all about teaching you how you can take responsibility for our own health. 

The exciting bit is that when you do that,  you set examples for your children. You give them a head start. 

Resourcefulness is a gift - I was given this gift by my mum and gran. They taught me how to support my body when it needed to heal by using plants medicinally and by eating the right foods. 

I'll teach you what I know if you decide to stick around. 

I like to imagine a world of humans who know how to take care of themselves. We could eradicate many of the conditions that come with 'modern' life. 

Are you with me?

No better time to start taking ownership than pregnancy. 

Pregnancy is a time of heightened body awareness. 

Often it's when we become aware of our bodies for the first time...or at least our awareness shifts.  We realise that we have to be kind to our bodies, nourish them and at times we need to help them heal.

Here are three things you can start doing today that will impact on how you feel:

Hydrate

Are you drinking enough water every day?

Be honest?

If you are, good for you!

If not, it is time to make hydration a habit. Hydrating with water, just water.

You and your baby need water to function optimally.

Water is vital in helping you and your baby get rid of waste products and it  keeps your bladder flushed. Stagnant urine accumulates bacteria and can cause urinary tract infections - You don't want that!

How much water is enough?

Well, everyone is different. Your hydration status is linked to your environment and your activity. If it's hot you'll need more water than on a cold day for example.

A good way to recognise if you are drinking enough is by the colour of your pee (yes, we ARE going there!).

It should not be concentrated and deeply amber or even brown coloured. Instead, It should be a of light yellow colour, almost clear, Once you see the light yellow, you have flushed out all you and your baby needed to get rid off. If you reach transparent, you have overdone it - hold off for a while. 

Be aware of your protein intake

Many people - and not just in the vegan and plant-based community- are not taking care of their protein needs.  It is recommended that you eat at least 60g of protein per day or 20-25% of your calorie intake when you are pregnant. By the end of pregnancy when your calorie intake should be around 2600 calories per day, that'll be over 100g of protein. For us vegans that takes a bit of planning. 

Eating protein rich foods has been linked to improving pregnancy nausea when compared to foods rich in carbohydrates. Eating enough protein will also help you if you are feeling exhausted and tired. 

Focus on adding some of these plant-based protein foods:

- Seeds (chia, hemp and flax seeds are especially good choices) 

- Nuts and nut butters

- Lentils, beans and other pulses

- Quinoi

- Oats 

- German Rye Bread (one of my gran's favourites)

Go for a daily walk

Movement is essential for wellbeing in pregnancy (and in general). You don't have to walk miles and miles. Even a short 15 to 30 minute walk will get your circulation going and stretch your muscles. I like to do mine first thing in the morning or sometimes I plan to walk to work instead of taking the car. Use any opportunity you can. 

Voila - hydrate, focus on protein snacks and walk when you can! 

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