Pregnancy Health Tips - Braxton-Hicks Contractions

As a woman, Pregnancy is one of the most important things your body will go through. Your health plays a big role in how well your new baby will develop within you. Diet and Exercise are both VERY important in this time.

Below you will find dozens of ideas to help keep you and your baby healthy while pregnant.

Incorporate Vegitables	There are many ways to incorporate vegetables into foods that normally don't have many. For instance, add some lightly steamed broccoli to your pasta dish, or add an extra helping of carrots and peas to your bean soup. Grilled peppers and onions go great on burritos.
Brown Bag It	If you find yourself going out to eat for lunch at fast food restaurants, consider packing yourself a lunch to take to work. It's much easier to decide to pack healthy in the morning when lunch is still hours away and you're not choose from a menu of high-fat foods.
Try To Enjoy Vegitables	If you don't like vegetables now, try to train yourself to enjoy them. Vegetables are on the whole a low-calorie, high-vitamin, high-fiber food that can help to keep your body healthy.
Get Some Sun	If you find that you're not getting outside much, make a point to get at least 10 minutes of direct sunlight on your skin each day. The sun's energy is converted to Vitamin D in your system, which is difficult to find elsewhere. Lack of sunlight can also lead to depression.
Avoid Multi-Tasking Eating	When possible, avoid eating while working at your desk. It's easy to over-intake on calories when you're multi-tasking.
Take Breaks at Work	Take breaks at work. Your mind can push your body in such a way so that it's easy to ignore the signals it gives. Take a break every couple of hours and do some simple stretches and breath deeply.
Replenish Your Body After Sweating	When you exercise, your body loses electrolytes such as salt and potassium through sweat. Bananas are a good source of potassium, and a dose of a salty food such as a soup or stew can replenish your system.
Drink Water, Lots of It!	Drink water, and lots of it! Many studies have shown that many ailments such as headaches, bone aches and facie are often caused by a lack of water in your system.
Weight Lifting and Osteoporosis	Your bones need strength, medium-impact exercises in order to fight off osteoporosis. This includes weight lifting and many martial arts. While extensive high-impact exercise can degrade your joints and cause long-term damage, some impact is a good thing.
How About Vegitarian?	Going vegetarian isn't all bad, since studies have shown that certain meats heighten risk of colon cancer. Consider adding more beans and soy products to your diet to reduce the amount of meat you take in.
Late Night Eating is No Good	Avoid eating after 9PM. If you go to bed before your body has the opportunity to digest your food, much of the caloric content will go straight to fat. Plus, it's often easier to sleep without a bunch of food sitting in your stomach.
Add Spice for Variety	Adding spice to your meals is a great way to make what could be a boring meal more interesting without adding calories. Consider adding curry to your bean dishes, or Mexican spices to your chicken burritos.
Eat Breakfast	Eating breakfast can cut down on your desire for high-calorie foods later on in the day. Even if you're not used to eating breakfast, try eating a meal in the morning consisting of whole grains and protein for thirty days to see if you notice a difference.
Protein Keeps Desire for Fat Down	Protein often satisfies a craving for fatty, sugary foods. Consider eating a protein bar or a high-protein, low fat meal with chicken or lean beef instead.
Don't Forget to Stretch	Don't forget to stretch once or twice a day, and before each workout. Stretching keeps your muscles from permanent contraction, and allows you to keep your range of motion as you get older.
Start With Walking	If you're finding it difficult to start an exercise routine, begin by walking 10-30 minutes a day. Once you have a schedule down, begin doing more rigorous exercise like jogging or jump-roping.
Exercise Buddys Help	If possible, find an "exercise buddy" that will help you work out, whether for strength-building or for aerobic exercise. Having a partner can help you extend your normal range of activity and is helpful for keeping you on task.
Exercise Routines are Key	Get into an exercise routine. Try using a fitness calendar to keep track of when you exercise, and develop regular workout routines. Developing a system for your exercise is one of the keys to making it a habit.
Exercises Sitting Down	If you're constrained to sitting down due to an injury, are at the office, or are permanently bound to a wheelchair, you can still get good exercise. Here are a couple ideas: 1) Shadow boxing: this involves punching the air and moving your head and shoulders from side to side. 2) Abdominal flex: As you sit, flex your abdomen muscles for about 10 seconds at a time, increasing in effort. This is just as good as sit ups.
The Importance of Base Training	If you are gearing up for a bigger exercise event like a marathon, make sure to do some "base training" first, where you train your body slowly for the event. This will reduce your chance of injury.
No Pain, No Gain, Not True	The phrase "no pain, no gain" is a myth. Listen to your body as you exercise. If it is telling you that something hurts, chances are that further exercise will only make the problem worse.
Warm Up!	Warm up slowly before exercising in order to prevent injuries .
Exercise Balls and Strenth Training	An exercise ball (also known as a Swiss Ball) can help you do strength exercises even if you don't like lifting weights.
Strength Exercises Keep Muscles	Studies show that unless you train for strength regularly, we lose more than a half-pound of muscle tissue every year after the age of 25.
Aerobic Exercise and Fat	When you do aerobic exercise, for the first 20 minutes you are burning about 80% carbohydrates and 20% fat. For the next 20 minutes, you burn about 50% carbohydrates and 50% fat. If you continue the trend, during the third 20 minutes you burn about 20% carbohydrates and 80% fat.
Listen to the Surgeon General	The Surgeon General suggests that in order to be health, we should exercise 3-4 time a week for 20-30 minutes. This will keep the body's cardiovascular system, mainly the heart and lungs, in good working order.

The information contained on this site is for here for educational purposes only and is not meant for diagnosis or treatment or be considered as medical advice. Any information that is found within this site should be discussed with a health care professional. Use of this website and information found whitin should be done in accordance with the health care plan outlined by your health care professional. For specific medical advice, and treatment, please consult your doctor.

As a woman, Pregnancy is one of the most important things your body will go through. Your health plays a big role in how well your new baby will develop within you. Diet and Exercise are both VERY important in this time.

Below you will find dozens of ideas to help keep you and your baby healthy while pregnant.

Incorporate Vegitables

Brown Bag It

Try To Enjoy Vegitables

Get Some Sun

Avoid Multi-Tasking Eating

Take Breaks at Work

Replenish Your Body After Sweating

Drink Water, Lots of It!

Weight Lifting and Osteoporosis

How About Vegitarian?

Late Night Eating is No Good

Add Spice for Variety

Eat Breakfast

Protein Keeps Desire for Fat Down

Don't Forget to Stretch

Start With Walking

Exercise Buddys Help

Exercise Routines are Key

Exercises Sitting Down

The Importance of Base Training

No Pain, No Gain, Not True

Warm Up!

Exercise Balls and Strenth Training

Strength Exercises Keep Muscles

Aerobic Exercise and Fat

Listen to the Surgeon General