We often ask everyone around us what to eat when pregnant, but we often forget to ask ourselves. Isn’t it time to begin?
Sometimes, in the midst of the confusion surrounding the diet while pregnant issue, we find ourselves overflowed with information which came from different sources – friends, books, websites, etc. It sure does feel good to know that there’s plenty of information available out there, and that many good people wish the best for us and want to help. But before we adopt everyone else’s wisdom, didn’t we forget something very important? Didn’t we forget to ask our very own bodies what is the best for them?
Your Body is Talking…
You may lift an eyebrow in doubt right now – ask our body what it needs? Believe it or not, but the answer is YES – asking your body what it needs, and developing the awareness to hear its answers is just as important as asking other people’s advice, or read a good article about diet while pregnant.
Still unconvinced? Just think about it – have you ever had a craving for a certain kind of food? Whether something savory or sweet, chicken or salad… You probably did. We all have such occasional cravings, and every once in a while we just feel this uncontrollable desire for SOMETHING, and it won’t go away until we have that thing that we crave…
Spiritually speaking, those cravings are actually our BODY SPEAKING to us – it tells us what it needs. Feel like you must have chicken breast right now? Perhaps your body needs some protein. Fancy a yummy big green salad for lunch? You body might be in need for vitamins and minerals. You get the idea…!
Our body is constantly talking to us, even if we are not aware of that. It tells us when it needs fluids, rest, activity… and it also tells us when it needs to be fed, and equally importantly, WHAT it needs to be fed with. It is for our best to learn how to listen to it, and especially for pregnant women. Because in the bottom line, we may consult with many of our friends, but they will give us advices that have worked for THEM and THEIR bodies. And the only way you can discover what is the best for YOUR body is if you will listen to it.
How to Listen to Your Body when Pregnant
Ok, so how can you actually do it? How can you listen to your body so that it will help you understand what to eat when pregnant? Well, this is one of those tricky techniques, in which the LESS you do is the BEST. Simply put, next time you feel hunger or craving for something but you’re not sure what it is, don’t go to the fridge just yet. Instead sit down for a minute, relax, and try to empty your mind. You can close your eyes and breathe deeply. Try and disconnect yourself from your surrounding, and focus on your body, on how it feels, even on your baby. Try to become aware to the thoughts that cross in mind, or maybe the words and images… It takes practice, and there’s no right or wrong here, just your feelings. But sooner or later you will develop an awareness to what it is that your body needs, whether a certain food, or a specific nutrition ingredient. The key is to be aware to the fact that your body can tell you what it needs, and being attentive to it.
Sometimes we might feel that our body wants things which are obviously bad for us in general, and especially during pregnancy – candies, deep fried food, even cigarettes. The trick here is to try and discover what is standing behind those feelings, since our body wants only things which are good to it (simple biology – organic substances wish to grow stronger and live longer, not destroying themselves…!). By becoming aware of what is the TRUE need behind our not-nourishing cravings we might actually overcome them and even understand a thing or two about ourselves… for example, do you really want another cup of coffee, or do you just miss your friends, with whom you usually sit at the coffee shop? Maybe you just need some good company and a cup of herbal tea would suffice as a drink…?
Listening to your body is a major element for discovering the best diet while pregnant for you. Good diet while pregnant books and programs are aware of this and some will even help you to be more aware of your body’s needs and how to listen to it. But in addition to all that, it is highly important to consult with your doctor or dietitian, and make sure that the foods you want to eat are actually good for you and will help you have a healthy pregnancy.
