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Pregnancy and the Importance of Vegetables

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Pregnancy, they say, is like a second birth to a woman; being one of the most important phases of a woman's life, during this period she has to take care not only of herself but also of the baby dependent on her.
A healthy diet is a way to improve the condition of both the mother and the fetus.
During pregnancy, the fetus derives its energy from the mother's food intake and hence the latter must have enough of energy in her so that both remain healthy.
As with any diet, a pregnant woman's diet must include lots of vegetables which are a source of all energy providing nutrients.
Doctors stress the intake of vegetables to carrying mothers as they are known to contain fibers and all the essential nutrients that a baby needs.
No diet can be complete without the addition of fruits and vegetables as they are a natural source of energy and will not cause side-effects to both the baby and the mother.
Apart from providing the nutrients to the body, vegetables also assist in the proper functioning of the body thus eliminating any kind of complications.
The suggested portion of fruits and vegetables to be consumed in a day is around 5 to 9 servings.
Most of the vegetables can be taken in although some sprouts are to be avoided.
Cantaloupe is very helpful in freeing the bowel movement and in providing the mother with the energy to get through the whole day, beta carotene which is present in colored fruits and vegetables like carrots and beetroots help in developing the tissue and cells and improves the immunity of the baby, folic acid present in the form of folate in vegetables apart from preventing neural tube handicaps in the baby also support good birth weight for the baby and Vitamin C which can be obtained from broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc can help in building the bones, teeth and in collagen formation.
Vegetables can be taken in any form, be it juices, salads or plain boiled; but it must be made sure that they are washed carefully before consumption to avoid complications to the pregnancy.
Though during the first trimester carrying mothers develop an aversion towards vegetables, they must be included in some palatable form so that the essential nutrients are available to the baby.
Vegetables being a huge repository of vitamins and minerals are vital for carrying mothers to protect them during pregnancy.
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