Author: Laura Flynn
Article:
Back in 1980 the FDA published a warning advising pregnant women
to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its
teratogenic effects (cause birth defects). This was echoed in
1994 with a review of over 200 medical journals by Dr. Astrid
Nehlig that was published in The Journal of Neurotoxicology and
Teratology.
Currently, the advice on caffeine intake during pregnancy is
moderation - meaning less than 300mg. This is because new
studies show no harm with intakes less than that. Due to the
fact that scientific studies are showing new and different
results, I tend to be conservative in my personal view on
caffeine and pregnancy.
What does caffeine do?
Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, leaches
calcium, reduces iron absorption, has a diuretic effect and
crosses the placenta into your baby. This means it has the
following results in your body:
• Raises your heart rate • Decreases the amount of calcium
in your body • Dehydrates you • Increases your blood
pressure • AND the same things occur for your baby (except
baby will steal from your bones to get needed calcium)
That's not all - it also interferes with a normal fetal growth,
is associated with lower birth weight and weakens adrenal
glands, which affect your blood sugar regulation and stress
coping abilities.
It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to
no more than 300mg per day. Some experts say no more than 150mg
per day. You may be able to handle the caffeine, but baby's
liver is immature and not able to get rid of it like you.
Imagine if that 1 cup of morning coffee lasted you 40-130 hours
as it does for your baby.
Common caffeine sources
• Coffee (100-200 mg per 8 ounce) • Tea (black 60mg, green
40mg) • Soda (40-75mg per can) • Dark Chocolate (5-35mg per
1 ounce) • Milk Chocolate (1-15mg per 1 ounce) • Headache
medicine (65-130mg)
If you are a caffeine user, I recommend reducing to less than
300mg per day (some studies show increase miscarriages with more
than 300mg). Then gradually reducing to as close to zero as
possible, which will not only benefit your baby, but also your
ability to handle stress.
About the author:
Laura Flynn, Registered Dietician, is Co-Author of The Fit and
Healthy Pregnancy Guide - your source for holistic coaching on
pregnancy nutrition and exercise. Visit
http://www.FitandHealthyPregnancy.com for Free Special Reports
and articles.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Mental Nutrition--Eating Well Means Smarter Children
Author: Team at Meal Plans 101
Article:
It's that time of year again. Alarms are sounding off in homes
everywhere--and that can only mean one thing--children are
heading back to school. Did you know the foods you feed your
children can make or break their mental performance in school?
There are very specific tips and tools that can help your
youngster (and, really, adults too) how to optimize both mental
and physical performance. While I can't promise straight A's, I
can promise that the food you provide for your family can
absolutely improve the likelihood of them doing well. Food is
fuel. Would you put mud in the tank of a race car? Well feeding
your body junk food is like putting mud in the gas tank--it
won't translate to optimal performance. Here are a few things
that will along with some quick dinner ideas, since time is of
the essence.
PLAN AHEAD!
There is no telling what your day will be like, so it's crucial
to pack food for a typical day ahead of time; doing so the night
before schools is ideal. It's not easy to be the gatekeeper,
making sure everyone gets to school or work on time. We know the
routine all too well--running around, trying to make sure every
last thing is done before the family is out the door. Remember
you should eat every few hours to get the necessary glucose and
other nutrients to your head.
Second, eat breakfast. If success is your goal, you won't get
there without breakfast. Don't have time in the morning--make
it, because this is clearly the most important meal of the day!
Not hungry after just rolling out of bed--too bad. It doesn't
take more than 3 minutes to eat a piece of fruit, swallow down a
yogurt, or whip up a meal replacement powder with frozen fruit.
Oh yeah, and don't think about a drive thru unless you also plan
to stop to put mud in your gas tank to effectively fuel your
car.
Keep in mind that there are also specific foods that are loaded
with nutrients; fruit in general is great, but dark berries in
particular have been shown to pack a super nutrient punch.
Having some protein at each meal may help keep you stay alert at
your desk as well. Remember too that glucose is the brains
primary food; low carb diets will keep you in a fog all day, so
don't forget the whole grains as well.
Finally, omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for brain development
and mental performance. Eating well throughout the day is
important, but it's often dinner that trips us up with schedules
that don't make life easy. Give this quick dinner idea a try and
you'll soon rival Einstein's mental clarity.
Cerebral Culinary Cuisine 4 oz grilled wild salmon 1 medium
sized sweet potato or yam 1 cup steamed broccoli
If you want more quick dinner ideas, check out
http://www.mealplans101.com to get a FREE 16 week transformation
e-course that provides tips from industry experts, allows you to
create your own meal plans, or offers an upgrade to get 60 meal
plans created by two of the industry's leading registered
dietitians. Go get it right now at http://www.mealplans101.com
About the author:
Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD and Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS are two
of the industry's leading nutrition experts. They created
http://www.mealplans101.com to provide the most effective, yet
simple meal planning software to date.
Article:
It's that time of year again. Alarms are sounding off in homes
everywhere--and that can only mean one thing--children are
heading back to school. Did you know the foods you feed your
children can make or break their mental performance in school?
There are very specific tips and tools that can help your
youngster (and, really, adults too) how to optimize both mental
and physical performance. While I can't promise straight A's, I
can promise that the food you provide for your family can
absolutely improve the likelihood of them doing well. Food is
fuel. Would you put mud in the tank of a race car? Well feeding
your body junk food is like putting mud in the gas tank--it
won't translate to optimal performance. Here are a few things
that will along with some quick dinner ideas, since time is of
the essence.
PLAN AHEAD!
There is no telling what your day will be like, so it's crucial
to pack food for a typical day ahead of time; doing so the night
before schools is ideal. It's not easy to be the gatekeeper,
making sure everyone gets to school or work on time. We know the
routine all too well--running around, trying to make sure every
last thing is done before the family is out the door. Remember
you should eat every few hours to get the necessary glucose and
other nutrients to your head.
Second, eat breakfast. If success is your goal, you won't get
there without breakfast. Don't have time in the morning--make
it, because this is clearly the most important meal of the day!
Not hungry after just rolling out of bed--too bad. It doesn't
take more than 3 minutes to eat a piece of fruit, swallow down a
yogurt, or whip up a meal replacement powder with frozen fruit.
Oh yeah, and don't think about a drive thru unless you also plan
to stop to put mud in your gas tank to effectively fuel your
car.
Keep in mind that there are also specific foods that are loaded
with nutrients; fruit in general is great, but dark berries in
particular have been shown to pack a super nutrient punch.
Having some protein at each meal may help keep you stay alert at
your desk as well. Remember too that glucose is the brains
primary food; low carb diets will keep you in a fog all day, so
don't forget the whole grains as well.
Finally, omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for brain development
and mental performance. Eating well throughout the day is
important, but it's often dinner that trips us up with schedules
that don't make life easy. Give this quick dinner idea a try and
you'll soon rival Einstein's mental clarity.
Cerebral Culinary Cuisine 4 oz grilled wild salmon 1 medium
sized sweet potato or yam 1 cup steamed broccoli
If you want more quick dinner ideas, check out
http://www.mealplans101.com to get a FREE 16 week transformation
e-course that provides tips from industry experts, allows you to
create your own meal plans, or offers an upgrade to get 60 meal
plans created by two of the industry's leading registered
dietitians. Go get it right now at http://www.mealplans101.com
About the author:
Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD and Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS are two
of the industry's leading nutrition experts. They created
http://www.mealplans101.com to provide the most effective, yet
simple meal planning software to date.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
