Morning sickness is unpleasant, no one will deny that, and unfortunately for many women it’s the not-so-fun part of pregnancy. What you may not know is that there are some natural foods that you can introduce to your diet to aid in pregnancy symptoms and help you through morning sickness and food cravings.
Here’s a few of my favourite pregnancy ‘super hero foods’…
Ginger
Ginger has long been used in natural remedies and is particular helpful in relieving nausea, heartburn, motion sickness, migraines and is great in aiding cold and flu prevention.
Some of the uses you can make with ginger include:
• Ginger tea with boiled ginger, water and sugar to taste
• Ginger biscuits with cinnamon, ground ginger and sugar.
• Broccoli and minced ginger in a stir fry that you can cook with sesame seed oil
• Ginger chicken stir fry with almonds
• Home-made ginger ale with grated ginger, syrup, lime and club soda
The University of Maryland has conducted extensive research on ginger and it’s morning sickness benefits.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are one of nature’s only complete proteins. They are nutritious and provide you with calcium and protein making them fabulous for both pregnant mother and baby to be. They are rich in boron which helps your body to assimilate calcium and they are also high in Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, iron, niacin and zinc, so will also help with morning sickness.
Some simple ways to make use of Chia seeds include:
• Sprinkling some seeds onto your porridge
• Including chia seeds in your morning toast
• Blend the seeds in with your smoothies
• Include Chia seeds inside baked breads, pies and cakes
• Use Chia seeds in puddings
• Using Chia seeds in biscuits
“Omega-3 is important for your baby’s brain and eye development,” says accredited practising dietitian and Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson Natasha Murray.
Coconut Oil
We don’t often associate coconut oil with morning sickness but 1-2 tablespoons of it a day during pregnancy can help relieve morning sickness symptoms and this superfood’s anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, can also help prevent colds, flu and other viruses, which no one wants while pregnant and unable to take cold and flu tablets!
It’s also high in lauric acid, which is reputed to stimulate milk production during pregnancy and after birth, so for those planning on breastfeeding coconut oil can help give your body the best start to this too.
• Add coconut oil to smoothies – you won’t even notice it
• Replace other cooking oils with coconut oil
Coconut Water
If you’ve been suffering a lot of morning (or especially those who are suffering it all day!), coconut water is be a simple and delicious way to help your body rehydrate, while also containing essential minerals like potassium and magnesium as well as being packed with usable proteins that you and your baby need to stay healthy.
• Drink coconut water as a treat when you need something sweet, as it’s naturally sweet but low in sugars.
• Choose raw, organic coconut water that comes from young coconut and if it’s pink or even a light grey in colour, that’s great! These colours mean there’s a high concentration of minerals and antioxidants.
Every mum-to-be deserves to enjoy their pregnancy. By adding these few ingredients to your diet, you’ll be gaining vitamins and minerals required for a healthy pregnancy and should hopefully see a reduction in sickness symptoms and often unhealthy cravings! Good luck with your pregnancy!
About Our Contributor: Kelly Northey is the founder of the Yummy Mummy Food Company, helping mums and mums-to-be Australia-wide reduce morning sickness symptoms or increase their milk supply by making the 100% natural, wheat, dairy & preservative free Totally Devoted range of Breastfeeding & Pregnancy Cookies.
Available from: www.yummymummyfood.com.au
