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If you have just welcomed your little one into the world, then it is important that you remember to eat healthy in all the hullaballoo surrounding a new baby. A nutritious diet is crucial for breast-feeding moms because they are the vesicles of nutrients at a time when crucial physical and psychological developments are taking place in their babies. The less toxins and preservatives you allow into your system while breastfeeding, the better your baby’s chance of developing into a strong child and later adult. If you are a new or expecting mom, here are a few tips for maintaining an optimally healthy diet and baby:
· Stay hydrated: It is important to stay hydrated when (if) you are breastfeeding. Drinking lots of water will help you replenish the fluid you lose from breastfeeding. Drink at least 8 if not more glasses of water a day.
· Eat your fruits and veggies: All of the vitamins and nutrients we need to support physical development and maintain our immune systems are found in fruits and veggies, and the greener the better. Babies need as many nutrients as they can get, so you need to make sure your body is a vitamin temple.
· Avoid the processed food trap: Processed food is a major danger to new mothers because it is an easy alternative when they are tired and lacking energy, but it can be very harmful both to mom and baby. Processed food drains you of energy, fills your body with unhealthy preservatives, and weakens your immune system. All of these negative health benefits are then transmitted to your breastfeeding baby.
· Make a plan: Healthy eating requires conscious planning, and this is especially true when you have an infant. A new baby can be a new set of stresses that you have never experienced, and this can throw you off and make you susceptible to developing bad eating habits. Work with your partner to develop a grocery shopping and meal plan of action that facilitates nutritious eating. Make lists, use a weekly meal planner, or make healthy food in bulk and deep freeze it. However you decide to do it, being organized about your eating habits will help you eat healthier.
Newborn babies are completely dependent on their mothers to provide them with the nutrition that they need. If you have a newborn baby then healthy eating should be your number one priority. Nutritious eating is a lifestyle choice that takes a conscious effort and good planning, but it is worth it and it makes both babies and the family environment healthier.
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