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What do they
usually crave for and what causes these cravings? Well the following paragraphs will review more on
that.
Types Of Food Pregnant Women Crave
For
A survey revealed
that 40 % of pregnant women crave sweet things, 33% crave for salty substances, 17% opted for
Mexican andspicy food and 10% wanted fruits or sour foods.
Causes Of Food Cravings During
Pregnancy
The cravings are
due to pregnancy hormones especially during the early stages of pregnancy. It is also suggested
that some of the cravings are due to the fact that the body is working twenty four seven trying to
develop a healthy baby.The cravings are caused by body needs for more calories for the expectant
mother.WomensHealthCareTopics.com/has more on how what a normal
increase in food intake for an expectant mother is.
Other food cravings can be
the result of deficiencies in nutrition.Vegetarians for example might find themselves craving for
steak and red meat(whichsignifies need for proteins) when pregnant. This might be because the body
needs more iron for the baby.There is a belief among some nutritionists and healthcare
practitioners that cravings for ice and strange substances like laundry starch, dirt and cigarette
butts, which is commonly known as pica are associated with lack of iron in the
body.
Other practitioners also are for the idea that craving chocolate can be due to
lack of B vitamins. Studies conducted show no connection between cravings and nutritional needs.
The funny thing about food cravings during pregnancyis thatsome women find themselves craving for a dish or substance they swore they will never
take before pregnancy.
How To Take Care Of Food Cravings During
Pregnancy
Most experts
agree that attention should be paid to the cravings, practicing the healthy ones, avoiding the
harmful ones.You can for example instead of taking the nonfat frozen yoghurttake ice-cream. You can
also curb cravings by taking breakfast every morning, exercise regularly and get a lot of emotional
support.
Not all
food cravings during pregnancy are healthy.Expectant mothers who find
thatthey crave clay or dirt(pica) will need to consult withtheir doctor. Other cravings in this
category include coffee ground, plaster and toothpaste. Such a condition is known as iron
deficiency anemiaand might require supplements to curb it. Such cravings will not benefit the
body so they are not to be considered.
Food Aversions
This is a situation whereby expecting mothers
might feel repulsive to certain types of food they usually enjoyed.When experiencing such a problem
you need to try out substitutes for the healthy food to take at that
moment. If you want to know some of the foods that
normally cause aversions in pregnancy click
here.
Food cravings
during pregnancy are a normal occurrenceand need to be attended to but with much care to avoid over
indulgence.Half a bar of chocolate would do well than a full bar whencraving chocolate.There are a
lot of ideas on how to deal with food cravings during pregnancy, just choose the ones that work for you and stick with
those.
Summary
- Food cravings during pregnancy are common among
expecting mothers and so are food aversions.
- The types of food that they usually crave
for varies from sweet items, spicy, salty items and fruits.
- Suggested causes of these food cravings
are the pregnancy hormones and substances the body needs to enable proper growth of the
child.
- The cravings should be attended to but
with much care not to over indulge.
- Some food cravings are not good for the
body and are referred to as pica cravings.
Additional
Information
The percentage of
women who crave certain types of food during pregnancy can be estimated at around 85 %.Most of the
cravings normally disappear immediately after birth. Another item that pregnant women usually crave
for is water and cold substances like ice. When the desire for certain types of food come you can
go to the mountains for fresh air or take a book to read or even call a friend to have a chat just
to distract it. You may also opt for the gym for a work out.
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