Women's health Dr Marie Ealias

Women's health Dr Marie Ealias In this forum we shall be discussing common problems women face soon after marriage, during pregnanc

18/08/2014

So sorry for the long break.
We shall now start on special dietery needs in pregnancy.
You all know that the normal duration of pregnancy is about nine months.This is coneniently divided into three trimesters of 3 months each.ie first trimester upto 12weeks[3months].Second trimester from 12weeks to 24weeks[ 4th,5th and 6thmonths] and third trimester from 24 to 40weeks[7th,8th&9th months]
First trimester is often a bit stormy for many mothers what with morning sickness,nausea ,vomiting,acidity,gases and many other gastric related issues.These are temporary in that they mostly clear away by the end of the first or beginning of the second trimester.

18/06/2014

A 1800calories non veg/veg diet:

Breakfast-7-9am
Chapatti one to one and half/quboos same qntity/appam same qntity/idli two/dosa small two/idiappam two/bread two slices/uppuma or puttu one cup.
Veg or channa or beans or peas curry-one small cup.(boiled egg half to one for non veg as curry if needed)
Milk/milk tea-one small cup
A piece of fruit.

Midmorning-10.30am
Chappatti/quboos/appam etc as above-same qntity
Curry-same qnty as above
Drink-same qnty as above
Fruit-same qnty as above.
Instead of above can take one cup of oats/whole grain cereals in milk with some fresh or dry fruit pieces and nuts(3-4 pieces) added to it.

Lunch-1.00pm
Rice cooked-one and half cup/chapatti-two
Veg-one cup(vegetarians can take one and half cups)
Meat or fish or chicken-one portion.
(Dal -one cup for vegetarians)
Curd-half cup
Fruit-one piece

Tea-4.00pm
Bread/chapatti- one with veg curry
Dryfruits(dates,apricots,prunes,
figs)any one or a mix-3-4 pieces or 6pieces of raisens.
Nuts(almonds /walnuts 3-4 pieces any one or mix or 6pieces cashewnuts/peanuts/pista)
Milk/milk tea-1 small cup

Late evening-6.00pm
Chappati/quboos/bread etc as for midmorning -same qntity
Curry-same qntity as midmorning
Tea/milk -I small cup
Fruit-one piece

Dinner-8-9pm
Chappatti/quboos/rice-as for lunch.
Curry-same qntity as for lunch(veg or nonveg)
Vegetables-assorted-1cup
Fruit-one piece
Juice/curd-one small cup.

Bedtime10pm
Milk-one small cup if needed.

21/05/2014

The idea is to divide your meals into 6-8 equal portions and have each meal at almost a fixed time of the day.Like breakfast at 8-9am,midmorning meal at 10-11am, lunch at 1-2pm, teatime meal at 4-5pm, late evening meal 6-7pm and dinner at 8-9pm.

The good thing here is that you eat small portions of all food groups each time but never too much of anything.
Digestion will be easier so chances of hyperacidity and bloating will be minimum.
And as you eat only half the normal portion at each meal there are no main meals or snack times;always half-meals, balanced, nitritious and producing just enough calories for your body's needs at that time.No extra calories mean no storage and so no more weight gain.
It is good to remember that your body uses the nutrients in your diet much better during daytime than at night.So a half meal at dinner wont add to your weight like a full meal.
So finally if u need 1800calories a day for energy requirements, dividing it into 6portions of roughly 300 calories each will work wonders.
The other good thing is that you will not feel any craving for any foods which is common when u go on crash diets like only fruits and veg. or liquids or weight reducing drinks.
You can make the food tasty with spices, condiments,low fat sauces and small amounts of oil for light sauteing or stir frying.
Again if you really miss some foods which are taboo for weight watchers, there is no harm in having some of them in moderate amounts once a week early in the evening and then go for a brisk long walk to burn it all at once!!

21/05/2014

Again timing your meals is important for weight loss and maintenance and also during pregnancy and nursing period.
Normally we have 3 meals in a day and maybe a cup of tea each early morning and evening.
In this part of the world due to early morning commuting to work or housewives being left alone at home to sleep late aftr family leaves for office and school,most people skip breakfast.Then they may or maynt have some fast food items or chocolates or snacks in between.Again something for lunch which could be a normal lunch or a burger or just snacks again.And finally back home ,exhausted, hungry they have a heavy dinner and go to bed.And thats how they start gaining weight, whether at work or at home.
So whats the healthy alternative?Let us see.

21/05/2014

Now how best can you plan an ideal diet without much mathematical calculations which are often confusing.By now you know the important food groups--carbohydrates,proteins,vitamins&minerals and fats.And you know the food items that contain these groups.Please go back to the picture of the FOOD PLATE for once and study it.
You now need your own PLATE--a smaller one than the one you r using now(one not more than 9inches in diameter)!And a glass and cup/bowl all smaller than your usual ones.
Divide ur plate roughly into four quarters.one quarter should contain carbohydrates,one quarter proteins(veg/nonveg/vegan) and remaining half fruits and vegetables.Then a cup/bowl of dairy(milk/milk products).And a glass of water.

And dont heap the food in your plate.Just take the amount needed to fill the quarters comfortably.Include smaller portions of various items from each food group so that your plate is colorful.The more the variety of foods,the more naturally colorful your plate looks,the more is the nutritive value of your meal.
So for lunch instead of plain white rice you can take half a cup of brown rice(matta rice) add a dry chappati(phulka) so your carbohydrate quarter has two colors.A small piece of fish/chicken/some meat plus small portion of Dal/channa/beans/peas makes the protein quarter multicolored again.Vegetables-green and colored,some cooked ,some raw and small pieces of several varieties of fruits makes that half even more colorful.Plus a cup/bowl of milk/yogurt.And of course a glass of water!
In a similar manner you could plan each meal whether breakfast,midmorning,lunch,teatime,late evening or dinner and make mealtimes a colorful,healthy varied experience and believe me very soon you will start looking forward to and enjoying these meals instead of following dreary and strict diets.

You will notice that I havent mentioned extra fats in this diet.As said before we need only unsaturated fats.These are present in required amounts in the food we eat and the oils we use to prepare our foods.Like milk,yogurt,fish,eggs,nuts,oils(pl refer to older posts on these items).
Neither are there any SUGARS.As we get our required calories from the carbs in our diet.

20/05/2014

Do you drink water only when you feel thirsty?

Actually you feel thirsty when you are already dehydrated.So you need to drink water at regular intervals so that you dont feel thirsty at all.

A minimally active(sedentary) woman 70kg living in this country needs to drink at least 12glasses of water(2.8litres) daily.
But requirement varies depending on many factors like fluid content of food,pregnancy,nursing your baby,exercise,climate,illnesses.

We need so much water becos our body is made up of 60-70% water.Drinking enough water also helps to lose weight as without enough water our body cannot breakdown fats in our diet.

But beverages like tea,coffee,soft drinks are all dehydrating fluids so if you feel thirsty drink either plain water, fresh juices, milk,tender coconut water,yogurt,buttermilk or any such drinks.
Not drinking enough water can also lead to Urinary tract infections and stones.Also you tend to feel tired or have headaches when you dont drink enough water daily.

Instead of drinking large amounts at a time,it is healthier to distribute your water intake throughout the day..eg.half a glass of any healthy liquid or plain water every half hour from 7am to 7pm. which is easily 12glasses.Any extra need is fulfilled by drinking some more water or fluid at mealtimes and also liquid content of our diet esp. semi-fluid foods like porridge etc. and fruits and vegetables.

19/05/2014

In short daily diet for most of these women should be around 1800calories(extra calories can be included wherever required as per your activity levels).
We already know about the different nutrient groups present in our diet--carbohydrates,protein,fats,vitamins&minerals and of course,water.All these except plain water are broken down by the body to produce calories.
Carbohydrates are broken to glucose which gives us energy for our immediate activities or some are stored for future activity needs. But if too much is taken especially sweetened drinks and foods,they add extra calories but not many nutrients to your diet and these add to your weight.
Proteins are part of every cell,tissue and organ in our bodies.These body proteins are constantly being broken down and replaced.The protein in the food we eat is digested into amino acids which are used to replace the broken proteins in our bodies.If you eat tmore protein than needed again extra calories are produced which add to your weight.Also animal proteins(red meat) also contain saturated fats which are risk factors for heart disease(again refer previous post on fats).
Fats are needed in very small quantities and avoid or limit trans fats and saturated fats.Include poly and mono unsaturated fats and and in small portions these are broken down by the body to essential fatty acids which our bodies need.But any type of fat contains lots of calories.And trans fats and saturated fats also increase bad cholesterol in our bodies with high risk of heart disease.
Vitamins are organic substances(made by plants and animals),minerals are inorganic elements that come from the earth,soil and water and are absorbed by plants,also absorbed by animals and humans from the plants they eat.These are needed by the body for normal growth and development.The best way to get these is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods including fruits and vegetables of different colours.
Water--is a very important entity which as such contains no calories but is essential for every cell,tissue and organ in our body.I shall discuss this in detail as the next topic.As many here often just forget to drink enough water each day.

19/05/2014

The age group of women we deal here is mainly 18-40 and ideal BMI(pl refer to earlier post on BMI) is 21.5.Lifestyle may be (1)sedentary-means only light physical activity associated with day to day life.(2)moderately active-means physical activity equal to moderate exercise along with day to day activity.(3)Active-means actively exercising along with normal day to day activity.
Now most gulf-based home-makers belong to Sedentary group.Working women and those who exercise mildly for less than half hour per day may be included in Moderately active group.And those who exercise regularly for half to one hour each day are the Active group.
I am just giving the rough daily calorie requirements of each group--(1)Sedentary-1600-1800calories.(2)Moderately active-2000-2200.(3)Active-2200-2400.
This doesnt include pregnant and nursing mothers.

19/05/2014

Most women esp. in UAE tend to gain weight due to dietery changes and low activity levels.
So its better to reach an ideal weight (BMI-refer older posts) for ones height before conceiving.
Correct diet and exercise are needed for reaching an ideal weight..First we will discuss ideal diet.

18/05/2014

our next topic would be weight loss and healthy lifestyle.

14/05/2014

Now which are those couples who should surely consult a doctor before conceiving.Women with irregular cycles,overweight or underweight ones(checkout the topic of calculating your BMI and ideal weight,presence of any medical conditions like anemia,hypertension,diabetes,thyroid or any other hormonal abnormalities,any regular medications for any illnesses or any ther significant problems in either of the couples calls for consultation with a doctor quite early before conception.

13/05/2014

Nowadays we find lot of couples prefer preparing themselves for a pregnancy and often consult a doctor for advise.
Its good to remember that for most normal couples,chances of conceiving are about 15-20% in any particular month.Which means,young healthy couples(woman having regular cycles) staying together can wait upto 1year.But you can consult a doctor any time you feel anxious or before planning as mentioned earlier.
How do you get ready?
Folic acid(a B Vitamin) 400micrograms(0.4mg) daily should be started at least 1month earlier.becos it helps to prevent birth defects of the baby's spine and brain.
Foods that contain folate(a form of B vitamin) are leafy,dark green vegetables,citrus fruits and juices and beans.But this gets easily broken down on cooking and may not be used by the body,so we cant be sure that eating folate containing foods will have the same benefits as taking folic acid 400mcg tablets.But adding these foods to your diet is always good.Many cereals and breads have added synthetic folic acid which has same benefits as the tablets.But dosing may not be correct.

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Marijeh Medical Centre, Marijeh Street
Sharjah

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