Benefits of Nuts & Dried Fruits during Pregnancy.

The first feeling when a woman realizes that she is going to give birth to a whole new life. She already starts loving it before even feeling it for the time, such is the love of mother. With such affection for the child which is yet to be born, one can easily estimate the love she is going to have for the child after its arrival in her hands, in the world. This is a proof that mothers must be super careful while the baby is inside them trying to protect it from every possible harm it may get. For the very same reasons, pregnancy can be well sustained by what the mother is eating, its effect on her and the baby itself. It must be kept in mind the amount of nutrition a mother needs to incorporate in her diet for the development of child. Some of the foods can be easily involved in her daily diets or even intermittent snacks. Since, consumption of each and every food item should be closely monitored for a pregnant woman, question about having dry fruits during pregnancy keep arising time to time, the answer for which along with their health effects are discussed below-

1. Prevents constipation– Pregnancy is associated with a great deal of hormonal imbalance with sudden peaks and dips making it difficult for women who also have another life inside them under development. A major outcome of hormonal change is of episodes of constipation which along with the mother puts the child at discomfort due to vigorous muscular movements while defaecating. Constipation demands a good intake of fibers in order to go away temporarily, the levels for which can be maintained through nuts and dried fruits. Nuts like Almonds, walnuts and pecans are best suited to provide a relief in disturbed bowel movements and are termed as pregnancy food. The fiber content in these nuts make them stand out among the family of nuts. The nutrient present in them act as an aid to increase peristalsis (digestive tract movements) which ultimately leads to clearance of the tract preventing constipation and maintaining a steady flow of gut traffic. A handful of almonds and a handful of walnuts in the morning or whenever convenient helps achieve the desired effect. As a precaution it is advised to expecting mothers not to consume nuts on an empty stomach since it increases the incidence of bloating which again is not a comfortable situation.
2. Holds back Anemia- A baby being developed inside a womb demands a whole lot of energy, nutrients, and more importantly blood (iron) for its inclusive growth. The baby’s demand can only be met by mother’s which indicates exhaustion of more of her blood besides for her own bodily needs. So, during pregnancy anemia is a major challenge to stand against and avert. In order to meet the growing demand of iron inside the body consumption of nuts seem to be a healthy alternative than others. Pistachios, Almonds and brazil nuts are among the most appropriate for the required with pistachios having the highest iron content. Additionally, they are low in calories which can be counted as another advantage since pregnancy is already associated with weight gain in certain areas of the body. The key elements such as copper and iron in almonds are responsible of red blood cells in the body. Besides these a handful of cashews add to iron rich diet again due to good count of copper in them making it an appropriate dry fruit for pregnant ladies.
3. Checking blood pressure- Due to the very same reason of hormonal up and down the blood vessels too experience an increase in blood pressure which may cause harm to the unborn due to improper supply wherever needed. Magnesium, calcium and potassium that play a major in maintaining the heart, arterial and venular health by normalizing the pressure of blood inside them to 120/80mmHg preventing risks of hypertension as well as hypotension, are abundantly present in the nuts like Almonds, walnuts and cashews. 4-5 nuts of each mentioned above are advisable to be inculcated in daily diet for a pregnant Woman. Not just hypertension, a good heart health is basically a function of balanced triglycerides level in the body which can be maintained as well by mere consumption of the formerly mentioned nuts.
4. Gestational diabetes- A condition of imbalanced glucose level in pregnant women as indicated by the word “gestational” due to alteration in the exhaustion pattern of sugar from the diet. Although, gestational diabetes goes away just after delivery but leaves the subject susceptible towards type 2 diabetes for the rest of their life. To prevent it from getting developed in the first place, feeding the mother to be with some magical nuts such as Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, and peanuts could be a wise decision. Pistachios are loaded with calories (energy) but are rich in fiber and healthy fats as well as keeping a check over glucose levels while walnuts and cashews are meant to decrease the levels of LDL and increasing HDL levels ultimately leading to the prevention of diabetes. Due to sudden swing of mood in pregnant women it may sometimes be difficult for them to just have plain raw nuts, to overcome that situation nuts are better had roasted and salted improving their taste and odor without compromising the nutritional value.
5. Infections- During the nine months of gestational period, it is necessary for the mother to well prepare herself with an improved immunity since the child also needs to be protected against the infections that are everywhere in the environment, although the mother’s body prepares itself automatically for a better immune response but it won’t be any harm in fueling the response by consumption of some healthy foods such as nuts and dry fruits. Nuts such as almonds, pistachios, and walnuts are loaded with vitamin E which is a key fighter against many seasonal viruses and invading Bacteria. The inclusion of salty versions of cashews makes them even more relishing. Adding chat masala, black salt, a trace of Asafetida after a slight roast of almonds make a mouth-watering healthy snack again contributing to a healthy eating habit of dry fruits for pregnant women.