HEALTHY NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY ACCORDING TO AYURVEDA

You are pregnant and want to take the best possible care of yourself and your body to support your baby and ensure a pleasant pregnancy. There is so much different advice about this. How can you do this best?

For each month of pregnancy, Ayurveda has nutritional, lifestyle and herbal tips that contribute to the development of your child in that month. All these tips are bundled in the pregnancy and postpartum diary, with wisdom from Ayurveda. The book that Eline, Ayurvedic therapist, wrote during the pregnancy of her fourth child.

In this blog she will tell you which general nutritional tips you can use. During pregnancy it is incredibly important to feed yourself well. What you eat builds the body tissues of your baby. In the ancient scriptures it is stated that the pregnant woman has three important responsibilities: feeding her own body, preparing herself for breastfeeding and feeding her baby so that it can develop and grow.

Ayurveda looks at the qualities of food for this:

Fresh & healthy
Eat healthy food, fresh as much as possible. Food that is tasty and that makes you happy!

Sweet
The taste sweet is connected to the earth element, the element that ensures growth. During pregnancy a child grows inside you, so this element is very important. Sweet foods that are good to add to your meals are: milk, butter, ghee, earthy vegetables, fresh fruit juice, dried fruit, rice, honey and nuts.

Juicy
Think of soupy meals, such as porridge, stews and the rice/vegetable dish kitchari . Also fruits like berries and melon contain these qualities and coconut water is super hydrating. Juicy food is easy to digest and ensures that you get enough fluids to support your body in increasing blood volume and so that you stay hydrated.

Oily
Oily foods are important for lubricating joints, nourishing body tissues, supporting digestion, and for strength and protection. These are found in good quality oils such as ghee, extra virgin olive oil, and avocados.

Nourishing
Eat food that is nutritious and gives energy. Warm food is often easier to digest and therefore more nutritious. Choose products from the sweet food group and make soups, warm milk with spices, stewed fruit with seeds or a snack such as banana bread.

Avoid foods with white sugar, too much salt and hot spices, these are difficult to digest and are even said to make the baby unhappy.

A powerful drink
Maybe you had a coffee moment before pregnancy (or maybe not). Take this warm milk with almonds and dates daily, this drink is super powerful and nourishing.

What do you need?
- A handful of raw white almonds.
- 3 pitted dates.
- Water.
- Organic milk or almond milk.

Let's get started!
Soak the almonds and dates overnight. The next day, put all the ingredients in the blender with the (almond) milk. Blend into a drink and heat it up in a pan before drinking it. You can pour the drink through a sieve into your mug, so that no lumps remain. Enjoy it and feel how relaxed and powerful you feel afterwards.

Ayurveda month by month
In the pregnancy and postpartum diary learn how to apply the magical ancient wisdom of Ayurveda during pregnancy and postpartum. In addition to explanations about this holistic healing method from India, this diary is full of nutrition, reading style, and herbal tips. You can use these per month of pregnancy, for a relaxed postpartum period and as a natural remedy for ailments. There is also attention for writing exercises, recipes and meditation.

About Eline
Eline is an Ayurvedic therapist, gives reiki treatments, workshops and pregnancy yoga. In her practice Dandelien she helps women to understand themselves better and to solve complaints in a holistic way. She is the mother of son Jan (8 years old) and twins Toon & Lea (5 years old) and wrote this diary during the pregnancy of her fourth child. In this diary she shares all her tips and wisdom, which she herself has benefited from as a pregnant woman.