With a little change in diet you can shed off those extra post-pregnancy kilos and be ship shape.
Putting on weight after you give birth to your bundle of joy is inevitable. But while most new mums resort to crash diets or spend extra hours at the gym, they must know that it is important to maintain basic fitness levels. Use a little tact and you can easily become your slim self again. We show you how.
MAKING UP FOR THE LOSS
In any normal delivery at least 300 to 350 ml of blood is lost. When the blood loss exceeds 500ml it’s termed as post-partum heamorrhage. After pregnancy the body needs to build up on the lost heamoglobin. Since heamoglobin carries oxygen to different parts of the body, low oxygen will affect the quality of your hair, skin, immunity and also make you feel tired.
Secondly since the mother will be breastfeeding the baby, the body also needs an extra dose of calcium, proteins and vitamins.
WATCH YOUR DIET
SMALL MEALS
Consume small frequent meals i.e. five to six mini meals instead of three main meals. For instance, if you have your breakfast at 8.30 am and lunch at 1.30 am, sneak in a mid-morning meal somewhere around 11.30 am. Make sure you eat something filling like a tall glass of milkshake, sprouts, soup or a plate of fruits. Do not mistake this for a diet plan and under-eat — two biscuits or a bowl of salad won’t do.
MORE LIQUID, CUT CAFFEINE
Caffeine is permitted in moderation i.e. not more than two cups of coffee a day. Caffeine is a stimulant that is not good for the baby, especially if you are breast- feeding. Instead, opt for other liquids and drink gallons of water. Add to your diet fresh fruit juices and milkshakes, especially with fruits such as apple and banana that will make up for the calcium requirement.
Also swap whole milk for skimmed milk; it has proteins minus the fat.
RESTRICT FRIED FOODS, NOT FATS
With the enthusiasm to lose weight ASAP, most lactating women completely cut down on fats. But one needs to understand the difference between good fat and bad fat. It’s best if you avoid fried foods like salty chips, bhajiyas, vadas, etc but give your body essential fats through nuts, homemade ghee (two to three tsps), paneer and olive oil.
BUILD ON ANIMAL PROTEIN
Proteins from lean white meat such as chicken and fish (deskinned) are a good option for lactating mothers. Whereas cholesterol rich red meat and organ meat that contain fats along with proteins should be consumed sparingly. For vegetarians, animal protein can come through curds, chaas and lassi.
SUBSTITUTE
In order to lose weight instantly, you need not skip food. Instead substitute it for healthier options. Like jaggery for sugar, water melon juice for cola and brown rice for its polished cousin. Opt for flours like ragi, nachini, bajra, jowar and soy that give the needed energy.
INCREASE FIBRE
Keep away from refined flours like maida and its products such as noodles, spaghetti and bread that take a long time to get digested. It is important for lactating mothers to improve the fibre content in their diet. Foods like spinach, methi, gourd, pumpkin, lady finger, brinjal, bitter gourd, peas, mushroom and bellpeppers are packed with fibre. Fibre improves digestion, controls sugar, promotes satiety, and provides anti-oxidants and vitamins that are important post-pregnancy.
EXERCISE
For women who have undergone cesarean surgery, it’s best to stay away from exercise for six months after the delivery. But exercise can usually begin 40 days after a normal delivery. You can do the following:
WALK
Brisk walking for 20 to 30 minutes is good enough for a beginner. Make sure you do not strain the leg muscles too much, increase the time gradually.
YOGA
Post-pregnancy, yoga is the best way to improve posture. Regularly practise surya namaskar, cobra pose or the inverted-V. Yoga will also work on your breathing pattern and concentration.
DANCE AND GROUP AEROBICS
Dancing or working out with music releases happiness hormones in the body. Post delivery, women often go through depression and low-body image. Dance and aerobics can help combat that.
FIT FOR A MOM
D-EFFICIENCY
Not getting your daily dose of Vitamin D because you can’t stand the sun’s harsh rays? This article shows how to make up for it with the right food.
Vitamin D is perhaps the single most underrated nutrient. That’s probably because it’s free: Your body makes it when sunlight touches your skin. It’s essential for bone health because without it, even popping calcium pills won’t work — your body needs this vitamin to absorb calcium. Of late, with the increasing use of beauty products with high sun-protection factor, Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise. In fact, even weak sunscreens (with as little as SPF-8), block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95 per cent.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and even schizophrenia and certain cancers. If these life-long debilitating conditions aren’t scary enough to make you step out, top up on Vitamin D rich foods instead.
Vitamin D is perhaps the single most underrated nutrient. That’s probably because it’s free: Your body makes it when sunlight touches your skin. It’s essential for bone health because without it, even popping calcium pills won’t work — your body needs this vitamin to absorb calcium. Of late, with the increasing use of beauty products with high sun-protection factor, Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise. In fact, even weak sunscreens (with as little as SPF-8), block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95 per cent.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and even schizophrenia and certain cancers. If these life-long debilitating conditions aren’t scary enough to make you step out, top up on Vitamin D rich foods instead.
VITAMIN D AT EVERY AGE
PRE-TEENS AND TEENS
Forty-five per cent of your skeletal mass is added during puberty and adolescence. So Vitamin D is needed greatly at this stage. Rickets, a condition characterised by soft bones, typically affects children deficient in Vitamin D.
Start your day with some fortified orange juice (142 IUs per 100 ml glass) or some fresh fruit milkshake (approximately 140 IUs). Paneer contains (140 IUs per 30 to 40 gm) and yoghurt contains as much Vitamin D as milk — 98 IUs per 100 ml (non-fat fortified milk). Give up those fizzy colas, tea and coffee since caffeine tends to leach calcium from the bones.
IN YOUR 20S
In your ‘fast living decade’, between hectic work schedules and dating, instead of ‘convenient’ foods such as burgers and pizzas, opt for a tuna salad (85 gm tuna contains 200 IUs). Your 20s are the last chance to lay down new bones. Gulp down two large glasses of vitamin D fortified non-fat milk every day (one glass contains 100 IUs). The calcium-Vitamin D combination helps your body to absorb its benefits.
IN YOUR 30S
Thirties might be the new 20s, but not so from your bones’ viewpoint. Now you cannot drastically change your skeletal structure, but can definitely maintain it. Just concentrate on not allowing your bone density to drop. Apart from an active lifestyle, have tuna twice a week and mushrooms once a week (85 gm of mushrooms gives 100 per cent Vitamin D). Fortified cereal with whole milk is a good breakfast choice.
IN YOUR 40S
At this stage, several lifestyle diseases rear their ugly heads. By now, you spend several hours indoors either working or caring for your family and probably don’t get much sunshine. Make sure you eat dark green leafy vegetables thrice a week and foods such as salmon (100 gm contains 360 IUs), mackerel (100 gm contains 345 IUs), sardines (50 gm contains 250 IUs), fortified dairy products and cereals.
50S AND UP
The need for Vitamin D increases after 50 and it’s difficult to meet them without unrealistic diets. Ask your doctor about supplements. Have a whole egg (20 IUs) thrice a week and fatty fish twice a week.
DATA ON D
• Fruits and vegetables are internal sunscreens and can allow you to stay under the sun twice as long without burning. Fruits with this ability include super fruits such as strawberries, pomegranates and kiwis.
• Vitamin D is generated by your kidneys and liver, so kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to form the vitamin.
• The healing rays of sunlight cannot penetrate glass, so you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
• Your body can’t generate too much Vitamin D from sunlight exposure: It will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
• If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic Vitamin D deficiency right now.
PRE-TEENS AND TEENS
Forty-five per cent of your skeletal mass is added during puberty and adolescence. So Vitamin D is needed greatly at this stage. Rickets, a condition characterised by soft bones, typically affects children deficient in Vitamin D.
Start your day with some fortified orange juice (142 IUs per 100 ml glass) or some fresh fruit milkshake (approximately 140 IUs). Paneer contains (140 IUs per 30 to 40 gm) and yoghurt contains as much Vitamin D as milk — 98 IUs per 100 ml (non-fat fortified milk). Give up those fizzy colas, tea and coffee since caffeine tends to leach calcium from the bones.
IN YOUR 20S
In your ‘fast living decade’, between hectic work schedules and dating, instead of ‘convenient’ foods such as burgers and pizzas, opt for a tuna salad (85 gm tuna contains 200 IUs). Your 20s are the last chance to lay down new bones. Gulp down two large glasses of vitamin D fortified non-fat milk every day (one glass contains 100 IUs). The calcium-Vitamin D combination helps your body to absorb its benefits.
IN YOUR 30S
Thirties might be the new 20s, but not so from your bones’ viewpoint. Now you cannot drastically change your skeletal structure, but can definitely maintain it. Just concentrate on not allowing your bone density to drop. Apart from an active lifestyle, have tuna twice a week and mushrooms once a week (85 gm of mushrooms gives 100 per cent Vitamin D). Fortified cereal with whole milk is a good breakfast choice.
IN YOUR 40S
At this stage, several lifestyle diseases rear their ugly heads. By now, you spend several hours indoors either working or caring for your family and probably don’t get much sunshine. Make sure you eat dark green leafy vegetables thrice a week and foods such as salmon (100 gm contains 360 IUs), mackerel (100 gm contains 345 IUs), sardines (50 gm contains 250 IUs), fortified dairy products and cereals.
50S AND UP
The need for Vitamin D increases after 50 and it’s difficult to meet them without unrealistic diets. Ask your doctor about supplements. Have a whole egg (20 IUs) thrice a week and fatty fish twice a week.
DATA ON D
• Fruits and vegetables are internal sunscreens and can allow you to stay under the sun twice as long without burning. Fruits with this ability include super fruits such as strawberries, pomegranates and kiwis.
• Vitamin D is generated by your kidneys and liver, so kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to form the vitamin.
• The healing rays of sunlight cannot penetrate glass, so you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
• Your body can’t generate too much Vitamin D from sunlight exposure: It will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
• If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic Vitamin D deficiency right now.
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