Is It a Good Idea to Take Folic Acid While Trying to Conceive?

A doctor will usually advise you take a folic acid supplement while you are pregnant but can it also be beneficial while you are trying to conceive?

Firstly, what is folic acid? It is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 and it reduces the risk of neural tube defects in babies by up to 70%. Neural tube defects occur during the first stage of pregnancy, usually when a woman doesn't know that she's pregnant. Those first few weeks of conception are a critical stage of foetal development. So if you can take the folic acid supplement before you fall pregnant, it can lower this risk dramatically. It is recommended that you take a folic acid supplement at least one month before conception. It is also suggested that folic acid can help lower the risks of other defects in developing babies such as heart defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, amongst others. It could also reduce the risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women. It also helps your body to make red blood cells which could prevent a certain type of anaemia. In addition, it plays a pivotal role in the production of DNA and the genetic map as well as the functioning and repair thereof. They are a basic building block for cells and they are really important for the placenta's rapid cell growth. Folic acid is crucial for the developing baby.

Starting at least a month before you want to conceive, it is recommended that you take 400 microg
rams of folic acid per day. You can get these supplements at any pharmacy. If you are at a child bearing age, you could take it every day as part of your daily vitamin regiment, seeing that many pregnancies are unplanned. On the other hand, avoid taking too much of this supplement. You should not take more than 1000 micrograms per day unless otherwise advised by your doctor. This is something you need to consider especially if you live a vegan lifestyle. Whatever your lifestyle currently, if you are planning to fall pregnant soon there are changes that you will have to make for the healthy development of your baby.

In general, you need to consult a doctor before you take any supplements while trying to conceive. If you are on any particular fertility treatment such as IVF your fertility doctor will prescribe the recommended supplements you need to take. Always be careful and take the advice of a specialist when it comes to pregnancy.
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Weight Loss and Health Tips: Powerful Legumes

We live in a society where eating has become more of a pleasure than real need. Maintaining a healthy body weight has become a problematic task. When starting out a diet, the first thing we should take care is our nutrition. If we fix this, everything will fall into place sooner or later.

In this weight loss and health tips, I will speak about a very nutritional food;the legumes. Legumes are seeds, or pods of leguminous plants. They are known since antiquity, and are among the most nutritious natural foods. There are currently 600 types of legumes, and 13, 000 varieties. Some of the most popular are: soy beans, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chick peas, black eye beans, red beans, peas. Legumes are low in calories, have 0 cholesterol, and are very inexpensive, making them an ideal part of a healthy diet.

All legumes are rich in essential nutrients including; protein, fiber, fatty acids, antioxidants, iron, potassium, b vitamins, folic acid. They are good substitutes to animal protein. Soya beans are the legumes with the most protein. Thanks to the protein, legumes can help repair cells from free radical damage, build muscle, burn fat, and assist digestion in the body.

A meal with legumes will fill you fast, and for longer without the insulin levels go up, because they contain a lot of fibre. According to recent studies, people who consume often legumes have low risk to develop a heart disease, and colon cancer. Other studies have shown that legumes have strong anti-aging elements.

You can buy them raw, frozen, or in cans. Preparation and cooking methods vary, but usual cooking time is between 30 to 60 minutes. Some of them, you might need to soak them into the water for a few hours before cooking. If you choose to eat them straight from the can, rinse them once to get rid of the extra sodium. You can make many different meals all nutritious and delicious; salads, dips, soups, and stews.

Legumes have a bad reputation because of the gasses they produce, the reason for that, maybe is the lack of enzymes in the digestive system, to avoid these problems, start introducing them into your diet slowly, and in moderate portions, or pick a legume that is not as gas producing as others, i. e black eye beans;and don't forget to drink lots of water.

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Top 7 High Protein Foods

Why is protein important?

Protein makes up every cell in your body; your nails, bones, skin and hair are practically all protein. But protein does even more than that, helping to create enzymes, hormones and other physiological chemicals needed for the proper functioning of your body. So you can probably see why it's important that you get the right amount of protein to function.

Another aspect of protein is that it cannot be stored in your body, like carbohydrates and fat, so once it runs low there are no reserves for your body to take from. Experts state you need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Below are some excellent sources of protein.

1. Salted cod

The protein content of fresh cod is considerable (around 20g) but the salted cod is a real protein concentrate with a contribution of 75g per 100g. A small portion of salted cod is sufficient to meet your daily needs for protein.

2. Fresh tuna

Fresh tuna is another animal protein source that provides 21,5g of protein per 100g. Similar to those of other fish such as salmon, halibut or sea bass, these endless sources of protein can bring diversity to your dishes.

Chicken breast / turkey: both lean poultry hover around the same amount of protein content. They both have about 22g per 100g. The difference lies in the fat intake, which is lower in the case of turkey meat.

3. Beef

Lean beef protein is around 21g per 100g. If you're not sure whether to go for red meat or white, choose a combination of the two:

4. Beef liver

Beef again, but this time in the form of liver. This is a another great source of protein: 19,4g / 100g. A good option to add not only for proteins, but also for adding folic acid, iron and zinc to your diet.

5. Seafoods such as prawns

Seafood is always a good source of animal protein, and specifically the prawns coming in at 24g of protein with only 0.8 grams of fat and a tiny 100kcal per 100g of food. A perfect choice for dieters.

6. Soybeans

Protein is not just or the meat eaters. Soybeans are legume that have more protein and less carbohydrate. Among the vegetable protein content is 3 0g per 100g of product.

You can also choose products like Tofu or Quinoa as a vegetable protein source. And there are nuts such as almonds and pistachios which have 20 g of protein along with a healthy dose of omega 3.

7. Gelatine

Gelatine is the star regarding food protein percentage. 100g of gelatin containing no less than about 84g protein. There are plenty of commercial varieties of gelatin, so it's important to look at the packets nutritional information to choose the right option for you.

Always remember your caloric intake when choosing your protein and remember balance is key.

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Beets 101 - Everything You Need To Know

WHOLEMEAL PASTA

People who are on diets typically avoid pasta, but really it is the sauce that cause various problems. If you want you can eat pasta, but made from wholemeal flour – there is also pasta without wheat ingredients. These noodles have more nutrients than white flour pasta.

Nutritional components: vitamin B5 and B6, folic acid, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, fiber.

Due to the fiber content, body slows down the absorption of sugars, in addition it is more satiating than light pasta-because you eat less of it.

Quick recipe for a healthy pasta with herbs:

Pasta with herb pesto

– Wholemeal pasta

– 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

– 1 peace garlic, chopped

– 2 Handfuls of chopped leaves of basil and parsley

– Pepper, salt, a touch of lemon

– You can add balsamic vinegar

– Marjoram, thyme

Remember that pasta should be cooked al dente. This is very important. Add ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly (preferably mix, to get the sauce).

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Are You Getting Enough Folic Acid?

Chances are you are taking supplements for vitamins A, C, and E but what about folic acid? If you don't eat a lot of leafy greens, liver or brewers yeast, then chances are that you are not getting enough of this important vitamin.
Folic Acid, otherwise known as vitamin B9 is essential to cell production and plays a vital role in the development of the fetus. In fact, studies have shown that supplementing with folic acid can reduce birth defects by 72% to 100%! Folic acid also plays a role in the metabolism of protein and formation of amino acids. This vitamin is also been shown to help with mental health, and the digestive and nervous systems.
Since most foods besides liver are poor source of folic acid, you may have a deficiency unless you happen to eat quite a bit of liver and leafy greens. Signs of a deficiency include an inflamed tongue shortness of breath, loss of appetite, forgetfulness and mental sluggishness. These can also be signs of many other problems and it is best to seek the advice of a physician if you have any of these symptoms.

In addition to your diet, there are forms and lifestyles that might deplete your body or block absorption of B vitamins such as folic acid. Celiac disease, alcoholism and irritable bowel syndrome are three things that can contribute to a deficiency.
Folate may also play a role in depression as studies in eldery people have shown. The three vitamins B6 B12 and B9 must work together to improve depression and should be taken in a multi supplement or administered by a doctor. These vitamins decrease the amount of homocysteine in your body. Homocysteine is thought to play an role in causing depression.
Some studies also have shown that taking high levels of folic acid in addition to beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, may reduce the risk of some cancers. One study of 50,000 women claims to have shown that taking adequate amounts of folate reduced the risk of breast cancer. In addition, deficiency of folate (folic acid) has also been linked to heart disease and male infertility.
The Minimum USRDA for folic acid is 400 micrograms per day for men as well as women. Bear in mind that this is the bare minimum you need to survive and supplements usually contain more than this amount. Besides liver, dark leafy greens, and brewers yeast folic acid can be found in some seafoods, milk and orange juice. In small amounts you can find folic acid in whole grains and some root vegetables.
When taking folic acid supplements (or any supplements for that matter), it is important not to overdo it. Adverse Side effects from folic acid supplements are rare, but can occur if the dose exceeds 15000 mcg. It is interesting to not that since the B vitamins work together, taking any one of the alone alone can cause a deficiency in the others.

If you think you need to take a folic acid supplement talk a health care professional to see if it is right for you. Some medicines like antibiotics and warfarin can react adversely to supplementing with folic acid and ibuprofen and aspirin can cause a deficiency. Methotrexate, which is used to treat some cancers as well as rheumatoid arthritis increases the body's need for folic acid, adding this vitamin to your supplement list can greatly reduce its side-effects while still keeping the effectiveness, so if you must take this drug, be sure see your health care professional about adding folic acid to your diet.

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Blueberries: Amazing Health Benefits