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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How to Prevent Stroke in Women Naturally

The American Heart Association has established guidelines to help women avoid a stroke naturally to live a longer, healthier lifestyle.

Every year about 800,000 Americans have a recurrent or a new stroke, which happens when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by bursts or a clot. The American Heart Association has recently put out its first guidelines to prevent strokes for women. The main focus is pregnancy, birth control and other risk factors that women encounter uniquely or more frequent than men. With stroke being the third leading cause of death for women and the fifth leading cause of death for men, this is a very serious risk factor for Americans.

My sister had a stroke last year that shocked the entire family but she has been very blessed to recover very fast and well. She has been taking her morning walks, jogging in the afternoon and following a healthy diet since then. She has lost about twenty pounds and her health has improved greatly. The guidelines by the AHA apply to patients like my sister Michelle who suffered a stroke.

The key to surviving a stroke and minimizing disability is recognizing symptoms like weakness or numbness in one arm, trouble speaking, and drooping on one side of the face. Guidelines for preventing stroke focus on controlling diabetes and blood pressure, more physical activity or fat loss and healthy eating, and quitting smoking. According to Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, stroke chief at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. she led the panel that wrote the guidelines, published in Stroke, a Heart Association journal.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy strokes are not very common but the risk is still higher, especially the last three months and immediately after delivery. The real issue is dangerously high blood pressure that can cause a seizure and other problems, which is called preeclampsia. Later in life it doubles the risk of stroke and quadruples the risk of high blood pressure after pregnancy. The guidelines mention you can lower the risk of preeclampsia with calcium supplements and pregnant women with very high blood pressure (160/110) may need medications.

Menopause

According to the guidelines, hormone therapy should not be used to try to prevent a stroke. Now the guidelines put women's concerns "on the table" so more physicians discuss them, said Dr. Shazam Hussain, stroke chief at the Cleveland Clinic.

Birth Control Pills

It is recommended that women be checked for high blood pressure before taking oral contraceptives because the combination can increase the risk of strokes. Even though the risk is small it increases greatly in women between the ages of 45 to 49. There are more than 10 million women currently on birth control pills.

Aspirin and Migraines

An aspirin is always recommended for anyone who has already suffered from a stroke unless the stroke was caused by bleeding in the brain rather than a blood clot, or if bleeding is a risk concern says Bushnell. A low-dose aspirin each day "can be useful" to reduce stroke risk in women 65 and older only if its benefits is higher by the potential for bleeding or other risks, according to the guidelines. Women are four times more likely to suffer from migraines than men, and they usually coincide with hormone changes. Migraines with aura do raise the risk of stroke but no alone. Smoking and using oral contraceptives increase the risk even more, so the guidelines stress that patients quite smoking.

I highly recommend that all Americans especially women do follow these guidelines issued by the American Heart Association to prevent all strokes to live longer and healthier. Balanced diets and daily exercise is a very important key to reducing stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other serious issues that affect your health so take action today to improve your health.

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Natural Remedies to Remove Pregnancy Stretch Marks

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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Why You Should Be Exercising During Pregnancy

There has been a lot of new news and information regarding exercising and the affect it has when you are pregnant. Let's start with the bottom line, exercising when you're pregnant is incredibly beneficial and something you should be doing. But let's take a closer look at different things that will benefit you and your baby the most.
First off, it's really important to use resistance training along with some flexibility and aerobic training. All of this helps to increase blood flow which is really good for your body and your baby. It also helps to reduce the risk of pregnancy induced hypertension and gestational diabetes. It helps you control weight gain and increases your strength.

Resistance training workout routines are really important because you want to maintain and gain some new lean muscle mass. Exercises like squats, lunges, bench press and shoulder presses... major functional moves are great for you. They will increase your strength all over your body because they also engage your stomach in a very safe way.
Pregnant women should not do direct crunches or abdominal work. Doing direct abdominal work creates intra-abdominal pressure and that pushes on the uterus through the rectus abdominal wall separating them. If you want to strengthen you core which you need to do, then do exercises that force you to hold a tight tummy. Also during your day, you can keep your stomach muscles contracted to help keep them strong.
When it comes to aerobic work, walking and light jogging will really work well. Listen to your body because as you get to the later stages of pregnancy, your body won't be able to do as much and you need to be careful.

A quick side not, you need to ensure that you also eat a great diet. Have at your disposal some clean eating recipes and you will benefit big time.
It's always really important, especially when you are pregnant to consult with your doctor before you start workout plans like these. Make sure your body can take it because the most important thing is maintain your health and your baby's health... usually exercise works really good to do that.

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Exercise and Pregnancy - Fit for Two

Something was obviously bothering Diane. "I guess I'm going to have to stop working out," she sighed. As her personal trainer, I was stunned at this statement. After all, she had made terrific progress in her training endeavors, and had literally redefined her physique. She paused for a moment and then continued, "I just found out that I'm pregnant..."
Sadly, many women still believe that pregnancy requires a sedentary lifestyle. Even worse, some continue to train while pregnant, without understanding the contraindications for exercise. This can seriously jeopardize their own health and well being, as well as that of their fetus. There are so many misconceptions and lack of information regarding training during pregnancy that many gynecologists are not even sure how to properly counsel their patients on this subject. Yet, when properly implemented, an exercise regimen can provide a multitude of benefits for the pregnant woman, with virtually no downside.
As a personal trainer, perhaps the most frequent complaint that I hear from women is that they cannot lose excess weight gained after pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman undergoes many physiologic and hormonal changes that can alter her metabolism and body habitus. It is commonplace to gain fifty pounds, post-partum, and most are unprepared to deal with this event.
While it is certainly possible for a woman to reshape her body after pregnancy, the best way to counteract post-partum weight gain is to stay in shape during pregnancy. By remaining dedicated to a workout schedule, a woman can virtually return to her original shape shortly after delivery. In addition to the short-term calorie burning effects associated with an exercise program, a disciplined training program increases muscle mass. This, in turn, elevates the body's resting metabolic rate, thereby helping to burn additional calories on an ongoing basis-even while asleep!
Moreover, adopting a workout routine helps to increase energy levels and reduce the fatigue associated with pregnancy . It is common for a woman to sit around the house all day, feeling unattractive and lethargic as her term progresses. Regular exercise promotes a better sense of well being and helps to improve a woman's self-esteem during this fragile period.
Numerous other exercise-related benefits have been reported, including a lower incidence of back pain, reduced edema, and fewer leg cramps . There also is a positive influence on labor and delivery. Research has shown that women who train during pregnancy experience a shorter active labor and a decreased amount of fetal stress . One study even found that the offspring of women who exercised had significantly lower body fat levels than those who were sedentary-even after a five-year follow-up period!

There are, though, many unique principles to pregnancy training, and extensive care must be taken to ensure a safe, effective workout. The goal of exercise during pregnancy should be to maintain the highest level of fitness consistent with maximum safety. By understanding the basic guidelines of pregnancy training and adopting a dedicated workout program, a woman can reap all the rewards of staying fit during and after pregnancy without risking injury to herself or to her fetus.
Before beginning a routine, it is essential to get a physician's clearance to rule out any possible exercise-related contraindications. Conditions such as hypertension, bleeding, cardiac arrhythmia and other afflictions can be potentially injurious. Even things that might seem innocuous under normal circumstances can be of dire consequence at this delicate time. Therefore, medical clearance is a necessary prerequisite prior to undertaking a training regimen, and follow-up should be obtained on a regular basis to monitor any changes in health. In this case, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
Assuming that there are no contraindications, a woman should plan to exercise at regular intervals. A three-day per week training regimen is ideal, preferably allowing at least one rest day in between workouts. Thus, training on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday basis will afford maximal effectiveness while allowing adequate rest and recuperation.
As a rule, aerobic classes, especially high-impact and step, are generally not recommended. During pregnancy, hormonal changes relax the connective tissues, which may produce joint instability . Bouncing movements, jumping motions, and rapid changes in direction-all common elements in aerobics classes-place significant stress on the joints and tendons. This will substantially increase the risk of injury to these areas. Moreover, the flow of an aerobic class, which is oriented to a group rather than to the individual, makes it difficult for the pregnant woman to remain in control. It is therefore better to proceed with an individual workout program consisting of cardiovascular activities, stretching, and strength training, whereby proper form and function are maintained at all times.
In choosing an exercise facility, it is imperative that the workout area is well ventilated and air-conditioned. During pregnancy, basal metabolic temperature is increased, which can predispose a woman to overheating-a phenomenon that has been shown to cause neural tube defects . Therefore, a pregnant woman should make sure not exercise in a hot, humid place and take care to monitor changes in body temperature.
The workout should begin with a ten-minute cardiovascular warm-up on a treadmill or stationary bike at a low resistance in order to warm up the muscles. A proper warm-up will help to circulate blood flow throughout the body and thereby decrease the risk of joint injury. The chosen activity should be performed at roughly 50% of maximal heart rate. In order to estimate this number, subtract your age from 220 and multiply by 50%. Thus, a 30 year old woman would have a target heart rate of 95 (220-30=190 x .5=95).
After cardio, it is beneficial to perform about ten minutes of light stretching. Because of connective tissue laxity, care should be taken in the degree of stretching. Stretches should not be taken to point of maximum resistance and should be performed in a relaxed manner that stays within a comfortable zone. Slow, stationary stretching is recommended, and one should be sure to avoid any ballistic, bouncing movements.
Next, a comprehensive weight training session should be undertaken. While there are many ways to approach this endeavor, a total body workout targeting each of the major muscle groups with one exercise is perhaps the best approach. This allows circulation of blood into all areas of the body and maintains the goal of optimal fitness with maximal safety. High repetitions (approximately 12 to 15 per set) are recommended and two to three sets of each exercise should be performed.
During the weight-training phase, it is important to follow certain safety precautions. Weight training should not be performed at maximal intensity of effort - don't struggle to pump out an extra rep. Repetitions should be smooth and controlled and a woman should always maintain basic form. Breathing should be regulated on each repetition and a woman should never hold her breath while lifting. Finally, heart rate should be measured at times of peak activity, keeping maximal heart rate in a comfortable range.
Moreover, due to the physiologic and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, there are contraindications for certain exercises. First, exercises that require bending from the waist should be avoided. This can cause dizziness and heartburn in the pregnant woman, as well as placing undue stress on the lumbar spine. Hence, exercises such as stiff-legged deadlifts and bent rows should not be performed.

Second, it is best not to utilize any overhead lifting exercises. Because of the increased lordotic curve associated with pregnancy, overhead exercises can place heighten stress to the lower lumbar area resulting in an increased incidence of lower back pain. Thus, exercises such as the military press and incline chest press are contraindicated.
Lastly, exercises performed in the supine position should be eschewed after the first trimester. Due to a predisposition to decreased blood pressure (hypotension), the pregnant woman is more apt to become light headed and dizzy while lying down. Furthermore, when supine, the fetus tends to press on the vena cava, decreasing venous blood flow and potentially causing harm to the fetus . Thus, movements such as the bench press, crunch, and lying triceps extensions must be dropped at the end of the third month.
After weight training, it is best to finish the workout with a cool down period. The cool down should comprise about ten to fifteen minutes of slow walking or stationary cycling combined with additional gentle stretching movements utilizing the same principles as in the warm-up. This will ensure a gradual stabilization of body temperature and help to flush lactic acid from the muscles.
That's it, a comprehensive routine that is safe and effective! The entire workout will last about an hour to an hour and a half, leaving a woman feeling healthy and invigorated. By following these simple principles, a woman can maintain her shape throughout pregnancy and ultimately look as good or better than before conception!
And by the way, despite her trepidation, I was able to convince Diane that it would be beneficial for her to continue working out-which she did until her eighth month. I am happy to report that she now has a healthy baby boy and was within five pounds of her ideal weight after delivery. She is again back into her training routine, trying next for a baby girl.

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