What to Eat When You are Pregnant

Discover the best foods for pregnant women, and what foods to avoid during pregnancy, with Woolworths Baby and Toddler Club’s guide to health and nutrition for expectant mums.

When you’re pregnant, everything you eat and drink can directly benefit, or potentially harm, your growing baby. Do you need a better reason to fuel your body with healthy, nutrient-dense foods?

Smart, fresh foods will also give your body the extra energy boost it needs to get through the next nine months of pregnancy. And remember, now is not a time to ‘eat for two’ or, conversely, to try and lose weight. To get the most nutritional bang for your buck, follow our smart, simple guide to eating during your pregnancy.

• Eat healthy complex carbohydrates for sustained energy. This includes fruit, wholegrain cereals, breads and pasta, potatoes, beans and lentils. Aim for 4-6 serves a day. One serve is equal to 2 slices of bread or 1 cup of cooked pasta, rice or noodles.

• Eat protein-rich foods such as chicken, fish, lean red meat, dairy, seeds and pulses. All of these will help your baby’s growth and development. Aim for 1½ serves a day. One serve is equal to 65-100gm of cooked meat or chicken (eg. ½ cup mince, 2 small chops) or 80-120g cooked fish fillet.

• Limit saturated fats and ‘junk’ carbohydrates including biscuits, doughnuts, lollies, chips, chocolate and cake.

• Replenish your iron levels with lots of meat, chicken, pulses, green vegies and wholegrain cereals. Pregnancy increases your need for iron, not to mention the fact that your baby draws enough iron from you to last the first five or six months after birth.

• Fill up on vitamin C-rich foods such as raw fresh fruits and vegetables to help your body fight infection. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, which protects cells from damage and is essential for wound healing and tissue repair, bone and growth repair and healthy skin. It also helps your body absorb iron so try eating vitamin C-rich foods with each meal.

• Eat plenty of folate-rich foods like green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, plus oranges, bananas, chickpeas, nuts, orange juice and folate-enriched breakfast cereals. Folate, also known as folic acid or Vitamin B9, is one of eight B vitamins and one of the few nutrients known to prevent neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. 

• Aim for 5 to 6 serves of vegies and legumes a day and talk to your doctor about whether you need to take a supplement. One serve is equal to ½ cup of broccoli or spinach or 1 piece of medium sized fruit such as apples, bananas or oranges.

• Omega-3s are very good for you and found in fish. Although there are certain types of seafood to avoid (raw oysters, cooked chilled prawns and some deep-sea fish due to potentially high levels of mercury), it is recommended for pregnant women to eat 2 to 3 serves of fish a week. Be careful about what type of fish you eat during pregnancy. 

• Iodine is essential for everyone, especially pregnant and breast-feeding women. Mild to moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy can result in the baby having learning difficulties and affect the development of motor skills and hearing. Think about stocking up on the right type of fish, seaweed and iodised salt to get your fix.

• Get at least 2 servings of dairy a day. When you’re pregnant, your calcium requirements increase and during the third trimester, your baby needs a large amount of calcium as they start to develop and strengthen their bones. Enjoy foods such as milk, hard cheese, yoghurt and calcium-fortified soy milk.

• Be careful what you share with your baby

Makeup for a Natural Look in Summer

The Perfect “Imperfect” Summer Makeup Trends
Every day, women spend hours perfecting their makeup. From carefully lining their eyes and lips, to

covering every little imperfection, women are obsessed with the perfect face.  However, in the immortal words of Bob Dylan, the times they are a changin’.  Like we’ve seen with hair styles over the past few years, imperfect is now in.  Not only can you save time with your daily makeup rituals, but you’ll also look great and be in style at the same time.

Look Like The End Of The Night
You know how your makeup often looks a little smudged and your hair a bit messed up at the end of the night?  This is your goal. Dewy, pouty lips look relaxed yet sexy. Smudged liner is far hotter than the intimidating utilitarian lines you normally use. No matter what you usually wear, make sure it looks very underdone. Keep it relaxed. For the most part, limit or forgo the heavy foundations and concealers.

Achieving The Look
Now,  although your makeup should look relaxed, it doesn’t mean you can’t use bold colors. A mixture of bright or bold colors along with the just-got- home-style creates a perfectly imperfect face. Your best tool for the new makeup trends is your fingertip. Once you put on your liner, use your fingertip to smudge the line a little. Forget the bronzer or blush brushes. Instead, use your fingers to smudge uneven patches on your cheeks. Just remember to avoid smudges that are too dark to prevent the dreaded clown look.

Imperfect Lips
Lips are one of the main areas where color is still expected. However, instead of smearing your entire lips with dark or neon shades, apply the color only to the center of the lips, then roll your lips together. This allows the color to be dark in the middle and fade out on the edges. The same look you get after hours hanging out with friends.

Embrace Your Eyes
Bright colors are the rage for eyes this summer. Forget about dark shades and the whole smoky eye look.  Instead, focus on embracing your natural eye color. If you use mascara at all, choose a shade that compliments your eye color or one that matches your hair color. If you have dark hair, stick with a lighter shade of mascara to avoid dark, too perfect eyes.

Choose One Focal Point
Remember that relaxed makeup means less. Choose one focal point for your face. This is your color area. If you use a bright color eye shadow, keep the lips neutral with a light pink or clear gloss. If you focus on lips, skip the eyes or use light shades only. Take advantage of the relaxed trend this summer. Your skin will be healthier and you’ll look your absolute best whether at work or with friends.

Bare Minerals Makeup Tips for Women

Every woman wants to look beautiful. Cosmetic companies obtain a huge profit every year, as more women apply makeup and other cosmetics to appear prettier. A makeup kit includes foundation,

concealer, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, lipstick, lip liner, and blush. Initially, each one of these things in makeup kit are ready with main base as chemicals. In some instances these chemical based makeup kits damages your skin. That is one of the reason why it comes with an increase in acne or skin related disease. Moreover additionally, it may cause damaged skin pores and it is not suitable for oily skin. As traditional makeup results in various skin problems, a different type of makeup came into market which overcame each one of these problems. This was Mineral Makeup.

The best Shade
Find your undertone or colour of skin. Holding up a white sheet of paper next to your face will help determine your undertone. In case your skin looks yellowish or pinkish when compared to white paper, then your undertone is either yellow or pink. However, if it's in between yellow and pink, your undertone is neutral. Another tip when selecting the right color of foundation is as simple as testing the mineral foundation in your jaw line in the daylight. When the color blends with your skin with no distinct difference, then you have the best color.

Preparation
Make sure the face is clean and dry before applying mineral makeup. Apply light moisturizer before you apply the foundation. Wait for the moisturizer to soak up completely before applying makeup. Use a concealer directly over the trouble spots (redness, pimples, freckles and under eye circles under your eyes).

Foundation
Tap merely a small amount of bare mineral foundation powder in to the lid. Swirling your brush within the lid helps work the powder to your brush. Tapping the brush as the bristles face up helps remove excess powder helping settle the powder within the brush. Apply the mineral foundation inside a circular motion starting from your cheekbone area, working inward toward your eyes and nose. Continue swirling the comb toward your forehead, cheeks and chin. Stop if you notice all the areas of your face have sufficient coverage.

Eye Shadow, Eyeliner, Mascara and Lip Color
Use mineral colors for make up, eyeliners, mascara and lip color. Select a smaller brush when applying make up. Use the same technique you utilized in collecting mineral foundation. Apply lightly from center, leaving to the side of your eyes. Stick to the shape of your eyelids. Add depth with the addition of layers of different shades. Ensure that both eyelids have even quantity of coverage. For eyeliners, wet an eyeliner brush with water and dip it to your mineral color. Mix while using jar's lid, adding more water when needed. Darker colors are ideal for eyeliners; however, any color is going to do. Apply as you would traditional eyeliners. Dip a mascara brush in water. Then, dip inside a lid containing mineral color that enhances your eye shadow. Mix before you get the right consistency. Give a little more water if it is just a little dry or flaky. Apply while you would traditional mascaras.

Blush
Following a same directions used with bare mineral makeup. Load the blush brush together with your choice of color. Create a custom color blend by blending different colors or shades of blush. Use light, feathery strokes in the apple of your cheek (center of every cheek) toward your ears while holding the comb in an angle.

How to Get Glowing Skin Naturally

Everyone wants glowing and gorgeous skin. But, due to harsh sun, immense pollution, and unhealthy lifestyle, this is becoming a difficult task to achieve. You can go for endless beauty treatments or pick-

up some over-the-counter products. However, this can easily burn a few holes in your pocket and can leave your skin damaged. So, here are a few simple and effective tricks that can help you get a naturally glowing skin, right at home.

Get naturally clean and radiant skin, instantly:
Papaya makes your skin radiant and works like a magic on tanned skin. Mash a few pieces of a ripe papaya and apply the paste on your face for a few minutes. Then rinse it off with cold water. This will bring a nice glowing charm to your face.

Make a paste by mixing gram flour with turmeric powder. Add a few drops of lemon juice it, along with some yoghurt. Apply this mask evenly on your face and let it dry before rinsing it off. This pack will cleanse and tighten your skin.

Tackle Skin Pigmentation with Home Remedies
Yoghurt works as a natural moisturiser for your skin. Apply some yogurt on your face to make your skin soft and to restore its natural acidic blanket. It also helps your skin to fight signs of premature ageing.

If you have dry skin, then use aloe vera. Apply some aloe vera gel on your face to reduce blemishes and wrinkles. Its anti-oxidant properties help in repairing damaged skin cells and rejuvenating the skin.

Tips to Get Pink Lips Naturally
Naturally exfoliate your skin:
Use steam to exfoliate your skin. It is an easy way to open up clogged pores and remove dead skin cells. Pour some boiling water in a kettle and put your face over the water. Cover your head with a towel. Do this for 10-15 minutes. You can add some herbs to the water, such as thyme, rosemary, lime or lavender. After this, apply a face pack or cream to close your open skin pores.

Make a paste by mixing honey, lemon juice and kosher salt. Use this as a scrub. It will help to exfoliate and sterilise your skin, naturally.
Make a mixture of gram flour and grinded almonds. This scrub will exfoliate your dead skin and renew its natural glow. If you have dry skin, then add some un-boiled milk to the mix.

Beauty Benefits of Pomegranates
Use natural bleach on face:
Potatoes are very effective natural bleaching agent. Slice thin pieces of potatoes, pour a few drops of water on its surface and then rub them gently on your skin. This will make your skin look lighter and younger.

Lemon also has skin lightening properties. Apply some lemon juice directly on your acne spots, either with hands or using a cotton bud. The citric acid in the juice would help clearing the spots. It will also remove dirt and clean your skin. But, people with sensitive skin should not use large quantities of lemon on their skin.

To make herbal bleach at home, grind a few carrots along with one tomato, one cucumber and some coriander. Add a few drops of lemon to it. Leave the mixture in fridge for about fifteen minutes. Apply it evenly on the face and neck, using finger tips or a brush. Allow it to dry and then wash it off with water. You can use this treatment at least once a week.

Essential Nutrients For Beautiful Skin

Your skin is a reflection of your inner being. Aside from lifestyle and genetics, what you eat plays a role in your skin health. Eating the right foods will not only enhance your natural beauty, it will help

minimize wrinkles, acne, inflammation and other skin-related conditions. Most people treat their skin with chemical-ridden products, but don’t address the root cause, which may lie within. Your best-kept beauty secrets are sitting right there in your grocery store! Be sure to eat foods that include these nutrients often, and you'll reap the benefits of having a beautiful, glowing and healthy skin. 

Vitamin C

Like vitamin E, vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C helps to reduce oxidative stress to the body and may lower cancer risk. Vitamin C is also involved in the synthesis of collagen, an important protein for making your skin supple. Many fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamin C, so be sure to include them in your diet. Food sources high in vitamin C include: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, bell peppers, guava, acerola, beet greens, grapefruit, strawberries, red and green bell peppers, kale, parsley, collard greens and turnip greens.

Selenium

Selenium is a powerful antioxidant trace mineral that is responsible for maintaining skin firmness and elasticity. This mineral not only prevents acne but also aids in skin cancer prevention. It promotes absorption of vitamin E and enhances the antioxidant function of vitamin E, which is mainly stored in the skin. The end result is glowing skin and less deterioration to the skin's collagen. Food sources high in selenium include: brazil nuts, walnuts, red snapper, tuna, liver, wheat germ, herring, onion, seafood, whole grains, brown rice and poultry.  

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is one of the key vitamins for skin health. When combined with vitamin A, vitamin E is especially effective at preventing certain skin cancers. Because of vitamin E’s antioxidant properties, it helps fight free radicals caused by pollution, smoking, processed foods and sun exposure. Free radicals are the catalyst for premature skin aging such as wrinkles. Food sources high in vitamin E include: almonds, eggs, walnuts, avocados, asparagus, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, spinach, oatmeal, and olives.

Omega-3s

These essential fatty acids (EFAs) offer healing benefits in various inflammatory conditions such as eczema. Omega-3s also manage overexposure of cortisol levels, which in turn helps keep skin supple and guard against wrinkle formation. EFAs are also responsible for skin repair, moisture content and overall flexibility. Since the body doesn't produce these fatty acids, they must be obtained through your diet. Food sources high in omega-3s include: walnuts, salmon, mackerel, sardines, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. You can also supplement with a fish oil pill.

Vitamin A + Beta-Carotene

Vitamin A is critical for skin repair and maintenance. If you suffer from flaky or dry skin, it could be a sign you're deficient in vitamin A. Beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, is an antioxidant found in brightly colored foods. This antioxidant helps to reduce free radical damage that occurs due to skin damage caused by sun overexposure. Foods sources high in vitamin A and beta-carotene include: liver, collard greens, asparagus, peaches, beet greens, kale, spinach, eggs, sweet potato, cantaloupe, and red peppers.

Health Benefits of Tomatoes and It's Juice Benefits

Tomatoes are not only sweet in taste but also has many important food for human health. Tomatoes are the second most ripped agricultural fruit or vegetable on the earth. It is dark red to orange, light green

to yellow in color and round in shape. It is the delicious, juicy and full of antioxidants and nutrients. It is used as raw, salads, cooking, sauce, paste, soup, juices and ketchups. Due to its high acidic content, it is the perfect food for canning. Tomatoes are the rich source of dietary compound named lycopene, which is the one of the best powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent many health conditions which are explained below. It also contains Vitamins A, C, K, folate, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and potassium.

So enjoy to check out the amazing health benefits of tomatoes and its juice here.

• First of all the presence of lycopene helps to protect your cells by free radical damages and increase the aging process to look younger. It also helps to protect from DNA damage which is responsible for the development of prostate cancer,
• It also contain another powerful antioxidant named glutathione, which helps to speed up the immune system.
• Regularly consumption of tomatoes helps to improve skin texture to get a beautiful and glowing skin naturally. It also helps to protect from UV rays, reduce wrinkles and black heads.
• Tomatoes are the excellent source of carotenoids, beta-carotene and vitamin C, which helps to protect from colorectal, gastric, breast, endometrial, lung, prostate, and pancreas cancer. Vitamin C is also necessary food for the formation of collagen, a connective tissue in human gums, muscles and skin.
• The presence of folic acid (Folate) and iron helps in the production of red blood cells.
• It is very low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, so it is the another best food for weight watchers.
• It also contains Vitamin A, which is necessary for your eyes, skin and hair health to prevent for macular degeneration, night blindness and helps to keep your hairs strong and shiny.
• The presence of potassium helps to protect form high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, and heart disease.
• It also contains vitamin K and calcium, which helps to strengthen the bones and lycopene helps to improve bone mass to fight against osteoporosis.
• Tomatoes are the excellent source of chromium that helps to regulate the blood sugar and keep it balance.
• According to studies if tomatoes are eating without seeds, it can helps to prevent from the formation of kidney and gall bladder stones.

The Effects of Too Much Protein in the Diet

For years carbohydrates have received a bad rap, steering dieters toward high protein diets. When dieters first increase their protein and eat few or no carbohydrates, they often see the scale go down

quickly. However, it is usually water weight and not fat that is lost. Dieters should learn that eating too much protein is not healthy, causing medical concerns. With all the hype of high protein diets, there are also red flags regarding too much protein.

Side Effects of Excess Protein Intake

People consuming extra proteins have chances of suffering from kidney problems. Excess protein in the diet puts stress on the kidneys making its functioning difficult. The kidneys have to work extra hard to filter out those extra proteins. This additional protein can cause strain on your organs and can give rise to kidney stones. The problem of kidney increases with age.

If large amount of carbohydrates and less amount of fats are consumed, then it can lead to less amount of fiber and thus, too much protein can cause constipation. Lack of fiber can also cause polyps, hemorrhoids and in worse case, colon cancer. Other side effects are, being affected with diseases related to heart and obesity.

One of the important side effects is, accumulation of ketones in the blood. It is also referred to as ketosis. Ketosis leads to dehydration to some extent. Along with flushing out of proteins, the kidney also excretes water which leads to dehydration and may make you feel weak and tired.

The more protein you consume, the more calcium is required by the body. If it does not get the minimum required calcium, then it leeches the calcium from your bones. This leeching of calcium from the bones can cause osteoporosis in which, the bones tend to become brittle and they break off easily.

Along with the above-mentioned problems, other side effects are hypertension, dizziness, fatigue, headache and nausea. Few side effects are, different kinds of allergies and problems in the wrist, especially in woman. It tends to increase the content of acid in the blood.