Most of the pregnant women often have a craving for a particular kind of food which might not soothe their palates under normal circumstances. This food craving during pregnancy is widely experienced and sometimes overpowering.
It is most widely believed that the food cravings during pregnancy can be classified into four major areas:
- Craving for something sweet
- Craving for something salty
- Craving for something spicy
- Craving for something sour
Why do women crave for unusual food during pregnancy?
The most commonly accepted reason for this food craving is the excessive hormonal change a woman undergoes during pregnancy. As the hormonal changes affect a woman’s sense of smell and taste during pregnancy, she experiences a craving for the unusual type of food.
Another reason might be the need for extra calories as the pregnant woman’s body works round the clock in order to nourish a hale and hearty baby.
Food craving during pregnancy
Some say that the tremendous insecurity and stress that a woman undergoes during pregnancy, results in absurd food cravings. She resorts to them in order to feel better and fight depression which most women fall prey to, during those crucial months of pregnancy.
Nutritional deficiencies result in most of the strange food cravings that a woman experiences during pregnancy. Scientists say that when a pregnant woman craves for something as bizarre as cigarette butt or laundry starch it indicates that she is lacking in iron. Craving for unusual items like this is known as pica and the doctor should be consulted in case the woman craves for substances like clay, dirt, plaster, toothpaste and the like as it is harmful for the mother as well as her baby.
Pregnant women deficient in vitamin B crave for chocolate while calcium deficiency is believed to trigger a craving for ice cream during pregnancy. Similarly, if a pregnant woman has sodium deficiency she might crave for salty foods and a craving for ice indicates a lack of iron during pregnancy, just as a lack of protein sometimes triggers a strong craving for red meat.
How to deal with food cravings during pregnancy?
Since most of the time the pregnant woman craves for food which might not be healthy for her or her baby, scientists advise to not curb these strange cravings, but at the same time, not indulging themselves either. Popular opinion suggests providing a healthy alternative to those food cravings.
For instance, if the pregnant woman craves for ice cream she should be offered a non fat frozen yoghurt or sorbet instead. A craving for potato chips can be meted out with low-sodium or low-fat popcorn while low-fat or fat-free meat can be offered in place of regular meats, during pregnancy, to cut down on the risk factor.
There is no harm in eating a little pastry or a cookie sometimes, provided it is not overdone. If the craving persists, fruits can be used as a healthy alternative.
Other ways of controlling the food cravings during pregnancy are:
- Having proper breakfast every day.
- Doing workouts and keeping the body fit.
- The most important of them all is by having a lot of attention and emotional support as it can work wonders.
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