Help! I’m pregnant and can’t stop eating
Brought to you by Medela.
Pregnancy is a time full of joy and excitement, but for many women, it also means – well, feeling quite gross.
In our latest Facebook live chat for TMB TV, Astrid McCallum, a clinical nutritionist and life coach, says one thing women do to curb morning sickness is eat.
So how do you know when to stop eating if you’re always feeling hungry? (Even if you did just eat.)
“Make sure that you are having enough protein”
One of the things Astrid likes women to look at is how much protein they’re getting.
“Make sure that you’re having enough protein in your diet, as well as your good fats. So your proteins are going to be like your eggs and your meats – those sorts of things are going to give you lots of fullness in your stomach,” says Astrid.
“At the same time, if you are eating regularly, that’s quite okay too.”
Just try to eat mindfully, looking for cues that your stomach might be full.
Drink up!
Another cause of constant hunger pangs could be that you haven’t had enough to drink.
“One of the tips that I use is getting [women] to start drinking water as well,” says Astrid.
“So if you’re having a meal and you go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s 10 minutes later, or it’s 15 minutes later [and I’m still hungry],’ have a drink of water and see if you’re feeling full,” says Astrid.
“It could be more that you’re dehydrated than hungry. If you are still feeling hungry 10 minutes later, then grab something that’s going to be good for your body.”
So that’s your healthy carbs, good fats and protein.
“Grab some carrot, grab some dip, grab some celery, sticks, cucumber, those sorts of things; a handful of nuts if you can tolerate them and some yoghurt if you can tolerate dairy,” says Astrid.
“Those sorts of things are going to help you feel fuller for longer.”
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