All about pregnancy, parenting and motherhood

by Aruna Kamath

One of the best things about being pregnant is that you get treated like a princess for nine months. But  the journey is not exactly a bed of roses! You’ll be compelled to make a lot of compromises that you won’t really be happy with. Then, whether you like it or not, you have to put up with a lot of unsolicited advice from hoards of people. And believe me, it can be really annoying! Imagine, you’re just about to bite into a plump cheese sandwich, and a booming voice behind you stops you short of digging in with her version of how cheese could be dangerous for the unborn baby! Information- or misinformation – like this could psyche you no end and make you feel guilty. So if you’re the gullible sort, you’d probably never touch cheese for the next few months of pregnancy!

Well, yes that is pregnancy for you! You have a lot of cravings, many of which you may have to forgo. You’re warned to watch your weight and to be careful of what you pile on your plate. So what’s the solution when you’re constantly hungry? You can’t gorge on food that will add unnecessarily to your bulge. At the same time, you have to make sure you eat healthy and follow a nutritious pregnancy diet that will help you gain a healthy weight.

Being a big time sweet tooth with a terrible weakness for chocolate,  I had to sacrifice my chocolate cravings during my pregnancy.  How did I deal with this? It wasn’t easy  of course.  But I found a perfect solution for this in raisins. I carried raisins in every which form to office. Granola bars and flavoured rice sprinkled with raisins. Salads tossed in raisins. Or sometimes just plain raisins, that I would pop in whenever my stomach protested out of hunger. One of the best things about eating raisins is that, you can munch on it without having to worry about putting on extra calories. It’s the perfect sweet treat to get you going Raisins are also instant energy boosters. So anytime you’re feeling low on energy, pop in few, and in no time you’ll find yourself re-energised and back in action!

But of course, a word of caution! Anything in excess is not good for you. So do be careful not to cross your limits and consume it in moderation.

Here are the many benefits of eating raisins during pregnancy

• The calcium and iron in raisins makes the growing baby’s bones stronger.
• Raisins act as natural laxatives and help relieve constipation by absorbing water and easing bowel movements.
• Being rich in iron and vitamin B complex, raisins are one of the best remedies to prevent anaemia and fight fatigue.
• Raisins are loaded with glucose and fructose which help in boosting energy and immunity.
• Raisins contain oleanolic acid which protects teeth from cavity and decay. Raisins also help fight bad breath by preventing the growth of bacteria responsible for bad odour
• Antioxidants in raisins help fight cancer causing free-radicals in the body.
• The combination of fibre, magnesium and potassium in raisins helps to improve appetite which gets affected due to morning sickness during pregnancy.
• Consuming raisins during pregnancy ensures in keeping the baby’s eye healthy by preventing eye damage caused due to free radicals.

DID YOU KNOW?

• During the third trimester a pregnant woman needs an extra 200 calories a day. Raisins (and dates) are highest in calories amongst dry fruits.A ¼ cup of raisins can provide 124 calories as compared to 63 calories provided by prunes and 53 calories of apricot of the same quantity.