Month: October 2015

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Vitamin D for a Healthy Pregnancy

Vitamin D deficiency has been a hot topic in the media lately, and is associated with a whole range of maladies and health problems. But what’s all the fuss about? Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you might imagine. In a London antenatal population, vitamin D deficiency was found in 64% of Middle Eastern women, 58% of black women, 47% of Indian Asian women, and 13% of Caucasian women. This is because the more pigmented the skin, the less vitamin D is absorbed. Obesity is also associated with lower levels of vitamin D in both pregnant women and their babies, with 61% of women who were obese found to be vitamin D deficient. And although you may be someone who takes every opportunity to be out in the sunshine, when wearing sunscreen with factor 8 or over, the ultraviolet light the body needs to create vitamin D is blocked out. Without enough vitamin D the gut cannot absorb calcium and phosphate adequately, which can lead to a number of complications with both mum and …

Fish-dish

Fish and Leafy Greens Bake

This dish really is delicious, satisfying and super easy. You’ll find yourself making it again and again, and it may even become one of your go to dishes on a night your not sure what to cook. We’ve all heard about the health benefits of a mediterranean diet, and this dish epitomizes it . It is a heartwarming dish that is packed with handfuls of leafy greens such as kale, swiss chard and spinach, to ensure your daily intake of folate, fibre, protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals. You may have read the recent article in BBC news about the amazing significance of what a mum-to-be eats. It discusses the findings from data collected over 70 years in Kenaba, The Gambia, where a micro climate allows food and diet to be closely controlled according to what’s growing during that time of year. This research revealed the huge impact that diet has on a baby’s development and throughout its lifetime. Babies born to mothers that were conceived during the dry season, where they ate a more …