Top Food cravings during pregnancy

For a woman, pregnancy is a beautifully transformational time, with her body changing to carry and birth a child. One of the major changes during this time is craving for certain tastes, which must be satisfied! If you have a craving for sweet, here are a few Ayurvedic suggestions.

Sweet Fruits:

Fruits not only satisfy the mother’s sweet tooth but also turn into Rasa (nutritional fluid), the first of the seven body tissues, which is highly nourishing and integral in the formation of breast milk. Another great benefit is that because of the nature of fruits, they require almost no digestion, and help increase Ojas, which promote happiness and health.

Here are some fruits you can binge on without worries:

Bananas stimulate agni that aids digestion, which is often a common complaint among pregnant women.
Mangoes balance Vata, a necessity during pregnancy.
Apples produce Ojas, which gives the mother the strength and stamina to get through the pregnancy trouble free

Gur (Jaggery):

Long before there were sweets and chocolates, there was gur - a natural sweetener that was relished by our ancestors. In pregnancy, however, it has a number of benefits like soothing cramps, balancing mood swings, and helping digestion by detoxing the liver. Gur is also a great way to keep Kapha in check, when consumed in small quantities.

Khajoor (Dates):

These delicious fruits are the perfect remedy for an incurable sugar craving. They help balance all three doshas, with their healing benefits and nutrient-rich composition. Pop one in your mouth on the go or opt for a delicacy like a date pudding. Another great way of having dates is to replace the pit with a bit of ghee.

Other great foods pregnant women can try guilt-free are honey, raisins, mishri, and sweet potato.

Pregnancy can be a tricky time, but when managed correctly, it is a beautiful and rewarding period of a woman's life. So don’t be afraid to indulge your cravings, but make sure you go about it in a healthy and nutritious manner.

To know more about how to bring a healthy baby into this world, speak to one of our doctors about the Jiva AyurBaby program. It guides couples on all aspects of pregnancy, right from conception to pre-natal care and even afterwards. Talk to a Jiva doctor today, dial 0129-4040404 or click on ‘Speak to a Doctor’ under the CONNECT tab in Jiva Health App.