Did you know?
Nausea hits on an average 80% of pregnant women in their initial months of pregnancy.
Nausea typically starts within four to eight weeks of conception and is expected to subside between 13 and 14 weeks. This nausea though labelled as ‘morning sickness’ can typically strike at any time of the day.
Causes Of Nausea:
The onset of pregnancy is marked by a stark rise in HCG or ‘Human Chorionic Gonadotropin’ hormone which is commonly known as the pregnancy hormone. Increased levels of hCG and other hormones such as estrogen are linked to nausea. Other factors inducing nausea are stomach sensitivity, loss of taste, fatigue and tiredness. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to treat your nausea naturally.
DATES
Nausea occurs due to excess bile/ acid formation in the stomach that takes place throughout the night. Eating a fruit/ dried fruit on waking up helps give the body a natural sugar rush that prevents the regurgitation of these accumulated acids. Dates are the best remedy for pregnancy-related morning sickness.
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RECIPE: DATE AND NUT SQUARES
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INGREDIENTS: 500 gms dates, deseeded 200 gms unsalted almonds 200gms unsalted pistachios 1tsp poppy seeds 1tbsp sesame seeds 1tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
METHOD:
- Roughly chop the dates, almonds and pistachios.
- Heat the clarified butter in a heavy bottomed non stick pan. Add the poppy seeds, sesame seeds allow to crackle. Add the dates and mix well, stirring continuously on low flame. The date mixture must be soft and dry.
- Allow to cool slightly and mix the chopped nuts.
- Roll this mixture into a log using some butter paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Slice and serve.
DRY GINGER POWDER – ROCK CANDY MIX
A mixture of dry ginger powder (saunth), rock candy powder (mishri) roasted in ghee is an excellent instant remedy for nausea. Consume 1 pinch of this mixture on waking up or wherever nauseated.
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ALKALINE FOOD
Eating alkaline foods throughout the day keeps the excessive acid production in check and prevents morning sickness.
- Jacket potatoes, baked sweet potato, purple yam
- Fruit + vegetable juices, citrus fruits, dried fruit, yoghurt based smoothies
- Sprouts, moong
- Barley, rice
- Yoghurt, feta cheese, whey water (dahi ka paani)
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RECIPE: ALKALINE JUICE
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INGREDIENTS: ½ cup bottle gourd chunks ½ cup pineapple chunks ½ cup muskmelon chunks 2 tbsp mint leaves METHOD
- Pass all the ingredients through a juicer.
- Serve immediately.
RECIPE: HERBED POTATO WEDGES
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INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt to taste
METHOD
- Cut the potatoes into thick wedges.
- Toss the wedges with olive oil, chilli flakes, oregano and salt in a non stick baking dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven at high temperature for 20 minutes or till the wedges are crisp.
- Serve hot topped with basil pesto.
RECIPE: MANGO, BANANA & CARDAMOM LASSI
Image Source: cookingwithsapana.files.wordpress.com INGREDIENTS
- Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
- 1 mango, peeled stoned and cut into chunks
- 1 small banana
- ½ cup fresh yoghurt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
METHOD
- Grind the cardamom seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle
- Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute.
- Pour into a glass and serve immediately garnished with chopped mango.
AVOID
It’s best to avoid acidic foods and heavy stimulants like tea, coffee, chocolate, green chillies and garam masala. Some women react to milk during the 1st trimester. It is safer to replace milk with milk products. Stay away from foods laden with preservatives & additives. So try and avoid:
- Tea, coffee, chocolate, milk, eggs
- Chilli, garam masala, bell peppers
- Colas, packaged juices, fruit flavoured drinks, milk drinks
- Breads, biscuits, pretzels, cookies, cakes
- Packeted snacks, chips, namkeen, fried food
- Preserved sauces, dressings, cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, canned food, frozen food
- Sausages, smoked meat, frozen meat, cured meat (bacon, ham, salami)
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