You now have your nutritional intake on track, but there are plenty of other factors to consider before you become pregnant. You have a lot to think about, including your health-care provider, fertility, lifestyle changes, current health problems, and family history. Planning ahead and being prepared can be the formula for a less complicated and safer pregnancy.
If you are currently being treated for a chronic health problem such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, systemic lupus, seizure disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, heart problems, migraines, or any other condition, you should speak with your doctor before you try to conceive to understand how your health could affect your pregnancy. Your doctor may need to refer you to a specialist and/or change or eliminate certain medications to reduce any possible risk to the fetus. You may have to be much more vigilant about managing your condition and make sure your condition is well under control before you become pregnant.
In addition, you should ensure that all regular medical screening is up to date before you try to conceive. This may include annual pap smears, mammograms (for women over thirty-five), cholesterol screening, and diabetic screening. This should include your partner also. Making sure you are both healthy before you try to conceive can increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
Your Family History
Some conditions or diseases are genetic, recurring throughout some family histories. Examples include hemophilia (a blood disorder), sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, thalassemia (or Cooley's anemia), celiac disease, Gaucher disease, Canavan disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and some birth defects. If you or your partner has a family history of a significant genetic disorder, and you suspect that either of you may be a carrier, then genetic testing may be advised. A carrier does not necessarily have the disorder but does carry a gene that could be passed on to the next generation. You should discuss your concerns with your doctor or health-care provider before you get pregnant.
Do you assume that because someone is thin that they are also fit? Well, hold on to your hat, researchers are saying that many thin people have the same heart disease risk and type 2 diabetes risk as obese people. In fact, they say that some thin people are at higher risk than sumo wrestlers! The reason? Intra-abdominal fat.
According to Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College London, "being thin deosn't aurtomatically mean you're not fat". It's what's inside that makes a difference to your health. Internal fat surrounding vital organs such as the heart and liver can be as dangerous as the fat that you see. Since 1994, Dr. Bell and his collegues have been mapping the fat stores of people to show where people store fat. They have scanned and recorded more than 800 people.
When most people gain weight, the fat is subcutaneous and we see it. We have known for years that a person who gains fat around the middle of their body is at increased risk for heart disease etc., but this was viewed as an obesity related issue. Now, it's clear that even thin people are at risk.
Of the women scanned in the study, 45% of those with normal body mass indices (BMI) had excessive levels of internal fat. Of the men? 60%!
Dr. Bell's research indicates that people who control their weight with diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of fat around their internal organs, no matter how slim they appear on the outside. This leads us to the idea that exercise is the key to controlling levels of fat you can see and fat you can't see.
What's the difference in the health risks of subcutaneous fat and intra-abdominal fat?
The metabolic characteristics of intra-abdominal fat are different from subcutaneous fat (the stuff you see). Intra-abdominal fat releases free fatty acids to drain directly into the liver, whereas subcutaneous fat drains into the systemic circulation. The influx of free fatty acids in the liver results in overproduction of very low density lipoprotein, and retention of low density lipoprotein, the "bad cholesterols" in the bloodstream. This can also lead to a lower level of high density lipoprotein, the "good cholesterol".
This research offers a possible explanation for, while the population in developing South East Asian countries still have lower rates of obesity, have a high per capita incidence of Type II diabetes and heart disease. Of course, smoking is still prevalent in this region as well?
What to do? Exercise and eat healthily! And remember? Muscles burn fat.
Around age 35, unless maintained through exercise, the body begins to lose muscle and gain fat. Since muscles require energy where as fat cells act as energy storage, a person who stays slim by dieting will require fewer calories as they lose muscle. Over the years, the metabolism slows down because the body has less muscle to burn energy. Any extra energy will be stored as fat somewhere even if it's not visible to the naked eye.
If the muscle mass is maintained, the body will simply use fat rather than store it.
It's a simple concept, really?. Dieting may keep a body slim; but healthy eating and a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise keeps a body slim, strong and disease resistant. Hmmm?just more proof that exercise keeps you younger.
Both Brain & Ainsley Laing are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Brain has sinced written about articles on various topics from Depression Cure, Pregnancy Problems and Abortion. For more . Check out the and. Brain's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.
Ainsley Laing has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Aerobics and Fitness. About the Author:Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. To see more articles by Ainsley visit. Ainsley Laing's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.