AOk for pregnancy

Staying healthy is vital during pregnancy, but it’s easier said than done, particularly when you’re juggling work, hospital appointments and morning sickness (or should that be all-day-long sickness?).

AOk Drinks are made with a carefully selected group of natural ingredients that work in combination to provide a tasty pregnancy pick-me-up. Naturopathic nutritionist, Stuart Roberts, who has provided nutritional advice to many pregnant women throughout his career, created AOk.

Recent research has discovered that a mother’s health and nutrition before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy and after the baby is born have a profound effect on the health of the infant and it’s health throughout the rest of it’s life. Having the best possible nutrition increases fertility, the health of a pregnancy and the likelihood of a healthy baby with a robust resistance to disease.
 

Morning sickness
NNausea and vomiting is common, especially in early pregnancy, and unfortunately it’s not limited to the morning. ‘Morning sickness’ affects about 70% of pregnant women who can range from feeling a bit queasy to being violently ill for weeks on end. Only in around 2% of women is the condition severe enough for medical intervention. Being unable to keep any food or drink down for sustained periods can lead to dehydration, so it’s important to see your doctor or midwife if this happens.
AOk contains ginger, which can help to ease nausea.

Studies have shown that ginger can help digest fatty foods and break down proteins. It can effectively reduce gas and ease digestive upset, while also relieving nausea from morning to motion sickness. Sipping AOk before getting out of bed can help beat morning sickness and rehydrate you before starting the day.

Some pregnant women have told us that they keep a bottle of AOk in their handbag during those early days when they don’t want people to know they’re expecting, just in case they feel sick during the working day or on the journey home.

Our nutritionist Stuart recommends some other things you can do to minimise the effects of pregnancy nausea:

• Eat little and often (every couple of hours). Carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, oatcakes and rice can help.
• Avoid fatty foods that are difficult to digest and cause gas build-up.
• Try to limit the amount of caffeine you drink (tea and coffee), which can aggravate nausea and vomiting. Instead opt for ginger, peppermint or chamomile tea.

Managing weight gain
Weight gain is inevitable – and healthy – during pregnancy. The baby and amniotic fluid are a small part of the average weight gain; the rest is an increase in fat stores to provide an energy reserve for later breastfeeding. There are no specific recommendations for pregnancy weight gain in the UK. Each 250ml bottle of AOk provides natural sweetness from the fruit content (red grapes and cherries) but is only 145kcal. AOk is a delicious alternative to standard snacks to keep you going between meals without reaching for the biscuit tin!

Keeping energy levels up
Carrying a baby around with you for nine months can be exhausting enough, but throw in the insomnia and the day-to-day duties if you’ve already got other children, and it can feel like you’re running on empty. The energy ‘cost’ of pregnancy has been calculated at around 80,000 calories throughout the nine months, but most are used in the last trimester. It is estimated that an additional 300kcals are required each day during those last three months. The average labour is believed to be on a par with a marathon in terms of calorie burning!

For women who continue to stay fairly active throughout pregnancy, an extra snack (for example a piece of fruit/oat cake and a bottle of AOk) can be enough to get you through the day.

Achieving a balanced diet
Some days it’s nice to be able to indulge in a naughty but nice treat, but it’s worth remembering that the old adage ‘eating for two’ isn’t strictly true. There are a few key points when it comes to achieving a balanced diet, for example, getting your five a day, reducing fatty and processed foods, and of course, eliminating alcohol. If giving up wine on a Saturday night sounds like a tricky prospect, it’s worth looking into tasty soft drink alternatives so you can keep socialising for as long as you feel up to it. Just one bottle of AOk is a quick and convenient way to get one of your five a day, and all of your daily recommended antioxidants.

Heartburn and constipation Indigestion, heartburn and intestinal discomfort are unpleasant side-effects of being pregnant, particularly as the baby gets bigger and starts to displace and/or squash some of our internal organs (not very comfortable for us, but lovely and cosy for the baby!). Our nutritionist, Stuart, advises a bottle of AOk to help with heartburn and constipation: “Keeping your fluid intake up is important to alleviate constipation. The ginger helps with digestive upset, soothing and helping to alleviate the discomfort of trapped wind. Aloe Vera also has a soothing effect on the digestive tract”.

Gentle exercise can also be a great way of getting everything moving!