Spinach

The power in the green

The adage says that you are what you eat. This cannot be truer than when it comes to pregnancy. For the diet you eat as a pregnant woman will determine the health of the life growing inside you.

Spinach as a green leafy vegetable is a rich food that should be part of your diet as a mother to be. It has an excellent source of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which makes it a good choice to have in your meal. Its availability, ease in preparation and cooking gives all the reason why it should be included daily in the diet; for spinach is not only good for an expectant mother, but it also improves the quality of milk production in lactating mothers. The leafy vegetable is especially rich in Vitamins A, C and K, folic acid and magnesium. When cooked. The antioxidant property is easily absorbed in the blood. There are three types of spinach; savoy, smooth leaf and semi-savoy. Savoy spinach has creased curly leaves. This is the most available kind in the Kenyan market. Flat or smooth leaf spinach has unwrinkled, spade-shaped leaves. The semi-savoy variety has slightly creased leaves. These different types have the same nutritional value, only that savoy needs thorough cleaning since it holds up most dirt in between the creases.

Nutritional value
It helps protect against osteoporosis (a condition in which bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, as a result of hormonal changes or lack of calcium or vitamin D). Spinach provides Vitamin K which is important for bone health. The vitamin activates a protein known as osteocalcin that helps to anchor calcium molecules inside the bone. Spinach also has bone strengthening nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. Thus, when the baby is growing, spinach is an excellent source of rich nutrients.

It is an excellent source of folate
These leafy vegetables contain folate, a vitamin that helps in the development of the spinal cord of an unborn baby. It helps to reduce the risk of brain and spine defects during the first trimester of pregnancy. It is in fact, advisable to take food rich in foliate such as spinach if someone is planning to conceive.

Alleviates iron deficiency
Iron transports oxygen from the lungs to the body cells. It is crucial in pregnancy for energy production and metabolism for both the baby and the mother. Cooked spinach is totally fat-free and an excellent source of iron. Furthermore, spinach contains quercetin, a chemical that purifies the blood. So as more spinach is ingested the blood is purified and the pregnancy is well maintained. The purity of this blood helps in formation of the skin for both the mother and the forthcoming baby.

Contains fibre
Spinach relieves constipation which is common with pregnant women. Its juice aids in cleaning the digestive tract and removing the accumulated waste, avoiding bloating and constipation.

Stabilises blood sugar
If a mother is suffering from diabetes, then taking half a cup of boiled spinach soup could help stabilise the sugar level and keep it from fluctuating.

Note: To maximise the benefits of spinach, buy it when it is fresh and steam it rather than boil. Also do not reheat it after cooking for it loses nutrients.

END: PG18/40