Ask any new mommy how difficult it is to lose weight and she will tell you it is tougher than popping out a baby. The comparison doesn’t belittle birth-giving, instead it is just a reflection of the thoughts in a woman’s mind, post-delivery. “Pregnancy and how to lose weight after delivery has always been a hot topic. There are many women who blame their pregnancy for weight gain, but it need not be like that,” says celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar who has just released her new book Pregnancy Notes Before During and After. In a freewheeling chat she dispels some of the myths and shares notes from her experiences.
Pregnancy Notes is about...
We have many food practices within our culture that allows us to eat well, keep our body nourished and nurture the baby while getting back into shape. The book is an effort to bring out all of that with the help of nutrition science. In addition, 2016 was a very interesting year for me because my client Kareena Kapoor and my book editors Chikki Sarkar and Dipti Talwar, all three women in their mid-30s were pregnant at the same time. These women managed their careers, had their babies and got back to work seamlessly and effortlessly — this has been one of the inspirations behind the book.
Common mistakes during pregnancy
The biggest myth is that you need to stop exercising once you are pregnant. You can keep up with your exercise and work life. But it’s very important that you are already fit before getting pregnant. The
second mistake women make is to eat everything they come across, assuming that they will anyway gain weight. The third mistake is that women avoid home-cooked food. If daadi, bua or maasi have sent laddoos for expecting mothers, these are avoided by women thinking they will put on weight, but they don’t mind digging into a tub of chocolate ice cream.
Avoid raw vegetables during pregnancy
Raw vegetables naturally contain anti-nutrients which are natural molecules that interfere with mineral absorption. You need minerals at all points of time, but surely during pregnancy a woman needs magnesium, calcium and other minerals. If she starts eating raw vegetables as a healthy measure during this period then she is getting it wrong. Vegetables can be eaten only if cooked, and must always be eaten with rice or chapathi.
Best diet to follow
For a diet to be successful, it needs to be culturually, geographically and genetically compliant. Eat local vegetables, fruits and foods/recipes that have been passed on from your grandmother. A diet needs to be sustainable.
Five must-haves in Rujuta’s kitchen
Ghee, home-set curd, rice, jackfruit seeds and aliv seeds (watercress seeds: rich in iron and folic acid)
and coconut.
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