A pregnant woman needs as much nutrition as she can have. One way to achieve this is by eating healthy foods. Also, one of the best choices is apricot. This round and yellow fruit pack a lot of nutrients and health benefits. Just perfect for you and your baby. Here are five ways apricot benefits pregnancy.
1. Hydrating
Your growing tummy causes changes in your body, both inside and outside of the body. Internally, the expansion of your belly results in pressure on your bladder. You may want to pee more often because of this. This frequent peeing requires you to drink more often. Hence, it is important to balance the amount of water in the body. If you lack water, your blood level decreases. Therefore, it forces your heart to work harder to pump blood. It may be bad for the body as blood cannot flow immediately to supply your baby’s needs. Besides, a hydrated body allows for the proper circulation of waste products and nutrients in the body. Luckily, apricots can help you with this. Apricots contain a lot of water.
2. Low-calorie Snack
You may want to eat a lot, especially since you’re eating for both you and your baby. However, too much food may bring more harm. Pregnant women need to have normal weight during their pregnancy. Being above or below normal may result in health issues. To monitor your weight, you need to monitor your food intake. Go for whole foods like fruits. To satisfy your cravings, eat apricots. They are low-calorie and contain many essential vitamins and minerals.
Moreover, having two fresh apricots are only 34 calories. They provide protein, fiber, fat, potassium, and vitamins A, C, & E. Eat the apricots whole with the skin. You do not want to throw away the skin. It contains large amounts of nutrients. However, please take out the seed because it is inedible.
3. Promotes Gut Health
Apricots contain a lot of fibers. These are needed to maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The fiber delays the flow of food in your gut. Also, it may help you feel full for a long time, reducing giving in to cravings and snacking often.
Pregnancy may cause you to poop less. Hence, it is because your bowel movement is becoming slow as the baby develops. The good thing is, apricots can help. Dried apricot benefits your bowel movement. While the dried apricot benefits your gut, remember to take it in moderation. However, too much of it can upset your stomach.
4. Prevents Anemia
Pregnant women need to increase their iron. Likewise, it prevents anemia during pregnancy. Otherwise, it can lead to serious problems or even the death of your baby.
5. Skin Health
Since your body is growing another being, expect it to grow. With this growth comes changes in your skin. The effects on your skin are manageable with the antioxidants that apricots provide. Apricot benefits the skin because of its vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is effective in protecting the skin against UV damage. It also helps with collagen production, which increases skin’s strength and elasticity.
Apricot oil benefits your skin by helping it retain moisture. It also eliminates dry patches. Pregnant women may experience having pimples. Therefore, it is because of the hormones that help in the growth of the baby. Apricot oil benefits the skin by treating acne. You can apply it to places where you experience a breakout. It will reduce the buildup of oil.
6. Easy Snack
Like many fruits, apricots are very portable snacks. Therefore, you can easily bring them anywhere you want. You may also add them to your meals. You can stir it with your trail mix. A slice of apricot is the best addition to yogurt or salad. Some use it in jams, salsas, or preserves. Also, you may combine it with meat too.
Apricot oil is a good option in cooking certain recipes. The oil will give an exciting flavor to your meals. You may want to stew it in a slow-cooker with chicken or beef. Of course, it is everyone’s favorites, sweets. Apricots are best for dessert. You can put them in pastries, pies, and cakes. Remember to eat up to three apricots only per day. Above all, talk to your doctor first before taking it.
