Pregnant Women,

Blood travels from the heart to outlying parts of the body carrying oxygen, and then is returned to the heart carrying carbon-dioxide -a waste product – so that it can be sent back to the lungs to get rid of the carbon-dioxide, pick up more oxygen, and then set out on its journey again. The blood vessels which carry blood from the heart are arteries; those that return it are veins.

The doctor’s concern is not merely on cosmetic grounds. When a pregnant woman carries too much weight she puts her body. Resting with your feet up will help ease circulation problems, such as varicose veins in your legs

If you are overweight, then slimming is positively good for you, as long as you do it sensibly. But if you are of normal weight and want to slim to hide your pregnancy, then it is indeed unsafe, and very silly. The baby will grow whatever you do, so your bump will show, and the sensible thing is to be proud of it rather than to think it ‘spoils your looks’. It doesn’t -many women look at their most beautiful in later pregnancy, because there is much more to beauty than a mere hand span waist.

Much the same as an ideal diet at any time. If you get into good eating habits when you are pregnant, stick to the same pattern afterwards, because it will keep you healthy and slim for always.

To build a good basic diet you need some basic information. Foods fall into three major categories proteins, fats and carbohydrates. There are two other important factors, which will be looked at later.