bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Asian Parent

Hankering for cheese toasties? Discovered a new-found love for red velvet cake? Or maybe you just want guava on everything.
During pregnancy, many women experience food cravings for specific foods, usually more sweet than savoury. But these cravings may have an underlying meaning to them beyond quirky changes in taste.
Why do we get food cravings?
According to Medical News Today, cravings might happen because of an imbalance between serotonin and leptin, hormones responsible for the reward and happiness.

Although scientists still haven’t found out the exact mechanics behind food cravings, nutritionists widely believe they indicate what our bodies are lacking. Let’s say you’re craving for some chips in the middle of the night. This might mean you need more energy, or calories.
Or if you really want to eat deep-fried chicken, your body might not have enough essential fatty acids. While this makes sense in a general context, there’s a lot going on while you’re pregnant. The cravings may have slightly different implications.

What do food cravings while pregnant mean?
Food cravings during pregnancy are really common. Studies reported 84 per cent of women worldwide claimed to experience some sort of food craving. But is it any different from normal?
When it comes to explaining why food cravings during pregnancy happen, there are two schools of thought. The first is similar to above; the body suffers from a dietary deficiency and is trying to tell you what it needs.
If you’re suddenly craving salty foods like French fries, this might mean you have low sodium levels in your blood. Find yourself reaching for a tub of cream? You may have low blood sugar.
As logical and functional as this sounds like, Professor Judith Brown of the University of Minnesota has not found any concrete evidence linking food cravings to nutritional requirements.
You’ll have been told you’re eating for two. It’s important you’re not just eating enough, but eating the right stuff. Having a balanced diet means getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats
But how do you explain weird cravings you get, like a sudden desire to eat wax or a handful of soil? This phenomenon of wanting to eat non-foods is known as pica. It’s generally believed to be related to an iron deficiency.
For less extreme cravings, nutritionists have suggested that hormonal fluctuations that cause changes in smell and taste. This might explain weird combinations you suddenly want, like ice cream with pickles. Or you might even be in the mood for coffee when you normally do not drink coffee.
What you can do about your food cravings?
While the jury is still out on why food cravings happen or are as strong as they are, take heart. There are steps you can take to minimise the impact of these impulses.
The best way to overcome food cravings is to stay ahead of the curve.

1. Eat a balanced diet
You’ll have been told you’re eating for two. It’s important you’re not just eating enough, but eating the right stuff. Having a balanced diet means getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Do not forget about getting enough nutrients and vitamins to promote healthy growth for your little one!
2. Remember to eat at regular intervals
Mum-to-be, your body is undergoing a lot of physical change. All the aches, pains, and constant feeling of wanting to puke can make you feel like you do not have an appetite.
To limit food cravings, eat at regular intervals instead of waiting for hunger pangs as your cue. You can split your meal times up so you eat up to six small meals each day.
3. Keep healthy snacks on hand
If you’re used to snacking, swap out junk food with healthier alternatives. Stock up on fruits and nuts so you can grab them nearby when you’re feeling peckish. Also, remember to stop buying unhealthy food! If it’s not at home, you cannot be tempted to eat it.
4. Stay active
Doing exercise is a great way to stave off hunger pangs. It helps to control your hormone levels while providing a healthy distraction. It might feel uncomfortable, but you can still exercise safely. Try swimming to keep your fitness levels up.
5. Pay attention to these cravings
Rather than fight against food cravings, you can still treat yourself with healthy alternatives. If you feel the need for ice cream, choose low-fat yogurt instead. It still satisfies the sweet tooth and gives your body the sugar it’s yearning for. Nutritionists worldwide think food cravings might be your body’s way of telling you it needs more of certain nutrients. It can feel a bit disorienting at first but take steps to stay ahead, mummy-to-be, and you’ll be just fine.
Beat food cravings by planning ahead.
The article originally appeared in The Asian Parent.


From ‘Nike’ to ‘Pikachu’ and ‘Devil’: why Japanese parents shunning traditional baby names is a sign of societal change

Intimate relationships and parenthood: how to make time for each other and baby, and why your sex life may take time to spark afresh

Baby Archie’s first birthday: 5 ways Harry and Meghan’s son has grown up as he turns the royal 1 in LA

Pregnancy food cravings: from giving your body what it needs to ‘eating for two’, how to keep them under control

Evolving with Baby

Many women experience food cravings for specific foods during pregnancy, usually more sweet than savoury. But what causes them? Photo: Alamy

DYW12N Expectant mother eating pickles from a jar

HT9D5H Healthy Mix of raw Nuts and dried fruit made with love in Paris

P2W9EE Cheerful pregnant young woman eating ice cream

How baby and mother can benefit from pregnancy workouts, as long as you follow doctor’s orders

Serena Williams exercised while eight months pregnant.

Handout image shows Humphreys who adjusted her workouts as she progressed through her three trimesters.[11OCTOBER2019 FEATURES HEALTH]

Pregnant Khloe Kardashian Displays Baby Bump During Exercise with Sister Kourtney Credit: Khloe Kardashian/Snapchat

Handout image shows Humphreys exercising, A new study shows that exercising while pregnant improves your baby's neuromotor skills.[11OCTOBER2019 FEATURES HEALTH]

Handout image shows physiotherapist Ngai this says if you exercised regularly before you fell pregnant you can continue your exercise routine, but look out for warning signs.[11OCTOBER2019 FEATURES HEALTH]

Handout image shows Dr Chan, who says Mums-to-be should consult their doctor before starting any exercise routine.[11OCTOBER2019 FEATURES HEALTH]

Is exercising while pregnant good for you and your baby? Cassandra Humphreys does strengthening exercises and attends prenatal boot-camp classes.

Falling fertility: why more women choose to have fewer children or none at all, while others who want them struggle to conceive

Birth and fertility rates are falling globally, whether through choice or out of necessity. Countries in East Asia have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Photo: AFP

Sarah Fung at her shop in Wong Chuk Hang. 20SEP19 [FEATURES] SCMP / May Tse

This picture taken on June 29, 2016 shows young children eating lunch at an official nursery school in Yokohama. Abe has come under fire for his call for the nation's women to both bear more children to stem a falling population, and to keep working to boost the struggling economy, without providing proper childcare facilities to support this dual demand. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI / TO GO WITH AFP STORY: Japan-Woman-Social-Economy; FEATURE by Kyoko HASEGAWA

A mother and her baby with thick clothing seen on the street in Tsim Sha Tsui as cold weather hits Hong Kong. 23NOV16 SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

A demonstrator holds a placard reading "time is running out" during a global youth climate action strike in Barcelona, on September 27, 2019 at the end of a global climate change week. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Dr. Ann Tan, Medical Director, Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore.

Oversupply of breast milk? Five uses for it, from a milk bath to feeding plants to making jewellery

Breast milk in a fridge. What happens when you have too much? Photo: Alamy

Handout image shows Keepsake jewelleryIn recent years companies that turn breast milk into jewellery have been springing up across Hong Kong such as Cuddle and Love Made Me. They make a mixture of liquid and solid milk jewellery such as necklaces, pendants, earrings and rings. Helen She wanted to keep a memento of her breastfeeding time with her first child so she had two breast milk necklaces made. Mixing additives to the milk mean the keepsakes can be kept for a lifetime.[05OCTOBER2019 FEATURES]CREDIT: Helen She

Handout image shows Jade Poon and her children. After using breast milk on her sonâs head to treat cradle cap, Jade Poon began adding milk to Nathanielâs bath from four weeks old. When Poon, from Kennedy Town, posted on Instagram that she was giving her son a milk bath a friend in New York suggested she also water her plants with it. âSince I was busying adjusting to life with two kids, my plants needed some tender loving care and we all know breastmilk is packed with nutrients. So instead of letting the milk bath water down the drain, I used some of it to water my plants. â Once every couple of weeks she dilutes left over milk with an ounce of water and feeds it to her Jade, Aloe Vera, Devilâs Ivy and Pinstripe plants.  âThey are still alive and thriving. Some were on the verge of dying and I was able to resurrect them,â she says. [05OCTOBER2019 FEATURES]CREDIT:  Jade Poon

Handout image shows Stephanie Zhu and baby Charlotte from the New Territories who  added breast milk to her daughterâs bath to help treat eczema on her face and back. She poured in180ml of breast milk into Charlotte Leeâs lukewarm bath water, letting her soak in the milky, cloudy water for an extra couple of minutes, twice a week. âMy daughter developed eczema when she was about a month old. I was quite amazed how quickly the results were, her eczema started to clear up after a week and it was completely healed when she was a little over two months old. Adding breast milk to the bath also made her skin super soft,â says Zhu.  Michelle Resco, a midwife and neonatal nurse at Annerley Midwives Clinic, says putting breast milk into bath water is a great way to disperse essential oils such as lavender for a relaxing soak. But she warns the scientific evidence is still limited.[05OCTOBER2019 FEATURES]CREDIT: Stephanie Zhu

GXG7KM Caucasian woman pouring breast milk into bottle

Mothers breastfeed their children during a sychronized international event to promote breastfeeding in Marikina city suburban Manila on October 11, 2008. The event was held to educate mothers on the nutritional benefits of breastfeeding amid a scare of China-made milk products suspected to be tainted with industrial chemical melamine, which is known to cause kindney stones.  AFP PHOTO/Jay DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)

Mother-of-two Serena Eze and her son Spencer from Whampoa in Hong Kong. Eze turned her breast milk into a body lotion and face mask to use while away on business trips. Photo: Serena Eze

Lifestyle

Family & Relationships

Lists


Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your taste buds, but scientists still aren’t sure what makes you desire cheese toasties at midnight
Nutritionists think it’s because the body is lacking in something, while scientists think hormones are behind it



Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your taste buds, but scientists still aren’t sure what makes you desire cheese toasties at midnight. Nutritionists think it’s because the body is lacking in something; scientists blame hormones.


Sex and relationships

Physical Health

Pregnancy food cravings: from giving your body what it needs to ‘eating for two’, how to keep them under control

Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your taste buds, but scientists still aren’t sure what makes you desire cheese toasties at midnight Nutritionists think it’s because the body is lacking in something, while scientists think hormones are behind it

Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your taste buds, but scientists still aren’t sure what makes you desire cheese toasties at midnight

Nutritionists think it’s because the body is lacking in something, while scientists think hormones are behind it