That's Fit

It isn't surprising that pregnant women are supposed to eat healthfully. Good nutrition will help a baby develop properly. But did you know that poor nutrition can not only negatively effect a baby's development, but it can also cause long-term damage?

A study by the Royal Veterinary College and London's Wellcome Trust, shows that when pregnant rats are fed fatty, processed foods during pregnancy, their offspring have high levels of fat in their bloodstream and around major organs -- even into their teenage years.

Fat gathered around internal organs has been linked to development of type II diabetes. Male rats tended to have higher insulin levels and normal blood sugar, while female offspring tended to have low insulin, high blood sugar, and tended to be more overweight.

While further research is obviously necessary, this is just one more link between healthy diet and a healthy life.

If you're about to make a pitch to your boss about a much-needed raise, Health.com recommends you consume lean protein and whole grains, plus a little caffeine.

Why?

Because you want to be alert and upbeat, and protein foods contain the stuff to increase mental alertness. Whole grains also improve energy and so does caffeine for a bit -- but more important, it can improve your attention and short-term memory. How about this menu to rev you up: An egg-white and spinach omelet, a whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese, and one or two cups of coffee? If you don't get the raise, you'll at least be primed for a spunky day.

Health.com has you covered in all sorts of scenarios. Speaking to a large crowd? A high-protein, low-fat meal is best. Trying to get pregnant? Complex carbs, protein, and folic acid are your essentials. Before a workout: A light snack with carbs and water.

There's more. Learn exactly how to eat for performance right here.

A recent study revealed that stretching exercises may be effective in reducing preeclampsia risk. In fact, the study shows that stretching may be even more effective than walking or other exercises for women who have had preeclampsia before or were inactive before pregnancy.

Preeclamspia -- or pregnancy-related high blood pressure -- is one of the top risks of pregnancy. Up to 8% of pregnant women experience the condition. During the study, 79 pregnant women who had had preeclampsia before and were inactive were assigned to different groups -- one group walked five times per week, another group followed a non-aerobic stretching exercise video. While almost 15% of the women in the walking group developed preeclampsia, less than 5% of those in the stretching group developed the condition.

If you're pregnant, talk to your OB/GYN about what exercises can be beneficial to your health and are safe during pregnancy.

Is an apology really an apology when it's mandated? I don't think so, given the fact that it's not really rooted in sincerity. Maybe it's better than nothing, though.

Britain's Daily Mail newspaper was made to apologize to the daughter of Elvis after printing last month that Presley, like her late father, was packing on the pounds with a poor diet. But Presley wasn't "growing just like her dad," as the paper claimed. She was growing because of the baby in her belly. So Presley sued for libel. And the paper published an apology. It went like this:

On March 4 we published a photograph of Lisa Marie Presley while she was dining with friends. We suggested she might have an unhealthy appetite similar to her late father. We now accept that the suggestion is untrue and apologize to Ms. Presley for any distress caused.

Presley, 40, is expecting her third child this Fall.

Good nutrition is so important for pregnant women and women who are planning to get pregnant. Different nutrients stimulate your baby's development and help ensure good health. Choosing nutritious foods and including a lot of fruits and vegetables is a good way to get an assortment of vitamins and minerals. But there are a few nutrients moms-to-be must take extra measures to include in their diet:

• Folic acid
• Calcium
• Omega-3 (DHA and EPA)
• Vitamin D
  

You can get all of these nutrients from food and other natural sources. Prenatal vitamins also supply many of these nutrients, but you should check with your OB/GYN before taking any supplements. See the gallery for more sources of each nutrient. And Happy Mother's Day!

My mom always has tricks for determining if someone is having a boy or a girl. When my sister was pregnant, her overly swollen feet meant she was having a boy ... she ended up having a girl. When my cousin was carrying her baby quite high, my mom was convinced it was a girl ... wrong again -- she had a bouncing baby boy. And when my other sister had terrible sweet cravings during pregnancy, my mom also predicted a girl ... and finally my mom was right.

Old wives tales abound when it comes to determining the sex of your baby. But now scientists have come across a way of determining whether it's a boy or a girl that sounds suspiciously like an old wives tale.

Researchers studied over 220,000 pregnant women and determined that if you're heavier at the start of your second pregnancy than you were at your first, there's a higher chance that you'll have a boy. They aren't clear why, however. One researcher suggests that environmental contaminants that are linked to male births may also build up fatty tissue.

It all sounds a bit flimsy to me. And it's certainly not a reason to pack on pounds if you want a boy or go on a crazy diet if you want a girl. Call me old-fashioned, but if I were pregnant, I think I'd trust an ultrasound more.

Long gone are the days when pregnant women were expected to rest and eat for two. Research shows that, among other benefits, a fit and active pregnancy leads to a healthier heart -- for both mom and baby. A recent study had 10 pregnant women engage in varying levels of physical activity. Both the mother's and baby's responses were monitored. Fetuses whose mothers exercised had significantly lowered heart rates. The heart health benefits were evident at all tested stages of gestation.

If you're pregnant, check with your OB/GYN before beginning an exercise routine. But for most pregnant women low-impact activity is recommended. Walking, yoga, and swimming are great choices for physical activity -- they're low impact, get your heart rate up, and are relatively safe activities. BabyCenter has more ideas for activity during pregnancy.

You might think strapping a tight seat belt over a growing pregnant belly can harm an unborn baby. But not buckling up is what harms fetuses, says a newly-released University of Michigan study concluding that pregnant women who wear seat belts significantly reduce the risk that their babies will die or be seriously hurt in a vehicle crash.

Study findings, published on Wednesday, reveal that the lives of 200 of the roughly 370 fetuses killed each year in U.S. vehicle crashes would be spared if all pregnant women wore seat belts.

"Seat belts absolutely protect the fetus -- and not wearing a belt is a big problem," says study lead Dr. Mark Pearlman. "Every single time they get in a motor vehicle, pregnant women should wear their seat belts without question -- every single time."

It's simple: Seat belts protect moms. And they protect babies, says Pearlman who offers these tips for proper pregnant buckling.

• The lap strap should be placed under the belly as much as possible, across the hips.
  
  

• The shoulder strap should be placed between the breasts, to the side of the belly.
  
  

• Seat belt straps should not go directly across the stomach but should be below the belly button as low they can comfortably go.
  
  

• The seat belt should be snug, not loose.
  
  

Pearlman's study also showed no evidence that air bags are harmful to fetuses. He therefore does not recommend disabling them.

It's a generally accepted fact that women should quit smoking and drinking while pregnant. But it's helpful for dads-to-be to quit as well. Not necessarily because of second-hand smoke (though that's a danger as well), but mainly because when one partner continues the unhealthy habits it makes it all the harder for the other to quit. If dad continues to smoke and/or drink it's harder for mom to quit and she's more likely to pick the habits back up after childbirth.

Researchers studied hundreds of expectant moms' and dads' substance abuse over a three-year period (including pregnancy). Their findings include:

• 77% of female cigarette smokers and 50% of marijuana smokers used those substances to some degree during pregnancy; only 38% and 24% respectively reported cigarette or marijuana smoking.
  
• Overall rates of smoking and drinking declined during pregnancy, but picked back up within six months after childbirth.

Lisa Marie Presley is one celebrity who is not putting up with media reports pegging her as fat. In fact, she's suing British newspaper the Daily Mail for suggesting she has an unhealthy appetite and is gaining weight like her father Elvis did.

It's not appetite plaguing Presley. It's pregnancy. Yep, the 40-year-old singer is pregnant. That's why her waistline is expanding.

Presley is none too happy to be announcing her news in this fashion and on this MySpace Celebrity blog, she writes with fervor about sharing her happy news amidst a media attack.

Will Presley win this lawsuit? It's a possibility, says Mark Stephens, a leading London media law expert who says "for an observation that would not be actionable in the USA, she will undoubtedly be recovering damages in London."

I came across this post at the Celebrity Baby Blog showing Nicole Kidman walking with her trainer and ... showing her pregnant belly! The post was pretty short, mostly consisting of pictures, but what was more interesting were the comments.

Many women seemed really concerned with the fact that Nic is working out so much and so hard during her pregnancy, especially given her age and history (she's had a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy). Good God, her belly is so small! Oh, no, she's sweating!

Here's the thing -- there were stories posted about her attending a spinning class and walking with a trainer within the span of a week. There is no evidence that she's spending hours and hours at the gym each day (or any day, for that matter.

Obviously, Nicole was fit prior to becoming pregnant, and most doctors recommend keeping up some level of activity after becoming pregnant, unless there are problems. And, while each pregnancy is different, as is each pregnant woman, does anyone really think Nicole is about to put her baby at risk?

She's made it abundantly clear that she's over the moon about this pregnancy, and I'm pretty sure she (and her doctors, and her trainer) are well aware of her age and history. I think the opinions of those in the know -- don't you?

Nicole Kidman is spinning her wheels -- her bike wheels -- during her new-ish pregnancy.

Kidman was spotted recently in a spinning class in Santa Monica, doing her exercise thing and staying in shape. Her baby bump was very apparent, say the sources who saw this mommy-to-be.

The soundtrack playing while Kidman pedaled away? Songs by Mary J. Blige, Bon Jovi, and Culture Club rocked the place. Her favorite, though, said a fellow gym-goer: songs by hubby Keith Urban.

It shows up roughly every four weeks, decade upon decade, but how much do you really know about your period? Did you know, for instance, that a normal cycle can range from 25 to 35 days long? Or that calcium and vitamin D may help ward of PMS?

Gynecologists say that they frequently get questions from women who misunderstand their cycle, and they've shared the most commonly asked questions with readers.

So if you have a burning question about:

• PMS
• irregular cycles
• getting pregnant during your period
• being pregnant and still getting your period
• toxic shock syndrome

click here to have your questions answered!

When women try to conceive using in vitro fertilization, the results can sometimes come back negative. However, researchers are claiming that there's a possibility of using acupuncture to boost those odds for conception. While it's not verified, they say it could improve the chances by upwards of 45 percent. Studies have been pooled together and analyzed for this conjecture.

This is anything but hard evidence, but scientists think acupuncture improves blood flow to the uterus right after (or before) an embryo is placed in the womb. Inserting the tiny needles could also alleviate stress hormones which would otherwise make it difficult for implantation.

While some continue to debate about how effective it is, they're sure acupuncture wouldn't do any harm to women trying to get pregnant. This is a relatively cheap treatment that could have other benefits on the side, so reproductive specialists may have another weapon in their arsenal!

Research shows that women who suffer high blood pressure during pregnancy may be at an elevated risk of stroke or other heart problems later in life.

Scientists examined data on almost 5,000 women and found that half of those who had high blood pressure while pregnant also had it again by the age of 52. Concurrently, these women's' risk of heart attack and stroke became greater.

Doctors suggest that if your blood pressure soars above 140 over 90, you should make efforts at lowering it through diet and exercise. With respect to the former, try walnuts, whole grains, and vegetables. You should also avoid any foods that contain trans fat. As for the latter, choose the right workout for you from the scores of great books, magazines, and websites featuring sound exercise advice.