In my last post I only shared the products I used that helped prevent stretch marks but in this post, I want to share some easy things to add to your diet that really help to prevent stretch marks. Now I do want to say there is nothing wrong with stretch marks. It’s a natural thing that happens and is mostly genetic. I do have a family history of stretch marks so I wanted to do everything possible to prevent them. Now stretch marks are little scars under the skin that is caused by stretching. This happens because the body produces less collagen ad elastin which usually prevents your skin from stretching. If your skin has more collagen and elastin , you skin is l hypothetically less likely to stretch and therefore have less chances of stretch marks. I want to share you with 5 things to add to your diet to help prevent stretch marks.
1. Water!
I know this sounds simple but it is important to drink as much water as possible. During pregnancy, your baby will take a lot of your nutrients and it is very easy to get dehydrated. When you are dehydrated your skin gets dry and that can definitely increase your chances of getting stretch marks. During pregnancy, I drank at least 3 litres of water a day. I have found this really helped with keeping my skin clear from blemishes and preventing stretch marks..
2. Fruits
Fruits have a lot of antioxidants that help with protecting your skin. Of course when your skin is healthy, it will be more pliable and therefore decrease you chances of stretch marks. I had fruit and veggie smoothies everyday while pregnant. I also made sure I ate fruits that were high in antioxidants like mangos and wild organic blueberries. I found Costco is the cheapest place for organic frozen fruit.
3. Vegetables
I had salads daily to help keep my skin clear and help with detoxing my body. I noticed a big difference in my skin when I didn’t have my salads everyday. Make sure you wash your vegetables very well ( I use a mix of vinegar and water) and avoid bagged/boxed salads. As I mentioned in part 1 of my pregnancy series, I also had celery juice everyday. I stopped after giving birth as I was too exhausted to make it but I just started again and I have noticed a huge difference in my body just form drinking the juice every morning.
4. Healthy fats
Ensuring you have enough healthy fats and omega 3s really help with skin elasticity. I ate at a whole avocado everyday, added in flax, chia and hemp hearts where ever I could and took a vegan omega 3 supplement daily. The key thing here is to eat healthy fats.
5. Multivitamins
Of course when you are pregnant, a prenatal vitamin is extremely important to ensure you are getting enough nutrients for you and your baby. When you get enough nutrients, your skin will glow. During pregnancy I took a prenatal vitamin, folic acid, B12, omega 3, and calcium. Make sure you speak with your doctor before taking any new vitamins.
Hope you liked this post. Make sure to check out the other posts in my Pregnancy series.
Part 2- Preventing Stretch Marks
xoxo
-D
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