Discover the healthy secrets of Hollywood’s radiant moms-to-be

There must be some deep dark secret to attaining that fabled pregnancy glow. Beyonce certainly radiates it from the red carpet. Hilary Duff is snapped looking radiant—even when she’s running errands in her sweats. And, Jennifer Garner is certainly in on the secret because she’s nailed it 3 times!

 

It’s easy to be critical of your pregnant visage--especially when you see the current crop of soon-to-be celebrity mom’s absolutely glowing!

Those beautiful belles with buns in the oven aren’t just thrilled about their impending bundles of joy.—they’re working extra hard behind the scenes to remain preggers and gorgeous!
You are on to something! Although the happiness you experience when expecting causes certain physiological changes:

•    Extra blood flow is pumping through you body
•    High emotion causes a healthy flush to the cheeks
•    And, the body secretes more natural oils—which can cause a radiant glow

However, these positive changes are also tempered by some negative changes—such as weight gain, morning sickness, gas and indigestion, food cravings, mood swings and many less than enjoyable changes to the skin, including pregnancy-related skin conditions like:

1.    Heat rash - Pregnant women’s bodies produce a lot more heat and perspiration during pregnancy, in addition to weight gain the skin can be snug against clothing and cause an irritating skin rash under the breasts, under the belly and on the inner thighs.

2.    Spider veins – The excess blood pumped through your expectant body can put a stress on your capillaries—resulting in unsightly red or purple swelling under the skin called spider veins. These, unfortunately, don’t always go away once baby is delivered and you may need to consult with a doctor for spider vein treatment

3.    Acne – The excess oil secretions that give some women a positive glow; can give others excess acne. This is to hormones go back into overdrive, which cause glands to produce more oil and nasty skin breakouts to occur.

4.    Pregnancy mask – Often developed in the second trimester of pregnancy, this “mask” develops due to increased melanin production and surfaces as discolored patches on the forehead, cheeks and chin.

Why doesn’t Beyonce have spider veins or pregnancy mask? The good news is that you can make the following changes to your diet and skin regime in order to keep your skin glowing and supple during pregnancy…just like Beyonce:

Maintain good skin care – Your pregnancy skin care routine should include cleansing with a mild, non-drying soap, a natural toner (try rose water), and a moisturizer to match your skin type (e.g., if you tend to break out use a light coverage moisturizer). In addition, refrain from squeezing, scratching, or poking pimples. This may cause permanent scarring. 

Talk to your dermatologist or doctor – Unfortunately, severe skin conditions like pregnancy mask can’t be avoided.  However, your doctor or dermatologist might recommend an FDA safe skin bleaching product that will minimize patches and not harm your baby. Also, reduced sun exposure can lessen melanin production, which is encouraged by ultraviolet light.

You are what you eat – or in the case of pregnant women, your child is directly affected by the food you put into your body. A pregnancy diet should be healthy and balanced with fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables, lean protein, high-consumption of calcium-rich dairy products, healthy fats and whole grains.

Take a multivitamin – Once your doctor knows that you’re pregnant, he or she will likely recommend a prenatal multivitamin tablet rich in folic acid. Pregnancy can be stressful, so to save some money and hassle, you can order your prenatal multivitamins online through a store and have them Canadian drug" delivered right to your home.

Stay hydrated – Mom and baby need to stay properly nourished with 8 glasses of water a day, which will also flush away salt retention and eliminate swelling. Too avoid the consumption of excess swelling of the feet, hands and legs, ditch the fast, fried foods and replace them with fresh food sources.

 

Bio: Bernice Spradlin is an avid hiker and runner. She works at a gym in Brooklyn, New York, where she gets great inspiration for her freelance health-related articles and blogs. In her off time, you can often find Bernice jogging the East River path along the waterfront and enjoying the cool breeze. Bernice is currently looking for freelance writing work, and can be contacted at BerniceG.Spradlin@gmail.com