Confinement is a period for new mothers to recover from delivery and restore their health. This includes eating the right foods.
At Tian Wei Signature, we prepare nutrient-dense confinement food for our new mothers. Our menu is carefully created to ensure that mommies will obtain all their nutrients from their lunch and dinner meals.
Fruits
Fruits are the seed-bearing structures of flowering plants (angiosperms). They provide nutrition for animals and humans in a mutually beneficial relationship that also helps disperse the plant’s seeds. They are a major food for many Humans and are an important source of nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals.
Most fruits are soft, fleshy and colorful. They grow on creeping or climbing plants such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries; shrubs such as apricots, peaches, plums and cranberries; trees such as pears and apples; and vines such as grapes. They can be found all over the world on both tropical and temperate species of plants.
Botanists divide fruits into two broad categories: those that form when the ovary of the flower becomes a pericarp and those that do not. Examples of the former include the berries, tomatoes, and blueberries; these are called simple fruits. Other fruits that form when floral parts other than the ovary fuse with and ripen as the fruit are called accessory fruits. These include sepals, petals and stamens of the flower; if they are brightly colored to attract pollinators, they may be called false flowers.
Other fruits, such as drupes, develop when the outer fleshy part of the carpel becomes hardened and surrounds a single seed. Examples of drupes are cherries, apricots and plums. Some fruits, such as pineapples and mulberries, are formed when the fruit of several different flowers on a common stalk become one mass (called aggregate fruit) that contains the fruits of all the individual carpels.
Cereals
Cereals are a great source of nutrients, especially fiber. They provide the body with the energy it needs to keep going throughout the day. Often, they are fortified with vitamins and minerals to ensure that children are getting the right amount of nutrients each day. Cereals are also convenient and easy to prepare. They can be eaten as a snack or breakfast and paired with fruit and yoghurt for a more nutritious meal.
Grains are herbaceous plants of the graminaceous family (with the exception of buckwheat) that are cultivated for their grain, which is composed of an endosperm, germ, and bran. They are the staple food of most people around the world and are grown in greater quantities than any other crop. They comprise a large portion of the human diet and supply most of its energy. They include wheat, rice, barley, oats, millet, and maize. Edible grains from other plant families, such as buckwheat, quinoa, and chia, are referred to as pseudocereals.
The ingredients in cereals are typically sensitive to heat and moisture, and if they become too warm or wet, the product can easily crumble and lose its texture and appearance. To prevent this, a tubular drag conveying system from Cablevey provides gentle transport of these delicate ingredients. These systems use a stainless steel drag cable pulled on a looped system with solid circular discs or flights attached to it to gently move the products without causing them to break.
Meat and Fish
Meat and fish are the staples of most diets, providing a good source of protein, minerals and vitamins. However, they also tend to have high levels of saturated fat and are a significant contributor to blood cholesterol. It is for this reason that they are not recommended for people with a history of heart disease.
Some experts define meat as the flesh of mammals only, whereas others consider fish to be part of this group too. This is based on the fact that fish have a different habitat and are cold-blooded animals, while mammals are warm-blooded creatures.
Fish and seafood are often considered a healthier alternative to meat, as they contain less saturated fats and more Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help prevent heart diseases. Additionally, they are rich in B-vitamins, which can help to boost the immune system and improve mood during confinement.
Meat and fish are also important sources of iron, which is especially beneficial for women during pregnancy, breastfeeding or menstruation. In addition, they provide the body with a good amount of protein, which is vital for building muscle and keeping the metabolism functioning properly. However, it is important to avoid over-indulging in these foods during confinement as they can contribute to the development of indigestion and gastrointestinal issues. Furthermore, the intensive livestock farming and extractive fishing activities that produce meats and fish can leave a significant chemical footprint on our planet, and excessive consumption of these foods can result in an increased exposure to toxic chemicals.
Dairy Products
Milk and dairy foods are an important source of protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. They are also a good source of energy for infants and children. Milk and foods made from it such as cheese, butter, ice cream and condensed and dried milk provide calcium and other bone-building minerals.
Dairy products are also a great source of vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and muscle function. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns recommend that people consume about 3 cups equivalents per day of the foods in the dairy group. These include milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as fortified soymilk and some other plant-based “milks”.
Some dairy foods are fermented to make them more acidic and offer probiotics for digestive health. These include kefir (a fermented milk drink that uses kefir grains to produce lactic acid bacteria), kombucha (a tea-like drink that is often made with kombucha culture and has similar fermentation processes as kefir), kumiss (a Finnish dairy product similar to buttermilk; uses a liquid culture of yeast and bacteria), filmjolk (a Nordic dairy product similar to cultured buttermilk; uses L. lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides), langfil (a rubbery variant of filmjolk that contains Geotrichum candidum) and viili (a thick dairy product that is similar to kefir).
The benefits of these foods are well-documented, with a diet including them helping to reduce risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and respiratory diseases. They are also an excellent source of dietary fibre and have been shown to help lower cholesterol.