If you want to ensure that your baby gets the best possible start, living healthy should be one of your biggest priorities. Those nine months are crucial for your child’s bright future.

Here are Dr. Joseph Mercola’s simplest and most practical healthy pregnancy tips gathered from over three decades of experience in health care:

• Get healthy daily doses of omega-3 fats – Dr. Mercola believes that getting adequate levels of omega-3 fats are the single most important dietary influence on prenatal health. Omega-3 and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are critical to a child’s development. Deficiency of this essential fat can cause unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system disorders, and increases the risk of a child being born prematurely. Omega-3s also help mothers deal with depression during pregnancy.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels – Vitamin D has been shown to influence over 2,000 genes in your body. It is believed that about 85 percent of Americans are deficient of this important nutrient, and that getting enough vitamin D through healthy sun exposure can decrease your cancer risk by 50 percent.
• Get regular exercise – Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, exercise should be a part of your health routine while you’re pregnant. Studies show that exercise decreases the possibility of premature birth. Women who exercised at the same rate throughout their pregnancies were shown to have larger placentas than their more sedentary peers. The volume of the placenta is an indicator of its ability to transport oxygen and nutrients to your baby.
• Eat for vitality and health – “Eating for two” during pregnancy is a very misleading statement because obesity can wreak havoc on your health, cause complications throughout your pregnancy and affect your unborn child, Dr. Mercola warns. It’s important to your health and to your baby’s to keep your weight within reasonable parameters. Eat a well-balanced diet consisting of adequate protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh and organic). Green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, which helps reduce the chance of your child being born with brain and spinal cord defects. Raw eggs are another important food for pregnancy because they are a rich source of protein, carotenoids and choline.
• Avoid vaccinations – You should avoid all vaccinations while you are pregnant, as well as having your baby get any shots after birth. Vaccines contain mercury, which, even in low concentrations, has been associated with impaired energy production, impaired brain cell function and increased free radical production in the brain.
• Remove your mercury amalgams – It would be best to remove your mercury amalgam “silver” fillings BEFORE you become pregnant, but if you’re already pregnant, it is probably best not to remove your fillings until after you deliver.
• Minimize your exposure to chemicals inside and outside your home – Studies show that pesticide exposure increases the risk of autism, reproductive abnormalities, childhood learning disabilities and miscarriages. Common household chemicals like aerosol, bleach, carpet cleaner, etc., can also harm you and your baby. Use only the safest cosmetics because over time, toxins in your personal care products can affect you and your child’s nervous and reproductive systems, and cause other health issues so it’s best to look for natural and organic products.
• Avoid exposure to phthalates and BPA – These two chemicals have been linked to birth defects, shortened pregnancy and for being “gender-benders” – substances which cause male humans and male animals to take on female characteristics. Phthalates are added to many products, including food containers, hair spray, insect repellent, moisturizers and nail polish while BPA is also used in food containers, baby bottles and soda can linings.
• Treat severe gum disease – Numerous studies reveal that pregnant women who suffer from gum disease are more likely to have premature birth. Animal studies also shown that periodontal infections impair fetal growth.
• Get enough sleep – Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, sleep also plays an important role in your overall health. If you lack sleep, your baby’s wellbeing will also suffer.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), almost 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2009, and the latest estimates are indicating that by 2030, there would be over 26 million cancer patients, with 17 million deaths.

The good news is, many cancer cases and deaths can be prevented.

The ACS states that about one-third of the more than 562,000 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2009 will be related to obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition, and 169,000 will be attributed to smoking.

So what can you do to avoid cancer?

“Take control of your health,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola. Living an anti-cancer lifestyle means living healthy to avoid the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Here are Dr. Mercola’s top 12 tips to prevent cancer:

1. Optimize your vitamin D levels – Get plenty of sun exposure and consider other sources of vitamin D, like a safe tanning bed or a quality vitamin D supplement, when this is not possible. If you’re a cancer patient, Dr. Mercola urges you to regularly monitor your vitamin D blood levels.
2. Stop eating processed foods and reduce your sugar and grain intake – This is true even for whole unprocessed organic grains because they tend to rapidly break down and cause a spike in your insulin and leptin levels, which is the last thing you’ll want if your goal is to treat or prevent cancer.
3. Manage your fasting insulin and leptin levels – This is the end result, and can be easily monitored by using simple and relatively inexpensive blood tests.
4. Normalize your omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats ratio – You can do this simply by taking a high-quality animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil and by reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
5. Exercise regularly – Exercise brings your insulin levels down and managing insulin levels is one of the best ways to reduce your cancer risks.
6. Always get enough sleep.
7. Eat according to your Nutritional Type – This is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies recommended to patients in Dr. Mercola’s Natural Health Center.
8. Limit your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemicals, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
9. Limit your exposure to electromagnetic radiation, which is produced by cell phones, cell phone towers, base stations and WiFi stations.
10. Cook healthy – Avoid, microwaving, frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead.
11. Eat at least one-third of your food raw.
12. Consider using a tool to permanently address the neurological issues that can activate cancer genes – The CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones in this list. For Dr. Mercola, one of the best approaches is the Meridian Tapping Technique.

Vitamin D has been getting a lot of attention recently but early research has limited our understanding of its benefits. This may have contributed to the current vitamin D deficiency epidemic.

What we knew before was that vitamin D metabolizes phosphorous and helps maintain strong bones and teeth by regulating the amount of calcium in the body. But vitamin D gives you so much more than that. Recent studies have showed this nutrient can affect virtually your entire body, providing hundreds of potential health benefits.

That’s because vitamin D can categorized as a vitamin and as hormone at the same time. A vitamin, by definition, is consumed through your diet, meaning your body cannot make it on its own, while hormones are produced by your body.

You produce a type of vitamin D called vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol when sunlight strikes your bare skin. Cholecalciferol also directly produces calcidiol, an important prehormone in your blood used to determine your vitamin D levels in a lab test.

On the other hand, calcitriol, vitamin D’s metabolic product, is a secosteroid hormone made in your kidneys from calcidiol that targets over 2000 genes (almost 10 percent of the human genome) in your body, which is why the lack of vitamin D is potentially dangerous to your health.

The American Public Health Association has listed vitamin D deficiency as the top health concern in the country. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with least 17 types of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, birth defects, periodontal disease, and other illnesses.

How to Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

• Get regular sun exposure in the late spring, summer and early fall by exposing as much of your skin as possible.
• Use a safe tanning bed during the colder months.
• Eat vitamin D-rich foods like raw milk, eggs, organ meats, animal fat, cod liver oil and fish.
• Take vitamin D supplements. The correct type to take is vitamin D3. You can start by taking 5,000 IU (international units) per day for three months, then obtain a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test (the correct type of vitamin D test to use) to find out if you are getting enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) supplements are also available but they’re not advisable to use because vitamin D2 is a synthetic type of vitamin D.

When your body takes in vitamin D3 and vitamin D2, both types need to be converted to a more active form. Vitamin D3 is converted 500 percent faster than vitamin D2.

Keep in mind that because almost 90 percent of the vitamin D produced within your body is a result of sun exposure, you should not rely on getting it from natural foods or from vitamin D supplements.

Your need for sun exposure is like your natural need for food, oxygen, water and exercise. So put the sunshine back in our life and stop missing out on one of the most important nutrients for your health.

Legend has it that French fashion icon Coco Chanel started the tanning trend in the 1920s when she apparently stayed out in the sun too long while cruising on a yacht from Paris to Cannes and got a deep bronze look.

Because of the dangers associated with too much sun exposure, a variety of so-called “safe” tanning products were introduced over the years, like self tanners, lotions, creams and powders.

Spray tanning is one of the most popular sunless tanning methods available. Sunless tanning sprays are available at high-end salons and spas for anywhere from $25 to $100. You can also buy a tanning spray machine so you can tan yourself at home. Using a tanning spray gives you a realistic-looking tan, provides good body coverage and typically lasts five to seven days.

Sounds like a good deal? Read on because there’s a catch.

What’s In That Tanning Spray?

Tanning sprays contain a color additive called dihydroxyacetone, also referred to as DHA (but not to be confused with the healthy omega-3 fat DHA). Sunless tanning products may contain anywhere between 1 to 15 percent DHA; the higher the DHA level, the darker the tan produced.

Manufacturers of sunless tan products claim that DHA is a simple carbohydrate sugar solution but a toxicologist who investigated the harmful effects of tanning beds disagrees. Even the FDA has not approved the use of DHA in spray tan booths.

The FDA previously approved the use of DHA as an ingredient in tanning products but strictly for topical application only. Spray tanning directly exposes you to DHA because you can inhale it and it will be applied to your face, near the eyes, nose and lip area.

The dangers of DHA ingestion are largely unknown. The FDA has recommended for people to use protective eyewear, plug their nose and cover their lips whenever using spray tans but since there is no law regulating tanning salons, the establishments offering spray tanning are not obliged to mention the recommendations or the potential risks.

Consumers have reported rashes, coughing, dizziness and fainting to the FDA as some of the adverse reactions after spray tanning.

However, DHA is just one of the concerns because tanning sprays may contain as many as 45 different chemicals, including arsenic, lead and mercury.

If you’re pregnant, you should definitely stay away from tanning sprays.

What’s Dr. Mercola’s advice? Avoid spray tanning entirely.

The Number One Reason Why Sunless Tanning Is Harmful

You can argue that the dangers of spray tanning have not yet been conclusively proven but the health risks of DHA and other toxic chemicals are not the main reason why you should forget about tanning sprays and all forms of artificial tanning.

Artificial tanning gives you the illusion of good health, making you believe that you’ve had significant sun exposure, when in reality (and you know it), you’ve received ZERO health benefits.

Your body naturally makes vitamin D when sunlight strikes your exposed skin. You’re making a big mistake if you go for sunless tanning because you will be missing out of the amazing benefits of sun exposure.

You can get that healthy glowing look without sacrificing your sun exposure. Click here for Dr. Mercola’s safe tanning guidelines.

You can also visit Mercola.com for more information on the benefits of vitamin D and sun exposure.

Your outer beauty is a reflection of the true state of your health so always be careful with the choices that you make.