What Are The Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy?
There are so many suggestions regarding what foods to avoid during pregnancy, it's no surprise that women feel confused. Worse is the fact that once you are visibly pregnant, everyone feels justified in giving you advice, whether you want it or not. If all of the suggestions, advice and comments have you in a tizzy, dont worry; the only sources of advice you need to listen to are doctors and common sense.
No Doctors here Just Common Sense
There is a general list of recommendations for all pregnant women, and you can find it online in any of a dozen places with ease. Here are the basics you need to avoid:
1.Raw Fish, Meat and Eggs All of these can carry bacteria or parasites that may cause a variety of problems; either for the baby or for the pregnancy. In fact, any raw food, including product, should be washed thoroughly to reduce the chances of contamination.
2.No Alcohol There is no way to know just how much alcohol will affect your baby negatively, and it is well established that no woman should drink while pregnant.
3.Raw Dairy Milk that has not been pasteurized, while healthier and containing digestive enzymes that commercial milk lacks, may also contain listeria. When you arent pregnant, there is no problem with this. When you are, it can lead to miscarriage. This prohibition extends to raw milk cheeses too. Raw dairy products are some of the most important foods to avoid during pregnancy.
4.Fish high in Mercury Fish is a mixed bag. One the one hand eating a diet rich in fish while pregnant may actually increase your childs intelligence. On the other hand, mercury, a toxic metal, accumulates in fish, and then in you when you eat it. Elevated mercury levels are associated with brain damage.
It seems, at least in current studies, that the benefits of fish offer protection against the mercury found in them. That said, you should avoid fish known to contain unsafe levels of mercury, such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel. Minimize fish you select from the caution group and stick to the safe group as much as possible.
Are Spicy Foods Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy?
If you have heard things such as spicy foods will produce a child with a lot of hair or spicy foods cause the child to have a bad temper you dont have to worry. People will offer all sorts of horror stories under the impression that they are doing you a favor. There is something about pregnancy that seems to inspire battle stories you will run into women who will swear they were delivered by backhoe after 2 weeks of labor--take it with a grain of salt. Spicy dishes aren't foods to avoid during pregnancy--unless they give you trouble with heartburn!
So What Should I Eat?
Aside from the basic guidelines of good, nutritional eating, there are some nutrients that expectant mothers need in abundance. Folate, calcium, and iron are your top three concerns. Fortunately, you can get all three in one place; dark leafy greens. To increase absorption of these nutrients, eat a food rich in vitamin C along with your greens.
Of course there are other sources for all three of these essentials, and you need plenty of good lean protein to build cells, complex carbs to give you and the baby energy and more. Remember, healthy and varied is the key.
If you have any medical concerns, consult with your doctor. Your good common sense and a well planned menu will give you and your baby everything you need to thrive, as long as you remember which foods to avoid during pregnancy.
No Doctors here Just Common Sense
There is a general list of recommendations for all pregnant women, and you can find it online in any of a dozen places with ease. Here are the basics you need to avoid:
1.Raw Fish, Meat and Eggs All of these can carry bacteria or parasites that may cause a variety of problems; either for the baby or for the pregnancy. In fact, any raw food, including product, should be washed thoroughly to reduce the chances of contamination.
2.No Alcohol There is no way to know just how much alcohol will affect your baby negatively, and it is well established that no woman should drink while pregnant.
3.Raw Dairy Milk that has not been pasteurized, while healthier and containing digestive enzymes that commercial milk lacks, may also contain listeria. When you arent pregnant, there is no problem with this. When you are, it can lead to miscarriage. This prohibition extends to raw milk cheeses too. Raw dairy products are some of the most important foods to avoid during pregnancy.
4.Fish high in Mercury Fish is a mixed bag. One the one hand eating a diet rich in fish while pregnant may actually increase your childs intelligence. On the other hand, mercury, a toxic metal, accumulates in fish, and then in you when you eat it. Elevated mercury levels are associated with brain damage.
It seems, at least in current studies, that the benefits of fish offer protection against the mercury found in them. That said, you should avoid fish known to contain unsafe levels of mercury, such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel. Minimize fish you select from the caution group and stick to the safe group as much as possible.
Are Spicy Foods Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy?
If you have heard things such as spicy foods will produce a child with a lot of hair or spicy foods cause the child to have a bad temper you dont have to worry. People will offer all sorts of horror stories under the impression that they are doing you a favor. There is something about pregnancy that seems to inspire battle stories you will run into women who will swear they were delivered by backhoe after 2 weeks of labor--take it with a grain of salt. Spicy dishes aren't foods to avoid during pregnancy--unless they give you trouble with heartburn!
So What Should I Eat?
Aside from the basic guidelines of good, nutritional eating, there are some nutrients that expectant mothers need in abundance. Folate, calcium, and iron are your top three concerns. Fortunately, you can get all three in one place; dark leafy greens. To increase absorption of these nutrients, eat a food rich in vitamin C along with your greens.
Of course there are other sources for all three of these essentials, and you need plenty of good lean protein to build cells, complex carbs to give you and the baby energy and more. Remember, healthy and varied is the key.
If you have any medical concerns, consult with your doctor. Your good common sense and a well planned menu will give you and your baby everything you need to thrive, as long as you remember which foods to avoid during pregnancy.
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