Top 10 Foods To Be Avoided By Pregnant Women
Hello All!!!
Are you an expecting mommie? This time of your life is the most delicate one. You need to be careful about your diet. So, here is a list of foods that you should avoid or minimize when you are pregnant:
1) High-Mercury Fish
Mercury is highly toxic and there are no safe levels. It is commonly found in polluted water and large fishes living in polluted oceans accumulate lots of mercury. Thus, it is important for pregnant women to limit high mercury fish consumption to just 1-2 servings in a month.
However, not all fishes have high mercury content. Consuming low mercury fish is healthy and can be consumed twice a week easily. Fatty fish has omega 3 which is essential for the baby.
2) Undercooked or Processed meat
Meat when uncooked can be infected with various kinds of bacteria. Meat patties, burgers, poultry and minced meat should not be consumed undercooked. Processed meat should not be consumed by pregnant women unless and until it is reheated till steaming hot.
3) Raw eggs
Raw eggs can be contaminated with the infection causing salmonella. Salmonella infection’s symptoms are mostly experienced by the mother alone and that includes fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. But in rare cases the infection can cause cramps in the uterus, resulting in premature delivery or stillbirth.
You may not be eating raw eggs but the following foods have raw eggs in them:
- Poached eggs
- Eggs lightly scrambled
- Salad dressings
- Cake icings
- Mayonnaise (homemade)
Pregnant women should eat thoroughly cooked eggs or pasteurized eggs.
4) Organ meat
Organ meat is a great source of iron, vitamins A and B12, copper. They are all good for a pregnant woman and her baby but too much of animal based vitamin A and copper are not advisable during pregnancy. Abnormal levels of vitamin A and copper can cause birth defects and liver problems. Limit organ meat consumption to once a week.
5) Caffeine
Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, cocoa and soft drinks. Pregnant ladies are asked to limit their intake too less than 200 mg per day, which is about 2-3 cups of coffee. Consuming high amounts of caffeine during pregnancy can affect the growth of the fetus and result in a low birth weight.
6) Raw sprouts
Sprouts of moong dal and the like can be contaminated with Salmonella. The bacteria can enter the sprout seeds and are just not possible to be washed away. This is why pregnant women should avoid raw sprouts. But they can be consumed after they are cooked.
7) Unwashed fruits and veggies
The surface of fruits and veggies that are unwashed or unpeeled can be contaminated with disease causing bacteria and parasites that can harm both the mother and the fetus. It is most essential that you wash fruits and veggies thoroughly before consumption to minimize the risk of consumption.
8) Unpasteurized milk
Raw milk and cheese that is unpasteurized has a lot of harmful bacteria that can lead to infections in the fetus. It is advised that pregnant women should not consume unpasteurized dairy.
9) Alcohol
You should not touch alcohol if you are pregnant as it can increase the chances of a miscarriage or stillbirth. Even a little bit can harm the baby’s brain. The baby can have fetal alcohol syndrome in which there are deformities of the face, mental retardation and heart defects.
10) Processed junk food
During pregnancy, the body requires essential nutrients. However, even when you are carrying a new being inside you, you need only an extra of 350-500 calories per day during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
You should consume whole foods that have plenty of nutrients to offer. Processed junk food is low in nutrients and high in calories, added fats and unwanted sugar. Added sugar is linked with a lot of diseases and there is a chance of unwanted weight gain, which is not good during pregnancy. It can result in many complications.
Hope you found this post useful!
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