“A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart until the day you die.”
– Mary Mason
It indeed is a beautiful phase in a woman’s life. Being pregnant means that whatever you eat, your baby eats too. Therefore, it’s very important for pregnant women to follow a healthy eating regime. Expecting mothers must pay close attention to what they eat. They must also make sure to avoid harmful foods and unhealthy beverages. Understanding which foods to bypass during pregnancy can help you make smarter and healthier choices for you and your baby.
Here’s a list of foods to avoid during pregnancy:
1. Smoked and Raw SeafoodRefrigerated, smoked seafood should be avoided because it could be tainted with Listeria, an infectious bacteria. Raw fish, especially raw shelf-fish, should be avoided during pregnancy because Listeria can be passed to an unborn baby through the placenta, even if the mother is not showing any signs of illness. This can lead to premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, and other serious health problems.
2. Ajinomoto MCGAjinomoto can majorly affect the development of the brain in the fetus. Hence, it is advised to avoid its consumption to a large extent to protect the growth of the baby.
3. Raw EggsRaw eggs (and foods cooked using raw eggs) may contain salmonella, a harmful bacterium that can lead to sickness and an increased risk of premature birth or stillbirth. Foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs are ice creams, poached eggs, mayonnaise, salad dressings, cake icing, etc. Pasteurized eggs can be used instead.
4. Unpasteurized Dairy ProductOne of the foods to avoid during pregnancy is food items which contain unpasteurized dairy can contain listeria and E. coli. Always check the label to make sure a product uses pasteurized milk. These infections can have life-threatening consequences for an unborn baby. To minimize the risk of infections, pregnant women are advised to consume only pasteurized milk, cheese, and fruit juice.
5. Unwashed veggiesTruly, you ought to eat a few servings of veggies every day (whether you are pregnant or not), having said which, if you are expecting, it’s important to ensure that your intake of vegetables is on the higher side. They need to be washed well to protect the body from Toxoplasmosis, a dangerous parasite that may linger on fruits and vegetables. Most infants who are infected with Toxoplasma while still in the womb have no symptoms at birth. However, symptoms such as blindness or intellectual disabilities may develop later in life.
6. Packaged fruits and vegetablePackaged – cut fruits and open salads are not safe for pregnant women. This is because these foods contain artificial additives and preservatives which increase their shelf-life but do not make them any healthy for consumption by pregnant women. It can have a direct negative impact on the baby’s health.
7. Avoid CaffeinePregnant women are generally advised to limit their caffeine intake to less than 200 mg per day, or about 2–3 cups of coffee. Many foods and drinks contain caffeine, not just coffee. If a pregnant mother consumes too much caffeine during her pregnancy, there is a raised risk of low birth weight, which can lead to health problems later on. There is also a higher risk of miscarriage.
8. AlcoholAlcohol consumption during pregnancy has been shown to have damaging effects on an unborn baby including facial defects, heart problems, low birth weight, and miscarriage or stillbirth. A fetus’s liver cannot process alcohol anywhere nearly as well as an adult’s can. Too much exposure to alcohol can seriously undermine the baby’s development.
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Proper food hygiene and preparation is always recommended, especially during pregnancy. For this reason, it’s best to avoid the foods on this list as much as possible. Share with us what foods you recommend to be avoided on mail@slurrpfarm.com
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