Thursday, November 10, 2011

pregnancy, pregnancy symptom

Pregnancy Food No Nos

Deferred Gastronomical Delights: Foods to Avoid in Your Pregnancy

Many women swear by some sort of predilection towards certain foods during their pregnancy—a craving of sorts, for particular food items that they would not normally crave for on a random day. However, while husbands may be eager to please, and you, as a pregnant woman, may be all too willing to indulge to your heart’s content, it is important to realize that your pregnancy equates to a necessity to take into consideration any and all substances taken into the body. During pregnancy, your baby shares in the food, beverages, or whatever else you intake, and as such may be susceptible to harm that will not manifest themselves to you. Therefore, it is important to take note of some important foods that must be avoided during pregnancy, as advised by various health experts and even the Food and Drug Authority (FDA).

Fish—While there are health benefits to be derived in the consumption of fish, pregnant women must stay away from certain fish varieties, particularly those with high mercury content. These would include fishes like mackarel, shark, and swordfish. Light tuna is to be preferred over your regular tuna because of the fact that regular white tuna is known to contain more mercury than the canned light varieties. However, you may still enjoy fish like salmon and catfish, and seafood like shrimp weekly, because these contain much lower mercury levels than the previously mentioned ones.

Exposure to high mercury levels may cause your infant to have slower developmental growth than others.

Dairy products—During your pregnancy, it may be wise to steer clear of soft cheeses, which include brie, camembert, and feta, among others, as well milk that has not been pasteurized. Eating these particular dairy products will make you prone to a disease called Listeriosis. Listeriosis, caused by the listeria bacteria present in uncooked dairy products, may lead to the baby becoming stillborn or miscarried.

Undercooked meat—Sure, you may be the biggest fan of rare or medium rare steak cuts, but undercooked meat, fish and poultry are a big no-no during your pregnancy. Like the abovementioned uncooked dairy products, these undercooked or uncooked meat may contain the same listeria bacteria of which your baby may be susceptible to. Moreover, undercooked or uncooked meat may contain various bacteria that as an adult you may be able to overcome, but to a baby in a womb may be highly detrimental, and even lethal.

Canned meats—This is another potential carrier of that food-poisoning disease Listeriosis. Steer clear of these canned meats if you can, because as has been mentioned, pregnant women like you are more susceptible to this ailment than other people.

Raw sprouts or vegetables—Like other natural foods, these yummy greens are bound to give you the benefit of huge volumes of vitamins when eaten in their most natural form: raw. However, because you are pregnant and thus carrying a very delicate baby, it is a rather tough risk to take when you eat these raw greens and sprouts. These sprouts and vegetables may be home to various organisms like Salmonella or E.coli, which even for adults in top shape may cause diarrhea, nausea, or other digestion-related ailments for weeks. Imagine this sort of harm magnified in your fragile body in your pregnancy! Should you get infected with the two aforementioned bacteria, there is a great probability that you will pass this on to your baby, who may experience diarrhea and even meningitis after birth.

Liver—Liver is an excellent source of protein and minerals; however it poses one great threat to pregnant women like you—it may contain too much of Vitamin A. Excessive intake of Vitamin A has been proven to cause fetal or birth defects to the baby.
There is a variety of food that you may still enjoy in you pregnancy. However, to stay on the safe side, it may be wise to avoid the various foods listed above. Should you want to eat a particular food but are doubtful of its safety or appropriateness to your pregnancy, you may first check with your doctor or your nutritionist. After all, the safety and wellness of your baby is of utmost importance at this time.

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