Eating healthy should always be a priority, however it is even more so important when you are pregnant. You need to provide your body the proper vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are crucial for your developing baby.
The list of foods that you shouldn’t eat during pregnancy is not all that extensive, a lot of it is just common sense. With that said, here are 7 foods that you should definitely avoid during your pregnancy:
- Raw Meat – Uncooked meat should be avoided due to the potential risk of contamination from various bacteria and salmonella.
- Certain Fish -Fish that contains significant levels of mercury should be avoided during pregnancy as it has been linked to brain damage & developmental issues.
- Raw Shellfish – Raw Shellfish always poses a risk and is never really recommended, the potential risk of algae-related infections is a serious concern.
- Unpasteurized Milk – Milk that is unpasteurized may contain listeria, a bacteria that causes food poisoning.
- Unwashed Vegetables – Vegetables are actually recommended and should be a part of everyone’s daily diet, the risk comes from unwashed veggies and exposure to toxoplasmosis.
- Canned Foods – The lining in cans usually contains BPA which can negatively affect fetal endocrine activity. The other risk is bacteria since canned foods are usually stored for a long time.
- Artificial Sweeteners – Substituting natural sugar with artificial sweeteners is a bad idea for numerous reasons. Your best bet is to sweeten things up with some Stevia.
It’s important to be mindful of what you put in your body during pregnancy, you’re not just eating for yourself, you have to keep in mind that your developing baby needs the proper nutrients and minerals, everything you put in your body can make its way to the fetus. You should consult with your physician and even a registered dietitian that specializes in pregnancy nutrition to make sure that you are not putting your baby at risk by eating the wrong things.
References:
http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/foods-to-avoid-during-pregnancy/
http://www.momjunction.com/articles/foods-definitely-avoid-pregnancy_0022296/
http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/photo-gallery/foods-to-avoid-during-pregnancy.aspx
John Mil is a contributor at Nutrition Fox, a nutrition/health information website. You can follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook