Having a pregnancy food plan in place is critical to both your health and that of your growing baby. Knowing which foods to avoid (or severely limit) during pregnancy is especially important. It's a time in a woman's life when she should be especially careful to protect her developing baby. Some pregnancy food no-no's are obvious, like alcohol, but others may come as surprise.
1. Junk Foods
It will be challenging to find the time to burn off those extra dead calories. Plus they are full of detrimental ?non-foods? that are bad for you and your baby.
Junk food includes the usual suspects: fried foods, margarines, soft drinks, sweets, anything made with white flour (crackers, cookies, bread, cereals), and most boxed foods. They contain synthetic vitamin A which is toxic and best avoided while pregnant.
Do the ?ingredient list test? - how long is the list, and how many words look like something out of a chemistry text book?
2. Caffeine
It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to no more than 200mg per day for your optimal pregnancy food plan.
It reduces iron absorption, interferes with a normal fetal growth, is associated with lower birth weight and an increased risk of miscarriage.
3. Alcohol
I'm sure it's not a big surprise to avoid alcohol while pregnant. It negatively affects the developing fetus. Avoid during pregnancy-enough said.
4. Trans fats
Trans-fats inhibit the conversion of fatty acids needed for fetal brain growth and decrease the fat content of breast milk. Also, it's been found to decrease sperm count.
Do not trust the labels that claim products are trans fat free. If a food has a half a gram or less per serving then it can be labeled ?trans free?. No big deal? Well, The Institute of Medicine even stated there is no safe intake level for trans fats.
It's not good for you and it's not good for a developing baby. If the ingredient list has the words ?partially hydrogenated? it's got trans fat and should not be part of your pregnancy food plan.
5. Artificial and refined sweeteners
Artificial and refined sweeteners are a source of empty calories and a great way to gain too much weight. They also can negatively affect your baby's ability to regulate blood sugar.
Artificial and refined sweeteners can increase your cravings for sugar (causing too much weight gain). So, the more you eat, the more you want to eat and this increases the demands on your body's insulin production (pathway to diabetes).
A study out of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio that suggests that the more diet sodas a person drinks, the more likely they'll become fat.
There's all kind of information out there about how nasty artificial sweeteners are for you. It is a neurological toxin and can cause headaches and even seizures. Just say NO! Stick to drinking water (filtered is preferred), mineral water or lacto-fermented beverages only.
6. Commercial fried foods
It's no big surprise that fried foods are not good for you pregnancy food plan. You are just consuming extra calories without any nutrient benefits. They are also full of trans fat.
7. Food additives
Food additives (such as MSG) are neurotoxins (bad for the nervous system). I find it rather scary that a study found brain lesions on developing embryos associated with MSG intake.
MSG may appear in the ingredient list as: hydrolyzed protein, calcium caseinate, sodium casinate, textured protein, citric acid, soy foods, malt flavorings, flavorings, and natural flavorings ? so check your labels! Seasonings all usually contain MSG.
8. Soy
Soy food is a highly processed and refined food. It is also full of things that will block you and your developing baby from absorbing nutrients such as zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium. Consuming it also increases the mothers need for vitamin D
Soy also contains phytoestrogens (means plant estrogen) which can negatively impact the fetal development of the reproductive organs and the brain.
In recap the eight foods to eliminate from your pregnancy food plan are-
Few people eating their morning oatmeal or digging into their lunchtime sandwich give a thought to the vitamins and minerals they’re about to absorb. But every food we eat contains some of these essential elements so vital to sustaining our health and life. During pregnancy, their mission becomes even more important, as they fuel the needs of two bodies. Expectant mothers need to take in more of these vitamins and minerals than ever before. Although prenatal vitamins can be a good source, expectant mothers can benefit even more from the foods they choose. Pregnancy food refers to those foods which contain the vitamins and minerals an expectant mother will have most need of during her pregnancy.
Here you will find a short list of vitamins and minerals most commonly in demand during pregnancy, and the foods you will find them in. True pregnancy food;
Vitamin A Broccoli, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, oatmeal and whole grains, cantaloupe, apricots, and dairy products are high in vitamin A. Truly deserving to be called pregnancy food. Unlike supplements, you can’t get too much vitamin A from your diet.
B Vitamins Meat and dairy are good sources of a wide variety of B vitamins. Vegetarian sources include oatmeal and whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, brown rice, potatoes and tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, leafy green vegetables. Also, most fruits are included. And avocados, bananas, oranges and grapefruits are a good source of folic acid as well. Good pregnancy food, all of them.
Vitamin C and E While the importance of vitamin C and E can not be overstressed, nature is efficient, and you will generally get what you need from those groups listed above. Don’t count out nuts and seeds as a good pregnancy food; they are an excellent source of vitamin E and essential fats.
Vitamin D Get some sun. You may not particularly feel like it at this time but try to get a little sun each day, weather permitting. Your body will take care of the rest. You can also find D in fortified skim milk, egg yolks, and sardines. More about fish as pregnancy food, in a minute.
Calcium Almonds, dried figs, broccoli, sardines and canned salmon with the bones are good sources of calcium.
Iron and Zinc Eating dark meat turkey or beef can be a good source of both iron and zinc. Oatmeal contains both as well.
Fish as Pregnancy Food- The Good and the Bad Eating fish, especially oil rich varieties such as salmon, trout, and sardines is good for you, especially during pregnancy. The oils in fatty fish contain particular omega3 fatty acids not found naturally in other foods that are essential pregnancy food for the healthy development of brain, retina, and nervous tissue of your child. Omega3’s must be obtained from foods because the body cannot make them from other fats.
Although fish is a pregnancy food must, it may contain contaminants such as mercury, among others, that are harmful to your developing baby. The thing to know here is that the larger varieties of fish are the ones carrying the highest contents of mercury. If you stick to salmon, farmed trout, herring and sardines, you are generally safe although you want to eat these in moderation. Twice, maybe three times a week at most. You may also enjoy shellfish if you desire. They are known to be low in contaminants, but they offer less omega3 as well.
Remember to eat small and often, this will keep your blood sugar levels steady. If you need to cheat on your diet to stay sane, try to keep it down to one day out of the week. Stick to the right pregnancy food and receive a healthy, happy child. And don’t forget, it will make it that much easier to get back into shape after delivery.
Both C & John Franco are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
C has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Recreation and Sports and Pregnancy Problems. Michelle Ladd and Laura Flynn are your Fit & Healthy Pregnancy Coaches with over 24 years experience empowering women to make healthy choices and regain the joy of being pregnant. Not to mention reclaiming your pre-baby body as well. Visit. C's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
John Franco has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Hair Care and Pregnancy. Copyright 2008 John Franco. John Franco has been directly involved in the Health and Fitness Industry for close to thirty years. To understand the why of . John Franco's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.