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-

1. Junk foods

2. Caffeine

3. Alcohol

4. Trans fat

5. Artificial and refined sweeteners

6. Commercial fried foods

7. Food additives

8. Soy