Foods to Eat When Pregnant
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You will probably never pay more attention to what you eat than when you are pregnant. Between trying to do the right thing and fight food cravings what you eat is a huge part of pregnancy. There are some things that should be a part of your pregnancy diet and some things that are better avoided. Use this handy guide to help you choose the best foods for you and baby.
Foods to Avoid
Caffeine
Though a little bit of caffeine probably isn’t all that bad, high doses of caffeine have been linked to miscarriages and preterm labor. That aside caffeine causes your body to not retain nutrients at the same level that it would in its absence.
Caffeine is also typically linked to sodas that are full of high fructose corn syrup which has been linked to mercury poisoning. In addition to this sodas, as well as many coffee drinks, are full of empty calories that offer no nutrition and do not adequately affect the “full tummy” sensors in your body and brain. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to gestational diabetes and diabetes in your unborn child.
Honey
Some forms of raw honey have been linked to botulism. Though this disease is fairly rare it can be pretty devastating on a developing fetus. There really is no need in taking the chance. For this same reason most honey comes with a warning label that it should not be fed to infants under one.
Fish
Fish from local sources that you know the mercury content of is usually fairly safe. Fish like shark and king mackerel have very high mercury contents on average and should always be avoided. You should also eat tuna in moderation. Maintaining a low mercury level during pregnancy is more important than any other time in your life because high instances of mercury can lead to brain defects in your child. Mercury is one of the leading alleged culprits in the autism epidemic. It should be avoided as much as possible.
Cold Meat
It is generally best to avoid cold meat. This is because of the risk of listeria, a food borne illness that can have a detrimental effect on a fetus. Listeria is especially present in cheap processed meats like lunch meat and hot dogs. Since these meats aren’t all that healthy and have also been linked to cancer they are probably best avoided. However, if you just have to have a hot dog or a ham sandwich, which is often the case in pregnancy heat it to steaming and you should be Ok. Warm ham and cheese sandwiches can actually be quite comforting.
Raw Milk and Cheese
Here is the deal with raw milk and cheese. It can give you toxoplasmosis which is very dangerous to developing babies. The thing is that if you have always had raw milk and cheese you have probably already contracted toxoplasmosis and developed immunity to it.
The same goes for cats, they often carry toxoplasmosis in their GI tract and so many women are afraid to change the litter box during pregnancy. If you’ve had cats for a long time, then you’ve probably already had toxoplasmosis. Wearing gloves when changing the litter and gardening can offer protection from these sources of the disease.
The real threat is that toxoplasmosis can have terrible affects on a fetus and hardly any effect on the mother. The truth is that you likely have already gotten immunity especially if you fit into one of the categories above. So when it comes to these things use your best judgment.
Good Choices
The foods you should eat are a little bit less tricky than the foods you shouldn’t. You need about 300 extra calories a day during pregnancy. You want to get those calories from good sources of protein and vitamins. Make sure you include a variety of fruits and vegetables daily and drink 6-8 glasses of water. A balanced diet and a good vitamin regiment should be all you need to worry about when it comes to eating right during pregnancy.
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