11 Things You Shouldn’t Eat During Pregnancy
Have you recently recieved the news of your pregnancy? A big congratulations. Most of your time will now be spent eagerly awaiting the arrival of your little one and giving into all your pregnancy food cravings. While it’s completely normal for any expectant mother to experience different kinds of food cravings, one thing should be kept in mind. Everything that you now eat will directly impact the health of your unborn child. In such a case, you have to ensure that you nourish yourself with the healthiest of foods.
However, many expectant mothers don’t have proper knowledge about the kinds of food they should and shouldn’t be consuming. They are bombarded with a list of do’s, and dont’s that it becomes confusing for them to make the right food decision. Here is a list of all the food items that you should not consume. It applies not only to the first month pregnancy food, but also to the subsequent months.
List of Foods to Avoid Eating During Pregnancy
It is normal for you to crave spicy food during pregnancy. Fortunately, it is perfectly okay to consume this type of food. You need to avoid the following food items.
Processed and raw meat
Caffeinated beverages
Unwashed fruits and vegetables
Alcoholic beverages
Raw sprouts
Junk foods
High-dose vitamin supplements
Unpasteurized dairy products
Herbal teas
Liquorice root
Mercury rich fish
1. Processed and Raw Meat
Raw and uncooked meat, Credit: Pixabay
Eating raw and processed meat will make you prone to bacterial infections. Bacterias like E.coli, salmonella, and toxoplasma will enter your body and will make you ill. It can also be threatning to the health of your unborn baby causing them severe learning disabilities, epilepsy, and blindness. Burgers, meat, poultry, etc. should not be consumed in its raw state. They should be cooked and grilled thoroughly.
2. Caffeinated Beverages
Woman holding a cup of coffee, Credit: Pixabay
Tea, coffee, and other caffeine rich drinks are hard to let go of, especially if your in a habit of drinking them regularly. But pregnant women should consume less than 200 mg of caffeine everyday. It is because caffeine passes easily into the placenta. Also, It cannot metabolize caffiene and its buildup harms the health of the baby. It will greatly hinder the proper growth of your baby.
3. Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables
Person showing unwashed blueberries, Credit: Pixabay
You should never eat unwashed fruits and vegetables. Their surface is covered with various kinds of bacteria which can easily pass into your placenta. Your infant can easily be infected with the toxoplasma bacteria and can develop various complications like blindness and learning disabilities.
4. Alcoholic Beverages
Woman drinking alcohol, Credit: Pixabay
Alcohol is very dangerous to the health of yur child. Drinking it during pregnancy can threaten the health of your child in various ways. From cognitive impairment to behavorial issues, your child will have to suffer from all kinds of health ailments after birth.
5. Raw Sprouts
Bowl of sprouts, Credit: Pixabay
Many people think that raw sprouts that include mung beans sprouts, clover, radish, etc. are healthy to eat. But they are contaminated with various bacterias that do not get washed away. Hence to keep yourself safe, you need to stay away from eating raw sprouts.
6. Junk Foods
Woman eating french fries, Credit: Pixabay
During your pregnancy you need to feed yourself with healthy food instead of empty calories. Your food should be rich in nutrients like iron, folate, colene, and protein. Stay away from processed and junk food that will only lead to weight gain and put you at a risk of health condition like diabetes, and other pregnancy related complications.
7. High-Dose Vitamin Supplements
Various vitamin supplements, Credit: Pixabay
You need to get adequate amount of various vitamins from a healthy diet. Take a vitamin supplement only if your diet lacks in it. Consuming high-doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, or vitamin B6 can be harmful to the health of your developing child. Prioritize a healthy diet instead of supplements.
8. Unpasteurised Dairy Products
Jugs of milk, Credit: Pixabay
Pasteurisation is the process of killing harmful bacteria that are naturally occurring in dairy products. Unpasteurised dairly products contain hazardous bacteria like Salmonella, and Listeria that can prove harmful for the developing fetus.
9. Herbal Teas
Woman holding a cup of herbal tea, Credit: Pixabay
You can drink 1-2 cups of herbal teas. But don’t drink more than that amount. It is because an excess of herbal teas can make your stomach upset and in some cases, menstrual bleeding too. Many herbal teas also contain some amounts of caffiene which can over time become harmful for the fetus.
10. Liquorice Root
Liquorice root tea, Credit: Pixabay
Consumption of liquorice root is linked to miscarriage and pre-term delivery. It can damage the placenta and the compund found in liquorice raises the chances of your stress hormone reaching your baby. So it’s best to avoid it throughout your pregnancy.
11. Mercury Rich Fish
after pregnancy food to avoid, Credit: Pixabay
Mercury is damaging to your nervous system, kidneys, and immune system. Fish like tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin contain high levels of mercury. It is highly damaging to your as well as your abby’s health. So avoid it all costs.
This was a list of all the foods that you should stay away from during your pregnancy. All these food items are not healthy for an average person also, but are particularly damaging for pregnant women. Your after pregnancy food should also be healthy to give you enough energy to help you take proper care of your young ones.
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