Category: Women’s Health

Pregnancy is most beautiful phase in a woman’s life; to facilitate a happy pregnancy woman’s need to careful with the food habits that need to be infused in your system at near the beginning stage. Desire for your favourite food during pregnancy is an absolutely usual thing.

All you need is just to have a habit of averting few foods that are posing the health risks for you and also to your baby.

Pregnant women are usually showered with the tons of well meant advice on what not to be eaten when they are pregnant, which will be later arising confusions for the pregnant mother. In such situations it is best for you to seek only experts advice, they are better sources to confirm you what is need to be added or minus from your regular diet.

Eating well balanced meals is very important at all times but it is even more essential when you are pregnant. There are essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that you are developing baby needs. Most of the foods are safe; conversely there are some of the foods that you have to avoid during the pregnancy.

Certain foods have to only be obsessive rarely, whereas others foods have to be avoided completely.

List of Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy:

1 Raw or Undercooked Eggs:

There are convinced ways of having your perfect egg during the pregnancy. Raw eggs, runny eggs and undercooked eggs are a big no, for the woman’s during pregnancy.

Some of the homemade desserts and also sauces such as chocolate mousse, mayonnaise, cakes etc foods are containing raw eggs that must be avoided as they may be contaminated with the salmonella bacteria causing vomiting and diarrhea. So this must be avoided by the woman’s during the pregnancy.

Note: The one and only way of having safe eggs are that, eggs should be cooked until the yolk are firm go for and become a well done omelette.

2 Unpasteurized Dairy Products:

Dairy Products raw milk and unpasteurized cheese can be containing an array of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella.

The same bacterium goes for unpasteurized juice, which is also prone to the bacterial infections. These harmful infections can all have a life threatening penalty for an unborn baby.

Pasteurization is the most effectual way to kill off any harmful bacteria, without altering the nutritional value of the products. To reduce the risk of the infections, pregnant women are advised to get through only pasteurized milk, fruit juice and cheese.

Note: Always drink fresh and boiled milk. The pasteurized milk label should be notice while the time of purchasing the dairy products such as paneer, ghee, ice cream etc. Milk without pasteurized is not healthy for the pregnant women.

3 Certain Seafood and Fish:

Not all type of fishes has to be avoided; only some types of the fishes should be avoided to stay away from any fetal damage possibilities and other difficulties.

Fish Containing Mercury: The consumption of mercury during the period of pregnancy can be leading to the brain damage and also to developmental delays. Therefore, it is advisable that not to take any fish that contains high levels of mercury.

Raw Shellfish: Shellfish that are undercooked like oysters, clams and mussels can be causing you majority of the sea borne illness. You can prevent some of the infections by cooking this raw shellfish, but it is not algae related infections. Hence, it is good to avoid shellfish during pregnancy.

Fishes Exposed to Pollutants: Avoid fish cultivated in contaminated rivers and lakes that are extremely uncovered to the polychlorinated biphenyls.

Smoked Seafood: chilled and smoked seafood with the labels such as jerky, lox, kippered or nova style should not be obsessive as they will be polluted with the Listeria bacteria.

Note: Fishes are very rich in Omega 3 fatty acid; if you cannot do without fish then you can go for the fresh water fishes.

4 Undercooked and Raw Meat:

Eating undercooked or raw meat will be increasing the risk of the infections from the numerous bacteria or parasites.

This is also including Salmonella, Listeria, Toxoplasma and E. coli; these bacteria may threaten the health of the unborn baby, and possibly primary leading to stillbirth or severe neurological illnesses and also including retardation, epilepsy and blindness.

Refrigerated meat such as goat, lamb, beef etc must be heated up to 73 degree Celsius. Same is for poultry such as ham, turkey, Chicken, geese and duck.

Note:  if all you need to get through meat, then make it sure that uncooked or beneath cooked. You have to wash the meat and poultry items very well before consuming it and one should be always prefer to eat meat at home only slightly than outside.

5 Unpasteurized Soft Cheese:

Just we listen the word Cheese; possibly for sure the watering will be taking place in our mouths. In pregnancy women must have to follow the diet rules. Unpasteurized soft cheese such as Brie, feta, queso fersco, camembert etc. Should be must avoided by the pregnant woman’s as they may be containing Listeria bacteria, that will be causing Listeriosis.  Premature birth or birth defects are common results for having these cheeses.

Note: if you want to eat cheese then you must have to use cheese which is made from the pasteurized milk. Firstly check the labels before purchasing any dairy products.

6 Raw Vegetable Sprouts:

We all know that sprouts are very good sources of proteins and minerals, but this are another food that is to be avoided when it is raw during the period of pregnancy.

Whenever the raw sprouts are taken they will harbour harmful bacteria and also some of the harmful viruses that can be causing you bad food poisoning.

Note: if you want consume the vegetable sprouts, you can consume it, but raw vegetable sprouts can be risk factor for the pregnant women, so fried sprouts or well cooked are better to consume and even they will be giving you good taste when they are cooked.

7 Excessive Caffeine Related Products:

Excessive caffeine is never good for your health and especially at the time of pregnancy it is not good for the health of baby and pregnant women both. During the period of pregnancy it will be acting as a diuretic and it is concurrent to low birth weight. Caffeine is often hidden in some of the products that you have never assumed, so it is very dangerous.

Moreover tea, chocolate and coffee, Caffeine is also a part of some of the energy drinks as well as cold and flu medications. If pregnant women are consuming more caffeine during the period of pregnancy then there will be higher risk of stillbirths, spontaneous abortions or fetal deaths.

Note: if you want to take caffeine then you must take it in a limit to a maximum of 200 ml or 2 cups of coffee in a day.

8 Nuts That Causes Allergies:

There are various kinds of the nuts that are available in the market, these various kinds of the nuts will be very good for your daily diet, breakfast or evening snacks. When you are consuming nuts during the period of pregnancy then it will causing you discretion.

Nuts are also one of the foods that should be avoided during the period of pregnancy, as the consumption of the nuts will be resulting in the swelling of the body parts.  Nuts can also cause you skin rashes and allergies on your body.

Note: Before including nuts in your pregnancy diet you must have to consult with your doctor on what kind of nuts should be included into your pregnancy diet.

9 Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables:

There are about 78% people eat or cook fruits and vegetables without first washing them with water. If any women do this during the pregnancy then, one should beware! First you have wash fruits and vegetables with fresh water and then you can consume.

The harmful pesticides in the fruits ad veggie skins which is containing Listeria and toxoplasma gondii parasite can cause considerable damage to the fetus. So before eating any fruits or vegetables, first it must be washed with fresh water.

Note: one should always wash the fruits and vegetables accurately, peel them and then you can take them in another separate clean utensil.

10 Canned Foods:

Generally canned foods are those foods which are packed and stored for a long period of time in the markets and these are completely not at all recommended during the period of pregnancy.

These are very harmful to the pregnant women’s because it is lining in the cans and often they are also containing Bisphenol A, this will be affecting the endocrine activities. Tinned foods might be too old and harbour harmful bacteria due to their extensive shelf life.

So avoid eating canned foods during the pregnancy it may cause food poisonings to both mother and baby.

Note:  in pregnancy you need not to go for the canned foods, fresh is better and always good for your health.

11 Leftovers:

If you are being pregnant then you should not be obsessive leftovers. Even if these foods are well stored in the refrigerator, there will some of the chances of attracting bacteria.

Unhealthy consumptions of the foods must be avoided during the special phase of the life that is pregnancy.

Note: in this special phase of your life you must eat fresh cooked foods. If it is required then you may need to heat the leftovers in a clean utensil.

12 Home Made Goodies:

If you are baking lover, well then you must avoid this during this special phase of your life. More specially in these 9 months of the pregnancy because if while the time of baking, if bread is left even to some extent raw, then it may attract harmful bacteria and your body may get in contact with some of the severe foods poisoning.

Note: always you should purchase baked treats form the well known bakeries, if you just can’t keep your hands off the baked treats.

13 Licorice:

Licorice or Mulethi is a familiar and it is one of the most harmless spices that will be used in many of the cuisines. Though in taking Licorice during the period of the pregnancy can be cause you the constructions of the uterine.

Note: during this special phase of your life it will best to avoid Licorice in all its forms.

14 Street Foods:

During the period of pregnancy you must avoid the foods that are made on the street stalls, roadside stalls fast foods. If you consume these unhygienic street foods during the pregnancy then it may be giving you Food poisoning, stomach upset and many other problems.

During pregnancy eating unhygienic foods can be not good for both mother and baby health. So you must avoid these street foods.

Note: if you like these street foods so much that you don’t want to avoid these, and then you must search foods recipes online and make these foods at home.

15 Artificial Sweeteners:

Generally artificial sweeteners are not well filtered by the placenta, so the artificial sweeteners should be not consumed by the pregnant women’s. If they consumed these artificial sweeteners then the pregnant women’s will be giving sugar to their unborn baby. It is better, not to consume the artificial sweeteners during the pregnancy.

Note: the substitution of the normal sugar to the artificial sugar is not good during the period of pregnancy.

16 Simple Carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates are just the simple fancy name of the ‘carbs’ like muffins and bread. They are not exactly harmful for the babies but the only thing is that, they can be causing you painful constipation.

So any simple carbohydrate foods which are made from the fine flour can be causing you painful constipation. Bread, pizza etc can cause you constipation. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided by the women’s during pregnancy.

Note: The pregnant women’s should avoid these foods as much as they can and they should be replacing these foods with the high fibre flour. The best carbs for the pregnant women’s during pregnancy are brown bread or whole grain carbs.