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What Not to Eat During Pregnancy? Foods That Can Harm You
06.04.2023 03:30
Updated: 15.04.2023 02:56
Pregnancy is a special period in a woman's life, requiring her to take good care of herself. The development of the fetus occurs correctly only if the expectant mother is healthy.
It is important to ensure that you are getting enough calories and a balanced diet. Knowing what not to eat during pregnancy will help you with this.
What you shouldn't eat during pregnancy
A pregnant woman's diet should be planned carefully so that each product provides a lot of nutrients.
Proper nutrition should be a priority for expectant mothers, especially since this is a very stressful condition for the body. You should not further harm yourself with improper nutrition, so find out what you should not eat during pregnancy.
1. During pregnancy, you should avoid highly processed foods. This includes fast foods such as hamburgers, French fries, or chicken from popular fast food restaurants, as well as ready-made meals sold in grocery stores.
Such products have low nutritional value, are high in calories and salt, which in excess is harmful to health and can increase the blood pressure of the expectant mother.
2. Sweets and sweetened fizzy drinks are another category of foods that should be limited during pregnancy for the same reasons.
They should be replaced with healthier alternatives that provide the body with healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates, rather than empty calories.
3. Another category of foods that you should not eat during pregnancy is raw meat and eggs.
These products may contain dangerous salmonella or listeria bacteria, which is especially dangerous for pregnant women.
The same applies to unpasteurized milk and blue cheeses.
Listeria can also be present in soft cheeses such as feta or Camembert, so they should be strictly avoided during pregnancy. The listeria bacteria can cause very severe gastrointestinal reactions, which are dangerous for both mother and fetus.
What other foods should you avoid during pregnancy?
- Seafood should also be avoided during pregnancy, as it can cause unpleasant diseases. It is also recommended to refrain from smoked foods, unwashed vegetables and fruits, raw fish, highly processed foods rich in preservatives and synthetic sweeteners, as their effect on fetal development has not yet been fully studied.
- In addition, during pregnancy, it is worth limiting the consumption of coffee and other drinks containing caffeine, such as green tea. Doctors recommend drinking no more than two cups of such drinks per day during pregnancy, preferably in the form of weak coffee with milk or weak tea.
- It is very important to completely avoid alcohol and cigarettes during pregnancy. Cigarettes can worsen the condition of the fetus and lead to premature birth or defects later in the child's life. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.
Its consequences can include delayed fetal growth, low birth weight, and abnormal development of organs, including the brain. Even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can contribute to the development of FAS, so it is necessary to exclude alcoholic beverages from the diet during this period.
How to plan a diet during pregnancy
Having found out what you can’t eat during pregnancy, you can move on to creating a suitable menu. The diet of a pregnant woman should be rich in minerals and vitamins, as well as complete protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.
It is recommended to eat lean meat, plenty of vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts, healthy cereals and other unprocessed foods. Thanks to a balanced diet, expectant mothers will be able to calmly bear and give birth to a healthy, strong child.
