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Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy
Beverley Brooke
Many women have questions about the types of food that are safe
to eat during pregnancy. It is actually easier to discuss the
types of foods you should avoid during pregnancy than it is do
discuss the foods that are safe to eat.
There's a lot of food to avoid during pregnancy because they may
be harmful to you or your developing baby.
Food To Avoid During Pregnancy
Deli and Processed Sandwich Meats – these meats might be
contaminated with Listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria that
can result in miscarriage or even a stillbirth. While listeria is
relatively harmless to most ordinary people, it can be life
threatening for your unborn baby. Pregnant women are more
susceptible to listeria because of their lowered immune system.
If you want to eat deli meats, be sure that you cook them until
they are steaming hot, which will help kill any bacteria that
might be present.
Raw meats – much lie deli meats, raw meats should be avoided
because they can carry bacteria that are harmful for both mother
and baby.
Certain types of fish – while most fish is healthy, there are
certain kinds of fish that contain high levels of mercury, which
is harmful for your unborn baby’s brain. Consuming too much
mercury during pregnancy can result in developmental problems and
even brain damage. The types of fish that contain the highest
levels of mercury include: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tuna,
sea bass and tilefish.
Raw eggs – like raw meat, raw eggs have the potential to carry
bacteria, particularly salmonella. Believe it or not raw eggs are
in a number of various products including some forms of Caesar
dressing, mayonnaise and even ice cream. If you are uncertain
about whether or not something you are eating contains raw eggs,
avoid it unless you can find out for certain whether or not it is
harmful.
Unpasteurized soft cheeses – some chesses that are imported also
have the potential to carry life threatening Listeria if they are
not pasteurized. The most common types of cheese that carry this
risk include certain forms of Brie, Camembert, feta, Gorgonzola
and Mexican cheeses like queso. If these cheeses are pasteurized
however they should be safe to consume.
Unpasteurized milk or juices – remember that any type of milk
product or juice that has not been pasteurized has the potential
to carry Listeria and other bacteria that may be harmful for you
and your baby during pregnancy.
You should also avoid alcohol during your pregnancy. There is no
known safe amount of alcohol that can be recommended during
pregnancy. There are numerous fetal abnormalities and birth
defects as well as developmental problems that have been
associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Alcohol should also
be minimized or avoided during breastfeeding, because it can pass
through the breast milk.
Beverley Brooke, author of "Ensure a healthy safe pregnancy for
you and your baby", visit
http://www.pregnancy-weight-loss.com
for more on pregnancy health issues.
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