Do You Know The Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy?

Do You Know The Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy?

By:


In this day and age, it is an unfortunate fact that the majority of foods on our supermarket and kitchen shelves are compromised when it comes to their nutritional value, and can be considered foods to avoid during pregnancy. There are a number of reasons for this, the main one being the dominance of the supermarket chains and their focus on profit above quality of produce. Therefore as consumers, we have a responsibility to ourselves to become more vigilant in what we eat, and this is especially true for the expectant mother, as she now eats for two, and the types and quality of food that she consumes has a direct impact on the healthy development, or otherwise, of her unborn child.

A healthy nutritious pregnancy diet will generally consist of wholesome natural foods, that will provide all the essential vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and folic acid, that will ensure the best chance of a healthy fully developed baby. Such a diet will usually be supplemented with prenatal vitamins, as prescribed by your doctor. However, be aware that these vitamins are to be taken as part of a good pregnancy diet, not as a substitute for it. If an expectant mum has a poor pregnancy diet, there are increased possibilities of disabilities, low birth weight, miscarriage and mortality.

Certain foods to avoid during pregnancy are plain common sense. Consider fried foods. We all know that these types of foods are not good for us so it's common sense that they're not going to be good for our baby. Fried foods are full of trans fats which are detrimental to the development of the fetus. Trans fats are actually found in lots of foods and they inhibit the conversion of fatty acids such as omega 3 which are essential for foetal brain growth. Trans fats also decrease the content of breast milk. Watch the food ingredients of what you eat, if an ingredient has "partially hydrogenated" in it, chances are it has trans fats in it and avoid it.

Junk food can be defined as fast foods, fried foods, soft drinks, sweets and processed foods. These foods are low in nutritional value and most likely are high in artificial preservatives and processed sugars and are best avoided as they will be of no benefit to you or your developing baby.

Alcohol has to be top of your list of foods to avoid during pregnancy if you are serious about the healthy development of your baby. Alcohol abuse leads to birth defects such as developmental disorders, disabilities and behavioural abnormalities. So don't take a chance, stay away from alcohol for the duration of your pregnancy.

Caffeine is also a pregnancy food to avoid. Some studies have linked caffeine to miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. Caffeine is also a diuretic which means that it helps to expel fluids from the body. This can lead to dehydration and calcium loss and is to be avoided.

By getting to know the foods to avoid during pregnancy, you can dramatically improve your chances of delivering a happy healthy child. Isn't this what every expectant mother wants?

About the Author:
Get to know the right foods to avoid during pregnancy.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , , , , , , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Health Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.