While it is important to learn what healthy eating is while pregnant it is also important to know what foods to avoid when pregnant. There are a lot of myths out there surrounding foods and what they can do to the baby. Here we are going to offer some straight talk about what foods you should do your best to stay away from while you are pregnant and explain what proper pregnancy nutrition is.
Lets deal with alcohol first. While in the "old days" mom's smoked and drank because they didn't know better... today science has clearly shown the severe impact alcohol has on babies in uteuro. If you have any doubt about the impact alcohol will have on your baby, visit a child that was born with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Junk food is another food to avoid when pregnant. While you may have a craving for a bag of potato chips in the middle of the night, try and remember what proper pregnancy nutrition is and eat only a few. If you can, it is best to avoid junk food. It is filled with dead calories that are only going to pack on the pounds and not offer the baby anything nutritional. What are junk foods exactly? Fried foods, fast food, foods that have been processed (anything in a can or a plastic package) as well as sweets and anything made with white flour.
Caffeine is another biggie. It may be difficult to give up that cup of coffee in the morning, but you should really limit the amount of caffeine you consume when pregnant. Some studies have linked caffeine to miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. Pregnancy nutrition options include caffeine-free teas as an alternative.
Other foods to avoid when pregnant include trans fats. Trans fats interfere with the way the baby's brain develops, and decrease the amount of fat in breast milk, fat that is needed by the baby when the baby is nursing. Interesting enough, trans fat also have been found to lower sperm counts. Don't believe food labels. If a product has a half gram or less of trans fat per serving then legally they can label the food as trans fat free. You might think that less than one gram is okay, but the Institute of Medicine has released research stating that there aren't any safe levels of trans fats. How do you recognise trans fat in the ingredients list? If it says "partially hydrogenated" it has trans fat in it.
Artificial sweeteners such as saccharine and aspartame are also foods that should be avoided when you are pregnant. They are simply empty calories that add unhealthy weight to you while pregnant. For the baby the artificial sweeteners cause a problem with blood sugar regulation and can lead to diabetes.
Soy, believe it or not, is another food to avoid when pregnant, the reason being that it is one of the most highly processed and refined foods on the market. It can reduce fertility and thyroid function, and prevent both mother and baby from absorbing the nutrients they need.
Take the time to learn about pregnancy nutrition and the foods to avoid when pregnant. This knowledge is important not only to your health, but to the health and development of your growing baby.
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