What a woman eats or doesn’t eat during pregnancy give impact on her and her baby’s health.
For optimum health, eat highly nutritious foods and stay clear of certain foods. Foods to avoid in pregnancy include raw and uncooked meat, raw and undercooked eggs, unpasteurized milk, some fish, deep-fried foods and sugary foods
It has been reported that unhealthy/Junk Foods, wine, smoking during pregnancy may lead cancer and impotency in the 3rd generation. Researchers have found that pregnant women –mothers taking unhealthy food can pass the legacy to their 2nd and 3rd generation child. Mostly, it has been found in girl’s child. It may lead to breast cancers, vaginal cancers and many more diseases. This can affect the health for generations to come. It has been observed that it all due to the junk food -diet raising levels of oestrogen, a hormone that fuels the growth of breast tumors.
What should be avoided?
Raw Eggs: Researchers have found it that egg is containing harmful salmonella bacteria. Thus it’s better to avoid during pregnancy. If you are non vegetarian and can’t avoid then it is suggested to eat only fully cooked (boiled)
Avoid unpasteurized milk and dairy products: Because unpasteurized milk and dairy product contain a bacterium that cause listerioses which may cause miscarriage or acute illness after delivery. Low fat milk and low fat dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese are rich in calcium and protein. Prefer pasteurized milk that kills micro organisms that caused tuberculosis and other diseases. The mother may transmit all above mentioned diseases to fetuses. Child should not be given either one till at-least up to age of one and half years.
Fish and Seafood: While fish and seafood are rich in protein, iron and omega-3 fatty acids are good for mother and it also helps in the baby’s brain development but there is also more chances of rising high mercury levels that can harm the baby’s nervous system. In fact, in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that pregnant women avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel.
However, the FDA says it’s alright to eat up to 12 ounces per week of fresh water fish salmon, Pollock and catfish but fully cooked.
Deep-fried Foods must be avoided. Fried chicken at fast food outlets often contains trans fat which increase bad cholesterol LDL and decrease the HDL. These foods also contain lots of additives harmful to both mother and baby. Salt is another ingredient overly used in deep-fried foods. Excessive salt in a pregnant woman’s body can increase blood pressure and lead to water retention.
Eating for two, does not mean eating twice as much when a woman becomes pregnant. Pregnancy is a time to make wise, healthy food choices for both mother and baby.
Foods such as cakes, chocolate and ice cream have no real nutritional values. As a woman’s nutrient requirements are much higher in pregnancy, eating foods with zero nutritional values serves no purpose at all. Pregnant women who crave something sweet should munch on fruits instead. These taste sweet and are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fiber – all essential nutrients in pregnancy.
Daily calorie chart:
• 3–4 portions of milk products,
• 2–3 portions of meat, fish or eggs,
• 3 portions of fruit, 4–5 portions of vegetables or greens
• 7–8 portions of cereals and legumes (a portion is defined as the amount of food that would be found on
an average plateful or the normal units of consumption of a food).
Milk products: Only pasteurized, good source of nutrients, whose intake should be increased during pregnancy. In particular, milk products are good sources of calcium and riboflavin.
Fat: Adequate supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially those such as docosahexaenoic, which can influence the formation of structures of the nervous system and retina of newborn infants, also useful in lubricating and thus augmenting easy labour.
Fruit and Vegetables: Fruits are an important source of vitamins and minerals. They provide antioxidants, especially vitamin C and b-carotenes, which are essential during pregnancy. One glass of fruit’s juice is must every day.
Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables is especially useful for hyper emesis during pregnancy,
these are foods with high nutrient densities and pregnant women should take as a minimum the
recommended 3–5 portions per day.
Cereals: provide important amounts of vitamin E, which plays an important role in the final success of
pregnancy. Women with low vitamin E levels more frequently have premature babies, with low birth-weight and at greater risk of hemolytic anemia.
Nuts and legumes are also important sources of zinc and magnesium, minerals often present in diets
below recommendations. Their deficit has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension and
other problems of gestation.
Drink 2 and ½ liter of water every day to flush out the toxic from the body.
Sleep for 7 hours…
Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk daily. And while you walk, smile…
