What not to eat when pregnant: Foods to avoid while pregnant

When you are pregnant you are eating for two: you and your unborn baby. Everything you consume, passes into the placenta, so your unborn baby gets it too. And apart from knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know what NOT to eat during pregnancy.

While some of the foods and substances to avoid are quite obvious, such as alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, you may be surprised when you go through the list below. The list includes not just alcohol, caffeinated drinks and junk foods, but also some fish, herbal teas, and cheeses.

Even after the pregnancy ends, and you are breastfeeding, you should stay away from the foods listed below. It is best if at least 60% or more of our nutrition comes from fresh fruits and vegetables - eaten RAW! And ideally, you should stay on the heathy diet forever!

1. Junk food and fast food. This includes fried foods, chips, sweets, most packaged foods, and energy drinks. First of all they contain lots of empty calories, that will add to your weight gain without giving you any benefit in return, and second of all, they contain many detrimental non-food ingredients which may cause serious damage to your baby. For example, almost all of the fast food contain some amount of synthetic vitamin A, which is highly toxic in nature, and if you read energy drink ingredients, you will find that they contain many items that have not been confirmed to be safe for consumption during pregnancy.
2. Caffeine. It is best to avoid drinking coffee, regular tea and drinks containing caffeine. Caffeine is responsible for increased blood pressure, and reducing the iron absorption capacity of the body, as a result of which normal fetal growth is interfered, causing lower birth weight. There is also an increased risk of miscarriage associated with high intake of caffeine during pregnancy.
3. Herbal teas and supplements. Despite the popular opinion that herbs are harmless and can be safely consumed by anyone, they are not! Certain herbs have been associated with the preterm labor and miscarriage. Even herbal teas should be avoided, because we don't know what effects they might have on an unborn baby. It’s best to stick to drinking water, freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices (check out some of these best juicer recipes), or some decaffeinated tea.
4. Alcohol. This is no-brainer. Every time you drink a beer or a glass of wine, alcohol passes right into the placenta, so your baby is drinking with you. Significant prenatal exposure to alcohol can lead to a condition known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which can impair your baby's development and may also result in permanent brain damage.

• Fish that have high methylmercury levels. Generally, fish are a good nutritional choice during pregnancy, as fish are low in fat and high in essential Omega-3 fatty acids. However, fish such as shark, swordfish, tuna, and king mackerel are high in mercury and should be avoided. Even women who are trying to get pregnant (see my hub about how to get pregnant fast) should avoid these fish, because mercury can stay in the bloodstream for a year or more after it is consumed.
• Raw or undercooked seafood, meat, and eggs. Sorry, no juicy raw steak for you, no raw fish sushi, and no raw oyster bar! These foods can contain salmonella and other dangerous bacteria. Normally, our immune system can deal with these bacteria; but for a pregnant woman, they can lead to miscarriage, or premature delivery. So, all fish and meats should be stored in the freezer or refrigerator to avoid contamination, and cooked until an internal thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or 145 for steaks, veal, and lamb. When cooking eggs, make sure the whites and yolks are firm. Also avoid foods that contain raw eggs, such as Caesar salad dressing.
• Deli meats. Deli meats can be contaminated with Listeria causing bacteria, which can cause a potentially deadly infection that can cross to the placenta. Heating the meat before eating it will kill the bacteria, but it’s still best to avoid lunchmeats because they contain various preservatives, such as sodium nitrates, which may have a link to stomach cancer.
• Soft cheeses and unpasteurized milk. Although these days most milk products and cheeses are pasteurized, some soft cheeses such as brie, feta, gorgonzola, and Camembert, can be unpasteurized and may contain Listeria causing bacteria.
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables, and raw vegetable sprouts. Washing fruits and vegetables before eating them is always a good idea, but it's especially important during pregnancy. A good scrub with warm water and/or soap will kill off most bacteria. It’s best to also avoid eating at salad bars and raw vegetable sprouts (such as alfalfa, clover, and radish), as they can also carry Listeria causing bacteria.

Okay, so now you know some of the highly hazardous foods, and can stay away from all of them. You may get started by preparing a list of the foods you currently consume and which fall into the above categories and practice staying away from them, not just until the end of your pregnancy, but until you stop breastfeeding, or – better yet – forever.

• Also, read my hub about healthy juicing recipes and dangers of energy drinks ingredients.
• Start drinking juices and green smoothies. Get yourself a juicer, for example, a Breville juicer is an excellent choice. For smoothies, try a Vita Mix blender, or any blender will do. Drinking green smoothies is an excellent way to stop sugar cravings, as well as craving other unhealthy foods!
• Try a hypnosis program for pregnancy and birth. I highly recommend Hypnobabies. Hypnosis can have many applications, for example, after birth you may try a hypnosis to lose weight program.
• What you and your baby eat has a profound effect on your health. Read my son's story Eczema in Babies and Toddler Eczema: My Son's Story of Treatment for Baby Eczema.
• If you wish to listen to your baby's heartbeat starting from as early as 8-10 weeks - learn about buying or renting a baby heartbeat monitor to listen to your unborn baby's sounds.