Forbidden foods during pregnancy!

A lot of my friends and clients' pregnancies happen to concide during this period. As a friend, it is only natural for me to live their experiences and share everything they are going through and then publish some of what I learnt on this blog. Starting with a few good tips on what not to eat during pregnancy can go a long way to acheiving a healthier lifestyle during all the stages of pregnancy and a healthy baby at the end of it. 

Pregnancy is a very delicate period in the life of a woman; after all, it’s the development of a new human being in her womb. For pregnancy to occur the healthy way, it requires the presence of certain foods and the absence of other. Below is a list of foods that shouldn’t be consumed during pregnancy:

Raw fish may contain the parasite Toxoplasma that can cause blindness and brain damage to the fetus.

Deep sea fish such as shark, grouper, swordfish, marlin and mackerel contain high levels of methylmercury. This metal can damage the brain during fetal development.

Raw eggs or lightly cooked can have salmonella. This bacterium can cause diarrhea and heavy vomiting which stresses the baby and may cause premature births;

Coffee: this drink may be consumed, but in controlled quantities (less than 2 cups per day). This restriction is due to the presence of caffeine, which may be responsible for the retardation of fetal development;

Unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses may be contaminated with Listeria bacteria, its presence in the mother can cause miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth or fatal disease of the newborn

Alcohol can prevent oxygen and essential nutrients from reaching your baby. This may occur because of the easy capacity of this liquid to pass through the placenta. The diseases in pregnancy related to alcohol consumption mainly comprise the fetal alcohol syndrome and mental retardation.

Aspartame: The use of sweeteners during pregnancy is dangerous because it is directly related to cancer and immunotoxicity.

Translated from this link: http://www.vidasaudeebeleza.com.br/category/alimentacao-nutricao/

I already mentioned this in a previous blog article and I want to stress on my stance once again: I am against fried foods, trans fats food sources and excess sugary foods and drinks during pregnancy!

To all pregnant woman: May you have a healthy and easy pregnancy !

Samia Khoury Dietitian