Unsafe foods to avoid during pregnancy

I had listed a few foods to avoid during pregnancy in my previous post, now i'll add more unsafe foods...

Here we go:

Raw or undercooked meat- due to the risk of infested bacteria known as salmonella. By consuming raw meats a pregnant woman may suffer from nausea and diarrhea and most importantly may lead to severe complications putting the baby's life at risk, as the complications could result in miscarriages or pre-term births. Other foods in this category to be avoided are sushi, raw sea-food like shellfish, hot dogs, deli meats, poultry, pork, raw eggs because of the risk of being contaminated with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

Fish high in mercury- Seafood like shark, Swordfish, king mackerel, Tilefish should be avoided as they contain accumulated high levels of mercury in their tissues which is harmful to the baby, and may cause neurological damages and other developmental problems.

Soft Cheese- Feta, Gorgonzola, Queso Blanco, Queso Fresco, Brie and Camembert, contain listeria, a potential bacteria, which may lead to food poisoning or miscarriages.

Caffeine and Alcohol- Caffeine consumption should be strictly avoided or cautiously consumed as it is known to put a pregnant women to a miscarriage risk, or result in pre-term births. Alcohol consumption can result in miscarriages and premature birth too, along with low birth weight or learning disabilities of the born child, thus should be strictly avoided too.

Extra tips-
Hot dogs can be eaten if they are steamed well.

Eat safely :)

What are pregnancy cravings and 3 ways to substitute them

It is said that almost every expectant mother has a craving for one or two foods during her pregnancy. A pregnant women craving for ice-creams, pizzas or cheese fillings during the mid of the night or early dawn don't seem rational, isn't it? But you got to live with one to believe the fact!

First understand why the cravings take place:

These yearnings are just a part of carrying a baby in your womb. It is stated that the taste or smell of the mother to be is linked through the powerful impact of the hormonal changes in the body, and that cravings vary from person to person.

Some experts have their say on what the cravings could indicate:

Iron deficiency - cigar butts, laundry starch, ice, mud are some of the carvings which surprisingly don't even contain significant amounts of iron. Ice is consumed a lot by women, as reported.

Vitamin B shortage - chocolate!

Protein - red meat.

Some say, the body just responds to nutritional requirements, while some deny it. Yet one shouldn't neglect the body's cravings and try substituting the healthy ones to the non-healthy ones.

3 ways to keep cravings in check:

Start your day with a healthy breakfast consisting of a toast with jam, fresh fruits, a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice and yogurt.

Exercising can help you go easy on your hunger and distract your cravings.

Remember if you are depressed, you turn to food, and this could instigate the cravings of pregnant-hood. Gain yourself some emotional support where you would feel loved and cared for and this will help to keep mood swings in check.

A few more posts, and then i'll elaborate the different types of usual and unusual, food and non-food cravings, including some added substitutes.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy and why it is harmful

During our pregnancy, we sometimes get confused as to which foods should be consumed and which are the ones we should restrict ourselves to. This list should come to good use for moms not aware of the certain culprit foods which should be avoided and why.

Firstly, understand why certain foods should be avoided:
The complications are even more now as your body changes and your immune system, now make you more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses. The foods which caused you tender illness when you weren't pregnant could mean higher risk and the chances of miscarriages to dehydration and other complications..

Eggs: foods which contain completely cooked eggs have less or no risk at all. Foods which have either the yellow or white half-cooked or raw make their way into the risk list, because raw eggs may be tainted with a bacterium called salmonella and the intake of foods like egg-nog, raw cookie dough, etc.. could cause your tummy a diarrhea, or a fever and vomiting.

Fish: fish which contain the omega-3 fatty acids are fine to consume because it helps in the development of your baby’s brain. Fishes that contain high levels of methyl-mercury, a pollutant that can affect baby's nervous system should be avoided. For e.g. the swordfish, shark, and tile fish or any species which live for longer span of life because of the accumulated mercury in their bodies. You can limit your intake of fish at all costs because most species contain traces of mercury that can be harmful to the fetus.

Sushi: sushi may contain illness-inducing inducing parasites which is not safe while you're pregnant.

Unpasteurized Juice: while some brands of milk and juices sold at the stores are pasteurized, some may not. It would be a good to read the labels before you purchase them. Juices sold at the farms may not be pasteurized.

Note: Pasteurization is a process that helps kill the bacteria and toxins.

Banana and orange recipe for pregnant moms

Spiced Banana Orange Smoothie

Serves: 2

The ginger gives this smoothie a kick.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large seedless orange, peeled and sliced
2 cups plain or vanilla-flavored soy milk
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
3 or 4 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. Cover and blend on high speed for 15 seconds or until smooth.
2. Add ice cubes, cover and blend for 15 seconds more or until well blended.
3. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 288
Fat: 5.2 g
Carbohydrates: 37.3 g
Protein: 12.5 g