What You Should Eat What You Should Not Eat During
Pregnancy
From the minute you find out you
are pregnant most moms-to-be have a number of questions relating to pregnancy
nutrition. What foods you should be eating and which foods should you be
avoiding as the next nine months progress. Some foods are even better completely
avoided. Then there is all those old
wives’ tales to sort through and figure out truth from fiction. Let’s try to
simplify things at least a little for you in this article.
Sugar
and Artificial Sweeteners
When you are pregnant, you should try to avoid, even
better cut
out, sugar and artificial sweetener from your diet. Don’t
make the
mistake of replacing sugar with Sucralose, aspartame or
other
artificial sweeteners, which are potent chemicals with
questionable health concerns. In fact, there affect on
the fetus
is not yet established and there is a belief they could
pose a
health risk to your baby.
Sugar is responsible for a number
of pregnancy concerns but the most worrisome is the fast release of insulin in
your body. This can result in your pancreas falling short of being able to do
its job properly, which in turn leads to an increase in blood sugar levels in
the body.
Even if you don’t suffer from high
blood pressure or gestational diabetes, if you have a high blood sugar, it can
lead to birth complications, a very large baby causing labor problems, and
excessive weight gain. If you must use sugar or you want to satisfy a sweet
tooth look for raw honey, agave syrup, stevia, etc.
Caffeine
Since caffeine stimulates the nervous system, it is important
to
cut your caffeine intake. It will also leach calcium,
which is
necessary during pregnancy. When you are depleted of
calcium your
baby will also be depleted, and so the fetus will draw on
your
calcium reserves, which in turn will decrease your calcium
more.
It becomes a vicious circle. Caffeine is also a diuretic
and so
there is a danger of becoming dehydrated. This is
especially true
if you are suffering from morning sickness. Drinking too
much
coffee can actually result in it crossing the placenta
and
affecting your baby.
Processed
Foods
Processed foods contain all kinds of preservatives and
fillers,
which are not healthy and can affect the health of your
baby. They
are generally also high in sugar and sodium, which should
be
avoided. Rather than processed why not opt for whole and
organic
foods, which are safer and healthier food choices.
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