Foods to avoid during pregnancy

Foods to avoid during pregnancy actually is regular food which is harmless or at least not so dangerous in other circumstances. Such food may harbor bacteria or other substances which can undermine unborn baby:

1. Food which may harbor listeria bacteria. This bacteria has been linked to miscarriage, premature delivery, and death:

- Dairy products made with unpasteurized milk: brie, camembert, feta, blue cheese, queso blanco, queso fresco, and panela – unless the label says it’s pasteurized. When in doubt or dining out, ask before you eat.

- Perishable, ready-to-eat meats, such as cold cuts and hot dogs, as well as liver patés and or other refrigerated meat spreads. Because unlike many other foodborne germs, listeria can grow at the temperatures inside your fridge. You can make these foods safe by heating them until they are steaming hot and eating them promptly.

- Refrigerated smoked fish and sea foods, including smoked salmon, as smoked trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, or mackerel. It is safe to use smoked seafood in a cooked meal, such as a casserole.

2. Food which may harbor toxoplasma, bacteria which causes an illness called toxoplasmosis, which can be very dangerous to an unborn baby:

- Raw or under-cooked meat.

- Unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, even if you are going to peel them. If needed scrub the surface with small vegetable brush. Cut away all bruised areas, because they may harbor bacteria.

- Fresh squeezed juice in restaurants, juice bars or somewhere else where you can’t be sure that fruits or vegetables were washed properly.

3. Food which may harbor salmonella bacteria. Mainly this is food which contains raw eggs, for example:

- home made salad dressings, such as Caesar salad dressing, Béarnaise sauce, Hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise. Better choose store-bought versions, which are made with pasteurized eggs;

- many homemade desserts, including mousse, meringue, and tiramisu.

4. Some kinds of fish  contain high levels of methylmercury. This metal can harm an unborn baby’s development. Pregnant women should avoid to eat swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark which contain high levels of methylmercury, and choose fish that are low in mercury, such as catfish, salmon, and canned light tuna. If you prefer albacore (white) tuna, limit yourself to 6 ounces per week. Check with your doctor before taking fish oil while pregnant.

5. To avoiding other parasites and bacteria, pregnant women also should not eat raw fish, including sushi, raw shellfish, potluck food, if it was unrefrigerated for longer than two hours.

http://www.healthylifestyleart.com/foods-to-avoid-during-pregnancy