Friday 1 November 2013

What NOT to eat

As you've probably realised by now, I love food (she says sipping a pipping hot delicious hot chocolate... it is Friday after all!). I really and truly love it. So being told I can't eat something would usually result in a revolt of some kind. 

I don't mean to be difficult but as I'm sure many of you know, when you can't have something (this doesn't only include food) you want it even more and start to daydream about it (in my case, at the oddest possible times)


Pregnancy however is a different beast. My rule? Follow the rules. A lot of people are of the vein that in our Mother's Day (not mine I do have to stress she craved fruit and smoked salmon whilst pregnant!), they consumer alcohol, cigarettes, even Brie (shocking I know) whilst pregnant and we all turned out fine.

To people of this mindset, I say this... If they knew then, what we know now, would they have consumed those things? If you're answer is yes then so be it, if it's no then see below for my guide (take from various sources) on what not to eat whilst pregnant...


Seafood:
- Swordfish
- Mackerel (this one upsets me a little)
- Shark
- Tilefish
- Marlin
- Orange Roughy (no idea!)
- Ahi Tuna
- Sushi/Sashimi (it's only 9 months, it's only 9 months!!!)
- Raw fish, shellfish
- Smoked seafood

Raw eggs:
- Homemade ice cream (who has time time anyway!)
- Raw batter or cookie dough
- Mayonnaise (this one I've really struggled with)
- Eggnog
- Caesar dressing and hollandaise sauce (unless you're sure that they're made without raw egg)

Meat:
- Avoid any rare or undercooked beef
- Pates and meat spreads
- Liver
- Cook hot dogs until they're steaming hot to kill any bacteria
- Pre-prepared deli meats must be cooked until steaming hot

Caffeine:
- Hydration is key during pregnancy so drink plenty of water, juices etc
- Caffeine 'can' cross the placenta and affect the babies heart rate
-  Due to various things your doc may recommend you avoid caffeine altogether whilst pregnant (I drink at least one cuppa a day, I just couldn't function without it!)

Unpasteurised dairy and juices (this is a biggie):
- Brie
- Feta
- Camembert
- Goat cheese
- Roquefort
- Blue cheese
- Gorgonzola
- Mexican style cheese
- Unpasteurised milk and juice

Raw fruit & veg:
- Make sure you thoroughly wash before consumption
- Cut Way any bad bits
- If poss peel fruit and veg before eating
- Avoid raw or undercooked sprouts

Alcohol:
- Avoid alcohol (my Doc disagrees with this as do many, so decide for yourself... Personally I abstain and don't miss it at all)

So there you have, a comprehensive guide on what not to eat whilst pregnant... I know it seems regimented and a tad on the obsessive side but my view is that we're only pregnant a short while and we want the best for out little ones.

Also, remember this... whilst this list may seem scarily long, the list of what we can eat is far far longer.

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