Five types of food to avoid during pregnancy

It is normal for expectant mothers to gain between ten and twelve kilos of weight during their pregnancy. However, mothers should do it in a healthy way by taking care of their diet. According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are some foods pregnant women should avoid because they may be harmful for both, the mother and the baby.

Here are some of those foods:

1. Fish

During pregnancy it is recommended not to eat raw fish and bad boiled fish because of its high mercury content. If you have to eat fish, make sure it is very well cooked and you should not take more than two pieces per week. Types of fish you can take are salmon, shrimp and tilapia but make sure they are cooked at 63 degrees Celsius.

2. Cheese

Avoid taking processed cheese and when shopping, verify the product label to make sure it is pasteurized. You should not eat anything that contains raw milk. Avoid them because they have listeria, a bacterium that causes blood infections, meningitis and even miscarriage.

3. Sodas

Your health won’t be the best if you are a mother who drinks sodas very often, because of its high sugar content. Try to avoid them or limit yourself taking small quantities.

4. Not well done eggs

Not well done or raw eggs and any product that contains raw eggs (like mayonnaise sauce, ice creams etc.) should be avoided because of salmonella. This gastrointestinal infection can cause the mother lose fluid and nutrients. Eggs have a lot of proteins, if the pregnant woman decides to take them they must be very well boiled.

5. Deli Meat

Meats of all kinds, specially undercooked meats like deli meat are harmful because of their high fat content and listeria, which can cause premature births. Like fish, it needs to be cooked at a temperature higher than 63 degrees Celsius, pork at 71 degrees and chicken at 71 respectively.