Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

Some foods are not good for you during pregnancy. For various reasons, they affect your foetus badly and your chances of carrying the pregnancy to term reduce greatly.

Here is a list of the things I was told to avoid.

Papaya: In India, traditionally, when a lady found out she was pregnant and did not want the child (pre-birth-control era and in rural areas), she would eat papaya. Nowadays it is said that the papaya seed has hormones that cause abortions in the early stages of pregnancy. The problem is that when you eat a papaya, some of the seeds are still forming and so are difficult to avoid ingesting along with the pulp. To simplify things, I just stayed FAR away from papayas the entire time that I was pregnant.

Sugar Cane Juice & Sugar Cane: Because of the way it is harvested and stored in India, sugar canes and their juice have a very high bacterial content. These bacteria can cause severe infections which can lead to termination of pregnancy.

Ajino Moto (MSG): Ajino Moto is a flavouring used by cooks to make chinese food taste better. It is usd by chefs in all restaurants, large and small quite indiscriminately. Ajino Moto or Mono Sodium Glutamate is a carcinogen (it causes cancer) and is just not good for human consumption. However, in the small quantities present in your Chinese food, it does not immediately harm and adult. The important thing to keep in mind, though is that a dose that is not lethal for an adult may well be so for a foetus. Even if it causes no immediate harm, it may cause long lasting damage that will surface only later. Why take a chance?

Pineapples: For some reason, this fruit tends to cause a lot of allergies and is best avoided in pregnancy.

Saunf / Dil: I don't know if this is an old wives' tale, but I was told to avoid saunf at all costs, as it was too heaty and not good for the baby especially its complexion.

Generally speaking, have foods that are cooling and avoid excess of heaty foods. Have plenty of fruit and vegetables. Keep your nutrition levels high. You don’t need a lot of fat in your diet. Eat healthy. Enjoy eating.