Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : October 9, 2014 5:11 PM IST
When you're pregnant, some regular food items that wouldn't cause any harm normally can do some damage. Here are some foods that you should keep a tab on when you're pregnant:
Sugar: First and foremost, sugar is an important part of your diet. It breaks down into glucose that provides your cells with energy and helps your body function better. But there is a limit to how much glucose your body can take. Excess glucose ends up in the system creating havoc, more so for an expectant mother. Overconsumption of sugar can lead to complications like gestational diabetes in the mother. It can also put your baby at risk of developing facial abnormalities like a cleft palate or even increase the rise of neural tube defects, despite having the folic acid pills daily. If you must have something sweet, add jaggery to your diet which is a natural sugar and less harmful.
Salt: Sodium from salt is essential for both the mother and the growing baby. But with salt, moderation is of essence. Too much or too little of it can have adverse effects on both the mother and the baby. High intake of salt can give rise to conditions like edema, preeclampsia in the mother and impair kidney development of the fetus, while low sodium intake can lead to altered fluid balance in the system that can give rise to a host of complications. The right way is to add salt sparingly in your food preparations. Avoid having pickles, papads or salt in the salads. For the same reason also limit the intake of rock salt.
White rice: While white rice is a good source of carbohydrates, but not for expectant mums who are suffering from gestational diabetes or have elevated blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is advisable to keep a tab on white rice intake. White rice has high glycemic index that is, which means that the body breaks it down quickly into sugar that is absorbed by the cells of your body very fast hence raising the blood sugar levels. Also a lot of rice in the diet can increase your calorie intake and result in subsequent weight gain, if you don't exercise properly. If you still want to include rice in your diet, it is wise to opt for brown rice instead of white.
Unpasteurized milk: Having a glass full of milk during pregnancy can help you increase your calcium intake. But read the label of your packaged milk before you consume it. Never have unpasteurized milk or raw milk during pregnancy. The bacteria present in the milk can lead to infection in the mother that can affect the fetus too. If the bacteria cross over the placenta and gets to the fetus it can hamper neurological development.
White flour: White bread and biscuits made out of white flour or maida have become regular food items that we consume without much thought, but you just can't be that careless during pregnancy. Remember white bread and biscuits gorged unmindfully only add calories with little nutritional value and contribute in the weight gain process. Switch over to brown bread or use red millet flour to make your chapattis.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2838243/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12423854
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