For every mom to be, a healthy diet is top priority. But it can be confusing when one is bombarded with information on what to eat and what not to. Here we debunk the five most common diet myths.
Eating certain foods will give you a fair child: Older women in most homes encourage pregnant women to have Kesar ka doodh (saffron milk) and coconut in the hopes of having a fair baby. There is no truth whatsoever to this claim as food plays no role in the skin color of a baby. How a baby looks depends solely on genetics.
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Do not eat papaya and pineapple- Some animal studies have shown the possibility of raw papaya to have abortificant properties. However the beta-carotene-rich, ripe papaya is completely safe for consumption on a daily basis. Pineapple is another fruit that pregnant women avoid as they fear it can cause a miscarriage. There is no scientific study to support this, so go and eat 'em.
Eat for Two- If you are eating large portions of ghee-laden food to nourish your baby, think again. Calorie needs increase by only 300 calories during pregnancy. This can be easily met by having 2 extra cups of milk and a serving of fruit. Excess weight gain during pregnancy will only increase aches and pains as well as risk of diabetes, hypertension and a cesarean birth.
Food can heat or cool up the body- Eating mango can heat up the body and methi (fenugreek) can cool your system, thus affecting pregnancy. Heard this before? This is a bogus claim and not true at all. The temperature of the body is controlled by the hypothalamus and not by what we eat.
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Coffee is bad for the baby- For coffee lovers, giving up their daily cuppa can be arduous. The good news is that 2 cups of coffee (approximately 200 milligrams of caffeine) a day is perfectly safe. Not only is it loaded with antioxidants, coffee when consumed moderately has no effect on the health of the baby.
Ditch these myths and eat all foods in moderation for a healthy pregnancy. Remember to exercise too!
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