Thursday, July 2, 2009

Should You Follow An Organic Diet During Pregnancy?

Following An Organic Diet During Pregnancy

It is recommended that you follow an organic diet during pregnancy. During pregnancy, you need to eat a variety of foods from all of the food groups to get the required nutrients and vitamins to your baby. Stay away from all junk food. This includes fast food and processed foods. This also means avoiding foods that contain pesticides, preservatives, additives, hormones and other chemicals - in other words eat an organic diet during pregnancy.

Eating healthy balanced meals is always important, but it is essential when you are pregnant. Many expecting mothers are unsure of what foods they should eat to ensure their babies are getting the proper nutrition. Doctors don't always provide the necessary nutritional guidance that pregnant women are looking for.

Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and the crops are minimally processed without using artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Most people think of organic foods as being fruits and vegetables, but it is also important to eat organic meats and dairy. Organic meat and dairy products are from animals that are fed only organic grain and are not given antibiotics, hormones or other medications. During pregnancy, it is important to eat an organic diet of both meats and fruits and vegetables.

I don't want to scare you, but I think you should know. People who eat non-organic fruits and vegetables consume over a gallon of chemicals from pesticides each year. In a study in which samples from the FDA's records were analyzed there were major discrepancies found in their contamination figures. It showed that nearly half of the contaminates were illegal pesticides that had been outlawed because of their toxic properties. So our foods contain not only legal toxins, but also illegal, banned toxins.

After reading this information, I'm sure you will agree that following an organic diet during pregnancy is extremely important for your health and your baby's health.

I highly recommend you take a look at NutritionHealthyEating.com. It is an excellent guide to healthy eating and shows you the safest and healthiest cookware and what foods to eat for improved health and boosting your immune system. After you have your baby, it will also help you lose any extra weight you may gain with your pregnancy.

Are Some Non-Organic Foods Okay To Eat?

Following an organic foods diet during pregnancy is essential, but due to the higher cost and availability of organic foods, some non-organic foods can be eaten if necessary. Below is a list of the fruits and vegetable which are lower in pesticide levels and can be purchased non organic if necessary:

Fruits with lower pesticide levels:

Avocado, Bananas, Blueberries, Grapefruit, Kiwi Fruit, Mangoes, Papaya, Pineapples, Plantains, Plums and Watermelon.

Vegetables with lower pesticide levels:

Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Okra, Onions and Radishes.

Although eating an organic diet is preferable during pregnancy, these non organic foods are okay to eat.

Never Eat These If They Are Not Organic

When you are eating an organic diet during pregnancy, it is important to never consume the following fruits and vegetables if they are not organic. They have been shown to have the highest levels of pesticide residue, so they need to always be purchased organic:

Fruits with the highest levels of pesticides:

Apples, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Red Raspberries and Strawberries.

Vegetables With The Highest Levels Of Pesticides:

Bell Peppers, Celery, Hot Peppers, Potatoes and Spinach.

Purchase meats, poultry, and dairy that don't have antibiotics and growth hormones. Eating meats and dairy that has these harmful substances is just like taking hormones and antibiotics themselves and is very dangerous when you are pregnant.

Following an organic diet during pregnancy must also include the organic meats and dairy as well as fruits and vegetables.

My favorite organic cookbook and healthy nutrition guide can be found at NutritonHealthyEating.com

Additional Diet Articles:

Organic Pregnancy Diet - Other Articles

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