Holiday foods to avoid during pregnancy

Author: Dr Scott Pendergraft

There are a lot of benefits of women counseling that one can take advantage of. With such a type of counseling, you do not have anything to lose. So, the women facing problems like depression, anxiety, sadness or relationship problems do not feel happy. During this phase of time, they need direction to walk on a new path to attain spiritual, mental, emotional and physical growth. This is when counseling for women comes into limelight, changing their lives for the better.

Also, women face anxiety and depression from infertility. A study from the Harvard Medical School reports that not just is this true but counseling and professional stress management services can improve chances for such women to get pregnant. There are professional clinics and companies that offer counseling and wellness services for women. They also provide advanced treatment and diagnosis for pregnant women and the new mothers who face anxiety disorders, mood swings or other health problems.

Counseling- why is it so important?

Counseling is not just for women who are pregnant or ones with fertility problems. Even when there are problems in relationships, going through the phase of menopause, starting family, dealing with kids, facing job issues or any other, tackling all such complications can be a bit problematic for the women. This is when professional counseling and help from an experienced therapist helps. Specialized women counseling can help a woman to change her life, all for good. The professional therapist can help to empower the women and enable her resolve issues carefully and safely.

Psychotherapy and counseling are really useful for women dealing with depression, stress and other problems. Time limited and brief counseling is offered, mainly focusing on emotional issues that the women face during pregnancy, divorce, health conditions etc.

Hire the professionals only

Such services are offered by professional psychologists and psychiatrists who are committed towards addressing comprehensive mental, physical and emotional needs of women who are either pregnant, facing menopausal problems, suffering from mood swings, postpartum or planning to start a family or undergoing fertility treatment. So, for all such issues and a lot more, counseling is provided by renowned institutions and professionals. Make sure that you take the best of counseling at the earliest and avoid all problems in your life.

How counseling benefits women?

  • After the counseling session, women discover a lot of positive changes in themselves like in their behaviour, emotions etc.

You are pregnant and still working on possibly thinking about your dietary resolutions you made! Well worry not we are here to protect you from your own devil. During pregnancy there are a number of changes in immunity and body biological cycles. Even if you have a strong stomach you are very prone to suffer from food borne illnesses. It is better to take into account what you eat on special occasions especially as these are the times when mostly pregnant ladies make mistakes.

Understanding the danger

All the major food related complications arise due to contamination by parasites and bacteria like salmonella, listeria, staphylococcus aureus, toxoplasma and others. All these microbes are present in improperly cooked food, canned eatables and unhygienic stored food. Even some of the microbes like toxoplasma and listeria have the ability to cross placenta and affect fetus even if there is no illness symptoms present in mother.

Whether you ordered burger with raw veggies, licked on cookie dough or ate salads with raw egg toppings you seriously have many reasons to rethink your food safety.

Here are some occasions and what foods to avoid on these occasions.

Valentine's Day

We know it’s the time to celebrate your love with your spouse. Boxes full of chocolates are a must for true valentine’s celebration and you can have them. Yes, chocolates are not dangerous for pregnant women but they should definitely avoid candies that are filled with alcoholic liqueurs.

Memorial Day and Labor Day

The refrigerated foods are served mostly on these occasions. It is necessary to store and cook such foods in the right manner. Deli style salads are known to get contaminated with listeria as they contain raw protein. Whether it is ready to serve salad from shop or homemade it is necessary to take precautions. It is best in your interest to avoid such salads.

Meats like hot dogs have high nitrate concentration and also rich in sodium. It is not concerning to have a hot dog sometimes but make sure you eat it when it is fresh right off the grill. This will make sure all bacteria are killed if any present. Heat any luncheon meat before consuming to avoid bacterial infections.

Burgers containing chicken, pork or fish should be cooked right. Make sure that there is no pink area present on the meat. Parasites like E. coli and Salmonella are known to present in raw meat all the time. There is high concentration of mercury in fish you should control the amount of fish you consume daily.

Beverages are another loose spot of the whole pregnancy diet program. Try to restrict your intake of alcoholic beverages throughout your pregnancy.

Halloween, New Years Eve and Thanksgiving are other important celebrations where you should watch out for what you eat. Throughout your pregnancy keep in touch with your doctor and ask him/her about what precautions you should take to avoid any kind food related illness. With little care and precaution you can easily avoid all food related illnesses.

Resource box: Orlando Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women's Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including abortions, physical examinations, family planning and counseling. Abortion Clinic.