What not to eat while pregnant…
There are so many things that women are discouraged to eat or drink while pregnant… everything from deli-meats to herbal tea, soft cheeses and Salad bars, alcohol and of course my fav… Sushi…
You know…I love Sushi. I love every kind of Sushi, I could eat it many times a week and not get tired of it. You poke around any source for pregnant moms and you will see Sushi near the tops of the list of foods to avoid…
I really hate this.. not because I don’t want to avoid it, it is because it just shows me how paranoid people can be and how paranoid people have become. The recomendations have been twisted and people just listen without questioning…
I agree that it is not the best idea to get Sushi in a hot truck stop on the side of the road… However, I will not avoid all sushi. Really? Why should I?
For one, even if you do want to avoid eating raw fish, or if you don’t eat fish at all, there are vegetarian sushi choices. Buying vegetarian sushi for a reputable establishment or making it in your own home is completely safe.
Many pregnant moms that I have encountered have sushi completely crossed out in their minds and even veggie sushi would send them running… of course never without the “It just not a risk I am willing to take, I love my baby too much” comment… like the combination of cucumber, rice and nori makes the food lethal….
So why is it supposed to be out? 2 reasons, Mercury and parasites… 2 solutions…
1. There are lists that show what fishes contain more mercury… these are fish that no one should eat too often… pregnant or not…
2. parisites… Cooking fish is one way to kill parasites and is accepted as a good way. However, what people don’t seem to know is that Freezing the fish also kills parasites and if done correctly it is as efficiant as cooking it. So if you are buying fish from an establishment that uses frozen fish, then you are on the safe side… However, buying sushi from a fish monger that uses fresh fish in their Sushi may be taking a risk. Of course, again, this risk is present whether you are pregnant or not…
Though I don’t eat Soft Cheeses this is another one that I don’t understand… I remember people going nuts when someone mentioned that they ate a Panini with Brie and Sundried Tomatoes… again, people get stuck on what not to eat… Even when the mom proved that there was no problem with soft cheeses that have been pasterised (so pretty much any cheese that you can buy in a store in Canada and the US)… but even if there are no problems just the idea of it is terrifiying for so many…
I am tired of people being scared of everything and then trying to scare you into their thinking also… I am tired of the fear mongering….
I see pregnancy as a great time in my life, I love being pregnant. I don’t think that there is anything that I avoid when pregnant…. I don’t think that we have to avoid anything while pregnant… Moderation is of course the key… but not only during pregnancy but all the time…
I can’t understand those moms… the ones that think that won’t touch sushi, caffeine, chocolate, cheese, deli-meats, alcohol, salad bars, peanut butter, summer berries, most types of fish and then don’t even question or second guess all the tests and routine prodedures that they go through through…. amnio, internals, doppler and ultrasound, glucose tests, epidurals, inductions etc…
they won’t eat a a piece of chocolate but have no problem taking narcotics…
what a weird world…
x-posted in my preg journal