Food/Drink to avoid?

[tigercub]

*wonders where that is in the bible*

Anyway this is getting slightly off-topic.

Anyone avoiding chocolate?

 

[Leanna]

I still drink milk and eat cheese, but I have been reading stuff that says its really not as good for you as you think. We have been brainwashed.... know who puts out all the "3 a day" ads? Um, the dairy folk. They have an ulterior motive. There are A LOT of hormones in milk. A person avoiding dairy can just eat some of the many other foods that provide calcium at a much higher and much healthier rate. Cow's milk is made for BABY COWS. Not us. Its like pumping our breastmilk and giving it to baby cows and then trying to say they really need it

 

[Leanna]

Cow's milk is a very poor source of calcium actually. The Dairy Industry here in the US is Very powerful and Very wealthy. They've really done a number on the average citizen making them believe that milk is such a fabulous thing.

I see we said the same thing, and I hadn't seen what you wrote.

 

[jgonz]

I see we said the same thing, and I hadn't seen what you wrote.

LOL! Alright!

 

[InTheFlame]

TC - I'm taking a 'sea vegetable' powder with a high calcium content, because I've been worried about the increased calcium needs in pregnancy. I'll try to remember to look at the brand if you're interested.

 

[tigercub]

Thanks , but I am already taking a supplement for pre-pregnancy, pregnancy & breastfeeding (Blackmore's) here it is online

 

[InTheFlame]

Thanks , but I am already taking a supplement for pre-pregnancy, pregnancy & breastfeeding (Blackmore's) here it is online

Ahhh... I forgot you weren't a 'complete' vegetarian (makes it sound as though you're missing a few pieces, but you know what I mean, right? ). I looked at those but the fish oil put me straight off.

You might need to look at upping your b12 intake if you go off dairy, btw.

 

[lin1235]

I fully understand vegetarian / vegan women avoiding milk but I do not believe it is bad for us. Why would God describe the promised land as a land of milk & honey if we shouldn't have milk??

 

[Athene]

I refer you this this topic http://www.christianforums.com/t2492374-type-of-vegetarian.html in particular posts made a member known as 'Beastt'
He and that topic say pretty much everything I could right here.

I do still plan to cut out dairy completely.

I ask this of every person who drinks milk; How would you feel if a cow walked up to you (whilst you were lactating) and drinking your milk? Or someone attatched a machine to you to suck it all out, then fed it to an entirely different species. Seems a bit weird to me.

If I wasn't meant to drink milk then I would be lactose intolerant, but the fact is that my body will digest lactose and the fact that there are mechanisms in my body for the digestion of lactose says to me that dairy (a source of lactose) is to be part of my diet.

Emotional rhetoric 0, physiological fact 1.

 

[jazzbird]

Does it affect the sperm count or is it worse, like can it affect the baby?

Yes my husband is addicted to caffeine. :o

From what I've read, there hasn't been a whole lot of research done on caffeine's affect on male fertility. Here's a little blurb from one article:

Research has focused mainly on the woman's caffeine intake; there have been fewer studies on the impact of caffeine on male fertility, and these studies have produced ambiguous results. They suggest that a man who naturally (or from some other cause) has a low sperm count may actually improve his sperm count by increasing his caffeine intake. However, there is some evidence to suggest that, for a man who naturally has a normal or high sperm count, that high caffeine intake may indeed reduce a man's sperm count, making conception much more difficult.

Source: http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/507.html

My DH cut back on caffeine and cut out alcohol at the end of last summer after we had so many problems.

There was a pretty big study done a few years ago in (I think) Denmark, regarding male alcohol consumption and fertility/miscarriage.

 

[progressivegal]

I fully understand vegetarian / vegan women avoiding milk but I do not believe it is bad for us. Why would God describe the promised land as a land of milk & honey if we shouldn't have milk??

Well it doesn't say the land of COWS milk and honey. It could be goats milk, mothers milk etc. Not to mention the fact that raw whole natural cows milk can be fine.
Just like pasturized processed honey that's sold in the little bears isn't good for us, but raw unpasturized organic honey is fine. Plus I tend to think that the passage is talking specifically about things that are very sweet and comforting and pleassureable to eat, but not necissarily THE healthiest things (though in their pure form these things certainly are not unhealthy.) It might be along the lines ofto "the land of chocolate and beer" today.Something comforting that can bring pleasant memories, something for celebration and special occassions, but all the time. Kind of a metaphor of having joy, comfort and love all the time. Though there very well may BE milk and honey, I doubt it would be pasturized, chuck full of hormones and processed, Somehow I just don't think we would be as excited with "the land of beets and kale" but maybe who knows.

 

[charityagape]

I tend to think they ate goats milk not cows, but either way its the processing we do to it that's so bad.

Did yall know that High Fructose Corn Syrup is in practically everything you buy at the grocerty store (a bit of an exageration but I was suprised)


Also, how bad is caffenne? I'm having a terrible time giving up soda.

 

[Singin4Him]

Also, how bad is caffenne? I'm having a terrible time giving up soda.

My doctor is a little more liberal on this issue. I gave up caffeine for the trimester but next week as I enter my second she is allowing me to have a little caffeine. She says in strict moderation (such a cup of coffee or a small glass of iced tea) a day is completely safe and most the research I have done agrees.

 

[Leanna]

Another reason to cut out caffeine completely, however, is if you plan to breastfeed caffeine passes through breastmilk to your baby. Its one thing to have a caffeinated hyper child in the womb, but how about a newborn? Or a 6 month old? No thanks!! It takes longer for caffeine to work through immature systems as well, I have heard it takes 24 hours for caffeine to work through unborn or newborn babies. I'm cutting it out completely for these reasons, figure I might as well get used to it. When I get a strong urge for pop I drink Sprite, but have been sticking to mostly juice and water.

 

[Singin4Him]

Another reason to cut out caffeine completely, however, is if you plan to breastfeed caffeine passes through breastmilk to your baby. Its one thing to have a caffeinated hyper child in the womb, but how about a newborn? Or a 6 month old? No thanks!! It takes longer for caffeine to work through immature systems as well, I have heard it takes 24 hours for caffeine to work through unborn or newborn babies. I'm cutting it out completely for these reasons, figure I might as well get used to it. When I get a strong urge for pop I drink Sprite, but have been sticking to mostly juice and water.

Well this is actually true if you are drinking a larger amount of caffeine. One cup of regular brew tea or coffee will have very very little effect and most likely none. This would be true if we're talking about drinking over one cup and especially if we're talking about drinking stronger caffeinated beverages such as a latte with espresso. I only plan to stick with tea not caffeinated coffee, tea actually has less caffeine anyway. I do advise drinking mostly water even more so than any beverage because of the sugar aspect. Sprite and even juice has a great deal of sugar in it.

 

[RoseofLima]

I eat whatever I can hold down, whatever doesn't make me gag, and whatever I can afford.

I figure that you do the best you can--but I don't get all up in arms about it-- there are babies born to crack addicts, and malnourished women---and obviously while that is far, far from ideal....my little indiscretions are probably not really going to do much harm in the long run.

I have my coffee every morning...I have a soda if I feel like it ..I have fish if I want it...I have dessert if I want it...I have sushi if I want it...I have cold cuts if I want them...

To me , I look at not eating an excess of anything...eating all things in moderation, and speacial treats sparingly...that is no different from how I normally eat. SO for me pregnant eating is driven by what my body will accept....somedays that's strawberries,some days that's whole grain noodles, some days that's donuts, somedays thats almost nothing....

I just have more pressing concerns that what I eat.....

 

[RoseofLima]

Another reason to cut out caffeine completely, however, is if you plan to breastfeed caffeine passes through breastmilk to your baby. Its one thing to have a caffeinated hyper child in the womb, but how about a newborn? Or a 6 month old? No thanks!! It takes longer for caffeine to work through immature systems as well, I have heard it takes 24 hours for caffeine to work through unborn or newborn babies. I'm cutting it out completely for these reasons, figure I might as well get used to it. When I get a strong urge for pop I drink Sprite, but have been sticking to mostly juice and water.

I don't get anywhere even remotely enough sleep to function without caffiene... that morning cup o' joe is like manna!!!

 

[RoseofLima]

From what I've read, there hasn't been a whole lot of research done on caffeine's affect on male fertility. Here's a little blurb from one article:


.

My personal experience--my husband drinks almost nothing, except coffee...and we're expecting our fifth in 9 years...so take that for what it's worth...

 

[Leanna]

Well this is actually true if you are drinking a larger amount of caffeine. One cup of regular brew tea or coffee will have very very little effect and most likely none. This would be true if we're talking about drinking over one cup and especially if we're talking about drinking stronger caffeinated beverages such as a latte with espresso. I only plan to stick with tea not caffeinated coffee, tea actually has less caffeine anyway. I do advise drinking mostly water even more so than any beverage because of the sugar aspect. Sprite and even juice has a great deal of sugar in it.

If caffeine effects you, it effects the baby and even if you don't feel it its effecting the baby. Caffeine does cross to the baby, you can drink it anyway, but you can't say it won't have an effect since that's not what research shows. Maybe the effect doesn't bother you though. I know lots of women who say they had to stop drinking caffeine when breastfeeding because of all the crying their babies would do hours later. I drank caffeine when I was pregnant with David, and he's okay (I would drink caffeine at my job ), I am not saying its going to cause something terrible to happen, but there will be an effect.

Everything we eat or drink has an effect on our health, pregnant or not. Since I am passing my eating and drinking habits to David I am always trying to improve them by eating lots of veggies and whole grains-- not to mention I would like to be a healthy old lady. Ideally I hope to not drink pop at all, which is what I have been doing, but if I absolutely must have it then I will drink Sprite since at least it is caffeine free.

I don't know, considering that 66% of America is officially obese, I think the least we can do is cut out empty calories and yucky drugs like caffeine. But I realize that 66% of America, at the very least, doesn't think so. Oh well, I only have to care for my family so that's what I'll stick to and I'll do the very best job that I can.

 

[RoseofLima]

If caffeine effects you, it effects the baby and even if you don't feel it its effecting the baby. Caffeine does cross to the baby, you can drink it anyway, but you can't say it won't have an effect since that's not what research shows. Maybe the effect doesn't bother you though. I know lots of women who say they had to stop drinking caffeine when breastfeeding because of all the crying their babies would do hours later. I drank caffeine when I was pregnant with David, and he's okay (I would drink caffeine at my job ), I am not saying its going to cause something terrible to happen, but there will be an effect.

Everything we eat or drink has an effect on our health, pregnant or not. Since I am passing my eating and drinking habits to David I am always trying to improve them by eating lots of veggies and whole grains-- not to mention I would like to be a healthy old lady. Ideally I hope to not drink pop at all, which is what I have been doing, but if I absolutely must have it then I will drink Sprite since at least it is caffeine free.

I don't know, considering that 66% of America is officially obese, I think the least we can do is cut out empty calories and yucky drugs like caffeine. But I realize that 66% of America, at the very least, doesn't think so. Oh well, I only have to care for my family so that's what I'll stick to and I'll do the very best job that I can.

I'm not advocating not eating as healthy as you can....but the main problem I have with this "I'm pregnant and must become superhealth eater for the sake of my baby" idea...is the environmental and residual pollutants. Do you know what's in your mattress, your sofa, you carpeting, the varnish on your floors, the water you drink, the chemicals in your car....these things probably have a much greater effect on us than we can imagine...as well as the residual effects of the food (and hormones and pesticides) we have consumed...it doesn't just disappear from our bodies, but is stored in our fat.

Having a cup of coffee everyday is no more harmful to your baby than laying down for 8 hours a night on a chemical laden mattress breathing in all the fumes it's offgassing...in fact, probably less so....

The fact is that our culture is hyper obsessed with food thinking it to cure all ills....it just doesn't. If you like coffee or tea or soda...have it in moderation...if it seems to effect your child, then make an alternate plan.

Everything(that isn't explicitly harmful) in moderation is a pretty great maxim to live by in my thinking.