Sunday Times Article

[Tallgirl]

Aloha - I think this is you?? Very interesting article by the way - i was fine with it until got down to the bit that said dont eat ice cream from ice cream van! Just been on holiday to Devon and had some but it wasnt the Mr Whippy soft variety - was nice home made stuff. Anyway - see OK so far!

Sorry cant rememmber how to do link and for some reason the bit on the side telling you how has disappeared!

www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1134786,00.html

Try this - by the way the article is about how women are advised to eat/not eat different things in different countries...

Article

here you go

Oops.... beat me to it!

Message withdrawn

I think this is Aloha's article???? Thought it was v good.

You're not eating that. . .
In France, pregnant women are told to lose weight; in Italy, to drink espressos galore. Advice on what?s best for expectant mothers varies hugely from country to country. So who is right, asks Leah Hardy

Imagine three pregnant women lunching together at a cafe. The British girl, wearing Ghost and flip-flops, is eating a prosaic ham sandwich and having a cappuccino, much to the horror of her American friend. She, resplendent in Diane von Furstenberg maternity wear, has waved away the wine list, won?t be ordering any coffee or ?deli meats? such as ham, and is nibbling at a little pasta and grilled vegetables, washed down with water. Meanwhile, their French companion, her Chanel bag slung over the chair back, is nonchalantly sipping a glass of red wine and eating brie, oblivious to both her friends? combined horror and envy.
The truth is, there has never been a more confusing time to try to eat healthily while pregnant. Every day seems to bring a new health scare ? and a corresponding guilt trip. Is it okay to eat tuna? Will a daily coffee raise the risk of miscarriage? Will a glass of wine permanently damage my baby? How about a pistachio nut? And, to add to the confusion, health advice seems to vary enormously, depending on where you live in the world. In the UK, pregnant women are warned off sushi, yet in Japan, they?ll happily tuck in. In America, feta cheese is a no-no, but that is ludicrous to a Greek woman. In France and Italy, most women are given advice by their individual obstetrician, which can vary widely.

Sophie Manella, 29, who gave birth to her son in Rome last year, says she was never warned about espresso or parma ham or omelettes, all of which girlfriends in the UK were deprived of. But her weight was constantly monitored. ?My obstetrician told me off for gaining 5kg in the first five months.? And Melissa Demaret, who had her daughter in a Paris hospital six months ago, reports a similar experience. ?My obstetrician told me to drink a glass of champagne a day to help me remain calm. And I wasn?t advised against brie or camembert. Some friends were put on diets by their doctor when they gained what was deemed too much weight, which would never happen in England.?

Fiona Ford, a research dietician at the Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition, Sheffield University, has a refreshing take on food scares and pregnancy. ?Many women don?t eat certain foods that are, in fact, good for them,? she says. ?They hear that soft cheeses risk listeria, a bacterium that can cause miscarriage and which is found in some foods, especially those eaten cold. So, they cut out cream cheese, and even fromage frais, both of which are good sources of calcium and protein. Listeria is present only in mould-ripened cheeses such as brie or camembert, blue cheese or unpasteurised soft goat?s and sheep?s cheese.?

The risk of birth defects caused by vitamin A overdose is also a concern for many women, who are terrified that eating even the smallest bit of liver will cause defects, including spina bifida, in their baby. However, studies reported in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest there is no conclusive proof of a link between retinol (the form of vitamin A found in animal foods such as liver) and birth defects. If there is a link, it may start when pregnant women regularly eat more than 3,000mg of vitamin A every day. ?And,? says Ford, ?the risk seems to be confined to the first three months of pregnancy.?

The reason the warnings vary so much from country to country, she says, is because each nation sees risk differently. ?In America, with its culture of suing, they are very strict. They advise against eating feta cheese and smoked salmon because, theoretically, these could be infected with listeria, but in England, we don?t think these pose a real danger. In France, there is no official warning against mould-ripened cheese, perhaps because it is so much a part of the culture there. But all pregnant women in France are screened for toxoplasmosis, a bacterium that can cause miscarriage, and blindness or brain damage in babies, and is found mostly in raw or undercooked meat, or can be caught from cat faeces.?

Toxoplasmosis is also fairly rare ? and, as a single exposure brings lifelong immunity, at least 30% of women are immune anyway. In the UK, it seems that about one in 500 women catches toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and, of those who do, only 30% will pass the infection on to the baby. The risk of really serious problems is mostly confined to those who catch it during the last month of pregnancy.

In some cases, the cultural differences in pregnancy diets is due to food preparation. For example, in Japan, most sushi is frozen, which kills the parasites such as tapeworms that may be present in sushi served in Britain or America, where freezing is not routine.

When it comes to drinking, here, too, advice differs radically around the world. In America and New Zealand, drinking any amount of alcohol during pregnancy is frowned upon. Wine bottles are plastered with grim warnings about birth defects, and it takes a brave woman to be seen with a bump and a glass of sauvignon blanc. But in France, many women drink as normal throughout pregnancy.

So what are the facts? Ford says that, from the research she has seen, there is no evidence of harm in up to eight or even 10 units a week ? that?s a glass of champagne a day. But, she says, for extra safety, the UK government?s advice of one or two units a day, once or twice a week, seems to be ?perfectly sensible and safe?. The truth is, nobody can say exactly what a safe amount of alcohol is, as experts are loath to run the necessary tests on pregnant women.

And now we come to that other cause of a guilt trip for many British mothers ? the humble peanut. It may come as a surprise to realise that other countries don?t regard it as the same evil that we do. In America, pregnant women are encouraged to eat peanut butter, with only specifically nut-allergic women being warned off.

Some foods are more likely to lead to problems in pregnancy than others, and it pays to know the risks ? however small ? of listeria, salmonella and toxoplasmosis. Because of the diet advice, very few pregnant women in Britain suffer adverse consequences from what they eat. But it is also true that a healthy diet is a healthy diet, wherever you are in the world. And quite often, a little bit of what you fancy can do you good.

WHAT CAN?T I EAT?

The official advice from the British Food Standards Agency is as follows:

Avoid salmonella by skipping raw or partly cooked eggs ? eggs should be cooked until the yolk is hard.

Avoid mould-ripened cheeses: brie and camembert, blue cheeses and unpasteurised soft goat?s cheese.

Don?t eat raw or undercooked meat.

Drink alcohol in moderation, or not at all.

Don?t take megadose supplements of vitamin A and avoid liver (even liver pâté. Vegetable pâté may also be contaminated with listeria, so avoid it, too.

Don?t eat ice cream cones from ice-cream vans, because of the risk of salmonella.

Limit your caffeine intake: some studies suggest that more than 300mg a day may be associated with miscarriage. So keep to three mugs of instant coffee or six cups of tea or eight bars of chocolate.

Don?t eat swordfish or marlin, because there is a risk that it could be contaminated with high levels of mercury, which may have adverse effects on the foetus.

WHAT CAN I EAT?

You can eat almost anything, provided it?s hot: listeria cannot survive cooking. So, if you crave blue cheese, brie or soft goat?s cheese but don?t want to take the risk, eat it cooked to bubbling and melting on pizza or toast.

If you crave pâté, eat the tinned varieties or anything marked as pasteurised. These are sterile and free of the listeria bacterium.

Nuts are good for you. Unless you have a family history of allergy, there is no reason to cut out peanuts.

Shop-bought mayonnaise is fine, as the egg is pasteurised. So is ice cream.

Convenience foods, such as ready-made meals, are fine, providing they are cooked until piping hot to avoid any risk of listeria.

The easy way to cut allergy risk Studies have shown that mothers who take probiotic supplements (Actimel or Yakult also count) can reduce their baby?s allergy risk by as much as half. Take them during the last trimester and while breast-feeding, as this will colonise your baby?s gut at birth with the right protective bacteria.

For government guidelines, visit www.foodstandards.gov.uk. For advice, call the Independent Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition; 0845 130 3646

what a well written, fantastic article!

A glass of champagne a day - I'm on the plane to France! Funny, when I saw the nurse at my GP practice, she said there was nothing better for morning sickness than champers.

Must admit I was horrified by the long list of foods to avoid when I got pregnant - little naive me had thought it was just soft cheese!

I have kind of stuck to the recommendations though, give or take the odd treat...

And I'm planning an oyster/steak tartare/red wine binge as soon as I leave hospital!

PS My midwife advised a measure of alcohol to help you relax in the early part of labour - I like her!

Hello, the British Food Standards Agency advises the following:

What to eat

It's important to try to eat a variety of foods including:

plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice). Aim for at least five portions of a variety each day
plenty of starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes - try to choose wholegrain options
foods rich in protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish (aim for at least two servings of fish a week, including one of oily fish), eggs and pulses (such as beans and lentils). These foods are also good sources of iron (see 'Do I need extra iron?' below)
plenty of fibre. This helps prevent constipation and is found in wholegrain bread, pasta, rice, pulses and fruit and vegetables
dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, which contain calcium
It's also a good idea to cut down on foods such as cakes and biscuits, because these are high in fat and sugar. This can also help you to avoid putting on too much weight during pregnancy.

Healthy snacks to have instead include malt loaf; currant buns without icing; sandwiches or pitta bread filled with cottage cheese, chicken or lean ham; low-fat yoghurts; vegetable and bean soups; and fruit including fresh, tinned in juice or dried fruit such as raisins or apricots.

Vitamins and minerals

Folic acid

You should take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement from the time you stop using contraception until the 12th week of pregnancy.

You should also eat foods containing folate - the natural form of folic acid - such as green vegetables and brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals.

Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. If you would like to take your folic acid in a supplement that contains other vitamins, make sure it contains 400mcg folic acid and doesn't contain vitamin A. (See 'What to avoid'.)

If you have already had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, ask your GP for advice.

Iron

Pregnant women can become deficient in iron, so make sure you have plenty of iron-rich foods. Try to have some food or drink containing vitamin C, such as fruit or vegetables or a glass of fruit juice, with any iron-rich meals to help your body absorb iron.

If the iron level in your blood becomes low, your GP or midwife will advise you to take iron supplements.

Good sources of iron include:

red meat
pulses
bread
green vegetables
fortified breakfast cereals
Although liver contains a lot of iron, you should avoid eating it while you're pregnant (see 'What to avoid').

Vitamin D

You should take supplements containing 10mcg of vitamin D each day.

Vitamin D is found in a small number of foods but we get most of our vitamin D from summer sunlight - if you're out in the sun, remember to take care not to burn!

If you are of Asian origin, if you always cover up all your skin when you're outside, or if you rarely get outdoors, you may be particularly short of vitamin D. Ask your GP for more information.

If you receive Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance you're entitled to some free vitamin supplements from maternity and child health clinics.

Vitamin A
You should avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A. Fish liver oil also contains high levels of vitamin A. Having too much vitamin A may harm your unborn baby.

What to avoid

There are certain foods that you should avoid when you're pregnant, because they might make you ill or harm your baby:

Some types of cheese
Avoid cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), or others that have a similar rind. You should also avoid blue cheeses.

These cheeses are made with mould and they can contain listeria, a type of bacteria that could harm your unborn baby.

Pate
Avoid all types of pate, including vegetable. This is because pate can contain listeria.

Raw or partially cooked eggs
Avoid eating raw eggs and food containing raw or partially-cooked eggs. Only eat eggs cooked enough for both the white and yolk to be solid. This is to avoid the risk of salmonella, which causes a type of food poisoning.

Raw or undercooked meat
Make sure you only eat meat that has been well cooked. This is especially important with poultry and products made from minced meat, such as sausages and burgers. Make sure these are cooked until they are piping hot all the way through and no pink meat is left.

Always wash your hands after handling raw meat, and keep it separate from foods that are ready to eat. This is because raw meat contains bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Liver products and supplements containing vitamin A
Make sure you don't have too much vitamin A. This means you should avoid eating liver and liver products such as pate and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which contain high levels of vitamin A). You need some vitamin A, but having too much means that levels could build up and may harm your unborn baby. Ask your GP or midwife if you want more information.

Some types of fish
You can eat most types of fish when you're pregnant. But there are a few types you should avoid and some others where you should limit the amount you eat.

Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat to no more than two tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw) or four medium-size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can). This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system.

Have no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout.

But remember that eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby, so you should still aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish.

Undercooked ready meals
Avoid eating ready meals that are undercooked. Make sure you heat them until they are piping hot all the way through.

Raw shellfish
Avoid raw shellfish when you're pregnant. This is because raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning. And food poisoning can be particularly unpleasant when you're pregnant.

Alcohol and caffeine

You should drink no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week.

A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units.

You should limit the amount of caffeine you have each day, but you don't need to cut it out completely. Caffeine occurs naturally in a range of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, and it's also added to some soft drinks and 'energy' drinks.

It's important not to have more than 300mg a day. This is because high levels of caffeine can result in babies having a low birth weight, or even miscarriage.

Each of these contains roughly 300mg of caffeine:

3 mugs of instant coffee (100mg each)
4 cups of instant coffee (75mg each)
3 cups of brewed coffee (100mg each)
6 cups of tea (50mg each)
8 cans of cola (up to 40mg each)
4 cans of 'energy' drink (up to 80mg each)
8 (50g) bars of plain chocolate (up to 50mg each). Caffeine in milk chocolate is about half that of plain chocolate
So if you eat a bar of plain chocolate and drink 3 cups of tea, a can of cola and a cup of instant coffee in a day, you'll have reached your 300mg limit.

Remember that caffeine is also found in certain cold and flu remedies, so always check with your GP or another health professional before taking any of these.

Should I avoid peanuts?

Serious allergies to nuts and nut products and some seeds affect about 1 to 2% of people in the UK. Your baby may be at higher risk of developing a nut allergy if you, the baby's father, brothers or sisters have certain allergic conditions such as hayfever, asthma and/or eczema.

If your baby is in this higher-risk group, you may wish to avoid eating peanuts and peanut products when you're pregnant and breastfeeding.

Gardening and changing cat litter
Always wear gloves when you're gardening or changing cat litter, and wash your hands afterwards. This is to avoid toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite found in meat, cat faeces and soil. The infection can be harmful to unborn babies.

Foods you don't need to avoid

It can be confusing trying to work out which foods you can eat and which foods you should avoid when you're pregnant. You might find it helpful to look at this list of some of the foods you don't need to avoid:

Shellfish, including prawns - as long as they are part of a hot meal and have been properly cooked

Live or bio yoghurt
Probiotic drinks
Fromage frais
Creme fraiche
Soured cream
Spicy food

Mayonnaise, ice cream, salad dressing - as long as they haven't been made using raw egg. Generally, mayonnaise, ice cream and salad dressing you buy in shops will have been made with pasteurised egg, which means it's safe to eat. But it's better to avoid home-made versions if they contain raw egg. If you're not sure about any of these foods when you're eating out, ask staff for more information

Honey - it's fine for pregnant women but honey isn't suitable for babies under a year old

Many types of cheese including:
Hard cheese, such as Cheddar and Parmesan
Feta
Ricotta
Mascarpone
Cream cheese
Mozzarella
Cottage cheese
Processed cheese, such as cheese spreads

Weight gain

Different women gain different amounts of weight, but this shouldn't be more than 10-12 kilograms or 22-28 pounds over the whole of the pregnancy.

If you gain too much weight this can affect your health and increase your blood pressure. But equally, it's important that you don't try to diet when you're pregnant. If you're concerned about your weight talk to your GP or midwife.

More information
You might find it useful to read The pregnancy book, which is published by health departments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is available free to first-time parents. The Health Education Board for Scotland produces a book called Ready steady baby!, which is free to first-time parents in Scotland.

If you haven't already got a copy of one of these, speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor, or contact your local health promotion unit.