How Does Fast Food Affect Health During Pregnancy?
Getting pregnant is not always easy. Many women spend months and years trying without success. So, when the desired moment finally arrives, it is best to take great care so that everything goes well. Hence, there are certain foods that are better to avoid. So today we focus on fast food and how it affects maternal health during pregnancy.
Of course, whether you are a mother or not, a healthy and balanced diet will always be the best option. Eating well is positive in every way. It improves energy levels, regulates cholesterol, is used to lose weight … That is, there are many beneficial effects that it will have for anyone.
However, junk food is rather harmful. Why? In general, for flavor, they tend to add excess salt and sugar. In addition, it is normal that they are very fatty foods, excessively processed and with compositions with highly recommended products, especially with many oils such as palm oil, partially hydrogenated fats, etc.
How does fast food affect pregnant women?
But since the movement is demonstrated by walking, we are going to know how junk food affects pregnant women. When you see the consequences, certain cravings may subside, since it is true that the health of the mother and the baby himself are at stake.
Risk of obesity
Eating too much fast food increases the risk of obesity in the mother, as stated in an article published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health”. It is normal for you to gain a few kilos during pregnancy. But it is not logical that there are too many. But the problem goes further, since the future child could also be born suffering from this condition.
Growing problems
Eating these types of unhealthy foods can also lead to an increased risk of growth problems. If the baby does not develop correctly during pregnancy, in the future he could have problems with the development of his muscles.
Risk of diabetes
Eating too much unhealthy food can lead to insulin resistance in our child. This translates into a future child more prone to developing diabetes, according to a study published in the journal “Nutrients.”
Other effects
But the negative effects that junk foods can cause on pregnant mothers and future children do not end there. In addition, there are other consequences to take into account:
- It can have negative effects on the metabolism of both the mother and the baby.
- If you eat excess of poor quality food during pregnancy, the risk of developing all kinds of diseases increases, both in the mother and in the child.
- Bad eating habits from mothers can be passed on to their children.
What if I feel like fast food?
That said, now is the time for good sense. If at any given moment you feel like a hamburger, a soda or a bun, it does not mean that you cannot eat it. Taking something on time does not have to harm, although it is better not to do it, of course.
The problem appears when it becomes a habit. A mother, a child, a pregnant woman or whoever, cannot eat products such as sweets, hamburgers and fried foods at all hours. It should be a specific whim, never the norm.
Fortunately, today we have all kinds of healthier variants than the classic fast food. For example, a hamburger can be substituted for minced meat and kneaded at home. You make a ball, squash it and cook it on the grill. It will have much less fat, it will be healthier and it will be even tastier than processed ones.
And so, you can find thousands of recipes to create your own candy, sausage, hashbrowns, biscuits and scones, etc. In other words, we have dozens of options to replace excessively processed foods with much healthier ones that we will cook at home.
Cut down on fast food
Be that as it may, the important thing is that you avoid excessive consumption of sugar and salt at all costs. And these are precisely the elements that are found to a greater extent in junk foods. This added to some really worrying fat levels.
So as far as you can, avoid fast food at all costs. Or at least, its usual consumption. Once you get used to eating healthy, your body and mind will thank you and you will have much less need to take these negative products for your health.
