Hi everybody this is Monica Reinagal and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous

Diane from New Jersey wrote to me with for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Diane from New Jersey wrote to me with a question about dietary guidelines for pregnant

women.

As she pointed out, the rules for what's safe to eat during pregnancy seem to be different in various parts of the world.

She's wondering how seriously women should take bans on various foods.

There are legitimate reasons that particular foods might be a concern for pregnant women and their unborn babies.

But Diane is right, there are definitely cultural differences in terms of what we're worried about and how big a threat we perceive

certain foods to be. In general, Americans seem to be a bit more nervous about

their pregnancies than other cultures.

But we still have some cultural blind spots that cause us to focus on certain threats

while ignoring others.

Let's take a closer look at the rationale behind the various banned foods

so that you can make informed decisions in consultation with your

obstetrician, of course.

Raw milk, soft unpasturized cheeses, alfalfa sprouts, sushi, and deli meats are all foods

that you'll frequently see on the Do Not Eat While Pregnant List.

And that's because they all pose an elevated risk of food-born illness.

I talked about the risks of unpasteurized food in my recent episodes on the pros and

cons of raw milk.

Obviously, food poisoning isn't fun for anyone, but because of changes in their immune

...