As soon as you stare at your positive pregnancy test you will probably feel a rush of mixed feelings: elation, happiness, anxiety, and even fear. Congratulations on your new pregnancy! A million questions will also race through your mind. Is it a boy or a girl? When is the baby due? Will I be a good mother? What should I eat when I'm pregnant to have a healthy baby? Your grandmother and aunts will be eager to advise you that you should be eating for two, and they will tell you exactly what and what not to eat. However not all of their advice is nutritionally sound. Often, some foods forced upon pregnant women in our tradition are not really the healthiest foods for you or your baby. And other traditions are quite wise. Let's examine a few of them. l “You are eating for two! Eat more!” It is a mistake that pregnant women should eat as much as possible or that she can eat anything she wants. In fact, a pregnant woman only needs an additional 300 calories to her regular diet, which is not very much. You still need to be careful of what to eat and avoid high calorie foods void of nutrients such as doughnuts, sweets, ice cream, soft drinks, French fries, and chips. l Liver In many cultures pregnant women are encouraged to eat liver due to its high iron content. I advise women against eating liver during pregnancy. The liver is the organ of the body responsible for storage and breaking down of toxins and chemical pollutants. The widespread use of pesticides and other pollutants that animals are exposed to create a high concentration of harmful chemicals in the animals' liver. Iron deficiency anemia is very common during pregnancy so you need to eat lots of other foods high in iron: beef, sardines, spinach and Swiss chard, parsley, pumpkin, potatoes with skins, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, nuts, dates and other dried fruits. l Tabouleh. A pregnant woman visiting any Arab home will most likely be served tabouleh because it is well known that most pregnant women will crave sour foods. This is a healthy practice because parsley is high in iron. Plus, the lemon juice used in this low calorie salad is full of vitamin C that will increase the absorption of iron. l “Do not eat low fat dairy products.” Pregnant women believe that they must drink whole fat milk. That is not true because low fat milk and even skimmed milk has just the same amount of calcium and protein as whole fat milk. You and your baby do need the extra fat in whole milk because you are already getting enough dietary fat from cooking oils, eggs, meats, and nuts. You should also take a good calcium and vitamin D supplement to help form the baby's skeletal system without depleting calcium from your own bones. l You should watch your cholesterol levels. Actually, if you have no previous condition of high cholesterol or heart disease, you should not limit your cholesterol intake during pregnancy. Cholesterol is essential for the normal development of the brain, nervous system, and reproductive system of your baby. You can enjoy boiled eggs, cooked shrimp, boiled chicken breast, grilled kabab, or grilled steak a couple times a week __
