Advices about gestational diabetes diet

This guide provides basic information to help you start lowering your blood glucose until your appointment with a registered dietitian, the nutrition expert. These are general guidelines which may be tailored to meet your needs. Food is an important tool that you can use to control your blood sugar during pregnancy. Eating healthfully often means making changes in your current eating habits. A registered dietitian can provide in-depth personalized nutrition education to help you develop a personal action plan.

The basic treatment for this type of diabetes is done through gestational diabetes diet, it is important to modify your diet according to gestational diabetes diet to get rid of diabetes during pregnancy and avoid any undue circumstances during childbirth. The first criteria in gestational diabetes diet is to normalise your blood sugar levels and taking healthy food along with that. If gestational diabetes diet id followed there will be no or minimum complications while delivery.

Calculating the amount of carbohydrates in diet can help control blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates when digested get converted to glucose in blood. It provides energy to perform daily tasks and for the baby as well. It is not recomended to completely go at par with the carbohydrates but moniorise the amount of carbohydrate intake to balance the blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates (foods high in starch and sugar) have the greatest impact on blood glucose levels, since they are broken down into glucose during digestion. It is important to control the amount of carbohydrate by eating the same amount of carbohydrate along with some protein and fat at each meal.

Goals for healthy eating

• Eat three small meals and two or three snacks at regular times every day. Do not skip meals or snacks.

• Eat less carbohydrate at breakfast than at other meals because this is when insulin resistance is the greatest.

• Try to eat a consistent amount of carbohydrate during each meal and snack.

• If you have morning sickness, eat 1-2 servings of crackers, cereal or pretzels before getting out of bed; eat small, frequent meals throughout the day and avoid fatty, fried and greasy foods. If you take insulin and have morning sickness, make sure you know how to treat low blood glucose.

• Choose foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables.

• Eat foods with less sugar and fat.

• Drink at least 8 cups (or 64 ounces) of liquids per day.

• Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet. Ask your health care provider about taking a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement to meet the nutritional needs of your pregnancy.

Fruits and gestational diabetes diet
Fruits have large amount of natural sugar’s. Gestational diabetes diet recomends to have 1 portion of fruits one time in a day. Canned fruits must be avoided, they have added sugar which will rise the blood sugar levels. Having fresh mixed fruit bowl once in a day is adviseable.

Breakfast is important
Controlling sugar levels in breakfast is important, the changes in hormonal levels during morning are difficult to control. Gestational diabetes diet recommends to minimise sugar and carbohydrate content in your breakfast. Cereals , milk and fruits are not recomended for breakfast,it will abruptly increase your blood sugar levels. Breakfast recomendations according to gestational diabetes diet is to have starch and protein as a part of breakfast and also maintain blood sugar levels.

Read more:

Glossary of Gestational Diabetes

What is Gestational diabetes?
Symptoms of Gestational diabetes
How to Avoid Gestational Diabetes