What Not To Eat With Gestational Diabetes

Dinner Ideas For Gestational Diabetes

Turkey Burger And Sweet Potato Fries

I absolutely love sweet potato fries and the nutrition information for this is based off of making them homemade using this recipe. One serving is about 1/2 a sweet potato.

1 Burger: Carbs 0 Calories 190

1 Slice Swiss: Carbs 1 Calories 70

Sweet Potato Fries: Carbs 13 Calories 56

2 Tbs. Ketchup: Carbs 10 Calories 40

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp, Brown Rice, And Broccoli

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp: Carbs 7 Calories 254

1/2 Cup Brown Rice: Carbs 22 Calories 108

1 Cup Broccoli: Carbs 11 Calories 55

Total:

Gestational Diabetes Diet Guidelines

If you’re wondering what’s the best diet for gestational diabetes, the answer is it’s not one-size-fits-all. The overall goal is to incorporate foods that support healthy blood sugar levels, and how exactly you do that depends on your individual diet. Follow these general guidelines and then customize your meals based on the foods you like and check out the sample gestational diabetes meal plan provided below as a guide. You can also schedule a meeting with a registered dietitian to determine your exact carbohydrate needs and to get an individualized gestational diabetes meal plan.

Can Some People Be At Higher Risk For Gestational Diabetes

There are some factors that can increase a persons likelihood of developing gestational diabetes:

• If you have a higher body-fat percentage.
• If you’ve been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome .
• If you’ve had gestational diabetes in the past.
• If you don’t regularly exercise.
• If you have a known family history of diabetes.
• Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American people are also at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.

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Healthy Eating For Gestational Diabetes

Healthy eating is a key part of looking after gestational diabetes. Eating well will help you to:

• keep your blood glucose levels within your target range
• provide your body with the nutrients it needs to support your growing baby
• have a healthy pregnancy weight gain.

When youre pregnant there is no need to eat for two, but you will need to slightly increase the amount of healthy foods you eat in the second and third trimester. This is to make sure you get all the nutrients you need to keep you well and help your baby grow. These nutrients include iodine, folic acid, iron, vitamin D and Omega 3 fatty acids.

National Gestational Diabetes Register

The National Gestational Diabetes Register was established within the National Diabetes Services Scheme to help women who have had gestational diabetes to manage their health into the future. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

If you register on the National Gestational Diabetes Register, you and your doctor will be sent regular reminders to have diabetes checks. You will also receive information for you and your family to help you continue a healthy lifestyle.

Registration is free. Women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, reside in Australia and hold, or are eligible to hold, an Australian Medicare Card are entitled to register.

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Diet With Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes does not have a sure-shot treatment. But there is one way of controlling the symptoms and that is eating the right kind of foods. Yes, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet can help you deal with the condition without the need for medication. Your ideal diet should consist of proteins and the right mix of carbs and fats. For this, you must discuss the right diet plan with your dietician or nutritionist. Following this plan can help you stay healthy yourself and deliver a healthy baby. Maximize your protein intake and cut down on carbs and processed foods. Your diet should be planned in this manner 25% proteins+25% start+50% non-starch .

Understand The Glycaemic Index

The gylcaemic index is a measure of how quickly foods containing carbs affect your blood sugar levels after you eat them. Some foods affect sugars levels quickly and so have a high GI, and others take longer to affect blood sugar levels and so have a low GI. To help you manage your blood sugar levels, go for carbs with a lower GI. Youll still need to think about your portion sizes. Its the amount of carbs in the meal that will affect your blood sugar levels the most. And not all low GI foods are healthy, so make sure you read food labels and make a healthy choice.

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What Foods Are Good To Eat For Gestational Diabetes

Here are few healthy choices for snacks and meals if you have gestational diabetes:

• fresh or frozen vegetables.
• steel-cut oatmeal topped with berries.
• fresh fruit.

Here are some tasty snack ideas:

• Half a banana with almond butter and hemp hearts.
• 1 oz cheese, 1 small nectarine, and 2 tablespoons walnuts.
• 1 cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt, ¾ cup berries, and chia seeds.
• 1 hard boiled egg, baby carrots, and a cheese stick.

Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan & Diet Guidelines

Healthy eating during pregnancy looks different each day, and you should feel free to eat the foods you want. Here’s what you need to know for planning a gestational diabetes meal plan that will work for you.

During pregnancy, you’re already adjusting to multiple changes with your body, and a diagnosis of gestational diabetes can feel overwhelming. Take heart that not only will you be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy but you’ll also be able to do it without following a strict meal plan. Keep reading to learn what causes gestational diabetes, how to eat healthy with gestational diabetes and how to create an easy-to-follow diabetes meal plan guide. The goal is to implement sustainable habits that feel manageable and stress-free but still help keep your blood sugars in a healthy range during this exciting time.

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When Should I Eat

It is important to eat at the same times every day. For example, you could eat breakfast at 7:30 a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at 5:00 p.m. Have snacks at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Regular eating times will keep your blood sugar level stable.

Where can I learn more about gestational diabetes and healthy diets?

Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist. You can get more information from these sources:

American Dietetic Association

Checking Your Blood Sugar Level

You’ll be given a testing kit that you can use to check your blood sugar level.

This involves using a finger-pricking device and putting a drop of blood on a testing strip.

You’ll be advised:

• how to test your blood sugar level correctly
• when and how often to test your blood sugar most women with gestational diabetes are advised to test before breakfast and one hour after each meal
• what level you should be aiming for this will be a measurement given in millimoles of glucose per litre of blood

Diabetes UK has more information about monitoring your glucose levels.

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Is Gestational Diabetes Reversible After Pregnancy

Yes! After delivery, in many cases, people’s bodies will be able to naturally begin regulating their blood glucose levels again. Between six and 12 weeks after delivery, your doctor will reexamine your blood sugar levels and, if levels are “normal,” that means you no longer have gestational diabetes. You will, however, need to undergo a diabetes risk assessment every three years to make sure your blood sugar levels continue to stay “normal.”

About half of people with gestational diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 5-10 years.

Eating Well With Gestational Diabetes

An important part of managing gestational diabetes relates to diet. Following a healthy eating plan will assist in:

• Managing blood glucose levels within the target range advised by your doctor
• Providing adequate nutrition for you and your growing baby
• Achieving appropriate weight changes during your pregnancy.

It is advisable to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian to work out a meal plan that is appropriate for mum and the growing baby.

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What Would A Woman’s Blood Sugar Levels Look Like If She Has Gestational Diabetes

First, it’s important to identify what healthy blood glucose levels look like.

“The target number for blood sugar is less than 95 mg/dl when fasting or before a meal 120 mg/dl is the target to stay under two hours after a meal,” says Walsh. “The target number for A1C is less than 6.0 percent.”

Testing blood glucose levels after a night of sleep, or several hours without food, and after a meal are both important measures in determining whether or not one has diabetes. After you eat a meal, blood glucose levels innately rise as the body begins to digest the food. However, if blood glucose levels remain high several hours after eating, this may be indicative of insulin resistance.

“When a woman’s blood sugar levels exceed these consistently, this range indicates gestational diabetes,” says Walsh.

Achieving Normal Pregnancy Weight Gain

The amount of weight you gain during pregnancy will vary depending on your weight before your pregnancy. Althought weight loss is good for people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss is not recommended for pregnant women. Talk to your health-care provider to determine the appropriate weight gain for your body.

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How To Manage Gestational Diabetes With A Healthy Diet

Consider a gestational diabetes diet plan your secret weapon to help prevent pregnancy and delivery complications. Even if you need diabetes medication, Asterino-McGeean says its still vital to follow a gestational diabetes diet.

Help keep blood sugar levels in check with a well-balanced diet. It should include lean sources of protein, plenty of non-starchy vegetables and correctly portioned complex carbohydrates, she says.

Bissell notes that working with a dietitian can take the guesswork out of eating with gestational diabetes. Your dietitian can help you set up balanced meals with the right amount of carbs to keep your blood sugars within the range your doctor recommends.

Foods To Keep An Eye On

1. Sugar: You don’t need to turn your back on all sweets, but your healthcare provider may tell you to be mindful of how many sugary drinks, foods, or items with added sugar you’re consuming and try your best to scale back where you can.

2. Simple carbohydrates: While complex carbohydrates provide you with fiber, simple carbohydrates aren’t as nutritious. As a result, your body quickly processes these foods into blood glucose which will increase your blood sugar level. Your healthcare provider will likely suggest you opt for complex over simple.

3. Fruit: When it comes to fruit, Dr. Conti says to keep this in mind: “Fruit is a tricky food group because we often think of them as healthy, which they are, but they also are high in carbs.” If your healthcare provider suggests a certain amount of carbs per day, know that snacking on fruits or drinking fruit juice might make you hit that maximum pretty quickly.

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Can You Prevent Gestational Diabetes

The Mayo Clinic explains that there’s no way to completely prevent gestational diabetes, but they recommend a few lifestyle modifications to reduce the likelihood of acquiring the condition, including:

• Balanced eating: While the Mayo Clinic mentions weight loss prior to pregnancy as a way to promote a healthy pregnancy in general, they emphasize the importance of “making lasting changes to your eating habits.” This means eating a variety of foods including ones high in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Regular exercise: Keeping active before and during pregnancy can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.
• Monitoring weight gain during pregnancy: When you’re growing another human, weight gain is expected but you can speak to your healthcare provider about the amount of weight gain they anticipate for you.

Gestational diabetes may also have a genetic component, meaning it’s likely that modifiable factors are only one piece of the puzzle.

Life After The Meal Plan

Find more recipes on our site

Your journey doesnt end after 7 days of Mediterranean recipes for gestational diabetes. Its about finding recipes that can become staples in your household and creating eating habits that actually last.

Weve got plenty of recipes online already. Just use the search function on our home page if youre looking for a specific ingredient or check out our recipe page.

Disclosure

We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.

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Other Treatments For Gestational Diabetes

Besides diet, gestational diabetes is also managed through physical activity and sometimes with medication.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says studies have shown that exercise during pregnancy can lower glucose levels in gestational diabetes. Always talk with your healthcare professional before starting a new exercise regimen, but walking is typically a safe form of physical activity for pregnant people.

In addition to diet and exercise, some pregnant people will need medication to help manage their diabetes. This might be an oral medication or an injectable medication, like insulin.

If your doctor prescribes medication as part of your gestational diabetes treatment plan, be sure to take it as prescribed and report any side effects you notice, such as frequent low blood sugar levels.

Breakfast Ideas For Gestational Diabetes

Spinach Onion Swiss Omelet And Toast With Almond Butter

Omelets are a great choice for breakfast with gestational diabetes. This is the nutrition information for the omelets I make but you can put whatever veggies or cheese that youd like in yours and it wont change the carb and calorie content too much.

2 Eggs: Carbs 0 Calories 140

1/2 Cup Spinach: Carbs 0 Calories 5

1 Tbs. Chopped Red Onion: Carbs 1 Calories 4

2 Slices Swiss Cheese: Carbs 2 Calories 140

1/2 Tbs. Butter: Carbs 0 Calories 50

Toast

1 Slice Whole Wheat Bread: Carbs 17 Calories 90

1 Tbs. Almond Butter: Carbs 3 Calories 105

Total:

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Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels While Pregnant

It is important to monitor your blood glucose levels at home to check that management of gestational diabetes is keeping your blood glucose levels within the target range. Your Credentialled Diabetes Educator can show you how to check your blood glucose levels and help you understand your blood glucose patterns. This is to ensure appropriate treatment can be administered and changed as necessary.

Your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator will advise you on recommended blood glucose target levels and testing times.

If your blood glucose levels cannot be managed by healthy eating and physical activity alone, your doctor may suggest medication. Most diabetes tablets are not suitable for use during pregnancy, but insulin injections and/or a medication called metformin may be required to help manage your gestational diabetes.

Learn more about Blood Glucose Monitoring.

Suffering From Gestational Diabetes Here Are Diet Tips To Follow

• Gestational diabetes can be managed effectively with healthy lifestyle changes and following certain do’s and don’ts. Here are expert tips.

Gestational diabetes is a condition when pregnant women have high glucose levels and is generally diagnosed at the beginning of the second trimester. Although asymptomatic, gestational diabetes is normally diagnosed during a routine screening through a glucose tolerance blood test. Around 10-20% of pregnant women in India are affected by this condition that usually goes away post child birth. However, it may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

“Gestational Diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It can be seen in pregnant women who do not have diabetes before and is detected in the middle of the pregnancy that is between 24 to 28 weeks,” says Dr Aditi Mudaliyar by Dr Aditi Mudaliyar, Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian, Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi Pune.

Gestational Diabetes although goes away after the birth of the child, one should not take it lightly because if not treated it can affect your baby’s health.

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Women who are overweight or obese, the ones who gain a lot of weight during pregnancy or those who have diabetes in their family history are more at risk of gestational diabetes than others.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes include tiredness, unusual thirst, weight gain, snoring and frequent urination.

Diet tips

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Which Meal Plan Is Right For Me

Carbohydrate counting and diabetes exchanges are meal planning methods that can help you control your blood sugar. Your dietitian or healthcare provider will tell you the amount of calories, carbohydrate, and other nutrients you need each day. He or she will tell you how many servings of each you can have during meals and snacks. He or she can also help you find the meal plan that meets your nutrient needs and that works best for you.

Pair Carbohydrates With Protein And Healthy Fats

Pairing carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats prevents spikes in blood sugar. It also keeps you full, since protein and fat are digested more slowly than carbohydrates. For example, instead of just having an apple for a snack, pair it with peanut butter, which provides protein and healthy fat.

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