Gestational diabetes may affect up to 4 percent of pregnant women, notes the American Diabetes Association. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can interfere with your body's ability to manage glucose, leading to high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, similar to type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, gestational diabetes raises your risk of pre-eclampsia, infant hypoglycemia, jaundice, and having a cesarean section delivery.
Gestational Diabetes and Nutritional Needs
Only carbohydrates will raise your blood sugar levels -- protein and fat actually slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream. The American Diabetes Association recommends that no more than 40 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates, 30 percent of your calories come from fat and 30 percent of your calories come from protein; pregnant women have higher than average protein needs. Ensure that all your nutritional needs are met by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Help stabilize your blood sugar levels by eating often; don't go more than 4 to 5 hours without eating. Also, do not consume carbohydrates by themselves; always eat carbs with fat or protein.
The Incredible Edible Egg
Eggs are a great breakfast choice for women with gestational diabetes. High in protein, relatively low in calories, sodium and saturated fat, eggs are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient for fetal brain development. Milk, liver and peanuts are also high in choline. If you are concerned about your dietary cholesterol intake, try using a combination of one whole egg and two egg whites. Adding cheese to your morning scrambled egg dish will add calcium, used to build strong bones.
Breakfast Smoothie
If you don't have time in the morning to cook a full breakfast, make a quick smoothie using yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit. Yogurt provides calcium, protein and fat; fruit, such as strawberries, melons and bananas, adds essential vitamins, especially vitamins A and C. Consider adding almond or peanut butter to your smoothie for an extra boost of protein and iron. You'll want to consume 1,200 mg of calcium and 30 mg of iron daily during your pregnancy.
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fats -- a type of polyunsaturated fat responsible for fetal brain and eye development. Choose wild salmon, not farmed fish, which may lack omega-3s because of the difference in the diet of wild and farm-raised fish. Try a piece of whole grain toast with cream cheese for calcium and smoked salmon, also known as lox or nova. If you don't care for lox, try fresh water trout, but limit tuna to no more than 6 oz. per week because of its high mercury content.
References
- ADA Diabetes Care; Gestational Diabetes Mellitus; 2000
- Diabetic Mommy: Nutrition Basics For Women with Gestational Diabetes; Nov. 2001
- National Institutes of Health; Choline Deficiency May Hinder Fetal Brain Development; July 2010
- March of Dimes; Eating and Nutrition - Omega-3 Fatty Acids; March 2010
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Gestational Diabetes
