Gestational Diabetes Diet Guide

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery. It can be diagnosed by your physician, who will provide you with more information. Food and diet planning is an important part of maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Gestational diabetes can sometimes be managed through diet alone. If you develop gestational diabetes, your doctor may refer you to a local registered dietitian for diet planning.

Gestational Diabetes

Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can increase your risk of developing gestational diabetes. During pregnancy, your body needs more insulin. If your body cannot make enough insulin or cannot use it properly, your blood glucose may get too high. Normally, your body breaks down the food you eat into sugars, or blood glucose. The insulin in your blood then changes these sugars into energy. If blood glucose becomes too high during pregnancy, your baby may be born larger or earlier than normal. Other delivery complications may occur, such as cesarean delivery. You should always discuss your meal plan as well as your blood sugar levels with your doctor or other healthcare professional.

Meal Plan

Healthy meal plans with nutritious food choices are essential if you have gestational diabetes. You must follow the meal plan that you and your dietitian set up. Pregnant women need to consume adequate calories and energy while maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Eat three small meals and two to three healthy snacks every day. Do not skip meals. Space meals and snacks by two to three hours. Eating at regular times will help you manage your blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates

Complex and simple carbohydrates are foods that help fuel the body. Complex carbohydrates, or starches, are essential if you have gestational diabetes. Whole wheat bread, pasta, tortillas, and crackers are examples of starches that are a healthy part of your diet. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, squash, corn and green peas. Simple carbohydrates are sweet foods such as candy, snack cakes or other high-sugar foods. Eliminate these types of carbohydrates from your diet because they increase blood glucose. In some cases you may use simple carbohydrates to treat episodes of low blood sugar. It is unhealthy to cut out all carbohydrates from your diet, but your doctor may recommend that you limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed. He may also recommend carbohydrate counting, which can aid your diet planning. When you are carbohydrate counting, you are counting the grams of carbohydrates in the food items you eat. For instance, 1 slice of whole wheat bread contains approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates. Keeping track of the amount of carbohydrates in your diet helps you anticipate your body's blood glucose fluctuation.

Foods to Eat

Avoid foods and drinks sweetened with sugar and honey. These foods raise blood glucose. Consume whole fruits rather than juices, because fruit juice contains a large amount of natural sugar. Drink less juice and more water. Eat more foods high in fiber. Choose whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables. These foods can help control your blood glucose. Also choose foods low in fat to avoid gaining too much weight during your pregnancy. Avoiding excessive weight gain in pregnancy may be an effective strategy for preventing gestational diabetes, reports an article in the journal "Obstetrics & Gynecology."

Gestational Diabetes Diet Guide