Feeling shaky, dizzy, weak, irritable and sweating are some of the common signals your body can send you when your blood sugar levels are dropping too low, or below 70 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia is more frequent in diabetics, whether you have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes, but it can also occur in people without diabetes. If you are pregnant, it is important to prevent hypoglycemia episodes from happening in the first place, and adopting a sugar-free diet could help you have a healthy and hypoglycemia-free pregnancy.
Pregnancy and Hypoglycemia
Pregnancy changes your body in many ways and one of these changes involves increased insulin resistance, which puts many pregnant women at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes associated with pregnancy. If you are pregnant and are diagnosed with any type of diabetes, it is important that you keep your blood sugar levels within a narrow range to keep you and your baby healthy. Taking too much insulin, skipping a meal or snack, eating later than usual or exercising can cause your blood sugar levels to drop too low. If you have hypoglycemia, you need to treat it immediately by taking the equivalent of 15 g of sugar, either from glucose tablets, fruit juice or honey, as recommended by your health-care provider.
Controlling Your Blood Sugars
The best way to prevent hypoglycemia during pregnancy is to keep your blood sugar levels as stable as possible. If you have diabetes while being pregnant, you should regularly check your blood sugar levels with your personal blood glucose meter to ensure your blood sugars are not fluctuating too much. Your treatment plan, whether it includes insulin injection or other medications, should be adjusted to your diet. Cutting sugar out of your diet may require a change in your diabetes treatment plan, so it is important that you consult your doctor or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet.
Sugar-Free Diet and Hypoglycemia
Eating sugar can cause your blood sugars to quickly peak and then crash in the hypoglycemic range within a couple of hours. Avoiding sugar can help you keep you blood sugar levels more even between your meals, preventing hypoglycemia. Sugar and sugar-containing foods mainly provide empty calories, so eliminating these foods from your diet will allow you to include more healthful foods during your pregnancy to optimize the health of your future baby.
What To Eat
Get rid of all forms of sugar, including table sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses and maple syrup, as well as sugar-rich foods, such as cookies, cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars, muffins, candies, desserts, soft drinks and other sugary beverages. Make sure your pantry and fridge are stocked with sugar-free foods that will help you stick to your sugar-free diet during your pregnancy. Go for fresh fruits on their own or mixed with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, or prepare homemade smoothies made with milk, plain yogurt, berries and almond butter to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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