Gestational diabetes mellitus is diabetes in pregnant women, having a high blood sugar level. A Gestational Diabetes Diet is very important to know, to control the blood glucose as it may cause many serious problems like a too-large baby, macrosomia, premature delivery, and neonatal death. Women can control gestational diabetes by taking a healthy diet or doing healthy exercises.
Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnant women, it means non-pregnant women can never have it. Why does it happen? Actually, the placenta produces many pregnancy hormones in a female body. Flood of the hormones can change the sensitivity of the insulin receptor. Therefore, insulin insensitivity makes the blood glucose level elevated. Because insulin is the hormone that can lower the blood sugar level by transporting it to the other body parts like liver, muscles, etc.
Gestational diabetes diet contains such diet which is enriched in nutrients and control the blood glucose level during pregnancy. High blood glucose level is harmful to both the mother and baby. To manage the sugar level, it is very necessary to monitor how many, what type, and how much carbohydrates are consumed.
Best Gestational Diabetes Diet
What kind of diet pregnant women should take, if she has gestational diabetes mellitus, is important information to know. Some for the healthiest and beneficial food for gestational diabetics mothers include
1- Take one cup of milk at a time
Milk is the best healthy food and an important source of calcium, vitamin D3, and phosphorus. Thus, drink the only a cup of milk at one time, because milk is a liquid form of the carbohydrate and drinking too much milk at one time can increase your blood sugar level. Therefore, there is very important how to take the gestational diabetes diet at which time.
2- Intake reasonable starch in a meal
Take reasonable starchy food should be added in your meal because it is an important source of energy for the body. A reasonable portion of starch means about one cup of the total starch per meal, or cereals or two pieces of bread.
We assure that Starchy foods turn into glucose when it breaks down. So it is important not to be excessive.
3- Don’t take fruit juice
Don’t drink juices because the juice is a concentrated source of carbohydrates, and carbohydrates eventually turn into glucose. The juice is in liquid form, it can elevate the blood glucose levels in pregnant women. Therefore, a physician should guide all the mothers about their diet, if they are having gestational diabetes.
4- Snacks and meals
Snacks and meals make the major portion of the gestational diabetes diet. Few healthy choices for snacks and meals are here if a woman has gestational diabetes:
- Egg or egg white
- Fresh or frozen vegetables
- Fresh fruits
- Air-popped popcorn
- Baked fish. chicken breasts that are skinless
- Unsweetened yogurt
5- Healthy Drinks
Stay hydrated, is an important task for pregnant women become dehydration can cause many serious issues. But what type of drink is healthy besides water? Here are some drinks which are a great source of energy as well as control the blood sugar. They included
- Orange juice
- Sweet tea
- Chocolate milk
- Apple cider
- Hot coffee
- Carrot juice
6- Recommended Fats & Oil
Obesity or overweight is also an important cause of Gestational diabetes mellitus. Therefore, control of body weight during pregnancy is equally important to control the blood glucose level. Fatty meal increases the chance of obesity. What type of fats or oils can use during gestational diabetes mellitus? The best-recommended oils or fats are
- Avocado
- Vegetable oils (canola, soybean or olive oil)
- Non-hydrogenated margarine
7- Recommended Multivitamins
Take daily multivitamins that have
- 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid (do not take more than 1 mg (1000 mcg) of folic acid per day);
- And 16 to 20 mg of iron
- And Vitamin B12 too
8- Bananas Raised Blood Sugar level
Bananas although are healthy choices of food during pregnancy but 93 percent of the calories in bananas come from carbohydrates and these carbohydrates are in the form of starch, fibers, and sugars which raise their blood glucose level too much than the other nutrients. Therefore, avoid using the bananas during pregnancy, only if you have gestational diabetes mellitus.
HP Thoughts: If you’re apprehensive about Type 1 diabetes (and presume that you already have one), then we have prepared a post for you as your reference — Type 1 Diabetes Causes.
