Diabetes during Pregnancy – Diet Tips
Diabetes is a condition in which the body can't make enough insulin, or can't use insulin normally. Insulin is a hormone. It helps sugar (glucose) in the blood get into cells of the body to be used as fuel. When glucose can’t enter the cells, it builds up in the blood. This leads to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). There are 3 types of diabetes. Diabetes during pregnancy—including type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes—can negatively affect the health of women and their babies. For women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar around the time of conception increases babies’ risk of birth defects, stillbirth, and preterm birth. Additionally, among women with any type of diabetes, high blood sugar throughout pregnancy increases women’s risk of having a cesarean delivery and increases babies’ risk of being born too large and developing obesity or type 2 diabetes in the future.
The following tips will help you control your blood sugar levels diabetes during pregnancy:-
1. Eat 3 meals and 2–3 snacks per day: Eating too much at one time can cause your blood sugar to go too high. Eat smaller meals and have snacks. You have increased nutritional needs during your pregnancy, and your baby is counting on you to provide balanced nutrition.
2. Measure your servings of starchy foods:
Include a starch choice at every meal. A reasonable serving size is about 1 cup of cooked rice, grain, noodles or potatoes, or 2 pieces of bread, per meal.
3. One 8-ounce cup of milk at a time:
Milk is a healthy food and it is an important source of calcium. Because it is a liquid, milk sugar is absorbed quickly. Having too much milk at one time can lead to high blood sugar. It is best to limit milk to one cup at a time.
4. One small portion of fruit at a time:
Fruits are nutritious, but because they have natural sugars, eat only one serving at a time. A serving of fruit is one small piece of fruit, or ½ large fruit, or about 1 cup of mixed fruit. Avoid fruit that has been canned in syrup. Do not drink fruit juice.
5. Eat more fiber:
Try whole grain bread, brown rice, wild rice, whole oats, barley, millet or any other whole grains. Include split peas, lentils and any type of bean: pinto, red, black, or garbanzo. These foods are high in fiber and help to keep your blood sugar levels lower than when you eat refined grains such as white bread and white rice.
6. Breakfast Matters:
Blood sugar can be difficult to control in the morning because that is when pregnancy hormones are very strong. These hormones can cause your blood sugar levels to rise even before you eat.
Dry cereals, fruits, and milk are not the best choices for breakfast because they are digested very quickly and can cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly.
A breakfast of whole grains plus a protein food is usually best.
7. Avoid fruit juice and sugary drinks:
It takes several pieces of fruit to make a glass of juice. Juice is high in natural sugar. Because it is liquid, it raises blood sugar levels quickly. Avoid regular sodas and sugary soft drinks for the same reason. You may use diet drinks and Crystal Light.
8. Strictly limit sweets and desserts:
Cakes, cookies, candies, and pastries are high in sugar and are likely to raise blood sugar levels too much. These foods often contain a lot of fat and offer very little nutrition.
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