Diet therapy for gestational diabetes

Specific foods have to be avoided, while others have to be consumed if you are a woman with gestational diabetes. The doctor will always give you a list of such foods that you can or cannot eat, but there is also an exercise plan that will help you with managing the diabetes. All of the mentioned steps should secure your healthy weight, so that you do not increase it by any chance.

Diet Planning

The intake of calories is the first thing you should take into consideration when deciding on the diet. This is because gestational diabetes is more common among women who are obese or overweight then among women with normal body weight. Also, for the same reason, women who are obese can only gain approximately 15 pounds during the pregnancy. It is a good idea for a woman to plan her diet because she will want to eat the foods she enjoys and needs. Some foods will work better than the others and she will be the best one to determine which. She will have to do this very carefully and detect any changes and effects of the diet on her body. The best diet will have to be healthy and include foods that the woman loves to eat. She can have a low fat diet and so exclude butter from the spaghetti she so likes.

Also, low carb diet may be better for others. There is a third option as well, and that is for those who like to eat all sorts of food and do not want to eliminate any of them. But in this case, she will have to count calories on every meal. The lifestyle and the diet need to be associated and connected, so you may want to bring something from your house if the cafeteria in the school or at the office has unhealthy foods. The price of the foods comes into the play as well, so if your budget is low, do not opt for the low carb diet filled with vegetables and meat. Choose the diet according to your budget instead. Use your own judgment when choosing the diet, and do not change your mind whenever you hear something about a different diet. There are many different diets available, but the most important thing for them is to work and monitor the blood sugar levels. Personal needs and experience during the pregnancy are crucial for managing diabetes during this period.

Tips

We will mention a few pointers which are good to have in mind. First, due to neural tube defect among babies, take folic acid before conceiving. You can visit your doctor and talk about this subject as well. Try to reduce body weight once you are pregnant and remember to count carbs because this is a great way of controlling the blood sugar. The effects of the food intake and cravings during pregnancy can be discussed with the nutritionist. Be sure to check what you eat because a diet is crucial when control of blood sugar during pregnancy is in question.