Gestational Diabetes : your pregnancy enemy

Gestational diabetes is a women's disease. It attacks during the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is the same with type 1 diabetes and can lead to hypertension. It endangers both the mother and baby. There are hardly any symptoms of gestational diabetes, just the extreme thirst and frequent urination, but they are also the pregnant symptoms. Therefore, regular check up during pregnancy is the best solution to prevent gestational diabetes. However, gestational diabetes attack mostly happens in the last three months of pregnancy.

There are three kinds of treatment given to gestational diabetes patients - regular exercise, healthy food menu, and drugs (for example the insulin injection). In this case, we will discuss about the healthy food menu or gestational diabetes diet. Diet for gestational diabetes must be designed by a dietitian or your pregnancy doctor because they are the experts who know your condition and what's best for both mother and baby.
Usually the diet for gestational diabetes is designed based on the patient's height, weight, physical activity, current blood sugar level, and the baby's condition. Gestational diabetes diet includes the programmed amount of calories in your daily intake food, also the calculation of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, supported by vitamin and mineral supplements.
To see a sample of gestational diabetes diet menu, you can visit sample diet for gestational diabetes.

Important guidelines in designing the diet for gestational diabetes

Since this disease happens during the pregnancy, one mistake can harm the baby development. Therefore, important guidelines are given to monitor the accuracy of the designed diet for gestational diabetes. If the diet doesn't show any significant results, you may need the help of insulin injection. You must consult the doctor with any progress of the diet.

Generally, there are seven important guidelines for gestational diabetes diet :
1. Variety food is the best choice
Since it is not a permanent disease, and only a pregnancy anomaly, then you do not have any forbidden food. Just make sure that you consume healthy food only, with the exact calories amount as prescribed.

2. New meal portion
American Diabetes Association recommends three small-medium meals with two-four snacks daily. Remember, the former daily calories amount is still matter.

3. Proper eating time
Have your breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper at the same time every day. A proper eating time is necessary for maintaining the steady blood sugar rate in bloodstream. So, do not skip any meals or double it when you skip one.

4. Limit the carbohydrate at breakfast
As we know that carbohydrate is easily transformed into blood sugar, and in the morning the blood sugar has a high-intense tendency or easily triggered, so it is better to reduce the carbohydrate intake at breakfast. Eat small portion of cereal and bread. Choose either juice or fruits, do not take both. But you can have high protein food as breakfast, such as boiled egg and low-fat milk.

5. Fiber food dominant
Try to include as many fresh vegetables and fruits as you can in your diet menu because they have the most fiber. Fiber has two strategies against diabetes. First it slows down the glucose absorbing process in bloodstream, so your insulin will have time to deal with the available glucose.
Second, it helps the digestion process which makes you feel full for longer period, and therefore reduces your food intake and helps you lose weight. Whole grain bread, cereal, peas, beans and legumes are also excellent food with fiber.

6. Reduce or avoid sugar drinks
Sodas, juices, flavored teas, ice cream, sweet desserts whether with sugar or artificial sugar will certainly increase your blood sugar. Remember the main point of all diabetes diets is to control the blood sugar, not to increase it!

7. Limit the milk intake
Yes, milk is good for calcium supply, but too much milk will increase your blood sugar for it contains lactose (simple sugar). To control your blood sugar rate, do not drink more than two glasses of milk a day.
These important guidelines are better when combined with a regular exercise. Since the gestational diabetes patients are pregnant, they need to find a specific exercise for pregnancy. Better to consult everything with the doctor.