Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan
You have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and you are advised to go on a diet. What are the things that you need to know about it? Gestational diabetes is form of diabetes that is caused by insulin resistance due to circulating placental hormones that are suppressing the action of insulin in your body, making your blood glucose increase to very high levels. If your blood sugar is normal before your pregnancy, and you develop it during your pregnancy, then you can be assured that your blood sugar will go back to normal afterwards. All you need to do know is follow a strict diet to be able to control your blood sugar levels.
Pregnant women require about 300 calories more per day in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy to gain enough weight for the baby. This is equivalent to about sixteen calories per pound of ideal body weight. About twelve grams more of protein is also needed. The total calorie intake should be at least forty five to sixty percent from carbohydrates, fifteen to twenty five percent from protein and twenty to thirty percent from fat.
Consult your nutritionist on how to compute the amount of calories you need to take in everyday. There are some women with gestational diabetes who can maintain their blood sugar levels within normal limits just with the plain dieting alone. They do this by planning their carbohydrate intake into 3 full meals and about 2 snacks a day. A snack is recommended at bedtime to avoid having very low glucose levels overnight. Eat only what is planned for you by your nutritionist. If a certain ingredient is not available, you can substitute it with a different type of food that gives the same number of calories and nutrient. Do not miss meals and try to eat at the same time everyday if your schedule permits it. Bring along light snacks if ever you will be caught in the road and you get hungry. Be aware of the carbohydrate content of each food you eat per serving. This will help you in estimating the amount of food you need to eat. High fiber foods like vegetables and fruits, dried beans, whole wheat breads, and bran cereals can contribute to lower your blood sugar aside from making body waste removal regular. Always consult your health care provider before starting any exercise regimen. Usually, they will suggest brisk walking and a little stretching for exercise. Anything strenuous may be detrimental to the body. And your diet will be adjusted according since you will need extra carbohydrates before exercising to avoid having hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. If possible, also check your cholesterol levels especially if you have a history of hypertension in the family. You might also have hypertension aside from gestational diabetes.
It can be very confusing at first to determine the correct serving size of the food you eat. A serving size refers to the amount of food after it is cooked or prepared. Here are some examples of normal amounts used in serving size.
A cup of food is as large as about 2/3 of a soda pop canA tablespoon is about the size of the tip of the thumb
A teaspoon is about the size of the tip of the little finger
An ounce of cooked meat is approximately half a cup
3 ounces of cooked meat or fish is like the size of a full deck of cards
An ounce of cheese is equivalent to 1 inch cube
A serving of vegetables is a cup full of raw or half a cup of cooked
The usual amount of calories that a pregnant woman can consume without the danger of increasing her blood sugar levels is about 2200 calories per day. This means you’re your diet plan needs to have at least 45% of that to be carbohydrates, which is roughly 990 calories or 250 grams of carbohydrates for the whole day. How do you know if what you are eating is according to serving size? Here is a list of food products like bread, some starchy vegetables, and a little bit of sweets that has about 15 grams of carbohydrates to plan your diet accordingly and maintain that blood sugar levels within normal limits. You can have about 6 to 8 servings of these types of food.
A slice of breadA fourth of a bagel
A six-inch corn or flour tortilla
A four-inch pancake about 1/4 inch thick
A half cup cooked pasta, corn, cereal, rice, mashed potato, and peas
A half hamburger or hotdog bun
3 cups plain popcorn
A small potato or 1/4 of a large baked potato
6 saltine crackers
3 graham crackers, 2.5 inch square
A half cup oatmeal plain
One third cup pasta or rice
A cup of winter squash
A half cup lentils, beans, peas
3/4 ounce pretzels
A half cup apple, orange or grapefruit juice
A small fruit, about 4 ounces
A half cup unsweetened fruit juice
A half cup applesauce
15 small grapes or 12 large grapes
A couple tablespoons raisins
A couple of small cookies
A half cup sugar free, fat free ice cream
A half cup casserole like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meat sauce
A cup cream, tomato or vegetable soup
A three ounce taco
1/2 pot pie
An eighth of 10-inch pizza
The following foods have around 12 grams of carbohydrates wherein you can eat about 3-4 servings of it daily.
A cup of nonfat milk3/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
Half cup sugar free custard, pudding
Vegetables contain 5 grams of carbohydrates. You can eat about 2 – 4 servings per day, either raw or cooked, or as a juice. Proteins can be derived from the meat and some dairy products, which do not count as carbohydrates but is still needed by the body. You can plan into your diet about 3-5 servings daily of the following food.
A half cup cottage cheeseA half cup cooked dried beans
About an ounce or two of low fat cheese
A large egg, poached
2-3 ounces cooked meat, fish or poultry
A couple of tablespoons peanut butter
You also need fat in your diet plan which should be a maximum of three serving to be enough for the day. You can choose from following options.
Six pieces of almondsTen small peanuts
An eighth of an avocado
A teaspoon oil or margarine
Six small olives
A couple of tablespoons low calorie salad dressing or a tablespoon of regular
From the list of foods above, you can plan your daily diet to conquer your gestational diabetes. You just need about six to eight servings of the carbohydrates and lesser servings for the non-carbohydrates. You can mix these servings to make a salad, a sandwich or a concoction that is just right for you. Always make sure to count your carbohydrate intake and you will be on your way to maintaining normal blood sugar and having a healthy baby.