Diet and Healthy Recipes – Video : Treatment of Gestational Diabetes: Risk Factors and Diet plans

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Treatment of Gestational Diabetes: Risk Factors and Diet plans


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Some women develop diabetes when they are pregnant. It’s called Gestational diabetes and is caused by changes to hormone levels in the body. It usually goes away once the baby is born. Some amazing resources and facts on overcoming the condition are available at

Gestational diabetes is more common than we would think and is a temporary condition. Women usually recover after the baby is born. So what is Gestational diabetes? A person has diabetes if the glucose in the blood gets too high. Let’s look at what happens when we eat foods which are high in carbohydrates such as potatoes, fruit, rice or bread. These foods travel down to the stomach, then the intestine where they are broken down into sugar or glucose, and absorbed into the blood stream. There is a natural hormone called insulin which is produced by the pancreas. It helps the glucose to reach cells all over the body. It also helps to keep the glucose levels normal. In some women this natural insulin is unable to keep the glucose under control and when this happens a person has Gestational diabetes. It is very important that pregnant women monitor their blood sugar levels and keep them as close to normal as possible. This ensures that the baby gets enough to eat and not too much. If the baby gets too much to eat, it can grow too quickly and too big which makes it harder for the mother to have the baby. When the baby is born too big it means that there is a tendency for the baby to be overweight. As the baby grows it is more inclined to have weight problems in adulthood with an increased tendency to develop diabetes later in life. You can manage your diabetes when you are pregnant by eating the right food, doing exercise such as walking and monitoring your blood sugars regularly. Sometimes improved diet and walking are not enough. Then you will need to take injections of insulin.

When you have diabetes during pregnancy your diet is one of the most important ways of managing Gestational diabetes because it is food that affects the blood sugar or glucose level in your blood. So by changing your diet you can control your blood sugar levels. A healthy diet will also ensure you don’t gain too much weight and that you have all the right nutrients for you and your baby. You should avoid eating foods that are high in fat and sugar. This includes food like coca cola, lemonade, jam, takeaway foods like pizza, margarine or the oil that you use for cooking and snack foods like chips. So it is important to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, lean meat, fish and low fat yogurt. These are called low glycemic index foods and release energy more slowly and help to keep blood sugars under control. Eat less fat by cutting the fat off your meat. Grill your fish rather than frying. Avoid eating cream, butter and mayonnaise, takeaway foods, fatty meats, rich cakes and biscuits. Eat less sugar and sweet foods. Put less sugar in your cooking and only eat small amounts of honey, soft drinks, flavored milk, ice cream and desserts.

Remember it is also important to eat regular meals throughout the day. You may need to cut down on portions at meal times and if you are hungry, have a healthy snack between meals. Exercise such as walking is also really important for managing Gestational diabetes. Daily if possible or at least two or three times a week. Walking is excellent for pregnant women and will help to keep your blood sugars under control. Careful monitoring everyday will help you know if your blood sugars are normal. Walking helps to bring the blood glucose levels down. It really helps the pancreas to produce more insulin so anyone with diabetes needs to exercise.

So in summary:
1) Eat the right foods
2) Exercise such as walking
3) Monitor your blood sugars regularly
4) And talk to your family and make sure they understand about your Gestational diabetes. Managing your condition will be so much easier with their support

After the baby is born women are invited to come back and have another glucose tolerance test (GTT) to see if Gestational diabetes has gone away. If you’ve had Gestational diabetes then you have been given a clear sign that there is a chance you will develop diabetes as you get older. But there is a lot you can do to keep healthy, simply by keeping your weight down and that means eating the right foods and walking. This site has some amazing tips on how to safely and effectively manage Gestational diabetes. If you’re an expecting mother visit