| Following a diabetic pregnancy diet might seem like a | | | | Go Beyond Sugar for Gestational Diabetes |
| needless hassle. Before dismissing the idea completely, | | | | Controlling sugar is not enough. Limiting weight gain |
| ask yourself the following questions: | | | | during pregnancy is also necessary. Fat increases the |
| - Is there a history of diabetes in your family? | | | | body's demand for insulin. Excessive weight gain during |
| - Have past pregnancies been effected by gestational | | | | pregnancy is fat, not the healthy increase of blood |
| diabetes? | | | | volume, the baby and other healthy sources of |
| - Is a diabetic eating plan a healthy diet during | | | | pregnancy pounds. |
| pregnancy? | | | | The extra fat stores place more strain on the body |
| If the answers to these questions are yes, it might be | | | | and weaken its ability to properly regulate blood sugar |
| advisable to include the principles of a diabetic | | | | levels. This extra strain puts both mother and baby at |
| pregnancy diet from the pregnancies beginning and | | | | risk of developing gestational diabetes during |
| incorporate the balanced eating habits as part of your | | | | pregnancy and Type II Diabetes later in life. |
| diet after pregnancy as well. | | | | Select Healthy Snacks during Pregnancy |
| Tenants of Diabetic Eating | | | | One of the best ways to combat eating too much of |
| It is not difficult to understand or develop basic eating | | | | the wrong thing is to select healthy snacks and |
| habits to prevent diabetes. Many of these habits | | | | consume them at regular intervals. Eating small |
| contribute not only to a healthy diet during pregnancy | | | | amounts frequently throughout the day regulates blood |
| but to a nutritious diet after pregnancy. | | | | sugar. This means less demand for insulin and |
| Controlling sugar consumption is only part of the story, | | | | prevents spikes. |
| but that is where it begins. Insulin is the body's way of | | | | The kind of snack is important. Junk food should be |
| controlling blood sugar. Diabetics for whatever reason | | | | avoided. Choose instead vegetables, nuts or cheese. |
| have a breakdown in insulin's effectiveness. It is | | | | Protein digests slowly releasing a steady stream of |
| necessary therefore to control sugar by limiting its | | | | fuel into the blood. Eating a bit of protein with every |
| intake. | | | | meal and snack will keep blood sugar levels steady. |
| This is good advice for anyone: pregnant, diabetic, at | | | | A steady blood sugar level derived from the diet itself |
| risk or completely healthy. To this end, a diabetic | | | | reduces the body's need to use insulin. In addition to |
| pregnancy diet plan would limit not only simple sugars | | | | keeping blood sugars steady, expectant mothers feel |
| like those found in fruits and candies but also complex | | | | fewer symptoms of morning sickness, fatigue and |
| sugars like those in starchy vegetables and whole | | | | dizzy spells. |
| grain. | | | | |