Diabetic Diet For Pregnant Women: What You Don't Know Can Be Dangerous To Your Baby

Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women and is dangerous to both the unborn child and its mother. All women with good prenatal care are tested for gestational diabetes and steps are taken to prevent complications and cure symptoms and effects of high blood sugar. Women identified as gestational diabetics will be prescribed restrictive diets, including reduced calorie diets, have frequent testing for blood-sugar levels, and possibly insulin injections. And when you find out about it, you should immediately take adequate measures to control it well enough not to create any difficulties for you or the unborn baby.

The goal of your gestational diabetes meal plan is to keep your blood sugar level as close as possible after and between meals. To keep control of your blood sugar levels, you will have to learn how to be consistent in the type, amount and timing of the meals you eat throughout the day. A diet low in saturated fat with well controlled blood glucose levels that incorporates weight control, exercise and fewer refined sugars is recommended. Controlling blood glucose levels with diet, and in some cases medication, is the key. To keep blood sugar levels under control, a diabetic diet strikes a balance among the carbohydrates, fats, and protein you take in. In addition, a 1,500-calorie diabetic diet restricts calories and fat. These fruits helps to control blood sugar, levels. Due to their law glycaemic index, they promote a gradual increase in the blood sugar level which is highly beneficial to diabetics.


Blood sugar control is determined by the serving sizes and type of carbohydrates taken in the diet. Most product labels mention the number of calories for the total carbohydrates it contains. Controlling your blood sugar is important for the health of your unborn baby. Finding a routine and being consistent with your food will help you get better control of your blood sugar levels. A registered dietitian who understands diabetes can help you set up an eating plan.

Try to get your carbs mainly from vegetables (about 60%), then from whole grains (25%) and from fruits that don't contain much sugar (15%). Certain vegetables like karela (bottle gourd) have proven excellence in this disease. Ingredients like lean meats, low-fat cheeses, and light mayonnaise, sour cream and dressings are combined with crisp vegetables, ripe fruits, satisfying pastas, and nutritious whole grains and legumes to create a variety of sensational salads that are sure to make any meal special. It is recommended that a small amount of vegetable fat be used on bread, in cooking or in salad dressing. Food should be prepared using methods that are as low in fat as possible.

Women with a pre-existing diabetic condition are usually advised to eat smaller meals more frequently, or to eat more snacks. About half of the calories consumed each day should be in the form of complex carbohydrates, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, with 10 to 20 percent in the form of protein such as meat, fish, or legumes, and fewer than 30 percent of calories from fat. Women with gestational diabetes generally have normal blood sugar levels during the critical first trimester.

Unfortunately, delivering the baby is not the end of the problem, women who have had gestational diabetes are at risk for later developing Type 2 diabetes. In some studies, nearly 40 percent of women with a history of gestational diabetes developed diabetes later. Women who have had gestational diabetes in the past are more likely to have diabetes with subsequent pregnancies. Other risk factors for gestational diabetes are similar to the ones for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore it is important for women to follow a healthy diabetic diet even after delivering their babies to avoid future problems.

About the Author

Following diabetic restrictions does not mean boring and mundane diet. Knowing what to eat and how much is the key to a healthy diabetic diet. Visit FreeRecipesForDiabetics.com to get free recipes for diabetic diet, meal plans, diabetic food grocery list as well as diabetic diet tips.

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by: regist Total views: 7 Word Count: 626 Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 Time: 12:56 PM 0 comments