Gestational Diabetes Diet
Diabetes a disease which affects the pancreas and it is not able to produce the right amount of insulin. Insulin is necessary in the process of moving glucose from the bloodstream into the body's cells, where it is used for energy. Insulin also enables the liver to store the excess glucose. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs or when it is totally unable to produce it at all. The body needs insulin to help move the glucose from the blood and reach it to the cells in the body so that it can be used to produce energy.
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects women when they are pregnant. Most non diabetic women become victims of gestational diabetes by the time they are into their fifth month of pregnancy and end a month or so after the delivery happens. Up to 6 percent of pregnant women become prone to it during pregnancy. At the time of gestational diabetes, even though a woman is able to produce the needed amount of insulin but this insulin gets blocked and is prevented for reaching the body cells. Hormones like progesterone, estrogens and lactogen that are made in the placenta which is the organ that keeps the growing baby nourished while inside the mother’s womb. As the pregnancy progresses into the 20th to 25th week the placenta also grows and it produces these hormones in large numbers making the body more insulin resistant. Sometimes during pregnancy the pancreas is able to make extra insulin too but at that time it will not be adequate to counter the effect of these hormones that are produced by the placenta. Though this disease is common women who have a family history of diabetes, are prone to high blood pressure, are overweight or have been affected by this in an earlier pregnancy they become more susceptible to gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes symptoms are pretty much the same as the normal diabetes symptoms. Constant hunger and thirst, a continuous sense of weariness and getting easily tired are some such symptoms. You might also notice that along with your pregnancy weight gain you have put on some extra weight. Excessive urination is a very common symptom and you might begin to get regular vaginal infections or itchy skin it could also be a sign of the onset of diabetes. Very often, these symptoms go unnoticed because these changes also occur in pregnancy. Therefore it is best that when you go for your regular check up, ask your doctor to do a glucose tolerance test for you so that if you do have gestational diabetes it can be diagnosed at the earliest. Gestational diabetes treatment includes following a proper diet, regulating your pregnancy weight to make sure that you do not let yourself become overweight and monitor glucose levels. Gestational diabetes diet should include lots of carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, grains and cereals, avoid sugar and foods with high sugar content. A low fat but high fiber diet is always good to control diabetes. As snacks you could eat fresh salads or cereals and oatmeal as they are healthy and will keep a check on your blood sugar levels. Ask your doctor or dietician to draw up a sample gestational diabetes diet plan for you so that you are able to know which foods are safe for you and the correct amount that needs to be consumed. You could also get a list of gestational diabetes recipes that will help to make you careful about your food. Apart from a healthy diet, exercise will help you to control your gestational diabetes and also help to keep your pregnancy weight in check.
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