First, a bit of good news: Gestational diabetes is a manageable condition. Natural Treatments for Gestational Diabetes
- Cut back on carbs. Carbs are going to be strictly monitored.
- Focus on foods that reduce inflammation.
- Get your greens and veggies.
- Take your vitamins.
- Boost magnesium levels.
- Get some sleep.
- Get moving.
Can you reverse gestational diabetes?
For most women, yes, but half the women who test positive for gestational diabetes have an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. All women with gestational diabetes should be screened at 6 weeks postpartum to determine if they actually have diabetes outside of pregnancy.
“Once a woman has had gestational diabetes, she has to be mindful about diet and exercise for the rest of her life,” says Dr. Esakoff. But that can also be a silver lining. “Better eating habits will give mom a healthier heart, more energy, and improved self-esteem. That benefits her and the whole family,” says Dr.
Esakoff. “There is no need for gestational diabetes to take away from the joys of pregnancy.”
What fruit should you avoid if diabetic?
Dried fruit, fruit juice, and certain tropical fruits, like mangoes, tend to contain more sugar. It may be a good idea to limit portions or eat these foods less often. Some canned fruit has added sugar or is packaged in syrup.
How often should a gestational diabetic eat?
Steps to get started –
- Begin Counting Carbohydrates. To manage your blood sugar you will learn a technique called “carbohydrate (“carb”) counting”. This system helps you balance your meals and snacks throughout the day. Begin by reading the Nutrition Facts labels for “Total Carbohydrates”. Your target for will likely be 30-45 grams for meals and 15-30 grams for snacks. Details about Carbohydrate Counting.
- Eat smaller amounts of carbohydrates at each meal. Rather than eating a large amount of carbohydrate at a single meal, spread out your carbohydrates throughout the day. Eating carbohydrates directly affects your blood sugar level, so eating a smaller amount of carbohydrate at regular intervals through the day will help keep your blood sugar from rising too high after a meal
- Eat small, frequent meals and snacks. Eat about every 2 to 3 hours. Because you are eating fewer carbohydrates at your meals, you will needs to eat more frequently in order to meet your daily nutritional needs. Plan at least 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
- Include protein at meals and snacks. You protein needs increase during your last trimester. Protein may help even out your blood glucose. It may also help you feel more satisfied throughout the day.
- Eat a very small breakfast, with a similar mid-morning snack about 2 hours later. Blood glucose levels tends to be higher in the morning. To offset this, your meal plan will probably include fewer carbs at breakfast than at lunch or dinner.
- Have a nighttime snack. It is good to eat a snack before you go to sleep to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level overnight. Some examples of healthy snacks include: a Greek yogurt, an apple with peanut butter or whole grain crackers with cheese.Choose high-fiber foods. Good sources include whole-grain breads and cereals, fresh and frozen vegetables, and beans. Fruits can also a good source of fiber — most plans include fruit in afternoon or evening meals and snacks.
- Watch out for sugar and concentrated sweets.
- Do not drink fruit juice. Plan to get your fruit servings later in the day (not at breakfast). Although fruits are a healthy source of carbohydrate, their carbs are easily absorbed and tend to raise blood glucose levels quickly.
- Avoid regular soft drinks, fruit juice and fruit drinks. High-carbohydrate drinks like these raise your blood glucose quickly.
- Limit desserts such as ice cream, pies, cakes, and cookies. These foods often have large amounts of added sugar, honey, or other sweeteners.
- Read labels carefully and check them for total carbohydrates per serving.
- Be careful about fat
- Consume lean protein foods, such as poultry and fish. Avoid high fat meats, lunch meat, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs.
- Remove all visible fat by removing the skin of poultry and trimming fat from meat.
- Bake, broil, steam, boil, or grill foods.
- Avoid frying. If you do fry foods, use nonstick pans, vegetable oil spray, or small amounts (1 to 2 teaspoons) of oil.
- Use skim or low-fat (1%) milk and dairy products.
- Limit or avoid adding extra fat, such as butter, margarine, sour cream, mayonnaise, avocados, cream, cream cheese, salad dressing, or nuts.
- Limit convenience foods. These are often higher in carbohydrate, fat, and sodium.
- Avoid instant noodles, canned soup, instant potatoes, frozen meals, and packaged foods.
Does milk help with gestational diabetes?
Don’t Drink Sweet Drinks If You Have Gestational Diabetes – Cross off juice, sweet tea, soda, and any drink with added sugars from your gestational diabetes diet plan. “Avoid foods high in sugar and carbohydrate content,” says Heard. Sweet drinks are one of the fastest ways to raise your blood sugar, which is why they must be off your menu.
Does lemon water help with gestational diabetes?
Does lemon water help in managing gestational diabetes? – Lemon water does not directly impact your blood glucose levels. However, it surely helps in preventing the sudden spikes in your blood glucose levels. A glass of lemon water is a simple beverage that you can make and drink.
Can gestational diabetes go away at the end of pregnancy?
Gestational diabetes during pregnancy will usually go away after the delivery. However, if this condition is not managed during the pregnancy, it can cause complications for you and your baby. The CDC says that in the United States, annually, 6% to 9% of pregnant women¹ develop this type of diabetes.
Normally, gestational diabetes doesn’t always present symptoms, but your physician will be alerted if you are susceptible to this condition based on your medical history and risk factors. If it’s determined that you are at risk based on these factors, you will need to be tested at your first prenatal appointment.
Without the risk factors, you would still be tested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Knowing what gestational diabetes is, how it can be prevented or avoided, and how it can be managed if you are diagnosed with this condition will help you have an uncomplicated pregnancy and a healthy baby.
How long does it take to lower gestational diabetes?
Plan your next pregnancy – If you know that you want to get pregnant in the future, have a blood sugar test up to three months before becoming pregnant to make sure you have a normal blood sugar level. High blood sugar early in the pregnancy (within the first eight weeks) can affect the developing body and organ systems of the fetus.
- It’s important to get your blood sugar level under control before you get pregnant.
- If you do get pregnant again, make sure your health care provider knows that you had gestational diabetes with your last pregnancy.
- If you had gestational diabetes with one pregnancy, your risk of getting it with another pregnancy is about 36 percent,
: Gestational Diabetes and Your Health After Your Baby is Born