Any diabetes meal plan for a pregnant woman has to take into account both her diabetes and her pregnancy. Thus, when a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes consults a nutritionist for help managing her condition, the nutritionist has to take several factors into consideration. These include the needs of the fetus, those of the woman, the woman’s age and general health, her height, weight and level of activity.
The Ideal Gestational Diabetes Meal Plan
Highly active women will generally have higher calorie needs than women who are comparatively inactive. The nutritionist will also have to consider the age and needs of the fetus when designing a gestational diabetes meal plans for the woman. Furthermore, each woman afflicted with gestational diabetes has a unique degree of glucose tolerance. This will be taken into account too, as will her personal taste and cultural dietary restrictions.
When designing a meal plan for gestational diabetes patients nutritionists tend to advice that they consume fewer carbohydrates (and, by implication, calories) than they typically would. High fiber foods are generally emphasized as are lean proteins. Fresh fruits and vegetables are emphasized too. However, in the case of the vegetables, starchy vegetables are deemphasized while high fiber ones are encouraged.
These guidelines help to ensure that the foods ingested are unlikely to send the pregnant women’s blood sugar levels significantly high. In many cases of gestational diabetes, attention to nutrition and the maintenance of appropriate levels of exercise are enough to keep the diabetes in check. Hence, designing an appropriate diabetes meal plan and adhering to it is a very important step in the management of diabetes.
The average diabetes meal plan for gestational diabetes encourages the consumption of three main meals during the day, along with two or three snacks. In every case, the portion sizes are small and the carbohydrate and fat intake is monitored. This helps to ensure that blood sugar levels are kept stable through the day. Going for long stretches of time without eating and then suddenly eating large meals would go contrary to this because it would provoke extreme rises and drops in blood glucose levels. This is to be avoided at all costs.
It is also important for those with gestational diabetes to have regular eating schedules with particular meals and snacks eaten at set times every day. Establishing a routine in this way helps to maintain blood glucose at optimal levels in the long term. It also makes compliance easier for the woman: it is much easier to comply with an established routine than it is to follow a haphazard meal plan for diabetes.
Related articles: Diabetic Fudge Recipe | Menu for People with Diabetes | Insulin Resistance Diet Recipes |
