There are many natural remedies for diabetes, some of which more common and more reliable than others. But for pregnant women, it is critical to consult a doctor before attempting to manage gestational diabetes with any of these natural remedies. It is up to the physician to ensure the condition is properly monitored, managed and treated as necessary and not all natural remedies for diabetes may be safe for pregnant women, especially those taken as supplements and not simply ingested through food.
For example, ginseng is a popular herbal natural remedy for diabetes that is believed to help lower blood sugar levels. However, it is most often found in pill form and may not be suitable for a pregnant woman and her fetus. While on the other hand, the common spice cinnamon is also believed to be a natural remedy for diabetes due to its positive effect on lowering blood sugar level and is safe for pregnant women to ingest without fear of harm to the baby.
Diabetes in pregnant women is medically known as gestational diabetes mellitus or GDM. It is a type of diabetes that women previously did not get but only during her pregnancy. The stomach and intestines breaks down the carbohydrate in food into sugar called glucose. After digestion, the glucose is used by the body to make energy. Then, the glucose in your blood needs a pancreatic hormone called insulin to enable the cells of the body to absorb it. When your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or when the cells can’t use the blood glucose in your body, then you have a condition called Diabetes. To ensure the safety and the health of the mother and the baby, a diet for gestational diabetes must be followed.
The American Diabetes Association recommends a well balanced diet for gestational diabetes. In this diet, they must eat a variety of foods with fewer carbohydrates and evenly distribute small meals throughout the day. Although your meal plan may contain fewer carbohydrates, a high-fiber meal can normally replace the satisfaction carbohydrates do to fill the hunger. High-fiber foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and dried peas, beans, and legumes must be considered. These foods are slow to digest compared to simple carbohydrates, which may help maintain a stable blood sugar level even after meals.
Do not skip meals. Distribute 2 to 3 meals and small snacks throughout the day. Never eat heavy meals at once. For breakfast, eat 1-2 servings of crackers, cereal or pretzels. Foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables are ideal. Sugar and fatty foods must be lessened or avoided if possible. Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday as this helps good digestion.Put enough vitamins and mineral rich foods in your daily diet. Taking a pre-natal vitamin and mineral supplement may not be appropriate or may cause complications. Some supplements contain sugar and may affect the blood glucose level during your pregnancy.
Since gestational diabetes happen during pregnancy, do not try to lose weight. The baby needs a sufficient source of energy and vitamins to grow. A dietitian can determine the proper weight requirement for you and your baby. The average weight for a pregnant woman is 25 to 35 pounds more than her normal weight when not pregnant.The right diet plan for a pregnant women is very important. The amount of calories, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that they need will depend on the several factors. What are those factors? These are the weight before the pregnancy, the current weight gain and the physical activity level and the blood glucose level. It is very important to consult the dietitian to calculate the amount of carbohydrates that a pregnant women needs per day.
The goal of a good gestational diabetes diet plan is to provide the pregnant woman sufficient amount of energy. Generally this energy is counted in terms of calories. These calories are required to ensure proper weight gain and nutritional sufficiency to support the body of the mother and meet the needs of the growing baby. The gestational diabetes diet plan must be designed in a way to maintain the proper levels of blood glucose levels and avoid the formation of peeks and valleys of the blood glucose level.
Though calorie requirements are highly personalized; still an average woman with a proper pre-pregnancy weight requires additional 300 calories during 2nd and 3rd trimester. These extra calories must come from essential minerals, vitamins and other essential nutrients to support healthy pregnancy. The proteins requirement of the pregnant women also increases by an extra 10 gm daily as recommended by RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
As far as GD food plans are concerned, they aren’t usually overly oppressive or restrictive. They are more likely a pattern of eating, with the emphasis placed on combinations of food, and when you eat. You absolutely need to eat every three or four hours, whether it be a snack or a meal. You should not have any huge meals like Thanksgiving dinner, because that is too many carbohydrates to bombard your body with at one time.
The gestational diabetes diet plan won’t leave you starving all the time, but you will probably be eating smaller portions than you are accustomed to, and eating small snacks that you may not usually do. Usually, the hardest part of the plan is that you must eat at certain times, even if you’re not hungry, and not eat at other times, even if you are hungry.
Read about Herbs for Weight Loss and also read about Obesity Treatment and Natural Weight Loss Supplements
Tags: gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes signs, gestational diabetes symptoms
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