Studies show that approximately 40 percent of pregnant women crave for something sugary, 33 percent crave for something salty, another 17percent crave for hot and spicy while the remaining 10 percent long for something sour. Typically, such intense desire for food is fulfilled effortlessly by any expectant mother without having to be bothered about her diet. In women afflicted with gestational diabetes, however, a gestational diabetes meal plan must be adhered to in order to have a safe and sound pregnancy.
The goal of gestational diabetes meal plan is to maintain a person’s blood sugar within acceptable values. This meal plan is about controlling the amount of carbohydrate intake, because less carbohydrates generally means lower blood sugar. Even though expecting mothers are required to increase her intake of calories because of the developing baby, the quality of food is a biggerfactor compared to quantity. Here are some of the things to consider when preparing a gestational diabetes meal plan:
1. Avoid simple sugars like junk foods, white rice, white bread, fruit juices, soda and other flavored drinks. Complex carbohydrates (Ex. Brown rice and whole-grain bread) are more recommended because they are difficult to digest and tend to promote lasting satiety. As a result, the patient will not feel the need to eat in large portions every now and then.
2. Avoid eating carbohydrate-rich food during breakfast. Morning is the time of day when pregnancy hormones which raise blood sugar are at their peak levels.
3. Don’t miss a single meal. Practice eating in small amounts. Blood glucose levels are likely to remain stable when food is distributed uniformly throughout the day.
4. Do not aim to drop some weight. While people with type 2 diabetes mellitus are encouraged to lose weight, women with gestational diabetes are prohibited from doing such. Consult your doctor about how much weight you are allowed to gain during pregnancy.
5. Don’t get rid of all kinds of sugar in the diet. Healthy substitutions and reducing the amount of sugar in recipes are what is recommended.
For mothers with gestational diabetes, choosing the right food out of the hundreds available can be a laborious job. However, adhering to a gestational diabetes meal plan will make decision-making easier. So ask your doctor for the meal plan that best suits you, because if the mom is stress-free and happy, the baby is healthy.
