The biggest concern when I said, you know when I found out that I would have to follow
a meal plan is that I'm going to be hungry.
And I was never hungry.
The most successful thing I discovered was eating more often, smaller meals more often
instead of having like a big meal at breakfast lunch or dinner.
I planned the night before to ensure what I was going to have the next day, to look
forward to what I was going to have the next day.
The biggest relief I had was that I didn't have to change any of my Indian diet.
I kept almost all of my Indian meals intact.
It's not a difficult thing to do once you see that there are so many options and different
things you can eat.
Life just goes back to normal.
Many women who make changes in the way they eat, and how often they exercise are able
to keep their blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Some women with gestational diabetes will also need insulin or other medications to
help them control their blood sugar.
As you start making these changes you'll learn more about your body -- and how it reacts
to food and exercise.
You may also notice that you feel better and have more energy.
Your first step is understanding how what you eat affects your blood sugar.
A blood glucose meter can help you track your blood sugar levels, so you know exactly how
you're doing.
A diabetes educator will show you how to use one.
You may have already met with a registered dietitian, a nutrition expert, or you'll be
meeting with one soon.
Together, you'll develop a healthy meal plan with enough calories and nutrients for you
and your baby.
You may need to write down what you eat, to better understand how your body reacts to
certain foods.
Elaine Lee is a Registered Dietitian with Kaiser Permanente.
She works with hundreds of women each year who have Gestational Diabetes, helping them
to keep their blood sugar under control.
Where should we start?
The first thing I tell my clients is that we'll be working together to develop a meal
plan that fits your lifestyle, something that you can stick with.
Let's start by talking about timing.
Women with Gestational Diabetes need to establish good daily eating habits with regular meal
and snack times.
Three meals and three snacks throughout the day should be included.
Try not to go more than 2-3 hours without food during waking hours.
If you go too long without food, you'll likely overeat at the next meal, which could cause
a significant increase in blood sugar.
It's important to spread the amount of food you eat throughout the day.
So don't eat a small lunch, so that you can have a big dinner.
The time between bedtime snack and breakfast shouldn't be more than 8 to 10 hours
What do we need to know about how food affects your blood sugar?
The food you eat will impact your blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates are nutrients that our body changes into sugar or glucose for energy.
They raise your blood sugar more than other foods, so it's important to control your portions
of carbohydrates.
You brought some different foods with you today, tell us more about carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are nutrients mainly found in the starch group, fruit group and milk group.
Examples of starch include bread, rice, chapatti, pasta, tortillas, hot cereal, crackers and
starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas, dried beans and lentils.
Milk, yogurt and fruit also contain carbohydrate.
Of course such foods as baked goods, sweets, and candy contain carbohydrate too.
Non-starchy vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and peppers contain mostly water
and fiber, so they have a minimal effect on blood sugar.
Try to eat different colored vegetables (green, red, yellow and orange) to get a variety of
vitamins and minerals.
What about eating protein?
Protein has less effect on blood sugar.
Good sources of protein include: poultry, fish, lean beef or pork, cheese, paneer and
eggs.
Do not eat raw meat and raw fish because it could harm your baby.
Vegetable proteins include: tofu, dried beans and lentils also contain carbohydrates, so
you'll count them as both starch and protein.
What about fat from meat, butter or oils?
Like protein, fat has only a minimal effect on blood sugar.
But it's important to go light on fat as gaining too much weight can make it more difficult
to control blood sugar, so keep away from excess fat, such as fried foods and fatty
meats.
Are there any foods to steer clear of?
You'll be able to control your blood sugar better if you avoid all fruit juices and regular
sodas, refined sugars such as honey, sugar, molasses and corn sweeteners, plus desserts
such as cakes, cookies, candies and pastries.
All these items may raise your blood sugar too high, and provide little nutrition.
You can work with your dietitian to figure out how to fit in desserts or other special
foods into your meal plan every once in a while, but make sure to check the carbohydrate
content and portion size.
You can drink diet soda or other drinks with artificial sweeteners.
It's safe to use artificial sweeteners such as Equal, NutraSweet, or Splenda.