There is much evidence to support that high levels of blood glucose in gestational diabetes, even at levels once considered normal, may have adverse effects on your baby.
If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, your doctor has probably already told you about starting a diet plan and you wish to know more about your diet.
First you should know that there are guidelines made by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) that provide general guidelines regarding what a diet during pregnancy should contain for someone with gestational diabetes.
According to the ADA, a proper diet for gestational diabetes mellitus should control the intake of carbohydrates and promote appropriate weight gain during pregnancy, so as to achieve normal blood glucose levels and prevent ketosis.
Ketosis is the presence of ketone bodies in the blood that occur when a person is fasting for a prolonged time, very high ketone levels can be toxic, making the blood more acid, and may damage such organs as the kidneys and liver.
The meal plan should fit the weight, trimester, tastes and habits of each pregnant woman.
Ideally, it should provide nutrients and calories according to the period of pregnancy, allowing complete nutrition for normal fetal development.
Current guidelines from the ADA recommend less than 7 to 10% of daily calories from saturated fats, which raise LDL ("bad cholesterol").
Saturated fats are found in foods such as fat on meat, chicken skin, full fat dairy products, butter and take-away foods.
In addition, you should minimize the intake of trans-fats, better known as partially hydrogenated oils.
The reduction in fat intake may help contribute to modest weight loss.
Protein intake should be maintained in the range of 15 to 20% of total calories.
Low-fat options, such as low-fat dairy products, legumes, skin less poultry, fish and lean meats are recommended.
Similarly, 6 ounces of protein per day is recommended to keep the cholesterol content within the range.
A serving of poultry, fish or lean meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
Carbohydrate choices should come from whole grains or breads, pasta, brown rice, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Increasing fiber in the diet is a general recommendation for the entire population rather than specifically for people with diabetes.
Portions and the type of carbohydrate affected the calories and are reflected in the control of weight and blood glucose.
Just learn to read labels of food for total carbohydrate rather than sugar, since labels provide good information for the control of blood glucose.
It is also recommended to limit consumption of foods high in calories and low in nutritional value, including those with high sugar content like granulated sugar, drink powders and soft drinks, candies, dried fruits, cookies, cakes, pies, sauces, jams, ice creams, meal shakes and canned fruit.
Foods containing sugar should be replaced by other sources of carbohydrates (like potatoes) instead of just adding them to meals.
In pregnant women treated with insulin, the diet will be divided with an evening snack to avoid low blood glucose.
The optimal diet is one that provides the needs of pregnancy but does not result in excessive weight gain or high blood glucose.
From the second trimester on 300 kilocalories per day are added.
You should not use a total caloric value less than 1700 calories.
A registered dietitian can help you make the decision on how to balance your diet with carbohydrates, proteins and fats.