Gestational Diabetes

Hi Everyone,

I have been battling a slight case of Gestational Diabetes. My numbers aren't super high so my DR is not overly concerned just wants me to alter my eating habits. I was just wondering if anyone had any good meal ideas or snack ideas. I didn't think i ate that many carbs, but I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas of things to eat. Thanks

 

You might want to check with your Dr., but I THINK the 'South Beach diet' has a low glycemic index, and I think it is safe for diabetes. I am not sure what 'phase'- I don't think the strict phase 1 is safe for pregnancy, I'd ask your Dr. about phase 2 or 3... I would recommend buying a book with easy snacks from the phase you are allowed to eat, the standard diet book has many good recipes but they take a TON of preparation...

that said, here were some things to snack on when I was on it that weren't too hard to stick to but easy to eat... I wasn't very good on variety as i hate cooking and preparing, so the ones I remember are repetative again, I would check with your Dr. on these before trying any to make sure they are safe

Sliced apple with light cow cheese (I think you would have to substitute for another cheese as cow cheese is soft)

Celery sticks with peanut butter
Celery sticks with cheese
String cheese
Sliced pear with cheese
Sliced tomato or cherry tomato with cottage cheese
Greens with chicken or salmon, basalmic vinigar, and oil
Most nuts are OK, except for a few- like macadamia nuts
Rolled lunch meat (again, maybe substitute for fresh) rolled with small bits of cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Omelette, with real eggs or eggbeaters or egg whites, (egg whites/eggbeaters and light cheese only if trying to loose weight, not good for pregnancy) with vegetables and a little cheese
Light yogurt (without sugar yogurt, I'd check for safetey of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy)
If you are allowed to eat bread, stick to whole grain, no white bread or potatoes


Hope this helps! Again, I'd ask your Dr. Is South Beach is OK for pregnancy qand diabetes, and what 'phases' are good for each... I am sure phase 1 is out for pregnancy, except for maybe a snack here and there...

 

I ate a lot of protien. Grilled cheese sandwiches., Chicken, Eggs, Peanut butter.. I also got no sugar popsicles.. For when i was craving. And that one piece of fruit a day is WONDERFUL! I have a list of foods.. Somewhere. If i find it i will scan it for you!

 

No offence to pp, but fad diet is probably not such a good idea during pregnancy, although phase 2 and 3 of SBD is rather sound. The idea of controlling GDM (gestational diabetes) is to spread out carbs throughout the day, not to avoid it entirely. When you avoid carbs entirely, your body end up utilising fats as a source of energy and that can cause ketoacidosis in the long run, which is harmful to the body.

Speading carbs over the day means you're better off with 5-6 small meals that consists of complex or unrefined carbs (e.g. wholegrain, wholemeal bread/biscuits/pasta) than 3 big meals a day, together with a balanced diet of sufficient protein and good fats. If you're not keen to have carbs like biscuits or bread for snacks, you can opt for a small piece of fruits or a tub of 200ml low fat yogurt (that's considered one serve of carbs), or veg sticks with low fat cheese dips. Cereals (about 1/3-1/2 cup is a serve, depending on which cereals) are a good idea for snacks too, and oh, use low fat milk or those snack idea that desolation suggested sounds great too.

Of cos, simple sugar loaded food such as popsicles, lollies, soft drinks, chocs (a square or two is fine) should be avoided during this period hunni!

First line treatment for GDM is usually diet modification, next comes insulin. So, hope you do well on diet modification (which I'm sure you will momma!!), cos insulin is not funny!! Hope these info helps!

 

Oh that stinks!!! Well, like some others have said, talk to your doctor about a diaet appropriate for pregnancy, especially twin pregnancy! I would ask to be referred to a nutritionist as well... I know that he aid your numbers were not all that high, but still, you want to make sure they stay low! Good luck!

 

QUOTE(muscaria10 @ Sep 4 2008, 05:49 AM) [snapback]962105[/snapback]
No offence to pp, but fad diet is probably not such a good idea during pregnancy, although phase 2 and 3 of SBD is rather sound. The idea of controlling GDM (gestational diabetes) is to spread out carbs throughout the day, not to avoid it entirely. When you avoid carbs entirely, your body end up utilising fats as a source of energy and that can cause ketoacidosis in the long run, which is harmful to the body.

Speading carbs over the day means you're better off with 5-6 small meals that consists of complex or unrefined carbs (e.g. wholegrain, wholemeal bread/biscuits/pasta) than 3 big meals a day, together with a balanced diet of sufficient protein and good fats. If you're not keen to have carbs like biscuits or bread for snacks, you can opt for a small piece of fruits or a tub of 200ml low fat yogurt (that's considered one serve of carbs), or veg sticks with low fat cheese dips. Cereals (about 1/3-1/2 cup is a serve, depending on which cereals) are a good idea for snacks too, and oh, use low fat milk or those snack idea that desolation suggested sounds great too.

Of cos, simple sugar loaded food such as popsicles, lollies, soft drinks, chocs (a square or two is fine) should be avoided during this period hunni!

First line treatment for GDM is usually diet modification, next comes insulin. So, hope you do well on diet modification (which I'm sure you will momma!!), cos insulin is not funny!! Hope these info helps!


I agree... that is why when I mentioned it I made sure to say I wasn't sure if it was OK for pregnancy and to check with the Dr.... I had read it was created for diabetics and people with sugar problems, which is the only reason why I thought it might be helpful... especially because I'm the type of person I need a specific plan and recipes to go by (I have no culinary creativity) and thought it might be helpful in that respect if the Dr. said certain phases were OK...

Don't really consider South Beach a 'fad' diet except for phase 1... I am against fad diets myself, and the south beach diet is one that my doctor recommended- she says it is a healthy way to eat, and it is the only 'diet' plan she recommends to her patients. Phase 3 is a really healthy long term way to eat... and phase 2 and 3 don't ban carbs, just promote 'healthier' ones (like no white bread and white potatoes) but encourage whole grain bread, etc. Again, I do not know if they are OK in pregnancy but at least these 2 phases are healthy.

I agree with you on the 'no carbs being bad' thing, IMO the Atkins diet is rather unhealthy, and can harm people's longer term health and metabolisms... the few people I know who did it gained more weight back when they were done, and had some odd things happen when they were on it... like muscle aches and heart skipping...

IN any case, Gestational Diabetes sucks! I am so glad it is only gestational.... but what a confusing thing to deal with!

 

thanks everyone. i did talk my dr about it on Friday, and see said just hang in there only a couple more weeks, i tell ya as soon as these boys are born i'm gonna have a major food fest. i'm not a heavy person, have never had weight issues fortunately, and haven't gained a lot of weight during this pregnancy so i'm gonna chow down for the first couple of weeks, ha ha! Anyway like i said before basically any new snack ideas are helpful, i've done a little research, i haven't seen a nutritionist because we live an hour from the city and i'm on bed rest, so as long as i'm maintaining there's no point in loading the crew up in the car and driving to town. I just won't be having pizza, popcorn and soda nights for awhile.

 

I had the South Beach Diet snack foods for my treats while I had GD. There are some really yummy ones. I wasnt dieting and as long as I kept in my carb count my numbers stayed down. There are also BOOST shakes for diabetics. :hug: Good luck!