Pregnancy Miracle

Diabetic Pregnancy Diet: Is Diet Enough?

Eating for two can be complicated enough.  When you have diabetic pregnancy diet concerns, you have an even more pronounced strain on the expectant mother’s systems.

Each body system works overtime to handle the extra work.  Blood vessels expand to accommodate a more rapid flow of nutrients, larger volume of blood and additional waste removal needs.  The kidneys increase their function by about 30-40 percent, removing any potentially harmful substances from the bloodstream before it can do any damage.

These are just a few specific examples.  Every system has more to do as the baby grows.  The overload in work comes at a price.

A Poor Diet during Pregnancy will Hurt You Later

A balanced diet for pregnancy is critically important just to keep mother’s hardworking systems in business.  A poor diet during pregnancy hampers the body’s ability to work under normal healthy circumstances.

The body needs extra nutrients for its own functioning.  The developing baby places extra demands on dietary consumption.  The needs of a diabetic pregnancy diet are even more demanding. A poor diet during pregnancy fills none of these critical needs.

Specific Needs for Gestational Diabetes

Diabetics already have a list of foods to avoid, but pregnancy alters these needs.  Following a pregnancy diet that does not take the specifications of a pregnancy diet for diabetic needs into account can do more harm than good.

Sample pregnancy diets for a “normal” diabetes-free pregnancy recommend eating every few hours and often focus on healthy grain choices.  Many carbohydrate choices that are usually considered healthy options are on the list of things to avoid during pregnancy for diabetics.

Diabetics need to pay close attention to the glycemic index of the foods they eat. Fruits, vegetables and many grain choices are high in starchy elements that breakdown quickly into sugar overwhelming the bloodstream with sugars.  This is especially true of whole wheat.

How the Pregnant Body Reacts to Insulin

Insulin, the body’s natural reaction to elevated blood sugar levels, is released rapidly and in large amounts.  This creates a vicious cycle.  Insulin spikes, causing sugar levels to crash.

As the blood chemistry alters so dramatically, mom is left feeling weak, hungry, dizzy, nauseous and fatigued. Often mothers eat even more in an effort to counteract these symptoms. Unwittingly, the quick snack only serves as fuel to set the insulin-sugar crash cycle in motion again.

Eating for Three

When diabetics become pregnant, extra special attention must be given to diet. Essentially diabetes serves as a third element to consider before anything goes into the mouth.  Indulging in the occasional “cheater” snack while pregnant will have pronounced and longer lived side effects.

The list of things to avoid during pregnancy should be strictly followed for the healthiest pregnancy and birth outcomes.

About the Author

Isabel De Los Rios, nutritionist, exercise specialist, author and successful business owner has unlocked the secrets to healthy weight maintenance not only for life but during the especially crucial time of pregnancy. Learn her secrets to get the body, health and vitality you’ve always wanted at http://www.whattoeatwhilepregnant.com.

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