( Nutrition )
PREVENTING
GESTATIONAL DIABETES
DR JOANNA
Dr Joanna explains how to have a healthy pregnancy . G estational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy , but then usually goes away once the baby is born . It affects 5 to 10 per cent of pregnant women in Australia and is most commonly diagnosed around the sixth month of pregnancy . It is a serious condition as it can affect both the health of the mother and of the unborn baby . The other thing to note is that women who have had gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life .
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when your blood glucose ( sugar ) levels are higher than they should be . This is a sign that your body is not producing enough of the hormone insulin , or the insulin it is producing is defective .
Insulin ’ s job is to get glucose out of the bloodstream and up into cells around the body . In pregnancy your body needs to produce more insulin and if unable to do so , this process doesn ’ t work as it should and blood glucose levels rise . This is damaging to your blood vessels , but also tends to make the baby lay down too much fat . Babies born to mothers with uncontrolled gestational diabetes are much more likely to be large for gestational age , and this increases their risk of being overweight later in life , and also of developing diabetes themselves .
Fortunately there is much you can do to prevent gestational diabetes . The goal is to help your body to control its blood glucose levels as much as possible and reduce the demand for insulin , so following are my top tips to reduce your risk .
• Keep pregnancy weight gain within a healthy range . For women who were within the healthy weight range before falling pregnant the recommended guideline is to gain 11 to 16kg . If you were overweight before falling pregnant the recommended range is 7 to 11kg ; if obese aim to gain less in the range 5 to 9kg , and if underweight then aim to gain more within the range 12.5 to 18kg .
• Avoid foods made predominately from white flour . These include white bread ( although there are some low GI , high fibre options if you really want to have white bread ), crumpets , bagels , biscuits , low fibre breakfast cereals , cakes and pastries . The carbohydrates in these foods are broken down very quickly and absorbed up into your bloodstream as glucose . These foods have a high glycaemic index ( GI ). In their place chose foods with a low GI . These are broken down and absorbed slowly so they have a smaller effect on blood glucose levels and need less insulin to be dealt with . Opt for wholegrain breads and wraps , a high fibre low GI breakfast cereal , wholegrain crackers , wholegrain pasta , quinoa , muesli or oats . Legumes are fantastic foods to include as they have very low GIs but also provide protein , fibre and lots of nutrients including folate .
• Avoid foods with too much added sugar – while a little honey drizzled on your porridge is fine , eating too many sweetened foods and especially sugar-sweetened soft drinks , will increase the risk of gaining too much weight . This , in turn , can elevate your risk of gestational diabetes . You don ' t need to be completely sugar free , but try to satisfy a sweet tooth with nature ' s sweet treats , such as whole fruit or make homemade healthier baked foods using a little pure floral honey or maple syrup .
• Include a protein-rich food at each meal as this can help to moderate your blood glucose levels by slowing down digestion . They can also help you to control your appetite so that you don ' t overeat . Protein-rich foods include meat , fish , dairy foods , legumes , tofu and eggs .
• Avoid big servings of carb-rich foods – instead choose a moderate serve and balance with plenty of veggies , a protein food and some healthy fat . Aim for just under a quarter of the plate to be carb foods , rather than making it the hero on the plate .
• And finally , be sure to stay as active as possible . Movement helps your body to burn glucose and keep blood levels under control . Having a gentle walk after meals can also make a big difference .
For more help I thoroughly recommend The Pregnancy Weight Plan by my colleague and fellow accredited practising dietitian Melanie McGrice .
CONNECT WITH DR JOANNA VIA : Web : drjoanna . com . au Facebook : drjoannamcmillan Twitter : @ joannanutrition Instagram : @ drjoannamcmillan
12 OH ! MAGAZINE ( MAY 2018 )