High sugar levels - what foods to eat

[sallieg]

Had 25 week midwife appt this am and she said my urine sugar levels were high. Told to stop eating chocolate, sweets, cakes etc but also to limit carbs - although when asked what to eat if hungry was told a jacket potato!! Midwife said to look up a diabetic diet but all I can find is to cut out the sugary rubbish and eat sensibly. I'm just confused as to what I should and shouldn't eat cos I've been really hungry all day today and that can't be good either?

Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Sallie

Low GI
complex carbs eg wholemeal stuff instead of white bread and pasta

Melons, pears and grapes are all high sugar fruits as well. My Gran wasn't allowed them (diabetic) as well as pure orange juice.

I agree with Eldon. The low GI (Glycaemic Index) diet is great and not only for Diabetics. Speak to your GP about it, they can probably give you info on foods which are low on the index.

Thanks guys - any ideas for snacks I can take to work?

you can eat fruit as a diabetic. but essentially the advice is right.

Healthy balanced diet.
5 portions fruit and veg/day.

A portion of anything is the size of your fist.
Eat your sugary stuff (fruit) at mealtimes.
try here

Thanks - midwife told me to cut down on fruit too which is why I got really confused! Think I just need to be sensible between now and next appt and see what the state of play is then.

www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/

Have a look at the above website to get a good idea of which foods are better for you than others. The ones to reduce to next to nothing are the refined starches and sugars..... so the 'white' carbohydrates such as anything made with white flour (cakes, biscuits, pizza, pasta, bread), white rice (rice-cakes, Snack a Jacks, rice crispies) or potato starch (Pringles, savoury snacks) would be something to exchange for moderate amounts of wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, high fibre breakfast cereals, whole porridge oats and so forth.

A good tip for sugary foods is to get into the habit of checking the nutrition panel. If something has more than 20g sugar per 100g then it is a 'high sugar food' and you should probably leave it alone. NB.. a lot of low-fat foods contain a lot of sugar.

Other than that you can enjoy plenty of vegetables and salads, meat, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, oils, dairy products.... lots to go at. Good luck

Basic rule of thumb (from a diabetic here!) is if sugar is in the first three ingredients then it is too high in sugar (unless it is something you would have a very small amount of like ketchup).

Otherwise, a normal healthy diet is ok but beware that a jacket potato is higher in carbs than say a portion of boiled new potatoes. You are looking for slow release carbs - so porridge for breakfast or egg and bacon and tomatoes and mushrooms, snack on things like oatcakes and cheese, balanced lunch and a healthy tea - more meat and veg than carbs. Definately avoid fruit unless having as part of a meal as this will 'dilute' the sugar -ditto chocolate.

When I was PG I had gestational diabetes and had to inject insulin (both times) and unfortunately I was left with diabetes, so try your best! I guess if the levels are high next time they will be sending you for a glucose tolerance test. I had similar problems around 20 weeks and by 26 weeks was on insulin. All ok in the end and baby was and still is fine.

Just look after yourself!

I've had gestational diabetes since 12 weeks (got it at 17 weeks last time too, both of which are unusually early) and am now 23 weeks (I think - I lose track a bit!). Your mw really should send you for a gtt now if you have any other risk factors for gd (eg overweight, family history, previous high birth weight baby).

I tend to snack on oatcakes during the day, or small amounts of fruit, or sometimes crisps or mini-cheddars, or a slice of cooked meat.
I eat more protein now than previously - lots of big chicken caesar salads for lunch, or fish or chicken kievs with broccoli and peas or sweetcorn, but no extra carbs.
For breakfast I can't handle any cereal (even porridge sends my blood sugar too high), so have one slice of wholemeal toast (check labels to find a really low carb/sugar one - some are much worse than others) with an egg and some grilled bacon. My blood sugar stays lower if I have the bacon with it than if I don't.
Lots of meditteranean roasted veg with meat for dinner, or things like chilli with a little basmati rice (not long grain - is terrible for sugar levels), or shepherds pie and lots and veg.

Your midwife should be sending you for a gtt not just telling you to cut out sugar!!!!

I had high sugar in urine at 25 weeks and got sent for a gtt and it came back as i had gestational diabetes, i did not have any of the risk factors associated with gestational diabetes but still had it

If you do have it you will need more scans and a consultant and constant blood sugar monitoring, you will also see a dietician re diet etc. Please ring her and ask for a gtt x