Gestational diabetes diet

[CoconutGirI]

After collapsing on Saturday I'd went to hospital and while there they tested my glucose levels. My blood glucose was high and they found some glucose in my urine. I've now been booked in for glucose test in few weeks.
I'm just looking for anyone who has experience with this who can give me some ideas how your managing it, what are you eating for breakfast, lunch dinner ect?

I had wholemeal toast for breakfast but then google tells me it till still spike sugars. I had an apple afterwards. I'd like to try and manage my sugars with diet for new few weeks. Any ideas how. I just don't know what I should be eating and not eating

I'm being tested on Wednesday hoping all
Is ok but I would imagine cutting out bad carbs would help a lot , bread, pasta etc and just pay attention to how much sugar is in what you are eating . More veg / salads / protein.

I had GD and found this website invaluable https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/

i essentially went low carb (still included carbs, just lower carbs). Example meals:

• breakfast - eggs and avocado/mushrooms. Overnight Chia pudding with berries and no oats. Greek yoghurt with berries.
• lunch - one slice of seeded/south dough or low carb toast with eggs and veggies and hummus
• dinner - protein, veg and very small amount of brown pasta/rice
• snack - green apple and peanut butter, nuts and seeds, cheese, one square of 85% dark chocolate

hope that helps!

I really recommend joining the facebook group and reading through this website in great detail: https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/.

Basically, never eat a 'naked' carb - always pair with either a fat or a protein (or both!)

Most women with gestational diabetes are quite sensitive to carbs at breakfast so most end up having eggs or full fat greek yogurt with blueberries and nuts (or something along those lines). You can also eat one of the cakes with the weird sweeteners for breakfast if you have a sweet tooth - many do.

Snack on babybel cheeses, ham or similar - you can eat as much as you want. Eat little and often to keep your blood sugars stable, loads of fats and proteins to feel full.

Every day I ate:

• full fat greek yogurt with blueberries and nuts (breakfast 1)
• 3 scrambled eggs in butter and cheese on one small dense piece of seeded toast with butter (breakfast 2)
• haloumi or other cheese with refried beans, chicken, guacamole, olives, lettuce (lunch)
• bowl of green apple and blueberries and full fat cream (snack)
• steak, gravy 2/3 new potatoes and broccoli (dinner)

I drank diet coke, other 'diet' drinks (don't affect blood sugars), black coffee, and water.

I tried apple cider vinegar shots after dinner as those are recommended (I soon stopped, but you can try). I also did dancing after dinner for the first month or so as my resting numbers tended to be worst, but as I sorted out my diet and ate the same thing every day, it all settled out.

I, like many pregnant women, didn't gain a kg after my diagnosis despite eating unbelievable amounts of food and fat and going from my 2nd trimester to 3rd.

I was in great shape by the end. It's basically a high protein and low carb diet, boring as hell, but I noticed reduced puffiness in my face as well - it's quite good for you I think?

I managed to stay diet controlled, despite a few high readings early on. Good luck to you.

It's never a one size fits all approach to controlling blood sugars as some people can eat what others find spikes theirs.

However, as has been said above. Lower amounts of healthier carbs, combine with fat and protein to slow the absorbtion. Plenty of veg, especially above ground veggies. Lower amounts of fruit, berries are best, and combine with fats (full fat greek yoghurt). Snack on nuts (if allowed during pregnancy?)

Ditch added sugars/sweets/chocolate/cakes. Small amounts of 80% plus dark chocolate should be OK.

I also recommend the gestational diabetes UK website and Facebook group. Absolutely worth its weight in gold for me. DD is now 2 but I had GD from about 16 weeks and managed it with only ever needing a small dose of metformin once a day using the advice from that group. Midwife was really surprised as getting it that early and with the very high numbers I had she was fully expecting me to need insulin.
However saying that if you need the meds and/or insulin despite diet it's not anything your doing wrong, some people just need it no matter what.

Combining carbs with fats was key for me. I ate a ridiculous amount of cheese!
However everyone is different and until you have blood sugar measuring equipment it's impossible to know how yours are effected by different foods so until then just do what you can.
Plus how your effected will change constantly during the pregnancy anyway! Just when I thought I had a handle on things it would change again.

Had it twice. Both pregnancies I had different reactions. Found high protein low carbohydrates worked best for me. Breakfast cereals were a no go as was milk the first time around too.

Berries and full fat yogurt is a great snack or pudding. As are cheese and cocktail sausages.

YYY to protein and carb balance. Try to stick to whole grains, complex carbs, and avoid simple carbs, products made with refined white flour. Avoid squash and all sugary drinks.

Be careful with fruit, and veg like carrots. Keep fruit like grapes to a minimum. Green leafy veg are great. Nuts are good. Everything in moderation.

If you can take a 20 minute walk after a meal, that would be beneficial.