Gestational Diabetes Diet - Good Pregnancy Nutrition Can Prevent Your Child Developing Diabetes
By: Lisa Janse
Having gestational diabetes during pregnancy can mean that too much sugar is passed to your developing baby, increasing their risk of becoming diabetic later in life. Following a well planned gestational diabetes diet can reduce this risk by controlling the level of sugar in your blood, and reducing the amount that is passed to your baby via the placenta.
There are other issues that can arise from your baby receiving too much sugar. The main problem will be that your baby could grow exceptionally large, causing difficulties with delivery. Overweight babies have a much higher chance of being born by caesarean section and experiencing birth complications than normal weight babies.
What causes gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a temporary form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, but usually disappears after the baby is born. The condition can develop when the mother’s body is unable to produce enough insulin to meet the increasing needs of their developing baby. Insulin levels can also be affected by pregnancy hormones, which can limit its production.
Controlling your condition with a good gestational diabetes diet plan is crucial for the health of mother and baby. Nutritionist Bridget Swinney says;
“When large amounts of glucose accumulate in your blood, it means that your cells aren’t getting the fuels they need. High blood sugar can be harmful for you and your developing baby, so it is important to try to control it”.
Consult a dietician to put together your gestational diabetes diet plan
Your gestational diabetes diet plan will depend on a number of factors so it is important to consult a professional to ensure the wellbeing of you and your baby. Your diet plan will be based on the following issues:
- How many calories you need each day
- Your height and weight
- Your level of activity
- The particular needs of your baby
- Your level of glucose intolerance
Another important issue in creating your gestational diabetes diet plan is to include foods that you actually like. Any mother will know that pregnancy is a time when food can provide enormous comfort, and trying to stick to a strict diabetes diet that does not include foods you enjoy will be very difficult.
Here are some general tips for creating a gestational diabetes diet plan:
1. Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day instead of big meals that will suddenly increase your blood sugar levels. Towards the end of your pregnancy small meals will be more comfortable for you to eat anyway.
2. Don’t skip meals, and make sure you eat breakfast, even if you have morning sickness, as your blood sugar levels are at their most irregular first thing in the morning.
3. General pregnancy nutrition advice may recommend fruit juice and flavored teas. These should not form part of your gestational diabetes diet plan as they can increase your blood sugar very quickly.
4. You will need a good source of calcium for your developing baby, but look for alternatives to milk which contains high levels of lactose, a simple sugar which will increase your blood sugar level. Two or three small glasses of milk a day are the maximum for your gestational diabetes diet plan
Diabetes And Yoga: Alternative Diabetes Management Techniques
By : Vivian L. Brennan
Yoga is an ancient practice of moving the body into different poses (asanas) to achieve a healthy body, an attentive mind, and a relaxed spirit. Yoga can be used to help treat many different illnesses, including diabetes. There have been numerous clinical studies that prove the benefits that yoga has for diabetics, because many yoga poses can positively impact circulation and help regulate body systems.
Like with any other exercise regime, when you begin yoga, begin slowly at your own pace. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you find a pose difficult, maintain it for a shorter length of time. Increased flexibility and strength will come from practice. Monitor your blood glucose levels before and after any period of exercise. If you feel lightheaded, or experience any unexpected symptoms during exercise, stop to monitor your blood glucose and act accordingly.
Here are a few poses that have been found to be beneficial for people with diabetes.
Uddhiyana Banda: the stomach lift
Stand with your feet spaced shoulder width apart. Lean forward at your waist and place your hands on your knees. Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forwards, then exhale deeply by pulling your abdomen in. Pause for five to ten seconds. Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forwards, then exhale deeply by pulling your abdomen. During this pause, rapidly push your stomach in and out while you are not breathing. Repeat three or four times. Stand and resume normal breathing. This pose strengthens your abs, massages your organs, and assists your nervous system.
Yoga Mudrasana: the symbol of yoga
Sit up straight with your legs crossed. Clench your fists and place them on both sides of the abdomen, just below your bellybutton. While exhaling, bend forward as low as you can, pushing your fists against your abdomen. This pose is good for helping your nervous system and preventing possible complications of diabetes. This pose can be held for three minutes once you have had much practice. Begin by simply holding it for ten seconds, however.
Dhanurasana: the bow pose
Lie on your stomach. Lift your feet towards your knees, and reach back to grasp your ankles. Lifting your legs, chest, and head, arch your back into a bow. Hold for five seconds to begin, and work your way up to thirty seconds or more at later sessions. Repeat this action four or five times. Once you have mastered this pose, try rocking gently forwards and backwards, and from side to side. This pose massages your organs. This pose is of moderate difficulty.
Halasana: the plow pose
This pose is one of the most used yogic poses. It is complicated and so should not be attempted right away. Begin by lying on your back. Raise your feet to a ninety-degree angle to your body. If you are just beginning this pose, stop here, and hold your feet. If you are more advanced, lower your feet towards your head. Your pelvis will curl up and your lower back will lift from the floor. Touch your toes to the floor behind your head. If you cannot reach your toes to the floor, then simply hold the stretch where it is comfortable. Support your lower back with your hands if necessary. Once you no longer need to support your buttocks or lower back with your hands, place your hands on the ground beside your body. This pose can be held for around four minutes once you are an expert. In your early tries, begin with ten seconds or however long feels comfortable for you. This pose is not for any woman who is menstruating. This pose stretches the spine, and so helps the central nervous system. It is beneficial to all areas of the body.
At the end of any yoga practice, particularly if you are diabetic, it is important to do Savasana, the corpse pose. This is a pose of total relaxation. Lie on your back, with your eyes closed, your legs slightly spread, and your feet dropping to the sides, completely relaxed. Allow your arms to rest comfortable at your sides. Relax, simply focusing on your breathing for one to three minutes. This pose helps you focus after a yoga session and relax the muscles that you have worked.
The Sun Salutation is also recommended for diabetics. It is a series of yoga asanas. You can find many variations of the sun salutation. Try one that works best for you.
If you are uncertain about trying yoga, go to a gym or alternative medical practitioner to see if there are any yoga classes being offered in your area. There are often many classes, and you can probably go to the first class free. You can also join a pay-by-class gym where you can stop by if you want. Tell your instructor that you have diabetes, and your instructor will be able to assist you by teaching you the above poses, and by suggesting other poses such as Paschimottanasana, the sitting crane, Padangusthansana: the standing crane, Bhujangasana the serpent pose, Sarvangasana: the shoulder stand, Ardha-matsyendrasana: the spinal twist, Chakrasana: the wheel pose, and Shalabhasana the grasshopper pose. There are other poses that are beneficial to diabetics, or that will be able to help you prevent or manage any complications you might encounter.
Symptoms Of Adult Diabetes - How To Know A Symptom Or Sign For Diabetes
The symptoms of adult diabetes are symptoms that should be recognized. Recognizing a symptom or sign for diabetes is important because diabetes is a condition that can be life-threatening. Diabetes is a disease where high levels of sugar in the blood exist, creating a symptom or sign for diabetes. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin in the body, by the inability to use insulin or both of these. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels. About 17 million persons in the USA suffer from symptoms of adult diabetes.
Diabetes consist of three main types:
* Type 1 Diabetes - is usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes very little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are required to keep the person alive.
* Type 2 Diabetes - accounts for about 90% of all cases of diabetes and usually occurs in adults. The pancreas do not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, frequently because the body does not use the insulin produced very well. Symptoms of adult diabetes and Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common with the increasing number of elderly Americans, with the failure to exercise and increasing obesity rates.
* Gestational Diabetes - is high blood glucose that develops during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.
Here are the most common Type 2 symptoms of adult diabetes:
1. Blurred Vision
2. Fatigue
3. Impotence In Men
4. Increased Appetite
5. Increased Thirst
6. Infections That Heal Slowly
7. More Frequent Urination
How does one know if symptoms of adult diabetes that are being experienced are actually indicating diabetes? The best way is to do a blood test called the fasting blood glucose level test. Diabetes is diagnosed if this test shows blood glucose is higher than 126 mg/dL on two different tests. If levels are between 100 and 126 mg/dL, this condition will be referred to as impaired fasting glucose or prediabetes and should be considered a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
What does one attempt to do for stabilizing blood sugar levels and diabetes? While there is no cure for diabetes, the immediate objectives are to stabilize blood sugar and eliminate any symptom or sign for diabetes and high blood sugar. Long-term, the goals of treatment are to prolong ones life, to relieve symptoms of adult diabetes and prevent long-term complications that may result such as heart disease and kidney failure.
A person with symptoms of adult diabetes should work closely with their physician to keep blood sugar levels within acceptable ranges. In addition, the more you understand a symptom or sign for diabetes and how to treat it, the more proactive you can become in making lifestyle changes that will improve your health. Besides oral medications, the good news is that Type 2 diabetes may respond to treatment with exercise, diet improvements and weight management.
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Type 2 Diabetes Diet With Healthy Food Plan Can Reverse Diabetes
By: Gregg Osbourn
With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will only get worse. Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from 5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In just one year! It has continued to increase during the past 10 years at an increasing rate.
Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and another 5 million Americans have diabetes and don't know it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type 2 diabetes because of impaired glucose levels. To reverse diabetes type 2 diet and exercise can benefit millions of suffering individuals battling the illness. Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated diabetes type 1 puts a person at a terrible risk of complications including but not limited to blindness, amputations and ultimately death.
The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable. Doctor' say eat less, eat better and exercise. The statistics confirm that there is an epidemic of overeating in America. Portions of food have significantly increased over the past 30 years so that daily caloric intake has risen dramatically. Ultimately, a healthy body weight means control of caloric intake. Using organic foods in the right combination is a natural diabetes treatment that can reverse the symptoms.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics worldwide will rise to 380 million. And diabetes is now affecting more of the young and middle-aged population in developing countries between the ages of 40 and 59. To reverse diabetes type 2 through healthy eating and living style can be accomplished and is key in reversing this trend.
All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or just not feeling well. There are certain symptoms that shouldn't be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness, amputation of limbs, coma or even death.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis. Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death. Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe fatigue than normal. That is why it is essential to follow an appropriate type 2 diabetes diet.
People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the urine also contributes to the weight loss. Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our brain that we are thirsty.
With this is also excessive urination. It is another way our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our system. But this can also lead to dehydration. This is why it is so important to get a healthy diet with an exercise program that can reverse the effects of these symptoms.
One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has diabetes. This along with infections that are not easily remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs. This is a very cruel aspect of severe diabetes. A type 2 diabetes diet can reverse diabetes with a consistent program of healthy diet with the right foods and increased exercise to help lose weight.
