{"id":787,"date":"2021-07-29T11:30:06","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T06:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wecreatedesign.co\/dev\/WP\/fitterfly\/?p=787"},"modified":"2024-06-12T16:40:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T11:10:32","slug":"pregnancy-diabetes-how-your-diet-affects-your-blood-sugar-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/pregnancy-diabetes-how-your-diet-affects-your-blood-sugar-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Pregnancy Diabetes: How Your Diet Affects Your Blood Sugar Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Being pregnant is a wonderful time in a woman\u2019s life. But, with all the excitement of meeting your little one comes some tests and worries too. One such regular test is a glucose tolerance test, done to check for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or pregnancy diabetes as it is commonly known.<\/p>\n<p>Gestational diabetes mellitus is a condition that develops when your body, during pregnancy, cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of insulin can lead to complications for both you and your baby.<\/p>\n<p>While this sounds alarming, you don\u2019t have to worry just yet. You can manage the risks and the associated risk it poses for your baby by staying healthy, maintaining a healthy diet and weight (as per the stage of your pregnancy and your doctor\u2019s recommendation).<\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">\n        <div style=\"display:none\" class=\"col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 nopadding\">\n            <a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/40w3os7\" target=\"_blank\">\n                <div class=\"desktop-cta-image\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"  data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 824px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 824\/111;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\"  data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 824px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 824\/111;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" \/><\/noscript><\/noscript>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"mobile-cta-image\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"  data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 824px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 824\/111;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\"  data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 824px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 824\/111;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/whatapp-cta.png\" alt=\"Health & Wellness\" title=\"Health & Wellness\" \/><\/noscript><\/noscript>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n        <\/div>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1<\/strong>\u00a0is to stave off this risk is to understand how foods affect your blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n<p>So, here\u2019s a list of common food components and how they affect your blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Carbohydrates<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Carbohydrates are a common part of everyone\u2019s diet and are present in a number of common foods. That\u2019s why it&#8217;s important to monitor the amount of carbohydrates are present in your diet \u2014 including the type and how often you eat it.<\/p>\n<p>To keep your carbohydrate amount in check, here are a few tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Select your meal well and ditch foods with too many carbs, especially in one meal<\/li>\n<li>Choose foods that have complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal, even starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn.<\/li>\n<li>Combine carbohydrates with protein or healthy fats<\/li>\n<li>Space out your meals and snacks containing carbohydrates, evenly throughout the day &#8212; this helps reduce the blood sugar spike after eating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recommends you have at least three small-to-medium meals and approximately three snacks per day. So that\u2019s 5-6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals (like breakfast, lunch &amp; dinner).<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Proteins<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Proteins are your friend, and they are essential for your baby\u2019s growth and development. But, apart from keeping your baby healthy, proteins also keep your blood sugar in check.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why combining proteins with carbohydrates or choosing carbohydrate-rich foods that also provide protein helps balance blood sugar levels. Some good sources of protein-rich foods are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fish, chicken<\/li>\n<li>Eggs<\/li>\n<li>Tofu<\/li>\n<li>Beans<\/li>\n<li>Nuts<\/li>\n<li>Seeds<\/li>\n<li>Quinoa<\/li>\n<li>Legumes or deals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">\n    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 nopadding calculator-cta\">\n        <div class=\"cal-card-list\">\n            <div class=\"cal-card blue\">\n                <div class=\"cal-card-info\">\n                    <h4>Diabetes Reversal<br> Calculator<\/h4>\n                    <p>To know your chances of&nbsp; Diabetes reversal, take the Diabetes Reversal Test<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"cal-btn\">\n                    <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/hybrid-reversal-calculator-blog?utm_source=Reversal_Calculator_blog&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=Reversal_Calculator_Blog\" class=\"white-btn\">Check<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Unsaturated fats<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Unsaturated fats are also important and are great sources of energy. Unsaturated fats actually act as a healthy carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for your baby&#8217;s development, particularly: Vitamin D (an essential vitamin that regulates calcium and phosphate)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Here are some examples of foods with unsaturated fats:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Olive oil<\/li>\n<li>Peanut oil<\/li>\n<li>Avocado<\/li>\n<li>Most nuts and seeds<\/li>\n<li>Salmon<\/li>\n<li>Sardines<\/li>\n<li>Tuna<\/li>\n<li>Chia seeds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Low glycemic index foods<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Glycemic index of food is a measure of how quickly certain foods causes our blood sugar levels to rise. Also, foods with a low glycemic index are important too, because those foods break down more slowly than those with a high glycemic index, and therefore raise your blood sugar slower than those with a higher glycemic index.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Low glycemic index food sources to eat include:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Non-Starchy vegetables<\/li>\n<li>Certain starchy vegetables, like peas and carrots<\/li>\n<li>Fruit, like apples, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, and pears<\/li>\n<li>Beans<\/li>\n<li>Daals<\/li>\n<li>Chickpeas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Foods to avoid:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>When trying to keep your blood sugar levels in check during your pregnancy, it is advisable to give those foods a miss, that cause a spike in your blood sugar. Which is especially true, if you&#8217;ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. Here\u2019s a list of foods you should avoid, even if those pregnancy cravings make you want to indulge in them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sugary and processed foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sugary and processed foods cause a spike in your blood sugars, which isn\u2019t the best because during pregnancy there are several hormonal changes in your body that make it difficult for your body to break down sugars. And, if you\u2019ve already been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you\u2019re better off giving these foods a complete miss.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Some of the foods are:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Cakes<\/li>\n<li>Cookies<\/li>\n<li>Candy<\/li>\n<li>Ice cream<\/li>\n<li>Fruit juice with added sugar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Healthy swap:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>A good swap is milk and fruits in moderation.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Starchy foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Starchy foods are packed with carbohydrates and can have a significant effect on your blood sugar levels. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to eat them only in small portions. Some of the most common starchy foods are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Potatoes<\/li>\n<li>White bread<\/li>\n<li>White rice<\/li>\n<li>White pasta<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Hidden sugars and carbohydrates<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some foods and drinks are not obvious sources of sugar or carbohydrates and are best avoided. Some examples of these products include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Highly processed foods<\/li>\n<li>Certain condiments, such as dressings and ketchup<\/li>\n<li>Fast foods<\/li>\n<li>Alcohol<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Maintaining a food diary can be very helpful to keep a track of what you\u2019ve been eating. It also can help your treating physician to point out and figure out what could be causing a spike in your blood sugar.<\/p>\n<p>But, changing your lifestyle while coping with mood swings, cravings, and the whole gamut of pregnancy-related symptoms can be a huge challenge that may sometimes seem too daunting to cope with. Not to mention the stress of being diagnosed with pregnancy diabetes or gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>What makes a difference is having experts at your side, guiding you through the entire process &#8211; telling you what to eat, what to avoid, which exercises to include in your routine and how to take care of your worries and stresses, amongst others.<\/p>\n<p>Personalised, scientific guidance and motivation from experts, who understand your medical history, can guide you through gestational diabetes by helping you make incremental and positive lifestyle changes until they become a part of your daily routine. And, that is where the role of Fitterfly GDM &#8211; a Diabetes Care Program for pregnant women with diabetes comes in. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/diabefly\">Fitterfly GDM helps you make smarter diet choices<\/a> and control various other lifestyle factors &#8211; like physical activity, sleep, stress and much more. With the Diabefly GDM program, you will have access to Fitterfly Coaches who will help you through the entire process. You&#8217;ll have access to a nutritionist, a certified physiotherapist and a clinical psychologist to help you get holistic treatment.<\/p>\n<p>To know more about Fitterfly GDM, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/diabefly-gdm\">https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/diabefly-gdm<\/a> or call us <a href=\"tel: 022 4897 1077\" data-dtype=\"d3ph\" data-local-attribute=\"d3ph\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjUpvK62JP5AhUlwzgGHXhlB-YQkAgoAHoFCIYDEAM\"><span aria-label=\"Call phone number 022 4897 1077\">022 4897 1077<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">\n    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 nopadding\">\n        <div class=\"testimonial-block\">\n            <div class=\"testimonial-block-card\">\n                <div class=\"col-lg-7 nopadding\">\n                    <div class=\"testimonial-card-pad\">\n                        <div class=\"testimonial-card-info\">\n                            <div class=\"testimonial-card-head\">\n                                <h3 class=\"gradient-text\">Reduced diabetes medications in 3 months<\/h3>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"testimonial-image-block\">\n                                <div class=\"testimonial-profile-image\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shubhangi-patil.webp\" alt=\"Shubhangi Patil\" title=\"Shubhangi Patil\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 198px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 198\/244;\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shubhangi-patil.webp\" alt=\"Shubhangi Patil\" title=\"Shubhangi Patil\"><\/noscript>\n                                <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"testimonial-profile-info-block\">\n                                    <div class=\"testimonial-profile-info\">\n                                        <div class=\"progress-info\">\n                                            <strong class=\"red\">9.8<span>%<\/span><\/strong>\n                                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pink-next-arrow.svg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\n                                            <strong class=\"green\">6.8<span>%<\/span><\/strong>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"testimonial-member-info\">\n                                        <div class=\"member-name\">Shubhangi Patil<\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"member-age\">38 years<\/div>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            \n                            <div class=\"testimonial-outcome-list\">\n                                <div class=\"outcome-item\">\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-image\">\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/happy-members.svg\" alt=\"Happy members\" title=\"Happy members\">\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-text\">30000+ <br>Happy members<\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"outcome-item\">\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-image\">\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/no-cost-emi.svg\" alt=\"No Cost EMI\" title=\"No Cost EMI\">\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-text\">No Cost <br> EMI<\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"outcome-item\">\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-image\">\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/money-back.svg\" alt=\"Moneyback Guarantee\" title=\"Moneyback Guarantee\">\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-text\">Moneyback <br> Guarantee<\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"outcome-item\">\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-image\">\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/google-icon.svg\" alt=\"Rated 4.8\/5\" title=\"Rated 4.8\/5\">\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"outcome-text\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/five-star.svg\" alt=\"Rated 4.8\/5\" title=\"Rated 4.8\/5\"><br>4.8\/5<\/div>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-lg-5 nopadding\">\n                    <div class=\"testimonial-form-block cta-form\">\n                        <div class=\"testimonial-form-block-pad\">\n                            <input type=\"hidden\" value=\"Shubhangi Patil Weightloss\" id=\"category_name\"> \n                            <div class=\"testimonial-form-card\">\n                                <div class=\"testimonial-form-card-pad\">\n                                    <div class=\"testimonial-form-label\">You too can with<\/div>\n                                    <div class=\"testimonial-form-heading\">Fitterfly&apos;s<br> Diabetes Prime Program<\/div>\n                                    <form autocomplete=\"off\" class=\"testimonial-form\">\n                                        <div  class=\"testimonial-form-container\">\n                                            <div class=\"testimonial-form-field\">\n                                                <input type=\"text\" id=\"name\" placeholder=\"Name\" class=\"\"  onkeypress=\"return (event.charCode > 64 && event.charCode < 91) || (event.charCode > 96 && event.charCode < 123) || (event.charCode==32)\"  required>\n                                                <span class=\"error-text\">Required<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                            <div class=\"testimonial-form-field\">\n                                                <input type=\"number\" id=\"mobile\" onkeypress=\"if (this.value.length >9) return false;RestrictFirstZero(event)\"  onkeydown=\"return (event.which >= 48 && event.which <= 57) || event.which == 8 || event.which == 46\" type=\"number\" minlength=\"10\" maxlength = \"11\" placeholder=\"Mobile No.\" class=\"\" required>\n                                                <span class=\"error-text\">Required<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                            <div class=\"button-block\">\n                                                <button id=\"save-data-CRM\" type=\"button\" class=\"button\">\n                                                    <span>Call me<\/span>\n                                                <\/button>\n                                            <\/div>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/form>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"testimonial-block-card-note\">* Diabetes Remission is the clinical term for Diabtes Reversal<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being pregnant is a wonderful time in a woman\u2019s life. But, with all the excitement of meeting your little one comes some tests and worries too. One such regular test [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":{"reviewed_by":false,"references":[{"title":"Gestational Diabetes","url":"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/diabetes\/gestational-diabetes"},{"title":"Gestational Diabetes Diet","url":"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/gestational-diabetes-diet"},{"title":"What is the best diet for gestational diabetes?","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/319716#Foods-to-avoid"}],"author":"","table_content":null,"medically_reviewed":"","show_updated_date_in_post":"No","faq_list":null,"custom_schema":"","media_url":"","reviewer":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitterfly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}