Category: blog

The first step begins with dietary changes

A pregnant woman who is diagnosed as having gestational diabetes is almost always told to monitor her diet. She will probably need to eat differently than she has been eating. Doctors often tell their pregnant patients to eat more small meals throughout the day with a limited number of carbohydrates at each mini meal. The physician may refer the patient to a dietician or nutritionist.

Meeting with a dietician or nutritionist

Diabetes diet plans can be very confusing, so women are usually told to meet with a nurse educator who is knowledgeable in diabetes or with a dietician or nutritionist who can help the woman plan healthy meals. A diabetic diet doesn’t need to be boring or the same every day. It simply requires eating foods that will not cause blood sugar levels to elevate, and a professional is the best one to offer advice on which foods to eat.

Diet during pregnancy is especially important for the diabetic woman

All pregnant women need to eat a healthy diet for the proper development of their baby. Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy need to be aware of proper nutrition as well as keeping their blood sugar levels down at the same time. Most women are told to count carbohydrates and to eat only a certain number of carbs at each meal. They often need to eat more protein, fruits, vegetables, and substitute whole wheat bread for white bread. Basically, a pregnant diabetic woman needs to eat the same type of diet as anyone with Type 2 diabetes, keeping in mind that extra protein may need to be added to the diet. It is important to closely follow the diet that is recommended.

Adding exercise and staying active usually helps control sugar levels

Most women are able to stay active during their pregnancy, and this also applies to women who develop diabetes during this period of their life. How does exercise lower blood sugar? When you exercise, your muscles use some of your body’s glucose for energy. This lowers your blood sugar level. A study by the University of Michigan found that excercise is capable of lowering blood glucose and can be as effective at doing this as a common diabetes medication.

Doctors use other measures when diet and exercise don’t work to improve blood glucose levels

Blood glucose levels that stay high and do not respond to a low carb diet and exercise can be very dangerous to both mother and baby. Doctors usually prescribe insulin injections for pregnant women. Sometimes diabetic medicationis prescribed to lower glucose levels. Fortunately, most women’s diabetes goes away after their baby is born.

Nerve and blood vessel damage and dehydration from chronic high blood glucosecan cause dry skin problems in people with diabetes. Dry, cracked skin is a potential breeding ground for infection. Staying well-moisturized (both inside and out) and using mild soaps and other gentle skin care products is your best bet for healthy skin. One caveat to moisturizing: make sure that areas such as underarms, groin, and between the toes stay dry to prevent fungal infections.

Other skin conditions associated with diabetes include:

• Acanthosis nigricans(A-kan-THO-sis NIH-grih-kans) – velvety, light-brown-to-black markings
• Bullosis diabeticorum (BULL-OH-sis DY-uh-bet-ih-KOR-um) – blisters
• Diabetic dermopathy – light brown scaly patches
• Eruptive xanthomatosis (EE-rup-tive zan-thO-mat-Osis) – small yellow bumps ringed with red
• Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum(NEK-roh-by-OH-sis lih-POY-dik-ah DY-uh-bet-ih-KOR-um) – lower leg rash; shiny red with yellow in center

Also called: Diabetic neuropathy 

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high. Over time, this can damage the covering on your nerves or the blood vessels that bring oxygen to your nerves. Damaged nerves may stop sending messages, or may send messages slowly or at the wrong times.

This damage is called diabetic neuropathy. About half of people with diabetes get it. Symptoms may include

• Numbness in your hands, legs or feet
• Shooting pains, burning or tingling
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea
• Problems with sexual function
• Urinary problems
• Dizziness when you change positions quickly

Controlling your blood sugar can help prevent nerve problems, or keep them from getting worse. Treatment may include pain relief and other medicines.

One type of fat protects your heart, the other puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease. It’s wise to know the difference. 

The body needs certain healthy fats to construct cell membranes, insulate nerves, and ensure that many vitamins, like D and K, work like they’re supposed to.

But not all fats are good for you; some, in the wrong amounts, can seriously damage your health.

Types of Healthy Fats

Dietary fats fall into three categories:

• Saturated fats.Animals are the primary source of saturated fats, with high levels found in beef and full-fat dairy products and medium levels in poultry and eggs. Some vegetable oils, such as palm oil, also contain a lot of saturated fat.

    Saturated fats are necessary for the body — but in small amounts. Less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fats, preferably

    from lean poultry and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. For people who consume 2,000 calories per day, only 20 grams at most should come from saturated

    fat.

• Unsaturated fats.These good fats are what you should eat the most of as part of a heart-healthy diet. There are two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil have high concentrations of monounsaturated fats. Fish, flax seeds, flaxseed oils, corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil contain polyunsaturated fats.

    Omega-3 fatty acids — found in some types of fish like salmon and herring, and in plant products, such as soybean oil, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed —

    are a type of polyunsaturated fat that are thought to be particularly good for the heart.

• Trans fats.These are the fats you may want most but shouldn’t have. Most unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. To make them solid, food manufacturers add extra hydrogen, making it a “hydrogenated,” or trans, fat. The highest levels of trans fats are found in baked goods, animal products, and margarine.

Effects of Non-Healthy Fats

Eating a meal high in saturated fats — lots of steak, with potato salad loaded with eggs and mayo — creates the following reaction in the body:

• Triglyceride (made from excess calories and stored in fat cells) levels go up. High triglyceride levels increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems. [8,9]
• Blood vessels narrow.
• Blood pressure goes up.
• LDL levels increase.

And even though trans fats come from vegetable sources, they can cause more heart problems than saturated and unsaturated fats. For this reason many food manufacturing companies and restaurants are no longer using trans fats, and most food labels state their trans fat content.

Good Effects of Fats

Replacing some saturated fat from animal sources with healthy fat from plant sources can reduce LDL and triglyceride levels and your risk of cardiovascular disease.

A recent study found that replacing harmful carbohydrates — found in processed foods like white rice, white bread, and so on — with foods such as nuts and fatty fish, decreases LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels and increases those of HDL (“good cholesterol”). The researchers also found that eating foods rich in good fat:

• Lowered blood pressure
• Reduced heart risks
• Improved lipid levels

If you’re smart, you’ll opt for unsaturated fats every time.

A Word About Fish

Fish is a heart-healthy source of dietary protein that is low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids. It is especially important that postmenopausal women and middle-aged and older men eat the recommended amounts of fish and shellfish (up to 12 ounces per week) to reduce cardiovascular disease risks, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA cautions that some fish types may be high in environmental pollutants such as mercury and therefore recommends that children and pregnant women avoid fish types that are thought to have the highest mercury levels (for example, king makerel, swordfish, shark, tilefish). The AHA also recommends varying the kinds of fish you eat to minimize effects of these environmental contaminants.

The bottom line is that you need healthy fat in your diet, in limited amounts. And it does matter what kind of fat you eat. For cardiovascular health, limit your intake of saturated fat, avoid trans fat, and make sure most of the fat you eat is good fat from fish, nuts, and healthy oils.