Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Treating Gestational Diabetes

by Lulu
(East Berlin, PA)

I've recently been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was sent to a nutritionist. I was taught about the food pyramid and all the foods I couldn't eat.

It means cutting out breads, fresh fruit, juiced fruit (which I love)...is there a natural solution out there such as herbal remedies that will help stabilize my insulin production?

Answer:

Hi Lulu,

I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you even more by agreeing with your nutritionist! Your diet is the best way to get a handle on your insulin levels.

There are some herbs, such as bitter melon, that are believed to help control blood sugar, however they are not considered safe during pregnancy.

Diet is your best bet. And specifically, you want to cut down on the carbohydrates because all carbs can wreak havoc on your body if you're already insulin resistant. This means as your nutritionist told you, breads are just as problematic as fruits and sugars.

You can, however, indulge in other tasty treats. During pregnancy you need a diet high in protein so you can enjoy baked chicken dishes or beef dishes. You can top dishes with cheeses or cream sauces which are rich and filling. In fact, getting good fats into your diet (like butter, coconut oil, and olive oil) is very beneficial - it will help stabilize your blood sugar and fat literally builds your baby's brain.

There are a lot of vegetable choices that are low in carbohydrates. Any summer squash varieties, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, olives, avocado, and mushrooms are all low carb. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and other "traditional" salad veggies are also good. Salad greens are low in carbohydrates. You can make your own salad dressing with olive oil and vinegar you like (I like red wine vinegar on salad) to avoid the sugars in commercial salad dressings.


You could ask your nutritionist if a fruit occasionally would be ok - you could have a dish like strawberries in cream, or a fruit sauteed with lots of butter. This would give you that "sweet" treat every once in awhile and the fat would help your body offset the sugar in the fruit.

Soups are another good choice, and very healthy. You can make a lot of homemade soups with a chicken stock base and cream to create your own "cream of" soups - chicken, mushroom, broccoli, etc. This will help you avoid sugars and fillers that most commercial soups have.

Making big diet changes is hard, but during pregnancy we have the convenient motivation of knowing its not only for our good, but also that of our baby. Focus on the good things you'll be able to enjoy and try not to linger on what you have to give up.

Read my pregnancy diet pages for more detailed info on good eating during pregnancy.

Mark's Daily Apple has an excellent article explaining why carb intake is linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.