subject: Common Mistakes on a Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan [print this page] Common Mistakes on a Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan
In a gestational diabetes diet plan, the food meals should be prepared in order to help control blood sugar levels. Gestational diabetes only occurs during pregnancy. It does not an existing disease prior to pregnancy. In most cases, the disease also goes away after giving birth.
During pregnancy, however, it is very important to keep and maintain a gestational diabetes diet plan to have a safe pregnancy and to have a normal delivery of the child. It has been witnessed in several women that with proper diet and exercise, the delivery of a healthy child is still possible even with gestational diabetes. There are, however, common mistakes that patients do in their diets.
Mistake #1: Eat twice than what you normally eat because you are eating for two.
This is not necessarily true. Although you would need more vitamins and minerals because you have a child inside your womb, it does not automatically mean that you have to eat twice than your normal eating. It is important to take in what you need and, in the case of diabetes, it is important to take food within your limits.
Mistake #2: Eat every hour to avoid being hungry.
Although it is true that as much as possible, diabetic patients should avoid feeling hungry to avoid overeating, it does not mean that you should eat every hour. In diabetes, patients are always advised to eat all three meals and to eat at least two snacks in between the meals. This is to control blood glucose levels and to spread evenly energy in the body during the day.
Mistake #3: Avoid carbohydrates totally.
Carbohydrates have the most immediate and direct effect on the blood sugar levels, which is why they need to be controlled. However, it does not mean that a gestational diabetes patient should totally avoid carbohydrates or remove these from her diet. What you need to do is to always keep in mind the carbohydrates that you are taking in to stabilize the blood sugar levels in your body.
If you want positive results, avoid committing these three mistakes that could only make your gestational diabetes diet plan ineffective.