Diabetes or hyperglycemia, an increase in a person’s blood glucose level, is a health condition that can be alarming to each and every one of us. It is considered to be a lifestyle disease by most. Basically, there are two major categories of diabetes: Type 1, the juvenile or the insulin dependent diabetes and Type 2 which is the non-insulin dependent diabetes. Another type may not be widely recognized albeit it does exist in the field of medicine. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is what I am talking about. This can be typically heard for women, who are pregnant, it occurs between the 24th to 28th week of child-bearing moments. This is characterized by its cardinal signs, namely polydipsia or extreme thirst, polyphagia or extreme hunger and polyuria or frequent urination.
Gestational diabetes should be prevented; mothers who are pregnant should take into consideration their diet regimen, they should be selective enough in choosing the foods they have to eat otherwise the fetus inside their womb might be compromised.
The chief concern while monitoring and controlling diabetes is to see that the sugar level does not cross the normal range. This means that one needs to cut down on certain types of food and consume regularly those foods, which are good at regulating diabetes.
Ideally, the diet should be low in fat, low in sugar, low in salt. Liberal amounts of fruits and veggies and low in starchy carbohydrate foods, such as wheat bread, chapatti, and rice are also good to have. High fiber diet is very much encouraged. Increasing oral fluid intake is also advised. Smoking and too much alcohol consumption is prohibited. Exercising 30 minutes each day is definitely of great help to improve circulation.
Three major food categories people commonly eat are as follows: Carbohydrates, fats & protein. Here is a dietary table illustrating the foods that can and cannot be eaten by diabetic clients.
| Category | What to eat | What to avoid |
| Carbohydrates | Apples, berries, citrus, avocado, mushroom, olives, peas, oat, barley, porridge | Sugar coated cereals, prunes, watermelon, potatoes, bread, pasta, pastry, cakes, candies |
| Protein | Organ meats, animal, meat fats, fish, soy protein, chicken, tofu | Duck and goose eggs, chicken skin |
| Fat | Nuts, seeds, unsaturated margarine | Hard margarine, processed foods |
People would always say that “prevention is better than cure”, cliché’ as it may appear but it remains to be a gospel truth. Bottom line is, whether you are pregnant or not, you have to start building a healthy lifestyle and continue promoting wellness. Proper diet indeed, can magically manage diabetes.
Related posts:
Urinary Incontinence During Pregnancy | Pregnancy Quick Start says:
[...] also medical conditions or diseases which are closely associated with urinary incontinence such as diabetes mellitus (increases blood sugar level), polyuria ( excessive production of urine) and polydipsia (excessive [...]
November 19, 2010, 1:31 pm