Diet for people with gestational diabetes

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Gestational diabetes is a dangerous disease and can leave complications for both mother and fetus. However, gestational diabetes can be completely controlled with proper nutrition. So what is the diet for people with gestational diabetes?

1. How dangerous is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes only occurs in pregnant women, the disease can leave dangerous complications for both mother and fetus. Accordingly, gestational diabetes was diagnosed on the following index: Fasting blood sugar ≥ 150mg %. After 02 hours, drink 75g blood sugar ≥140mg%. The danger level of gestational diabetes occurring in mother and child is as follows:
1.1. For the mother Pregnant women who have had diabetes in a previous pregnancy will be worse if they already have the disease.
Pregnant women who have had preeclampsia or eclampsia in a previous pregnancy and will be at increased risk in subsequent pregnancies. Pregnant women gain weight over 20kg, large fetus leads to difficulty in giving birth and polyhydramnios occurs. Pregnant women who eat a lot and drink a lot will have frequent urination (sugar-sweetened urine), recurrent candidiasis.. Pregnant women have infections, nephritis, pyelonephritis and postpartum hemorrhage. Pregnant women have multiple miscarriages in a row or stillbirth for unknown reasons.
1.2. For the child If the mother has gestational diabetes, it can lead to fetal malformations, neural and muscular birth defects,... Large babies are born with easy fractures, birth trauma Increase mortality rate fetus and newborn in the first week after birth from 2 to 5 times. Respiratory failure, hypoglycemia, calcium, genetic risk of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a common disease in pregnant women, but due to its negative effects on health, pregnant women should maintain a reasonable nutritional diet, and at the same time avoid certain foods that have harmful effects on their health. High glycemic index foods increase the risk of gestational diabetes.

2. Diet for people with gestational diabetes

According to the Medical Guidelines for Pregnancy approved by the National Academy of Sciences, a healthy diet includes a full range of substances such as protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber. Accordingly, the recommendations for the diet for people with gestational diabetes are as follows:
Protein: 12 - 20% of total calories Carbohydrates: 50 - 55% of total calories Fat: 25 - < 30% of total energy intake Fiber: 20-35g/day. To avoid high blood sugar, pregnant women need to have a healthy and balanced diet, which must include 4 food groups: starches, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
2.1 Some foods people with gestational diabetes should eat Pregnant mothers should divide their meals during the day so as not to increase blood sugar after eating and lower blood sugar too quickly when away from meals. Accordingly, pregnant women should divide into 3 birth meals and 1-2 snacks.
About starchy foods Starch is a nutrient found in many foods. Most starches are hydrolyzed to sugars (glucose). Therefore, pregnant women need to eat starch to have good health and help the fetus stay healthy. However, eating a lot of starch can increase blood sugar, so pregnant women should eat enough foods that have a low glycemic index and rarely raise blood sugar, such as: brown rice, fresh vermicelli, broken rice, whole grains, whole grains.

Protein group Pregnant women should eat fish, lean meat, legumes, eggs, milk, because these are all protein-rich foods, good for the health of the mother and the fetus.
Fat group Pregnant women should use lean protein rich meats such as poultry, beef, pork and fish. In addition, should eat oily seeds, use vegetable oil for frying, cooking

Vegetable group Pregnant women should eat at least 500-600g of green vegetables per day. Accordingly, it is recommended to eat vegetables before main meals to limit the rise in blood sugar after eating, because green vegetables are a source of fiber and prevent the absorption of starch.
Fruit group Pregnant women should choose fruits that are less sweet and have a low glycemic index such as melon, avocado, strawberry, dragon fruit, grapefruit, oranges, acerola, green kiwi,... Fruits can be used after meals and should be eaten whole to take advantage of the fiber found in fruits.
Milk and dairy foods Milk and dairy foods are a great source of energy, rich in calcium and protein, and many other nutrients. However, to avoid high blood sugar, pregnant women should use skim/low-fat milk, unsweetened fresh milk, cheese,...
If pregnant women have gestational diabetes, eat poorly, are malnourished or If you don't gain weight, you should consult a diet for people with gestational diabetes as prescribed by doctors or nutritionists.

2.2. Some foods pregnant women with gestational diabetes should avoid To avoid high blood sugar, pregnant women should limit eating foods that increase sugar such as candy, fruit, ice cream, and tea. At the same time, reduce salty foods and processed foods such as sausages, smoked meat, noodles, etc. to prevent high blood pressure. In addition, pregnant women should also limit eating foods high in fat such as fried foods, egg yolks, viscera, animal skins. Avoid beverages that contain alcohol and stimulants.

3. Some notes on the diet for people with gestational diabetes

Maintaining a reasonable diet helps pregnant women to control blood sugar well as well as minimize complications caused by gestational diabetes. Accordingly, pregnant women should pay attention to the following diet:
Should divide meals into snacks and main meals, 2 to 3 hours apart. Besides, divide the amount of starch evenly to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Include some healthy protein in both snacks and meals to keep blood sugar levels under control and keep you energized for the day. In snacks, choose foods with a low glycemic index such as unsweetened milk, yogurt, cheese, soy milk or nutritious nuts. Limit the use of foods containing a lot of salt such as hot dogs, instant noodles, french fries, frozen foods. Drink enough water and get proper rest. With gestational diabetes, a pregnant woman's blood sugar tends to rise in the morning. Therefore, you should limit eating starches in the morning. To make sure you get the right amount of nutrients, you should make a nutrition plan or follow the diabetes diet instructions from your doctor or dietitian.

If diagnosed with gestational diabetes, in addition to maintaining a healthy and balanced gestational diabetes diet, pregnant women should also exercise regularly, take vitamin supplements and, importantly, have antenatal care. Regularly follow the schedule to be monitored by the doctor.
In order to accompany pregnant women throughout pregnancy in the hope of "healthy pregnant women, smart babies", Vinmec International General Hospital has been and continues to deploy full maternity services and services. This service was born as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout pregnancy from care, monitoring, comprehensive examination, ultrasound testing and health consultation. How to give pregnant women a healthy development. Pregnant women can rest assured and relax during pregnancy, without having to worry about missing appointments and making appointments. In particular, maternity packages also come with many gift programs and free prenatal classes. When going to give birth, a pregnant mother does not need to prepare too many things because Vinmec has already prepared essential items for mother and child during childbirth and convalescence at the hospital.

Currently, to further improve service quality, Vinmec is also equipped with a system of ultrasound machines and modern medical equipment of international standards. Accordingly, the examination and diagnosis process at Vinmec is performed by qualified and well-trained doctors, so it will soon detect common obstetric problems and diseases during pregnancy such as pre-existing medical conditions. eclampsia, polyhydramnios, gestational diabetes,... at the same time, early screening for fetal malformations (if any) and counseling on proper nutrition for each pregnant mother's condition.

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