12 Tips For Regulating Your Blood Sugar During Pregnancy
What is glucose?
Glucose, also called blood sugar, is one of the body's preferred sources of fuel or energy. Glucose is a single sugar that comes from carbohydrate-type food. When these types of food are eaten they're broken down into glucose which is then absorbed into our bloodstream.
When you eat simple or refined carbs and sugary foods, your blood sugar levels zoom up and down chaotically.
Keeping your blood sugar levels stable is a key part of healthy eating during pregnancy and may
support your energy levels,
reduce the severity of morning sickness,
reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, and
support your body’s response to the hormonal changes that are occurring.
When blood sugar levels drop too low due to eating the wrong types of food, your body uses stored glucose (called glycogen) for energy and this takes away the stored energy that's used for the development of your baby. This explains why blood sugar disruption is associated with lower birth weight babies.
Stabilising blood sugar levels has also been shown to reduce the risk of miscarriage, congenital heart defects and neural tube defects.
Furthermore, studies suggest high blood sugar during pregnancy may impact your baby's growth and development and metabolic health for life including an increased predisposition for obesity.
Your baby's blood sugar levels are a direct reflection of your own.
Avoiding the sudden surge and drop of blood sugar levels, and keeping them balanced is possible by making simple lifestyle shifts and establishing good eating habits.
12 Tips for regulating your blood sugar during pregnancy:
Keep processed foods and refined carbohydrates to a minimum (and avoid them altogether if you can)
Eat small, healthy meals regularly (approximately every 3 hours)
Drink 2-3 litres of filtered water a day
Choose quality complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates
Try to have a protein, complex carbohydrate and healthy fat at each meal and snack e.g. hard boiled egg with a slice of sprouted grain bread, celery and organic peanut butter, a couple of tablespoons of Greek yoghurt with a tablespoon of chia seeds or sardines in olive oil on brown rice crackers
Choose foods that contain both carbohydrates and protein e.g legumes and yoghurt
Always eat breakfast
Exercise regularly
Avoid sugary soft drinks
Eat slowly and mindfully
Consider taking a vitamin D and magnesium supplement as deficiencies in these nutrients may affect blood sugar metabolism
Adding cinnamon may assist in balancing blood sugar and has been shown to help change how the body responds to insulin.
In other words, keep your blood sugar in mind and pay close attention to your total intake of carbohydrates during pregnancy. Opt for whole and real foods throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Remove as much processed food as you can from your diet and replace it with foods that will nourish you and your baby.
Choose to eat more of the foods we're sharing with you each week. And if there's a particular food or snack you're struggling to omit for your diet, email us and we'll help you find a more nourishing alternative.
N.B. This information is designed to be used in conjunction with, and is not a substitute for, the advice of your doctor or health care practitioner.