Now that you know a little bit about Gestational Diabetes, what it is and how to test for it (discussed in part 1), let’s talk about diet.
I mentioned that women diagnosed with GD should always measure your glucose levels fasting and postprandial. In my opinion, if a woman has higher than normal blood sugar numbers, it would be good to measure glucose prior to going to bed to see if the woman needs a snack. I find that in some women, that final reading is the most useful.
As I said before, pregnancy is a naturally insulin resistance stage. During the night fast, when no calories are consumed, the body works harder to prevent insulin from doing its job, so that more glucose is available for the fetus. Fetuses are not like us. They don’t need 3 square meals and 2 snacks a day, or whatever your eating patterns are, they need fuel constantly throughout the 24 hours to grow leaps & bounds and to go through those amazing changes that they go through daily. This is the reason why, most women who seek my help come to me because their first morning reading is elevated, off the charts, maybe 100 or 105, but their glucose numbers after meals are all in the range. The baby needs food, and after a woman has been fasting for 8 hours, 7 hours, is it physiologically normal for blood sugar to be higher than 90 mg of deciliter of blood.
For women with high fasting glucose, it can be helpful to set an alarm for around 3 or 4 in the morning and have a snack. Usually a snack at that time is what tricks the glucose meter into having a better reading in the morning. It also provides the baby with fuel.
Make sure your snack is composed of proteins and fats. A hard-boiled egg, celery sticks with nut butter or guacamole. Avocadoes are a wonderful food for pregnant women & their baby’s. As are sardines, canned tuna. But who wants to eat those foods at 4 in the morning? So the best bet is to have half an apple with a few nuts or peanut butter, a hard-boiled egg, some women can tolerate cheese or full-fat yogurt.
I have never seen a salad satisfy a pregnant women or building a baby. It’s hard to tell a pregnant woman to eat salads for the rest of her pregnancy and they aren’t going to get the nutrition that they need.
The diet for pregnant mothers, Gestational Diabetes or not, is a diet full of healthy fats, soluble vitamins and mineral, and moderate amount of proteins.
It is true that there is not one perfect diet, and that the diet that better suites our needs depends on our ancestry, where we are from, what foods are available in our region, our activity level, etc. It is safe to say that some people may need more carbohydrates, some people may need more fat, but generally speaking, to build a healthy baby we want a lot of fat soluble vitamins in the form of A, D, E, and K. these fat soluble nutrients come and are absorbed in the presence of fatty acids. They are foods that help with the development of the brain, the immune system and the skeletal system of the fetus. Having plenty of these nutrients allow a mother to build a baby without robbing her own stores. The fetus is still considered a parasite, because it is allowed to steal nutrients that are on reserve for the mother. There is a saying that goes “with each pregnancy, here goes a tooth.” Those women did not eat/absorb enough calcium while pregnant, so their body broke down the calcium stored in the bone tissue, and of course, teeth, to make calcium available for the healthy baby, finding themselves depleted at the end of the pregnancy.
If you’re not eating the right kind of foods, it doesn’t matter how many calories you bring in. If they are empty calories, in the forms of processed, refined, white foods, then your body isn’t going to get the nutrients that it needs to help healthy babies and that’s when your stores are going to be touched upon. It’s like having a bank account. If you keep taking out money without putting it in, eventually you’re going to be at a zero balance and eventually you’re going to get negative. That is what happens to most women.
Scientists start to link the way babies are born to health later in life.
Join Mama Tribe Network’s life streaming event and guest panelists Francesca Orlando, NTP, CGP and Linda F. Palmer, DC to discuss the film MICROBIRTH and the Q&A session to follow in February 21, 2015 in San Diego.
We are 90% bacterial and 10% mammalian. We have more microorganisms living within us than we have cells in our body.
The newest research that explores the micro-biome is making gigantic advances, and now more than ever science is focusing on the integrity and diversity (or lack of thereof) of our bacteria.
Most autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s, Lupus, MS and the obesity epidemics are steady on the rise, and scientific studies show that there is a common component in all of these disease: a change in the micro-biome.
Numerous studies are even linking autoimmune conditions directly to lack of healthy bacteria in our gut.
People living in civilized countries have 1/3 of the bacteria of people living in primitive societies, who are not affected by the disease of modern man.
Babies are born with a sterile gut (though some initial research shows that there may be exposure to bacteria in the placenta to a certain extent) and they receive their first mouthful of bacteria as the descend the birth canal.
This fantastic documentary shows how the raise in cesarian births is one of the causes of this drastic changes in our micro-biome.
Join me at the screening of this amazing scientific documentary (or schedule an appointment) to learn what functions bacteria has in our body, how nutrition can affect the health or lack of thereof of our bacteria, and how to establish it and preserve even if you have to have a c-section or repeated course of antibiotics and other drugs that alter the composition of our flora.
Gestational Diabetes is a condition characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
Before I talk about GD, I think it is important to say that pregnancy is a insulin resistance stage. In simple terms, this means that the body of a pregnant woman (as well as the placenta) is programmed to destroy some of the circulating insulin. Insulin is the hormone that carries glucose away from the blood stream and into the tissue. During pregnancy, certain hormones produced by the mother, and certain hormones produced by the placenta inactivate insulin so that more glucose is available to the fetus for growth.
This is a natural physiological state. Remember that our species has evolved during some 77,000 generations going through famines and food scarcity, interrupted by times of feast following a kill. We used to be hunter and gatherers, we definitely did not have supermarket to go buy pickles and ice cream to feed our pregnant tribe members J
Fortunately, many of us nowadays have not that issue, but our bodies are still hardwire to function the same way as they did hundreds of thousands of years. Therefore, our bodies are kind of working against us when we eat day in and day out & when we eat the wrong food.
Let’s talk about testing for a moment. In my opinion, the conventional GD test is flawed. Think about this: how many times do you ingest 75 grams of pure high fructose corn syrup plus additives, and plus colorings in your daily life? Hopefully never! Some women’s body can handle the test just fine, but others are extremely sensitive to sugar, especially if they restrict sugar intake in their diet. I, personally, follow a no grain diet, and while I passed the Gestational Diabetes test with flying colors, I felt dizzy, I felt nauseous, and I felt shaky. My body is not used to handle that much sugar…
If you are working with an open-minded health care provider, there are some options you can discuss with them. Hopefully your OBGYN or midwife has already run a HA1C test. Usually it is done in the first trimester. This test gives a measure of how your body is metabolizing sugars for the past 3 months. Usually, if the numbers are abnormal (a number above 5.5 indicates pre-diabetic state, above 5.7 indicates diabetic state), an open minder health care provider can recommend that women start measuring their blood glucose levels fasting, and one hour after each meal.
Of course you can choose to have the test done. I actually did have it done because my provider did not offer an alternative.
Now you know a little bit about Gestational Diabetes, what it is and how to test for it.
Congratulations! You are expecting your beautiful bundle of joy, and I could not be more thrilled for you.
[tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”no” shadowopacity=”0.1-1″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”” highlightposition=”left” link=”” linktarget=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”” description=”Growing a baby inside you will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Having and raising your child will be an incredible journey, one that someone once described to me as “falling in love all over again every day”.“][/tagline_box]
If you are one the lucky few, your pregnancy will be smooth sailing. Enjoy everyday and just think about taking care of yourself and your baby.
Some women, though, are not as lucky. After the initial joy of finding out that they are pregnant, all of these wonderful feelings can be overshadowed by nausea, vomiting and tiredness.
Tiredness is a common symptom during the first trimester. The lack of energy and desire to sleep are temporary and will pass as soon as your body is done creating the placenta. The placenta is the organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall. This wonderful organ is your baby’s source of nutrients and blood; it allows waste elimination and gas exchange. During the first trimester, mama’s body works extra hard to create the placenta. This organ will then be birthed right after the baby is born, in what is called the third stage of labor.
There is nothing that can be done to overcome this initial fatigue. I recommend you allow your body as much rest as you can and let it do its job. Creating the placenta is no easy task, and you deserve all the rest you can get. I remember napping during my lunch hour and falling asleep most nights before dinner. Ask for all the help and support you need, especially if you have older children to tend to.
Another function of the placenta is the production of an array of hormones. The first one produced is called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin hormone). This hormone ensures the survival of the embryo, and it signals the ovaries to secrete estrogen and progesterone in amounts that sustain the pregnancy.
After the third month, once the body has finished making it, the placenta will take over the pregnancy-supporting role of the ovaries, and it will be the organ that secretes progesterone and estrogen for the rest of your pregnancy.
In addition to this, at around week 11-13, your growing baby will start producing sex hormones.
All of these extra hormones can be responsible for morning sickness and nausea.
If you are or have been under the care of a western doctor, you were probably told that these disrupting, and, at times, debilitating symptoms are caused by the hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy and that there is nothing that you can do about it.
This is not always true. Let’s see why.
Our bodies are perfect, efficient machines, designed to handle the hormonal changes brought about by pregnancy. The organ in charge of this is the liver. The liver has over 500 metabolic functions in the body. It creates bile, which is necessary for fat digestion and toxin removal. The liver stores and releases glucose. The liver decomposes red blood cells, and it is one of the organs of detoxification. It is the liver’s detox function that is responsible for conjugating hormones, that is, to neutralize them and excrete them from the body once they have been used up. A healthy liver is capable of handling the surge of hormones that occurs during pregnancy. Unfortunately, our livers are under constant stress. Between environmental toxins, the Standard American Diet, trans-fats and high sugar intake, our livers have taken a hit, and more and more people suffer from liver congestion and toxicity. Liver congestion and toxicity can manifest themselves in several ways, like acne or fatigue, maldigestion, constipation, etc. In a pregnant woman, a congested liver is unable to respond to the body’s demands and that’s when morning sickness sets in. It doesn’t help that in order to combat the nausea and malaise, women often turn to saltines, foods high in starches, and the omnipresent ginger ale, laden with high fructose corn syrup. This fare introduces yet another assault to the liver.
[tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”no” shadowopacity=”0.1-1″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”” highlightposition=”left” link=”” linktarget=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”” description=”A gentle liver detox would be recommended at least 6 months prior to conceiving. If you beautiful soon-to-be bundle of joy was a surprise, this is no time to detoxify! But there are nutrients that you can take to support and strengthen the liver. Please stay away from all herbal supplements, as very few herbs are indicated during pregnancy, and choose your supplements wisely under the direction of an expert practitioner..“][/tagline_box]
I am available in person and via Skype or phone to help you have the best pregnancy that you can!
Approximately 15% of recognized pregnancies result in miscarriage. Often, women miscarry before even knowing that they are pregnant. Early pregnancy loss is common and it is a normal part of natural selection and reproduction. But that doesn’t make the loss any easier. Recurrent miscarriage, which is defined as 3 or more consecutive miscarriages, affects about 1% of women.
Causes of miscarriage include
genetic abnormalities of the embryo (chromosomal abnormalities),
structural abnormalities of the maternal reproductive tract (uterine abnormalities and incompetent cervixes),
maternal endocrine disorders or other health conditions (PCOS, thyroid problems, both hypo- and hyper-thyroidism), bacterial infections,
immunologic disorders (where the sperm is recognized as foreign, not enough HCG is produced, etc.),
lifestyle factors (e.g., use of tobacco, cocaine, or excessive amounts of alcohol or caffeine, prescription drugs, environmental toxins).
In my work in the fertility field, I have noticed that, unfortunately, too many people forget that it is not only the woman, but we also need to account of the partner’s health. While there is nothing that will compensate for a miscarriage, taking preventative measures can heighten your chances of conceiving again, and of carrying the pregnancy to term.
Exposure to various xenobiotic chemicals has been associated with increased rates of spontaneous abortions. These include bisphenol A, polychlorinated organic compounds, and prescription drugs. Industrial and agricultural chemicals, also interfere with normal reproduction.
Research also points to important dietary factors. For example, caffeine has been found to produce chromosomal aberrations in mammalian cells. Most, but not all, observational studies have shown that caffeine intake increases the risk of spontaneous abortion in a dose-dependent manner. I advise clients who are trying to conceive to kick the java habit, or at least limit to 1 cup per day. (Infante-Rivard C, Fernandez A, Gauthier R, et al. Fetal loss associated with caffeine intake before and during pregnancy. JAMA 1993; 279:2940-2943) (Jacobson M. More effects of caffeine. Nutr Rev 1978; 36:231) (Klebanoff MA, Levine FJ, DerSimonian R, et al. Maternal serum paraxanthine, a caffeine metabolite, and the risk of spontaneous abortion. N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1639-1644).
Trans fatty acids are dangerous for our health, and they are even more dangerous for the fetus. Removing all trans fatty acids from the diet is one of the steps that needs to be undertaken to increase your chances of getting pregnant and of guaranteeing a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. In a retrospective study of 104 schoolgirls who were followed for 25-30 years, an increased intake of trans fatty acids was independently associated with an increased risk of having at least one miscarriage. (Morrison JA, Glueck CJ, Wang P. Dietary trans fatty acid intake is associated with increased fetal loss. Fertil Steril 2008; 90:385-390).
Celiac disease is a big issue that I see in my practice, yet there is still a lot of skepticism from mainstream medical professionals. Research studies show that women with untreated celiac disease have an increased incidence of miscarriage and other reproductive problems. In most cases, after consuming a gluten-free diet for 6-12 months, these women no longer have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Women with a history of recurrent miscarriages should always be tested for celiac disease. (Ferguson R, Holmes GKT, Cooke WT. Celiac Disease, fertility, and Pregnancy. Scand J Gastroenterol 1982; 16:65-68) (Melon GF, Dessole S, Vargiu N, et al. The prevalence of coeliac disease in infertility. Hum Reprod 1999; 14:2759-2761).
Reducing toxic exposure and the body’s toxic load are key. Working with a Nutritional Therapist or other experience holistic healthcare provider can help you achieve your goal of carrying a healthy pregnancy to term.
The best way to ensure a healthy pregnancy is to restore foundational health.
Once imbalances have been addressed, it is best to prepare your body for pregnancy by follow a detoxification protocol at least 6 months prior to conceiving. The detox protocol should be followed by a rebuilding, nourishing diet. These practices have been utilized by cultures around the world for thousands of years (this is a fascinating aspect of human history. If you are interested in learning more, I recommend Dr. Weston A. Price work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration).
Please take care of your emotional state as much as you take care of your body. Stress (physical, emotional, environmental) and anxiety are important factors to consider and can be addressed with therapy, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, etc.
An educated couple is an empowered one. I would urge you to learn more about fetal development. Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives by Annie Murphy Paul is a fantastic resource.
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