Gestational diabetes means that patients have uncontrolled high blood sugar level during pregnancy. Although this condition is temporary, it can result in some symptoms for both pregnant women and their babies. During pregnancy, all women are checked for gestational diabetes, you do not need to do special test. Fortunately, most of the symptoms of gestational diabetes can be managed by making some lifestyle changes.
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List Of Simple Ways On How To Treat Gestational Diabetes
In this article, Healthy Guide will show you some of the home remedies for gestational diabetes treatment and relief. So, if you or other people you know are diagnosed with this condition, you should keep both of your eyes on this interesting article.
CONTENTS
I. Effects Of Gestational Diabetes On The Baby
According to a study [1], gestational diabetes can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy. Besides, some women also become more resistant to insulin, which enables the body to metabolize glucose for later use. Once insulin levels are low, or the body is unable to use insulin effectively, blood glucose levels will be on the rise.
When pregnant women have increased blood glucose levels, their fetus will have increased blood glucose levels, too. This can make the fetus be larger than average, hence making delivery more complicated. Moreover, the baby also has higher risks of getting low blood glucose right after birth. Besides, other serious complications of gestational diabetes in the babies can be a higher risk of jaundice and a higher risk of dying before or after birth. Plus, the newborn babies also have higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes or being overweight later in life. If gestational diabetes occurs in an early pregnancy, pregnant women can have a higher risk of miscarriage and birth defects.
Read on 42 Tips How To Treat Anemia In Babies & Adults During Pregnancy At Home to discover some of the best ways that can help you treat anemia in adults and babies during pregnancy.
II. How To Treat Gestational Diabetes
There are some simple ways that can help you control the blood sugar levels and reduce gestational diabetes symptoms naturally. They include:
1. Follow A Healthy Diet
This is the first one among effective ways on how to treat gestational diabetes with diet that we would like to reveal in this article. Diets rich in low-glycemic foods can help pregnant women with gestational diabetes control their blood sugar levels. It is advised to consult a doctor to make a meal plan based on your blood-sugar goals and current weight. For most pregnant women with gestational diabetes, a diets low in carbohydrates and refined sugars are best.
Besides, fiber-rich foods with a low glycemic index can also help keep your blood glucose levels in check. Some recommended foods for pregnant women with gestational diabetes are whole wheat bread, pasta, rolled oats, sweet potato, barley, lentils, corn, yams, raspberries, dark leafy greens, kiwis, quinoa, artichokes, peas, oranges and celery. Plus, following a diet low in refined sugar and saturated fats can also help keep your blood glucose levels stable.
List of 26 Best Healthy Smoothies For Diabetes Treatment And Relief will show you some of the best healthy smoothies for diabetes relief that you can make with ease at home, so check it out!
2. How To Treat Gestational Diabetes Fast – Exercise
Performing half an hour of moderate exercise about 5 days per week can help you reduce the symptoms of gestational diabetes. This is because exercise can help reduce your blood-sugar levels and simultaneously manage your diabetes. If you were not active, start your exercise routine slowly, and consult with a doctor first. You can start walking half an hour daily for a few days per week. Gradually, you can try higher-intensity exercises, such as yoga, swimming, or riding an elliptical about 5 days per week.
If you want to know some of the best pregnancy yoga poses for women during pregnancy, read on 10 Best And Simple Pregnancy Yoga Poses For Pregnant Women
For uncomplicated pregnancies, it is recommended to maintain the same exercise level that you performed before pregnancy. If you are not sure about your ideal exercise regimen, consult your doctor first. If you have had miscarriages before, some certain exercises can increase your risk of getting miscarrying again. So, you should consult your doctor before starting any new exercise routine.
To know some of the best tips that can help you prevent miscarriage in early pregnancy, read on 41 Tips How To Prevent Miscarriage Naturally In Early Pregnancy
3. Maintain A Healthy Weight
Consult your doctor about your healthy weight gain during pregnancy. Almost all women of average weight should gain between 11kg and 12kg during the singleton pregnancy. If you gain more weight than this, you can be at higher risks of getting gestational diabetes. If you were underweight or overweight before pregnancy, your healthy pregnancy weight gain can be lower or higher than this figure.
Read More: 23 Tips How To Maintain A Healthy Weight Without Exercise & Harsh Dieting
4. Check Your Blood Glucose Levels
You should check your blood sugar levels 15 minutes before your meal, 1 hour after your meal, and 2 hours after your meal. Having a diary of your blood glucose levels can help your doctor know more about your gestational diabetes and effects of dietary changes or medications on your condition.
Actually, this is known as one of the most effective ways on how to treat gestational diabetes fast that you should not miss, yet try to follow for good.
5. Vitamin C
When it comes to learning how to treat gestational diabetes in pregnancy, you can consider taking vitamin C. According to a research [2], vitamin C deficiency may be directly related to gestational diabetes. So, pregnant women with gestational diabetes should increase their vitamin C intake in order to reduce the risks of getting serious symptoms and type-2 diabetes later in life.
6. How To Treat Gestational Diabetes Naturally – Vitamin D
This vitamin is required for the absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients, including iron, calcium, phosphate and magnesium. By increasing your vitamin D intake, you can ensure that your nutrient consumption is effective throughout the day. Moreover, vitamin D also helps increase the beneficial bacteria growth in the gut, which is required for a healthy pregnancy.
7. Fiber
One of the simple ways on how to treat gestational diabetes naturally is to increase the intake of fiber, which helps prevent excess insulin from releasing, helping balance the insulin levels and preventing the onset of diabetes.
8. Protein
Protein helps break down carbs into more useful molecules. Therefore, if you are eating many small meals throughout the day, you should pair carbs with protein. This way can ease the digestive process and simultaneously regulate the metabolism.
There are other effective ways on how to treat gestational diabetes with diet in this article. So, you should keep both of your eyes on the rest of this article and then consider applying one or more of these natural remedies at home.
9. Chromium And Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Some people suffering from diabetes take a chromium supplement in order to improve their blood glucose. Some chromium-rich foods are meat, some vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, and spices. Just remember that high doses of chromium can affect the kidneys.
Addition to this, the omega-3 fatty acids taken healthy foods such as fish oil, fish, vegetable oil, wheat germ, and walnuts offer many health benefits for pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
10. How To Treat Gestational Diabetes Fast – Whole Food Carbs
According to a research [3], all carbs are not created equal. Complex carbohydrates are harder to digest while simple carbohydrates are simpler to digest. Therefore, if you are pregnant or you are diagnosed to have gestational diabetes, you should keep away from complex carbohydrates in order to prevent or treat the condition. Avoid bread as well as other empty carbohydrates present in junk foods.
11. Astragalus
Astragalus has been shown to reduce the gestational diabetes symptoms. Research has revealed that women who use astragalus combined with their traditional treatments have better blood sugar control and experience milder gestational diabetes symptoms. However, to be safe, you should speak to a doctor before adding this herb to your regular diet.
12. Dark Chocolate
This is worth mentioning in the list of simple ways on how to treat gestational diabetes fast that you should give it a try! Dark chocolate offers polyphenols, which have been found to have positive effects on vascular health and on the ability to use insulin.
13. Cinnamon
Cinnamon plays a vital role in reducing blood glucose levels and cholesterol levels. The only thing you need to do is to add 1-2 tsp. of cinnamon to your diet or drink cinnamon tea on a daily basis. If you hate the taste of cinnamon tea, try sprinkling some cinnamon powder on your smoothies, or oatmeals. Just keep in mind that you should not consume it in excess because it can induce contractions and harm your baby.
14. How To Treat Gestational Diabetes Naturally – Prickly Pear
This is another effective way on how to treat gestational diabetes naturally that we want to mention in this article. Prickly pear has been used for years as a treatment for diabetes. Drink the fresh prickly pear juice to fight the disease.
15. Sweeten With Stevia
It sounds strange when it comes to learning how to treat gestational diabetes with diet, but it actually does work. When you are looking for a healthy sweetener, stevia will be a great option for you to enhance the flavour of foods.
16. Coconut Oil
When looking for an oil to add to your cooking, you should opt for coconut oil. Some people who take 2-3 tbsp. of the coconut oil when eating the unhealthy foods experience blood sugar levels that increase 80-100 points above normal. Within half an hour, their blood sugar levels go back to normal.
17. Have A Sound Sleep
This is the last way on how to treat gestational diabetes in pregnancy that we would like to reveal in this article. Having a good night sleep is one of the easiest ways on how to treat gestational diabetes in pregnancy. According to a study [4], you will often find yourself fatigued or exhausted during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. Therefore, try to have a sound sleep in order to balance your blood sugar levels. Try to sleep on your left side in order to release the tension on the backside. Also, you should try to take short naps during the day to manage gestational diabetes.
After reading this new article, we hope that my female readers, especially women with gestational diabetes [5] can find the best solutions for this condition. Actually, all of these home remedies have been found to be safe for both mothers and their unborn babies, so you can feel secure when apply any of these remedies at home. Also, if you know other effective ways on how to treat gestational diabetes at home, share them with other readers by leaving your comments below.
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