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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

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Mushroom soup
Vegetable soup
Vegan shepherd’s pie
Cottage Pie
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meringue kisses

Eton mess

Eton Mess

27th April 202010th July 2020 Jo Paterson eton mess, meringue, meringue kisses

I always think eton mess is like summer in a glass! Fresh sweet British strawberries, whipped double cream and crunchy

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The new year always means we see a lot of diet pro

I thought it would be helpful for many of you, to

I thought it would be helpful for many of you, to share a comparison post on a slimming world (SW) style meal
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The reason for doing this is that SW is a very popular diet that many follow. It is also a diet which is supported by the RCM so is deemed as suitable in pregnancy. SW also have support leaflets for people with diabetes and so some may feel it is suitable for gestational diabetes
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Whilst SW can be followed with GD, it can be very hard to restrict the carbs enough and pair foods with only having limited dairy (Heathy Extra A) and a certain amount of syns to use a day. SW is a fairly high carb diet with many free foods being high in carbs (such as potatoes, pasta, rice & fruit)
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I’m sharing this as a previous SW member (I’ve followed the diet several times, but no longer choose to follow this style of diet)
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For a meal comparison, I’ve opted for breakfast as I know it’s a filling meal that many enjoy. It can also be a fab choice for GD, but with a few tweaks by lowering the carbs & increasing the fat (remember: it is the fat that helps slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, slows gastric emptying, meaning we achieve lower & more stabilised blood glucose levels)
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Whilst the Heck chicken sausages are lower in carbs, so a great choice with GD, they are also much lower in fat, therefore for the GD version I have switched to high meat content pork sausages instead
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Similarly the lean bacon medallions are great on a GD diet as they are low carb, but I’ve opted for streaky bacon on the GD version to increase the natural fats (and because it’s so much tastier 😉)
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*Before I get shot down, I know that I have used some syns on my SW breakfast which are also carbs & could be left off the plate, but many may also add potatoes chopped & fried in fry light for a syn free version that still contains the carbs. I know that some may also add the spinach to the SW plate too, however this does not alter the carbs, fat or syns (please bear in mind I also had to use what I had available in my house for the pics)
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Read more @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/slimming-world-gestational-diabetes/
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It’s Sunday so let’s take a look at a roast di

It’s Sunday so let’s take a look at a roast dinner...
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You may be used to cutting the fat in roast dinners to make it more ‘healthy’ by cooking in things like fry light and removing skin from chicken or crackling from pork. But with gestational diabetes we want to leave the natural sources of fat and use fat such as duck, or goose fat, or beef dripping for roasting to increase the fat content which will help pair the carbs
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Fat helps slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream and also slows gastric emptying. This means that eating fat alongside better carbs and some protein means that blood glucose levels do not spike so high or so rapidly. This is ‘GD Food Pairing’
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With roast dinners it’s easy to pile them high with carbs without even realising. There are carbs in Yorkshire puddings, potatoes, stuffing, sauces, gravy made with thickeners or flours, and then vegetables can soon pile up to a huge amount of carbs!
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As always, go high protein with plenty of meat, or high protein content meat alternative. Pick one main starchy carb such as 4 small roast potatoes. Have plenty of green veg which are lower in carbs and make gravy using meat juices rather than gravy granules and flours. If you need to thicken a gravy, use xanthan gum (half a tsp, mixed in cold water to make a slurry, then mix through the pan juices)
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You can find more info. on GD meals including roast dinners on the main meals post @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/gestational-diabetes-meals/
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I have lots more posts similar to this on my Instagram page, please scroll through past posts for more tips just like this @gestational_diabetes_uk
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK #GDUK

Another example. Here is a healthy dinner... ⠀ P

Another example. Here is a healthy dinner...
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Packed with heart healthy lentils, this lentil dhal maybe a popular choice for many. However a curry like this served with a big helping of plain boiled rice & roti breads is very high in carbs and doesn’t contain enough protein & fat to help pair them
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With meals like this it’s important to increase the protein & fat. If you don’t eat meat then try adding additional protein in the form of tofu, Quorn, or other soya based meat alternatives. Pulses such as lentils & chickpeas do contain protein but not enough to help pair and they also contain carbs themselves which adds to the problem
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Fat helps slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream and also slows gastric emptying. This means that eating fat alongside better carbs and some protein means that blood glucose levels do not spike so high or so rapidly. This is ‘GD Food Pairing’
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Therefore this low carb tikka masala recipe which contains more fat & protein means it is a lower carb curry option. Then serve alongside cauliflower rice and a wholemeal roti or lower carb wrap instead of additional carbs in rice AND bread. If you prefer rice to bread, opt for brown rice or brown basmati and keep the serving small. A good starting point is 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked rice. If you tolerate this well then it can be increased the next time you have the meal
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I have lots more posts similar to this on my Instagram page, please scroll through past posts for more tips just like this @gestational_diabetes_uk
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK #GDUK

Lots of you said you found yesterday’s post real

Lots of you said you found yesterday’s post really helpful, so here is another example showing a healthy breakfast...
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Whilst this is a healthy breakfast, it’s unfortunately a lot of carbs for us to process when we have diabetes
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A breakfast like this is notoriously hard to tolerate, but with some tweaking to reduce the amount of carbs being eaten at one time and an increase in natural fats, this will help make a similar breakfast much easier to tolerate and maintain lower and more stabilised blood glucose levels with
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Fat helps slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream and also slows gastric emptying. This means that eating fat alongside better carbs and some protein means that blood glucose levels do not spike so high or so rapidly. This is ‘GD Food Pairing’
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Scroll through the images to see an example of a typical healthy breakfast that many would struggle to achieve good levels with, then keep scrolling to see an alternative option...
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I have lots more posts similar to this on my Instagram page, please scroll through past posts for more tips just like this @gestational_diabetes_uk
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK #GDUK

The amount of times I see posts about ‘eating he

The amount of times I see posts about ‘eating healthy’, ‘healthy diets’, GD and confusion over high blood glucose levels and when asked what sort of things are being eaten I am told similar things to the likes of this seemingly healthy lunch
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Whilst this is a healthy lunch, it’s unfortunately a lot of carbs for us to process when we have diabetes
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A lunch like this just needs some tweaking to reduce the amount of carbs being eaten at one time and it could also benefit from a big increase in natural fats
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Fats?! Yep, FATS. Fat helps slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream and also slows gastric emptying. This means that eating fat alongside better carbs and some protein means that blood glucose levels do not spike so high or so rapidly. This is ‘GD Food Pairing’
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Scroll through the images to see an example of a typical healthy lunch that many would struggle to achieve good levels with, then keep scrolling to see an alternative option and examples of food pairing...
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK #GDUK

We all want to control gestational diabetes with d

We all want to control gestational diabetes with diet alone, but unfortunately some of will need extra help AND THAT’S OK 👍🏻
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Please don’t sit in silence struggling with higher than target blood glucose levels for too long 😖
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A general rule of thumb used in many clinics is 3 or more higher than target levels since you last had your readings reviewed by your team 🔴🔴🔴
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Just touch base with them and see what they say. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will start you on meds/insulin, they may be able to give you more support before that is needed 📞
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However if you are advised to start Metformin or insulin please don’t feel bad, or guilty. Some of us no matter what we do WILL need that extra help. No one wants to take medications in pregnancy, but just like some of us needing iron tablets due to being anaemic, this is no different 🤷🏻‍♀️
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BE KIND TO YOURSELF 💜
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This also applies if you are currently on meds/insulin but continue to see over target levels. It can often take a lot of tweaking of doses before the benefit is seen and many will need to chase their levels with increased doses. The sooner you can lower and stabilise your blood glucose levels, the better, so please don’t sit in silence 🤐
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #DiabeticMum #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #HighBloodGlucose #HighBloodGlucoseLevels #HighBloodSugar #HighBloodSugars #HighBloodSugarLevels #BloodSugarRollercoaster #Insulin #Basal #Bolus #FastActingInsulin #SlowReleaseInsulin #Metformin

After requests for sharing some more soup recipes,

After requests for sharing some more soup recipes, I’ll be making some more soups this week...
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Today’s soup is Mushroom
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This is a cream of mushroom soup, but the cream is completely optional so this recipe can easily be made vegan and dairy free
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Let me know below if this is a recipe you’d like to try ⬇️
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#JosGDRecipes #TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #MushroomSoup #CreamOfMushroomSoup #LowCarbSoup #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesMeals #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GestationalDiabetesFood #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #LowCarb #LCHF #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #8GoldenRules #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKSupport #TeamGDUK #GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #Vegetarian #Vegan

Homeschooling included home economics for my 12 ye

Homeschooling included home economics for my 12 year old this week, but as the vegetable soup recipe sent by the teacher wouldn’t download we made up our own recipe today!

If my 12 year old son can make this by himself from scratch, then you have no excuse! This is a beautiful warming vegan soup (but we did make a batch of cheese scones to serve with it which are vegetarian not vegan but ingredients could be tweaked to make vegan)

Soup can be really tricky to tolerate with gestational diabetes, especially vegetable soups as they lack in high protein ⚠️

If you would like to find out more about soup, how to choose better soups and some hints, tips and recipes, then please check out my soup post @ https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/soup/

And if anyone would be interested in this homemade chunky vegetable soup recipe let me know below and if enough people are interested I can add it onto the website as a free recipe. It was blooming delicious! Even Mackinley was shocked he’d managed to make a vegetable soup that was SO tasty!

You can find my cheese scones recipe on the website already (please search for scones in the recipe index 🔗 in bio on Instagram)

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#TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #JosGDRecipes #VegetableSoup #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet

Rule No 8. of my #8GoldenRules is exercise! Did yo

Rule No 8. of my #8GoldenRules is exercise! Did you know that exercise has an insulin type effect on the body? This is why it is part of my 8 golden rules, because it has such a huge beneficial impact after eating! It can really help pull those levels down ⬇️
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Now I’m not suggesting you try sledging on your tummy down a hill whilst pregnant! But any SAFE activity after eating WILL be beneficial, from going for a stroll, to dancing around your living room. Do what feels comfortable and enjoyable for YOU!
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Disclaimer: I’m not currently pregnant! This is me with my crazy sugar babies in the snow yesterday 😝 ❄️ 🛷
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If you’d like to read a guest post on exercise written by Mel C @thehealthcarpenter
for pregnant and postpartum women then please check out this link: www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/exercise/
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PlusSizePregnancy #GeriatricPregnancy #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #PregnancyExercise #AntenatalExercise #PostpartumExercise #MummyFit #TheMummyTrainer #TheHealthCarpenter
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I had to take lunch outside today just so I could

I had to take lunch outside today just so I could do a snowy #MealOnTheWall We’ve had lots of lovely snow in the Scottish Borders last night & today 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ☃️

#TodaysMealOnTheWall was lunch (it’s on a side plate, but you could eat much more if you wanted...no need to feel hungry on a GD diet as long as you pack it with protein & good natural fats)

Here I have 1 small @hovisbakery lower carb seeded toast with plenty of @grahamsthefamilydairy salted butter, scrambled eggs courtesy of my 🐓 (who are still laying every day despite the ❄️) 2 x @morliny_uk 71% pork content Berlinki Classic Hot Dogs (however if you don’t eat pork then they also do a chicken version which is 84% meat content) so both work fab on a GD diet & half a tomato with salt & pepper

I’ve been asked in my group a few times if hot dog sausages are ok to eat and the answer is yes, but try to look for ones which have a high meat content like these (which are in the chilled section), rather than the mechanically separated low meat content ones (which tend to be the ones in tins or jars) These ones are currently on offer @asda

#JosGDRecipes #LowCarbLunch #LowCarbHotDogs #LowCarbEasyMeals #LowCarbBrunch #LowCarbSimples #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #PregnancyDiabetes #DiabetesInPregnancy #WeCantAllAffordOrganicGrassfedMeat #BudgetFriendlyLowCarbMeal #QuickAndEasyMeals #NoTimeWhenImHomeschoolingAndWorkingToo #LockdownMeals

🍱 Far from being the neatest, but you get the i

🍱 Far from being the neatest, but you get the idea of this snacks plate! When you fancy sushi but rice is impossible for your blood sugar levels!...
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Full fat cream cheese @philadelphia_uki Scottish smoked salmon, seafood sticks, cucumber, pepper, avocado, nori & sesame seeds with a side of tempura battered king prawns 🍤 as the main carb on the plate
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I usually make this as a picky plate with chopped veggies, seafood sticks, prawns, a tub of Philadelphia with a teaspoon, a little bowl of sesame seeds and skip the nori. Then I literally grab a tsp of Philly, add veggies sticks, wrap with salmon and dunk in the seeds! You can add ginger & wasabi if you like too. But if you want to make fake looking sushi then you could roll it up and slice it like this. I warn you now, without any rice it is quite squishy! Another option is using cauliflower rice but I personally was not a fan of cold cauliflower rice 🥴
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#JosGDRecipes #MealOnTheWall #TodaysMealOnTheWall #NoRiceSushi #SushiWithoutTheCarbs #LowCarbSushi #GettingASushiFix
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I wish you had smellivision! Fajitas anyone? ⠀ T

I wish you had smellivision! Fajitas anyone?
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This is one of my FREE recipes on the website. Make it with meat, tofu, or even halloumi cheese if you like!
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No added flour or sugars, just simple store cupboard ingredients 👌🏻
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www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/fajitas/
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#fajitas #lowcarbfajitas #JosGDRecipes #TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #DiabeticPregnancy #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

We often get posts in the Facebook group asking ab

We often get posts in the Facebook group asking about what foods are suitable because the mother has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes but also needs to follow a gluten free (GF) diet for other reasons
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As dietary requirements go, needing a GF diet actually lends itself well to the GD diet!
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Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains like wheat, barley & rye. But a common factor in these foods is that they are high in carbs, therefore are not a type of food that we need to consume with GD, but one that we reduce or swap out for other lower carb options
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Therefore the majority of recipes I share on my website are naturally gluten free! Because not only do my recipes not use sugar, but the majority do not use wheat flour too because it is too high in carbs
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However, reaching for gluten free foods in the supermarket because of a diabetes diagnosis will not necessarily help achieve better blood glucose levels as many marketed GF foods are actually higher in carbs and sugar than the original versions. So don’t be fooled into thinking gluten free pasta, bread & biscuits (apart from Nairn’s oat biscuit breaks which are lower carb) are better alternatives if you don’t actually need to follow a GF diet for other reasons
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An exception to this is sausages! Sausages marked GF do not contain the wheat bulking agents and tend to be much higher meat content which is great for a GD diet!
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To find GF recipes on my website, please use the recipe index and filter the results with the ‘Diets’ drop down box, selecting ‘GlutenFreeDiet’
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#GlutenFree #GlutenFreeLowCarb #LowCarbGlutenFree #Celiac #Coeliac #GlutenIntolerance #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

I’ve finally got round to sharing my Vegan sheph

I’ve finally got round to sharing my Vegan shepherd’s pie recipe on the website (and it’s a FREE recipe for you all to enjoy!)
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Warm comforting filling food, low carb vegan shepherd’s pie is a delicious meal great for batch cooking and a perfect winter’s day family meal.
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Following a low carb vegan diet can be tricky as many of the typical pairing foods which are high in protein and fats are not plant based. Also higher protein sources of plant based foods tend to be higher in carbs, meaning that carb servings need to be balanced carefully!
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In this Vegan shepherd’s pie I use a celeriac mash to top the pie which is lower carb than a mashed potato topping but tastes delish!
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Check out the recipe @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/vegan-shepherds-pie/ or on Instagram use the 🔗 in bio to find the recipe on my recipe index (or in the stories feed for a direct swipe up 🔗)
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#JosGDRecipes #MealOnTheWall #TodaysMealTheWall #VeganShepherdsPie #LowCarbVegan #Vegan #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

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