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Friday, December 4, 2020

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Gestational Diabetes UK

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summer

BBQ

BBQ

25th June 202025th June 2020 Jo Paterson barbeque, BBQ, becks blue, burgers, drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, sausages, summer

Summer is here… Time for a BBQ! A BBQ / barbecue can a be a great choice for safe GD

gestational diabetes and heat

Blood sugar levels Seasonal Posts

Gestational diabetes and heat

28th May 202028th May 2020 Jo Paterson heat, hot weather, summer, sun, temperature

Staying safe in hot weather – Gestational diabetes and heat Summer has arrived and so what does that mean for

Moussaka stuffed peppers

13th June 201618th July 2020 Jo Paterson Greek, moussaka, peppers, Quorn, summer

Moussaka Stuffed Peppers Moussaka stuffed peppers are a tasty summer alternative to traditional moussaka. Minus the usual creamy sauce and

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GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME ⠀ Joi

GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME
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Join multidisciplinary artists Anna-Maria Nabirye @amnabirye and Jess Mabel Jones @jessmabeljones as they premiere GESTATIONAL DIABETES: ONE PRICK AT A TIME. Part documentary, part visual arts, part call to arms, part space to heal, part Sylvanian families soap opera!
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ONE PRICK AT A TIME puts the lived experiences of women who have and are living with GD front and centre. Amplifying their voices, experiences and questions in order to instigate radical conversations and actions concerning the support and care around Gestational Diabetes.
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Anna-Maria and Jess aren’t mums and haven’t experienced GD but they are kick-ass artists who care passionately about women’s bodies and health. And who are ready to shake things up.
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TONIGHT, Thursday 3rd December 8pm marks the official launch and premiere screening of GESTATIONAL DIABETES: ONE PRICK AT A TIME, with a subsequent panel chat. So join Anna-Maria, Jess and their guests:
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•Dr Claire Wilson, commissioning research fellow and NHS psychiatrist
•(Myself) Jo Paterson, Founder of Gestational Diabetes UK
•Women with lived experience of GD
•& an NHS health professional
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Event starts at 8pm
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Introduction from the artists
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Film premier 8:15pm
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Panel chat 8:30pm
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Q&A 9pm
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GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME was commissioned by Kings College London research fellow and NHS psychiatrist Dr Claire Wilson from a fellowship funded by the MRC, with support from fellow King’s College London researcher Judith Parsons and Jo Paterson of Gestational Diabetes UK. The project is also supported by King’s Culture and the Mental Elf @thementalelf
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Follow the link in my bio @gestational_diabetes_uk to sign up to the event!
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#GDOnePrickAtATime

Colostrum harvesting (expressing during pregnancy)

Colostrum harvesting (expressing during pregnancy)...
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Comments we often hear:-
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1) “I’ve not been told to do that” 😔
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2) “I was told there’s no point” 🤥
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3) “Your consultant will tell you if you need to do it” 🤔
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4) “It’s not safe to do encase you go into pre-term labour” 😞
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5) “You can’t use a breast pump” 😏
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6) “You will go on a course where they’ll show you how to do it” 🤨
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The truth:-
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1) Unfortunately you may not be told about it. Some areas do not know much about it and therefore do not promote it
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2) Colostrum harvesting can be beneficial to ANY pregnant mother who is planning on breastfeeding. Should there be any difficulties with breastfeeding in the first few days after birth then colostrum top ups can be given. However it is even more beneficial to babies born to diabetic mothers as they often have low blood sugars after birth & can often be quite sleepy
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3) See point 1!
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4) It is safe from 36 weeks - see links to the DAME study on my Colostrum Harvesting website post
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5) whilst hand expressing is more gentle, if you really struggle to form beads of colostrum, then you can use a breastfeeding pump to help with this. Breast pumps are not so good for collecting colostrum if you are lucky enough to produce larger amounts due to the colostrum being more sticky than breast milk. This can result in colostrum getting stuck inside the breast pump tubes
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6) Once again, see point 1!
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To read more about the benefits of colostrum harvesting, along with a visual guide, hints & tips and links to videos etc. Please check out my post @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/colostrum-harvesting/
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#GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #TeamGDUK #Colostrum #ColostrumHarvesting #BreastFeeding #HarvestingColostrum #AntenatalExpression #ExpressingDuringPregnancy #AntenatalExpressing #HandExpressing #BreastFed #LiquidGold #FirstMilk #PreventingType2Diabetes #NewbornHypoglycaemia #ColostrumMilk #HandExpression #BreastMilk #pregnant #Pregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #Preemie #HighRiskPregnancy #TongueTie #BreastFeedingProblems #Midwives #Midwife #DiabetesSpecialist #DMW

GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME ⠀ Joi

GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME
⠀
Join multidisciplinary artists Anna-Maria Nabirye @amnabirye and Jess Mabel Jones @jessmabeljones as they premiere GESTATIONAL DIABETES: ONE PRICK AT A TIME. Part documentary, part visual arts, part call to arms, part space to heal, part Sylvanian families soap opera!
⠀
ONE PRICK AT A TIME puts the lived experiences of women who have and are living with GD front and centre. Amplifying their voices, experiences and questions in order to instigate radical conversations and actions concerning the support and care around Gestational Diabetes.
⠀
Anna-Maria and Jess aren’t mums and haven’t experienced GD but they are kick-ass artists who care passionately about women’s bodies and health. And who are ready to shake things up.
⠀
Thursday 3rd December 8pm marks the official launch and premiere screening of GESTATIONAL DIABETES: ONE PRICK AT A TIME, with a subsequent panel chat. So join Anna-Maria, Jess and their guests:
⠀
•Dr Claire Wilson, commissioning research fellow and NHS psychiatrist
•(Myself) Jo Paterson, Founder of Gestational Diabetes UK
•Women with lived experience of GD
•& an NHS health professional
⠀
Event starts at 8pm
⠀
Introduction from the artists
⠀
Film premier 8:15pm
⠀
Panel chat 8:30pm
⠀
Q&A 9pm
⠀
⠀
GESTATIONAL DIABETES : ONE PRICK AT A TIME was commissioned by Kings College London research fellow and NHS psychiatrist Dr Claire Wilson from a fellowship funded by the MRC, with support from fellow King’s College London researcher Judith Parsons and Jo Paterson of Gestational Diabetes UK. The project is also supported by King’s Culture and the Mental Elf @thementalelf
⠀
Follow the link in my bio @gestational_diabetes_uk to sign up to the event!
⠀
#GDOnePrickAtATime

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟖. 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞
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Where possible, going for a walk or being as ‘active’ as possible for around 30 minutes after eating can help lower blood glucose levels
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This does not have to be a brisk walk, even a comfortable stroll will be beneficial or a favourite is having a boogie around the house!
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Exercising has an insulin-like effect on your cells and so will assist in lowering blood glucose levels! 🧘🏾🚴🏼‍♀️🚶🏼‍♀️💃🏻
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟕. 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲
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Staying well hydrated is very important during pregnancy and even more so if you have diabetes whilst pregnant. Drinking water doesn’t directly lower blood sugar levels, but it does flush excess sugar out of your system. Staying hydrated will help control and stabilise blood sugar levels and so is a major part of a good gestational diabetes diet
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Ideally you should be drinking around 3 litres (10 -12 glasses) at least, a day. You will need to drink even more during warmer weather or if you are exercising
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I recommend drinking a glass of water with AND in between every meal and snack during the day 💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧
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(If you struggle to drink plain water, try no added sugar diluting squash or flavoured waters instead, but look for ones which are zero or extremely low in carbs or they will increase blood glucose levels)
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For more info on suitable drinks, take a look @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/drinks/
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟔. 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐝 & 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐞𝐠
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Eating plenty of green vegetables and salad does two things. It fills you up so that you don’t feel hungry and it also provides you with important fibre, nutrients, vitamins and minerals
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Vegetables are actually a third type of carbohydrate known as fibrous carbohydrates. These play an important role in the gestational diabetes diet as they keep the digestive system running well, but it’s important to make informed choices when selecting salad and vegetables as some starchy or sweet ones may still raise blood sugar levels too high
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Check out the next 2 images ➡️to see higher and lower carb vegetables & salad so that you can make better choices and not unknowingly add too many extra carbs onto your plate!
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟓. 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛
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Carbs are a tricky thing for diabetics to tolerate. Gestational diabetes is defined as carbohydrate intolerance!
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This is because a high amount (90-100%) of carbohydrate turns into glucose, raising blood glucose levels. They are however, important as they provide the body with energy
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If you are confused about carbs, then don’t worry, we have a whole page dedicated to explaining carbs @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/carbs/
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Carbs can be found in many different foods. Naturally occurring carbs include fruit, vegetables, milk, honey, nuts, grains, seeds & legumes
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There are 2 main types of carbs:
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1. Simple – Sugar or glucose is a simple carbohydrate. Sugar is naturally occurring in many foods, forming fructose in fruit, lactose in milk & sucrose in granulated sugar
2. Complex – Starch is a complex carbohydrate made of sugar units bonded together. Starch occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, cooked dried beans & peas. When a complex carb is refined, it is processed & much of the fibre & goodness is stripped away. Unrefined carbs are therefore, carbs which are in their natural state & contain much more goodness
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Choose small amounts of unrefined complex starchy carbs to eat at every meal
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You will find certain carbs are tolerated better than others and this varies from person to person. Trial and error with starchy carbs is the best approach at the start, so try different ones and keep a food diary alongside your readings. Start with small amounts paired well & tweak as necessary (see next image ➡️ for a simple guide)
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟒. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐬
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Fat I hear you cry?! Yes fat! But good, natural fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats which include omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids
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These fats improve blood cholesterol levels and can decrease your risk of heart disease. They also play an important role in the development of the brain, eyes and nervous system of your growing baby essential for baby’s growth
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Taking things one step further, I also find that full fat dairy products and animal fats which are saturated fats, go a long way to helping a good gestational diabetes diet and this will be controversial to most people as for many years saturated fats have been the bad fat that should be avoided. However, recent research has challenged that saturated fats now may be no worse than other ‘healthy’ fats
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There will always be a battle between fat v’s sugar. I’m not suggesting you live on transfats, high fat takeaways or products containing hydrogenated vegetable oil for the rest of the pregnancy, but introducing ‘good’ natural fats into the diet, rather than fat free or diet alternatives which are filled with refined carbs and sugar, will help control blood sugar levels
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Unless you need to follow a low fat/fat free diet for OTHER medical requirements unrelated to GD, then opt for plenty of natural fats to help pair your carbs
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟑. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧
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Protein is an essential building block for the body’s cells. It has a vital role during pregnancy because it helps your baby to grow and develop normally
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50% of protein turns to glucose in 2 – 4 hours and so protein is a ‘safe food’ on a gestational diabetes diet. Use protein for food pairing to help tolerate carbs better and slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream
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Good sources of protein are: meat, poultry, game, fish, eggs, tofu, Quorn, nuts, yogurt, hummus, cheese, seeds, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, beans, soya milk
🥩 🥓🍗 🐟 🍤🥚 🥜 🌰🧀🥛
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟐. ‘𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫’ 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬
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90 – 100% of carbs eaten turn into glucose and this happens rapidly, within 15 mins – 2 hours. Whereas with proteins and fats, much less turn into glucose and over a much longer period of time
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By eating plenty of protein with any carbohydrates and some natural fats, the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and gastric emptying is slowed down
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This is where the term ‘food pairing’ has evolved from with regards to the gestational diabetes diet. When eating carbs, if you ‘pair’ them with protein and natural fat you will achieve lower blood glucose levels
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eg. A green apple eaten on its own will spike levels higher and faster than a green apple eaten with peanut butter (which contains protein & fats) 🍏 + 🥜 = 👍🏻
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Or a piece of wholemeal toast with some margarine alone will spike levels higher and faster than a piece of wholemeal toast which is ‘paired’ with butter & eggs
🍞 + 🧈 + 🍳 = 👍🏻
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Moral of the story, Never Eat A Naked Carb!
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If you are struggling to understand food pairing, I have a post which explains this in more detail @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/what-is-food-pairing/
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨 𝟏. 𝐄𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧
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Ideally we want blood sugar levels which look (if we were to draw a picture) like rolling hills, rather than huge spikes and crashes. The best way to achieve good control over levels is to choose sensible foods and to eat little amounts often. Aiming for 3 meals and 3 snacks a day
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Avoiding to eat is something that many mothers do when they are first diagnosed with gestational diabetes as they are unsure or too scared over what to eat. This can actually have a detrimental effect on blood sugar levels. If a meal or snack is missed then blood sugar levels can drop low and when this happens the liver dumps glucose into the bloodstream to give us energy and keep us going.
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The glucose can raise our levels high and then when eating our next meal, as levels are higher than they should be, they raise even higher. Following a big spike in levels, the body will signal the pancreas to produce insulin, but with gestational diabetes we may not be able to produce enough insulin or hormones block our body from using the insulin we have produced. Sometimes the body will overproduce insulin and cause a big crash in levels, which is the start of roller coaster blood sugar levels.
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The other problem with missing meals or snacks, is that when we do eventually eat, we may eat too much in one go and large amounts of food in one go are very hard to tolerate. When a large amount of food is eaten we need to use more insulin to process the sugar in that food. It is much easier to tolerate small amounts regularly
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

𝟴 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀

𝟴 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀
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I created the 8 Golden Rules as a way to break down the things you need to think about each time you eat to help make following the advice easier
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I know this may seem like a lot to think about and remember, but before long it will become second nature and you will automatically start to plan & prepare your food this way
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An obvious start to a good gestational diabetes diet is to eliminate sugar from the diet. At the moment, your body can no longer process sugar the way it used to and so it is important to stop adding sugar into or onto anything. No more adding sugar to drinks, no sprinkling sugar onto anything. Cutting back the amount of sugar in a cup of tea or coffee is not sufficient, you really need to stop adding any additional sugar into your diet
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Unfortunately, sugar is not just found in sugary and sweet things and so cutting out sugar, sweets and cakes is not enough for a good gestational diabetes diet
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Sugar hides in many foods and drinks and comes in many different forms!
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The next step to working on a good gestational diabetes diet is looking at carbs. Gestational diabetes is actually defined as a carbohydrate intolerance and so this is where we focus the next step after cutting out the sugars
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Carbs turn into sugar in the bloodstream and so this is why they become as problematic as sugar itself. However, there are different types of carbs and they are processed at different rates. Therefore we have to understand the different types of carbs and the impact the different types have on blood sugar levels
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More in next post ➡️
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#8GoldenRules #GestationalDiabetesDiet
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK
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I keep saying don’t fear food, you must continue

I keep saying don’t fear food, you must continue to eat, but what if you simply do not know what to eat, or perhaps you’re following dietary info given to you at hospital and you’re still struggling with high blood glucose levels?
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I don’t have a magic wand to fix this, but I do have dietary advice which can help achieve the best possible blood glucose levels
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Note: this doesn’t mean that you will follow this advice and not need additional help with meds &/or insulin. However this dietary advice is the best I’ve found after many years of research to assist in achieving the best possible blood glucose control during pregnancy. If you have very high insulin resistance then you may still need additional help (I did in all 3 of my pregnancies), however it will mean you need the minimal amount of help for YOUR levels
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Follow the next 9 posts to understand my #8GoldenRules for the best #GestationalDiabetesDiet where I’ll break it down for you
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDietaryAdvice #Jos8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #Type2Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK
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Looking at the impact of not eating with gestation

Looking at the impact of not eating with gestational diabetes...
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This image shows a basic flow diagram of how the body regulates blood glucose levels
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The liver produces, stores & releases glucose, which is regulated by 2 hormones: insulin and glucagon
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Unfortunately with diabetes we struggle to regulate blood glucose levels because when levels are too high we cannot use or produce enough insulin to lower them
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Likewise, when blood glucose levels drop low, and the liver releases glucose into the bloodstream (a process called glycogenolysis), we may also struggle to regulate levels to a normal and safe level, resulting in blood glucose levels spiking too high
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This is why when a mother with gestational diabetes stops eating (often through fear of causing high levels and not knowing what to eat) they still end up seeing high levels
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Hence it is recommended to eat little and often during diabetic pregnancy and is why it is part of my #8GoldenRules in the #GestationalDiabetesUKDiet
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #PlusSizePregnancy #GeriatricPregnancy #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #Glucagon #Gluconeogenesis #Glycogenolysis #LiverFunction #GDFoodPairing #DontStarveYourself #EatLittleAndOften
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We have enough fears in pregnancy as it is without

We have enough fears in pregnancy as it is without the added complication of a gestational diabetes diagnosis
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The fear is real and I remember those fears well from my very first pregnancy 12 years ago when I was diagnosed with GD
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Back then I didn’t know anyone else who had GD, I didn’t have anyone to ask questions to and discuss my fears
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I only knew what I was told by my medical professionals which was all very clinical and matter of fact
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What I needed back then was other Mums to talk to about how I was FEELING. To discuss all my fears and know that I wasn’t alone
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In my second pregnancy 6 years later in 2014, I created that place in my Facebook group
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Another 6 years on and my Facebook group has reached over 13,000 active members and I estimate we have seen in excess of 15,000 GD Mums come through the group for help and support
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Bridging the gap between the care you are given by your medical healthcare professionals and giving you a place for peer support to help face those fears and offer guidance to complement the care you receive
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Come and join us @ www.facebook.com/groups/GestationalDiabetesUKMums
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A direct link is available for those on Instagram in the bio @gestational_diabetes_uk

#gestationaldiabetes #GDUKMums

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