Tag: Gestational Diabetes

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Title:
The Whole Nine Months: Low Carb Diets and Pregnancy

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524

Summary:
Its very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for twowhich doesnt mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your babys only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.

Keywords:
low carb diets, low carb food, low carb books

Article Body:
Its very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for twowhich doesnt mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your babys only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.

That being said, most prenatal dieticians strongly advise against adhering to a strict no-carb diet. Without sufficient carbs, your body will produce a by-product called ketones during your blood stream, which can put your baby at risk for brain damage.

But what about low carb diets? Aside from the risk of mental retardation, there are some aspects of low carb diets that can worsen the discomforts of pregnancy. For example, low carb diets tend to have low levels of dietary fiber, which exacerbate the constipation that many pregnant moms suffer because of the required iron supplements. Also, most prenatal dieticians recommend taking a lot of fruit because of its rich vitamin content, but most of the items youll find in a typical shake are banned by Atkins and South Beach because of the sugars.

But some doctors may recommend taking modified low-carb diets, especially if you are obese, suffer from gestational diabetes or low blood sugar. All three conditions have been proven to have adverse affects on the baby (including prematurity, birth defects, and early rupture of the membranes) so losing weight or controlling intake may actually be the best thing for your baby.

If you are asked to go on a low-carb diet during pregnancy, you will probably be told to go on the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet, or the second phase of the South Beach Diet. Here, you are allowed a controlled number of carbohydrates, usually from whole grains and fruits, while minimizing white bread, white rice, and pasta. That is fine, as you are still giving your baby the adequate nutrients, while removing processed foods.

If you are not allowed to go low-carb, but still need to control your weight, there are some options open to you. First of all, eat small but frequent meals. If you want a snack, instead of taking junk food or processed meats (which have a lot of calories, but significantly less nutrients), take salads, fruits, nuts and crackers. Choose lean cuts of meat, and minimize salt and rich sauces during cooking. And while you do need carbohydrates, take in moderation. One plate of pasta is good, three servings of it smothered in white sauce is not.

But the most important thing to remember is that before you go on any diet during pregnancy consult your obstetrician-gynaecologist. She or he can properly determine the best course of action given your particular medical history and the condition of your baby. Do not go on any weight management program without the advice and the approval of your doctor. Whether its low carb or Zone or the Mediterranean Diet, the point is that there is a proven link between prenatal nutrition and the babys health. Complications can include low birth weight, birth defects, and early delivery.

Are You Suffering From Diabetes?

People who are prone to diabetesespecially those who have the disease in their familys historyshould consider that there is a great possibility that they or their kids might inherit the illness. So, the best way to go about it is become very informed about the condition. The following are some the things that people who are prone to diabetes must consider:

1. TYPE OF DIABETES. Experts say that the severity of diabetes can be determined through its types including type 1diabetes also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes which is an auto-immune type targeting the bodys immune system and the least common type; the type 2 diabetes also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes which is affects the amount of insulin produced in the persons body, and gestational diabetes which is common among women who are conceiving or pregnant.

2. SYMPTOMS. To know if you are suffering from diabetes or not, knowing the symptoms for each type would help you a lot. Those who suffering from type 1diabetes would experience 1diabetes exceptional thirstiness, dryness of mouth despite taking in lots of fluid, the urgent need to urinate more often, drastic loss of weight even is they are eating fairly well, exhaustion or feeling of being weak or tired despite less workload, and blurring of vision in most occasions. For type 2 diabetes, sufferers experience often blurring of vision, wounds, sores, or cuts that takes a long time to heal, itchiness of skin in many parts of the body, frequent development of yeast infections, increased or onset thirst, drying of mouth, frequent urination, and mild to extreme leg pains. Gestational diabetes symptoms are also alike with other types its just that they are short termed because the disease ends once the woman gives birth. However, people who have this type of diabetes should be more careful because it can lead to type 2 if not monitored and treated immediately.

3. DIAGNOSIS. For a person to finally know whether he or she suffers from diabetes, tests for diagnosis are a must. Although the symptoms can give you a hint whether you are suffering from the illness or not, relying on these are not enough. Experts say that only way to confirm if one has diabetes or not is to get a test. Now, there are so many types of tests that one can get including:

– fasting plasma glucose test which, is considered as the most preferred test for people with diabetes and requires a person to go fasting at least eight hours or ideally the night before the test to ensure that the blood sample that will be drawn and examined for glucose levels is accurate;

– random blood glucose test which, unlike the Fasting Plasma Glucose test, doesnt require fasting but the blood samples should be drawn out immediately after the person has eaten or has drunk something;

– oral glucose tolerance test which requires the person to fast not less than 8 hours and prohibits him or her to smoke cigar and drink coffee before drawing the blood sample for the testing;

– glucose challenge test is for women who are prone to gestational diabetes when they are pregnant;

– impaired fasting glucose test which is considered as a new diagnostic category for people with diabetes. Here, blood sugar levels are and can determine the probability of the person to have diabetes.

When Diabetes Attacks Kids

Contrary to popular belief the only older people suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, more and more kids are now are diagnosed with this illness all over the world. The type of diabetes that kids are prone with is the type 1 diabetes. Also known as juvenile diabetes, this type is diagnosed in almost 40 children everyday in the United States of America alone.

Type 1 diabetes can be considered as the rarest type compared to other diabetes types such as type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes but now, more and more peopleespecially the younger ones suffer from it. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs persons body is stopped form producing enough insulin, which is a type of hormone that every human needs. In order to survive, peopleespecially kidswith this type of diabetes should have insulin injected in their bodies every single day in order to continue living.

With the help of modern technology, kids with type 1 diabetes can live a normal life because they have better options in terms of blood glucose testing and insulin administration which are just some of the common processes that diabetics undergo. To help kids cope up with their condition, more and more medical facilities now offer treatments that can help the child live an active, healthy, and a life filled with fun excitement just like other regular kids.

Dealing with diabetes in children

Parenting a child is enough challenge for a parent once he or she has decided to form a family. But when a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness such as diabetes, parenting and raising this child become more difficult, challenging and at times, frustrating. To help parents deal with their children when diabetes attacks them at such an early age, experts say that they should:

1. encourage and help the child to develop healthy eating habits. Once a child is diagnosed with diabetes, it makes his or her world smaller. There will be more restrictions especially in eating. These restrictions can lead to eating problems that will be harder to manage once they get older. So as early as now, parents must instill among their kids the importance of eating healthy and well-balanced food to avoid further diabetes complications. Parents must also make sure that the child follows the regular schedule in taking in snacks and eating meals. But if the child doesnt want to eat a certain type of food youre offering, dont force him or her. Instead, give the child a variety of healthy foods that he or she can choose from.

2. ensure to test blood glucose levels regularly. The ideal frequency of blood glucose testing is at least four times per day. If possible, the parents should monitor this themselves to ensure that if the child is coping up with the condition or not.

3. instill in the child the importance of regular exercise. To avoid being obese that can lead to more complications among kids with diabetes, parents must make exercise a part of the childs daily living. This exercise should not be so rigorous, it can be a simple walk, jog, or even helping out with household chores as long as theres enough movement for the day.

4. reassure the child of your love and support. There are kids with diabetes who think that having the chronic illness is their fault. Many of them also think that they have that condition because they did something bad or they are not just good enough for their parents. To erase these doubts in the childs mind, parents must always ensure their child that they will support him or her no matter and they will love the child no matter what.

What Is Diabetes?

If you think that you are prone to diabetes, the first thing that you need to know is to understand what is the illness all about. Experts say that diabetes is a chronic disease, which develop among people who have the inability to utilize the glucose in their food to be used as energy. The illness develops when the accumulated glucose stays in the persons bloodstream for a long time. Over a period of time, this amount of glucose, can bring potential harm to the persons other organs such as the eyes, kidneys, heart, and even the nerves themselves.

After having sufficient knowledge about it and how the disease develops, the next step is to know what kind of diabetes that are known and acknowledged by experts and physicians. Today, there are three major types of diabetes including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes. Knowing what they are and what sets each one apart from one other will help people who are prone to diabetes where to focus in trying to manage their condition.

What type are you?

Type 1diabetes otherwise known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is considered as the least common type of diabetes there is. Experts say that it is an auto-immune disease that makes the bodys immune systemwhich serves as a shield against infectiongone not of working order, thus, savaging the cells located in the pancreas which is responsible for producing insulin. For peopleespecially those who are prone to diabetesinsulin is very important in breaking down the food once eaten.

People who suffer from type 1 diabetes has the inability to make insulin, thus, their bodys are easily damaged by the accumulate glucose in the body. Since they need insulin to get by, people who are suffering from this type of diabetes need a regular supply of insulin 24/7. Children and young adults are prone to this type of diabetes but this occur at any age or can be a result of an illness. Type 1diabetes sufferers exhibit characteristics such as onset thirst, often urination, and drastic weight loss. Next is the type 2 diabetes, which is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and adult-onset diabetes. What sets it apart from the type 1diabetes is that the person suffering from this has the ability to make insulin its just that the amount produced in not enough for the body to use it efficiently.

This type is considered as the common type of diabetes, which usually develops among people who are more than 40 years of age. People who are prone to this type of diabetes are usually those who are overweight or obese and those that have sedentary lifestyle. Being a progressive disease, type 2 diabetes can also lead to more severe complications like diseases including the heart, the kidney, the eyes through blindness and amputation or loss of limbs. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes are also characterized by slow or onset thirstiness, repeated urination, and loss of weight usually develops is a span of weeks to weeks.

The last type is called gestational diabetes which develops during pregnancy. Normally, this type of diabetes ends after giving birth but there are also those cases in some women that develop this type diabetes as they get older. Gestational diabetes, though it is common among pregnant women, should be monitored because theres a big chance of leading to type 2 diabetes.