Affecting about four-percent (4%) of all pregnant women, gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs during pregnancy, and increases complications for both mother and baby. While the condition goes away after the baby is born, you may want to embrace home remedies for gestational diabetes to lower your chances of suffering a type-1 or type-2 diabetes diagnosis in the future.
Home Remedies for Gestational Diabetes 16 Home Remedies for Gestational Diabetes
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a condition characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels that is first detected when a woman is pregnant. This type of diabetes usually goes away following the birth of the child, but once a female has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the chances that it will return in future pregnancies is quite high. Some women even learn that they are type 1 or type 2 diabetics when they get pregnant.
Causes and Symptoms
Nearly all women have some level of impaired glucose intolerance because of the hormonal changes that take place during a pregnancy. This means that blood sugar could be more elevated than usual. Later on in the pregnancy (the third trimester), the hormonal changes can put pregnant women at a higher risk for gestational diabetes.
For example, the placenta produces some hormones that help prevent the mother from developing low blood sugar. But, they work by stopping the actions of insulin. Over the course of the pregnancy, these hormones lead to the gradual increase of blood sugar levels. When the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to overcome the effect of the increased hormones during pregnancy, blood sugar levels rise and gestational diabetes is the result.
You cannot really pinpoint the signs of gestational diabetes because pregnancy masks the changes you might be experiencing. Diabetes typically causes an individual to experience increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger, and blurred vision.
Gestational Diabetes Home Remedies
Gestational diabetes can lead to complications regarding the delivery of a baby, including lower birth weight, early births, and premature babies. It is important to address and monitor the condition throughout a pregnancy. The following home remedies for gestational diabetes offers options for managing symptoms:
a) Shed a Few Pounds:
If you are more than 20% over your ideal body weight after giving birth to your baby, losing just a couple of pounds can help you avoid developing type 2 diabetes.
b) Guava:
Studies have shown that guava is effective is reducing blood sugar levels.
c) String Bean Tea:
Make a tea out of the skins of string beans, which will provide your body with inulin a precursor to insulin. A suggested dose is one cup taken for three times per day.
d) Cucumber:
Increase your intake of cucumbers to take advantage of the nourishing qualities that the vegetable provides the pancreas.
e) Prickly Pear:
For more than 1,000 years, Mexicans have been using prickly pear as a treatment for diabetes. This remedy dates back to the Aztecs, who used the fruit to treat a condition they referred to as ‘sweet urine.’ Drink the fresh juice of the fruit to fight the disease. You can find prickly pear in the produce section of your local grocery store.
f) Cinnamon:
Studies have shown that cinnamon can play a role in lowering blood glucose, as well as high cholesterol levels. Add one to two teaspoons to your diet on a daily basis or get into the habit of sipping on cinnamon tea.
g) Sweeten with Stevia:
When looking for a healthy sweetener that won’t create an imbalance in your glucose levels, choose stevia a sweet herb that has been used to enhance the flavor of foods for centuries.
h) Coconut Oil:
When looking for an oil to cook with or add to your foods, consider coconut oil. There are also some people that will take two to three tablespoons of the coconut oil directly from the bottle when they’ve eaten the wrong foods and experience blood sugar levels that rise 80 to 100 points above normal. Within 30 minutes, blood sugar levels come back to normal.
i) Chromium-Rich Foods:
Your body needs small amounts of the essential trace mineral called chromium to properly function. Some people with diabetes take a chromium supplement in an effort to improve their blood glucose. There are foods that offer chromium in small amounts, such as meat, whole grain products, and some fruits, vegetables, and spices. Keep in mind that high doses will start to affect the kidneys.
j) Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
The polyunsaturated fatty acids that come from foods such as fish, fish oil, vegetable oil (primarily canola and soybean), walnuts, and wheat germ, provides a wealth of health benefits for a woman with gestational diabetes.
k) Dark Chocolate:
A piece of dark chocolate offers polyphenols, which are antioxidants found in tea and dark chocolate. There have been studies to show the positive effects of chocolate on vascular health (such as blood pressure) and on the body’s ability to use insulin.
l) Healthier Food Choices:
Making healthier food choices can help prevent type 1 or type 2 diabetes after the birth of your child. Include more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Limit your fat intake to 30% or less of your daily calories. Control your portion size.
m) Regular Exercise:
A routine exercise program will help your body use glucose without extra insulin, as well as combat insulin resistance. Keeping your body moving four to five times a week can help the body use insulin more efficiently, which helps control blood sugar levels.
n) Magnesium:
When gestational diabetes has affected your ability to produce insulin, magnesium can help with this problem.
o) Get Familiar with Glycemic Index:
Getting to know the ins and outs of the glycemic index (GI) will help pinpoint the foods that can cause your blood sugar to rise. For starters, refined carbs and sugars are high on the GI scale, whereas whole grains and vegetables are lower. Other options to consider adding to your plate include plain yogurt, oatmeal, green apples, fish, seafood, peas, beans and lentils.
p) Smaller Meals:
Eating a lot of smaller meals throughout the day will help gain better control over gestational diabetes.
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