When you have gestational diabetes, your whole world will change. I guess it’s sort of like preparation for having a baby, when your whole world will change again. And not unlike the latter, gestational diabetes can help improve your life, so those changes aren’t necessarily a bad thing. As a former gestational diabetic, I can tell you that the most important thing you can do is focus on high protein, low carb food, especially snacks.
Pregnant women need a lot of protein to help grow their babies. Pregnant women with diabetes need to balance that high protein with low carbs to help keep blood sugar in check. You also need more fiber to keep sluggish digestion moving, which is a big concern with pregnancy. Sound complicated? It can be, but it is also relatively simple. § Read the rest of this entry…
You may have heard that there is a cinnamon diabetes connection, and that cinnamon can help reduce blood sugar levels. There have actually been some pretty informative studies done on this theory, with test subjects taking different levels of cinnamon and measuring their blood sugar levels against those taking a placebo. § Read the rest of this entry…
I came across this video and thought it was a very good animation on how blood glucose levels are managed by the teamwork of the liver and pancreas. The way our bodies strive to maintain a balance is fascinating, and it is easy to see how diabetics can get off track when that balance cannot be maintained.
Whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, the end result is too much blood glucose. This video shows how those systems can break down and why things don’t work right in diabetics.
We have become so conditioned to eat sugar that going without it is not only painful, but also extremely challenging. Go down the processed food aisle, and you would be hard pressed to find processed foods that don’t contain some form of sugar, whether it is plain cane sugar or any of the other sugars ending in “-ose.” When you start a low carb diet, many sweet foods can be eliminated or healthier fruit options substituted, but if you’re like me there are just some things you aren’t willing to forego, such as coffee. There is a reason sugar substitutes are so popular, but with health concerns arising about products such as sucralose, there must be another low carb sugar option. § Read the rest of this entry…
You know what I love? Simplicity. And fast food. When you’re on a low carb diet, those things are not really great options anymore, but if you shift your priorities a bit, you will find the simplicity and fast food you need in low carb shakes. Low carb shakes are so good for breakfast when you’re crabby and not in the mood to deal with cooking, or when you’re on the go at lunch. Keep a few in the fridge at work and at home, and you can avoid a big slip when you’re craving a quick meal and don’t want the hassle of cooking. § Read the rest of this entry…
I think I am still mourning the loss of my favorite yogurts. When you find a brand you like, it is difficult to leave it behind. That being said, since we have quit sugar, I feel much better about my health overall, so I feel like it is a fair trade. There are still times, however, when I really wish I had yogurt, so of course I had to find a way to get low carb yogurt the whole family could enjoy. Rejoice, low carbers, for there are options! § Read the rest of this entry…
One of the easiest low carb snacks is also one of the most often overlooked. Popcorn is not only a low carb option, but also a wholesome, healthy whole grain – it’s like two great foods in one! Popcorn is also incredibly versatile. If you are in the mood for a hint of sweet, sprinkle fresh popcorn with cinnamon, or go traditional with melted butter and salt for a salty snack that satisfies. At just 5 grams of carbs per one-cup serving, popcorn is one of those low carb snacks you can eat almost freely, and not feel the least bit guilty about! § Read the rest of this entry…
There seems to be a shroud of mystery surrounding the terms “glycemic load” and “glycemic index,” both of which are very helpful for following a low carb or diabetic diet. I came across this video that does a pretty good — and short — job of breaking down the two terms to help us understand just what each one means, and which is the most important in terms of blood sugar control. § Read the rest of this entry…
In order to understand how to find low GI foods for diabetics, we need to first talk about what low GI really means. The Glycemic Index is a measure of how quickly a food converts to sugar in our bodies. While this is helpful information, it is not the whole picture. Just because the carbs in a food convert quickly to sugar does not mean that a particular food is going to spike your blood sugar through the roof. § Read the rest of this entry…
The American Diabetes Association has published guidelines to help us understand just what is the normal blood sugar level for adults. While we are all individual and unique in many ways, blood sugar is an area where pretty much everyone can expect to see the same numbers.
What is the Normal Blood Sugar Level for Adults?
There are two ways to determine the normal blood sugar level for adults: fasting blood sugar readings and post prandial blood sugar readings. Post prandial readings are those taken either one or two hours after eating, while fasting readings are taken first thing in the morning, when most people will have gone without eating for eight hours or more. § Read the rest of this entry…
When you have gestational diabetes, your whole world will change. I guess it’s sort of like preparation for having a baby, when your whole world will change again. And not unlike the latter, gestational diabetes can help improve your life, so those changes aren’t necessarily a bad thing. As a former gestational diabetic, I can tell you that the most important thing you can do is focus on high protein, low carb food, especially snacks.
