Scientific Recipe Guide For Pregnant Women With Gestational Diabetes, Including Sugar-control Soups And Dietary Taboos
Control sugar so you don’t go hungry, and you can eat with peace of mind during pregnancy
Being pregnant with Liujia should be a cause for celebration. However, once the words "gestational diabetes" appear on the prenatal check-up report, many expectant mothers will panic in an instant.
Worrying about whether the baby is healthy and confused about how to arrange the diet, I am worried that even if I eat a little more food, my blood sugar will rise sharply.
In fact, gestational diabetes is not something to be afraid of. It is a common complication during pregnancy. The key is to manage your diet in a scientific way.
Data from the Chinese Nutrition Society shows that the rate of abnormal blood sugar among pregnant women in my country has reached 11.7%. This situation means that one in every ten pregnant mothers is very likely to face blood sugar problems.
However, there is good news. With the help of standardized dietary intervention, the rate of blood sugar reaching target can be increased by 40%, and the probability of macrosomia can be reduced by 28.6%.
Today, we will start to talk about how to eat during gestational diabetes, especially several clinically proven sugar-control soups, so that expectant mothers can not only supplement nutrition, but also control blood sugar stably.
Sugar Control Soup 1: Dandelion Root Purslane Soup
When it comes to sugar control soup, the first thing many people think of is bitter melon.
In fact, the effects of combining some ingredients with the same origin as medicine and food are equally good.
This soup consists of dandelion root, purslane, and feverfew. The ratio of ingredients is very particular. The dosage of dandelion root is 15 grams, the dosage of purslane is 30 grams, and the dosage of feverfew is 10 grams. Before the soup is about to be completed, 50 ml of sugar-free yogurt needs to be added to make this soup.
When making, first soak the medicinal materials in cold water for 30 minutes, then add 500 ml of water, wait until it boils, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool naturally until it reaches a warm state, finally add yogurt and stir until uniform.
Each 100 milliliters of soup contains 1.8 grams of dietary fiber and 12 milligrams of vitamin C. Its glycemic index is only 48, making it a typical low-GI food.
A study conducted by Shanghai Red House Hospital showed that after 4 weeks of continuous drinking, fasting blood sugar could be reduced by 0.8mmol/L on average.
Dandelion root can clear away heat and detoxify, purslane is rich in norepinephrine and can help regulate sugar metabolism, and feverfew can clear the liver and improve eyesight and relieve internal heat during pregnancy.
However, expectant mothers need to be reminded that if they have spleen and stomach deficiency and are prone to diarrhea, they must drink it in moderation, or drink it after consulting a doctor.
Sugar Control Soup 2: Bitter Melon, Shrimp and Lily Soup
Bitter melon is recognized as a sugar-control star, but its bitter taste is unacceptable to many people.
This soup is bitter melon, shrimp and lily soup. It has been cleverly processed to greatly reduce the bitterness and give it a refreshing taste.
First prepare 200 grams of bitter melon, remove the pulp, cut it into small dices, and then marinate it with salt for 10 minutes, then rinse it clean, so that most of the bitter taste can be removed.
Use cooking wine and ginger slices to blanch the fresh shrimps to remove the fishy smell. The weight is 80 grams. Break 50 grams of fresh lilies into small pieces and cut 150 grams of peeled yam into chunks.
Add 800 ml of water to all the ingredients and simmer together for 35 minutes.
Each serving of soup is rich in high-quality protein, including 18.5 grams of protein, 3.2 grams of dietary fiber, and only 40 mg of cholesterol. It is very friendly to expectant mothers who need to control blood lipids during pregnancy.
A clinical experiment conducted by the Guangzhou Women and Children's Center found that the experimental group that drank this soup every day had a 34% decrease in blood sugar fluctuation compared with the control group.
The bitter melon saponin in bitter melon has an insulin-like effect and can help lower blood sugar. Shrimp can provide high-quality protein and give a strong feeling of satiety. Yam and lily can strengthen the spleen and stomach and relieve poor appetite during pregnancy.
Sugar Control Soup Three: Winter Melon, Barley and Poria Soup
In the third trimester of pregnancy, many expectant mothers will suffer from edema. This winter melon, barley, and poria soup can not only control sugar, but also help the body excrete excess water.
Three hundred grams of winter melon with the skin, forty grams of barley kernels, fifteen grams of poria slices, and three grams of tangerine peel are the golden ratio.
Soak the barley 2 hours in advance, then simmer the barley and winter melon for 1 hour, then add the poria and tangerine peel and cook for 20 minutes.
Why use winter melon with skin?
Because the skin of winter melon has a better diuretic and swelling effect than the flesh.
Poria cocos is rich in Poria cocos polysaccharide, with a content of 0.8%. This substance has a two-way blood sugar regulation effect, which can not only help reduce high blood sugar, but also avoid the occurrence of hypoglycemia.
Peking Union Medical College Hospital recommends that this soup should be used as an after-meal soup because it is rich in dietary fiber and can effectively delay gastric emptying, thereby making the rise in blood sugar after a meal more stable.
However, it should be noted that barley has slippery properties and should be used with caution in the early stages of pregnancy. It is safe to consume moderate amounts in the middle and late stages of pregnancy.
Sugar Control Soup Four: Goat Milk Walnut Black Bean Soup
Calcium supplementation during pregnancy is a big deal, but many calcium tablets can easily cause constipation, and dietary supplements are a much gentler way.
This goat's milk, walnut and black bean soup has a very high calcium content, with a full 420 mg of calcium per 100 ml. At the same time, it also contains 0.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and its glycemic index is only 49.
Prepare 200 ml of skimmed goat milk, 15 grams of walnut kernels, 50 grams of black beans, and 10 grams of sugar-free almonds.
Soak the black beans for 4 hours in advance, then cook them with walnuts and almonds for 30 minutes. Finally, pour in the warm goat milk and stir evenly.
Black beans are rich in chromium, which can enhance insulin activity. The unsaturated fatty acids in walnuts and almonds can help improve insulin sensitivity.
Scientific research results show that continuous consumption of this soup will improve the insulin resistance index, that is, HOMA-IR, by 22.6%.
Goat milk has a smaller molecular structure than cow milk, is easier to digest and absorb, and is less likely to cause allergies. It is extremely suitable for expectant mothers with gastrointestinal sensitivity during pregnancy.
Sugar Control Soup Five: Purple Sweet Potato, Yam and Pumpkin Soup
Many expectant mothers worry about high blood sugar levels if they eat too much staple food, but they are also afraid that they will get hungry if they don’t eat staple food.
This soup made of purple sweet potato, yam, and pumpkin can be eaten as a staple food. It can not only satisfy the appetite, but also keep blood sugar stable.
Use 150 grams of steamed purple sweet potato, 100 grams of iron yam, and a total of 200 grams of old pumpkin. Peel and cut them into pieces and add them. Boil 100 ml of sugar-free soy milk together for 40 minutes until the ingredients become dense and the soup becomes thick.
This is the case with purple potatoes, yams, and root vegetables that are rich in soluble dietary fiber. They are all low-GI root vegetables and contain 6.8 grams per serving. Pumpkin also contains 1.2 mg of beta-carotene. This is the case.
In the intestines, when soluble dietary fiber enters, it will form a gel-like substance that wraps carbohydrates and slows down the absorption of sugar.
Through clinical observation, it was found that after six weeks of continuous consumption, the postprandial blood sugar peak can be reduced by 1.5 mmol per liter.
This soup can be used as a staple food for lunch or dinner, replacing white rice. It not only increases the nutritional density, but also does not cause the worry of blood sugar spikes.
Avoid hidden sugars and remember these dietary taboos
In addition to drinking the right soup, you should also avoid some "minefields" in your daily diet.
For fruits, such as lychees with a GI value of 52 and mangoes with a GI value of 51, which are high-sugar fruits, the consumption should be reduced. As for apples, whose GI value is 36, and pears, whose GI value is 38, these two are more suitable choices.
The sugar content of fruit juice drinks on the market is generally 10 to 15 grams per 100 ml. Drinking one bottle is equivalent to drinking several cubes of sugar. You must be vigilant about these "invisible sugars".
The daily sodium intake should be controlled below 5 grams to avoid aggravation of edema.
The interval between two meals should not exceed four hours. If you feel hungry, you can prepare 15 grams of nuts or a cup of sugar-free yogurt as a snack.
Try to replace the staple food with white rice, which has a GI value of 72, and replace it with brown rice. At the same time, the GI value of brown rice is 56. Slightly adjust the cooking time to 25 minutes, so that the blood sugar will rise more slowly.
Experts recommend eating this way to keep blood sugar more stable
Doctors in endocrinology departments often give advice to adopt the "3+2" meal distribution model, which is three main meals plus two snacks, with an interval of 3 to 4 hours between each meal. This can not only ensure the supply of nutrients, but also prevent large fluctuations in blood sugar.
Prepare a smart bracelet or blood glucose meter to record the time you eat and the changes in blood sugar levels. Gradually you will be able to find a eating pattern that suits you.
What can prevent prolonged labor is to increase the intake of dietary fiber appropriately three days before delivery, to 35 to 40 grams per day.
In terms of nutrition, you can consult a doctor to see if you need to supplement chromium-containing yeast, the specific amount is 200 micrograms per day, and alpha-lipoic acid, the amount is 200 milligrams, and these two nutrients are helpful in improving insulin resistance.
Review glycated hemoglobin every two weeks to understand recent blood sugar control.
Controlling sugar during pregnancy is not about making expectant mothers hungry, but about learning to choose food smarter.
These soups, as well as dietary principles, combined with scientific meal arrangements, can allow expectant mothers to control blood sugar within the ideal range while enjoying delicious food.
Remember, stable blood sugar is not only responsible for your baby, but also for yourself.
