3 Recipes For Women With Gestational Diabetes

Women with gestational diabetes must take special care with their diet. A good diet will allow you to satisfy your cravings and keep your insulin levels in check. We give you 3 recipes to prepare in this situation

When the woman is pregnant, she usually suffers from various complications. One of them is the decrease in glucose tolerance. For this reason, it is recommended, just as a precaution, to know some recipes for women with gestational diabetes.

If very high sugar levels – glucose – are detected, the expectant mother is a candidate for this ailment. Diabetes is a disease that causes hyperglycemia, that is, high levels of glucose in the blood.

Possible causes of diabetes

This condition can be triggered by the following factors:

• The pancreas may not be making enough insulin (a hormone that allows glucose to work properly).
• Cells that store glucose do not respond to insulin.

Gestational diabetes only develops during pregnancy.  In fact, it is considered the most common pathology in the gestation period, according to a publication in the  International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

During the months of pregnancy, many hormonal, physical and metabolic changes take place in women. Hormones from the placenta usually block insulin in the mother-to-be’s body, leading to resistance to it.

This action promotes an increase in glucose in the blood and increases insulin levels up to three times in order to control blood glucose. If this is not handled seriously and levels are not balanced, gestational diabetes will undoubtedly appear.

This type of diabetes does not present any symptoms; that is why a test between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation is recommended to rule it out. If it is not treated in time, it can bring serious problems and complications for the mother and the baby in the short and long term.

In any case, it is a relatively frequent pathology. According to research published in the journal  Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America,  up to 6% of pregnant women suffer from this problem.

Tips for Feeding Women with Gestational Diabetes

To keep blood sugar levels stable, it is necessary to follow the following recommendations:

• Comply with a balanced diet. If food is distributed efficiently, sugar will remain stable in the body.
• Breakfast is paramount. A good protein intake at this meal will help keep insulin levels in an acceptable range.
• Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar.
• Include foods rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, whole wheat bread and legumes in the daily diet.
• Do exercise. This helps to process glucose properly.

Delicious recipes for women with gestational diabetes

Here are some tasty healthy recipes for women with gestational diabetes.

1. Tangerine and chocolate muffins

Ingredients

• 1 tangerine
• 4 eggs
• 10 grams of sweetener.
• 200 grams of whole wheat flour.
• 200 grams of sunflower oil.
• 100 grams of unsweetened dark chocolate.
• 1 pinch of salt.
• 1 teaspoon of yeast.

Preparation

1. Blend the chocolate until pulverized.
2. Mix the eggs, the tangerine and the sweetener. Then add the oil, flour, salt and yeast.
3. Divide the dough in two. To one of these halves, add the chocolate before pulverized.
4. Spread oil in the cupcake pan and sprinkle a little flour. Remove the excess.
5. Heat the oven to 180 ° (if you go above that temperature, the sweetener will become bitter).
6. Put the muffins in the oven and lower the temperature to 170 ° for 10 minutes or until they are done.

2. Spanish omelette

Ingredients

• 5 small potatoes cut and peeled.
• 1 sliced ​​zucchini.
• ½ medium onion, chopped.
• 1 ½ cups of green or red bell peppers, cut into julienne.
• 5 medium mushrooms sliced.
• 3 beaten eggs.
• 5 egg whites.
• ½ cup of vegetable oil.
• Pepper and salt or herbs to taste.
• 30 grams of grated mozzarella cheese.
• 1 tablespoon of low-fat Parmesan cheese.

Preparation

1. Boil the potatoes in water until they soften.
2. Sauté the onion in a frying pan with oil until golden brown. Then add the zucchini, mushrooms and peppers.
3. Mix the eggs, the whites and the mozzarella cheese and add to the mixture the vegetables, including the potatoes.
4. Heat the oven to 375 °.
5. Brush with oil and sprinkle flour in a bowl and spread the mixture, sprinkling the Parmesan cheese on top. Bake until done.

3. Red snapper

Ingredients

• 6 red snapper fillets.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 medium onion, chopped.
• 1 clove of minced garlic.
• ½ cup of chopped red bell pepper.
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of chopped pitted olives.
• ½ cup julienned carrots.
• 2 tablespoons of low-fat ricotta cheese.
• ½ cup of dry white wine.

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet and add the onion, red pepper, carrots and garlic. Sauté for 10 minutes.
2. Then add the wine and bring to a boil; stir gradually.
3. Place the fillets in the middle of the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato, the olives, and at the end cover it with the cheese.
5. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until fish is firm but juicy.
6. Serve with the vegetables that were cooked in the pan.

Prepare recipes suitable for pregnant women with gestational diabetes

In conclusion, these are some of the most outstanding recipes for women with gestational diabetes. Of course the variety is much greater, it will only be a matter of experimenting and also adopting medical recommendations. The care, in these cases, will be essential for the well-being of the mother and the baby.