Many folks with GDM find controlling their fasting blood sugar levels be a challenge. This is perhaps because fasting numbers are more a reflection of hormonal processes, whereas post- meals blood sugars tend to be more directly related to the composition of your meal. This means that post-meals reads are generally easier to manage by simply cutting back on carbs and added sugars, however this might not be the case with fasting numbers. It can be really frustrating to feel like you’re following all of the dietary recommendations for GDM, but still getting high morning numbers. The fact is that sometime even if you’re doing everything right your fasting reads will still be out of range due to the hormones of pregnancy. However, if you’re looking for a few new ideas to try, check out these 5 tips, plus a few other consideration at the end of the post.
5 tips to improve your fasting blood sugars
1. Make sure you’re checking your fasting blood sugar correctly
In order to ensure you’re getting to most accurate reads, you want to make sure you’re truly “fasting” when you check your blood in the morning. This means that you have not eaten anything for a minimum of 8 hour. You also want to make sure that you have not been fasting for longer than 12 hours, as this can also elevate your morning blood sugar levels. Next, be sure to check your blood sugar immediately upon waking (within a few minutes of getting out of bed) or else you’ll risk getting an incorrect read. Lastly, double check that you are not using expired test strips, or strips that have been improperly stored (check you glucometer's guide book for more information).
2. Kick up your physical activity
Did you know that getting 150 minutes of physical activity per week has been shown to improve over-all BG control over? 150 hours breaks down to about 20 minutes per day seven days a week, or 30 minutes five days per week. Remember, this refers to intentional, targeted exercises like walking or swimming (exercises that get your heart rate up a little), and not to just “being on your feet”.
To meet this goal, you can try taking a 10 minute walk after lunch and again after dinner. Or, try looking for a prenatal swim class at your local pool. Alternatively, there are lots of great prenatal exercise resources online (like Pregnancy and Postpartum TV or Walk at Home on YouTube) that you can try to get yourself moving and motivated.
3. Increase your daily protein intake
Although limited, there is some evidence that suggests eating more protein throughout the day may help to stabilize your overall blood sugar levels. Research also suggests that many pregnant people are not getting in enough protein to meet the basic needs for growth and development, especially in the second and 3rd trimesters when protein demand increases. More protein in your diet can also help you to feel fuller and more satisfied throughout the day. Try making protein-rich foods account for about 30-35 percent of your calorie intake daily, or about 1/3rd of the food you eat daily to see if it has a positive effect your fasting blood sugars.
Here's a few simple things you can try to increase your protein intake:
- Top your meal with 1-2 tablespoons of seeds- like sesame seeds on your stir fry dishes, sunflower seeds on your salads, or pumpkin seeds on your casseroles or tacos.
- Put an egg on it- adding either a hard boiled or fried egg to your meal offers an extra 8 grams of protein, which is a great boost
- Have a side of plain Greek yogurt- packed with protein, even a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt can go a long way; try using it like your would sour cream with your meals, or make a sauce with sauce with it using lemon, black pepper and dill (goes great with fish, chicken and falafel).
- Add frozen peas or edamame beans- grab a bag of these high protein frozen items next time your at the store and try adding a frozen cup of either to your meal.
4. Increase your daily fiber intake
Upping your dietary fiber each day is a well-known strategy to help stabilize blood sugar levels. We typically recommend about 30 grams per day in pregnancy, which is a lot. High fiber foods include veggies, whole grains, beans, berries, avocados, and seeds.
To get increase your daily fiber intake, try any of these options:
- Eat 5 servings of veggies everyday: although it can seem like a lot, eating extra veggies is probably the best way to increase your fiber intake. If you're not a big fan of veggies, check out this great post from Confessions of a Fit Foodie with a ton of great low-carb hidden veggie recipes: https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/sneaky-veggie-meals/
- Have a serving of berries every day- raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are all great choices to incorporate into your diet if you have GDM. with 3-9 grams of fiber per cup, you can feel good about eating these (fresh or frozen) on a daily basis.
- Eat the skin on your potatoes and yams: full of fiber and nutrients, a baked potato or yam with the skin on is a great high-fiber carb choice to go with your meal.
- Opt for high fiber carbs: not only can foods like wild or brown rice, quinoa and sprouted whole wheat breads/tortillas improve your post-meal blood sugar reads, but they also offer a ton of fiber to help control your fasting numbers.
- You can also consider a fiber supplement, like Metamucil (which is made of psyllium husks); just make sure any supplement you buy doesn’t contain any added sugar!
5. Add in some probiotic food sources
Although controversial, some dieticians theorize that eating probiotic foods can improve your gut health and thus help to control your overall blood sugar levels. Usually apple cider vinegar (a probiotic vinegar) is recommended as it is thought that vinegars also have a positive impact on insulin regulation. Some folks drink a shot glass of apple cider vinegar daily, but most people opt to use it as a salad dressing instead (here’s a great recipe from Love and Lemons: https://www.loveandlemons.com/apple-cider-vinegar-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-52456). Alternatively, you can also try adding in other GDM-friendly probiotic food sources, like miso soup, kimchi and sour kraut, but it’s likely that taking a probiotic supplement or tablet will not work the same.
Other considerations
In addition to the above tips, I would also recommend paying attention to two other factors that may be impacting your morning blood sugar levels: your hydration status, and sleep quality. Dehydration can lead more concentrated glucose levels in your blood, and thus elevate your glucometer readings. Make sure that you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day and evening, and not waking up feeling dehydrated. You can also try adding in high water-content foods to your evening meal to encourage hydration, like a side of brothy soup or salad. Sleep quality may also play a role in your body's hormone regulation system and blood sugar levels. If you're struggling with insomnia (as many pregnant people do), or getting less than 8 hours of sleep at night, consider discussing it with your healthcare provider.
I hope you find these concepts helpful!
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