9 Tips For Pregnant Women To Ensure Good Sugar Control During Covid-19 Lockdown| PatientsEngage

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 12 April 2020

Dr. Uma Ram, Director and OBGYN Seethapathy clinic and Hospital, Chennai shares tips for pregnant women to follow to ensure good sugar control, especially in times of Covid-19 lockdown which has restricted movement and is stressful.

One in five pregnant women we see have gestational diabetes or high sugars in pregnancy. A lock down can cause problems for them because they may not be able to exercise, get enough veggies or access blood tests. Here are a few tips to ensure good sugar control

Walk on your terrace or inside your house especially after meals. If you have a step counter use it. Most smartphones have a step counter.
Do upper body exercises at home, since they are a good way to help keep control of your blood sugars..
The physical activity involved in household work can also help.
Be conscious that diet is even more important if you can’t exercise as much. Do NOT succumb to having “just one sweet “. Do read Dietary approach to managing Gestational Diabetes
This is a stressful time. It may be natural to feel worried or anxious. Don’t confuse that for hunger and seek out high calorie or sugared comfort food.
Get a glycometer and check your sugars on it to keep track. Here are tips on choosing a glucometer.
Mail in your reports or call in and talk to your doctors. See a primer on the new telemedicine guidelines.
Routine scans may be cancelled but if you are on medication or sugars are poorly controlled, it is recommended that your doctor can keep a watch on you and do scans as required.
If there is a BP monitor at home that’s well calibrated, use it to check your blood pressure as your routine check up frequency may be reduced. Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus(GDM) are at higher risk of developing BP in pregnancy so it’s important to keep an eye out for that too.

Stories

Delicious Navratan Khichdi Recipe

A nutritious navratan khichdi that is filling and provides excellent quality protein. It can be adapted to pongal as well. Its tasty and easy to make! Excellent quality protein, loads of vegetables. Great for persons with diabetes too. Ingredients (Serves 6 people) 225g rice 50g soya nuggets (If you skip this for a more traditional option it will reduce the protein content) 55g arhar (toor) dal 55g chana dal 55g moong dal 55g masoor dal 100g potatoes 100g carrot 100g cabbage 50g…
Chicken roast with apple sauce (6 portions)

This preparation is a low-calorie modification of the typical roast. The initial tossing in oil reduces the chicken from drying out while in the oven. The apple sauce without sugar is highly recommended for those who wish to keep their sugar spikes under control after the meal. Ingredients Whole dressed chicken – 1 ½ kg 4 apples 6-8 small onions 6 potatoes 4-5 carrots 20 French beans 1 capsicum 1 tsp ginger juice 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional) 2 tbsp Worcester sauce 1 stick cinnamon 10 to12…
Cheela - Vegetable Omelette Recipe

This is a vegetable omelette with a difference. You can rustle up this omelette at the drop of a hat on a summer’s day when you don’t feel like having an egg. Ingredients (Makes 6 portions) ½ cup (60g) rice flour ¼ cup whole wheat flour 1 tbsp refined flour 2 tbsp besan ½ cup buttermilk or as required 1 onion (large), minced 1 tomato, chopped 3 green chillies, chopped Few curry leaves, chopped Salt to taste ½ tsp mustard seeds Pinch of cooking soda (optional) 1 tbsp oil…
Avocado In Lettuce Boats (6 servings)

Elevated levels of blood sugar in diabetes increase the risk of elevated ‘bad’ cholesterol, triglycerides and other cardiovascular problems. Attempts to reduce these risk factors through medication and diet also reduce the level of ‘good’ cholesterol. Exercise and the presence of moderate amounts of monounsaturated fats in the diet help to increase ‘good’ cholesterol in our body. Avocado, also called “butter fruit” in some parts of India, is rich in monounsaturated fats and anti-oxidant Vitamin…
DOs & DON’Ts OF THE DIABETES DIET

Diabetes management is not a one time fix. It requires sustainable lifestyle changes. Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator explains the dos and don’ts for eating well and keeping your blood sugar under control. Whether you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or are a longstanding diabetes patient, your heart skips a beat while you’re waiting to see your blood glucose reading. You are keen to do all that it takes to bring down the blood sugar quickly – whether it is by omitting…
Your guide to low Glycaemic Index foods

What is Glycaemic Index and why you need to be aware of it when planning meals - By Ujjwala Baxi, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. What is Glycaemic Index? Mr. Ram and Mr. Raghu are brothers with diabetes. The breakfast menu is mostly the same for both. The only difference is that Mr. Ram likes to have his butter on white bread whereas Mr. Raghu prefers it on multigrain bread. They both leave for work. Within a couple of hours, Mr. Ram feels hungry while Mr. Raghu is…
My mother’s life with diabetes

A daughter and caregiver describes the toll diabetes took on her mother’s life and its impact on their family. By Padmini Chandrasekaran An accident or an afterthought, I was born in 1954 when my mother was 38 years old. I weighed almost 4kg and the exertions of a normal delivery must have exhausted my mother. Or so my parents thought, as after her delivery, my mother continued to be listless, tired and slightly irritable. She felt the urge to pass urine frequently…
Eat less, run more

Mumbai-based Dr M.B. Bhide, 54, managed his diabetes by changing the way he lives. He is as busy as ever and diabetes is not getting in his way. Here are his tips. What kind of diabetes are you suffering from? Type 2 diabetes When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed a year back. What symptoms did you have? I was frequently hungry and craved food. Did you put on a lot of weight? Not really. I weighed 72kg, which was a little more than ideal. Is there diabetes in the family? Yes …
Saying no to rice

Tamil Nadu resident R. Eswari, 54, talks about the lifestyle changes she made to keep diabetes under control. What kind of diabetes are you suffering from? Type 2 diabetes When were you diagnosed? I was then 35 years old. Why did you get checked? I was constantly feeling tired and had fainting episodes. Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Yes. My mother had Type 2 diabetes. What is your present condition? My diabetes is under control. What medications are…
Eating right for diabetes – it’s all about balance

Eating mindfully is a critical part of diabetes management. As you know, diabetes affects a person’s ability to effectively convert the sugar in the blood to energy. This causes the sugar level in the blood to rise, leading to further complications affecting various parts of the body. But a diagnosis of diabetes does not have to mean hardship at the dinner table. With some thoughtful planning and a slight shift to healthier options, you can eat well and take pleasure in your food…