Blood Sugar Balance and Pregnancy
Everyone can benefit from keeping their blood sugar levels balanced: men, women, and children alike. It can help keep your energy from spiking and crashing, boost your metabolism, facilitate weight loss, and improve mood and focus.
But why is blood sugar balance of particular importance when pregnant?
In this article, we’ll talk about:
What is blood sugar balance and why is it important?
How do I know if my blood sugar levels are not balanced?
How does my blood sugar affect my baby?
What are the best type of carbohydrates to eat while pregnant?
What else can I do to keep my blood sugar in check?
Keep reading for simple tips to improve your blood sugar balance and the health of your pregnancy!
So what is blood sugar balance, anyways?
When the body takes in any form of carbohydrates, it breaks them down into simple sugar units, or glucose. These glucose units travel in the blood and are stored in cells. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that facilitates this process. When the body takes in carbs and blood glucose levels go up, the pancreas releases insulin to move glucose from the blood and into cells for energy, thus lowering blood sugar levels.
All of this is a totally normal and healthy reaction to eating carbohydrates. In fact, glucose is the main fuel for our brains and is absolutely essential to life. However, problems can arise when we frequently consume too many simple carbohydrates, leading to large amounts of sugar in the blood and an overworked pancreas that can’t keep up with our insulin needs.
Simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs contain high quantities of sugar and break down quickly in the body, leading to large fluctuations in blood sugar. They are usually highly processed (with their fiber removed), including: white bread, white rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar, candy, crackers, chips, baked goods, etc.
Complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are less processed and still contain fiber, so they break down slower in the body, leading to a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream. Complex carbs are found in vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (3).
What are some symptoms of blood sugar imbalance?
When excess insulin is produced in the body, it can lead to excess glucose being removed from the blood, which can cause immediate symptoms of blood sugar imbalance. These symptoms include:
Shakiness, dizziness, lightheadedness
Headache, irritability, nausea
Fatigue that’s relieved by eating
Relying on sweets or caffeine to get you through the day
These symptoms lead to cravings for simple carbs, which provide relief and give you quick energy, but lead you into a vicious cycle of spikes and crashes in energy caused by blood sugar imbalance.
How does my blood sugar affect my baby?
When babies are born to mothers with poor blood sugar control, there can be some unwanted side effects. Babies may grow excessively large due to continuously high levels of sugar in the blood during pregnancy (4). Having a bigger baby may increase the risk of pregnancy complications, such as the need for a Cesarean delivery. Elevated blood sugar levels has also been linked to a higher risk of congenital heart defects and neural tube defects (5). And it’s not only women with gestational diabetes who are affected; even mildly elevated blood sugar can have these effects during pregnancy.
This information isn’t meant to scare you. By being prepared and proactive about your health, you can make informed decisions for you and your baby.
What are my best carb options when pregnant?
Non-starchy vegetables
Leafy greens, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, raw carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, and summer squash.
Whole grains
Steel cut oats or rolled oats, quinoa, brown rice, and barley.
Legumes
Beans, chickpeas, lentils, and split peas.
Tips for keeping your blood sugar in check
Pair carbs with protein, fat, & fiber
This is a sure-fire way to slow down the rate at which your body breaks down and absorbs carbohydrates. Protein, fat, and fiber slow down sugar’s release into your bloodstream. In addition to balancing out your blood sugar, this will help you to stay full and satisfied for longer after eating.
Examples of this include:
Pair an apple with peanut butter, rather than eating it plain
Have hummus and cheese with your crackers
Enjoy a hard boiled egg with your oatmeal
Add avocado and protein powder to your fruit smoothie
Instead of a waffle with maple syrup, top it with almond butter and berries and serve it with 2 eggs on the side
Avoid sugar and processed carbs
Sugar (including honey and maple syrup) causes big spikes and crashes in your blood sugar. Processed and refined carbohydrates do the same thing. This includes bread, pasta, potatoes, white rice, crackers, pretzels, baked goods, and anything made from flour. If you must eat refined carbs, pair them with protein, fat, and fiber (as mentioned above).
Eat regular meals
If you leave huge gaps in between meals, you’ll be susceptible to big fluctuations in your energy and blood sugar, plus you’ll be more likely to overeat whatever is conveniently available (i.e. processed carbs). Aim for 3 meals a day, with a couple of snacks in between.
Snack wisely
My go-to snack for blood sugar balance is a handful of nuts. It gets you quick calories, it doesn’t require cooking or preparation, it packs easily to toss in your purse, and most importantly—it’s high in fat and fiber that will satisfy your hunger without bouncing your blood sugar up and down. Other good options: yogurt with blackberries, hummus with cucumber slices, avocado, cheese, or hard-boiled eggs.
Choose whole fruit over juices
When fruit has been juiced, it has had the fiber removed and will be very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Whole fruit, with all of its fiber intact, will be released slowly and will not affect your blood sugar so strongly. Good fruit choices include apples, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, and grapes (2).
Exercise regularly
There are countless reasons to exercise, and here is another one: exercise makes your body more sensitive to insulin and can lower your blood sugar for 24 hours or more after a workout (1). Plus moderate exercise during pregnancy has huge health benefits for both mom and baby. Women who are active during pregnancy tend to gain less weight, recover faster from childbirth, and have a lower risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (5). Meanwhile, babies of moms who were active during pregnancy may have improved brain development and a reduced risk of obesity, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (5).
References
Blood sugar and exercise. (n.d.). American Diabetes Association. Retrieved from: https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/getting-started-safely/blood-glucose-and-exercise
Carey, E. (2019). 10 low-glycemic fruits for diabetes. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/low-glycemic-fruits-for-diabetes#grapefruit
Cornett, K. (2018). Three ways to balance blood sugar and boost fertility. Tiny Feet. Retrieved from: https://tinyfeet.co/on-the-blog/blood-sugar
Letts, R. (2016). Why is it important to balance blood sugar levels in pregnancy? Rosie Letts Nutrition. Retrieved from: https://www.rosielettsnutrition.com/2016/12/01/why-is-it-important-to-balance-blood-sugar-levels-in-pregnancy/#:~:text=Maintaining%20blood%20sugar%20balance%20is,make%20balance%20harder%20to%20achieve.
Nichols, L. (2018). Real food for pregnancy: The science and wisdom of optimal prenatal nutrition. Lily Nichols.