Foodie 4 Healing

Treating Gestational Diabetes Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:46:00 -0500

Treating Gestational Diabetes Naturally

Guest Post, By: Leslie Vandever

You’re around halfway through your pregnancy when your doctor informs you that your most recent blood tests show that you have gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

“How will this affect my baby?” you wonder after you’ve recovered from the initial shock. “Will I have to take medicine for it?” Which makes you question “how will that affect my baby?” And “how can I keep both of us healthy?”

Like other forms of diabetes, GDM causes insulin resistance. Insulin is the substance that unlocks the cells so they can take in blood sugar (glucose) for energy. In GDM, the placenta, the living membrane that transfers nutrients, blood, and water from the mother to the infant, produces certain hormones that interfere with how insulin works. The result is that the cells can’t get the vital fuel they need to function properly.

To counteract this, during pregnancy the mother’s body naturally produces about three times as much insulin as normal to keep her blood sugar—and her baby’s—under control.

But in about 5 percent of all pregnant women, even that isn’t enough. The unused glucose builds up in the bloodstream, and eventually, it can threaten the health of the mother and her baby. Doctors usually test for GDM around the 24th week of pregnancy, when the unused blood glucose builds up to a detectible level.

The good news? Up to 90 percent of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes are able to control it simply and naturally by eating well and getting regular exercise.

How Diet Combats GDM

Your body converts the foods you eat into glucose for use as fuel. Different foods convert in different ways. Simple carbohydrates convert quickly: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, foods made from white flour such as white bread, pastas, and cereals, and white rice. When you eat these foods, there’s a rapid surge of glucose throughout the body for use as quick, short-term energy.

That glucose surge can, however, quickly overwhelm the body’s ability to produce enough insulin to take care of it. Some of it is stored for later use in the liver, and some of it in the form of fat. A lot of glucose stays in the bloodstream, too, eventually causing serious damage.

Fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain foods are complex carbohydrates. They also convert into glucose, but they contain a lot of fiber, which slows the digestion process down considerably. This allows only a gradual trickle of glucose into the bloodstream. Your body is much better able to use all of it efficiently.

So, a healthy GDM diet is balanced, rich in vegetables and fruits, whole grain breads, pastas and cereals; proteins like eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese; brown rice, beans and legumes; and lean meats such as chicken, and in limited amounts, fish.

Reserve sugary drinks, snacks, and desserts as very rare treats.

And What About That Exercise?

Every move you make requires fuel in the form of glucose. Your body burns more of it, faster, when you exercise regularly. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise. A jaunty 30-minute walk, four days a week, will work just fine (though you can do more if you want). You can even break it into two, 15-minute walks each day if you like. You can also go to the gym, swim, do water exercises, dance, hike, or ride a bike. Do what you enjoy so it’ll be easier to stick to and turn into a habit.

Combining a healthy, low-carb diet with daily or near-daily exercise may be all you need to keep your blood glucose under control—and both you and your developing baby healthy—in spite of GDM.

For more health-related information, click here.

Leslie Vandever is a professional journalist and freelance writer with more than 25 years of experience. She lives in the foothills of Northern California.

References:

Dietary Recommendations for Gestational Diabetes. (n.d.) University of California San Francisco Medical Center. (n.d.) Retrieved on May 20, 2014 from http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/dietary_recommendations_for_gestational_diabetes/
Gestational Diabetes – Treatment. (2012, July 19) National Health Service. Retrieved on May 20, 2014 from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/gestational-diabetes/Pages/Treatment.aspx
Managing Gestational Diabetes: A Patient’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. (2011, Feb. 8) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on May 20, 2014 from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/gest_diabetes/Pages/index.aspx
Gestational Diabetes. (2009, Aug. 5) PubMed Health. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved on May 20, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004900/
Gestational Diabetes. (2014, April 25) Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on May 20, 2014 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/basics/definition/con-20014854

Food Addiction: It IS a Spiritual Battle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 20:57:00 -0500

I realize it's been 15-months since my last post. And you have my deepest apologies. Hopefully, I haven't lost all of my readers, as you're the inspiration for my blog.

The past 15-months have been a roller coaster.

I have been completely overwhelmed with all that life brings...church groups, kids activities, homeschooling, play dates, homeschool co-op, health management, maintaining relationships, baptisms, birthdays, holidays, date nights, All Things New ministry obligations, etc. WHEW!

But, the biggest things have, quiet honestly, knocked me down for quite some time. It's no secret that my youngest has been a challenge from the day she was born. She's nearing her 3rd birthday and is still my strong-willed, challenging child. In April 2013 I had a 5th surgery for endometriosis, in which endometriosis was now found on my bladder and other "new" areas. This surgery brought me very little relief, so I tried out pelvic floor physical therapy. That didn't help, either. So, after many different Dr's opinions, it's been suspected that I have adenomyosis and a partial hysterectomy is schedule at the CEC in Atlanta, GA for next month. Emotionally, I've been completely drained. To top this off, our dog (almost 10-years old) got sick this past August and within 36 hours passed away. My oldest daughter (who is 7) had a horrible time with it. We dealt with anxiety and depression from her and sought out professional help for her. She is doing much better now, thankfully.

All of this to say, I lost myself...for a long time. And to cope with everything, I turned to what I knew...food. So, I've also been battling my food addictions once again.

However, I've been meeting with two amazing women from my homeschool co-op and we've been going through the book, "Made to Crave." Between the book and my friends, I feel like I'm FINALLY getting back to who I was meant to be, who God says that I am... Healed, Healthy and Whole. They helped me see that food addiction is not all about me and my choices and lack of self-control, which I had been believing. Food addiction IS a spiritual battle! Check out some of these verses that I found today and will be standing on:

1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

2 Peter 2:9 - ...the Lord knows how to rescue the godly men from trials...

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Hebrews 2:18 - For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.

See??? It's a spiritual battle! I have written each of these verses on notecards and I will be carrying them around with me, as my "armor." Below are the verses that really spoke deeply to me. I'll comment after each one, so you can see why.

Luke 4:13 - When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Doesn't that just get you fired up??? It makes me so MAD!!! The devil waits around to tempt us at an opportune time. When we're at our weakest, he pounces, like a roaring lion! What a coward! I don't know about you, but this is enough to make me NOT want to eat that donut, cookie, or anything else I shouldn't be putting in my body!

James 1:13 - When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived.

The thing that stood out to me in this verse, is that it's first our own evil desires that the enemy uses to tempt us. (But, I WANT that cupcake!) The enemy then drags us away and entices us. What can happen here is this...we can stop! We still have power! We can call upon God and Jesus to "succor" us and to "rescue" us from this! However, once desire has planted itself, it gives birth to sin. We eat the darned cupcake. We give into the lie. And once we do that, it only leads to death. Death being weight gain, health problems, self-esteem issues, body image issues, or perhaps death itself if we give into our unhealthy desires too many times for too many years. "DON'T BE DECEIVED!"

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.

I love this. Here's our number one reason to resist the temptation...God's promises. There's a reward. You will receive the crown of LIFE! Amen!

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Here's your game plan, people. RESIST. Resisting = the devil fleeing. Resisting = the craving fleeing. Resisting = success. Resisting = strength. Resisting = victory!

So, what am I eating?

I recalled the prayer cabin years ago, when I asked God what I was supposed to eat. His response was this:

"I provided everything to physically nourish you - tea, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc. in nature. When man starts messing with stuff and tries to create things better, it causes problems. Just like the story of Adam and Eve. The humans were deceived into thinking they knew better. Stick with me and my creations and you'll be fine."

I'm still formulating what exactly that means, when it comes to things like meat, grains and dairy. But, for now, I'm going to be sticking to non-processed foods as much as possible. I am also keeping a food journal so I can see how my body is reacting to certain foods, so I know which ones to avoid since every person's body is different.

So, what's your game plan? Do you struggle with food addiction and temptation? What works for you to succeed against them?

Winter Cold Got You Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:46:00 -0500

Who's over winter? ---> this girl <---

I feel like someone in my family has been sick almost every other week this winter. And just when the promise of spring was dangling all around me, I woke up to this yesterday morning:

Cruel. Cruel joke.

The good thing about being sick this winter though (cause you know, I always have to find the "bright side" of things) is that I've had plenty of opportunities to find natural remedies to cure the common cold. And remedies I did find. I've only gotten two colds this winter (that I can remember) and both times, it was over within 2 days using these remedies. Now, anytime I feel like a sore throat is coming on, or a tickle in my nose begins, I jump on these remedies. I don't even know how many colds I've completely avoided, just by doing these simple things! Oh, and most of them are kid-safe, too!

TIU's Get Well Smoothie
This smoothie is delicious! The only thing I recommend is that if you're diabetic, then cut this recipe in half. There are too many carbs in one-sitting in the full recipe. Also, add in the optional protein powder to help stabilize your blood sugars.

Umcka Children's Cold Care
This homeopathic cold syrup is supposed to "shorten the duration of common colds, brochial infections & sinus infections". It's supposed to reduce the severity of the cough, congestions & sore throats. It won't make your kids drowsy, either! It's safe for ages 2 and up. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it's got some maltodextrin in it, but given the other cold care products on the market for our children, this is one of the best.

Honey/Cinnamon Cough Suppresant
Make sure your honey is truly raw when making this recipe. Only raw honey has the benefits that honey can offer. Also, a note when giving this to kids: it can be a bit spicy from the cinnamon, so if they have a hard time with it, add a bit more honey to dilute it. But, my extremely picky kids had no trouble with this.

1 tsp raw honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix together. Eat.

Peppermint & Eucalyptus Essential Oils
Essential Oils can be used for so many great things! Make sure you are getting a good quality essential oil. Here's a great article on what to look for when searching for essential oils.

Both can be added to a vaporizer while you sleep
1 drop of Peppermint can be added to each foot. Cover with a sock. Sleep.
1 drop of Peppermint can be added to your temples or the front of your forehead to help relieve a sinus headache.
1 drop of Eucalyptus can be rubbed on your chest to help you breathe better while you sleep.

Melatonin
"Melatonin is produced naturally in your body and helps maintain healthy sleep patterns as well as antioxidant and immune activities." We love this product in your house, cold or not. We all occasionally have issues with sleep and this product is safe and effective and keeps you from feeling drowsy the next day.

Fruit-Infused Water
Strawberries and Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C. Instead of giving your kids sugar-laden juice (which will actually make their illness worse and last longer), stick some fruit in their water and get them to drink, drink, drink!

Water!
Never underestimate the power of water! Water flushes toxins and bacteria out of the body, so the theory is: the more you drink, the faster you'll feel better. So, drink up!

Oil of Oregano
Oil of Oregano is said to "protect against pathogenic microbes, including bacteria, yeast, fungi and parasites". It also, "provides antioxidant protection" and "reduces inflammation" as well as "relieves seasonal allergies". I'm not going to lie, even though this product is "blended in a 1:4 ratio w/organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil", this stuff is POTENT! I've tried it in smoothies. It ruins the smoothie. I've tried it on skin. You smell like oregano. The best way to get this sucker down? Put 4 drops under your tongue and wait for the warming sensation. Then, chase with water! Though it's unpleasant to take, I swear it does the trick to take care of my cold!

Emergen-C Immune Support
Embergen-C "provides key nutrients your body needs like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc and a proprietary immune complex." I love this product, but there are a few "other ingredients" that I am not so enthused about. For now, this product does the trick to give me those added immune support and vitamins that my body needs to fight a cold fast!

Readers: What are some of your favorite natural ways to overcome a cold?