Heredity is a factor that can not be changed, but environmental factors related to lifestyle such as lack of exercise and excessive nutrient intake and obesity is a factor that can be repaired.
There is no doubt that nutrition is an important factor for the onset of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes in pregnancy.
Here are some common ways that can be done to prevent diabetes mellitus:
1.In infants, breastfeeding (breast milk) can prevent the risk of diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 of at least until the age of 4 months.
2. Plan for diet or a healthy diet to maintain a stable body weight.
The most important part of treatment relates to food. Women with gestational diabetes are encouraged to:
- Eat small amounts often. It is important to satisfy your hunger and maintain a healthy weight.
- Include some carbohydrate in every meal and snack.
- Choose foods that are:
varied and enjoyable, providing the nutrients you especially need during pregnancy eg: foods which
include calcium, iron and folic acid, low in fat, particularly saturated fat, and high in fibre, moderate in carbohydrate, eg: grains, cereals, fruit, pasta and rice.
3. Avoid smoking and smoke effect.
research has shown that smoke resulted in the emergence of a number of diseases, disability or even death. Children are generally more susceptible to the dangers of smoke because they are still in their infancy, breathe more air than adults, and have not been able to control their own environment. Children who are exposed to high levels of smoke, for example, those with smoking parents, have a greater risk of experiencing health problems
4. physical activity
Physical activity helps to reduce insulin resistance. Regular exercise, like walking, helps to keep you fi t and prepares you for the birth of your baby. As physical activity also helps to keep your blood glucose level under control, if you are feeling tired and therefore are less active, your blood glucose levels will be higher. Remember, before starting or continuing any form of physical activity, always check with your doctor.
5. Monitoring blood glucose levels
Regularly testing your blood glucose levels is essential so that treatment can be assessed and changed as necessary. Your doctor or diabetes educator will tell you what blood glucose levels to aim for. During pregnancy these are similar to levels in pregnant women who don’t have diabetes and are lower than for people with diabetes who are not pregnant. Targets are 3.5mmol/L to less than 5.5mmol/L fasting and 4mmol/L to 7mmol/L two hours after a meal. Insulin injections may be needed to help bring blood glucose levels into the target range. Blood glucose lowering tablets are generally not used in pregnancy.
