I recently picked up my well-worn copy of Real Food For Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols AGAIN for a quick read. Since its publication in 2015, I’ve had this on my ‘Fertility and Preconception Must Read List’ as a resource for managing blood sugar. Don’t let the title fool you! This book is appropriate for every woman who is thinking about pregnancy, struggling with fertility, currently pregnant, has PCOS, or has any signs of blood sugar dysregulation.
During pregnancy, our bodies naturally become more insulin resistant to shunt more glucose to a growing baby. So if you have ANY slight alteration in your ability to regulate blood sugar (known or unknown), it will be exaggerated during pregnancy and could easily manifest into gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is risky for moms but also has the potential to increase the risk for birth defects and injury, large babies, infant hypoglycemia, jaundice, c-section, and a lifetime predisposition of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease for your child.
Nichols breaks down the details of gestational diabetes in a super accessible way. She offers concrete recommendations for tracking blood sugar and correlating it with food intake, exercise, and sleep. The tracking is then used to learn how these might influence your unique blood glucose response throughout the day and night.
There is detailed info on how specific foods and food categories may affect your blood sugar, with a subsequent description on designing meals using this information. She offers sample meal plans, recipes, and snack ideas. There is a short discussion on supplements, exercise, and medications that have shown benefits in managing blood sugar.
Amazingly, the very logical, well-referenced information presented in this book is not the standard of care. Nevertheless, Nichols describes the peer-reviewed evidence supporting a shift in how we manage blood sugar dysregulation and gestational diabetes through the use of whole, nutrient-dense foods.
This is a quick read, packed with useful information, and a must for every woman thinking of becoming pregnant.
Lily Nichols is also the author of Real Food For Pregnancy. A 2018 sequel on prenatal nutrition.
Check out all my favorite fertility, preconception, and women’s health-related books here.
You Don’t Have To Do This Alone!
If you’re thinking about getting pregnant or struggling with fertility, consider working with a holistically-minded provider who can offer a thorough assessment of your whole health and provide personalized therapeutic options. You don’t have to do this alone! 🙂
I always hope that my posts are supportive of your journey. There are additional resources and references below. Leave me a comment, check back often, and reach out if you need a partner in this process! Thanks so much for reading.
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Additional Resources
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If you’re looking for help with PCOS, Integrative Fertility Support or individualized Preconception Health Optimization, and interested in working with me I’m available via virtual consult. Schedule a FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call today! Alternatively, if you would like to find a practitioner in your area, see the resources below.
- Dr. Tamara Darragh
- Minnesota Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- The Institute for Functional Medicine
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