Hearing (on repeat) about holiday eating concerns from your patients with gestational diabetes (GDM)? Hopefully, they’re watching their diet very carefully. Maybe they’ve got the day-to-day eating down but now the holidays are here and there are temptations everywhere. Whether it’s multiple holiday parties or traditional desserts and high-carb foods that show up at every turn, it can be overwhelming.
So they’re asking you how to navigate the season with blood sugars intact. Instead of scouring the internet for sound advice, we’ve got a one-click resource for you! We’ve gathered some tips for your patients and you can even print out this Holiday Eating with Gestational Diabetes PDF for them.
Instead of suggesting they avoid holiday fare, they can enjoy their favorite seasonal foods while successfully managing their blood sugars. Today, we're sharing 10 tips to help your patients handle holiday eating with gestational diabetes so they can celebrate without the stress.
1. Flexibility and mindful holiday eating
Eating with gestational diabetes is all about flexibility. A person would go crazy if they always avoided their favorite foods. Furthermore, food is a big part of a person’s culture, especially around the holidays. Remind your patient that one or two numbers above target are not typically harmful.
Suggest occasionally allowing for special events to indulge in the foods they love. If they get the opportunity to eat one of Grandma’s beloved cookies or another treasured seasonal food, urge them to eat it without distraction and fully savor each bite. They don’t need to feel guilty, especially when these foods are occasional.
2. Movement
Sometimes there’s an all-or-nothing attitude when it comes to exercise. If there isn’t time for at least a 30-minute workout, some might skip it altogether. But small periods of activity may prevent those postprandial spikes.
Before or after your patient enjoys their favorite dish or dessert, urge them to go for a moderate-intensity walk (fast enough that they can talk, but wouldn’t be able to sing). Regular physical activity, especially right before or after a meal has been shown to lower post-meal blood sugars.1 Even 10-20 minutes of exercise can prevent a huge spike in blood sugars after eating.
If it’s icy or dark, propose they walk inside instead. Taking some laps around the house or marching in place is a great way to get that body moving.
3. Plan for dessert
The holidays are notorious for a wide variety of dessert offerings. A GDM diagnosis doesn’t mean your patients have to avoid all sweet treats. Instead, have them plan to eat one and count it toward their carb allowance.
For example, if they are aiming for no more than 60 grams of carbs for dinner, suggest loading up on protein and veggies to keep the carb count of the meal relatively low. They are essentially saving carbs for dessert.
Of course, we want to remind them that this shouldn’t be a regular practice. Overall diet quality makes a difference, and always subbing out nutrient-rich carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes and opting for simple carbs may compromise health for both mom and baby.
4. Eat breakfast
A major concern is overeating at holiday parties. Your patient may be tempted to skip meals to make up for carb and calorie intake later in the day. Encourage your patients to eat breakfast so they don’t binge at their event. If they’re ravenous, they’ll likely skip over the salad and head for the quick fuel, like high-carb and high-fat foods.
Eating a high-protein breakfast has also been associated with a lower post-lunch and dinner blood sugar level.2 Plus, consuming more calories in the morning has the potential to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.3
5. Eat protein foods first
Regarding postprandial blood sugars, the order in which you eat your food matters. Studies show that if protein is consumed before carbs, it can slow digestion and gradually release glucose into the bloodstream.4
There are multiple factors at play as blood sugar increases after a meal: the size of the meal, amount of carbs, activity level, medications, amount of fiber, and more. Simply eating carbs last is a non-restrictive method of eating that may keep patients in target range for pregnancy.
6. Bring lower-carb options
A great way for patients to make sure there’s a healthy option for them to eat at their gathering is to bring their own dish to pass. Encourage them to contribute a veggie tray and hummus dip, a grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing, or try a new recipe for a low-carb dish.
Bringing a nutrient-rich meal will help diversify the spread of food and they’ll have a safe dish to eat. It’s also likely that someone else at the party will appreciate the healthy option and their inspiration!
7. Monitor your blood sugar levels
Chances are, your patient will be tempted to bury their head in the sand and ignore blood sugar levels after indulging, but it’s best to continue monitoring. Keeping an eye on things will make them aware of the impact certain foods have on their levels. It’s not to make them feel guilty or ashamed, but so they can learn from the experience.
Here’s where continuous glucose monitoring for gestational diabetes is so beneficial. Besides learning about how foods react in their body, real-time monitoring empowers them to take action. They don’t know what their blood sugar is doing unless they see it. If they know their blood sugar is on the rise, they may be able to prevent a big spike by taking a brisk walk.
8. Choose water as your beverage
This advice is nothing new. Water is the ideal beverage. However, it’s even more important to advise water intake when eating calorie-dense holiday foods. The alternatives at a party may be loaded with added sugar. Drinks like eggnog and soda can pack in the carbs and don’t satisfy hunger.
Picking water over a high-carb drink allows more wiggle room with food choices. Additionally, while water doesn’t lower blood sugar itself, it plays a role in diluting glucose concentration, improves circulation, and reduces the risk of dehydration. To make sure your patient has access to water at their next party, suggest they bring their own water bottle.
9. Prioritize your favorite foods
When faced with a lot of food options, it’s easy to feel like you need to sample a little bit of everything. But those with gestational diabetes have to be choosy. Crackers, dinner rolls, or other filler foods may spike postprandial glucose levels, minus the festive food satisfaction.
Instead, encourage your patient to focus on their favorites, and fill in the gaps with lower-carb foods like veggies and lean proteins. That way they can thoroughly enjoy their cherished festive foods with minimal impact on their blood sugars.
10. Provide a non-judgmental space
Lastly, if your patient has concerns about how the holidays have affected their blood sugar, you want them to feel safe discussing them with you. Listen without judgment. Scolding or threatening insulin will not set your patient up for long-term success. Your patients will thrive if you are realistic, empathetic, and relatable. You want to be sure to put them at ease about managing GDM.
Eating with gestational diabetes can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. With the LilyLink app, your patients can easily take pictures of their food to log meals and learn how foods affect their blood sugar. They’ll also be able to connect their continuous glucose monitor to see blood sugar trends and share data with you—no more handwritten logs!
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References:
- Bellini A, Scotto di Palumbo A, Nicolò A, Bazzucchi I, Sacchetti M. Exercise Prescription for Postprandial Glycemic Management. Nutrients. 2024;16(8):1170. Published 2024 Apr 14. doi:10.3390/nu16081170
- Xiao K, Furutani A, Sasaki H, Takahashi M, Shibata S. Effect of a High Protein Diet at Breakfast on Postprandial Glucose Level at Dinner Time in Healthy Adults. Nutrients. 2022;15(1):85. Published 2022 Dec 24. doi:10.3390/nu15010085
- Jakubowicz D, Wainstein J, Tsameret S, Landau Z. Role of High Energy Breakfast "Big Breakfast Diet" in Clock Gene Regulation of Postprandial Hyperglycemia and Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1558. Published 2021 May 5. doi:10.3390/nu13051558
- Yong G, Jing Q, Yao Q, Yang K, Ye X. Changing Meal Sequence Affects Glucose Excursions in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. J Diabetes Res. 2022;2022:7083106. Published 2022 Jul 21. doi:10.1155/2022/7083106