Nutritional Management of Gestational Diabetes: A Lower Carb, Real Food Approach

Prenatal nutrition and gestational diabetes has been my specialty for most of my career as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator. My work in this field has spanned from nutrition public policy to clinical practice to consulting to research.

In these roles, it became clear that the conventional prenatal dietary advice (in other words, U.S. government dietary guidelines) does not reflect the latest scientific evidence, nor does it provide equivalent nutritional value when compared to the diets consumed by traditional cultures.

I was dismayed when following these guidelines that a large proportion of my clients with gestational diabetes “failed diet therapy,” but I had to wonder…

Did they “fail diet therapy” or did diet therapy fail them?

After extensive research, I developed my real food approach for managing gestational diabetes, which is lower in carbohydrates and more nutrient-dense than conventional recommendations. In using this approach clinically, my patients experienced better blood sugar control, fewer complications, and had healthier infants overall.

Specifically, the percentage of women requiring medication to manage their blood sugar was cut in half, rates of related complications (like preeclampsia) plummeted, prenatal weight gain stayed within expected ranges in almost all cases, and rates of birth complications related to gestational diabetes (C-sections, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and NICU admissions) became rare. Moreover, my clients were happier with what they were eating (no obsessive counting, less hunger, and better tasting food), they felt empowered to manage their blood sugar, and many continued eating this way after pregnancy.

This webinar will guide clinicians through my real food approach to managing gestational diabetes with insight and clinical pearls not found in either of my books (Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and Real Food for Pregnancy). 

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• • What gestational diabetes really is (the physiology, the implications, the impact)
  • Why maintaining normoglycemia is so crucial during pregnancy (and how current glycemic targets compare to optimal values)
  • Conventional medical nutrition therapy for GDM versus a real food approach
  • The truth about low-carb diets and ketosis in pregnancy
  • How to customize meal plans for clients (sorry, no one-size-fits-all here)
  • Clinical pearls on managing fasting blood sugar (what to try before opting for medication)
  • And much, much, much more…

BONUS:

You’ll also receive a patient handout for use in gestational diabetes nutrition education (no need for you to recreate the wheel)

Length: 90 minutes

Cost: $75