have raw cake and eat it
GESTATIONAL DIABETES
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was shocked to find out at 26 weeks that I had gestational diabetes. I was not overweight, ate what I thought was healthy organic food and did regular exercise. It explained why I had felt so terrible and exhausted throughout the pregnancy. By 32 weeks I needed to inject insulin to maintain stable blood sugar levels, despite the fact that my gestational diabetes meal plan consisted of low GI foods such as bean and nut salads by the end of the pregnancy and I was taking daily exercise.
Again, during my second pregnancy, exactly the same happened. I was less careful about my gestational diabetes diet with a toddler to look after. I was reassured by the maternity staff looking after me that as long as I ate a healthy, balanced diet for gestational diabetes and was careful about sugar and refined carbohydrates I could use extra insulin to control my diabetes.
Luckily, both times when I was tested for diabetes six weeks or so after each birth I was found to have no more signs of glucose intolerance. According to Cousens (2008:86), Medical Doctor and Diabetes Expert, ‘Half of women who’ve had gestational diabetes eventually develop type-2 diabetes five to ten years later’. Although, I was determined not to be one of these women, a small baby and a toddler to look after meant that I was not as careful as I should have been.
Thankfully, I was brought to raw food due to my second son’s severe nappy rash and was amazed to discover how much healthier I felt eliminating certain foods and eating more raw. Finding out about health and raw food I was interested to discover the relationship between the liver, spleen/pancreas and diabetes. I was interested to read Pitchford (2000:373) who explains that diabetes is more common among mothers than other women and ‘two out of three diabetics are women’. This is because ‘childbearing taxes the generative power of the spleen/pancreas’.
Researching raw food further, I was even more surprised to find that Cousens (2008), claims to be able to reverse diabetes in patients who come to his clinic and participate in a raw food based programme. He suggests that many patients can reduce their medication dramatically and some can stop taking it completely. His book influenced a step further in my raw food diet and a long term commitment to health and diabetes prevention in my life. I wish I had known about a raw food diet for gestational diabetes during my pregnancies and hope that some of my raw food recipes are useful for people with gestational diabetes.
You can read more about Diabetes and Raw Food in the Diabetes section of this website.
References
Cousens, G, MD, (2008) There is a Cure to Diabetes, Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books.
Pitchford, P. (2002) Healing With Wholefoods, Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books.
