Everyone experiences food cravings from time to time and quite often the targets are foods laden with sugar. These sugar binges affect almost everyone. If they are only a rare occurrence, the effects may not be noticeable. However, what really happens when a diabetic binges on sugar-laden foods?

The severity of damage that may result from a sugar binge episode depends largely on the quantity of sugar ingested, and the regularity. If your sugar bingeing happens on a regular basis, it is not at all healthy! It may cost you your health and eventually your life.

Diabetic vs. Non-Diabetic Response

After a sugar binge episode, you are very likely to suffer from immediate consequences, due to the ‘sugar spike’. Symptoms occur soon after, as your body is letting you know that you have too much glucose in your bloodstream. Continue reading →

When you digest the foods you eat, most break down into a simple sugar called glucose, which is your body’s main source of energy. This fuels the body with the help of insulin (produced by the pancreas).

However if you do not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not respond effectively to it, glucose will then be kept in your blood stream instead of being utilized by the cells and converted into energy.

Hormones in pregnancy can reduce the effectiveness of insulin, causing your body to need to make more. This may result in your body not keeping up with the production needed, resulting in high sugar levels. That’s when gestational diabetes happens.

Best Practice for Managing GD

Following the right diet and exercising is vital if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Your doctor should refer you to a diabetes specialist as well as a dietician. These two professionals will help you learn how to maintain your GD. Continue reading →