Will Eating Fruits Increase Blood Sugar Levels?

by Sam
(TN)

Your website is full of great information. I'm having a hard time being pregnant and having high blood sugar because the carbs is in all the fruits and breads I love. They say I can have all the meat, cheese, peanut butter, and eggs I want. I normally don't eat as much meat as I have been and I love cheese. I buy whole grain everything.

Question:

I was reading about Vegan Pregnancy and wondered if you had a suggestion for books including easy recipes. Also, what are recommendations for buying a lot of the "vegan" cheeses/butter. As you know organic is not cheap and its harder when you have a family. I love baking and enjoy cooking but I am not that creative putting foods and flavors in (that's Max's job). There are several things I would like to take out of my diet and be healthier. I'm not sure if I could do it completely and give up chicken and occasional fish/seafood.

Answer:

I'm glad you like the website. It's weird the doctors are telling you to eat that stuff since everything I've read says that meat/cheese leads to higher blood pressure and sugar levels. My sister is 38 weeks right now and has had a totally vegan pregnancy and never had any of the negative side effects (high blood pressure, swelling, morning sickness, nausea, heart burn) or anything like that, and she eats tons of fruits and vegetables! That's so bizarre! The only thing I can think to say is that most doctors spend very little time in nutrition classes in med school- I've read it's less than 4 hours!

Eating fruits and whole grains will not raise your blood sugar levels in the same way that eating candy or refined sugars and refined white flours will. Fruits have low glycemic indexes, which means that it takes longer for the sugar to surge in your body after eating those foods. Foods with a high glycemic index spike your blood sugar levels quickly, which can be especially dangerous during pregnancy.

I recommend the same diet I always recommend; plenty of vegetables and fruits, real whole grains (not just breads that say they're made with whole grains), and beans. Snacks on nuts and seeds are great. Make sure you get plenty of water to wash down the fiber, and I recommend taking a vegan prenatal vitamin, just to make sure you get plenty of folic acid and the other necessary nutrients.

For books, I definitely recommend Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven (the title is just a funny take on their hit called Skinny Bitch; obviously they don't advocate trying to be skinny during pregnancy), and Your Vegetarian Pregnancy, which is written by a doctor and talks highly of a vegan diet during pregnancy.

As far as easy recipes, my absolute favorite easy go-to meals are ones where I make a grain (quinoa, barley, or brown rice), put it in a bowl with a scoop of beans (black beans, chickpeas lentils, etc), and cover it with some steamed vegetables. I put on this natural soy sauce called Bragg's Liquid Aminos and some nutritional yeast and call it a day. We are eating tons of fruit right now since it's all so fresh. It's less expensive in the summer and from local farmer's markets too.

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