TW: we touch on weight and disordered eating in this episode.  If you would rather not hear about this at all, then please feel free to skip this episode. **   We all (me definitely included) loved listening to Kate's story so much, so I've decided to make pregnancy and birth stories a regular feature on the Gestational Diabetes Club podcast.   I really feel that hearing the stories of other women who have been through the GD journey can help you feel seen, understood and less alone in it all.   And hearing about a variety of different experiences can help you mentally prepare for all the possible scenarios that could play out for you - because there's really only so much insight you can get from what your doctor tells you, or what you read online.   It's SO much more powerful hearing real stories.   I was lucky enough to sit down with another incredible past client, Alice, to record this episode.   Alice has been exceptionally vulnerable and shared so much about her journey. She had both positive and (unfortunately) some really negative experiences with the care system and weight stigma, that are likely to feel pretty relatable.   I want to highlight 2 key things from this conversations:   1. “Health” and pregnancy looks different on everyone e.g. being in a bigger body does NOT automatically mean you will get GD type 2 diabetes.   2. Gestational diabetes management looks different on everyone e.g. if you hate (or get triggered) having to fixate on and track everything you eat … there are different options out there. The key is getting support.    PLUS, she shares some handy little tips about balancing your blood sugar that you might not have heard before!  

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

 

Did your diagnosis of gestational diabetes feel like it came out of nowhere?   It can be such a mindf*ck. Especially if the only thing you've been told about GD is that you have to go have a super sugary drink and get a bunch of blood tests to find out if you have it, and then cut out carbs if you do (which is a myth, by the way).   Before your test, you might have been thinking something along the lines of: “I'm fit and I eat healthy! There's no way I'll be diagnosed."   On the other hand you could have been anxious, worried that you love carbs a little too much, and just praying that GD won't happen to you.   Either way, it can be a shock when you get the news.   In this episode I break down the biggest risk factors (and some small ones!) that predispose you to GD, to help you make sense of things and give you clarity and reassurance about the situation.   And please know, no matter what, gestational diabetes is NOT your fault.   You are an amazing mum and you've got this x      

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

Hidden sugar is a tricky topic in gestational diabetes. 

Obviously it makes sense to keep your carb portions moderate and reduce foods with excessive amounts of sugar to avoid blood sugar spikes (and just for general health!). 

But worrying about hidden sugar may actually be less important than you think, and potentially could do more harm than good. 

In this episode I discuss why I don’t place that much emphasis on it, and give you insight into how I go about things instead.

I also go through practical strategies to help you make the best choices when you’re doing your grocery shopping so that you can feel confident in making nutritious and blood sugar friendly choices for yourself and your family.

Enjoy! 

x

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

 

I hope you LOVED listening to part 1 of Kate's birth story.    In this second part, you'll hear all the juicy details of Kate's second pregnancy and birth, including how she handled a diagnosis of gestational diabetes this time around.   I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say anything else!  

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

Gestational diabetes can be a lonely experience.   It often isn’t widely spoken about, and you might be dealing with feelings of guilt, shame and fear.   I’m so passionate about starting more conversations around GD so that we can start to break down this stigma and remove some of the unknowns.   I can’t help but think that the best way to do that is to hand the microphone over to you.    There is something so incredibly powerful about hearing the stories of women who have navigated similar journeys, faced the same challenges and have come out the other side.   So I am so delighted to bring you today’s episode, because it does exactly that.   For this chat, I was fortunate enough to sit down with one of my beautiful past clients, Kate.   Kate had gestational diabetes during her two pregnancies, and she has been so generous in sharing the full details of each pregnancy and birth with us.   She is so warm, articulate and easy to listen to, and brings such a positive light to a topic that can often feel clouded in negativity.   I know you will be as captivated in her (truly surreal) birth stories as I was.   So, a big thank you to Kate for her vulnerability, openness and wisdom.   Now, just a quick note before you dive in - our conversation was so good that we ended up talking for an hour and a half (and could easily have doubled that!) - so in light of keeping these episodes I’ve decided to split this interview into two parts.  

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

 

You know those days, where no matter what you do, your blood sugar just skyrockets. 

You’re eating all the same “safe” foods. 

You’re exercising. 

You’re drinking water. 

All of it. 

… Yet for some reason, nothing is working and everything is just OFF. 

Well, one of my first questions to you would be, how is your sleep? 

It’s easy to gloss over poor sleep as no big deal but it can have an enormous impact on insulin resistance, blood sugar regulation, and long-term health outcomes.

In this episode, I talk through the ins and outs of sleep and blood sugar, and most importantly,  my biggest tips on how to get a good night's sleep so that you can reap the benefits!

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

 

Sick of erratic blood sugar numbers that won't seem to behave, no matter what you do?

Well, in this episode I go through 6 things you can do that will absolutely guarantee perfect blood sugars, with minimal or no effort required!!

Sound too good to be true? 

I'll let you decide. 

 

*I do NOT recommend that you do any of the things mentioned in this episode!!

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

Have you ever felt frustrated as hell that you have to keep your fasting blood sugar under 5.0mmol/L… only to find out that some people seem to have it waaaay easier with a target of 5.5mmol/L?   Or maybe your numbers were only a tiny bit over on the glucose tolerance test, and you're annoyed that now you've been handed this diagnosis.   Or perhaps you were told to test 2 hours after eating, but are now confused because other people are testing after 1 hour?   It can feel so overwhelming and unfair!   And you might even be wondering, are all these rules just made up??   In this episode, I break down the research that has led to the current guidelines for diagnosis of gestational diabetes, and what the evidence is for the targets to aim for when you're testing at home.   I feel like I went into the research vortex while preparing for this one, so I REALLY hope it helps to give you clarity and a much greater understanding of it all 😅🤯  

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Email me: [email protected]
• Apply for one of my premium coaching programs: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

So you’ve just got the results back from your glucose tolerance test and it’s not great. Your blood sugar was high, and you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

You might be feeling upset, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious … all the things.

And maybe now you’re stuck in that awkward period where you know a little about the changes you need to make, but not a lot.

In this episode I take you through 20 dos and don’ts of GD. 

This is my take on the important first steps after being diagnosed, clarity on what you need to prioritise, and the key mistakes to avoid.

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Are we friends on instagram? @nutrition.by.helena
• Work with me: https://calendly.com/nutritionbyhelena/discoverycall

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.

Ahhh fasting blood sugar - it can be such a nightmare!!  

It is super common to be advised to eat a snack before bed to help regulate your fasting blood sugar numbers, but what and when this snack should be seem to vary hugely. 

I’ve seen people experiment with all sorts of things, from a glass of milk, a boiled egg, a glass of milo, a protein bar, ad even ice cream. 

As a clinician, I’ve always been super curious about this because it just seems so varied!

And the actual guidelines are pretty vague.

Of course I want to know what the best timing and type of snack is so that my clients (and you!) get the best fasting blood sugar numbers.

So I went ahead and did a deep dive into the evidence and have broken down my findings and key takeaways in this episode. 

Enjoy!

 

Links and resources:

• Download my free guide: 3 Key Steps to Mastering Gestational Diabetes
• Stalk me on instagram: @nutrition.by.helena
• Work with me: www.nutritionbyhelena.com 

 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my free nutrition tips. 

And if you found this episode helpful, I would be so appreciative of you leaving me a rating and review - it helps this podcast reach other people like you! 

 

Thanks for being here x

 

Disclaimer: 

The information in this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for individualised medical and nutrition advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle. Helena (and any guests) do not accept liability for any harm or damages that occur from following suggestions in these podcast episodes.