Fat does matter. Although it doesn’t directly raise blood glucose it does do the following.
- It makes it harder for your insulin to work so indirectly can result in higher BGLs.
- It may contribute to excessive weight gain making it harder for your diabetes to be managed
- It may increase your cholesterol which in combination with GDM can further the accelerated (over)growth of your baby and
- It’s not good for your heart. While you don’t need to be fanatical about following a strict low fat diet you need to be sensible. It is recommended that everyone over the age of 2 years eat low fat dairy. Choose lean meats and avoid excessive amounts of fats, whether oil, butter or margarine. High fat items such as pastries, fried foods and creamy things should be limited. And bad news for the sweet-tooths but most other high fat items such as cakes and slices tend to have too much carb anyway to be able to include in a GDM diet.