Transcript Nutrition - EZ

Gestational Diabetes
Nutrition During Pregnancy
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Gestational Diabetes
An important aspect of nutrition management
of diabetes during pregnancy is prevention of
excessive weight gain.
The focus of Medical Nutrition Therapy is on
the achievement of dietary and exercise goals.
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Gestational Diabetes
 The American Dietetic Association’s Nutrition Care
Manual (Nutrition Care Manual. org) noted that one of
the nutrition goals for gestational diabetes mellitus is to :
Improve health through nutrition recommendations that
apply to all women during pregnancy.
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Presenters
 Suly Monreal, MS, RD
 Mable Everette, DrPH, RD
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Presentation Focus
This summary places emphasis on factors to consider
when working with pregnant women- low health literacy
and/or English as a second language- who live in urban
areas. Comments are based upon more than 15 years of
nutrition-related work in the Los Angeles, CA area.
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Food and Nutrition-Teaching Points
 Advice about food and nutrition should be centered
around cultural food preferences as applicable.
 Provide suggestions regarding meal planning and food
purchasing around the food needs of the entire family
rather than just focusing on the individual pregnant
woman.
 Remind the pregnant woman that even though the cost
of food may be very expensive, the health of the new
born baby, in part, depends on her healthy food choices.
Exercise Teaching Points
 Encourage all of the family members to participate in the
physical activities with the pregnant women.
 Plan physical activity per the Medical Doctor’s directive.
 If there are no restrictions, walking after each pre-scheduled
meal would be recommended.
Topics
 What are the woman’s priorities?
 How can health care professional intervene and improve
compliance?
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Topics
 Some recommended approaches for working with
families
 Connecting families to community resources/improving
food security
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What are the woman’s priorities?
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1st priority is the concern for the family rather
than her own health.
Sometimes, the woman is the last to eat meals,
after making sure that family members are fed
first of all.
If working outside of home, this may also change
the focus from her own health and well-being.
What are the woman’s priorities?
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
If working outside of the home, there may be
limited food preparation at home– more eating
meals at restaurants providing high fat, high salt
and high sugar content.
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Even though the woman is considered the
“gatekeeper” and the target of interventions; family
concerns should still be considered.
Interventions by health professional
 Provide “taste testing” of recommended foods in order
to improve acceptance.
 Have knowledge of the specific markets used for food
shopping by families. Determine which grocery stores
are marketing to low income clients .
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Interventions by health professional
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
Food Label Reading-what do the words mean?
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Practice meal planning for the entire family based
upon recommended foods during gestational diabetes.
Recommended Family-Centered
Approaches
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
Involve the men whenever possible-sometimes
separate foods are provided for these family members.

Focus on the nutrition and exercise improvement in
the overweight child.
Recommended Family-Centered
Approaches
 Reward the pregnant woman for health improvements-
provide incentives i.e. plants, items for home gardening
as vegetable seeds.
 Provide specific examples of exercises that can be done
with other family members within safe surroundings.
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Food Security
Food Security: The Federal Safety Net
 Programs that expand food sources for the entire family
 Provide lists of available resources in specific
neighborhoods.
 Follow-up discussions to determine if resources are
actually being utilized
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Food Security
 School Meals Programs
Breakfast
Lunch
After school
 Emergency Food Assistance
Food Banks
Food Pantries
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Food Security
 Summer Food Program for Youth
Free Lunch For Youth 18 and under.
 Food Stamps
 Child Care Food Programs-children up to age 12 in daycare
settings.
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Food Security
 Adult Food Program for impaired adults
 Women Infant and Children Program for low income
women and children up to age 5 years.
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Summarizing
 Educating low income women diagnosed with
gestational diabetes should focus on the woman’s health
and well being as well as health concerns of the entire
family.
 Family concerns are a priority and should be a focus of
health education efforts.
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