Gestational diabetes : your survival guide to diabetes in pregnancy

Gestational diabetes, or diabetes during pregnancy, is an increasingly common medical condition, affecting around 35,000 women in England and Wales each year, with a threefold increase in diagnosis in the number of people diagnosed in the past ten years. A diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy can be stressful and overwhelming and there are often more questions than answers, from 'why me'? to 'what's safe to eat?' to what's going to happen to my baby'? This book, written by by a leading consultant diabetologist, provides a practical, no nonsense approach to understanding the condition, reducing risks and achieving the balance of blood sugar that is crucial to a healthy outcome. Topics include: What is gestational diabetes? Coming to terms with the diagnosis Ante-natal care and support Diet and lifestyle Exercise Medication to help protect you and your baby Getting ready for delivery Your baby's birth and afterwards Diet plans and recipes This book presents practical ways to manage chronic pain, via pilates and diet. In particular, it addresses those with spinal or general joint or muscular problems, and will also appeal to those with sports injuries, work-related overuse injuries or accidents, or injuries from a driving accident. Pilates: The book uses clear language and common references to general everyday activities to help you understand how poor posture can relate to spinal and other pain. It will also help you to identify muscle imbalances and postural faults and will guide you as to the most appropriate exercises for your needs. It was said by Joseph Pilates that in ten sessions you will feel the difference of Pilates; in twenty you will see the difference and in thirty you will have a whole new body! A series of stretching and other exercises, Pilates aims to strengthen the body in an even, balanced overall way, with an emphasis in core strength. It was started by Joseph Pilates, a German who emigrated to the US in the 1920s, where he successfully established his technique. One of the main benefits of Pilates, from a physiotherapist's perspective, is that it can correct muscle imbalance, a recognised source of pain that often leads to a reduced performance in everyday or sports activity. Pilates will improve flexibility, posture, balance, muscle tone, joint mobility, strength, and help ease stress and tension. It will ease pain caused by poor postural habits, and there is some evidence that pilates can provide pain relief to people with lower back pain. A study published in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, showed that participants who practiced Pilates over a four-week period experienced more relief from their symptoms than those who went through typical treatment programs. Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, also found that participants with lower back pain who practised pilates had lower levels of disability and pain intensity than the control subjects - improvements which were still maintained a year later. WITH BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS Diet: People with chronic pain need a high-protein diet, avoiding carbohydrates to avoid blood sugar fluctuations and hypoglycaemia, and to improve strength, movement, energy, and mental function. Chronic pain can cause excess production of the 'stress' hormone cortisol and poorly functioning adrenal glands. Typically, people with chronic pain have poor appetites and so tend to eat, or nibble at, a diet high in carbohydrates and deficient in protein, fresh fruit and vegetables, leading to dips in blood sugar, muscle wasting, weakness, and low mood. There is little research in this area, but the surge in chronic pain since the 1950s goes hand in hand with changes in our foods (more processed, more use of pesticides and genetic engineering), so it makes sense to aim for a diet of whole foods: proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on omega 3 acids (flaxseed oil, salmon, sardines), reported to help joint stiffness and pain. This section presents food suggestions and recipes, including a 'food reminder tickchart' of common foods to help identify if people are eating any protein - for example, sometimes the only protein people with pain ingest is milk, often in the form of sugar drinks or milkshakes