During the times of pregnancy a balanced diet is important and it needs to incorporate carbohydrates as part of it. Carbohydrates are considered to be a major energy source, and this is the reason on why many doctors advise the women to be on a low carb diet during the course of pregnancy. What the body does is that it breaks the carbohydrates into glucose or sugar that crosses over to the placenta and energy is provided to the growth of the baby. As a balanced diet needs to contain proper amount of minerals, proteins or nutrients coupled with carbohydrates, then choose a right one. So from our discussion till now one thing is for sure that you need carbohydrates during pregnancy.
The choice between complex and simple carbs?
There is a wrong notion that carbohydrates work out to be the main source of energy at all times. Some of them are referred to as simple which means that they can go on to convert them to sugar on an urgent basis. Simple carbohydrates needed during pregnancy on all counts. An ideal example in this regard would be brown bread. You can also go on to consume fresh fruits as well. A point worth mentioning is that fresh fruit do contain sugar.
When it comes to simple carbohydrates, an impetus of energy is provided, and after a certain point of time you will long for more. The doctors advise pregnant women not to consume whole grains that work out to be a major source of complex carbohydrates. The problem is that the body takes a long time to absorb those complex carbs, which ensures that the blood sugar levels are intact. Some of the examples of this type of food are legumes or oatmeal
Please be aware of the fact that it is better to avoid processed food or something low on nutrition as it is known to spike your blood sugar levels and this could be in the form of rice or wheat products. In fact white bread also falls into this category.
What is the ideal amount of carbohydrates you need in a single day?
Ideally pregnant women should go on to consume 9 to 11 cravings of carbohydrates in a single day. But do keep an eye on the serving size which tends to vary accordingly. For example an ounce of cereal is counted as a single serving. The carbohydrates which of all us consume the main source happens to be whole grains. If you have a history of putting on weight then you should seek the expert opinion of your doctor before you plan to diet.
It is strongly recommended that you do not adopt any weight loss mechanisms that may impact the carbohydrates levels during pregnancy. During pregnancy as it is the blood sugar levels tend to be high due to hormonal imbalances. The body is not going to provide you with the natural glucose needed for pregnancy.
