Food Friday: Gestational Diabetes Approved Recipe - Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa is a recipe suitable for those of us that have gestational diabetes. It is very healthy with low carbs and low sodium. The ingredients are very versatile with different menu combinations. And of course it is easy to make and to have on hand. Add this delicious recipe to your to your special diet. Thanks to the Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Center for providing it.

Black Bean Salsa
1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 -1 red onion, chopped (I would only use 1/4 onion finely chopped)
1 can petite canned tomatoes, drained (I would add two cans)
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Serving Ideas
Use salsa with 100% tortilla chips
Nacho/Quesadilla style and - chicken or lean beef
Bake with chicken breast and serve with brown rice
On top of scrambled eggs on top of whole wheat toast
Burritos - add tuna, chicken, or eggs on whole wheat tortilla
Top of baked potatoes
Mix with brown rice and stuff green peppers

Nutrition Information
Per 1 cup serving: Calories 86, Total Fat 0.5 g, Sat Fat 0g, Carbohydrates 18g, Protein 4g, Sodium 7mg (if use no added salt tomatoes and rinse beans).

Tip Tuesday: Tracking Your Gestational Diabetes

So first things first, we have to track our carbs for gestational diabetes. Not an easy task when going out to eat or using a recipe that does not spell out the nutritional facts so readily.

Thankfully, my professional health consultants have pointed out a few websites and apps that can help solve that very problem. And we have started using it more frequently, especially eating out more lately. I can find out the carb count and the sodium intake from a dish at a major food chain restaurant.

I first look at the menu for something that sounds like it will contain less carbs and sodium and we look it up. Then I know for sure how many extra things I can have at the meal. This worked great at Outback Steakhouse the other night where I had the Gold Hearts of Mahi Mahi (without the lemon sauce of course for sodium) and I could still have a few pieces of bread.

Our favorite app to take along with us on our 4G network is calorie counter, who allows you to break down your dish or recipe. At home we can use sites like myfitnesspal.com or calorieking.com, who specializes in low fat and low carb recipes. Try it out for yourself even if you are on a diet.

Shuffle Saturday: Gestational Diabetes

Like many Americans, I had to change and adjust my diet but for gestational diabetes. That is right, with this second pregnancy, I failed my glucose screening tests, both the 1 hour and the 4 hour tests, making me fall into the 10% of pregnant women who have gestational diabetes.

With Judah, I was borderline diabetic, passing the second test at the hospital by only one. I was told to watch my diet. And with Judah, I did drop all major carbohydrates like pastas because I simply did not feel well. I even drank a lot of lemon water to help with swelling.

This time around, I failed the test by two and with the new testing rules, I definitely have gestational diabetes. I knew going into the tests that I did as similar symptoms with Judah occurred faster and more furious earlier in the pregnancy. I had already dropped the carbohydrates like major pasta dishes and any kind of sweets. I also was cutting back on sodium as it seemed to have a direct effect on swelling.

I failed my glucose screening right before Christmas and it was over the Holiday season that I went through training, consulted with professionals, and even learned how to do my insulin shot. Talk about timing. I wanted to cry when I got the results from my test prior to Christmas and the nurse told me to stay away from Christmas cookies. Are you kidding me? I had not even had any sweets or pastas or anything fun to eat for that matter since before Thanksgiving. Bah Humbug to the Diabetic Grinch. And so much for those Christmas cookies I had been craving for over a month (and I did make them without eating them).

I have learned that in spite our best efforts at diet change, sometimes our bodies just need a little help. This does not mean we are doing anything wrong. The biggest adjustment though is just that, changing your lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle to monitor your sugar levels, adjusting your diet within healthy means, and reducing stress in other areas of your life.

This journey has taught me a lot and I would like to pass on some of my ideas down the road - so stayed tuned for some recipes I have found and invented. Other pregnant moms, like myself, just want quick, simple, healthy recipes and snack ideas to get us through the day. Our lives are already crazy as it is with kids running around, managing a household, and being pregnant in our third trimester. So let's stick together moms and know you are not alone counting carbs.