The Balanced Body Podcast

Every now and then a facebook post pops up that really grabs my attention .. and unfortunately not for the right reasons.    I couldn't help but notice a stream of comments from frustrated women with gestational diabetes, starving themselves for the sake of their blood sugar numbers, at their wits end, and not feeling like no one's on their side.   I'm so so sorry if you're feeling this way too. ...

I was so fortunate to recently have been invited to go live on instagram with the lovely Anj, who is a women's health coach and founder of the Gold Coast Women's Health Networking Page. We basically went over all the basics of gestational diabetes, so it's a perfect to give you a crash course on what gestational diabetes actually is and what some of the key management strategies are.    The live i...

Let's talk FASTING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS. All caps necessary because I know it can be the most frustrating thing ever when you're trying everything to get that number down and it just won't budge.    The 2 specific questions below came up recently, and I thought you might be able to relate?  In this episode I unpack these questions and discuss a whole range of strategies you can use to (**fingers cro...

An update on where I've been over the last few weeks and quetstions from the gestational diabetes support group I spy on. Questions covered in this episode: "I'm still new to this. I've bee tracking for a week now and have been under my blood sugar target levels everytime. This even included when I had a burger with no bread and some frozen chips with low carb potatoes. Still got 5.8 when I expect...

One of the biggest risks associated with gestational diabetes is your baby being born with low blood sugar. The risk of this is increased when your own blood sugar is high, as it means that your baby is being transferred excess sugar through the placenta, and they compensate for this by producing a lot of insulin so that they can keep their own blood sugar levels regulated.  When bub is born, the...

Your questions about exercise with gestational diabetes answered! With the lovely Jess AKA The Mama Physio.    Enjoy!    x   *FREE GUIDE*    8 SIGNS YOUR GESTATIONAL DIABETES DIET ISN'T WORKING https://gestational-diabetes-freebie.myflodesk.com/o5e6mch7af   *WORK WITH ME*   I offer 6 week coaching programs for women with gestational diabetes (and those postpartum) who want to feel confident in wha...

Happy Easter! I can imagine you might have some mixed feelings about this time of year.  Obviously hot cross buns and easter eggs have been out for months now - I wonder how you're handling this. I bet it's crossed your mind that you probably "shouldn't" have any in case it spikes your blood sugar, and maybe you're nervous about events you have on over the long weekend.  I hope this episode eases...

A practical chat about how to navigate food labels with gestational diabetes.  A must listen if you don't know what's causing your blood sugar spikes, find it hard knowing what to buy at the supermarket, or think you always need to buy the expensive sugar-free and low carb products.  My goal is to cut through the noise and confusion so that you can get confident knowing what does and what doesn't...

If you're confused about protein powder, don't worry, I've got you.  All your questions answered right here.    *FREE GUIDE*    8 SIGNS YOUR GESTATIONAL DIABETES DIET ISN'T WORKING https://gestational-diabetes-freebie.myflodesk.com/o5e6mch7af   *FIND OUT IF YOU ARE MEETING YOUR PROTEIN NEEDS*   Very limited spaces for 60 minute consults. Investment: $250.   I also offer 6 week coaching programs fo...

This episode is all about Kitty's journey with gestational diabetes and the birth of her first bub - I know we all love the birth stories and you'll LOVE hearing from Kitty!  Kitty was so much fun to work with as a client.  She faced heaps of challenges in her gestational diabetes journey, most notably living in a very rural part of Australia (meaning limited and EXPENSIVE food supplies), long day...

Questions you might have about gestational diabetes:    1. Why did I pass the glucose test at 10 weeks but then get diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks?    2. I was only slightly over on the glucose test, was I misdignosed with GD?   3. Why was my blood sugar easy to keep in range when I was first diagnosed, but now it seems impossible?    4. Why has my blood sugar suddenly got a bit easier to manage no...

Have you ever tried to do your own car service?  Neither.  It's never even crossed my mind to try.  But I was just reflecting that maybe that's silly of me. I drive pretty much every day, so I should be able to figure it out on my own, right? Plus, you can find so much info online, so I'm sure I'd be able to get good advice.   … Can you see where I'm going with this?   In today's podcast I'm invit...

If you've been listening or following me for a while, you'd know that I don't normally say any foods are "off limits", gestational diabetes or not.   However.    There is one food that seems like it's been everywhere recently, and I'm so sorry, but I'm not a fan.    Don't get me wrong - I don't think it's a total no-go and would be very okay to have occasionally. It is kind of problematic that thi...

If you're feeling like gestational diabetes is just exhausting, this episode is for you. Join me as we delve into Angela's story. I know so many of you will relate to all the emotions she went through, and will get so much out of hearing about her journey.   In this episode: Angela opens up about her initial challenges with meal planning and finding balance in her diet. She felt like her eating wa...

Confession time. I've been a bad dietitian.    I talk to you all the time about how excellent omega 3 fats are, and I'm constantly nagging reminding my clients to either eat them or supplement them (or ideally both) because the benefits are just ridiculous. Particularly during pregnancy.   Honestly if you made me pick, I'd say omega 3s are my favourite nutrients.   BUT - I've been naughty.    I re...

If you have gestational diabetes, you may be wondering why your blood sugar feels like a constant moving target.    It can be VERY frustrating, especially if you've started insulin and your dose just keeps going up and up and up.    If this is you, this episode is a must-listen.    I take you through what's going on with your hormones throughout your pregnancy, and why you don't need to freak out...

  Quick question for you: Are smoothies or whole fruit for blood sugar?   **Spoiler**   You're probably wrong.  But you'll have to listen  to find out why ;)   x *FREE DOWNLOAD* I'm thrilled to be able to offer you my new guide: "I've just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, now what!?" I've designed this to be your complete guide to navigating your gestational diabetes journey with confiden...

Did you go to your diabetes education appointment and nod along to everything they said, only to get home, face the practicalities of testing your blood sugar four times per day and thinking about every bite of food, and just think OHMYGOD what am I meant to be doing?! I'm personally ALWAYS the person that has zero questions on the spot, but thinks of a million later. If you're the same, you'll wa...

Imagine.    It's the middle of winter, and your heating has just been cut off. You have no food in the house - in the very literal sense. In the pantry, there are 1.5 loaves of bread, 5 potatoes, a tiny bit of cheese left in the block, and a dribble of oil in the bottle. Somehow, you're going to have to scrape together dinner for you, your husband and your toddler. Oh, and you're pregnant with you...

Are you eating enough calcium?   You'd be surprised at just how many women don't.   It's become something I'm quite passionate about educating all my clients on, because you're actually super vulnerable to bone breakages during your pregnancy and postpartum journeys.    You might remember listening to the lovely Alyce's birth story a while back, and she was generous to come back on to share the st...

I got a question in my DMs this week, and it made me realise there is one topic I have had really overlooked.  They let me know (in the nicest way possible) that I have talked to death about strategies to prevent a blood sugar spike, but haven't addressed what to do when it's already happened.  Great point.  And it's something that is almost a universal experience - it's probably happened to you a...

This episode is a real crash course in gestational diabetes.  I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the lovely Mon from The Middee Society , who is a practicing midwife., who also offers face to face and online private birth classes.  This is a recording of the episode she released over on her podcast, so please enjoy! We cover:  What gestational diabetes is Why we test for gestational diabetes...

Plant based - whether that be vegan or just a conscious reduction of animal products - is HOT right now. It's not really a secret that I personally am a big fan and eat this way myself. But, like anything, there are pros and cons. PROS 🥦Research supports plant forward approaches reducing risk of gestational diabetes and improving blood sugar 🥦reduced risk of things like diabetes and heart diseas...

What happens if you do everything "right" during your pregnancy, but end up with prediabetes?  This happened to Carmen.  I worked with Carmen for 12 weeks during her second pregnancy while she was navigating gestational diabetes. She followed my meal plans, which gave her a really good balance of nutrients, she stayed active every day, gained an appropriate amount of weight within the guidelines,...

This episode is all about eating out while balancing your blood sugar. This is something pretty much all of my clients find challenging, and was highly requested.   I'm not surprised.   Having gestational diabetes can feel scary, stressful and lonely enough. I can only imagine how deflating it must be to feel like the joy of eating out with friends and family, which is a huge part of our culture a...