Managing Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetes 101
stove cooking not looking mary ellen phipps

Managing blood sugar levels is not only the most important part of long term diabetes management, but it’s also the thing people with diabetes do most frequently every hour of every day.

Blood sugar management involves many different factors from the food you eat, to the movement you do, to the stress you experience. All of these things and more can and do impact blood sugar levels. Below you will find links to articles covering all of these topics.

In these articles I go into depth on the following (and more!):

  • What foods to eat to lower blood sugar
  • How to treat low blood sugar
  • How fiber impacts blood sugar levels
  • How stress impacts blood sugar levels
  • The best bedtime snacks for stable overnight blood sugars

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Balancing Meals for Blood Sugar Management

One thing you’ll hear many health care professionals say quite often is that “we could all benefit from eating like we have diabetes” … and no, this doesn’t mean bland boring food. It means balanced meals aimed at stabilizing blood sugar levels! My food philosophy for people with diabetes involves doing this with fat, fiber, and protein and not eating carbohydrates by themselves.

Normal Blood Sugar Levels

Normal blood sugar levels for someone without diabetes are defined as the following…

  • Fasting: 70-99 mg/dL
  • 2 hours after eating: <140mg/dL

 

If you have been diagnosed with any type of diabetes, your health care team will help you set individualized goals for your blood sugar levels.

Hemoglobin A1c Levels

HgbA1c gives us an idea of what blood sugar levels have been doing over the last 2-3 months. Here is what different ranges of HgbA1c indicate:

  • No diabetes: <5.7%
  • Pre diabetes: 5.7%-6.4%
  • Diabetes: 6.5% and higher

 

Your healthcare team will set a HgbA1c goal based on your unique situation.

Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels

How you choose to monitor your blood sugar levels and how often you choose to monitor those blood sugars will depend on a variety of factors. The great thing about living with diabetes now, as opposed to 100 years ago, or even 20 years ago, is we have many options to choose from and can make choices on what works best for our health goals and unique needs.

Does Exercise Lower Blood Sugar

Exercise not only lowers blood sugar levels, but if done consistently, it also can combat insulin resistance and help your body use insulin (either from your own pancreas or an outside source) more efficiently.

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