Good Things for Life

01/01/2023

***How Does Eating Affect Your Blood Sugar?***
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, comes from the food you eat. Your body creates blood sugar by digesting some food into a sugar that circulates in your bloodstream.

Blood sugar is used for energy. The sugar that isn’t needed to fuel your body right away gets stored in cells for later use.

Too much sugar in your blood can be harmful. Type 2 diabetes is a disease that’s characterized by having higher levels of blood sugar than what’s considered within normal limits.

Unmanaged diabetes can lead to problems with your heart, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels.

The more you know about how eating affects blood sugar, the better you can protect yourself against diabetes. If you already have diabetes, it’s important to know how eating affects blood sugar.

Your body breaks down everything you eat and absorbs the food in its different parts. These parts include:

carbohydrates
proteins
fats
vitamins and other nutrients
The carbohydrates you consume turn into blood sugar. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher the levels of sugar you’ll have released as you digest and absorb your food.

Carbohydrates in liquid form consumed by themselves are absorbed more quickly than those in solid food. So having a soda will cause a faster rise in your blood sugar levels than eating a slice of pizza.

Fiber is one component of carbohydrates that isn’t converted into sugar. This is because it can’t be digested. Fiber is important for health, though.

Protein, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals don’t contain carbohydrates. Carbohydrates have the greatest impact on blood glucose levels.

If you have diabetes, your carbohydrate intake is the most important part of your diet to consider when it comes to managing your blood sugar levels.

***High-carbohydrate foods***
The foods that generate the biggest spike in your blood sugar are those that are high in processed carbohydrates. These foods include:

white grain products, such as pasta and rice
cookies
white bread
cold processed cereals
sugared drinks
If you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, you don’t have to avoid these foods. Instead, you’ll need to be careful about portion size and substitute with whole grains when possible. The more food you eat, the greater the amount of sugar you’ll absorb.

Eating mixed meals is helpful. Protein, fat, and fiber help slow down the digestion of carbohydrates. This will help reduce spikes in blood sugar after meals.

How often you eat during the day is also important. Try to keep your blood sugar levels consistent by eating every 3 to 5 hours. Three nutritious meals a day plus a couple of healthful snacks can usually keep your blood sugar steady.

If you have diabetes, your doctor may recommend the amount of carbohydrates you can have for meals and snacks. You may also work with a dietitian familiar with diabetes who can help plan your meals.

Your health, age, and activity level all play a part in setting your dietary guidelines.

***Exercise and blood sugar***
Exercise can have a big effect on your blood sugar levels because blood sugar is used for energy. When you use your muscles, your cells absorb sugar from the blood for energy.

Depending on the intensity or duration of exercise, physical activity can help lower your blood sugar for many hours after you stop moving.

If you exercise regularly, the cells in your body may be more sensitive to insulin. This will help keep blood sugar levels within normal ranges.

***Insulin and blood sugar***
Insulin is an important hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar levels. The pancreas makes insulin. It helps control your blood sugar levels by assisting the cells that absorb sugar from the bloodstream.

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin. This means you have to inject insulin every day.

If diet and exercise aren’t enough to manage blood sugar, those with type 2 diabetes may be prescribed medications to help keep blood sugar levels within target ranges.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body produces insulin, but may not use it properly or produce enough of it. Your cells don’t respond to insulin, so more sugar keeps circulating in the blood.

Exercise can help the cells respond better and be more sensitive to insulin. The proper diet can also help you avoid spikes in blood sugar. This can help keep your pancreas functioning well since high blood sugar levels decrease pancreatic function.

***Knowing blood sugar levels*

If you have diabetes, the frequency of testing your blood glucose level depends on your treatment plan, so follow your doctor’s advice on the appropriate times for you.

Common times to check are in the morning, before and after meals, before and after exercise, at bedtime, and if you feel sick. Some people may not need to check their blood sugar daily.

What you eat and what you do for physical activity affect your blood sugar. But there’s no way to know what effect they have unless you test your blood sugar.

Blood glucose meters are used to test blood sugar levels so you can see if your levels are within the target range. Your doctor will also work with you on your individualized range.

***Watch what you eat***
Carbohydrates are the component in food that affects blood sugar the most. It’s not the only component that provides calories. Foods also contain proteins and fats, which provide calories.

If you consume more calories than you burn in a day, those calories will be converted into fat and stored in your body.

The more weight you gain, the less sensitive your body becomes to insulin. As a result, your blood sugar levels can rise.

In general, you want to avoid or minimize your intake of sweetened beverages and foods that are highly processed and high in carbohydrates and unhealthy fat, and low in healthy nutrients.

For example, a brownie may have as many carbohydrates as a banana, but the fruit also has fiber, potassium, and vitamins your body needs. Brownies don’t have those benefits.

If you have diabetes or you’ve been told you have high blood sugar levels, talk with your doctor or a dietitian about what you can do to eat smarter and healthier.

01/01/2023

***How to Recognize and Manage a Blood Sugar Spike***
Blood sugar spikes occur when glucose, a simple sugar, builds up in the bloodstream. For people with diabetes, this happens because of the body’s inability to properly use glucose.

***What is high blood sugar?***
Most of the food you eat is broken down into glucose. Your body needs glucose because it’s the primary fuel that makes your muscles, organs, and brain work properly. But glucose can’t be used as fuel until it enters your cells.

Insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, unlocks cells so glucose can enter them. Without insulin, that glucose keeps floating around in your bloodstream with nowhere to go. It can become increasingly more concentrated over time.

When glucose builds up in your bloodstream, your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels rise. Over time, this can cause damage to organs, nerves, and blood vessels.

Blood sugar spikes occur in people with diabetes because their bodies are unable to use insulin effectively.

Keep reading to learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of blood sugar spikes.

***Symptoms of high blood sugar***
Learning to recognize the symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) can help you successfully manage your diabetes.

Some people with diabetes immediately feel the symptoms of high blood sugar. Others don’t because their symptoms are mild or vague.

Symptoms of hyperglycemia typically begin when your blood glucose goes above 250 milligramsTrusted Source per deciliter (mg/dL). Symptoms can worsen the longer it’s untreated.

Symptoms of a blood sugar spike may include:

frequent urination
fatigue
increased thirst
blurred vision
headache

***What is a blood sugar spike?***
A blood sugar spike happens when glucose builds up in the bloodstream and your blood sugar levels increase. This may happen after eating.

It’s important to know the early symptoms of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Early testing and treatment can help prevent more severe symptoms.

Early signs of high blood sugar can include:

feeling thirsty
having a very dry mouth
urinating frequently
having blurred vision
If you suspect that you have high blood sugar, you can perform a finger stick to check your level.

Exercising and drinking water after eating, particularly if you’ve consumed a lot of starchy carbs, can help lower your blood sugar.

You can also use an insulin injection, but be careful to only use this method while closely following the recommendation of a doctor regarding your dose. If used improperly, insulin can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

If your blood sugar stays elevated for too long, you may develop diabetic ketoacidosis.

***Ketoacidosis and ketosis***
If high blood sugar levels go untreated for too long, glucose will build up in your bloodstream and your cells will be starved for fuel. Your cells will use fat for fuel instead.

When your cells use fat instead of glucose, the process produces a byproduct called ketones:

People with diabetes can develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially deadly condition that causes the blood to become too acidic. Because of poorly functioning insulin in people with diabetes, ketone levels aren’t kept in check and can rise to dangerous levels very quickly. DKA can result in diabetic coma or death.

People without diabetes can tolerate certain levels of ketones in the blood. This state is known as ketosis. They do not go on to develop ketoacidosis because their bodies are still able to use glucose and insulin properly. Properly functioning insulin helps keep the body’s ketones levels stable.

01/01/2023

***Blood Sugar Test***
A blood sugar test can be used to determine the amount of glucose in the blood. It may be used to diagnose diabetes or to help those with diabetes check their blood sugar and insulin levels.

***What is a blood sugar test?***
A blood sugar test is a procedure that measures the amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood. A doctor may order this test to help diagnose diabetes. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes also use this test to manage their condition.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the cells in the body responsible for producing insulin are destroyed. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin and no longer uses it effectively. Both types can result in high blood sugar if they’re not managed well.

Blood sugar tests provide instant results and let you know the following:

if your blood sugar levels are high or low
if your diet or exercise routine needs to change
how your diabetes treatment is working
if your overall treatment goals for diabetes are manageable
If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor may also order a blood sugar test as part of a routine checkup. They may also be looking to see if you have diabetes or prediabetes, a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than typical.

People may need to be tested if they have symptoms of diabetes or if they have certain risk factors.

***Risk factors for diabetes***
You may have more likely to get type 1 diabetes if you:

are a teenager or younger
have a family member with the condition
have certain genes that give you a genetic predisposition
Your risk for type 2 diabetes may increase if youTrusted Source:

are age 35 years or older
are overweight
are not physically active
have a family history of diabetes
have a history of insulin resistance or have prediabetes
have a history of gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby who weighed over 9 pounds
have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or high cholesterol
have a history of stroke or hypertension
ResearchTrusted Source has shown that type 2 diabetes occurs more often in adults with Native American, African American, Hispanic or Latino American, Asian American, or Alaskan or Pacific Islander ancestry than non-Hispanic white adults.

They may also be more likely to experience decreased quality of care and increased barriers to prevention and self-management support due to healthcare disparities.

Checking your blood sugar levels can be done at home or in a doctor’s office. Read on to learn more about blood sugar tests, who they are for, and what the results mean.

***What does a blood sugar test do?***
A doctor may order a blood sugar test to see if you have diabetes or prediabetes. The test will measure the amount of glucose in your blood.

Your body takes carbohydrates found in foods like grains and fruits and converts them into glucose. Glucose, a sugar, is one of the body’s main sources of energy.

For people with diabetes, a home test helps monitor blood sugar levels. Taking a blood sugar test can help determine your blood sugar level to see if you need to adjust your diet, exercise, or diabetes medications.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can lead to seizures or a coma if left untreated.

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, a life threatening condition that’s often a concern for those with type 1 diabetes. Hyperglycemia over a long period can increase your risk of neuropathy (nerve damage), along with heart, kidney, and eye diseases.

***What are the risks and side effects of a blood sugar test?***
A blood sugar test has low to no risks or side effects.

You may feel soreness, swelling, and bruising at the puncture site, especially if you’re drawing blood from a vein. This should go away within a day.

***Types of blood sugar tests***
You can take a blood sugar test two ways.

People who are monitoring or managing their diabetes may use a glucometer for daily testing. This method involves pricking the skin (usually a finger) with a lancet to draw a blood sample, applying the blood on a test strip, and inserting it into the monitor.

The second method involves a healthcare professional drawing a blood sample and sending it to a lab to be evaluated.

Blood samples are generally used to screen for diabetes. A doctor will typically order a fasting blood sugar (FBS) test, which measures your blood sugar levels.

They may also order a glycosylated hemoglobin test called a hemoglobin A1C test. The test results reflect your blood sugar levels over the previous 90 daysTrusted Source. The results will show if you have prediabetes or diabetes. In people already diagnosed with diabetes, this test can monitor how well their diabetes is managed.

01/01/2023

01/01/2023