Three Blood Tests To Help You Better Manage The Risks Of High Blood Sugar
Q: I noticed that on a recent blood test my fasting blood sugar is 105 mg/dL. Last checkup it was 100 mg/dL. My doctor says it’s fine and not to worry but everything I’ve read tells me that I might be on the road to diabetes or have something called impaired insulin sensitivity (or insulin resistance). Can you suggest some blood tests that would give me a better picture of my risk factors, especially since both diabetes and high cholesterol issues run in my family? A: That is a great question, and you are wise to raise it. You may have the condition referred to as “impaired glucose tolerance,” also known as “insulin resistance” or “prediabetes.” In other words, your glucose level is indeed too high if your goal is optimal health. Here’s why… Though mainstream medicine once tolerated blood sugars as high as 140 mg/dL as “normal,” we now recognize the substantial cardiovascular, stroke, and cancer risks posed by sugar levels anywhere above 85 mg/dL.1-4 Above that level, your tissues are exposed to glucose at concentrations that cause chemical reactions with your body’s proteins and fats called glycation. Glycated proteins and fats trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, major enemies of longevity. Virtually all chronic diseases of aging (and aging itself) are accelerated by high glucose levels. As blood sugar rises, your risk of dying also goes up by approximately 40% when fasting glucose consistently falls in the range of 110-124 mg/dL. Risk of dying doubles when fasting glucose reaches the range of 126-138 mg/dL.5 But glucose is only part of the story. In order to keep your sugar under control, your body puts out increasingly large amounts of insulin, the hormone we need to take sugar out of the bloodstream and drive it into cells. And insul Continue reading >>
13 Natural And Easy Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar
Being diagnosed with Type II diabetes can be a bummer, and it can be a struggle to keep blood sugars under control. Sometimes, you may find yourself with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal (let's say around 150, for example), but not excessive enough to necessitate taking more medication. You don't feel very good with the higher blood sugar, but taking medication can make your blood sugar TOO low. So what can you do to lower your blood sugar up to 40 points without taking more medication? Try the following these 13 tips and see if you can lower your blood sugar naturally. (See also: How to Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes) Health Disclaimer: As always, you need to be careful to monitor your sugar levels so as not to become hypoglycemic (that's when your blood sugar is too low, which is dangerous). Talk to your physician before making any changes to your diet. And remember, these 13 tips for lowering blood sugar may work for many people, but they won't work for everyone. Carb Intake Carbs are basically sugar, and everybody should make an effort to control their intake, especially diabetics. 1. Cut Back the Carbs Effects seen: Immediate Your diet is something you want to talk to your physician about, but the simple fact is that a lower carb diet makes it easier to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It's part of why you're hearing so much about the Paleo Diet these days. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods — root vegetables, grains, rice, and legumes — and all of their derivatives, like bread, pasta, sushi, French fries, mashed yams, and even lentil soup. As someone who has been diabetic for nearly 20 years, I can attest that eating a diet low in carbohydrates, but rich in leafy greens, nuts, dark fruits like berries, and lean meats has had an amazing eff Continue reading >>
Fasting Blood Sugar And Ppbs Test To Know Your Blood Sugar Levels
Normally, your body makes a hormone called insulin to help control your blood sugar.A blood sugar level test is a type of blood test used to determine the amount of glucose in the blood. It is mainly used in screening for prediabetes or diabetes. Prediabetes is the precursor stage before diabetes mellitus in which not all of the symptoms required to diagnose diabetes are present, but blood sugar is abnormally high. In people with diabetes, blood glucose monitoring is used with frequent intervals in the management of the condition. Some of the common blood glucose tests include. FBS – fasting blood sugar. PPBS – postprandial blood sugar. Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) A fasting sugar test is a test that determines the amount of sugar, called glucose, in the blood after fasting for certain hours. It is the most commonly used test to diagnose diabetes. Test procedure : The test procedure involves collecting a small amount of blood either from a finger or from a vein. Test Instructions: Don’t eat or drink anything but water for eight hours before the test is scheduled. Most of the time, this means having the test done in the morning, before breakfast. Levels of FBS : Fasting blood sugar more then 126 mg/dL is considered as diabetes. Postprandial Blood Sugar (PPBS) A postprandial sugar test is a test that determines of sugar, called glucose, in the blood after a meal. Test procedure : The test procedure involves collecting a small amount of blood either from a finger or from a vein. Test Instructions: Eat a meal that contains carbohydrates. Do not smoke, eat, drink, or exercise during the 2 hours. These activities cause the blood sugar level to be falsely low or falsely high. The blood will be drawn for the postprandial blood sugar(glucose) after given time. Levels of PPBS: Continue reading >>
Optimal Ketone And Blood Sugar Levels For Ketosis
A low carb helps reduce blood sugars and insulin levels and helps with the management of many of the diseases of modern civilisation (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s). We become insulin resistant when our body fat can’t store any more energy. Excess energy is then stored in the liver, pancreas, heart, brain and other organs that are more insulin sensitive. We also see increased levels of energy in our blood in the form of glucose, fat and elevated ketone. Endogenous ketosis occurs when we eat less food than we need. Our insulin and blood sugar levels decrease and ketones rise to supply the energy we need. Exogenous ketosis occurs when we eat lots fat and/or take exogenous ketones. Blood ketones rise, but our insulin levels will also rise because we have an excess of energy coming from our diet. Most of the good things associated with ketosis occur due to endogenous ketosis. Most people following a ketogenic diet over the long term have ketone values lower than what some people consider to be “optimal ketosis”. If your goal is blood sugar control, longevity or weight loss then endogenous ketosis with lower blood sugars and lower ketones is likely a better place to be than chasing higher blood ketones. I have seen a lot of interest and confusion recently from people following a ketogenic about ideal ketone and blood sugar levels. In an effort to try to clear this up, this article reviews blood ketone (BHB), breath ketone (acetone) and blood sugar data from a large number of people who are following a low carb or ketogenic diet to understand what “normal” and “optimal” look like. Many people initiate a low carb diet to manage their blood glucose levels, insulin resistance or diabetes. As shown in the chart below, Continue reading >>
The “normal Blood Sugar Range” May Be Misleading You
A fasting blood sugar test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood after you have not eaten for at least eight hours. Checking for an ideal fasting blood sugar is one of the most commonly performed tests to check for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. So what should your fasting blood sugar be? The normal blood sugar range is 65-99 mg/dL. If your fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dL, you have “impaired fasting glucose,” also referred to as “prediabetes.” If your fasting blood sugar is more than 126 mg/dL on two or more occasions, you have full-blown diabetes. What Is Prediabetes? People defined as having impaired fasting glucose/prediabetes are individuals whose blood sugar levels do not meet criteria for diabetes, yet are higher than those considered normal. These people are at relatively high risk for the future development of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), prediabetes is not a disease itself but rather a risk factor “for diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.”[1] However, the ADA also state that prediabetes can be considered an “intermediate stage” in the diabetes disease process.[1](One might wonder how prediabetes can be a both a risk factor for diabetes and an intermediate stage of the diabetes disease process simultaneously). In addition to increasing the chance of developing diabetes, it’s well-established that people with impaired fasting glucose/prediabetes are more likely to be overweight or obese, especially with what’s known as abdominal or visceral obesity. They also are more likely to have high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension.[1] Even Normal-Range Blood Glucose Levels Can Increase Diabetes Risk There’s a lot more at stake for thos Continue reading >>
Food As Medicine; Dramatically Lower Blood Sugar – A Dietitian’s Journey
I am not one for popular remedies for health issues. I don’t believe in “cleanses” and I don’t “eat clean” – or do I? If not eating any dairy is “clean” then I eat “dirty” because I use cream in my coffee, but if not eating gluten or grains is “clean”, then my eating is pristine. The problem with popular beliefs around food and eating and word-of-mouth remedies is there is no standardized means to define them or evaluate their effectiveness. Folk Remedies Folk remedies, on the other hand, are in a different category. These practices, on which many nutraceuticals and even pharmaceuticals are based have GRAS standing (“Generally Recognized As Safe”) and have been used by cultures around the world for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Here’s are two examples of folk-remedies in this category; Swallow’s Nest The Chinese have made soup out of the nest of a particular swallow which builds its home on high cliffs. This “bird’s nest soup” is highly prized and very expensive to make, but considered to have restorative properties for those with breathing difficulties. As it turns out, this particular swallow’s nest is high in theophilline, a compound that has come to be used in Western medicine as therapy for respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Bird’s nest from this swallow has a GRAS standing and can legally be purchased in traditional Chinese medicine stores. One can take medication or food containing the same active substance, and in both cases one’s symptoms improve. Bitter Melon Bitter melon or bitter gourd / karela is widely grown in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean – both for food (prized for its bitter taste) and for its medicinal properties. In both Ayurveda, the traditiona Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar Too High? Blood Sugar Too Low?
If you have diabetes, your blood sugar doesn't call your cell phone and say, "My readings are too high right now." Instead, blood sugar rises slowly and gradually, causing complications that may damage your organs -- heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, feet, and even skin are at risk. Sometimes you wonder, "Is my blood sugar too high? Too low?" because "normal" levels are so important. "Diabetes is not a 'one-size-fits-all' condition, and neither are blood sugar readings. Different targets are established for different populations," says Amber Taylor, M.D., director of the Diabetes Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Targets may vary depending on a person's age, whether they have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and for how long, what medications they're taking, whether they have complications, and, if the patient is a female, whether she is pregnant. "Patients on insulin may need to test more frequently than someone on oral agents," says Taylor. "Those with type 1 diabetes always require insulin, but many with type 2 diabetes also need it." Target Blood Sugar Levels If you have diabetes, these are target "control" blood glucose levels, using a rating of milligrams to deciliter, or mg/dl: Blood sugar levels before meals (preprandial): 70 to 130 mg/dL Blood sugar levels one to two hours after the start of a meal (postprandial): less than 180 mg/dL Blood sugar levels indicating hypoglycemia or low blood glucose: 70 or below mg/dL Types of Blood Sugar Tests Blood glucose testing can screen, diagnose, and monitor. Glucose is measured either after fasting for eight to ten hours, at a random time, following a meal (postprandial), or as part of an oral glucose challenge or tolerance test. You can compare your levels to these results for specific tests, based on clinical Continue reading >>
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The Step-by-step Approach To Better Blood Sugars: Walking
If you’re like me, you might have a health-focused New Year’s resolution posted on your wall: "lose weight," "exercise more, "be less stressed." Unfortunately, making resolutions is easy, but sticking to them is hard. A 15,000-person survey found that four out of five people who make New Year’s resolutions eventually break them. And it gets worse: a sizeable percentage of people (11%) in one survey actually broke their resolution one week in! As I pondered this depressing data, I thought about scientifically testing the simplest, most fundamental exercise possible: walking. It can be done anywhere, does not cost anything, and requires no equipment. And because the barriers to doing it are so low, it also helps address that very basic New Year’s Resolution conundrum outlined above. What follows is my personal diabetes experience testing the blood sugar benefits of walking, a brief review of studies on diabetes and walking, and five tips to incorporate walking into your daily routine. If you find this article useful, check out my upcoming book, Bright Spots & Landmines! Walking with diabetes – my own experience As a fitness fiend my whole life, I tend to think of “exercise” with a very intense, all-or-nothing frame of reference: cycling, strength training, and playing basketball. So when I approached the question of how much walking could really drop my blood sugars, I was skeptical. In an effort to test it objectively, I performed a dozen periods of walking, and measured my blood glucose immediately before and immediately after finishing. I timed each walk with a stopwatch, always made sure I had less than one unit of insulin-on-board, and tried to go at a normal speed. On average, walking dropped my blood sugar by approximately one mg/dl per minute. The la Continue reading >>
What Is A Normal Blood Sugar And How To Get It Back On Track
My Family History of Diabetes Diabetes has been in my family for generations. My grandmother was a diabetic, my father is diabetic, and during my pregnancy I almost developed prenatal diabetes. Given my family history and my own personal experience, I've learned a lot about this condition over the years. It turns out that there are many things we can do to control our blood sugar though the foods we eat. Normal Blood Glucose Levels What are normal blood glucose levels? Before meals: 80-90 mg/dL After meals: Up to 120 mg/dL Keep in mind that the blood glucose level before a meal for a non-diabetic and a prediabetic person may be very similar. As you can see in the graph below, how your blood sugar fluctuates after eating a meal can be more telling than your pre-meal glucose levels. However, if your pre-meal glucose level is over 100 mg/dL, you should see a doctor. A fasting glucose level of 126 mg/dL is considered diabetic. In this article, you will learn about the progression of Type 2 diabetes and how you can reverse it. Understanding the Diagnosis If you are reading this, you probably have been told by your doctor that you have, or someone you care about has, diabetes or prediabetes. You may be surprised, shocked, or even scared. You wonder how and why this is happening. Basically, diabetes means that the level of glucose in your blood (or blood sugar) is too high. Everyone has glucose in his or her blood. We need it to provide energy for all the cells in our body. Having diabetes means you have more than you need, way above normal blood sugar levels. The diagnosis of diabetes is somewhat arbitrary and keeps changing over time. Some time ago, your fasting glucose levels had to be 140 mg/dL or higher to be considered diabetic. Today the official number is 126 mg/dL, an Continue reading >>
Introduction To Self-monitoring Blood Glucose
The tiny drop of blood you see on your test strip contains a wealth of information. You can use this to help you within the blood glucose target ranges recommended by your healthcare provider, as well as your own lifestyle goals.1 Blood sugar target ranges In general, the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) recommended blood sugar levels are: Between 80 and 130 mg/dL before meals2 Less than 180 mg/dL after meals2 Your range is yours alone—based on your health, age, level of activity and other factors. And remember that your target is a range you'd like to stay within, not a single number. But what if you're out of range? These results provide valuable information, too. You can review your numbers over time to find patterns in highs and lows. Then you can work with your healthcare team to make adjustments to your diabetes management plan that will bring you closer to your target range. Gaining insights from routine testing Day-to-day blood sugar checks—also known as routine testing—can give you a good idea of how you're doing at this moment, and they can be reviewed overall to see trends. They can help answer questions such as: Are your medications working as they should? How does the type or amount of food you eat affect your blood sugar? How does activity or stress affect your blood sugar? Your healthcare team will probably recommend a schedule of routine or daily testing to help you manage your blood sugar. Recognizing patterns with structured testing You can take self-monitoring a step further with structured testing—checking your blood sugar at specific times over a short period to see how the things you do may affect your blood sugar. For example, if you're interested in insights into your overall blood glucose control, you can identify patterns with the Continue reading >>
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Prediabetes Symptoms And Diagnosis
What is prediabetes? About 41 million Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have "prediabetes." Prediabetes is a condition that can be considered an early, yet potentially reversible stage of the development of type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is sometimes called impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose (IGT/IFG), depending upon the test that yielded the abnormal result. In prediabetes, a person's blood sugar (glucose) levels are slightly higher than the normal range, but not high enough for a true diagnosis of diabetes. People with prediabetes have a significant risk of developing full-blown diabetes. In the Diabetes Prevention Program study, about 11% of people with prediabetes developed type II diabetes each year during the three year follow-up time of the study. Importantly, people with prediabetes generally have no symptoms of the condition. Testing for Pre Diabetes Doctors generally use one of two different blood tests to diagnose diabetes and prediabetes. One is called the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) in which a person's blood glucose level is measured first thing in the morning before breakfast. The normal fasting blood glucose level is below 100 mg/dl. A person with prediabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. If the fasting blood glucose level is to 126 mg/dl or above, a person is considered to have diabetes. The second test used in the diagnosis of diabetes is the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), although this test is no longer commonly used as in the past. This test may be used to diagnose gestational diabetes in pregnant women. In this test, a person's blood glucose is measured in the morning after fasting overnight and again two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. The normal value for blood glucose Continue reading >>
What Is The Average Blood Sugar Level?
Blood sugar, or glucose, serves as the fuel your body uses to generate energy. The level of glucose in your blood remains fairly stable, slightly rising after eating and declining a small amount between meals or after exercising. Blood glucose can be measured in many ways. Some tests measure glucose directly, while others measure the amount of glucose attached to a specific protein. Video of the Day Fasting and Premeal Blood Glucose Levels The amount of glucose in the blood varies, depending on when you last ate. A fasting blood glucose level after at least 8 hours without caloric intake in a healthy, nondiabetic adult typically ranges from 70 to 99 mg/dL, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). People with a fasting blood glucose of 100 to 125 mg/dL are considered prediabetic, meaning the body's handling of glucose is impaired but not yet to the point of warranting a diagnosis of diabetes. A fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dL or greater typically indicates diabetes, according to ADA criteria. Among people diagnosed with diabetes who are not pregnant, the ADA recommends a target fasting or premeal blood sugar level of 80 to 130 mg/dL. Postprandial and Oral Glucose Tolerance Levels As the blood glucose level typically increases after eating, testing after a meal -- known as a postprandial glucose level -- provides information about the body's capacity to maintain a healthy blood sugar level when challenged with a caloric load. Blood glucose levels usually peak 1 to 2 hours after beginning a meal, depending largely on the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fat in the meal. Among healthy, nondiabetic adults a normal postprandial glucose level 2 hours after a meal is less than 140 mg/dL. For people with diabetes, the ADA generally recommends a peak postpran Continue reading >>
Managing Blood Sugar
Everyone’s experience with mealtime insulin is different, but there are some things you can look out for. Your Humalog dose will probably change over time. Your doctor gave you a starting dose, but most people need to increase their Humalog dose over time. When you track your blood sugar every day, you will probably see different numbers all the time. These variations in your blood sugar from day to day are normal. Your blood sugar varies based on stress, what you eat, other medications, exercise, and other factors. Don't be discouraged by changes in your blood sugar. With your doctor’s input, these variations may provide learning opportunities. Testing your blood sugar When using mealtime insulin like Humalog, you must test your blood sugar (glucose) regularly. For example, you may need to test before and after meals and at bedtime. Your doctor will tell you when and how often you should test. Why keep track? Keeping track of your blood sugar levels will help you and your doctor: Know if you’re meeting your blood sugar goals Learn how different foods affect your blood sugar levels Figure out how much insulin you should be taking Your doctor will tell you what to do if your blood sugar is high or low. If you take too much Humalog, your blood sugar may fall too low (hypoglycemia). If you forget to take your dose of Humalog, your blood sugar may go too high (hyperglycemia). Your blood sugar goals The American Diabetes Association recommends blood sugar goals for people with diabetes. These don’t apply to everyone, however, so work with your doctor to set the right goals for you. These goals are not applicable to pregnant women or children. These goals should be individualized. About high blood sugar One of the goals of your diabetes treatment is to keep blood suga Continue reading >>
Gestational Diabetes - Risks, Causes, Prevention!
Gestational Diabetes What is Gestational Diabetes? Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. The expecting mother develops large amount of sugar in her blood which generally resolves itself after baby's birth - unlike other types of diabetes which are lifelong conditions. How does Gestational Diabetes develop? Gestational diabetes develops when the body cannot produce enough insulin - a substance produced by pancreas which regulates the amount of sugar available in the blood for energy and enables any sugar that isn't immediately required to be stored. The pregnant women has to produce extra insulin to meet baby's needs, if her body can't manage this, she may develop gestational diabetes. Blood sugar levels may also rise because the hormonal changes of pregnancy interfere with insulin function. Gestational diabetes usually develops during the last half of pregnancy. Risk Factors • Women who are obese. • Women with high blood pressure • Women listed positive for sugar in urine during antenatal checkup. • Women who are above 25yrs of age. • Women with family history of type 2 diabetes. How is Gestational Diabetes Treated? Gestational Diabetes can be treated by keeping blood glucose level in a target range. Proper diet, physical activity and insulin if required plays important role in maintaining blood glucose levels. • Dietary Tips 1. Have small frequent meals i.e. six small meals in a day. 2. Limit sweets. 3. Include more and more fiber in your diet in form of fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread and cereals. 4. Carbohydrates should be 40%-45% of the total calories with breakfast and a bedtime snack containing 15-30 grams of carbohydrates. 5. Drink 8-10 glasses of liquids/day. 6. Avoid Trans fats, fried foods Continue reading >>
* What Is A Normal Blood Sugar?
Normal blood sugars after a high carbohydrate breakfast eaten at 7:30 AM. The blue line is the average for the group. The brown lines show the range within which most readings fell (2 standard deviations). Bottom lines show Insulin and C-peptide levels at the same time. Click HERE if you don't see the graph. Graph is a screen shot from Dr. Christiansen's presentation cited below. The term "blood sugar" refers to the concentration of glucose, a simple, sugar, that is found in a set volume of blood. In the U.S. it is measured in milligrams per deciliter, abbreviated as mg/dl. In most of the rest of the world it is measured in millimoles per liter, abbreviated as mmol/L. The concentration of glucose in our blood changes continually throughout the day. It can even vary significantly from minute to minute. When you eat, it can rise dramatically. When you exercise it will often drop. The blood sugar measures that doctors are most interested in is the A1c, discussed below. When you are given a routine blood test doctors usually order a fasting glucose test. The most informative blood sugar reading is the post-meal blood sugar measured one and two hours after eating. Doctors rarely test this important blood sugar measurement as it is time consuming and hence expensive. Rarely doctors will order a Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, which tests your response to a huge dose of pure glucose, which hits your blood stream within minutes and produces results quite different from the blood sugars you will experience after each meal. Below you will find the normal readings for these various tests. Normal Fasting Blood Sugar Fasting blood sugar is usually measured first thing in the morning before you have eaten any food. A truly normal fasting blood sugar (which is also the blood sugar a norm Continue reading >>
