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How to Monitor Blood Glucose Levels

Blood glucose monitoring is a way of testing the glucose levels in a person’s blood so as to be able to stay on track with trying to keep blood glucose levels at a normal level. In order to test your blood glucose levels you will need a test kit which with prescription is available at any pharmacy. It will consist of lancets, test strips and the actual tester that will read the test strip once it is activated. The first step is to insert the test strip into the monitor, using the automatic plunger you can pierce the skin usually on the fingertip. The blood is applied to the test strip and the meter should give you an accurate reading of what your blood sugar levels are at. Some monitors will track it for you but most come with a log that should be filled in each time a testing is done. Testing should be done at various times usually before breakfast and two hours after eating. Type 2 diabetes should be tested at least once a day before breakfast and individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus should test 3 to 10 times a day.

In order to stay on a diabetic diet that will help in controlling your blood glucose levels a diabetic should understand what are the best foods to eat, how your body works in processing these foods into energy as well as what is a good range or level for your blood glucose to be at. Your physician will decide in consultation with you and perhaps a dietician what diet you should follow to keep your blood glucose levels from rising too much after meals. The doctor may after explaining the way sugars, diet and insulin interact with your body suggest times when are better for you to monitor the results of your diet program.

When choosing a diet plan to help lower blood sugar levels the idea is to be aware and pay close attention to wise food choices and where those choices appear on the low-glycolic index scale. When using this scale in diet planning, you come to recognize there are good carbohydrates and some that are less desirable. The reason some carbohydrates are less desirable is because they have a tendency to spike (sudden rise) sugar levels drastically, the good carbohydrates on the other hand digest at a slower rate and have far less effect on sugar levels. For example, 50 grams of one good carbohydrate can cause the blood sugar levels to rise but compared to pure glucose that has an index score of 100 so it would be a wiser choice. A score above 70 signifies a high index food while those 55 or below are considered low index foods. The highest ranking foods on the glycolic scale are processed foods such as flour and sugar, white bread, candy, and many prepackaged foods and products. Food such as long grain rice that are unrefined tend to have a lower Gl score.

There are also other factors to be considered when rating a carbohydrate will be high or low on the index. A good example of this would be when you cook spaghetti “al dente” or just chewable it takes longer to break down then overcooked spaghetti and so the sugar takes longer entering the blood supply.

Your doctor will help you monitor your blood sugars and assist with medications or insulin if required but overall your monitoring plan is up to you. It will require not only the healthy diet, exercise but also a careful monitoring of your blood sugars using your testing kit. These testers should be checked for accuracy fairly frequently and this can either be done through your blood work or through your pharmacist. Good record keeping of your levels will go a long way in helping your doctor determine what is the very best treatment plan for you.

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