HEALTH FEATURE ARCHIVE

Diabetes: Tips On Keeping Your Blood Sugar at a Healthy Level

Persons with diabetes should keep their blood sugar (also called blood glucose) at a healthy level to prevent or slow down diabetes problems. Ask your doctor or diabetes teacher what a healthy blood sugar level is for you.

• Your blood sugar can get too high if you eat too much. If your blood sugar becomes too high, you can get sick.
• Your blood sugar can also go too high if you do not take the right amount of diabetes medicine.
• If your blood sugar stays high, especially for prolonged periods of time, you can get diabetes problems. Problems that can occur include injury to the heart, eye, foot, kidney, and other problems.
• You can also get sick if your blood sugar becomes too low.

How Can I Keep My Blood Sugar at a Healthy Level?

• Eat about the same amounts of food each day.
• Eat your meals and snacks at about the same times each day.
• Do not skip meals or snacks.
• Take your medicines at the same times each day.
• Exercise at about the same times each day.

Why Should I Eat About the Same Amount Each Day?

• The food you eat turns into sugar and travels to your blood. This is called blood sugar. Your blood sugar goes up after you eat.
• Keep your blood sugar at a healthy level by eating about the same amounts of food at about the same times each day.
• Your blood sugar will not stay at a healthy level if you eat a big lunch one day and a small lunch the next day.

Why Should I Eat at About the Same Times Each Day?

• Eating at about the same times each day helps you keep your blood sugar from getting too high or too low.
• Eating at about the same times each day also helps your diabetes medicine keep your blood sugar at a healthy level.

What Times Should I Take My Diabetes Medicines?

• Talk with your doctor or diabetes teacher about the best times to take your diabetes medicines. Fill in the names of your diabetes medicines, when you should take them, and how much you should take.

Here are some hints:

• Diabetes pills: Take these before you eat.
• Regular, NPH, or Lente insulin: Take this 30 minutes before you eat.
• Humalog insulin lispro: Take this just before you eat.

Points To Remember

The food you eat makes your blood sugar go up. Diabetes medicines make your blood sugar go down. Together, when each is taken properly, they help you keep your blood sugar at the healthy level.

That's why you should:

• Eat about the same amounts of food each day.
• Eat your meals and snacks at about the same times each day.
• Try not to skip meals and snacks.
• Take your diabetes medicines at about the same times each day.
• Exercise at about the same times each day.

Keeping your blood sugar at a healthy level every day can helps you to prevent diabetes problems.

For more information, please visit the following MedicineNet area:

• Diabetes Mellitus (article)
• Diabetes Mellitus Center

Source: www.niddk.nih.gov

Last Editorial Review: 3/29/2002