When visiting your doctor, you might keep these questions in mind to ask during your appointment. If you have other questions about your numbers or your ability to manage your diabetes, make sure to work closely with your doctor or health care team.

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. Monitoring Your Blood Sugar. Español Spanish Print. Minus Related Pages. Make Friends With Your Numbers. Getting an A1C Test Make sure to get an A1C test at least twice a year.

Your A1C result will be reported in two ways: A1C as a percentage. Estimated average glucose eAG , in the same kind of numbers as your day-to-day blood sugar readings. Questions To Ask Your Doctor When visiting your doctor, you might keep these questions in mind to ask during your appointment.

What is my target blood sugar range? How often should I check my blood sugar? What do these numbers mean? Are there patterns that show I need to change my diabetes treatment?

What changes need to be made to my diabetes care plan? Top of Page. Distribute carbohydrates throughout the day. Make it a goal to eat two to four carbohydrate servings — about 30 to 60 grams — per meal, says Margaret Powers, PhD, RD, CDE, president-elect of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association and a research scientist at Park Nicollet Health Services International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Because carbohydrates raise your blood sugar, spacing them out can help keep your levels in a healthy range. Test your blood sugar. It also gives you valuable information on blood sugar control.

Powers says. In general, someone who is not taking insulin would begin by testing their blood sugar three times a day: fasting in the morning, before their largest meal, and one to two hours after that meal, she says, adding that people who take insulin might test more often, depending on their insulin regimen.

Put your stats in writing. Use a notebook, website, or app to keep track. React to signs of low blood sugar. The most common reason for low blood sugar is incorrect timing of a meal when taking diabetes medications, Kazlauskaite says. When you feel the warning signs, have 15 grams of carbohydrate, such as 4 ounces of juice, the Joslin Diabetes Center recommends.

After resting for 15 minutes, test your blood sugar. Get moving. People with type 2 diabetes who exercise tend to have better control of their blood sugar and better blood pressure and cholesterol levels , according to a study published in in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

To avoid low blood sugar, eat an extra serving of carbohydrate a half-hour before starting to exercise, Powers advises. Have a plan for dining out. Extra carbs lurking at restaurants, such as breading on chicken, can make eating out with type 2 diabetes a challenge, Powers says.

Complex carbohydrates can include starches and types of dietary fiber. The sugar goes straight from the digestive system into the bloodstream after an individual consumes and digests food.

However, glucose can only enter cells if enough insulin is also circulating in the bloodstream. Insulin is a protein that makes cells ready to receive glucose. The cells would starve without enough insulin or if they become too resistant to its effects.

After people eat, blood sugar concentrations increase. The pancreas releases insulin automatically to move glucose from the blood to the cells.

The liver and muscles store excess glucose as glycogen. Glycogen plays an important role in achieving homeostasis, a balanced state in the body. It helps the body function during states of starvation. If a person does not eat for a short period, blood glucose concentrations will fall.

The pancreas releases another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon triggers the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, which pushes levels in the blood back up to normal. People with diabetes need to maintain steady blood glucose levels.

However, those without diabetes should also avoid increasing their risk of developing the condition. The glycemic index GI can help people choose foods that will not disrupt their blood sugar levels. The index gives a value to each food.

Foods that will cause blood glucose levels to spike dramatically, such as candy and sweet desserts, are high in the glycemic index. Measured against glucose, which is in the index, foods such as soft drinks, white bread, potatoes, and white rice have a high glycemic score.

Foods such as whole grain oats and some fruits and plants have a lower glycemic score. The glycemic load GL is based on the GI. It provides a picture of the total impact a serving of food will have on energy levels.

It is an essential part of effective diabetes control. Many people with diabetes must check several times each day to plan for activities and meals, as well as scheduling doses of medication or insulin.

A person can test their blood glucose levels with a glucometer. They usually come with lancets, or tiny needles, as well as test strips and a logbook to record results. People with type 2 diabetes normally need to test blood sugar concentrations at least once each day.

Those who need to take insulin, which includes all people with type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2, have to test their blood several times a day. Continuous glucose monitoring CGM can be an alternative method for glucose monitoring for people with diabetes.

Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a moderate weight, and getting at least minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise each week can help.

Any person who experiences symptoms of low or high blood sugar should see a doctor, whether or not they have a diagnosis of diabetes. Irregular or extreme blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes and other harmful complications. Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can lead to the more severe complications of diabetes.

So, eating mainly low-GI foods and exercising regularly can help keep blood glucose balanced. Is low-sugar chocolate really better for my blood glucose? ow-sugar chocolate may be two different things. One is chocolate sweetened with a sugar alternative, such as sugar alcohols.

Examples include mannitol, xylitol, or isomalt. While they are usually lower in sugar, they still have carbohydrates and can affect blood glucose.

They also have a slight laxative effect. Chocolate sweetened with stevia may be a better choice for a low glycemic treat. Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate, especially dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70 percent. Typically, dark chocolate has a reasonably low glycemic index of 42 and a glycemic load of 9.