When it comes to going on vacations or holidays it can often times seem overwhelming and confusing especially if you are trying to take care of meal planning for diabetics.
I know for me personally I have several diabetics in my family such as my grandmother and it often times can get discouraging trying to make sure we have meals that we all can enjoy but that won’t affect her sugar. For diabetics it can get tricky but the key part is not to let it get to you and impact how you feel about the situation.
When it comes to meal planning for diabetics or her in general I will make my meals ahead of time and not add any sugar to my baked beans, green beans or any other dish until I pull her a few spoonfuls out into a separate container so that she has her own without sugar. After, I remove her some food without the sugar then I can add any type of seasoning that I would like to the rest of the food. This will prevent her from having too much sugar but also allow her to eat what the rest of us is eating without feeling left out.
Meal planning for diabetics can be tricky around the holidays because there is so many different, yummy, sugary foods and deserts to eat and fix so I try to buy sugar substitutes such as Splenda or Sweet in Low and use instead of regular sugar because diabetics are allowed to use sugar substitutes.
Meal planning for diabetics can be rather challenging but by knowing what you can and can’t do is a great start to being able to plan accordingly so that the diabetic doesn’t feel left out and neither does anyone else.
What is the important of having safe glucose levels? Without safe glucose levels, safe HDL levels, safe blood pressure levels and safe hemoglobin levels our bodies fall apart, our organs start shutting down and we start having multiple medical problems and conditions which can seriously impact us for the rest of our lives.
Safe cholesterol levels are important because they impact how hard our organs and the rest of our bodies are working in order to keep everything balanced. Having unsafe cholesterol levels means that large deposits of cholesterol will start building up on your artery walls which can keep blood from flowing properly.
If this happens inside an artery that supplies blood to the heart, you may suffer a heart attack. If this happens to an artery supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, you may suffer a stroke. People in their mid 30s need to start having their cholesterol levels checked periodically.
Safe blood pressure levels keep us from having strokes, heart attacks and from becoming weak. If ones blood pressure remains too high for long periods of time it will cause the heart to pump harder and faster which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure also can cause organs to start shutting down because they get overworked and can’t keep up with everything at once.
Safe glucose levels are also another staple item as people get older or that may have a past family history with diabetes, hypertension or any other medical conditions. Safe glucose levels means that the body and all of its organs can safely work together in order to maintain a safe balance in which everything works in sync with each other.
By being able to periodically get your cholesterol, blood pressure, HDL and glucose checked you can maintain safe levels such as safe glucose levels, safe blood pressure levels, safe HDL levels which can keep you living a long and healthy life.
Do you suffer from high glucose levels symptoms? There are many symptoms associated with high glucose, high insulin levels and high diabetes what do your symptoms say about you and your health condition?
Some of the symptoms that are associated with high glucose levels symptoms can be similar to the same as high insulin levels symptoms and high diabetes symptoms which can often times lead to misguided diagnosis. Symptoms can range from sweating, frequent urination, fainting, lightheadedness or dizziness can’t get enough to drink or fluids and loss of energy.
Many times what we eat can have a great impact on our sugar levels such as foods with high sugar content, sugary snacks and sweets that have a high sugar level will lead to high glucose levels which can lead to symptoms arising.
When high blood glucose levels symptoms or high blood glucose and sugar levels stay high for long periods of time many things can happen such as dehydration, strokes, dizziness and even more serious complications can occur.
Diabetes is a very dangerous disease and can lead to many lifelong problems if it is not kept under control and watched closely or monitored. Diabetes can lead to kidney failure, strokes, heart attacks and even death.
The best way to keep a check and keep a hold of your diabetes and high glucose levels are to keep a blood glucose monitor handy which you can monitor your blood glucose frequently or on a regular basis. Most people who have diabetes check their blood glucose levels in the morning as a fasting level before they eat and then before bedtime as their food has had a chance to settle.
High glucose levels symptoms can be very dangerous, so it is a definite desire and need to keep a watch on your blood glucose level in order to stay healthy and live a long productive life.
Understanding what is normal glucose level will give you a target to aim for when you are checking your blood sugar levels.
Depending on if you live in Canada or the United States, the Diabetes Associations in each country reports the blood sugar numbers slightly different because of the differences in imperial and metric measurement systems.
American and Canadian Diabetes Associations
Normal Glucose Levels Chart
Association
Fasting Glucose
2 Hours After Eating
A1C**
American Diabetes Association (mg/dl)
< 100
< 140
< 6%
Canadian Diabetes Association (mmol/L)
< 6.1
< 7.8
< 6%
**A1C is the major component that makes up your blood sugar and the A1C measurement is an average of your blood sugar levels over the past 120 days. Please also note that the numbers for pregnant women and children age 12 and under are different than those listed in the char.
A normal blood sugar level is anywhere between 80 mg/dl to 140mg/dl. The sugar amounts that diabetics have are often way above the normal 140 mg/dl. At this point damage is permanently suffered, so it is very important that steps are taken to regulate these levels through diet, exercise and medication.
Working with a Health Professional
The guides listed above on this page are just guides. In order to obtain a more precise Normal Gluclose Level range, you will need to work with a health care professional. There are several factors that can influence your normal range including:
Age
Medical Condition
Other Factors
By working with a professional you will get a better picture of what your normal glucose level will be, and then from there you can start to design your life around staying within that range.
While it may sound bad, what you’re more likely to find is that your improved lifestyle that focuses on keeping your blood sugar at bay will actually have a lot of hidden benefits. There’s no time like the present to take control of your life, and even thought you could look at getting diabetes as a negative situation, if you look on the bright side, this is a good wake up call to start living a more healthy, active life.
An Explanation of the Different
Glucose Level Measurements
what is normal glucose level
It’s important to understand what each of these different blood sugar measurements actually means and why they are important:
Fasting Glucose
2 Hours After Eating
A1C
The reason why this is important, especially if you are a new diabetic, is that during your fasting glucose test you may not show signs of diabetes.
The problem arises however when you measure your blood 2 hours after eating you may clearly see that you are out of the recommended range.
Fasting Glucose
The fasting glucose measurement is taken after you haven’t eaten or drank anything for 8 hours. This gives you a base measurement of how your body is handling the blood sugar when it is ‘at rest.’
Normal Range:
< 100 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 6.1 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association
2 Hours After Eating
This test is important because it helps you to see how certain meals are affecting your blood sugar, so that you can deal with the situation accordingly. The two hour marker is also important because after 2 hours, the blood sugar of non-diabetics will have returned to its normal state.
Normal Range:
< 140 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 7.8 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association
A1C
This test shows if your treatment is working over time, which is important to see how you are progressing and if any adjustments need to be made.
