Glucose Levels - Understanding Glucose Levels and Using
Diet to Help Control Them
Before you can truly understand glucose levels you need to have a better
understanding of what glucose is and what the body uses it for.
Glucose or sugar comes from many of the foods we eat and as our food is digested
it enters the bloodstream.
Once in the bloodstream the glucose in the normal person is broken down by the
insulin produced in the pancreas and then passed to every cell in your body where it is used as a
fuel to keep the cells functioning.
During the course of the day the blood sugar levels rise and fall between what
are considered normal glucose levels of 70 to 125 mg/dL. For the most part the levels are low in
the morning after a good night's sleep and then rise after you eat a meal or have a snack.
After you have eaten the levels in your blood are
supposed to be controlled by the release of insulin from your pancreas, however in the
diabetic this release of insulin either does not happen at all or only trace amounts are
released.
For those who suffer from severe low glucose levels or Hypoglycemia, which can
be a fatal condition the blood sugar levels consistently fall below 70 mg/dl and can lead to
fatigue, mental impairment, extreme unexplained irritability and even loss of consciousness.
Often the mental impairments can be mistaken for drunkenness and if the person
is operating a motor vehicle can cause loss of control and serious accidents. Conversely
Hyperglycemia is when the level of glucose remains above 125 mg/dL and can lead to kidney failure,
eye damage and many other physical manifestations.
Because of the possibility of these variations in blood glucose levels and the fact that many of
the symptoms are not noticeable until they cause severe damage, diabetics must monitor their blood sugar levels
several times each day. The most common method used to test blood glucose levels is the stick and strip method. To
perform this test the patient will stick the tip of his finger with a pin and draw a drop of blood, this drop is
placed on a special test strip that is place in a blood glucose monitor, which then gives an accurate reading of
the patients current glucose level.
For those that suffer from high glucose levels there are several ways to bring their levels back
under control, in the beginning the only way most doctors used was to supplement the body's own insulin with an
injection of insulin several times each day. Today far more patients are learning to control their diabetes with
the proper diet. A diet that is low in processed foods, sugar and white flour, but high in complex
carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables has been proven to help control diabetes without the need for medication on a
regular basis.
This same diet can also be used to help those with chronic low blood sugar levels and it
provides the body with good carbohydrates that release sugars into the body slowly allowing for a far more stabile
blood glucose level avoiding the peaks and crashes associated with Hypoglycemia.
