If you have diabetes, stabilizing your glucose levels can require a careful balancing act of diet, exercise and insulin. Careful monitoring of your blood sugar levels can help you avoid low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, and high blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia can cause serious health complications, such as kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness.
Preprandial and Postprandial Glucose Ranges
Preprandial, which means "before eating," glucose level should be between 70 and 130 mg/dL. If your blood sugar is is high before eating, you may need to eat fewer calories, reduce your carbohydrate intake or use extra insulin. Your blood sugar level will rise after eating, as insulin helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells for energy. Two hours after eating, your glucose level should be below 180 mg/dL. If your insulin level is too high after eating, you may have eaten too many carbohydrates or not taken enough insulin.
Glucose Levels -- Bedtime and Waking Up
It's important to test your glucose level before bedtime because you won't be eating overnight. If your blood sugar is low, you may need a bedtime snack to avoid nighttime hypoglycemia. Side effects of nighttime hypoglycemia include sweating, nightmares and waking up with a headache. Drinking alcohol in the evening raises your risk of nighttime hypoglycemia because your liver works to filter the alcohol from your system, instead of producing glucose. Your blood sugar level should be at least 140 mg/dL before bed.
Upon waking, your target glucose range is the same as before eating -- 70 to 130 mg/dL. You may wake up thirsty and shaky if your blood sugar is too low.
Carbohydrates and Glucose Levels
Your diet, especially your carbohydrate intake, has the biggest impact on your glucose level. Carbohydrates raise your blood sugar level, while fiber, fat and protein slow your body's absorption of glucose. The glycemic index rates carbohydrates on a scale of 1 to 100 by their potential to raise glucose levels. The lower the GI score, the less impact that food has on your blood sugar -- which is why diabetics are often encouraged to follow low-GI diets. The Zone, South Beach and Nutrisystem diets are all based on the glycemic index.
Other Factors Affecting Glucose Levels
Although diet is important, exercise, illness, stress and the timing and dosage of your medication will impact your glucose levels. Illness, infection and stress can raise your glucose levels even if you're monitoring your food intake and medication closely. Staying active can help control glucose levels, but it's important to stick to a regular schedule. If you're usually active, but miss a couple of days at the gym, you may need to eat less or take more insulin to compensate for using less energy.
