First of all, when you received your type 2 diabetes diagnosis your blood sugar levels were too high, and then for reasons you are not too sure about yet, they seem to be all over the place. You don't understand why because you eat the same foods!
It is only when your levels rise too high, or sink too low, that blood sugar has serious consequences for your:
- mood
- weight
- energy level
- and maybe even your life
We are all different ... there is not one eating plan to suit all people with type 2 diabetes. How your body and your blood sugar respond to certain types of food, activity, stress and illness will also be different. This is one of the reasons you might like to work closely with a dietitian so your eating plan can be individualized.
An effective method to keep track of your eating habits and all that can affect your blood sugar level, is to create a food diary where you would include your:
- blood sugar reading records
- menstrual cycle dates
- illness
- stress, or
- shift changes at work
Show detailed information, for example if you nibbled on meal ingredients as you were putting your meal together, if you had a snack while preparing dinner. A week of gathering this information will reveal a little more than you think!
Some days you think you eat the same as on other occasions, but here are some factors you may not always take into account:
- quantity ... unless you measure every single time, your quantities may be different
- food combinations ... did you eat two different types of fruit, for example one small apple as opposed to a large banana, or did you eat a smaller amount of protein this time with your carbs
- health ... changes such as illness, menstrual cycle, pain and other factors can affect your blood sugars
- stress ... your blood sugars respond to physical and mental stress. Work or relationship problems can cause stress which will cause an elevation in your blood sugars
- alcohol ... alcohol interferes with your metabolism for several hours giving you lower blood sugar levels
- blood sugar level checks ... are you doing these checks at the same time? Timing is everything ... if you are checking 90 minutes after eating one meal, and then 3 hours after eating the next ... well that would not be a true comparison
- expired strips ... your readings will also be affected if you are testing with expired strips. Not getting enough blood will also affect your reading.
Don't forget to take your food diary along to your health care provider for an accurate evaluation of your roller coaster blood sugar levels.
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