Testing blood glucose to stay in range
It’s always important to maintain a healthy blood glucose level. There are many ways you can ensure a healthy range. Learn what a healthy range is for you, then how you can stay within it.
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The goal of your diabetes treatment is to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range, not too high and not too low. This will help reduce the risk of serious health complications.
How blood sugar testing fits in
Testing with a meter shows you the immediate effect of factors, like your food choices and exercise, on your blood sugar, so you can take action if necessary, to bring high or low blood sugar back into range.
Your healthcare professional uses an A1C test to see what your average blood sugar level has been over the past 2 to 3 months.
My Blood Sugar Record
Blood sugar test results |
Before meals1 |
2 hours after meals1 |
| Recommendations | 4.0–7.0 mmol/L |
5.0–10.0 mmol/L |
| My current reading | ______ mmol/L |
_______ mmol/L |
A1C |
|
| Recommendations |
Less than 7%1 |
| My current reading | _____________% |
If your A1C is above target, ask your healthcare professional what you can do to lower it.
Using test results to adjust food and portion choices
Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range can not only help prevent serious diabetes complications, it can help you feel better!
Test before and after a meal to see if your food and portion choices are working to keep your blood sugar in range after a meal.
You’ll soon learn what foods and portions keep you within your target range so you can make choices that are right for you.
1 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada. Can J Diabetes. 2018;42(Suppl 1):S1-S325
2 American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2020. Diabetes Care 2020;43(Suppl. 1):S1-S207.
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