Why care about blood sugar level in our body?

1. When I had a second child, I had to do 3 glucose screening tests to pass the test. I was nervous to get a gestational diabete because it can risk my later life getting type 2 diabetes.

2. One of my father’s cousins passes away due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in his 40’s.

3. I saw the mid-20’s lady has type 2 diabetes who looks healthy but had hard time building muscles.

4. I know someone in their mid-60’s has type 2 diabetes who had trouble managing body weight.

5. These days, kids are exposed to lots of sugary food/snacks/fast food.

I may be okay now, but if I don’t exercise enough and eat badly, Am I gonna be okay in my 50s? This leads me to learn the importance of managing blood sugar levels in our body. (I am skipping type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis for now)

Blood sugar, called glucose, is the main energy resource of our body. It comes from the food that we eat like fruits, veggies, breads, potatoes and sweets. Insulin is the hormone that controls the level of blood sugar in our body. And when it’s not working well, you may these symptoms below.

Check this out. Do you have symptoms like these? then, your blood sugar level is high.

1. Feeling very tired.

2. Feeling thirsty.

3. Having a blurry vision.

4. Needing to urinate (pee) more often.

or these below? then, your blood sugar level is low.

1. Shaking.

2. Sweating.

3. Nervousness or anxiety.

4. Irritability or confusion.

5. Dizziness.

6. Hunger.

If you have one of the symptoms of eating too much or less, please monitor your exercise/diet patterns.

So the next question is why do I care about my blood sugar level and worry about getting diabetes? Put simply, managing blood sugar level = managing blood pressure = managing cholesterol = managing all the diseases that you can think of like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, kidney failure, loss of vision, and even cancer.

In terms of exercise, try to exercise after eating. The blood sugar level should come back to normal 2 hrs after eating (that’s why a patient does the routine test before eating and 2 hrs after eating). Exercise helps to reduce the blood glucose level in our body to prevent further health issues :)

References

1. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/manage-blood-sugar.html#:~:text=It's%20important%20to%20keep%20your,improve%20your%20energy%20and%20mood.

2. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes

3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-exercise-when-you-have-diabetes

4. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/video/kahn-eating-sugar-cause-diabetes

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9775518/

6. https://www.sugarnutritionresource.org/the-basics/sources-and-types-of-carbohydrates-and-sugar