I know you call me Suga, but I am also known as Glucose. I come from the food that you eat
and I go through your blood circulation to all of the cells of your organs to supply nourishment
to your body.
Your body knows how to keep me in a normal range…until it doesn’t. Your glucose level and
your body’s ability to manage me can become disordered. This is called Type 2 Diabetes.
If I am too high, I start damaging the small arteries that give blood your organs. Then, I start
working on the big arteries. I especially like to wreak havoc in arteries that go to the brain
(stroke), heart (heart attack), eyes (blindness), legs (limb amputations), sexual body parts
(sexual dysfunction) and kidneys (kidney failure and dialysis).
Knowing what my level is, along with my friend HEMOGLOBIN A1C (how much glucose is on
your red blood cells going through your circulation), is the way to know if I am at a level that is
damaging your organs or not.
You should know what your blood glucose and hemoglobin AIC are!
- Screening for diabetes and pre-diabetes should be done at least every three years
- If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you should get your hemoglobin A1C
checked every 3-6 months to know where your diabetes control is - Stop eating high sugar foods and drinking sweetened beverages
- Start eating fresh food prepared at home more, especially lots of vegetables and lean
meats, like baked chicken, turkey and fish, if you are going to eat meat - If your diabetes is not controlled (hemoglobin A1C above 7%), work with your doctor to DO
something about it, instead of ignoring me because you don’t feel bad
You may want to hide from me, but don’t. You take care of me and I’ll take care of you.
Love,
Your Blood Glucose