When you wake up, your body is in a state of constant flux. Glucose (sugar) fuels your brain and nervous system, and your body immediately begins to break it down for energy. The more glucose your body has access to, the more energy you have as a result.
This is great news for diabetics, as your body releases insulin to help your body store excess glucose as fat. The less access your body has to glucose, the more it produces, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
What Should Your Blood Sugar Be When You Wake Up?
The American Diabetes Association recommends that you check your blood sugar first thing in the morning. This is because blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day and by checking first thing in the morning, you can determine whether or not your blood sugar is within a healthy range for someone with diabetes.
What Is Your Blood Sugar?
Blood sugar is the main source of energy for the body. It is the chemical by-product of sugar digestion in the gut. Currently, around 70% of the body’s energy needs are met by glucose from the bloodstream.
Glucose, in the form of blood sugar, is known as insulin. The level of blood sugar is determined by several factors, including your current weight, activity level, and the amount of insulin in your body.
What Happens When You Have High Blood Sugar?
- You can feel sick and irritable.
- Your hands or feet may be cold and pale, or feel numb.
- You may have blurred vision, loss of consciousness, or confusion.
- Heart failure can cause chest pains and heart palpitations, which can be treated with medication and regular check-ups at the doctor’s office.
- High blood sugar also increases the risk of developing kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, and eye problems such as glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye) or cataracts (clouding of the lens in your eyes).
- When your blood sugar is high for a long period of time, it can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes and conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where a woman’s menstrual cycle does not occur on time for reasons that are not fully understood by scientists yet.
- High blood sugar also increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart failure, and heart disease.
- High blood sugar can increase your risk of getting kidney disease, liver disease, and gallstones.
- High blood sugar can also increase your risk of developing certain types of cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, and leukemia.
- High blood Sugar can lead to decreased fertility in women (infertility).
The Most Important Thing You Need To Know About Your Blood Sugar
Your blood sugar levels are closely related to your mood. When you’re hungry, you want to feed your brain with the most energy possible. Unfortunately, this leads to high blood sugar.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to lower your blood sugar and improve your mood.
- Eat a balanced, healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Take medication as prescribed.
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t drink alcohol.
- Get enough sleep.
- Don’t stress about your blood sugar level too much. It’s likely to go down as you become more aware of your eating habits.
- Remember to smile while you eat. You’re more likely to eat when you’re happy.
- There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to destroy its own insulin-producing cells. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. The result is that more glucose enters the bloodstream than can be processed by the body’s cells and organs.
- Cravings for sweets, salty foods, or fatty foods.
Effects Of Having A High Blood Sugar
- High blood sugar can cause a person to become hypoglycemic, which is when the body doesn’t have enough insulin to process the glucose.
- High blood sugar can cause a person to feel hungry all of the time.
- High blood sugar can cause a person to feel tired or fatigued all of the time.
- High blood sugar can cause someone to experience mood swings, especially if they are not careful and take their medication at the wrong times or in the wrong amounts.
- High blood Sugar can make it difficult for people with diabetes to manage their weight because it makes them crave food that is high in fat and carbohydrates and prevents them from eating more nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, that are low in fat and carbohydrates but high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that help with weight management.
- High Blood Sugar can lead to dehydration because high amounts of glucose is used up by the body as energy and the body needs water to process that glucose.
- High blood sugar can lead to frequent urination because the kidneys have to work overtime to filter out all of the excess glucose in the body.
- High blood sugar can also lead to a person’s skin becoming dry and rough, which is called xerosis, which is a form of dry skin disease.
- High blood sugar can also lead to people experiencing night sweats and increased sweating as well as nighttime leg cramps, joint pain and poor circulation in their legs, feet or arms (peripheral neuropathy).
- High blood sugar can also lead to mood swings because it makes it difficult for people with diabetes to manage their weight because it makes them crave food that is high in fat and carbohydrates and prevents them from eating more nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, that are low in fat and carbohydrates but high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that help with weight management.
How To Manage Your Blood Sugar?
- Make sure you’re entering a state of “beta” or “elevated” energy production.
- Consume foods with a low glycemic index (GI).
- Exercise regularly.
- Take medications as prescribed.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Remember to smile while you eat. You’re more likely to eat when you’re happy.
- There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to destroy its own insulin-producing cells. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. The result is that more glucose enters the bloodstream than can be processed by the body’s cells and organs.
- Cravings for sweets, salty foods, or fatty foods.
- Increased thirst, especially in the morning.
- Weight loss despite a constant calorie intake (eat less and exercise more).
- Excessive urination or dizziness, sometimes with blood in the urine (polyuria) or dark urine (hemoglobinuria).
Conclusion
Blood glucose levels are controlled by the hormone insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and released into the bloodstream to signal for a person to take in glucose from food. The main function of insulin is to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. If a person has diabetes, their body will not produce enough insulin, or they will produce too much, triggering an inappropriate response that can cause serious health problems including nerve damage and loss of eyesight.