“Blood Sugar Basics: Terms You Should Know”

 

HYPO-GLUCO-WHAT? Start getting into the subject of blood sugar, and you may feel like you are speaking another language! Here are some of the most common words and phrases you might hear when you are talking to your doctor about metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or diabetes.

BLOOD GLUCOSE: Glucose is a kind of sugar that your cells use for energy. Your body makes it from the food you eat and delivers it to your cells through your blood. A "blood sugar" level -- or how much glucose is in your blood -- is usually measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

GLUCOSE METER: A device that measures your blood sugar. First you put a test strip in the meter. Then you prick your fingertip with a lancet, a gizmo with a spring inside that pops a small needle out against your skin to get a drop of blood. You touch the test strip to the blood, and your number will show up on the display. Read the directions for your model to make sure you are using it right.

HYPERGLYCEMIA AND HYPOGLYCEMIA: These are the doctors' way of saying your blood sugar is high or low. (A good way to remember the difference is that "O" sound is in both "hypo-" and "low.") Usually hyperglycemia is over 160 mg/dL, but your doctor may have set a different target for you. Sometimes people have high blood sugar in the very early morning, called "dawn phenomenon." Hypoglycemia is usually less than 70 mg/dL; you could pass out if it is severe.

SOMOGYI EFFECT: Also called the "rebound effect," it is when your blood glucose gets really high after it's been really low, typically while you were sleeping. If it happens a lot, you might need to check your blood sugar in the middle of the night. You can often prevent the Somogyi effect by having a snack in the evening or adjusting your insulin.

PANCREAS: A gland about the size of your hand, just below and behind your stomach. Groups of cells called islets (sometimes called islets of Langerhans) make hormones and digestive juices that help you break down and use food. Its beta cells make insulin, and its alpha cells make glucagon.

INSULIN: The hormone that helps your cells use glucose. If your pancreas does not make any or cannot make enough, you can take man-made insulin. Types of insulin describe how fast and how long they work: rapid-acting, regular or short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting. You may need more than one kind to control your blood sugar.

INJECTION: How you get insulin into your body. One way is a shot with a needle and syringe. The syringe has two parts: the tube where the insulin goes, and the plunger, the part you push down. Insulin pens look a lot like the pens you write with. You fill one with cartridges, dial up the dose, and give the shot. Jet injectors use high pressure instead of a needle to push the insulin through your skin in a burst.

INSULIN PUMP: You wear or carry this device next to your body. A thin tube connects it to a needle that goes just under your skin. The pump gives a trickle of insulin all day long to help keep your blood glucose steady. You can also program a dose of insulin at mealtime or when your blood sugar is too high. It is more common for people with type 1 diabetes to use one, but someone with type 2 might, too.

BASAL INSULIN: Think of the word "base" to remember what this is: a background insulin. It is not a kind of insulin, but rather a reason for taking it. Also called "basal insulin replacement," it helps keep your blood glucose steady between meals and overnight. People with type 1 diabetes take a basal insulin because their pancreas is broken. People with type 2 diabetes might or might not need it.

BOLUS INSULIN: It sounds like "bonus," and that's sort of what it is: insulin that someone with diabetes takes when they eat or when they need to bring their blood glucose down. It might be a different kind than their basal or background insulin. People who use insulin pumps get a bolus infusion. A shot of insulin is a bolus injection.

GLUCAGON: Another hormone your pancreas makes. It works the opposite of insulin and raises your blood glucose. It also comes in a kit for a low blood glucose emergency in case you cannot eat or drink to get your blood sugar back up. If you have passed out or you are having a seizure, someone else can give you a shot.

INSULIN RESISTANCE: This is how doctors describe what happens when your cells do not use insulin right, even if you have plenty of it. You usually cannot tell you have insulin resistance, but it leads to prediabetes and diabetes because glucose can't get from your blood into your cells. It is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Losing weight can help turn it around.

PREDIABETES: Blood glucose that is higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes. It's also called impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose. If you have it, you're more likely to get type 2 diabetes. You can lower your chances by losing weight, being more active, or taking a diabetes drug called metformin.

DIABETES MELLITUS: This is the disease that people usually mean when they say "diabetes," when your body has trouble using or cannot use the glucose in your blood for energy. With type 1, your body's natural defenses destroy the beta cells in your pancreas that make insulin. With type 2, your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin, or your body can't use it well.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES: Pregnant women can get a kind of diabetes mellitus that usually goes away after they give birth. Watching what you eat and being active will help keep your blood sugar down and you and your baby healthy. Some women also need to take insulin. Having gestational diabetes once makes you more likely to get it again, as well as to develop type 2 diabetes later.

'BRITTLE' DIABETES: An older term for diabetes that is hard to control because your blood glucose changes between high and low very quickly. Sometimes this is called "labile" or unstable diabetes.

DIABETES INSIPIDUS: Problems in your pituitary gland or kidneys cause this kind of diabetes. You will have normal blood glucose, but you'll be very thirsty, feel weak, and pee a lot.

DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS: "DKA" is an emergency that happens when you have a lot of glucose in your blood but very little insulin. To get energy, your body breaks down fat instead, which makes ketones. If those build up in your blood, you could go into a coma and die.

FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST: Your doctor checks your blood glucose after you have not eaten for 8 to 12 hours. This test is used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. You may get one even if you already know you have diabetes, to keep tabs on it.

ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST: Another test that helps your doctor diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. You do not eat anything the night before. To start the test, your doctor will get a sample of your blood. Then you will drink a sugary drink, and they will take a few more blood samples over the next 2 or 3 hours. The results tell your doctor how your body uses glucose. Sometimes, the test is called by its initials: OGTT.

A1C: This test - also called a hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, or glycohemoglobin test - measures the "average" amount of sugar in your blood over the past 2 to 3 months. It tells you how much glucose has been sticking to your red blood cells. The result is a percentage, and the number you want depends on your age and health. For example, an A1c at or below 7% can lower an adult's chances of getting more problems from the disease.

ENDOCRINOLOGIST: A doctor that specializes in glands and in hormones like insulin. If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you're having trouble managing it or you have complications because of it, or you use an insulin pump, you may need to see an endocrinologist.

DIABETES EDUCATOR: A health care professional who has the knowledge and experience to teach and support someone with prediabetes or diabetes to prevent or manage the condition. They can be doctors, nurses, dietitians, mental health professionals, fitness professionals, or pharmacists. The letters "CDE" after their name stand for "certified diabetes educator" and mean they have met standards and passed a written test.

PREPRANDIAL AND POSTPRANDIAL: These are fancy ways to say, "before eating" and "after eating." They usually refer to testing your blood sugar or the glucose reading when you did. Comparing the numbers helps to see how your body reacts to food. Preprandial is just before a meal. Postprandial is 1 to 2 hours afterward.

CARBOHYDRATE: Along with protein and fat, this is one of three kinds of nutrients in your food. "Carbs," for short, include sugars and starches. They are the main source of fuel for your body. Healthy carbs are whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unhealthy carbs are foods with added sugars and few vitamins and minerals -- things like cookies, soda, and candy.

CARB COUNTING: A way of planning what to eat. You keep track of the number (or grams) of carbohydrates in your food. Carb counting can help your figure out how much insulin to take.

GLYCEMIC INDEX: Not all carbs are the same. This ranking system helps you compare foods by how fast they will raise blood glucose. Carbs boost it quickly, while eating protein, fat, or fiber at the same time offsets their effect. The glycemic load takes the serving size into account, too, to give you a better idea of how your blood sugar will be affected.

EXCHANGE LISTS: A meal-planning system that groups foods as carbs, meat and meat alternatives, or fats. The idea is that you can switch out specific serving sizes of different foods within the groups to get the same basic nutrition.

REVIEWED BY: Michael Dansinger, MD, WebMD on August 05, 2019

SOURCES:

Joslin Diabetes Center: "Diabetes Glossary."

UCSF Diabetes Education Online: "Monitoring Your Blood," "Diabetes Glossary."

American Diabetes Association: "Common Terms," "Insulin Basics."

Cleveland Clinic: "Glossary of Diabetes Terms."

KidsHealth: "Dictionary: Bolus."

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "How to Give an Emergency Glucagon Injection to Treat Low Blood Sugar."

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Principle 2: Manage Prediabetes, Prevent Type 2 Diabetes," "The A1C Test & Diabetes," "Carbohydrate Counting & Diabetes."

CDC: "Diabetes Home: Glossary of Terms."

Diabetes Forecast: "The 'Brittle Diabetes' Debate."

UConn Health: "Endocrinology."

National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators: "Welcome to the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators."

Harvard Health Publications: "Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods."

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.

“Advanced Meal Prep Tips and Tricks”

Plan Your Meals: Cooking more meals at home is good for your health and your wallet. With a little planning, you can fit it into even the busiest week. The goal is to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Start by listing your meals for the week ahead, and be specific. You could even make a basic outline for each week: chili on Monday, pasta on Thursday, and tacos on Friday. It can make planning easier, and some people, especially kids, like knowing what to expect. 

Choose Easy Recipes: Start simple. Turkey chili and roasted vegetables are a cinch to make and reheat easily. Lasagna or fish stew, on the other hand, take more work and may not stay as fresh. When you find a recipe that looks good, save it in a file or spreadsheet. Once you make your picks, make a list of each ingredient to buy, including how much you need. Apps and other online tools can help you figure out exact amounts. 

Pick Versatile Ingredients: Look for foods that work in a few different dishes. For example, you might use quinoa to make a side dish, add to a salad, or as part of a grain bowl for lunch. A roast chicken can be an entrée, added to a soup, or served in tacos throughout the week. And if there’s any left over, you can freeze it.

Shop Once: Once you have your list, pick a shopping day that fits your schedule. Maybe you like going to the neighborhood farmers market on Saturdays or hitting up the grocery store on a weeknight when it’s not busy. Be sure to buy just what you need. And don’t let the sight of a week’s worth of groceries overwhelm you when you get home. Remember, you don’t have to shop and cook on the same day.

Pick a Prep Day: Cooking more food at once makes it easier to put together healthy meals on hectic days. Pick a day of each week to prep as many of your dishes as you can. And make it fun! Put on some music. Invite a friend over to share the work and the food. Or turn it into a family affair -- everyone gets a job that matches their age. If meals for a full week seem a bit much to take on, start with 2 or 3 days’ worth and prep another dish later in the week.

Think About Cooking Time: On prep day, start with foods that need the most time on the stove or in the oven: cooking meat, roasting vegetables, soaking or simmering beans, making quinoa. Once you have those pots and pans going, you can do quicker tasks like washing lettuce or chopping carrots and celery into handy snack sizes. If you don’t like to pre-cook your meat, put it in a marinade so it’s ready to toss into the pan or oven when you need it.

Keep the Basics on Hand: A few “go-to” foods are always good to have in the house for a snack or to add to a meal: Nuts and seeds, washed greens, hard-boiled eggs, chopped fruit. Quick-fix foods that keep for a long time are also good, like rice, dried pasta, canned tuna, and frozen veggies. They make it easy to throw something together, even when you haven’t been to the store in a while.

Make Extra: If you know you use a lot of some ingredients or recipes, double or triple the amount you cook at once. You can save yourself the hassle of cooking beans, boiling eggs, or steaming veggies several nights per week.

Portion It Out: Divide large recipes into ready-to-go single servings, and you may save yourself some time during the week. It can also keep you from eating too much. Put each serving in a re-sealable plastic bag or glass container. You can also pour soups, stews, and broths into silicone muffin tins, freeze them, and pop the pieces into a plastic bag after they harden.

A Trick for Veggies: You can “blanch” your vegetables -- dip them in boiling water and quickly cool them -- to make them last longer in the freezer. Bonus: it also brightens their color, seals in taste and vitamins, and helps get rid of germs. Wash them off and cut them to the right size before you start this process.

Lunch in a Jar: You can pre-make five at once and have lunch all week. Put nuts, grains, protein, and dressing at the bottom of an 8-ounce jar, with veggies and greens on top. Or make a “wrap-less” burrito with beans, rice, and veggies. Another idea: portion out single-serve smoothie ingredients that are ready to throw in the blender.

Stay Organized: Once you have things prepped and packed, don’t lose it all in the back of your fridge or freezer. Label each container with the contents and the date. Keep the stuff that’s been there longer near the front so you use it first. Put food that goes bad fastest, like herbs and chopped fruit, at eye level so you don’t forget about them.

Good for How Long? Don’t let your hard work spoil in the fridge! Keep in mind how long some foods will stay good refrigerated: Ground beef or chicken (cooked): 1-2 days Whole meats, poultry, fish, soups, and stews (cooked): 3-4 days Beans, chickpeas (cooked): 5 days Hard boiled eggs, chopped vegetables: 1 week Soft cheese (opened): 2 weeks Hard cheese (opened): 5-6 weeks

Freeze! Airtight containers are best for freezing food. You can save space if you use large re-sealable plastic bags and squeeze out any extra air. Anything will freeze, but foods with lots of water, like salad greens or tomatoes, don’t always work well. Once you store them, keep in mind how long they’ll stay good:

• Soups, stews, beans (cooked): 2-3 months
• Ground meat, poultry (cooked): 3-6 months
• Apples, bananas, pears, plums, mangoes, berries: 6-8 months
• Vegetables: 8-12 months

Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on April 13, 2018

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “Family Dinners in a Flash,” “Freezing 101,” “Delicious Family Dinners for Weeknights,” “Blanch Before You Freeze.”

Harvard School of Public Health: “Meal Prep: A Helpful Healthy Eating Strategy.”

Jennifer Bannon, personal chef and certified functional medicine coach.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “Just Enough for You: About Food Portions.”

Rutgers Visions: “Mason Jar Meals: A Fun, Easy Way to Control Your Portions!”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2Live

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.