Glucose Questions and Answers

For those of you with diabetes, you know what blood glucose means and how important it is in your daily life. But, for many people, they don’t really understand what glucose really is, or why they should know what their glucose levels are. Here’s a short question and answer session that will give you the answers you’re looking for and let you know why this is so important.

Glucose – What is it anyway?

Glucose, in simple terms, is a form of carbohydrate. The energy your body has comes from carbohydrates. They are basically a simple sugar, and are found in all kinds of foods such as bread, soft drinks, juices, pasta, cereals, etc. The more carbohydrates in a food you eat, the higher your blood glucose level will be after eating it.

Where do we get glucose?

It’s important to note that our bodies don’t just come with glucose. Our body produces it based on the food we eat. So when your body starts to feel drained and out of energy, it usually means your glucose level is low. You need to be ‘recharged’ so to speak.

To give your body the energy it’s looking for, you eat more carbohydrate foods. For most people they do this and don’t even know it. Few people understand how many carbohydrates a food contains. After you eat, your body takes the carbohydrates in your food and turns them into glucose. Presto! Now you have more energy.

How do I get high glucose levels?

For most people, glucose levels are not a problem at all. Where the problem comes into play for diabetics or pre-diabetics is when their bodies are unable to burn off the extra glucose. Glucose stays in your system and is not burned. This problem gets worse with every meal they eat. This is exactly why it is so important to know what your glucose level is.

If you don’t pay attention to your glucose level and let it slide, it can easily turn into diabetes. If you don’t do anything about it, diabetes will cause serious health problems and even death. As you can see, it is very serious.

Don’t confuse blood glucose with the commercial glucose you can buy that is made from cornstarch. I know many people may be confused by this and the two are completely unrelated.

What is a normal glucose level?

This is difficult to answer. Your glucose levels will vary throughout the day, and before, during and after eating. Doctors will tell you that a good level is less than 120 mg in the morning before you eat or drink. This is known as your fasting blood sugar level. Anything above that level and you should see a doctor. If you haven’t had a blood glucose check, it’s a simple procedure. The doctor will prick your finger and check a small drop of blood on a glucose meter. Take all 10 seconds. But by controlling your glucose level, you may be able to prevent serious medical problems in the future.