Want personalized improvements in your blood sugar? Want to know how the foods that you just ate had impacted your unique body? Check your paired blood sugar readings! Read on or watch the video, I am going to tell you the why, how, and when.
Why Do You Need to Check Paired Blood Sugar Readings?
To improve blood sugar levels, following the Portioned Plate is always a good place to start, but everyone’s routine is different, including medication regimen, diet preferences, and exercise, so to maximize personalization in your diet, you should check your paired blood sugar readings!
The table below lists the results and solutions:
Easy to follow, right? After a while of getting used to checking paired blood sugar readings, you will soon gain the confidence to enjoy your favorite but maybe a bit more “carby” foods - as long as you are following the Portioned Plate and your numbers are in range!
How to Check Paired Blood Sugar Readings?
As its name implies, paired blood sugar readings come in pairs. To check a paired blood sugar reading, check your blood sugar before a meal, enjoy your meal, then check it again around 2 hours after (because it usually takes our body around 2 hours to digest a meal). Don’t check sooner, and not later! You might need to set an alarm for this.
When doing a paired mealtime reading, the goal is to keep the blood sugar rise under 50 mg/dL 2 hours after a meal.
For example, if your pre-lunch reading is 100 mg/dL, the goal is for the post-lunch reading to be under 150 mg/dL.
When to Check Paired Blood Sugar Readings?
You do NOT have to poke your fingers 6 times per day! Checking your paired blood sugar readings around 4 to 5 times per week is plenty. If you are just beginning to check, evenly distribute them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (see picture below)! Check paired blood sugar readings especially if you are trying out a new recipe and unsure how it is going to affect your blood sugar numbers!
Takeaways
Checking paired blood sugar readings is awesome because it gives you the confidence of knowing - it teaches you how different foods can affect your blood sugar levels for your unique body! By continuing reflecting on paired blood sugar readings, both your day-to-day blood sugar numbers and your Hemoglobin A1C will improve!