You probably know by now that to clinically reverse prediabetes, you are required to lower your A1C below the 5.7% threshold. How can you measure your progress at home without relying on a lab to analyze blood work? This is where at-home blood sugar testing shines.
You may have seen a family member or friend poke their finger to check their blood sugar levels. I know how intimidating and scary it looks. In all honesty, at first, it is terrifying. But, I have full confidence that after reading this article, you will understand that the pros far outweigh any cons.
But first, let us answer everyone’s BURNING question…
How LONG does it take to reverse prediabetes?
We discussed in this article what the A1C test reflects. To refresh, the A1C test is based on the irreversible attachment of sugars in the blood to our red blood cells. The more sugar present in the blood, the more sugars irreversibly attach to our red blood cells. Since these red blood cells are recycled every 3 months, the soonest you can see an accurate change in A1C levels is at that 3 month mark.
In other words, we want to give our body adequate time to get rid of the old red blood cells attached to a higher amount of sugar and make new red blood cells.
By practicing blood sugar control techniques, our NEW red blood cells will ideally be surrounded by LESS sugar to attach to, thereby producing a lower A1C level.
Reversing prediabetes is NOT a race. The speed at which you reverse prediabetes does NOT matter if you cannot keep it reversed for good. This is especially why it is CRITICAL to understand that the methods you apply to mange your blood sugar must be habits you can realistically sustain lifelong. To learn more about adjusting your mindset to reverse prediabetes for GOOD, visit this article.
What is a Glucometer?
A glucose meter, or “glucometer,” is an at-home measuring device for blood glucose levels. Blood glucose and blood sugar are used interchangelbt because glucose is technically a sugar. Gluometers measure the amount of sugar in your blood at the time you take your blood sugar.
For the cheapest option, you can request your doctor to prescribe you a glucometer with test strips since they are covered by many insurance plans. You can also purchase them over the counter. However, it’s important to ensure you also purchase a lancet (needle) and test strips in addition to the actual glucometer.
Where to Find a Glucometer?
I recommend requesting your doctor write a prescription for glucometer and test strips for the most affordable option. Typically, the glucometer is affordable while the test strips are more pricey.
You can purchase Glucometers and test strips over the counter using an HSA/FSA card. Click on the images on the right (desktop view) to explore two different options I recommend.
Can I test my a1c At home?
You can also check A1C tests at home now. However, I always recommend always giving your body at least 2-3 months to adjust to your new behavior changes. In addition, it can also be pricey if you constantly check it. The most affordable option is to wait until your next doctor’s visit for full insurance coverage. Click on the image on the right to explore checking your A1C at home.
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When to Test Blood Sugar?
No matter what time of day you choose to test your blood sugar, I always recommend that you keep a blood sugar log noting the time of day you tested your blood sugar, the blood sugar value, and any notes about hydration, stress, and recent meal/snacks. I created this template to help you track your blood sugar levels. I HIGHLY encourage you to bring this log with you to any doctors or dietitian appointments.
Its best to ask your physician the best time of the day for you to test your blood sugar. I generally recommend checking in any of the following times
- Fasting level after waking up AND before eating or drinking anything other than water
- 1 hour after any meal
It’s generally a good point of principle to check your blood sugar during times of the day when you feel sleepy, tired, or abnormal. Your blood sugar levels are a reflection of your energy pay attention to any changes in energy levels and check your blood sugar during those times.
If you’re experiencing difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, consider checking your blood sugar before bedtime. In addition, if you eat dinner more than 4 hours before bed time and experience elevated morning blood sugars, try adding a bedtime snack. Consider tracking your blood sugar and taking the above log with you to your next dietitian or doctor’s visit.
How to Use A Glucometer
You can watch the full instructional video below using the Auvon model linked above as an example.
Here are instructions directly from the CDC:
- Make sure the meter is clean and ready to use.
- After removing a test strip, immediately close the test strip container tightly. Test strips can be damaged if they are exposed to moisture.
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dry well. Massage your hand to get blood into your finger. Don’t use alcohol because it dries the skin too much.
- Use a lancet to prick your finger. Squeezing from the base of the finger, gently place a small amount of blood onto the test strip. Place the strip in the meter.
- After a few seconds, the reading will appear. Track and record your results. Add notes about anything that might have made the reading out of your target range, such as food, activity, etc.
- Properly dispose the lancet and strip in a trash container.
- Do not share blood sugar monitoring equipment, such as lancets, with anyone, even other family members. For more safety information, please see Infection Prevention during Blood Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration.
- Store test strips in the container provided. Do not expose them to moisture, extreme heat, or cold temperatures.
What Are the Target Numbers?
It’s important to understand the range to aim for at different times of the day.
- Morning “fasting” blood sugar, or a blood sugar reading taken 4 hours after a meal or snack should be between 70 to 99 mg/dl.
- Blood sugar reading taken 1 hour after eating should be between 90 to 130 mg/dl.
- Blood sugar reading taken 2 hours after eating should be between 90-110 mg/dl..
What Are the Target Blood Sugar Numbers?
Energy levels are intricately linked to blood sugar balance. Your blood sugar curve is direct reflection of your energy levels throughout the day therefore if you feel particularly energized at a certain part of the day your blood sugar levels probably increased whereas if you feel tired and irritable and angry your blood sugar levels are probably low.
The best and most accurate way to gauge your blood sugar levels is to invest in a glucometer. Glucometers measure your blood sugar level at a direct and instant point in time. Here’s a link to help you find a glucometer and another to teach you how to use it. Now let’s talk about how valuable glucometers can be to not only understanding your blood sugar levels but also recognizing your individualized lead sugar response when manipulating meals.
If your blood sugar levels are in the target range and you FEEL physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced, pat yourself on the back! If your blood sugar levels are outside of the target range, it’s important to consider what you think may have affected it. So lets talk about what can cause high or low blood sugar levels.
Out of bounds: causes of high & lows
High Blood Sugar causes:
- Higher carb meal that is lower in fiber, fat, and protein intake (see this article)
- Liquid sugar intake, such as soda, milk, or fruit juice (see this article)
- Recent intense cardio activity
- Heat exposure
- Poor sleep quality or quantity
- Illness like the cold, flu
- Medications that increase blood sugar like steroids
- Prediabetes medication that requires adjusting dosage
- Elevated stress or anxiety levels
- Water and Dehydration (see this article)
- Smoking
- Dawn phenomenon
Learn more about how high blood sugar affects your body and symptoms to look for here
Low Blood Sugar causes:
If you EVER see a blood sugar value below 70 mg/dl, report it to your doctor immediately and any symptoms associated with it. Low blood sugar symptoms include shakiness, intense hunger, dizziness, sweat, anger, confusion, and nausea.
Low blood sugar is uncommon with prediabetes. However, it may still occur. It can be related to:
- The rebound drop in blood sugar after a blood sugar spike
- Low carbohdyrate intake
- Skipping or delaying meals
- Changes in medications
- Exercise
- Alcohol use, especially on an empty stomach
How to Feel Your Best WIth Glucometers
To understand how to feel your best and manage blood sugars, its important to develop an understanding for how different food groups affect blood sugar levels. In a previous article, we mentioned that carbohydrates increase blood sugar while fat and protein lower blood sugar levels.
Eating carbohydrates with protein and fat creates a beautiful balance that energizes you and supports steady blood sugar levels. Learn more about how to eat your carbohydrate sources in a blood-sugar friendly manner here.
We mentioned earlier that energy and blood sugar are a reflection of one another. A steady increase in blood sugar corresponds to an increase in your energy levels while a decrease in blood sugar may leave you feeling tired, sleepy, and hungry.
Your body ALERTS you when your sugar levels drops. The more dramatic the drop, the more dramatic the symptoms. Since low blood sugar is deadly, the body is biologically programmed to prevent low blood sugar. High blood sugar takes much longer to cause damage and therefore, there aren’t many protective mechanisms in place to fight it.
How to Make the best of your glucometer
The best place to start is understand how different food groups affect blood sugar levels. It’s also important to recognize the non-food factors that disrupt blood sugar levels, including movement, meal timing, sleep quality, stress levels, heat exposure, and medications.
Although there are factors we know increase or decrease blood sugar, every person has a unique, individualized response to every type of food eaten based on your hormonal, genetic, and metabolic profile. No two people will will have identical blood sugar responses to the same food. The data we have is built on trends and educated estimates.
That’s where you can put on your thinking hat and start experimenting with your body. Learn about your personal carb tolerance using a trial-and-error basis. You may find surprising foods that spike your blood sugar and other foods that don’t. Many people report drastically different blood sugar responses to foods like oatmeal, apples, chocolate, and so much more.
We discussed the importance of carbohydrate pairing in a previous blog post. This is where you can take your experimentation to the next level. Try having a carbohydrate choice alone and test your blood sugars about 30-45 minutes after. Then add a separate meal have that same carbohydrate in the same portion but layer it with some fat and proteins source and test your blood sugar. Watch how your blood sugar is lower when you eat the SAME carb choice and choose to simply ADD foods.
It is this concept of *adding* that I want you to take home. The more we can learn how to add foods rich in fiber fat and protein to our meals, the more our blood sugar, energy levels, and mental health will thank us.
If you stick around with a glucometer long enough, you may start to notice how poor night sleep may affect your fasting morning blood sugar. Or how eating the same meal that you could have had at 7 PM before bedtime may have increased your blood sugar the next day.
How Accurate is a Glucometer?
Glucometers are not perfect. It is estimated that the value you read may be off by plus or minus 15-20 points of your actual blood sugar reading. Instead of fixating on the exact numbers, it’s more helpful to understand your trends overtime.
For example,
- Is your blood sugar normal before bed but always elevated in the morning?
- Is your blood sugar lower throughout the day if you have a balanced breakfast?
- Is your blood sugar higher the morning after if you skip dinner the night before?
- Is your blood sugar higher in the afternoons if you skip breakfast?
Look for trends and use them to discuss how you can tweak your diet, medications, and lifestyle with your doctor or dietitian. If you suspect your blood sugar was not accurate, ensure you’re using the device correctly and the test strips are not expired. Check out this article to learn other factors that can interfere with an accurate blood sugar reading, such as anemia and pregnancy.