10 things to know about your blood sugar

1. While low blood sugar has symptoms such as dizziness, headache and fatigue, you won't know for sure if your blood sugar is too high unless you get it tested. Some signs of high blood sugar include excess weight around your middle and cravings for carbohydrates.
2. A normal fasting blood sugar level is between 70 to 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood).
3. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main fuel of all your cells. It is produced as digestive enzymes break down the foods you eat into glucose, and is required to provide energy for your cells.
4. Eating foods high in saturated and trans fats, as well as foods high in refined sugar and low in fiber, can make your cells more insulin resistant, increasing blood sugar levels.
5. Your brain cannot store glucose. That's why you might get fuzzy or even disorientated if your blood sugar levels drop too low.
6. If you have diabetes and take insulin, you should test your blood sugar with a finger prick level several times a day.
7. If your blood sugar remains too high over time, it can damage blood vessels throughout your body, leading to nerve, eye, kidney and heart problems.
8. Eating carbohydrates high in sugars and low in fiber—like fruit juice, candy and other sweets—without any form of fiber, protein or fat—causes the sugar to pass very quickly into your bloodstream, leading to a blood sugar (and insulin) spike. Over time, this can make cells insulin resistant.
9. You need insulin to get blood sugar or glucose out of your blood and into your cells. If you don't make enough insulin, or your cells don't respond to insulin, glucose builds up in your blood.
10. High blood sugar can result in weight gain, diabetes during pregnancy and Type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to an accumulation of fat around your abdomen, a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

This information was produced with the support of an educational grant from Nutrition 21.