{"id":638,"date":"2024-08-26T17:55:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T17:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/?p=638"},"modified":"2025-07-31T15:27:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:27:34","slug":"guide-to-blood-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/blog\/glp-1\/guide-to-blood-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Too High, Not Too Low: The Goldilocks Guide to Blood Sugar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your body\u2019s primary source of energy is glucose, or blood sugar. After you eat, your body breaks down most of the food into glucose (sugar) and releases it into your bloodstream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat sugar has an important job: getting into your body\u2019s cells to be converted into energy. You can think of it as fuel for every cell in your body, especially for your brain,\u201d explains Jessica DeGore, R.D.,<\/a> a registered dietitian and diabetes care and education specialist. \u201cGlucose is either used right away or stored in your liver, muscles, and fat tissue for later.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In people with type 2 diabetes, this naturally occurring process is impaired in some way. Instead of being converted to energy, blood sugar hangs around and builds up in the bloodstream. And that can lead to some serious, long-term complications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with diabetes? Chat with a ReflexMD Wellness Advisor<\/a> to discover how GLP-1 can help<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does this excess sugar enter the blood? After you eat, glucose enters your bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine. To avoid high blood sugar, many people with type 2 diabetes need to take medications to keep those glucose levels at a healthy level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be wondering: What causes high blood sugar without diabetes? Diet, stress, and hormonal imbalances can all contribute to high blood sugar. Medications can help people without diabetes keep their blood sugar under control as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How diabetes affects blood sugar <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To help understand what\u2019s happening in the body, picture one of your body\u2019s cells with a little door, says DeGore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pancreas makes a hormone called insulin, which acts as a key. The key is supposed to open up the cell door and let the energy in,\u201d she says. \u201cWith diabetes, you might not have enough keys\u2014not enough insulin\u2014or the key doesn\u2019t fit. Your cells aren\u2019t responding well to insulin, and your body can\u2019t produce energy the way it should.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>, 38.4 million Americans are living with diabetes. There are different types of medications available, and the goal of each of them is the same: to help keep blood sugar levels in a safe range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of factors that affect your blood sugar, including sleep, stress, exercise, hormones, and more. What is a normal insulin level for a woman or man? Although there\u2019s no scientific consensus, most experts recommend fasting levels between 2.6 and 24.9 \u03bcU\/mL (microunits per milliliter). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a pretty wide range, for a good reason: When you eat, blood sugar levels should naturally increase, and drop when it\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve chowed down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In healthy people, these levels typically return to normal as insulin moves glucose into the cells for energy and storage. For people living with diabetes, it\u2019s more common to experience fluctuations that lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), with symptoms that can range from mild to severe. <\/p>\n\n\n