plan to stay in shape today blood- glucose · 2018-04-20 · fat 2.7 g 1 % saturated fat 0.5 g 5 %...

BLOOD-GLUCOSE

Journal

Plan to Stay in Shape Today

MY PHARMACIST

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name

Address

City Postal Code

Tel.

Health insurance number

Expiration date

MY DOCTOR

DiabetesYour Familiprix affiliated healthcare professionals have created an important tool to help you manage your diabetes. This Blood-Glucose Journal has been designed with your health in mind. Enter your blood-glucose level in the journal after each sample to see how diet and physical activity affect your readings.

Bring your journal along when you speak with healthcare professionals. This will help them give you appropriate advice and make timely changes in your medication to ensure that these levels fall within the desired range. Properly controlled blood-glucose levels lessen the risk of long-term complications, such as reduced sensation in the lower limbs (neuropathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), visual problems (retinopathy), cardiovascular issues and the increased risk of infection.

Drugs can help control diabetes, but they cannot cure it. Be sure to take the medication your doctor prescribes each day, even if you feel fine and your blood-glucose levels are normal. If you forget —or simply stop taking— this medicine, your blood-glucose levels could rise!

A balanced diet, exercise, no smoking and weight loss can help you control your diabetes, along with proper medication.

Speak with your healthcare professionals. They will help you adopt suitable lifestyle habits for improving your health.

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How Many Carbohydrates Should I Eat Per Day? The number of carbohydrates that you need each day depends on several factors such as age, height, weight, and physical activity. Most people need 45 to 75 g of carbohydrates with each meal and 15 to 30 g of carbohydrates with each snack if a snack is needed.

Your dietician or diabetes educator will help you to determine your recommended daily carbohydrate intake.

Know your carbohydrates

Carbohydrates include starch (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, legumes, crackers), the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables, milk and other milk products such as yogurt, refined sugar (white sugar, honey, maple sirup, molasses...) and sweets (pastry, chocolate, jam, candy...)—all these foods raise your blood-glucose level.

Fibre found in whole grain bread and cereals, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains is also part of the carbohydrate family. However, these foods slow the absorption of other carbohydrate types and can actually lower your blood-glucose level. For products equal in carbohydrates, choose the ones with higher fibre content.

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A TRICK FOR VISUALIZING CARBOHYDRATE AMOUNTS

* Equal to 1 teaspoon or 1 packet

1 sugar cube* = 5 g of carbohydrates

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To eat well, know where to look! A healthy diet can help you control your diabetes. To make the right choices, look at the Nutrition Value Facts table. This tool can help you control your blood sugar level. Pay particular attention to the servings indicated as well as the total amount of carbohydrates. Total carbohydrates include starch, sugar, and fibre. Fibre does not cause blood sugar to rise and so should be subtracted from the total amount of carbohydrates.

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Nutritional FactsBy 90 g serving (2 slices)

Content per Serving % of Daily Value

Calories 170

Fat 2.7 g 1 %

Saturated fat 0.5 g 5 % Trans fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 200 mg 8 %

Carbohydrates 36 g 13 %

Fibre 6 g 24 %

Sugars 3 g

Protein 8 g

Vitamin A 1 %

Vitamin C 100 %

Calcium 2 %

Iron 16 %

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Adjust the carbohydrate

content for the serving you are eating.

Subtract the amount of fibre from the total

amount of carbohydrates, since fibre does not cause

blood sugar to rise.

Sugar is already included in the amount of

carbohydrates.

Calculate your Carbohydrates

Example: 1 serving = 36 g of carbohydrates total - 6 g of fibre = 30 g of carbohydrates

Nutrition Value Facts table†

† The information in this nutrition facts table corresponds to an amount or portion indicated on the label.

Checking Your Blood-Glucose Level at HomeThere are many kinds of blood-glucose monitors, each with its own features. Your healthcare professional will help you find one that best meets your needs and explain how it works.

The ideal time for sampling your blood-glucose levelSelect the frequency and time of day for measuring your blood-glucose level with your healthcare professional. Each case is different. However, your journal should list readings taken before meals, two hours after eating and at bedtime.

Sample more often to see how diet, physical activity and medication affect your blood-glucose levels. Sampling before meals and then two hours after a meal will show, for example, how the food you has consumed has affected these levels. Such information can help you decide if you should (or should not) alter your eating habits.

Perform extra blood-glucose samples: √ When your blood-glucose level is not under control.√ If you feel symptoms of hyper- or hypoglycemia.√ Whenever you go out in the car and every four hours while travelling.√ If you change your lifestyle, particularly with respect to diet and exercise.√ If you change your medication.√ If you are sick or are experiencing stress.

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Reducing Pain in Your Fingers Caused by SamplingHere are a few tips that may help:

√ Wash your hands in lukewarm soapy water and wipe well. Do not use alcohol, which can dry out your skin create little cracks on your fingertips and might falsify your results.

√ Only sample using the last three fingers of each hand and use a different finger for each sample.

√ Increase blood flow at the tips of your fingers by:

• Shake your hand downward.

• Massage the palm of your hand toward the end of the finger that will be used for the sample.

√ Puncture the sides of the finger and not the tip.

√ Set the lancet to a comfortable depth. If your lancet is uncomfortable, ask your pharmacist for one with a finer point.

√ Do not reuse the lancet. Even one use dulls the tip, although this will not be apparent to the naked eye. Reusing a lancet destroys tissue, causes pain and increases the risk of infection.

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Myths about monitoring blood glucose MYTH

TRUTH

Test results belong to my doctor and he’ll tell me what to do.

Test results belong first and foremost to YOU. Your doctor isn’t the one managing your diabetes every day. The best time to act on blood glucose results is at the moment – not weeks or months later when you see the doctor.

Diabetes Myths, Misconceptions, and big fat lies. Kris Swenson, Betty Brackenridge a publication of Diabetes Management &Training Centers Inc. (2008).

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MYTH

TRUTH

I should check my blood sugar because my doctor said so.

Pleasing your doctor is not the best reason to check your blood sugar. Protecting your health is. It’s not the doctor whose blood vessels are under attack when blood glucose’s remain high. It’s yours. Blood glucose numbers are tour tool to see how things are going whith your diabetes. They are your feedback on the decisions you’ve made. They show wheter your treatment is working or not.

People whith diabetes need to discover for themselves how powerful it can be use their blood sugar results to :

√ Improve control

√ Enhance safety and peace of mind

√ Gain freedom in many life choices

If Your Blood-Glucose Level is Too High. . .

Monitor these symptoms of hyperglycemia:√ Fatigue and sleepiness √ Dry mouth√ Mood swings √ Excessive thirst √ Headaches √ Frequent urination√ Blurred vision √ Extreme hunger

Symptoms may be caused by:√ Excessive amount of ingested food or poor choice of food

(food with high carbohydrate level)√ Inadequate physical activity√ Presence of illness, physical stress (illness, infection, surgery...)

or psychological stress (mourning, new job, moving...)√ Taking a new medication, an innacurate dosage

or skipping medication

What you can do to feel better:√ Drink water√ Speak to a nutritionist and adjust your diet√ Consult a health professional

TOO LOW TOO HIGH

Ideal valuesbefore meals

Ideal values1 to 2 hoursafter meals

Hyperglycemia

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If Your Blood-Glucose Level is Too Low. . .

Monitor these symptoms associated with hypoglycemia:√ Shivering √ Craving food√ Heavy sweating √ Headaches√ Weakness or dizziness √ Mood swings√ Rapid pulse √ Confusion√ Nausea

What causes such symptoms:√ Too little food consumed or meal delayed or skipped√ Unusually intense physical activity√ Physical stress (hormone change) or psychological stress√ Taking new medecine, higher dose than usual or taken at the wrong time√ Alcohol consumed without food

How to recover*:√ Take 15 g of fast action carbohydrates (ask your healthcare

professionnal)√ Repeat after 15 minutes if your blood-glucose level remains

below 4.0 mmol/L√ Have a snack containing a source of protein (peanut butter,

nuts) if you cannot eat your meal within an hour * This procedure is not suitable for children. Talk to your healthcare professional.

TOO LOW TOO HIGH

Ideal valuesbefore meals

Ideal values1 to 2 hoursafter meals

Hypoglycemia

What Should My Blood-Glucose Level Be?

Goals in properly controlling your blood-glucose levels

Blood-glucose level before meals and on an empty stomach:

Between 4.0 and 7.0 mmol/l**

Blood-glucose level two hours after meals:

Between 5.0 and 10. 0 mmol/l**

Glycated hemoglobin (A1C)*: Equal to or less than 7.0%**

* Result following a blood sample indicating average blood-glucose levels over the past two or three months.

** Objectives should be tailored to the patient, in view of risk factors.

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Web Sites and Diabetes References1- Diabetes Québec

Association providing information and follow-up services among diabetic patients, promoting research and defending diabetics.www.diabete.qc.ca

2- Les Diabétiques de Québec (French only) Les Diabétiques de Québec, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Diabète Québec, is active in the healthcare field.www.lesdiabetiquesdequebec.com

3- Canadian Diabetes Association Supports people affected by diabetes by providing informa-tion, diabetes research, education, service, and advocacy.www.diabetes.ca

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