Blood Sugar Mastery Part 2: Practice and Tips

If you read our last post, you know how important it is to understand and monitor your blood sugar levels. But knowing what tools to use is only the first step—now it’s time to put it all into practice. In this article, I’ll walk you through building a daily routine to monitor your levels effectively and understand the patterns that are key to maintaining balanced blood sugar.

Missed Part 1? Click here to learn about the tools you need to get started, including finger poke kits and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs).

Building Your Daily Blood Sugar Monitoring Routine

To effectively manage your blood sugar levels, it’s important to create a routine that fits seamlessly into your day. Consistency is key, and tracking at the right times can give you valuable insights into how your body responds to food, activity, and other lifestyle factors. Here’s how to structure your day:

1. Check When You Wake Up:
   
   • Start by checking your fasting blood sugar level when you wake up. This is an essential baseline number that gives insight into how your body is managing glucose overnight.
   • Aim for a level in the 80s for a healthy start to the day. Tip: Not eating after 7 PM can help keep your morning levels in this range.
2. Track After Exercise:
   
   • Monitoring your blood sugar after physical activity is a great way to see how exercise impacts your levels. Many people experience a drop in glucose levels after exercise—an indication that your body is using the glucose efficiently.
   • If you’re using a finger poke kit, record this data manually. With a CGM, you’ll be able to view trends over time.
3. Monitor Post-Meal Levels:
   
   • Check your levels about 30 minutes after a meal to observe how your body responds to different types of foods. Ideally, your goal is to stay within the 75-120 mg/dL range and to see patterns that resemble rolling hills rather than sharp spikes or drops.
   • Foods that cause big spikes might indicate you need to adjust portions or avoid them altogether. If you’re using a CGM, you’ll have access to this data throughout the day, making it easy to identify patterns.
4. Test When You Notice Symptoms:
   
   • If you ever feel brain fog, sluggish, or off-balance, check your blood sugar. These symptoms can often be linked to low or high blood sugar levels, and having this data can help you pinpoint triggers.
   • Don’t forget: logging these experiences manually if using a finger poke kit will help you identify patterns over time.
5. After Sauna Sessions or Other Activities:
   
   • Activities like sauna sessions can also impact your blood sugar levels. Checking afterward can provide insight into how such practices influence your metabolism.

Tracking Patterns and Staying Balanced

When tracking your blood sugar levels through a finger poke kit or a CGM, the goal is to see stable patterns over time. Your ideal pattern should look like gentle rolling hills—not extreme peaks and valleys. Here’s how to work toward that:

• With a Finger Poke Kit: Log your data consistently in a journal or app to identify patterns over days and weeks. Monitoring manually helps you see how your lifestyle choices—like meals, exercise, or even stress—affect your levels.
• With a CGM: Your device will store and display your data automatically, making it easier to spot trends. You’ll see how your levels fluctuate in real-time, helping you make immediate adjustments if needed.

If you’re using a finger poke kit, check out the reliable option available in our Empowered Aging Amazon store.

For those interested in continuous monitoring, I’ve partnered with Nutrisense so that you can get access to a CGM without a prescription. Learn more about them here and use code CAROLTUTTLE for $50 off.

Weekly Challenge: #TrackYourLevels

For this week’s challenge, let’s put everything we’ve learned into action:

1. Establish Your Routine: Track your blood sugar when you wake up, after exercise, after meals, and any other time you feel off-balance. Be consistent for a full week.
2. Record Your Data: Whether using a finger poke kit or a CGM, consistently track your data to observe your patterns.
3. Share Your Experience: Join our community and share your progress using the hashtag #TrackYourLevels. Let’s support each other in building healthy habits and maintaining balanced blood sugar levels!

If you have any questions, I invite you to post them in the Empowered Aging Facebook group. I’m here to support you on this journey!

Additional Resources:

• Nutrisense Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Use code CAROLTUTTLE for $50 off.
• Empowered Aging Amazon Store
• Blood Sugar Mastery Part 1: Intro to Devices
• How to Stop Sugar Cravings Naturally in 3 Steps: Notice What’s Causing Your Sugar Cravings & Stop It for Good