Diabetes Diary

3 2. Adopt a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. 3. Manage your medications with your healthcare providers based on your changing needs. 4. Test on a regular basis your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and HbA 1c levels. 1. Self-testing: Blood Glucose Monitoring is your main tool for monitoring your control over diabetes. Testing your blood glucose levels frequently gives you feedback on how your diet, exercise, medication, stress and other lifestyle factors are affecting your blood glucose levels. This knowledge allows you to make the right adjustments and improve your glycemic control on a day-to-day basis. Once your control targets are achieved, testing is equally important to help maintain excellent results. When you are able to keep your blood glucose levels balanced, you are likely to find that you feel fitter and have more energy. When to test: You can test anytime of the day, however, it is good practice to test at specific times each day. Keeping a log of your results is crucial. When you bring this record to your healthcare provider, you present a good picture of your body’s response to your diabetes care plan. Testing is the most powerful tool you have as a person with diabetes. With the help and guidance of your healthcare provider you will learn to act on the information you get from your testing. How often you should test varies for each individual. You and your healthcare team will determine how often you should test based on your needs. They may suggest that you test your blood sugar at any of the following times: Before meals, two hours after a meal, before bedtime, sometimes in the middle of the night, before, during or after exercise, during times of illness, during pregnancy, whilst adjusting medications.