Testing Your Blood Sugar

If you read my previous post, Blood Sugar and Your Health, you know the importance of balanced blood sugar. Here are three ways I test blood sugar for myself and clients:

Glucose Monitoring

This is a great way to check your blood sugar levels in the convenience of your home. Using an inexpensive monitor (my favorite for at-home use is the Keto Mojo) and test strips, you can check your blood glucose levels before, after, and then 2 hours after a meal. A more expensive option is to use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

When aiming for optimal health, the ranges I like to see for blood glucose:We are aiming for optimal health, so I like to 

• Fasting glucose: 75-86 mg/dL

• 2-hours post-meal: 120 mg/dL or less

• Glucose returns to baseline three hours post-meal

Hemoglobin A1c

You have probably noticed this marker on your lab work. It is a measurement that reflects your average blood sugar over the past three months. An ideal range is between 4.5-5.0%. 

This is not my favorite way to test blood sugar as it is an estimation and not completely reliable compared to tracking glucose and fasting insulin.

Fasting Insulin

This is my favorite lab marker for gaining insight into a client’s blood sugar. This number reflects the insulin in the blood after an 8+ hour fast. An optimal range is between 1-5 uIu/mL. 

I do run a glucose marker when I order labs but fasting insulin is the one I’m most curious about as insulin levels can be out of balance long before there are abnormalities in glucose levels.