efore we dive into how to manage your blood sugar, let’s cover what it is, and why it’s important...

Anytime you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into glucose (aka “blood sugar”), which acts as your body’s main source of energy. But glucose needs help to get into your cells.

Enter the hormone insulin. Insulin acts like a key, unlocking your cells to allow glucose in. When your blood glucose rises, your pancreas gets the signal to secrete more insulin.

But if your blood sugar stays too high for too long, sometimes your pancreas stops responding to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance, and it can lead to prediabetes -- and if left unmanaged, type 2 diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is an illness marked by high blood glucose levels. There are two forms of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes: A genetic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the pancreatic cells, making them unable to produce insulin.

• Type 2 diabetes: A condition where the pancreas stops responding to insulin the way it should. Type 2 diabetes is often linked with obesity.

Keeping your blood sugar stable is key to preventing type 2 diabetes and supporting your overall health. Normal fasting blood sugar is meant to stay within the range of 70 to 100 mg/dL. If your fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dL, it’s a sign of prediabetes.

When your blood sugar gets too high (hyperglycemia), or too low (hypoglycemia), your body will send you some signs.

Signs of high blood sugar:

• Feeling thirsty

• Frequent urination

• Fatigue

• Dry skin

• Dry mouth (especially corners of mouth)

• Vision problems

Signs of low blood sugar:

• Dizziness

• Irritability

• Anxiety

• Confusion

• Shaking

• Feeling hungry

• Headaches