3 Things That’ll Make Your Blood Sugars High

If you have Type 1 Diabetes, you are likely well aware of what being “high” means, but I’ll give us a summary to ensure we are all on the same page here. If a T1D says “I’m high” it (likely) means that their blood glucose is elevated. Non diabetic blood sugars max out around 150mg, but for us T1D...the sky's the limit (especially if left unattended to)! Typically it means we are above 180mg and we need to strategically act to bring them back down to normal range.

Any time blood sugars rise particularly high, even temporarily, it affects us. Energy decreases, cognitive (thinking) ability falters, and moods become altered (extra irritable) — and these are just the short term side-effects of elevated blood sugars. The ups (and downs) of this disease is exhausting, and we are required to navigate them daily. Our family, our friends, our work, our workouts, our meals, our...everything, is touched by the constant emotional and physical demands of a faulty pancreas.

While being high is inevitable, we can experience more predictability, control, and balance when we are aware of the things that trigger the highs in the first place:

Missed nutrient accounting. Errors in carb-counting are common and can be critical. Underestimating meal carbohydrate content is a biggie for all of us. Using a scale, my fitnesspal, and intentionally reading nutrition labels can be really helpful as we estimate what our next meal consists of.
Your insulin to carb ratio is off. Fine tuning your unique ratio/insulin needs to cover a meal is far from easy breezy. It can vary for the time of day, time of month, and your insulin sensitivity. If you find yourself high post meal, despite correctly accounting for carbs, this is something to make note of! You could need more insulin.
Not waiting long enough for your insulin to kick in. Depending on your starting blood sugar level, insulin sensitivity, and meal type, wait time after bolusing is typically longer than expected. Being patient before we dig in...is hard, but important!

Which of the three do you need more support or practice in?

xoxo