There are about 27 million people in the U.S. with Type 2 Diabetes. Another 86 million have pre-diabetes, meaning their blood glucose is not normal, but not high enough to be diabetes yet.

For the majority of healthy individuals, normal blood sugar levels are as follows: Between 4.0 to 6.0 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L (72 to 108 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL) when fasting; and up to 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) 2 hours after eating.

Diabetes is when your blood sugar or glucose levels are higher than normal. The goal is to bring down those sugar levels. Its high carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, milk, alcohol, and desserts that can cause this rise.

Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day. You should include these items:

If you have diabetes, drinking alcohol may cause your blood sugar to either rise or fall. Plus, alcohol has a lot of empty calories, meaning no nutritional value. If you drink, do it occasionally and only when your diabetes and blood sugar levels are well controlled.

If you are following a calorie-controlled meal plan, one drink of alcohol should be counted as two fat exchanges.

Exercise in Spurts: Its important to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to help manage your diabetes. Too busy? Break it up into three shorter spurts. Try 10 minutes of strength training in the morning. Play an active game with the family during the day, or take a brisk stroll at lunchtime. Then, walk your dog in the evening. This combo can help improve your blood sugar control and make heart disease less likely.

If you are on medication and the medication doesnt seem to be working, there are variables. Maybe dosage needs adjusting. Perhaps another drug needs to be considered. Home testing kits help you monitor levels and regular visits with your doctor are a must.

Dont give up. Stay diligent, ask questions and research information. Its your body and you are 100% responsible for taking good care of it. Stay healthy, my friends.

Jody Holton writes about health for The Port Arthur News. She can be reached at jholton3@gt.rr.com.

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HEALTHY LIVING Getting control of blood sugar levels - Port Arthur News - The Port Arthur News