When you have diabetes, good control of your blood sugar will help you stay as healthy as possible and prevent further health problems.

Check your blood sugar often, know your recommended targets, and know what to do when it’s high or low.  For people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends that blood sugar targets be based on a person’s needs and goals. Talk to your doctor and diabetes educator about these goals. A general guideline is:

Type 1 Diabetes

Before meals, your blood sugar should be:

90 to 130 mg/dL (5.0 to 7.2 mmol/L) for adults

90 to 130 mg/dL (5.0 to 7.2 mmol/L) for children, 13 to 19 years old

90 to 180 mg/dL (5.0 to 10.0 mmol/L) for children, 6 to 12 years old

100 to 180 mg/dL (5.5 to 10.0 mmol/L) for children under 6 years old

After meals (1 to 2 hours after eating), your blood sugar should be less than 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L) for adults.

At bedtime, your blood sugar should be:

90 to 150 mg/dL (5.0 to 8.3 mmol/L) for adults

90 to 150 mg/dL (5.0 to 8.3 mmol/L) for children, 13 to 19 years old

100 to 180 mg/dL (5.5 to 10.0 mmol/L) for children, 6 to 12 years old

110 to 200 mg/dL (6.1 to 11.1 mmol/L) for children under 6 years old

Type 2 Diabetes 

In general, before meals, blood sugar should be 70 to 130 mg/dL (3.9 to 7.2 mmol/L) for adults.

After meals (1 to 2 hours after eating), blood sugar should be .ess than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) for adults.

Learn more about managing your blood sugar.

Have you ever thought about how your digestive system works?

The digestive system uses 9 organs:

• 6 hollow organs make up the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus.

• 3 solid organs complete the digestive system and include the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. They each have a different role to break down food as it moves through the digestive system.

Bacteria in your GI tract and parts of your nervous and circulatory systems also help with digestion. Working together, nerves, hormones, bacteria, blood, and the organs of your digestive system digest the foods and liquids you eat or drink each day.

The next time you take a bite of your lunch, think of all of the work your digestive system is doing to breakdown the food and help your body absorb nutrients for energy, growth, and cell repair.