Hypoglycemia and how I prepare for low blood sugar hits.
Welcome back Champions!
For those of you reading this who have #T1D, you know how annoying/frustrating having a low is.
For those of you who don't have #T1D but are EDUCATING yourselves (which makes me so happy!) because you know someone with diabetes or you're just curious to learn more, let me explain what a low blood sugar episode is.
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, is exactly that: you have low levels of sugar in your body. It can be caused by a lot of different variables - giving too much insulin to correct or bolus for a food item, too much exercise, not eating all day, etc., etc., etc..
Being low can feel different depending on the person, and how low you are. Blood sugars below 70 milligrams per deciliter, need to be treated immediately. Some common symptoms or even indicators that we're low can be:
- fatigue
- pale skin
- shakiness
- moodiness
- irritability
- hunger
- tingling mouth
- sweating
- blurred vision
What else is different for everyone is if they can feel their low blood sugar coming on. Some can, some can't until it's happened. And everyone has a different threshold for when they first feel it - one person will feel low at 80, while another person might not feel that same low sensation until they're at 60.
The important thing when it comes to low blood sugar is TREATING IT! And fast! Low blood sugar is like when you have high blood sugar... it won't stop. Usually, if I'm low it'll continue to go low unless I treat it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortunately, there's a lot of ways to treat low blood sugars. Here are my personal favorite ranked by preference, and my reasoning!
1. GLUCOSE TABS: quick to grab, easy to chew, and they work lightening FAST. Plus, they come in many different yummy flavors!
2. APPLE/ORANGE JUICE: juice works fast for me too! The only thing is now I only associate apple juice to lows... LOL!
3. FRUIT: lately, I've really been liking banana's as a treatment to my lows. They work surprisingly fast (not as fast as glucose tabs though), and they're good for you so it works both ways.
4. CANDY: I mean, I'll take any excuse to eat candy, especially when I'm low! However, as good as candy sounds, it can take a while to start to work in your bloodstream, and I find it's easier to "accidentally" (wink, wink) eat too much and then spike way too high.
5. GUMMIES: These are good on the go, if I don't have glucose tabs on me or juice, which are my first two favorite, because they can be individually packaged and quick to take in your bag.
6. GRONOLA BARS: If I happen to be low, but also hungry at the same time (mid-day crashes happen too often, lol), then I'll opt for something like this to hold me over until I eat a proper meal.
That being said, you can tell glucose tabs are my favorite ones! If you're looking for a brand to try out, check out GlucoLift, they're my favorite because they're natural, not chalky, and easy to open when you're low and barely have any energy! I've tried every flavor except Cherry, and I love them all! To be honest, I have no idea why I haven't tried cherry yet because I love anything and everything cherry...looks like I know what's on my shopping list for my next order!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking a whole jar of glucose tabs can be HARD and HEAVY. PLUS, putting them in plastic ziplock bags only insures your glucose tabs are going to get smushed and broken into little pieces. It's also hard to always remember to have a jar in your car or your backpack, and then if a low happens you're unprepared.
That's where Tabs2Go comes in, by Everyday Glucose, and saves the day! Tabs2Go is a brand of glucose tab containers that are compact, small, and perfect for insuring you always have glucose tabs on you at all times!
Scott B., the founder of Everyday Glucose, was diagnosed with Type one diabetes in 2010. It was his junior year of college, and a month later in an entrepreneurship class he was taking, he had a project to come up with a product idea. What was his idea, other than a more portable version of glucose!
The idea was loved, and he ended up placing 2nd in the contest and winning money to fund Everyday Glucose!
Tabs2Go is a flat-pack case for glucose tablets, and each case holds four glucose tabs. Each tab is usually 4g of carbs (the usual), and so you can carry up to 16g of carbs for any possible lows at once! What's even better? Each order contains TEN CASES of Tabs2Go, which means you can throw one in your car, your bag, your backpack, your bedside table... there's literally one for everyplace you could have a low. AND, you don't have to worry about losing them!
Go check out Tabs2Go right now! I had been looking for a better way to carry glucose tablets with me for so long! I hated taking the whole jar, hated how they'd end up broken in a plastic baggy, and many times ended up not having any on me when I did have a low and wasn't home.
Make sure to check out my instagram HERE to see my post about Tabs2Go.... AS WELL AS TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY TO WIN YOUR OWN TABS2GO! Well... what are you waiting for?!
With these flat-pack cases, you can rest assured you have your glucose tablets, that they're protected, and you have a good number of tablets to take with you!
Let me know if you guys order them (why haven't you already!) and how much you like them!
See you all next time, Champions!
and always Remember to be prepared for unexpected lows ;)
xoxo,
B