Why is it important to monitor your blood glucose? Testing your blood glucose makes it easier to keep track of how diet, exercise, medication, or other factors are affecting your blood glucose levels. Understanding these effects can help you reduce and prevent diabetes complications.

How often you test will vary according to your type of diabetes, medication regimen, and how much your blood glucose changes during the day. General blood testing guidelines can help, but personalized advice from your health care team are important to your testing regimen. 

Targets for Blood Glucose Control

Type 1 or 2 diabetes goals*	A1C (%)**	Fasting Blood Glucose (mmol/L)***	2-hour Post-meal Blood Glucose (mmol/L)
Target for most patients	<7.0	4.0 – 7.0	5.0 – 10.0
Normal range (if it can be safely achieved)	<6.0	4.0 – 6.0	5.0 – 8.0

 * Treatment goals and strategies must be tailored to the patient, with consideration given to individual risk factors.
** An A1C of 7.0% corresponds to a laboratory value of 0.070.
*** Fasting Blood Glucose is taken when you haven’t eaten for eight hours, usually before breakfast.

So talk to your health care professional about fitting a regular, well-defined testing program into your daily life — a program that also includes quarterly A1C tests. That way, you can make important adjustments to your daily regimen that will help you be average, improve your overall health and reduce future complications. 

Take Charge of Your Diabetes — and Your Life
By testing your blood glucose at the right times, you can learn how daily activities affect your blood glucose levels — and help you avoid the highs and lows. Your goal is to feel your best and help prevent long-term diabetes complications. 

• Test around meals
• Test around exercise
• Test around medication
• Comparing blood glucose with A1C 

Test Around Meals. Find Out How What You Eat Affects Your Blood Glucose Levels.

• A blood glucose test before breakfast (fasting blood glucose) can tell you if your medication and bedtime snack are keeping you at the right levels overnight.
• Testing before lunch and dinner can help you decide on appropriate foods, portion sizes and the dosage of your insulin or diabetes medication.
• Testing two hours after meals gives you feedback on how your previous meal has affected your blood glucose levels. You can also use your results to make informed decisions on meal planning.
• Follow your health care professional's recommendations for how often you should test 

Test Around Exercise
Exercise plays a major role in keeping your blood glucose levels under control-testing around exercise will help you develop a workout plan that's best for you. 

• It's a good idea to exercise at your peak energy level (usually one to three hours after meals). If you are on a rapid-acting insulin be sure to have enough food prior to exercising to prevent a low blood sugar.
• To avoid low blood sugars (hypoglycaemia), test before exercising to make sure your blood glucose level is within your target range
• Be sure to talk to your health care professional before beginning or changing an exercise program

Test Around Medication
Be sure to test your blood glucose levels in conjunction with any adjustments in insulin dosage or diabetes medication to help gauge your body's reaction. 

Learn more about diabetes pills and glucose monitoring, and insulin and glucose monitoring.