FCS3-551: Monitoring Blood Glucose

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Checking your blood glucose tells you what your blood sugar level is at the time of testing. Keeping your blood-glucose level within the target range set by you and your doctor reduces the risk of diabetes complications. It is important to check your blood glucose regularly so you can see how certain foods, activities, and medicine affect your blood-glucose level and address it if necessary.

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FCS3-550: Diabetes and Foot Care

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Taking good care of your feet is important for maintaining good health, especially for those who have diabetes. When blood-glucose levels stay high for a long time, it can cause problems for your feet in particular, by reducing sensitivity and limiting the blood flow that your body uses to heal itself.

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FCS3-546: Carbohydrate Counting

Anna Cason, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Carbohydrate (carb) counting is one way to identify the amount of carbohydrates you get from the foods you eat. Carbohydrate counting can help you manage your blood-glucose levels in different ways, depending on what type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan.

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FCS3-542: Diabetes and Hemoglobin A1C

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Hemoglobin A1C is a measure of average blood-glucose levels over the past two to three months. Health-care providers sometimes reference hemoglobin A1C as “HbA1C” or “A1C.” These names all mean the same thing.

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FCS3-543: Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Diabetes increases the risk for developing high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure means your heart works harder to pump blood through your body. This increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. It also increases the risk of diabetes complications, including kidney disease, eye problems that may lead to blindness, and nerve problems.

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FCS3-541: Diabetes and Physical Activity

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)

Physical activity plays an important part in health. This includes any movement that uses energy. Taking part in physical activity provides protection against heart disease and stroke and can help manage blood pressure.

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FCS3-540: Managing Diabetes

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Jan. 30, 2025 (Reviewed)

Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot properly use glucose for energy. This causes glucose to build up in the blood. High levels of blood glucose can result in health conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. There are several known benefits of managing diabetes appropriately.

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FCS3-539: Understanding Diabetes

Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Jan. 24, 2025 (Major Revision)

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body changes food into energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, a simple sugar, which is released into our blood. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin in response to rising blood-sugar levels to help glucose get into the cells of the body. Think of insulin as a key to cells: When insulin is around, the glucose can enter. These cells use this glucose as energy. With diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the cells can’t effectively use the insulin that is made. When there is insufficient insulin, glucose builds up in the blood rather than entering cells, which leads to high blood sugar. Chronically elevated levels of blood sugar have an impact on health. Medication and lifestyle changes are ways to manage blood-glucose levels.

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FCS3-571: Fiber: Are You Bulking Up on the Benefits?

Ingrid Adams | Nov. 12, 2024 (Major Revision)

You may have heard you should eat more fiber, but do you know why? Fiber, in adequate amounts, decreases the risk for heart disease, supports blood sugar management, improves digestive health, and contributes to weight management.

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FCS3-574: Cholesterol 101

Ingrid Adams, Anna Cason | Oct. 15, 2024 (Major Revision)

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in all cells of the body. Our bodies naturally make cholesterol. Foods we eat can also impact the levels in our blood. Cholesterol is needed for the body to function properly, but too much cholesterol in our blood can have an impact on our health.