Confused about what Americans and Canadians test blood sugar
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
October 8, 2009 11:04am CST
I have a book about preventing diabetes and a couple of magazines that tell you how to reverse or never get it in the first place, but they are from the States. I am a little confused about the terms. I am Canadian and here we use a single number plus decimal to indicate one's sugar level after the fast after supper and take the test in the morning test. I hear that the Americans use a different method. I would like translate this in Canadian terms. Could someone help me?
It would be easier for me as I get my information from both American and Canadian sources.
2 people like this
3 responses
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
9 Oct 09
I did not realize that until you posted it just now. I did a little search and found this informative site: http://www.diabetes-blood-sugar-solutions.com and it told me about the two different scales for diabetes. It looks as if it has a lot of other good info as well.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Oct 09
I book marked it. I will have to go and read all the information, but what I learned would be very helpful. I want to know how to lower my blood sugar without going into starvation mode, and if there are any herbs that would help. I do know that cinnamon is good for it, but want to know if there are any others
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
13 Oct 09
Hi suspenseful,
First of all you cannot reverse diabetes. Once you have it it is there for good. You can however, control it with diet, excercise and medication. Sometimes to the point where dieat and exercise alone will keep it under control. The causes of diabetes are age, overweight and or hereditary traits. Belly fat also plays a role. A person my not be overweight in general but carry a lot of weight around their middle.
Secondly Americans and Europeans measure their bloodsugar in different units from Canadians. In Canada we say your fasting blood sugar should be between 5 and 7. That translates to 90 and 126 in American measurement. You have to multiply the Canadian numbers by 18 or divide the American numbers by 18. So if you measure 7.5 it is 135 in American terms. The only thing that is the same measurement is the A1C hemoglobin measurement that your doctor requests every few months. In Canada we say it should be no higher than 7, in the USA they recommend 6.5.
Hope this helpf you.
I would also recommend strongly that you visti the website of the Canadian Diabetic Society since you have said before that you cannot get easily to a Diabetes support group.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Oct 09
My father had it. That is the whole trouble. I am trying to keep my blood sugar under control, but do not want to go into the no no diet. Another thing is that my husband does not have it. Now you may think good, but that means that I have to buy different things that he does. Next year I will have a garden but right now, unless it is in the harvest season, i have to pay more for what i get. I will check the Canadian Diabetes site because i want to find out who gave the hospital the idea that I can eat white flour stuff and no salads or raw carrots. I hope it was not them.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
14 Oct 09
Your initial question was to find out how to convert Canadian sugar measurements into American values and Visa Versa. I sincerely hope you are clear about that part of my post. It is important to be able to convert these values if you are reading American publications.
As for the hospital giving you the wrong food I can only surmise that there was a mixup when the instructions were sent to the kitchen. I do not believe for an instance that diabetes is treated differently in Manitoba.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Oct 09
I hope it was a mix up or they were not as up to date as the rest of Manitoba was. We are sort of a bit behind in a lot of things though. But then hospital food is not that good for you anyway. I am not going to say that the diabetic information in Manitoba is as good as everywhere else in Canada. I am a bit of a skeptic, but I do know that that hospital view of what diabetics eat now *(not what they thought ten or twenty years ago) has made me reluctant to join any diabetic club here. If they had added some more fruit and vegetables and not had just pasta and ground beef, and that white rice pudding (white rice having a high glycemic value( I would have gone to the diabetic center in our neighborhood and asked for suggestions for recipes, etc.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
14 Oct 09
A person between 4.4 and 6.1 is where you want to be for your blood sugar... that should be about 80-100 in US.
A great chart to us (albeit hard to read) is here.
http://www.diabetesforum.com/diabetes/74-blood-glucose-conversion-chart.html
Hope that helps you out!
Thanks
Zelo
Zelo 1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
14 Oct 09
Thanks. That is what i was looking for. I guess when I read it, I will have to use my reading glasses. I was a bit confused, but I am not any more. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
25 Feb 10
You're welcome. My blood sugar is going down. It is almost normal.
