Understanding high blood sugar

Let’s talk physiology for a minute:  When we eat our food, our body breaks down the food into basic nutrients like glucose (from carbohydrates), amino acids (from proteins) and fatty acids (from fats).  Glucose is the simple sugar our body needs to power the cells.  When the glucose is cruising around our blood stream and ready to be used, our body cells need insulin to help the glucose enter the cells.  If insulin is present, the cells take in the glucose and utilize the glucose for energy.  If insulin isn’t present or the cells malfunction and won’t let insulin enter the cells, the cells go hungry while the sugar continues to cruise our body’s blood vessels and do damage.    The reason for treating diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits and decrease the complications.   Think of it like this:  if your blood sugar levels are constantly high, you are pickling your body organs in the high blood sugar.  High blood sugar levels do damage to body organs (such as kidneys, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels) quietly.