I don’t eat a lot of desserts or sugary foods. Why should I bother checking my blood sugar?

The term “blood sugar” can be confusing as it implies that only sugary, dessert-type foods will increase blood glucose. Any carbohydrate, even healthy ones such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits can be broken down into glucose as well. Your body also can produce its own glucose in the liver when it is stressed or deprived of glucose in your diet, so checking your HbA1c can give you an idea of how well your body is regulating glucose and if you might need to make any changes.