how to lower A1C?

[HollyDay]

So I had my yearly physical last week and the provider ran a boat load of labs.  My A1C is a 5.7.  I got an email from provider saying I should go on a very low sugar diet starting today.  I see her again next week and we will discuss that and the homocysteine levels, and a few other things.  I've been doing Paleo lifestyle since May and my weight has not budged.  The PTs have said I can start walking again and SLOWLY building up distance (hoping to get up to 2 miles soon). 

 

How can I lower that A1C?  I am really committed to a healthy diet and lifestyle.  But, I'm getting confused with all the info I'm reading online.....

[kewb]

Low carb.  My dh controls his a1c by eating a low carb, high fiber, and healthy fats diet.  Also low sugar.  No artificial sugar substitutes, such as splenda.  He will occasionaly use truvia in his coffee.  Rarely eats desserts but if he does it is a small piece.  He sticks to fruits such as berries, apples and pears.

[prairiewindmomma]

If diet and exercise doesn't do the trick, you should still keep doing those things but consider adding medication.

 

Aim for an hour of exercise everyday. It doesn't have to be hard core. Walking for half an hour (which is about two miles at a beginner pace) and stretching/doing light hand weights may be a good place to start.

[HollyDay]

Low carb.  My dh controls his a1c by eating a low carb, high fiber, and healthy fats diet.  Also low sugar.  No artificial sugar substitutes, such as splenda.  He will occasionaly use truvia in his coffee.  Rarely eats desserts but if he does it is a small piece.  He sticks to fruits such as berries, apples and pears.

 

I'm feeling really confused on this one....Can you give me some ideas for lunch, dinner, snack.

 

my breakfast is either eggs or Paleo pancakes (coconut flour, eggs, pumpkin)

lunch is a salad with a protein

dinner protein, veggie, fruit

 

snacks are fruit and/or cheese and I do like hummus and carrot sticks too.

 

I'm switching from rolled to steel cut oats.  Also, I'm thinking about adding beans back to my list for the fiber....

[marbel]

Yes, low carb.  I had a high A1C in September and am trying to keep my carbs around 50 now.  My doc didn't actually give me a number but that's a target I gleaned from doing some reading.  She said to focus on whole grains, no potatoes, no added sugar, carby snacks like pretzels and chips, stuff like that.  Also, exercise.  I am upping my walking now.

 

 

BTW it has not really helped me lose weight.  I started in September and have only lost 5 pounds. 

Edited November 15, 2016 by marbel

[Guest]

Low carb. It will prevent the damage accrued from high blood sugar and associated inflammation with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Daily exercise is also key to blood sugar control.

 

I like Atkins because I find it more flexible. But there are plenty of plans that work with varying specifications. The key feature is low carb, high fat, adequate/moderate protein. Some focus more on food quality or a lack of convenience foods, some cut out specific food groups in addition to overall carb count, some plans have a fasting component. But the core feature and end goal needs to be a drastic reduction in sugar and starch content, both naturally occurring and added, because those are what is stimulating the highest insulin response and dumping sugar into your blood, and that's where the damage comes in.

 

I highly recommend Andreas Eenfeldt for a quick primer online, his site is fantastic. I'm a member but plenty of pertinent content is free.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

Edited November 15, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[happypamama]

Low carb, but see if you can get a glucose meter so you can see what affects YOUR sugar levels. Everyone's a little different. My body tolerates a lot more carbs in the afternoon and evening than it does for breakfast, but my mother is the opposite.

[hornblower]

Dr Neal Barnard's book. https://www.amazon.com/Neal-Barnards-Program-Reversing-Diabetes/dp/1594868107



This quick summary explains why low fat, complex carb plant based works: http://www.forksoverknives.com/conquering-diabetes-carbohydrates/

 

& a testimonial, because we're primed to listen to personal stories ;) http://www.forksoverknives.com/patient-didnt-just-control-diabetes-cured/

Edited November 15, 2016 by hornblower

[freesia]

Low carb, but see if you can get a glucose meter so you can see what affects YOUR sugar levels. Everyone's a little different. My body tolerates a lot more carbs in the afternoon and evening than it does for breakfast, but my mother is the opposite.

 

Yes, every body is different.  You need to test to see what effects you.  I can't do oats at all.  And hummus, another thing you mention, sends my blood sugar soaring after just a little bit.  So does corn and potatoes.  You need to see how the fruit you eat effects you and the carrot sticks (they are very starchy).  Too much cheese can be high carb, too.

 

For breakfast I have peanut butter on one slice of low carb or light bread.

Lunch is a salad with meat or one slice light bread with cold cuts or eggs with sausage

Dinner: meat, steamed veg, salad

 

It is probably just a matter of adjusting a few things. 

 

There is a website called Blood Sugar 101 that was helpful to me.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

 Seconding hornblower -- Look into low fat, complex carb solutions, if low carb doesn't do it for you. Paleo and low carb actually spike my blood glucose. I don't know why. LCHF and paleo also aggravate my lupus very dramatically, although other people with autoimmune disease have experienced the opposite. Everybody's different.

 

I was able to reverse my type 2 diabetes with Dr. Fuhrman's "End of Diabetes" plan. I wasn't just pre-diabetic, or borderline, or at risk. My fasting BG was over 300 when I was diagnosed. I achieved normal, non-diabetic BG levels within ONE month of starting Fuhrman's program, and have kept diabetes away for a year now. Oh, and I lost a lot of weight.

 

Whichever diet protocol works for you, make sure you are getting plenty of exercise. Dr. Fuhrman says there's no such thing as a diet that will fix diabetes if you are too sedentary, and he says the recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day will NOT do it. You need to be active. I walk four to five miles per day, broken up through the day so I can make it happen. (I jump on the treadmill for 15 to 30 minute brisk walks, as my homeschooling day allows, and start and end the day with 30 minute walks.)

 

Edited to add: I prefer Fuhrman to other doctors suggesting a vegetarian approach, because Fuhrman doesn't believe in low, low fat. He says to use nuts and seeds as the only fat in your diet, other than some avocado now and then, and eat at least an ounce per day depending on weight loss goals. This is a comfortable approach for me.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Tibbie Dunbar

[Carol in Cal.]

Low carb.

 

Never carb alone (ie, always with fat or protein)

 

When you eat carbs, select ones with a low glycemic index, and take a brisk walk after eating.  The walk lowers your insulin resistance, so your insulin can escort the sugar more quickly out of your blood into your cells, and the low glycemic index means that the sugar won't hit your bloodstream all at once. 

 

Aerobic exercise for an hour per day, 5 days per week

 

A brisk walk for just 10 minutes after every meal, in addition to the aerobic exercise, is the gold standard.

 

Lose weight if you are overweight, if you can.

 

Remember that the A1C is a measure of longterm blood glucose, so it won't change right away.  Give it a few months before you check it again.

[AmandaVT]

Depends on your body, I think. I know a lot of people have great success w/ low carb, high protein. DH had a borderline high A1C a few years ago that was untouched by low carb. He ended up trying higher carb (good carbs, very little junk), vegetarian and it dropped back to the normal range and has stayed there. 

[kewb]

I'm feeling really confused on this one....Can you give me some ideas for lunch, dinner, snack.

 

my breakfast is either eggs or Paleo pancakes (coconut flour, eggs, pumpkin)

lunch is a salad with a protein

dinner protein, veggie, fruit

 

snacks are fruit and/or cheese and I do like hummus and carrot sticks too.

 

I'm switching from rolled to steel cut oats. Also, I'm thinking about adding beans back to my list for the fiber....

Typical day for my husband:

Breakfast-usually a couple of eggs, tomato, jalapeno, with a little cheddar cheese, cooked in coconut oil.

 

Lunch-homemade peanut butter and a schmear of all fruit on whole wheat.

 

Dinner-piece of fish or chicken, salad, and roasted vegetables.

 

Snacks: a small bowl of walnuts or fruit.

 

He usually stays away from potatoes,rice,and pasta,corn,and sweets.

 

Beans in small quantities because they can cause a spike in his sugar.

 

I tend to cook paleo, vegetarian, and vegan.

[SparklyUnicorn]

low carb

 

Paleo is good, just cut down on anything high in sugar (most fruits).

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I will say that I have pretty much eaten low carb since forever.  However, in order to lose weight I have to lower the carbs a lot to get that ball rolling  It stinks, but yeah...

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok you know, we probably aren't being all that helpful here.  What I would do is ask them because if you are following Paleo then you have already been on a low sugar diet (unless you are cheating a lot).  So that is obviously not working well enough.  So I'd be curious what they'd say to that. 

 

 

[SeaConquest]

Victoza has been amazing for my A1C.

[Guest]

I could easily eat 50-80 carbs a day, net, on a paleo diet. I did before and it wasn't low enough to drop my weight or control my blood sugar - I really had to go ketogenic and cut out even the starchy veggies and fruits, too. Bummer but the problem wasn't the low carb aspect except inasmuch as it wasn't low enough for me personally.

 

Beans and fruit spike me like crazy too. Sad!

[SparklyUnicorn]

I could easily eat 50-80 carbs a day, net, on a paleo diet. I did before and it wasn't low enough to drop my weight or control my blood sugar - I really had to go ketogenic and cut out even the starchy veggies and fruits, too. Bummer but the problem wasn't the low carb aspect except inasmuch as it wasn't low enough for me personally.

 

Beans and fruit spike me like crazy too. Sad!

 

Yeah I can go around 75 and maintain, but if I want to lose weight I have to go lower. 

[HappyCrazyMama]

My mom swears the thing that helps hers stay in check the most is exercise. I can't remember her numbers but at one point her doctor seriously wanted her to take medication (she didn't) and now it is borderline normal. She does elliptical or Zumba in the morning for an hour and an hour of brisk walking at night, 7 days a week. Also while she doesn't eat extremely low carb she does avoid sugars and carb loaded foods and has protein with every meal. She is 65 and has had type II diabetes for about 10 years.

[SarahW]

Paleo isn't necessarily low-carb. Stick everything you eat in an online calculator for a few days and take a hard look at the numbers. And I second getting a glucose meter, you need to know what works for you.

 

Although your number isn't very high, if you get offered metformin, jump at it. It's a wonderful drug. Doctors like to wait wait wait until you hit a magic number that says your body is already shot to hell. I don't get it. If you are already eating low-carb/high fiber (and anything less than 400g of carbs is low compared to the normal western diet, and eating more than three servings of green vegetables a day is comparatively high) and your A1C is high and creeping up, then your insulin response is probably in even an even worse state than your number indicates.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Paleo isn't necessarily low-carb. Stick everything you eat in an online calculator for a few days and take a hard look at the numbers. And I second getting a glucose meter, you need to know what works for you.

 

Although your number isn't very high, if you get offered metformin, jump at it. It's a wonderful drug. Doctors like to wait wait wait until you hit a magic number that says your body is already shot to hell. I don't get it. If you are already eating low-carb/high fiber (and anything less than 400g of carbs is low compared to the normal western diet, and eating more than three servings of green vegetables a day is comparatively high) and your A1C is high and creeping up, then your insulin response is probably in even an even worse state than your number indicates.

 

Yeah that's possible.  I guess one can eat lots of fruit right?  I don't eat fruit.  Maybe a few berries in the summer, but that's it. 

 

But if there isn't much fruit being consumed, then I would say Paleo is low sugar and that's what they told her.  Low sugar. 

[Guest2]

Nm. Wasn't helpful.

Edited November 17, 2016 by Silver Brook

[umsami]

So I had my yearly physical last week and the provider ran a boat load of labs.  My A1C is a 5.7.  I got an email from provider saying I should go on a very low sugar diet starting today.  I see her again next week and we will discuss that and the homocysteine levels, and a few other things.  I've been doing Paleo lifestyle since May and my weight has not budged.  The PTs have said I can start walking again and SLOWLY building up distance (hoping to get up to 2 miles soon). 

 

How can I lower that A1C?  I am really committed to a healthy diet and lifestyle.  But, I'm getting confused with all the info I'm reading online.....

 

First off, 5.7 was considered normal up until maybe a year or two ago, so don't panic.  Normal today is considered up to 5.6% so you really are barely over in the pre-diabetic stage.  The simple act of walking 10-15 minutes after meals can be enough to do it.  ADA still wants diabetics to be under 7.0%.  So, once again, it's not like your HbA1c is over 7% or even worse.  DH is a retina specialist and will have people come in with blood sugars in the 400s+ and not know it. 

 

I'll also add that you mention PT.  HbA1C looks over your blood glucose levels over the past few months. If you were immobile due to an injury, but now are not, that may be enough to move you back into normal.

[wendy not in HI]

I have been reading the Obesity Code book by Jason Fung.  He has some interesting ideas about insulin and diabetes.  It might be worth a read.  He talks about the why of obesity, then recommends a few things to do - eat less often (3 meals, no snacks), eat low carb, eat fiber, fast.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump in with his plan, but it really is interesting.  He is a nephrologist, a doctor who treats kidneys and seems to work with many diabetics.  His blog  https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/ is actually a little scarier than the book.  Heavy on the fasting side of things.

[Guest]

His video series are great - I do in fact fast and do well with it despite my adrenal issues. It definitely helps give my body a break from insulin in a way a wider eating schedule really didn't.

[Katy]

Some people do best on low carb.  Some people do best on low fat.  Some people do best on both.  You can try one diet and then another & go back every 3 months for an A1C test and see how you do on both.   OR you can buy a blood sugar meter (cheapest at Walmart), a bunch of strips, and see how things affect you. 

 

First eat low-fat and low-carb:  lean protein and non-starchy veggies for a few days.  This looks like egg whites and spinach for breakfast, baked chicken breast or fish with green beans or broccoli for lunch and dinner, etc...  Then try starchier veggies, then potatoes & sweet potatoes, then oatmeal.  Then go back to lean protein and veggies for a few days, then switch to low carb: no starches, but extra fat: eggs and bacon, atkins style meals, etc.

 

The idea is to test first thing in the morning (fasting), before meals to get a baseline, and two hours after meals.  The morning number is important because sometimes it can seem that low-carb is better for you - your post-meal numbers are lower, but because high-fat meals are digested more slowly, for some people their blood sugar is elevated over longer periods of time with low-carb - which you can tell because that fasting number goes higher and higher.