HbA1c, which you can also say is hemoglobin A1C, is a type of test that helps to measure the amount of sugar present in the blood.
The test is commonly used to test for pre-diabetes or diabetes symptoms. This is also necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a diabetic patient.
The test only measures the sugar level present over the past three months. HbA1c of more than 7 is dangerous for a diabetic patient.
The article will cover ways of bringing your HbA1c down below 7 to reduce the risk of more complications.
What is a low or high A1C?
A high A1C indicates a higher amount of sugar in the blood, which can mean diabetes or prediabetes. A1C below 5.7% comes in the normal category. A1C between 5.7% and 6.4% tells of a pre-diabetes condition and A1C greater than 6.5% or 7% means diabetes. High levels of glucose not only create diabetes but also can create problems like eye, kidney, heart diseases or nerve pain.
Tips to bring your HbA1c below 7:
These are some tips used by most diabetic patients to lower their HbA1c naturally and easily:-
Diet:
A good diet is important to control the sugar level. A particular amount of carbs is necessary for the body, but more than that particular amount is harmful to diabetic patients. Eat foods full of protein, low-sugar continued fruits, and non-starchy vegetables. Start checking how specific foods react to your body.
Foods to include in your diet:
- Nuts
- Cheese
- Berries
- Eggs and Meta
- Poultry
- Leafy vegetables
- Bell peppers or squash
Foods to avoid:
- Cakes
- White bras
- Pasta
- Rice
- Sweet candies
Medications:
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can try to take medications to lower their A1C levels. Medications do not work when you take them daily without a proper routine you will not see any changes in your condition. Take medications according to the doctor’s prescription to save you from any risk or harmful symptoms.
Exercise:
Exercise helps the body to maintain a natural insulin activity, which gets disturbed because of diabetes. It also helps in losing weight, which is an important thing for a diabetic person. Exercise for 30 minutes a day starting is enough to keep the A1C low. These are some exercises that you can try:
- Walking
- Jumping
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Bris walking
- Housework
- Yoga
Stay connected with a healthcare provider:
Do not lose contact without a family doctor or healthcare provider, even after seeing a good result. They will not only monitor your A1C level from time to time but also suggest some useful ways to make the A1C level low based on their professional experience. Visit the health care provider every 2 to 3 months for checkups and advice.
Focus on mental health:
People forget that their mental health is important to their physical health. If someone is not strong mentally, they cannot achieve the goals they set for a better health condition. Stress releases some hormones, which raise the sugar in the blood. You can do some of these small activity to reduce stress:-
- Reading
- Writing
- Knitting
- Singing
- Walking
Also Check: How to Manage Blood Sugar Spike Immediately After Eating
10 tips which, should you choose to implement, to improve your HbA1c:
1. Go low-carb
2. Avoid eating after 8pm
3. Avoid high-carb alcohol
4. Regular exercise
5. Know how to de-stress
6. Avoid snacking
7. Forum support
8. Don’t overtreat hypos
9. Try a CGM or FreeStyle Libre
10. Don’t eat when high
Special and restricted diets, like vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, and low-sodium diets, cater to individual health needs. By customizing food choices, these diets address specific conditions and promote overall well-being. Whether managing allergies, weight, or chronic illnesses, adopting the right specialized diet can be a powerful tool for enhancing health and quality of life.
You’ve probably had your blood glucose level checked — a quick prick of the finger and a drop of blood reveals how much sugar is in your bloodstream. This is a helpful tool for diagnosing and managing diabetes, but it only shows your blood glucose level at that moment. Unless you’ve fasted and timed the test correctly, it’s not an accurate way to know how your body processes sugar all the time.
Your A1C level is your average blood glucose level over the past three months. Knowing this number helps your doctor find and treat diabetes (and prediabetes) before you experience serious complications.
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Supplements that can help to decrease HbA1c
Initial studies tell us that these supplements can help manage the sugar level and make the HbA1c low:-
Aloe vera:
Aloe vera has been used in many medicines to treat diabetes for a very long time. According to the study, aloe vera helps control glycemia. It is a good choice for people who are suffering from pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes and wants to make their HbA1c levels balanced.
Alpha-lipoic:
ALA works like an antioxidant in a diabetic patient’s body. Contact your doctor and ask about a specific method that patients have to follow before using the ALA. According to the study, alpha-lipoic acid works on patients who are suffering from type two diabetes and follows a proper method before starting to take it.
Berberine:
Berberine helps with type two diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in China. It does not show any serious side effects on the body. It is low in cost compared to any other medicines that do the same work but are expensive in price. Talk with your healthcare provider before choosing this as your diabetic treatment.
Coffee:
Koreans are top users of caffeine, and many people from Korea do not get affected by diabetes easily. Drinking coffee regularly decreases the risk of having type 2 diabetes. Talk to your doctor and buy the perfect concentrated coffee to add to your diet list.
Chromium:
Chromium plays an important role in regulating insulin and affects protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism. It also makes the plasma lipid levels low. If your HbA1c level is too high, trying this can save you from a serious health condition that can occur because of high HbA1c levels.
Also Check: Top 10 Exercises for Diabetic Patients & Benefits
Final Thought:
All the processes we discussed in this article are not easy to apply in daily life, but they are not that hard either if you want to make your health better. These tips are not only going to help reduce the HbA1c level but also help you achieve the goal of maintaining healthy diabetes.
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