Today’s reader question:
My A1c is high and I need help or suggestions to lower it. I’m feeling so frustrated, please help?!
Without a doubt, knowing how to reduce A1c is incredibly important to your health.
How important? Well, research shows that each 1% reduction in A1c may reduce your risk of:
- microvascular complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy by 37%
- heart attack by 14%
- diabetes-related death by 21%
These are pretty great risk reductions, right?
By getting your A1c levels to a healthy normal range and keeping them there, you will stay in good health long term.
So, let’s talk about how to lower A1c?
What is A1c?
We have covered this in detail in another article over here.
In short, A1c is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.
The important thing to understand here is what is raising the A1c level, it’s sugar/ carbohydrate in the bloodstream.
A process called glycosylation occurs where sugars (glucose) in your bloodstream attach to hemoglobin (the protein molecule in red blood cells). The average red blood cell lives for around 3 months, so when they do the A1c blood test they are testing ‘glycated hemoglobin’ or in other words, ‘sugar on the blood.’
How To Lower A1c?
Essentially you lower your A1c the same as you lower your blood glucose, through diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
Making diet changes is especially important. In fact, diet can lower A1c as much, if not more than diabetes medications.
Here are the most effective diet changes you can make to lower A1c.
Cut the carbs
If it’s sugar/ carbs that attach to hemoglobin, then it makes sense to cut the amount of carbohydrates you consume, right?
This is one of the fastest, easiest ways to get results – we know because our members are achieving amazing results with this one simple strategy.
“I wanted to see my A1c under 5.7 but my doctor told me that because of the medications I have to take, not to expect that to happen. I got great news today. My A1C is 5.8!! I am so grateful for DMP!” ~Val, VIP Member
Reduce or eliminate bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, noodles and grain-based foods like crackers and breakfast cereals. These are the highest carbohydrate foods.
Instead, focus on eating the right type of carbohydrates.
Eat whole foods
Processed and packaged foods are just junk and they don’t do your metabolism any favors.
The food philosophy we have here at DMP is to eat as natural as you can, eat whole foods that come directly from nature.
This is very important because it not only reduces blood sugar levels and A1c, but works on the inflammation and metabolic problems that your body has as well. The combination of reduced carbohydrates and a whole foods diet is better than just trying to reduce carbs but still opting for lots of low carb ‘products.’
Eat more vegetables
The key is to eat more vegetables, particularly the type of vegetables that grow above the ground, such as cucumber, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, tomato, green beans, Brussels sprout, cabbage, Asian greens, and the list goes on.
Vegetables contain fiber, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, and compounds that help nourish the body and lower blood sugar, A1c and inflammation.
Instead of the high carb foods mentioned above, fill your plate with a big selection of fresh vegetables – these are carbohydrates but the good kind you can eat ample portions of.
In 6 weeks my A1c came down from 6.9 to 6.7. All my other labs came into normal range. My doctor is very pleased. Love the meal plans and foods. ~Kathy H, Member
Start slow
Cutting carbs is not an easy process for most people so often this means you have to start slow.
For example: If you drink soda, start there and cut that out. After that you can tackle sugar, and then things like bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta.
Basically you’ve got a 3 month window to change your A1c to a better result, so just take it one step at a time.
How will you know your A1c levels are going to be better?
You only have an A1c test every 3-6 months so how will you know if you’re going to get better results at your next test?
The best way is to monitor your daily blood sugar levels, especially your after meal (postpriandial) levels, aiming for under 140 mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L two hours after a meal.
Overall, you want to aim to reduce your daily levels and this will be reflected in your A1c test.
Learn more about the normal blood sugar levels here.
Other Important Strategies That Help Lower A1c
- Exercise regularly – aim for a goal of 30 minutes a day but if you currently do nothing, then start with just 5 or 10 minutes and build up from there. Exercise helps the cells in the muscles use sugar from your blood more efficiently.
- Drink water – you need to drink plenty of water with diabetes, aim for at least 1.5 liters per day. Water can help regulate blood sugar levels.
- Live a healthy lifestyle – lowering A1c levels does take some commitment so this must come from within, a mindset change where you really put yourself a a priority, resist temptation, and focus on permanent changes.
- Keep a food diary – this will help you monitor what you eat, when you eat, and how you are feeling.
- Keep a cap on stress – stress bumps up blood sugars so don’t stress about your levels or anything else. Work in your circle of influence, meaning focus on what you CAN do and change, don’t focus on or worry about what you can’t change.
- Test, test, test – you need to test blood sugar levels regularly so that you can see how foods, life, and other things are affecting your body. Test before and after meals. If you do eat carbs, test before and after so you can actually see how different foods affect your blood sugar levels. This is called monitoring in pairs.
Conclusion
Making diet and lifestyle changes is a process that often takes people time to achieve.
If you’re looking for the one tip to get the best results fastest, the only thing you need to focus on right now is cutting back the carbs! This in itself will result in dramatic changes.
We encourage people to eat 50-80 grams of carbs per day, or up to a maximum of 100g. If you can stick to that, you will see your A1c levels come down to a normal level, you will lose weight easier, and you will probably reduce medication too – like many of our members have!
“When I started DMP, I was 310 lbs (140kg) and my A1C was 10. I had a very unhealthy lifestyle. Since then, I have lost weight, I am at 190 lbs (86kg) now and my A1C is between 6.5 to 7.0 and no longer have to take medicine. Thank you for what you do!” ~Dusty, VIP Member
Hi Jedha
I came across your post, so informative so thank u for all the tips. I was diagnosed in January 20017 with type 2. My AC1 was 7.9 . I was petrified when my doctor send me to a vision test to see if the diabetes’s were affecting my eyes. Thank god it didn’t. But that was my rock bottom. I went from 220 to 196pounds in 6months and my AC1 dropped to 5.6.i did amazing with the diet. I am currently on metforming and I need to drop another 30 pounds but it’s hard to be so discipline and diabetes is all about that.
I need to go back on track and keep this awful disease under control.
I am looking for a meal plan sample so I can follow.
Here is a two-day sample meal plan to get you started, you might also be glad to know that we offer memberships for weekly meal plans that may be just what you need to stay on track. The best news is that a low carb diet is also a great diet for weight loss so it will help you achieve both goals of better diabetes control and a healthy weight!
Hi I am recently diagnosed with high blood sugar I am trying to eat better can you provide me with any recipes
Hi Linda,
You can join the DMP Member’s Club for access to meal plans and recipes!
Now here’s some follow up information , up until November of last year my A1C levels were looking positively great . In fact since i had been informed that i had type 2 Diabetes ,i have been pretty successful in maintaining control over my A1C levels , until like i said November of last year when things turned sideways . Cheers : Ron Philbrook
I think there is a great chance that if you cut out the foods you mentioned above, and adhere to a low carb diet (we recommend under 130 grams/ day), that you will return to your level of control that you previously had. Here’s an article that Jedha just published that might be a good refresher for getting your diet back on track.
Hello there i just had a Yearly Full Physical and my A1C level is 7.3 . I have type 2 diabetes for about six years now , just turned 61 years old and weight about 235 lbs . My doctor has told me to stop consuming the following food items , Bread , Pasta , Potatoes and Rice . Sometime ago i was told that eating certain types of bread would help to bring down the A1c levels . I will be cutting out the Pasta , Rice and Potatoes , but was wondering about if i were to consume a different type of bread if that would work rather then cutting it out entirely for a 3 month period . I look forward to hearing back from you . Cheers : Ron Philbrook
Hi Ron, check out this article about bread and bread alternatives. The good news is that there are some acceptable products out there, just make sure you are still filling your plate with plenty of non-starchy vegetables, protein, and healthy fats to get the best results.
I have been struggling with my A1C for about 2 years now.. last it was checked was over the summer and it was at 6.3, I am scared to check again since I already workout 6-7 days per week (30min per day) and hardly eat carbs! I don’t know what else to do to lower my numbers.
Your levels are pretty close to the normal range Denise (4-6%). What about considering other factors – stress, sleep, hormones, etc? These also play an important role.
My A1c level was 14.2 in July of 2017. I was put on insulin of 25 units for each night. I eventually wanted to get whan off of insulin and I did 26 days later. In August my a1c level was 10. Just took A1c test oct4 and it is 5.9 all my research and hard work and praying for directions really paid off. I was ask how and even that it’s impossible but numbers don’t lie. It don’t stop to there.
Well done Linda – great to hear you got your levels down. It is not impossible, we see it all the time. Just takes some changes and a bit of work. Congrats 🙂
If I might ask how did you do it
Lots of our members find great success in following a low carbohydrate diet! This article is a great place to start gathering information, but be sure to check out the other articles on the blog for more guidance.
Does A1C have any connection to hemoglobin count? I am less on hemoglobin (10.2) and my A1C is 6.5. Would A1C get any better if I try to fix my iron deficiency?
I’m not 100% sure about this so check with your doctor but my guess would be no. A1C is a measure of glucose attached to hemoglobin, so though they are in a way connected, they are two completely different tests overall. Improving A1C largely comes down to diet and lifestyle.
I did let the Dr. order an A1C test and will be interested to see how the payment issue plays out. Since no one called me with the result I called them as it is important to me. In December A1C was 9.3. In mid April it was 7.2. From my point of view the improvement is significant and very encouraging. From the nurses viewpoint it is not as good as they would like it. Go figure!
Eating whole foods and moderate exercise does make a difference!
A 2.1% drop is HUGE Jim, congratulations. If I were them I would be applauding you for your efforts and be curious as to how, because in our experience majority of patients don’t achieve such a significant drop.
Best of all, you know what you’re doing is working, so keep on going and the A1c will only improve. Congrats again!
I am following LCHF diet but some times when I go out for functions etc., indulging in high carb diet. Does it effect A1c levels when we cheat once in a while?
It’s human to ‘cheat’, in fact it’s not good to be an extremist. Generally your A1c levels should cope fine with the occasional offset because it’s a measure of average glucose over a 3 month period. If you’re in range majority of the time, you should be fine.
I need to lower my glucose numbers and A-1 C I’m cutting out all the carbs thank you for the info later I will start to see your charts and recipes or meal
You’re welcome and good luck. We look forward to hearing your reports Helen.
Jedha, if I were to stick to a certain schedule of eating correctly and exercise how long would it take to see a difference in my A1C. My Dr. doesn’t want to put me on insulin and neither do I. Dr appointment this morning my A1C was 7.1. She wants me to set 6.5 as a goal to be in 3 months. Thank you for any input you can give me. Chuck
Hi Chuck, A1c is a reflection of glucose in the blood over an average 3 month period – this is the lifespan of a red blood cell. That is why the doctor has given you 3 months, because it generally takes 3 months to see a change. A1c is not usually tested more frequently than this because of this reason.
Your main focus to get a lower number is to lower your carbohydrate intake as it’s the glucose/ carbs that attach to the hemoglobin in red blood cells. And of course, the exercise helps improve your insulin sensitivity so your body reacts better to foods you eat and can clear glucose from the bloodstream more efficiently. But really focus on those carbs and you’re bound to see the result your doctor wants.
If you don’t know how to lower carbs or even what ones are best to eat, I’d recommend you join our 30 Day Program or become a VIP member where we have a full carb course, along with meal plans and ample low carb recipes to help.
Best of luck and look forward to hearing your results. 🙂
One of the things that has confused me since being diagnosed Type2 is blood sugar and A1C. With insufficient explanation out of the gate it was easy to think there were 2 different things. As I understand it, blood glucose readings are instantaneous and A1C is an average of the same thing. For those of us in the trenches it seems to me focusing on the daily readings makes sense because we can affect those immediately (good or bad). It annoys me to be asked what my A1C is because I only know what it was at some past date.
Next week I see my PCP and he will want to know A1C. Now I understand that Medicare won’t approve it since it hasn’t been 6 months. I’m thinking about purchasing an A1C test kit so I can determine it myself. I doubt the Dr. will like it since I did it myself but the only thing I dislike more than Drs. is dealing with insurance companies.
Yes Jim, you’re correct, they are the same thing – in a way. I’m hearing you – insurance companies are often a nightmare! You can go to pathology and pay for the blood test yourself as well, that would likely be better than conducting the test yourself.
My doctor also runs the test in his office if he wants it sooner. It is just included in the office visit since I am also on Medicare.
i need help lowering my a1c level and also planing meal
Start here Joyce, you’ll find lots of helpful info to put you on the right track.
my number is 254.. just discovered.
I am 6.0 ft tall
weight 174
66 years old
Well Doug, it’s not such great news but the good thing is it’s never too late to make changes and you’re still young!
my number is 254, which is great concern, I am 6.0ft tall, 174lbs, 66 years old and have a thickening left ventrical wall.
Thanks for posting all these articles. It helps alot. I have heard cinnamon helps lowering your blood sugar as well. Is this true? If so, what do you recommend amount of daily intake and how to take it? Cold, room temp, or hot tea?
You’re welcome Jay. Glad you’re getting value out of them 🙂
Cinnamon is proven to lower blood sugar. You will find these 2 articles helpful:
https://diabetesmealplans.com/5573/how-to-make-cinnamon-tea/
https://diabetesmealplans.com/602/can-cinnamon-lower-blood-sugar/
I am having most trouble with fasting blood sugar. I am not taking medicine yet and I do not want to do so. The other day my blood sugar was 87 before bed time. Then in the morning it was 140! How can I lower that morning blood sugar.
Hi Carol, lots of people have this problem. Take a look at these 2 posts https://diabetesmealplans.com/326/why-is-blood-sugar-high-in-the-morning/
https://diabetesmealplans.com/5087/high-blood-sugar-in-the-morning/
The vinegar and cheese at bedtime is working for lots of people. Let us know how you go 🙂
I too have that problem. I have been checking my blood and keeping log. For me, it is high in the evening and lowers about 20 in the morning. If I check my levels in the day for instance before lunch I am in within the normal range, in the 90’s. Before dinner highest I seen was 107. This is with me not being in any time of medication. Is this the beginning of being full diabetic or am I basically a diabetic that only meds can control it?
Dawn phenomenon