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
My A1C WAS 13 ! ,Dr. Found out after a physical. So I start cutting the carbs and everything more protein to feel full.vut even some vegetables could raise the glucose,so start eating small portions of vegetables more often, checking how many cabs each vegetables has .now my A1C IS 7 ,after 3 months of hard diet.
But I feel week muscles.,so my question to the expert, what I have to do to make my muscles stronger.I am eating 2 white eggs every morning ,and chicken breast for lunch plus vegetables and very little carbs .
Hi Bette, it could be a number of things – lack of salt/minerals, not enough calories, or the wrong mix of diet intake. Keep tweaking your intake until you get it right. Also, eat the egg yolks – they are the most nutritious part of the egg!
You say to eat egg yolks, but my doctor told me yesterday, not to egg yolks. You also say to tweak your intake to what, as some who have bad diabetes can eat like they are supposed to and exercise but still have high levels of A1C because of extremely high family history. I struggle, to keep my a1c low to avoid another hospital stay, way skinny below normal weight and still have daily high sugar levels.
We acknowledge how messy and controversial diet recommendations can feel at times – but this is why at DMP we heavily base all our articles on the latest research! Ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for you and your sugar levels, but many, many people find success in lowering their carb intake and eating some higher fat foods (hello egg yolks) and proteins. If you have been trying your doctors way of eating, and still struggling with those daily high sugar levels, then it may be time to try something different. Here is a good article to get you started on a lower carb diabetes diet!
my A1c was 5.7 for about 5years i juts got lans and it went to 6.1 my glucose was 90 (fasting) all my other values esp lipids were great
i go to gym daily vegetarian can stress cause that raise or the low dose statin im on ?
Stress could most definitely be a culprit, namely by raising a hormone known as cortisol. Some stress will always be out of your control but there are definitely techniques you can integrate to help such as exercise, yoga, meditation, journaling and talk therapy. Regarding the A1C and fasting levels, do you check your glucose at any other point in the day? You may find it helpful to start checking after meals, before bed and other random points throughout the week to see if you can identify any other patterns in your diet or lifestyle that could be contributing to the rise. There is a some research that suggests statins may raise blood sugar minimally, so you could discuss that with your doctor if they are concerned about the rise.
It boils down to one thing, loose the weight. Second to counter the insulin resistance take RELEASE manufactured by GOLO. I was a diabetic for 14 years. I am now in total remission with an A1C of 5.4. I exercise 8-10 hours a week.I have lost 50 pounds and I am in the best shape of my life (70 years old).
Your comment is inspiring. I am 60 and would love to get into great shape but unsure how to do that. What is your routine , type and degree of exercise?
Thanks for the post! You have a clear and simple approach to reducing your a1C. I found reducing carbs, walking, and intermittent fasting was beneficial to me. When I stopped my routine, the a1C slowly went back up. Now I am cutting the carbs and walking again.
Sounds like you are on the right track! Keep it up.
My A1c was a 6.3 and now its a7 how can I get it back to where I had and lower I was ,…..
Doing good and then a 7 pop up so I’m not very happy, MIRIAM Bonine
Did you make any noticeable lifestyle changes during the time that your A1c increased? In general, limiting carbs to 80-130g/day can help that number creep back down. Exercise is another huge help when it comes to keep sugar levels steady. You may consider purchasing a blood sugar meter (glucometer) so that you can check your sugar levels more regularly and it won’t be as much of a surprise when you get your A1c checked. Checking at different times in the day can help pinpoint any lifestyle factors that are causing a rise in A1c.
My A1c was a 6.3 and when I went back it was a 7 so I’m not to happy about it, I will work on it, I want to get it down to a 5.0 or even reverse and dont say you cant because you can!!!
Hey Everyone, I lowered my A1C with diet, exercise and also use Ceylon Cinnamon every day. I think the true cinnamon has helped me as I’m not even Type 2 anymore. You can use powder or take Ceylon cinnamon pills. Good luck everyone!
Where can u get the pills
I believe this would be available on Amazon, or if you have a local health food store they would likely have it too.
Where do you get ceylon cinnamon pills
An online store (such as Amazon) should definitely carry Ceylon cinnamon. You can also check local health food stores but that will depend on where you live and what’s available.
What dosage do you use?
Kathy, you may find this article about cinnamon helpful!
Thank u for thisbinfro . We’re doing u buy the cinnamon pills .thank u
We recommend the ceylon cinnamon Judy, as studies show its one of the best options. You can get this from Amazon shipped most places.
How Can i lower my A1C
You’ve come to the right place, Eric! Like the article mentions you want to significant reduce your carbohydrate intake (bread, pasta, rice) while increasing your vegetable intake. Our blog is full of resources like this food list that can help you achieve a lower A1c.
Thanks for this information about lowering the A1C. This is where I have to focus because mine has been up and down over the past visits.
Glad you found the information helpful!
My A1C is 7.7 im totally lost as to how to get it down. Can I buy this book at a book store?
Hi Donna,
No, it is not available for print. You can just read right from your computer. : )
Medicare only allows my doc to have me test 3 times a day. When I have tested more frequently, ins will not allow the pharmacy to refill. Strips are too expensive for me to buy.
I was diagnosed as diabetic back in October 2020 with an A1C of 6.7. I put myself on a low carb diet and made sure to get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise (walking, stationary bike) per day. Four months later my A1C was down to 5.5. I’m a 65 year old male.
I have T2. I’ve been eating veggies, lentals, protein and drinking mostly water and my numbers all day are staying at 300. Why?
Don’t get frustrated Cara, you’ve come to the right place!
Start by ditching the lentils for the time being, lentils are packed with nutrients but can also be a little too high in carbs for some people. Once your sugar is under control you can try reintroducing them in small amounts. Take a look at this food list and make sure you’re eating these types of foods.
Are you on any medication? For some people, even after following a low carb diet, your body may need a little extra help via medication. Speak with your doctor about either adjusting your current meds, or getting started on something to bring your sugar into a healthier range.
Other common factors that increase sugar levels are infection/ fighting a cold, stress, frequent alcohol consumption or lack of sleep. If any of those apply to you make sure to get that in check as soon as possible!
Day 16 check in. Fasting bg was 129.
Thanks for checking in Colleen!
Im wondering if smoothies of veggies are good to get ur A1C down or stick to veggies being consumed whole ?
Yes- veggie smoothies can be a good option for lowering A1c. By choosing veggies over fruit, you are lowering the sugar content of your drink. Add some protein and a healthy fat and you are good to go!
Here is a recipe for a Green Superfood Smoothie you might enjoy. We still encourage you to consume plenty of (raw) whole vegetables throughout the day as well.