So, my doctor took my A1C and it was a 8 last A1C was 7.5 any tips on this matter? I did stop eating yogurt and oatmeal both in the morning and see a little improvement=) what are some ways you control your sugars? and I have to see my doctor on October 30th, so I want at least a 7 or 6.5.
Thanks John
Major thing to do is to (at least) limit carbs and increase protein and good fats. The diets normally prescribed for new diabetics are usually high carb, since doctors are convinced that cholesterol causes heart disease, which it doesn’t, so they limit proteins, particularly red meats, and the accompanying fat. Since carb is the only thing left they tell us to eat 50% or more of our diet in carbs.
Carbs raise blood glucose (bg) immediately, then are done within a few hours, well before the next meal. Protein last a whole lot longer, and can also convert 40% of it’s calories to glucose IF you didn’t eat many carbs. Also the brain and nerves can be supported by ketones, and if you need to lose weight too that creates ketones, so it serves 2 purposes.
Another thing that I just started a few months ago is to eat REAL food. That means unprocessed (except for freezing) food that isn’t full of chemicals and preservatives, both of which cause many of our new health problems through the last 50 years or so. Eat vegetables and fruits fresh off the farm, if possible. Best bought at a farmers market to be sure something wasn’t slipped in by some company in between. Also buy ONLY “organic” labeled vegetables and fruits in the supermarket. A for protein it’s best to buy grass fed beef or free range chickens.
BTW, when I started this this spring my A1c was 6.8, this time it’s 6.0. I also feel better. Not bad after 60 years as a Type 1 diabetic.
Hi John @SugarJohn,
Glycosylated Hemoglobin, or HB A1c, is just a number that indicates or provides an index to assess your overall, 24 hours every day, during the previous three months or so. Yes it is a great guide but should not be your sole purpose in life. you will not achieve your intended 6.5 A1c [a really good reading. simply by adding or eliminating a particular food at a certain time of day.
I suggest that you look at your lifestyle - a lifestyle that YOU want to live and accomplish what you want to achieve be that research scientist, super athlete or just being an ordinary good guy; be what you want to be without restriction because of diabetes. Now how do you do that? Look at your activity levels during the day - I understand activities, including eating and sleeping vary from day to day - and adjust food intake primarily to provide energy and stamina to accomplish what you are doing. If you are a student, remember that reading, studying, etc., require a very active mind and your brain must be fed - YES, consult with a qualified dietitian, one recommended by your medical team.
The next step is to take the necessary amount of insulin that will enable your body to assimilate and fully use the foods that you eat. You do not mention in your profile the tools you utilize. If you are treating by MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) or with an insulin infusion pump, I strongly recommend that you closely count carbohydrates and know the insulin to carb rate you need for various times of the day. This insulin to carb ratio will need to match YOUR body needs and can be validated by checking your BG levels before and after meals - make changes gradually and only when you are comfortable with what you are doing. I blood-check about 8 times each day, before and after meals, and attempt to maintain the standard deviation of 35 or less; I actually achieve that goal about 4 days a week and my last HB A1c was 6.5.
John, what I wrote above is what I consider “Utopia” - and hopefully I can achieve what I wrote with practicing, attempting to reach this point after almost 60 years with our common “blessing”. Message me if you want to talk.
Dennis
hi @SugarJohn,
so okay, hba1c of 8% means average blood sugars are 207 mg/dl
you can’t control anything without measuring it, so when are you doing your bs testing? When I am fine-tuning, I test up to 10x to 12x per day. typically I test 6-7 times a day, because I pump so I have to test a little more. The other things include making sure all your insulin calculations are right, this is meal time, blood sugar correction doses, and basal (either programmed basal rate for a pump or your daily or 2x daily shot of long acting).
there’s a great book for figuring out insulin requirements called “Think Like a Pancreas” (see google or Amazon) which is really good for helping you figure out how to use insulin exercise and diet to get any kind if results you want, and it’s cheap.
I use a pump, I limit carbs because that helps me limit insulin, and my a1c is 5.9 to 6.5 over the last 10 years. best on injections was in the low 7’s because I got too many lows if I tried to get to mid 6’s on shots.
good luck
Hi, I have been Type 1 for 33 years and pumping for 13. The best thing I ever did for my A1Cs was to start reducing my carbs. I wouldn’t say I eat low-carb, but I try to keep it at under 100g/day most days. I eat an egg/veggie/cheese scramble in the morning which is super-filling - I make them ahead of time and put them in little plastic containers to heat up. For lunch I try to stay under 25g, and dinner under 40g, with some kind of snack in the evening. Reducing your carbs to modest amounts will help stabilize your BG because you won’t spike much, and it will also control your weight. Also would recommend a carb-counting course through your local clinic or hospital, and there are even things on YouTube to help with that. Carbs can be lurking in unexpected places, and they can add up enough to throw off your BG significantly, but you can learn to analyze them and refine your carb-counting skills.
Read the book Think Like a Pancreas. It really helped me.
I eat lots of PLANTS 
by plants of course, I mean veggies. I replace lasagna layers with eggplant, if I do make pasta it’s 70% veggies to actual pasta. I always have bags of frozen veggies in the freezer to just throw in.
Really, besides being nutritious, this adds a ton of fiber to whatever your eating, which makes you super full, extends digestion, and reduces carb intake. Plants FTW!