If you already have diabetes and are taking medications that can cause low blood sugar levels, find out your optimal levels. Eating the right foods is essential to lowering your A1C, so you want to make a plan and stick to it. There are a few important strategies for this:. Here are a few tips to avoid overdoing it:. It can be helpful to maintain a food diary or use an app to keep track of your carb intake.
Starting out, you may have to take some time looking at nutrition labels, but with practice, this will become a quick and easy process and will help you get a sense of which foods are most carb-heavy so you can adjust accordingly. Also called the Diabetes Plate Method , the idea here is to simplify your mealtime calculations while eating the right foods in the right proportions.
Set yourself up for success. Experts say even 5 percent can make a difference. This means if someone at pounds adjusts their exercise and food habits and works their way down to over a few months, the resulting health benefits can be worthwhile. Talk with your doctor about what weight loss goal makes sense for you and how best to work toward it. Increase your activity level to get your A1C level down for good.
Start with a minute walk after lunch. Build up to minutes of extra activity a week. Get confirmation from your doctor first before you increase your activity level. Being active is a key part of reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Remember: Any exercise is better than no exercise. Even getting up for 2 minutes every hour has been shown to help reduce the risk of diabetes. The medications that lower fasting blood sugars will also lower your A1C level.
Some medications primarily affect your blood sugars after a meal, which are also called postprandial blood sugars. These medications include sitagliptin Januvia , repaglinide Prandin , and others. Some of those to consider include aloe vera and chromium. A review of studies found that it may lower A1C levels by around 1 percent.
A analysis of prior studies suggests chromium, a mineral found in vegetables like potatoes and mushrooms, as well as oysters, can lower A1C by more than half a percent in people with type 2 diabetes. However, a review of previous research found that chromium had no impact on glycemic control in those who do not have diabetes.
Lowering your A1C levels depends on making changes that become habits. The best way to make something second nature is to keep doing it consistently, so your week-long streak turns into a month and so on. Fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products contain less processed sugars that are more healthful than refined sugars. Whole fruits, vegetables, and dairy products all contain far higher levels of vital nutrients than most processed foods and less sugar. All whole fruits and vegetables contain natural sugars, but they also tend to be rich in other nutrients, including fiber.
People with diabetes do not need to avoid fruits, but they should account for the carbohydrates and sugars they contain. They should also eat fruits in moderation. Lactose is the sugar that occurs in dairy products.
One cup of 1-percent fortified milk contains Low-sugar, dairy-free options include unflavored, fortified soy, rice, almond, flax, and coconut milk or products. Lactose levels are similar in full-fat, reduced-fat, and non-fat milk, but people with type 2 diabetes often need to take care of their weight. For this reason, a low-fat version may be a better option.
For most grains and starches, half a cup contains one 15 gram serving of carbohydrates. Starches are better carbohydrate choices than simple sugars, but the body can absorb highly processed starches rapidly, leading to increases in blood sugar levels. Whole-grain breads, cereals, pastas, and rices contain B and E vitamins , minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber. Bleached or processed grains and cereals generally contain fewer nutrients and higher levels of sugar than whole-grain products.
Some products that claim to contain whole wheat still have high levels of refined grains, and they may contain added sugar. Plenty of starchy vegetables and legumes also contain high levels of nutrients and fiber in their skins or pods. Some vegetables have higher concentrations of starch than others.
These include root vegetables like potatoes. People should monitor their consumption of these vegetables more closely than others. A1C test results appear as a percentage. A higher A1C level means a greater risk of diabetes and its complications. Physicians may also refer to average glucose, or eAG, when they talk about A1C levels. A person with prediabetes has a good chance of reversing their high blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes from developing. Get some tips and strategies for managing prediabetes here.
A1C level recommendations vary between individuals. People with more advanced diabetes will have higher A1C targets than healthy adults without diabetes. Factors like life expectancy, treatment response, and medical history also have an impact. A1C levels are a measure of blood glucose over 2—3 months.
A person whose A1C level is 6. Click here to find out more about healthy blood glucose levels. When you eat an apple or an orange, for example, you're consuming fiber, which helps to slow down how quickly your body absorbs the sugar.
Fruit juice, on the other hand, removes all of the fiber, so the sugar goes straight to your bloodstream. Plus, the fiber in whole foods helps you feel full longer, so you tend to eat less. A study found that short or long periods of sleep were associated with higher A1C levels regardless of physical activity, diet, obesity, or depressive symptoms.
The findings suggest that people who get either more or less than 6. But researchers did not study the quality of sleep. All of this information can help you and your doctor determine how your blood sugar levels are affected by your diet and lifestyle, and can be used to improve your management plan. Millions of Americans successfully manage their condition every day, leading vibrant, healthy lives.
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