In July my doctor gave me the results of my physical. He told me that my A1c was 6 and I needed to do something to reverse it or in the future I would be diabetic. He asked me to look up the glycemic index and I did. I looked at the documentary "Forks over Knives". I went back to the gym for 29 days straight and began a total vegan diet and lifestyle. I still exercise 5 days or more per week. I went from 215 lbs to 190 lbs in three months. I returned for a follow up blood work up and today my doctor gave me my A1 results it is 5.3 he said "you have just reverse your diabetes, you need a pat on the back for that". I feel great and have more energy all of which I attribute to my gym workout which consist of 20 minutes on the treadmill and on hour of weight exercises, one day upper body and the next lower body weights. I am 74 years old but feel 50. I hope that this testimony helps
Home remedies to lower glucose levels? There is no easy way out, you must make lifestyle changes by eating a diabetic diet low in carbs [avoiding simple carbs, foods made with white flour, avoid starches like white rice and potatoes], perform daily physical exercise, and maintaining normal body weight.
Cinnamon was studied for a number of years. The conclusion reached is it did not help to lower glucose levels. Studies show it did help to regulate blood pressure besides its other antioxidant properties. Cinnamon is good but not in the way of lowering glucose. Vinegar is known to slow the absorption of sugar from foods entering the blood stream by as much as 20%. Key word is slow. If you can handle it try a couple of Tbsp after a meal. Salads with a dressing of vinegar and EVOO is another great way to get vinegar into your body.
One question to ask since you all seem quite familiar with this subject; Since I am not yet officially diagnosed as Diabetic, how about using some home remedies to bring down the A1C level if just diet is not helping? I read Cinnamon powder or Applie Cider Vinegar can help? Any tips on home remedies? or even alternative medicine?
This is pretty helpful information, thanks for sharing
Yes, i lost 10 lb since reducing sugar in my diet; I am down to 120 lb and i am 5 ft and 6 inches tall and 40 years old femal
You really should open a new thread by posting your concern there not in someone else's thread. But since you did, I will answer you as best as I can.
A lot of doctors are bending to what drug companies tell them is normal by easing [elevating] the maximum range. As more and more people are being diagnosed diabetic, I have seen the recommended levels elevate. The higher your numbers the more drugs you need. The more drugs you need, the more you buy. The more you buy, the more profit drug firms make.
Here is how the the ADAG [American Diabetes Association Guideline] formula to convert ones A1c to eAG [estimated Average Glucose], or what your daily average glucose has been for the past 3 months.
28.7 X A1c – 46.7 = eAG
An example of this is an A1c of 6%. The calculation for this would be:
28.7 X 6 – 46.7 = 126 mg/dl
for an estimated average glucose of 126 mg/dl.
As you will see, 126 mg/dl is the beginning point of t2 diabetes. The fasting ranges are:
60/70 to 99 mg/dl is considered normal
100 to 125 mg/dl is considered prediabetes
126 mg/dl and above is considered t2 diabetes
At 6% you have a good chance of reversing your diabetic state back to normal. Do this by the lifestyle changes I mentioned in your other thread. Good luck
My VA physician told me that an A1C of 6.0 is the normal range and they are striving to get me back into this range. I plan on buying the book mentioned but I am also confused as to the mention of an A1C being high at 6.0.
If you are indeed underweight for your age, there are perhaps 2 explanations for your latest A1C not budging from your previous test.
1) You're miscalculating just how much sugar you have removed from your diet.
2) You've reach a point where diet alone isn't enough, and perhaps medicinal assistance is required.
Re-examine your diet and make sure that you are antially reducing your daily sugar intake the 90% that you claim. That reduction is huge by the way....
A1c of 6.0 means your average blood sugars are over 100 which is not normal. A normal A1C is between 4.1 - 4.6.
Great that your fasting is normal, but it would appear that your sugars after eating are high.
Target after eating 2 hours is 120 or less, but much more ideally it should be < 100. According to Bernstein truely normal blood sugar is 83 and is maintained in a narrow range around this value (+-10) in most cases.
Low carb diet does not cause kidney damage, but high blood sugars can, along with many other complications. When eating low carb you need to eat more protein and fat in order not to lose weight.
It is perfectly acceptable to avoid all refined and processed carbs / grains, and get your carbs primarily from non-starchy veges and some from dairy.
Please read the book mentioned by tombcx. It gives you a sure way to control your blood sugars. It is the best tool I have ever found. Please make sure you get the 2011 edition, which is just released and contains much new information and advice compared to the 2007 edition.
If you cannot get your A1C down with diet and exercise you may need to add a medication such as glucophage / metformin.
Would recommend you ask your doctor for antibody tests in case you have autoimmune adult onset type 1 instead of type 2. Regardless, agressive and early treatment is very critical to normalising blood sugars and preventing complications.
Hi there,
I'd like to suggest you to read this book:"Diabetes Solutions" by Dr. Richard Beirnstein which is arguably the most important book for any Diabetic 2. Good luck.
If your fasting levels are always in normal ranges [key word always] but your A1c result is above normal it usually indicates an improper diet accompanied with lack of exercise and improper weight. In your case, it's diet and exercise. You can start by lowering your carbohydrate intake. Lowering does not mean restrict. Do not restrict carbs from your diet or possible kidney damage may occur. Instead, focus on good complex carbs vs bad simple carbs, what foods these are and portion sizes your body can accept. Google search simple vs complex carbs to see what they are.
Fruits contain fruit sugar, fructose. Not all fruits are the same. Berries and melons contain the least amount where tropical fruits - pineapples, mangoes, etc - contain the most fructose. Again, use Google search to understand the different levels. Also, do not eat fruits alone, eat them with other foods to slow the absorption of fructose entering your bloodstream. Do not be alarmed if you cannot tolerate any fruits, there are some of us who fall into this group.
If you have a Walmart close to you go buy a Relion brand home glucose test meter. Start a food log of what you eat and portion sizes. Test before you eat [preprandial] and 2-3 hours after you eat [postprandial], both should be in normal ranges 60/70 to 99 mg/dl. Testing postprandial informs you how the foods you ate affected your glucose levels. Pretty simple, avoid those that do.
Here are a few foods to avoid; foods made with white flour [breads, crackers], white rice, pasta/noodles [except Dreamfields brand], starches like potatoes. Eat quality proteins like fish and fowl, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, fresh vegetables and small amounts of whole grains.
Lastly, exercise 30-60 minutes after meals not before. The first 20 minutes is when you burn off the most sugar, the rest for maintaining health. I don't wish to inundate you with how the body uses carbs vs fat in exercise, post back if you want a simple explanation. Good luck
Have you lost weight? That is one of the first suggestions at your level. It is usually considered pre-diabetic. Cut fat and do some exercise everyday. Those are pretty typical suggestions. Fruit is good for you. Consider lowering your carbs.