Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readersDiabetes is one of the most prevailing diseases all around the globe. You would be shocked to know that there are several people who are pre-diabetic and are not even aware of it. So, it is not surprising that their blood glucose levels would be complete haywire. In order to lower hemoglobin A1C levels naturally, it is important that you keep certain things in mind.
If you are scrounging around trying to find how to lower A1C naturally, there are several effective ways in which one can achieve that. It all again comes down to how you manage your health and your nutrition that makes all the difference.
By the end of this article, you will have a fair share of knowledge when it comes to finding ways to lower your A1C levels in the body.
What is Hemoglobin A1C?
This type of blood test is often suggested by the doctors to test for prediabetes, Type-1 diabetes as well as Type-2 diabetes.
If the levels of A1C are too high, chances is that the same because of the fact that their blood sugar levels are at an uncontrollable rate in the body as well. This is where you need to make an intervention and find natural and effective ways to lower A1C without meds.
How Does this Test Work?
Before anything, it is important for one to know how everything under this works. There are a number of factors involved when it comes to conducting the hemoglobin A1C test.
This test is predominantly conducted to find out how well the body is managing the blood glucose levels. Not just that, it also helps in finding the average percentage of the sugar bound hemoglobin which is found in the blood sample.
If you are wondering what correlation hemoglobin has with the detection of the levels of blood glucose, you are definitely in for a ride.
It has been demonstrated that when the glucose from the food enters into the bloodstream, it has the tendency and affinity to bind to the red blood cell protein known as the hemoglobin. The higher the levels of glucose in the body, the higher will be the level of the Hemoglobin A1C in the test.
Given the fact that a red blood cell has a lifespan of 4 months, it is effective enough to provide with a wider picture of the condition of the glucose levels in the body since the last 2-4 months.
This test is conducted either with the pinprick technique or even by drawing out blood the traditional way.
Why is it Necessary to Keep the Levels of A1C Reduced?
It is not uncommon for people to have the question of why it is necessary to lower hemoglobin A1C levels in the body. To be frank and honest, studies have found that maintaining a controlled level of the A1C levels in the body help ensure that you have a slower progression of diabetes all the while reducing the risks and complications that come along with this condition.
The American Diabetes Association has marked the levels of Hb A1C below 7% to be safe for the individuals. Often times, the doctors conduct this test twice before they confirm whether or not they are diabetic.
If the levels are persistently more than 6.5% on both the occasions, it is safe to suggest that the person is diabetic.
How to Lower A1C Levels Naturally?
As we did mention before, the Hb A1C levels in the body are nothing but a depiction of how well managed the blood glucose levels in the body are. If your levels are whack, chances are that the same is because of the lack of good and healthy habits. Make sure that you avoid doing anything that could end up causing insulin spikes in the body.
Often times, the uncontrolled insulin and blood glucose spikes in the body are responsible for causing the overall issues associated with the higher levels of the A1C.
Let us take a look at some of the natural ways to manage the condition, shall we?
1. Come Up With a Plan
Given the fact that the process to lower your hemoglobin A1C naturally doesn’t come just like that, it is important that you do plan ahead of time to get a better insight into how you can achieve the goal of regulating the levels effectively.
After all, the last thing that anybody wants is to end up suffering through and through with the goals that they have with the process of maintaining their blood glucose levels in the body.
In order to make a plan, you need to focus on the steps you are going to take to help reduce your A1C level in the body.
It could include anything like:
- Losing Weight
- Eating Healthy
- Becoming more active
- Stress management
And so on and so forth. It is completely up to you on how you handle the situation. The only thing to look after is to ensure that you don’t technically end up going overboard with your expectations.
Planning ahead of time also does help you in setting future goals. What this does is a help ensure that you don’t struggle around with anything and can start off with small goals and work your way up to the big ones.
2. Eat Healthily
In order to have a healthy life that doesn’t include diabetes in the list of diseases around, it is always best suggested to ensure that you start eating healthy (R).
There are a number of versions when it comes to discussing about eating healthy. It is dependent sometimes on how one interprets it or how one manages it by consulting their doctors and nutritionist. When we are asking you to eat healthy, we are predominantly
When it comes to discussing about the best diet for diabetes, there are predominantly a number of ways one can discuss about. All that being said, it is not surprising that simple carbs are often a big no when you are looking for ways to lower your A1C levels.
If you are yourself not sure as to which kind of diet will prove out to be best for your health and for the blood glucose levels in your body, it is always best suggested to ensure that you consult a certified nutritionist who will be able to guide you through the process effectively without any kind of issues whatsoever.
3. Lead a More Active Lifestyle
Exercise and an active lifestyle ensure that you do have a much better approach to handling and taming the skyrocketing levels of the Hb A1C levels in the body.
It is not like anyone is telling you to break a bone trying to do a lot of rigorous exercises and such. That is most definitely not the case. Instead, what you can do is effectively look around for ways to align yourself to a much more active lifestyle instead of being a couch potato all day.
You can indulge in any of the workout you want, from something hardcore in the gym to something as simple as walking your dog. The choices are all on you, it all depends on how you manage everything that makes all the difference.
4. Monitor Your Blood Glucose
The best way to lower A1C level overnight is by monitoring the blood glucose levels in the body on a regular basis. This technically might not seem like much but if there are abnormalities in the levels, you would be able to have a quick get back to the same and fight your way through the spiking levels.
It is important that you purchase a glucose monitoring device and check your levels every week or every two weeks to have a better idea about the same.
5. Come up with a Diabetes Management Plan
The best way to tame that and lower A1C level quickly is by having a proper diabetes management plan starting from the doctors to the medication that you are going to take.
What this does is help ensure that you have a set plan in handling the situation without any issues whatsoever.
Some of the musts that one most definitely needs to include in the plan are:
- Doctor contacts
- Emergency contacts
- Medication
- Regular tests
- Plan to manage the blood glucose levels
It is important to ensure that you have everything and everyone on the same page because at the end of the day that is what that matters.
6. Choose Your Carbs Wisely
It is not unknown for diabetes patients that carbs are their worst enemy. If you want to lower hemoglobin A1C level in the body, it is important to ensure that you are choosy with the carbs that you are consuming. Don’t eat everything blindly without knowing their impacts because the same will most definitely reflect on the levels of A1C.
Opt for the complex carbs which take a lot of time to break down and digest and keeps you full throughout. Simple carbs or even refined carbs, on the other hand, have the tendency to end up causing issues with how fast they are broken down after consumption.
What this does is create a spike in the energy levels and then makes your body crash. It is bound to make you feel lethargic, induce unnecessary hunger pangs and even not fill you up.
If you are looking for ways to lower your A1C levels, it is always best suggested to stick to complex carbs and steer clear off of the simple and refined carbs.
7. Focus on Portion Size
Not just the portion size, it is also best suggested to ensure that you stick to a meal which contains all the essential nutrition without a speck of doubt. The last thing you want is to end up repenting not getting enough healthy nutrition inside your body.
Having a portion size fixed also ensures that you are not overeating which is often one of the primary reasons behind the uncontrolled levels of blood glucose in the body.
Thus, in order to lower A1C without meds, the best way to go about with the same is by ensuring that you stick to effective portion sizes.
8. Lose weight
If you have been trying to lose weight and failing, it is best suggested to opt for a trainer and be under the guidance of someone professional. What this does is help ensure that you have a set goal and won’t have to deter from the same.
Losing weight itself will help in preventing the levels of blood glucose to rise unnecessarily and you will witness the results and the drastic changes very effectively.
Start with a healthy diet and ensure that you maintain an active lifestyle as well because the combination of the two has been found to be quite helpful in getting rid of the excess accumulated fat in the body.
9. Practice Mindfulness
Being mindful and focusing your concentration for a few moments does help ensure that you are able to channel in that problem effectively.
Take out at least 5-10 minutes out of your day and meditate without any kind of distractions. This will definitely help in bringing in more zeal to your goals and prevent any kind of issues that you could be facing in accomplishing the goals that you have set.
10. Follow the treatment plan
Stick to the medications and get your blood glucose levels checked out from time to time and make sure to adhere to an effective plan as mentioned along.
All in all, there are a number of ways to lower hemoglobin A1C level and these are just a few of them. It is important to ensure that you follow through and don’t end up getting demotivated through the middle of it. Take your time and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle and the rest will fall into place.