If Your A1c Is O.M.G., Do These 3 Things.

Has your doctor given you a talkin’ to about your A1c number?  That is never a fun conversation.  And it can leave you more confused than you were at the start when they don’t take the time to explain just what all the fuss is about.  I’ll break it down for you right now.  

When you take action upon what I’m sharing, you can lower your A1c without a pill, potion, patch, or powdered concoction and ultimately render your doc speechless.  And you can do it in 90 days or less.    

In this short post, you’ll learn 3 simple rules-of-thumb to lower your A1c from O.M.G. to W.T.G.* in 90 days! (*Way To Go) 

What is your A1c?

Before we dive into the 3 rules-of-thumb, let's review what your A1c is and why it matters to you.  Think of your A1c as a crystal ball.  It gives your doctor a peek into the past life of your average red blood cell.   “A1c” is short for Hemoglobin A1c, abbreviated as HbA1c as well.  The A is for “Adult” of which the vast majority is type 1, subtype c.  Hemoglobin A1c is most directly correlated with Type 2 Diabetes (what used to be called Adult Onset Diabetes) and is why this particular protein is tested.  

Specifically, A1c is the average level of glycated HbA1c in the body over the previous 90 days.  Why 90 days?  That is the average lifetime of one of our red blood cells.  For some it's longer; others it's shorter.  

In other words, this test indicates what percentage of hemoglobin is coated with glucose (glycated).  Hemoglobin is a protein in Red Blood Cells (RBC) that transports oxygen throughout the body and gives the RBC its red color.  

Your A1c number directly correlates with your average blood glucose levels for said 90-ish day period.  The more glucose in your blood over that 90 day period, the higher your A1c level.  This is a trend that helps us know whether your body's ability to control your blood glucose is working in your favor or not.  

Sugar-Coated Collateral Damage

Think of this glycated hemoglobin as tiny spikes (sugar crystal coating) on a disc (RBC) bouncing around in the blood vessels.  This spiked disc can leave damage in its wake, especially in areas of turbulence and in the narrow capillaries.  A capillary is only wide enough to allow one RBC to pass through at a time...like a single file line.

The higher your A1c, the more spikes present on the RBC.  The more spikes on an RBC, the more potential for leaving collateral damage in its wake.

Can you visualize how this could be a problem for your vessels, especially those damaged by chronic inflammation?  And if a capillary is built for ONE single RBC to pass through, how much damage might occur if the RBC is coated in sugar (glucose)?

The higher the percentage (the A1c number), the more crystallized sugar on its surface.

How Low Can You Go? 

You want your A1c number as low as possible.   Ideally less than 5. Probably goes without saying after reading thus far.  But it is worth stating.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S., the recommended levels are as follows:  

“A normal A1C level is below 5.7%, a level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and a level of 6.5% or more indicates diabetes. Within the 5.7% to 6.4% prediabetes range, the higher your A1C, the greater your risk is for developing type 2 diabetes.”

So how do you go about lowering your A1c without a pill, patch, potion, or powdered concoction?

Before I get into that, if you are currently on a drug to lower your blood sugar or A1c more specifically, do NOT attempt any major change without discussing said change with your prescribing doctor.  You could lower your blood sugar too much, ultimately ending up in a hypoglycemic crisis.  The 3 simple rules-of-thumb I'm about to share, when combined, are that powerful.  And results happen quickly.  Safety first.

My 3 Rules-Of-Thumb To Lower Your A1c From O.M.G. To W.T.G.!

If you're concerned about an A1c that's steadily creeping up and your doctor's giving you "the look", here's what you do:

Número Uno...Stop Eating & Drinking All White Stuff.

If it's a sugar, a starch, some sort of milk product, or a fruit with white inside, do not eat or drink it!

The one white food exception to this statement is cauliflower. "White broccoli" is good for you.

Rule-of-thumb with the fruit.  If you bite into it and it is white-ish inside (apple / banana / blueberry), spit it out!  Kidding (not really kidding).  Just don’t put it IN in the first place.  

While I'm at it, until further notice, do not drink any kind of fruit juice (no matter the color).  It's just liquid sugar without the fiber!  No bueno on all levels in my book.  

When consumed, these foods/drinks flood your bloodstream with glucose.  To which your body responds by increasing insulin.  And if your A1c is on the high side...your cells are already marinating in insulin.  Therefore eating these white things douses gasoline on the fire!

Best solution, stop eating these white foods for now.  I didn’t say forever, just for now.

Número Dos...Stop Grazing. 

You do not need to eat every 2-3 hours to keep your blood sugar balanced or to avoid the ever-so-scary sounding "starvation mode".  Nor do you need to "stoke your metabolism" by eating and drinking at any and all opportunities during waking hours.

These recommendations are just Conventional Wisdom B.S..  

Here's what you do instead.  

1. Eat real meals.  Full meals.  No snacks.
2. Eat at a table without distractions.  No TV.  No mindless social media scrolling.  Be present.
3. Enjoy your food and the company, or the quiet if dining solo.
4. Be mindful of the eating experience.  No shoving food down your gullet as you run from fire to fire...unless you ARE a firefighter, then by all means run, but chew first.  No CPR for you today, okay?

Número Tres...Join A Low-Fat Dieter's Recovery Group, STAT.

Seriously, that whole Low-Fat Lie was the WORST nutrition advice ever!!  And all based on junk science.  My blog titled, ‘Eating Fat Makes You Fat’ And Other Big Fat Lies You Need To Stop Believing dives into that topic in detail.

Fat, especially the saturated kind, is a necessity for healthy cells, healthy brains, healthy hormones...essentially healthy humans.  Embrace naturally sourced fats like coconut oil, avocado, first-press olive oil, butter from grass fed cows, ghee (which is butter without the milk solids), walnut oil, olives...you catch my drift.  Real food sources.

If the fat (solid) or oil (liquid) is a natural fatty food, eat it.  If it was made in a lab or in a plant (not by a plant, but in one -- important point of distinction), do not eat it.  The stuff made "in" a plant goes through a little process known as RBD.  That stands for Refined, Bleached and, wait for it...Deodorized!  Do I really need to elaborate?  I mean, "ewww and gross!"

In summation: 

• Say NO to white foods (and drinks).
• Stop grazing like a ruminant animal.
• Eat natural fats.

Follow these 3 rules-of-thumb and watch your A1c go down in 90 days!  Send me a shout out when it does.  I love to hear success stories!

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