The glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) test is a simple test that can detect the blood glucose level of glycosylated hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is a protein of red blood cells in the human body. When glucose enters the blood, it will react with hemoglobin and finally get glycosylated hemoglobin. Therefore, the more glucose in the blood, the more glycosylated blood red will be obtained.
Whether the control of diabetes is effective, glycosylated hemoglobin level is a crucial indicator. An individual’s glycosylated hemoglobin level depends on the following factors, including age and personal medical history.
Most people’s glycosylated hemoglobin levels remain below 7%. You can reduce the risk of complications of diabetes by keeping the glycosylated hemoglobin level below the standard range.
Although it is important to plan a long-term diabetes control plan with your doctor, here are some ways to help you quickly reduce glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Small changes pile up slowly, and there will be great surprises.
Eat beans and bean products
Legumes are a kind of food that diabetes patients should often eat because they have low calories and low glycemic index and can provide various essential nutrients for the human body. In addition, they are very rich in nutrition.
Often eating legumes can significantly stabilize blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Not only are beans common to us, but all kinds of common bean products are also good therapeutic choices for diabetes patients, such as tofu and soybean milk, which have high nutritional value.
Harvard University Health Service Center proposed that half a cup (about 118 ml) of coffee beans can provide one-third of the total amount of fiber required by the human body every day. Therefore, we can see that bean food is a very ideal and perfect food.
Eat more healthy fruits and vegetables
The daily diet of diabetes patients should contain some vegetables and fruits. Generally, fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and dietary fiber, increasing the sense of satiety and reducing the postprandial blood glucose level.
Moreover, many vegetables and fruits are generally rich in antioxidant substances, such as anthocyanins and vitamins, which can stabilize the daily blood glucose level and make the glycosylated hemoglobin level of patients with diabetes more stable.
Eat nuts and fish
Some common nuts and fish in our life, such as tuna, salmon, carp, crucian carp, salmon, etc., can provide a large amount of high-quality protein and rich nutrition for the human body with omega-3 fatty acids. Also, it is beneficial to reduce insulin resistance, make the blood glucose level more stable, and often supplement this nutrient, which is also helpful to prevent and treat the complications of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
All kinds of nuts (walnuts, cashews, peanuts, etc.) also contain many unsaturated fatty acids, which can significantly reduce the cholesterol level in the blood. Therefore, it is also very beneficial in preventing and treating various complications.
Choose fat-free milk and yogurt
Milk has comprehensive nutrition and is low in calories. It is one of the most suitable drinks for diabetes patients, especially fat-free milk and yogurt, which can provide a lot of calcium and vitamin D to the human body. They are conducive to blood glucose control and weight reduction, especially vitamin D, an essential nutrient for preventing and treating common complications.
Eat fewer foods high in fat and cholesterol
Many common foods in our life, such as candy, preserves, cakes, potato chips, and other fried foods, will lead to a surge of blood sugar and naturally affect the glycosylated hemoglobin level of diabetes patients.
Many foods with high natural sugar content, such as berries, some fruits, and low-fat cheese, can meet the taste needs of sugar patients. In addition, these foods contain natural sugar, which will not lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar. It is also very beneficial to stabilize the level of glycosylated hemoglobin.
Add cinnamon to the food
Cinnamon is a common condiment in our kitchen. Although it is slightly sweet, scientific data show that eating half a teaspoon (about 2 ml) of cinnamon daily can significantly improve insulin resistance.
Diabetes patients can try to make tea with cinnamon or sprinkle cinnamon powder on fruits, vegetables, or meat and cook with cinnamon to achieve the daily intake of cinnamon. It can significantly improve the taste and help control the glycosylated hemoglobin level.
Drink enough water
For diabetes patients, it is also very important to drink enough water every day. Here we mainly talk about boiled water, not soda or carbonated drinks. Soda, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, or other types of sugary drinks can lead to increased blood sugar and weight gain, and various additives in them can aggravate the onset of some complications.
Research shows that adding an appropriate amount of water every day can avoid dehydration. Drinking more and urinating more is a protective measures for the body. Diabetes patients must not be afraid or give up adding water because of this symptom. Otherwise, it will fluctuate blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels and cause other discomfort symptoms.
Try high-intensity exercise in a short time
According to the research proposed at the 2015 American Heart Association scientific conference, those who exercise for 10 minutes three times a day, five days a week, have a heart rate of 85% in type 2 diabetic patients, which is twice as high as those who exercise for 30 minutes a day and have a heart rate of 65%. Therefore, before high-intensity exercise, let the doctor check and wear a heart detector to avoid excessive exercise.
Reduce your bowl
Eat with smaller bowls instead of larger ones. This simple exchange can trick your eyes and brain into thinking that you eat more than you actually do to satisfy you with less food. This is especially helpful for starchy foods. For example, there is not much pasta in a large bowl, but it will be filled in a small bowl. So you can see the difference.
Eat more whole food
Choose whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than fruit juice. This will prevent your blood sugar from soaring. When you eat an apple or an orange, you absorb fiber, which helps your body slow down the rapid absorption of sugar.
On the other hand, fruit juice removes all the fiber, so the sugar goes directly into the blood. In addition, the fiber of the whole food helps you stay less hungry for longer, so you’ll eat less.
Get enough sleep – but not too much
A 2013 study found that whether physical activity, diet, obesity, or depression, longer or shorter sleep was associated with higher glycosylated hemoglobin. The results show that those who sleep more than 7.4 hours and less than 6.5 hours may increase the risk of hyperglycemia. (However, the researchers did not study the quality of sleep.)
Record your results
Keep the habit of recording blood test results, what you eat, what exercise or activity you do, how you feel, etc. All this information can help you and your doctor determine how your blood sugar levels affect your diet and lifestyle and can be used to improve your diabetes control plan.
