How to Lower Your A1C Naturally
Learning that your A1C is high can feel overwhelming, but it does not always mean you will need lifelong medication.
What is A1C?
The hemoglobin A1C is a simple, one-time blood test that measures your average blood glucose levels over a period of up to three months. Anything above 5.7% is considered above normal, so steps should be taken to lower it.
Rapid A1C Testing in Liberty Hill, TX
Aspire Family Medical offers rapid A1C testing using the Abbott Afinion 2, with results available during your appointment. This cutting-edge testing equipment allows our healthcare team to obtain rapid, accurate results in real time, enabling immediate decisions for our patients’ diabetes and weight-loss care within the same appointment and allowing our providers to educate our patients about these changes during the appointment. Reviewing results during your appointment helps support timely, personalized care.
How Can You Help Lower Your A1C Naturally?
Review Your Diet
If you want to lower your A1C naturally, the best place to start is to look at your eating habits. Tracking what you eat can help you better understand how different foods affect your blood sugar. Building balanced meals with vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates can help support steadier blood sugar levels. A food tracking app such as MyFitnessPal may help you spot patterns and identify areas for improvement.
Prep Meals Ahead of Time
After tracking your habits for a while, you may begin to notice patterns and set realistic nutrition goals. Meal planning can make it easier to include balanced portions of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates throughout the week.
Simple meal prep ideas include cooking a batch of whole grains for the week or preparing easy breakfasts such as overnight oats or egg-and-veggie muffins. These options can help make balanced meals more convenient at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Focus on Whole Foods
Foods that are minimally processed—like apples instead of applesauce, or potatoes instead of potato chips—generally have more nutrients with fewer calories. Choosing whole grains over refined grains may also support healthier blood sugar levels.
Drink More Water
Staying well hydrated is an important part of overall health. For people with elevated blood sugar, drinking enough water may help support normal body function and reduce the effects of dehydration. Higher blood sugar can increase urination, which may raise the risk of dehydration.
Prioritize Movement
Regular physical activity can help with weight management and improve insulin sensitivity, which helps your body use blood sugar more effectively. Choose activities you enjoy, whether that's a walk with a friend, swimming at your local pool, or playing soccer in the park with your grandkids.
Start slowly, then gradually increase the time of your workouts. Your goal should be at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity most days of the week, along with two days of strength training.
Check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have underlying health concerns.
Rapid A1C Testing in Liberty Hill
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults aged 45 and older receive a hemoglobin A1C test to assess their risk of prediabetes or diabetes.Screening may also be recommended earlier for people who are overweight or have other diabetes risk factors. At Aspire Family Medical in Liberty Hill, TX, we offer Abbott Labs Afinion 2 for rapid A1C testing, which can be completed during your scheduled appointment.
A hemoglobin A1C (also known as a hemoglobin A1C test or an HbA1c test) is a blood test that can provide information about average blood sugar levels. This test can help monitor blood sugar control in people with diabetes and may also help identify prediabetes or diabetes in patients who have not yet been diagnosed.
With the Afinion™ System, there’s no need to send our patients to the lab or spend time tracking down their results. At Aspire Family Medical, we are patient-first, and having technology like the Afinion System helps us focus on what matters most — time with our patients. This system produces results in minutes, so you can get peace of mind and hear directly from your healthcare team at the same appointment.