Do You Think You're Safe With a 6% A1c?

Originally published May 2010

 There is a big debate out there about what is best for diabetics:  tightly controlled blood sugars with a higher risk of hypoglycemia or more loosely controlled blood sugars with a lower risk of hypoglycemia.

Many doctors and the American Diabetes Association like your A1c to be around a 6.5%.  After all, hypoglycemia kills quickly and there is a fear of being sued by patients who had been told to keep tight control.

Yet, damage occurs to the body when blood sugar levels are a tiny bit too high.  So doesn’t it seem like diabetics should aim for non-diabetic glucose levels?

Considering how great I feel at 90 and how bad I feel at 150, I think that uh yeah, I do deserve to have non-diabetic glucose numbers.

I just read an excellent interview over at Diabetes Daily with Dr. Bernstein whose advice I have taken in order to lower my A1c below 5%. 

It is a long interview but, quite shocking and informative.  I strongly urge you to read it here. 

Something to think about:  the main reason many people say they wouldn’t follow Dr. Bernstein’s advice is because they have been told by their doctor that their A1c of 6% is perfectly fine.  Another reason is that they say they don’t have the discipline to follow the advice about a low or lower carb diet.

Well, so you and I either work up some discipline or suffer the consequences right? 

I know diabetes is hard and I know you just want to eat that spaghetti.  Me too.  But, don’t you want to keep your sight and limbs?  Don’t you want to be able to see your grandkids grow up?  Well, I do.  And if you want, you can say I’m as stubborn as a mule (my husband already does).  But, it is one thing or the other.  We don’t eat what we shouldn’t and have great diabetes management or we enjoy our pancakes and struggle with that post 200 reading.  Obviously what we eat is just part of what we must do.  It has a huge influence on our diabetes, however, so we should take it very seriously. 

I mean you take your meds right?  Maybe food should be looked at like a prescribed medicine.

I have often stated the mental aspect of diabetes is the most difficult.  And I have written on the subject of discipline.

Check out here: my widely read article on Diabetes, self-discipline, and a paradigm shift Part 1 and Part 2.

And keep up the good fight.  You’re worth it.