Think of an A1C as a baseball player’s batting average; which is an average of how many hits a player has over a period of time, and an A1C is an average of how much sugar was consumed in the past three months.

A normal A1C is 4 – 5.9

Poorly controlled is 8+

Controlled is <7

Roughly speaking, you want to keep your A1C between 6 and 7, the lower the better.

So how to lower your A1C? Medication can lower your blood sugar level by 31%, but diet and exercise can decrease it by 52%.

Start by MOVING MORE, get active. That doesn’t mean run a marathon, but it might mean walking around the block or to the mail box, walk the dog, or ride a stationary bike.

EAT LESS. Whatever you’re eating, just eat less. Make this the new norm, then take a nutrition class. Almost all major medical insurances cover this in your neighborhood.

KNOW YOUR A1C.  Just like a baseball player wouldn’t know if his average is improving or not if he didn’t know his average, you wouldn’t know if you’re lowering your A1C if you don’t know what it is.

FOLLOW your primary care physician’s DIRECTIONS as close as humanly possible.

Remember, the A1C is an average, so don’t let one bad day make you give up, work on having more good days than bad, and you will see your A1C come down.