2:15pm today: appointment with my endocrinologist at the Barbara Davis Center. Got my A1c checked and it has dropped by a full percentage point - and I have only been doing Paleo for 2 weeks! About 4 weeks ago my A1c was 7.7, now it is down to 6.6! I think this is the lowest A1c reading I have ever had (usually I am around 7-8%) so this diet has meant HUGE progress.
I know there can be all sorts of false readings with A1cs but only 17% of my blood sugar readings were low - if it were over 25% there would be reason for doubt - so this seems to be legit!
An A1c below 6% puts you at very low risk of complications, which is my ultimate goal. 4-6% is a "normal" person's A1c, I am told. Hopefully 4 months from now (my next appt.) will see even further progress!
Lastly, I have been reading in Dr. Bernstein's book that he keeps his A1c at around 4.5% - an incredibly low number. His target blood glucose 24/7, around the clock, is 83 mg/dL. I was told today by my endocrinologist that these numbers are not safe due to the incredibly high risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that you often have when running these kinds of numbers. Also, that the risk of complications increases exponentially once you hit 7% as opposed to keeping it in the 4-6% range. I have yet to make up my mind about which doctor's path I will follow... for now, it is Paleo!
In the meantime we've decreased the amount of insulin I take to accommodate this diet and prevent so many lows.
Definitely an encouraging day!
-Andi
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