Thank you, USMC Brat. Guess I am in for an education. don’t even know what an A1c is, much less what mine would be. The only things I’ve learned so far is how to do a blood sugar test and to stay away from sugar and fatty foods.
Since your MD has told you that you have Type-1 Diabetes, and proceeded with insulin therapy, I'm very surprised s/he didn't explain the A1c test to you and/or tell you what yours is. That's information you need to know. Usually the first out-of-range A1c is followed with a new A1c to confirm results. Some people will have a out-of-range depending on what time they last ate a meal in relation to the test.
The A1c blood test (a/k/a glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c) shows a 90-day Average Blood Glucose. This test is performed after a 12-14 hour fasting period... nothing to eat or drink except water for that period of time. A non-diabetic will have an A1c of 4% to 6%, a pre-diabetic is above 6% and below 7%, a diabetic A1c is +7%.
Blood glucose monitor readings in a Non-diabetic never exceeds 100, whether fasting or two-hours after meal. In a diabetic (with controlled diabetes) the fasting -before meal- reading will be between 70 and 120; Two-hours after a meal the reading will be between 90 and 150.
Most Blood Glucose Monitors now have the "Average" feature, which will help you determine what your approximate Blood Glucose (BG) level is. The average will change every time you take a new reading. Many meters also allow the user to "Mark" the reading "Before Meal" or "After Meal", plus additional details such as "Mild Exercise" "Hard Exercise" "Illness", etc.
Most people when first diagnosed are required to take their blood glucose readings 4 times daily and write them down. First is right when you wake up before anything by mouth; Second is 2-Hours AFTER breakfast; Third is just BEFORE lunch or dinner; Fourth is at bed-time (at least 2 hours after eating and marked accordingly). The memory on Monitors will only hold between 30 and 60 readings, it helps the MD to see all of them in making decisions about medications. (My written records is how my MD determined I was dangerously over-medicated during my first 3 months, -A1c went from 10.4 down to 4.6 with a 36-pound weight-loss - and two meds were eliminated.)
As I learned from my own Diabetes Educator, I recommend all patients in my classes to ask for and maintain all Lab Results. Insist on having a copy for your own records so that you can see/monitor your changes. Take your Lab Records with you to any new doctor appts.
Yes you will need to avoid/greatly limit refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, it's important to understand that all food is sugar. Our body will metabolize all foods into one or more of several different sugars. Safe alternatives for sugar are Stevia, Sweet-n-Low (the PINK pack), and Xylotol. Stevia is from a green plant, all natural with health promoting benefits.
Avoid also "bleached" and "enriched" white flour. The bleaching process leaves behind a toxin called "Alloxan", as well as stripping all nutritional value from the whole grain. This is why it's "enriched", to add some chemical nutrients back to the bleached flour that were destroyed in processing. It's far better to stick with 100% Whole Grains, read the label and look for the first ingredient to say "100% Whole (any grain)".
White and Red Potatos (carbs) need to be limited to one 4-inch potato per week, preferably with skin. They are among the highest on the glycemic index. They are very quickly metabolized into sugar, it's like eating pure sugar. As a test, take a small boiled potato and mash it up, then add some sugar to it... it quickly dissolves into liquid. Sweet Potatos also need to be limited, but they are more fiberous and similar to squash.
I've likely given you more information than you ever wanted in one sitting, but it's all important. If you'd like me to share my daily supplement regimin, which has impressed my MD by my success, just say the word.
Hang in there Jim. Prayers are with you! {{HUGS}}