As you probably know by now, maintaining a normal blood sugar level is one of the most important things you can do to better your health. Regardless of a person’s health condition, many times it can be traced back to blood sugar imbalances. Whether the condition (or symptom) is directly related to blood sugar imbalances or not, it’s still worth looking into because excessively high or low blood sugar (or excessive blood sugar fluctuations) can be an impediment to healing any condition and general well-being.
I’ve written many articles in relation to blood sugar, some of which can be found via this link. Without going into detail, here’s a list of some different conditions that blood sugar imbalances can cause or contribute to:
- pain and inflammation
- fatigue and malaise
- weight gain and inability to lose weight
- mental and emotional disturbances
- thyroid, adrenal, gonadal and other hormonal imbalances
- digestive disturbances
- weakened immunity and infections
- high cholesterol and high triglycerides
- diabetes and Syndrome X
- etc., etc., etc….
THE BEST TEST TO MEASURE BLOOD SUGAR
So what’s the best (blood) test that can be run to help measure blood sugar levels? It’s called “HbA1c”, hemoglobin A1c, glycated hemoglobin, or glycosylated hemoglobin. This test measures the percentage of glucose (or blood sugar) that’s attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule on red blood cells. Red blood cells circulate for about four months before being replaced, and during that time they accumulate glucose. So, the more glucose in the blood stream, the higher the HbA1c level will be. This test is considered to give a reading for levels of blood glucose over the previous two to three months. Because some red blood cells are immature and some are ready to be replaced, two to three months as opposed to four is a reasonable estimate.
This happens to be the gold standard for monitoring a diabetic’s blood sugar level. But I think everyone should have this test run at least once a year. As mentioned, it gives us a window into blood sugar levels over the past two to three months, whereas a simple “glucose” test only reports one moment in time per se. Therefore, it can help spot a blood sugar problem before it gets too far out of control. Third, it can help to monitor progress to see if your lifestyle, treatment, and/or doctor’s recommendations are working properly.
There is one caveat though. If you’ve been having large fluctuations between high and low blood sugar, which is fairly common, your HbA1c can wind up looking normal. This is because the highs and lows will eventually average out and give a seemingly normal result. However, I more often see that the “glucose” level on a blood test is normal, but the HbA1c is too high or low. This is exactly why this test is so important! The body strives very hard to maintain normal blood sugar at every moment of the day. After all, your brain requires glucose as fuel to function. So again, it’s common for someone’s blood “glucose” level to look normal, as it’s just that moment in time. But when you look deeper, with HbA1c, the real truth comes out.
APPLIED KINESIOLOGY
I consider blood tests to be of utmost importance in evaluating my patients’ health. But I also consider my in-office exam as important, if not more so. As an applied kinesiologist, there are several methods I use in my office to determine if a person has a blood sugar imbalance. Additionally, applied kinesiology can help determine the cause of a blood sugar imbalance. And even if diet is the primary cause, applied kinesiology methods can be used to find out which organ(s) and/or gland(s) need to be supported in order to achieve balance in the body.
I prefer to order this test every time I request blood work. Because very often it’s out of range even when the patient doesn’t show obvious signs or symptoms of blood sugar imbalances. It can be quite an eye-opener.
Lastly, certain conditions that affect red blood cells adversely can render HbA1c inaccurate. However, these are usually genetic conditions that the patient is already aware of.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below.
Dr. Rob D’Aquila – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology – Board Certified Teacher of Applied Kinesiology – NYC Chiropractor