Glucose level, metabolic syndrome, and dieting

Question
Over the last four years, my fasting glucose has crept up from 91mg/dl to 98 mg/dl.  According to the reference range used by the lab, more than 99mg/dl would be impaired. Is fasting glucose affected by diet?  I eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet, and I try to go light on the simple carbs.  Would it help to go even lighter on the simple carbs? Can you suggest anything else to improve my glucose level? Thank you for your generous help.

Answer
Hello Herb,

Yes, what you eat has a strong influence on your fasting glucose level.

Unless your doctor instructed you differently, you might want to _increase_ your "good" fat intake. Recent research showed that low fat diet can negatively affect carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar levels while low-carb, high-good-fat diets help normailzing it.

If you have another signs that often go together with elevated glucose, you might want to learn more about metabolic syndrome. These signs are:

1. Waist circumference greater than 40" (men) or 35" (women)

2. Blood (serum) levels of triglycerides above 150 mg/dL

3. "Good" cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins, HDL) below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women.

4. Blood pressure above 130/85 mm Hg.

Read more here:
http://atkinszone-faq.blogspot.com/2010/05/am-i-metabolically-resistant.html

= TZ

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