Ask The Nutritionist

Q. Dear Lory, RD
I was informed that my fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C were elevated.
Can you tell me what this means? And what should I do to lower these
numbers.

Thanks,
Paula, C.
Henderson, NV

A. Dear Paula,
First of all, a fasting glucose is a measurement of the concentration of
glucose in plasma presently  after a patient has not been eating for at
least 8 hours.  A level < 100mg/dL is optimal. As the fasting glucose rises,
so does the risk for diabetes. A fasting glucose 100-125mg/dL may be an
indication of Pre-Diabetes. A fasting glucose level of 126 and above
warrants additional testing,  possibly an oral glucose tolerance test to
determine diabetes.  Any patient with two fasting plasma glucose levels of
126 mg per dL  or greater is considered to have diabetes mellitus.

The  HgbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) is a blood test that indicates a patient's
average blood glucose level for the past two to three months. It works by
measuring the percentage of blood glucose attached to hemoglobin, the
oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood glucose
levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with glucose attached. An A1C level
between 6 and 6.5 percent indicates pre-diabetes. A level greater than 6.5
percent on two separate tests indicates diabetes.

As far as ways to lower your glucose level, I can't stress enough the
importance of receiving education from a professional in the field of
nutrition. A registered dietitian would be able to point out the habits that
may be contributing to your elevated glucose levels. Also, being overweight
or obese and/or inactive can have a bearing on how well a body can handle
glucose levels efficiently. So if you need to lose weight or take up an
activity or make and execute an exercise plan, this could be discussed with
the registered dietitian as well.

I hope this helps, and remember, just because you may have been diagnosed
with pre-diabetes, does not mean your destiny is to become diabetic. This is
a warning to balance your life in order to avoid diabetes in the future.

 You are investing both time and money on fertility treatments so meeting with a registered dietitian together and making the lifestyle changes necessary to bring about healthy weight loss would ultimately be a protection of your investment.  

Sincerely,

Lory, RD

Q. Dear Lory, RD
My mother and  both of my sisters have type 2 diabetes. So, how important is
it to watch what I eat if I am destined to get it anyway?

Just asking,

Tricia P.
Las Vegas, NV

Hi Tricia,

I hear this a lot from my patients, they do not see the importance of
changing their habits if their family has Type 2 diabetes. In fact many of
my patients are downright apathetic about lifestyle changes because they
believe if it is going to happen anyway, might as well "enjoy myself now".

Well, my answer to your question is that it is VERY important to change
lifestyle habits if type 2 diabetes is in your family. Type 2 diabetes is
not solely a genetic disease.  Type 2 diabetes may "run in families"
because of environmental reasons such as the families having the same eating
habits; larger portions, heavily caloric foods, lack of exercise, etc.

Type 2 diabetes used to be coined "adult onset diabetes" because we rarely
saw it in younger patients. Now that children are becoming sedentary and
eating larger and less nutritious meals, we are seeing Type 2 diabetes as
early as 3-4 years old!

Type 2 diabetes was also termed "non-insulin dependant diabetes", (NIDD) but
did you know if you do not take care of your health and conform to a
healthier lifestyle, you can become insulin dependant later on? Gaining
additional weight and not controlling the amount of carbohydrates you
consume will further tax your pancreas and this organ will not be able to
provide the body with adequate insulin to lower the amount of sugar in your
blood stream.

So, it is important to look at family history, but when it comes to type 2
diabetes, it is more important to break the cycle. You are not necessarily
destined to become a type 2 diabetic just because your family has type 2
diabetes.

It is important to maintain a healthy weight, eat balanced meals, and
exercise regularly. A Registered Dietitian is the professional that can help
you better balance your lifestyle and move away from type 2 diabetes.

I hope you find this helpful,

Sincerely,

Lory, RD
 

Please fill out this brief form to submit your nutrition questions to Lory Hayon our Registered Dietition and Nutritionist.