Thanks for such a great discussion! I live in the US. I have insurance with a high deductible...I think it's $4500/year...so I can't afford any medical care. Not sure how long it's been since I've had any lab work. Perhaps 2 years or more, BUT I monitor my blood glucose levels throughout the day at least. A few days ago I paid a cash only lab to check my fasting insulin level, A1c, along with a lot of other tests. Hoping to get the results on Friday.
Since starting the low carb/low carb keto diet 4 years ago, I got a lot better, lost 25 pounds but over the last three years have regained 18 pounds back. Now that we're through the holidays, I decided to revisit Jason Fung's books and try fasting to lose weight as I continue on my lchf/keto diet. Lost 3 pounds fairly quickly which probably is not water weight because I'm already in ketosis.
The purpose of the lab work was to give me a baseline to compare to every couple of months, also to see how my results compare to my last results 2 years ago.
So long as I'm physically active, I can knock down a high glucose level with a brisk 20 to 60 minute walk. The reason I'm interested in knowing my fasting insulin level, in addition to my glucose levels through the day, is because it occurred to me that my habit of having a treat then walking it off may be working against me. By that I mean, I may be knocking the glucose down with the walk but pushing the insulin level up with the sweet treat.
I'm very curious about this. Any thoughts?