A fasting glucose blood test is only one of two tests that should be done if diabetes is suspected - the other is the A1C blood test. The fasting test can be fine and dandy on the day the test is done - it's a snapshot of that timeframe. The A1C, however, is a 3 month weighted average of how your blood sugar has been over time. It measures how much glucose is sticking to your red blood cells (a red blood cell has an average lifespan of 3 months). For instance, my dad (79 yrs young) had perfect fasting glucose tests but his A1C was trending upward and was approaching definitely diabetic ranges. He cut his carbs, got more exercise, and the A1C number dropped back into the normal range again. Odds are, it's insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to diabetes but with care can stop right there and never progress.
And yeah, it's really an adventure balancing a mostly vegetarian eating style with diabetes - meat has zero carbs; beans, nuts, legumes, tofu/soy, dairy/eggs (the basic veg proteins) all have some level of carb to them - a serving of firm tofu has 2 to 3 grams of carb vs. a 4 oz serving of steak which has zero. A cup of milk has somewhere around 12 or 13 grams of carbs if memory serves, a cup of almond milk (unsweetened, unflavored) has 4 (good thing I like plain almond milk). Fruits and veggies all have carbs (even if it's just a little). The fiber in most things is great for offsetting part of the carb intake but not all. A lovely baked sweet potato (without all the brown sugar and marshmallow and all) is still mostly carb so I have to watch the portion size closely.
The big plus, however, is that veg eating is great for keeping my cholesterol level in check and is generally heart-healthy (diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular issues). By eating veg-ish, I am keeping my LDL below 100 (where the dr wants it) sans medications - yippee!
--Deb R
