There are two components to blood sugar problems.  One is the blood sugar.  The other is the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas in response to dietary carbohydrates, pure protein intake, sweet foods or overeating.

So just measuring the blood glucose (sugar) is one half of the story, but an important half.  The best way to test is with a glucose challenge test.  In this test, fasting glucose is measured.  Then 75 grams of carbohydrate is eaten or drunk.  Glucose is then measured every half hour or hour until 2 hours pass.  The fasting test should be below 95, the ½ and 1 hour test should be less than 160 and the 2 hour test should be within 10% of where it started when fasting.

The other half of this equation is measuring insulin.  This is done with fasting insulin which should be between 2 and 10.  With insulin measured again 2 hours after the 75 grams of Carbohydrate, the insulin should go to between 20 and 60.

Who should get these tests?  Anyone with high abdominal body fat, fasting sugar > 100, anyone with a triglyceride:HDL ratio of greater than 3, anyone with high blood pressure, anyone with a direct family member with diabetes type 2, people with resistant migraines, yeast infections, eczema on the palms.