| What is considered a healthy fasting insulin level?
| I just had mine checked and the "reference range" listed was  <=17.0 micro
| IU/mL but I never feel the reference ranges are listing what is  optimally
| healthy.
| My fasting insulin was 2.2 but my fasting glucose was  93.

The following is an excerpt from the Protein Power LifePlan (Eades):

"We consider normal fasting insulin levels to be anything under 10 mg/dl.
Anything above 10 mg/dl we consider to be abnormal and an indication of
insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

"...[A two-hour post glucose insulin evaluation] will uncover those people
who oversecreate insulin in response to food, an important bit of
information, since many people who have normal fasting levels will have a
much higher than normal two-hour insulin level.

A major study has found that, in general, men with insulin resistance will
usually have an elevated fasting insulin level, while women with insulin
resistance tend to have much higher two-hour insulin response. So people,
especially women, with a normal fasting insulin level but whose symptoms or
history suggest insulin resistance should have a two-hour insulin test
done."

The Eades then point out a similar test, the insulin challenge test, that
they feel has the most utility and provides the most information as to an
individual's insulin resistance status.  In this test, a small amount of
insulin is administered intravenously to a patient who has fasted
overnight.

Rob