A handful of clients over the past couple of weeks have mentioned that they were reading Glucose Revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar by Jessie Inchauspé. They'd been experimenting with the 10 hacks the book proposes to balance glucose and found them very doable and worthwhile. Their excitement piqued my curiosity so I read the book. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect--and I was quite pleasantly surprised! I too found the book to be insightful and that the hacks are very easily incorporated into anyone’s daily routine. And, it's based on good research.

I don’t think it’s lost on most of my readers that managing blood sugar is a common challenge in our modern world. But did you know that blood sugar imbalance can contribute to a host of symptoms: fatigue, weakness, disrupted sleep, heart racing, light headedness, constant hunger, food cravings, acne, inflammation, mood instability, frequent illness, brain fog, anxiety, depression, indigestion, hormonal imbalances, difficulty losing weight? Also, if you have been diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or PCOS, managing blood sugar is of utmost importance. 

The basic idea to maintain good health is that it is important to keep your glucose levels as constant as possible. After you eat, it is normal for blood glucose to increase. Generally speaking, the more carbohydrates/sugars one eats in one sitting, the greater the spike. An increase in glucose triggers the body to release insulin to bring the glucose levels back down. This dynamic becomes a problem when the spikes are too big and too frequent. Eventually the body’s insulin response becomes less effective, which leads to disease. Furthermore, the big spikes cause the symptoms listed above.  

The appeal of the 10 hacks offered in Glucose Revolution is that it isn’t a diet; rather, it's a method to flatten the curve of blood glucose. Of course, it is best to eat a healthy and varied diet; however, this method allows for occasional treats without upsetting the apple cart too much. Also, it offers a way to manage blood sugar even with a healthy diet that is focused on protein, vegetables, and healthy carbohydrates. 

Inchauspé explains that while everyone responds to different foods in different ways, these hacks will benefit everyone. If someone wants to do a deeper dive into understanding how their body responds to various foods, they can use a continuous glucose monitor for a short time. There are many services available to do just that. One company that Inchauspé mentions in her book is Zoe.

You might be wondering what these hacks are. I'll just give you the most important hack, because I do recommend that you read the book, as Inschauspé does a great job of explaining how blood glucose works and how foods affect it. The most important hack is about eating foods in the correct order to slow down the absorption of glucose: fiber first (vegetables/salad), protein second (meat, seafood, beans, nuts), carbohydrates third (grains, breads, starches), and fruit or dessert fourth. This alone can make a big difference. 

If you aren’t quite ready to read the book, you can look up Jessie Inchauspé on Instagram @glucosegoddess. There you will find many more helpful tidbits of information.