Do you want to have more control over your health and reverse the disease? The Goddess of Glucose has some simple lifehacks that will set you on your way as soon as possible

For a long time, most of us thought about blood sugar in the context of diabetes. These days, we hear terms like glucose, glycemia, insulin resistanceAND metabolic health much more frequently, and many of us realize that many spikes and dips in our blood sugar lead to both short-term and long-term health problems.

French biochemist Jessie Inchausp known as the goddess of glucose on Instagram and author of new book, The Goddess of Glucose Methodhe’s excited that glucose is having a moment in the spotlight. She is convinced that each of us can live healthier, happier lives simply by balancing our blood sugar, and she can point to the science to prove it.

Glucose spikes trigger a wide range of symptoms and conditions, from sugar cravings and chronic fatigue to brain fog, psoriasis and so many other health conditions, Inchausp says. I believe these symptoms are our bodies talking to us, trying to tell us about the glucose roller coaster they were on.

So how can we get off the blood sugar roller coaster to feel better and become healthier? We asked Inchausp to share some of the science-backed hacks in his new book, as well as why they’re so powerful when it comes to setting anyone on the path to better health starting now.

A CONVERSATION WITH JESSIE INCHAUSP

OK, can we start with what exactly is glucose for those of us who need a refresher?

YES! Glucose is our body’s preferred source of energy. Every cell in our body uses glucose to perform its function: our lung cells use glucose to breathe, our brain uses it to think, our heart uses it to pump blood, and so on. The main way we supply our body with glucose is by eating it and it is mostly found in carbohydrates and sugary foods.

However, when we take in too much glucose too quickly after eating, we experience what’s called a glucose spike. After the glucose high, we experience a dramatic drop in glucose. This glucose roller coaster happens to all of us, not just those with diabetes! Over the past five years or so, scientists have started to notice that even if you don’t have pre-diabetes or diabetes, you can have these glucose spikes and dips, which come with symptoms. You might think you’re just someone who gets really angry or craves junk food, or you’re just one of those people who is tired all the time. However, the science is clear that these symptoms and many more could actually be the result of glucose dysregulation.

Instead of seeing those symptoms as something to suppress, what if you saw them as your body trying to talk to you?

Many people think the only way to avoid glucose spikes is to cut out all carbohydrates. But you argue that this is unnecessary, right?

One way to avoid glucose spikes is to cut out all carbs, yes. But that’s not funny! And it’s not sustainable. When I looked into the science, I realized you can still eat the starches and sugars you love, with far less impact on your glucose, by incorporating a few habits into your day. These habits will help you manage your body and health while eating everything you love.

I like to imagine them as gentle giants. By putting these habits into your day, your glucose will be more consistent, meaning your glucose spikes won’t be as high and your glucose drops won’t be as low. And you will notice your symptoms begin to lessen.

Your new book focuses on the four gentle giants or hacks that are the most important to start with when it comes to regulating blood sugar. Can you explain what they are and how they work?

Trick no. 1: Eat a savory breakfast. The right kind of breakfast is non-negotiable for constant glucose. If you eat a sweet, carbohydrate-rich meal that raises your glucose in the first place, it will negatively impact the rest of your day. A savory breakfast is built around protein, with just some fruit for sweetness for taste.

Trick no. 2: Take a tablespoon of vinegar a day, 10 minutes before the meal that will have the highest glucose content. Vinegar will significantly reduce the glucose spike of sweet or starchy foods because it contains a powerful component called acetic acid, which slows down the rate at which our digestive enzymes break down sugars and starches into glucose. Acetic acid also enters the bloodstream and actually gets into our muscles, where it encourages those muscles to absorb the glucose molecules floating around and store them for our next bout of movement.

Trick no. 3: Add a veggie entree to one meal a day. When you eat high-fiber vegetables at the start of a meal, that fiber arrives in our upper intestines before other foods and forms a protective net that stays in place for a few hours. This network reduces the absorption of glucose molecules making their way through our digestive system during the rest of the meal, which slows them down and reduces the glucose spike of the meal.

Trick no. 4: After eating, move your body. Remember, every cell in your body likes to use glucose for energy. Your muscles are the same, and the first place muscles look for energy is glucose in the bloodstream. So if you move after eating, some of the glucose you just ate is consumed by your muscle cells and your glucose spike will be lower. Movement can resemble cleaning your kitchen, dancing to songs, doing some calf raises at your desk, or hitting the gym and doing something strenuous. Any movement will have a positive impact on glucose.

Are there any glucose hacks that still surprise you? Something you do to prevent glucose spikes that you can’t believe works as good as they do?

Honestly, the power of having a savory breakfast is what still surprises me the most today. I grew up [in France] eat a Nutella crepe every morning. I just thought it was normal that by 11am I was exhausted and so hungry my stomach hurt. For me, this switch from sweet to savory breakfast has completely changed my life. I am a different person.

Your new book is full of healthy recipes for stabilizing blood sugar. What’s your advice for readers who hate cooking?

I created this book specifically for people who have never followed a recipe before. Most of the recipes I’ve included are more about assembling, not cooking. I really wanted it to feel like I walked into your kitchen to show you how to put together a few foods to make a delicious meal that doesn’t spike your glucose.

The best part about your hacks is that they don’t require restrictive diets or expensive supplements. What do you want people to know about your methods?

These principles have been cultural habits around the world for a long time. In many countries, savory breakfasts are standard. In the Mediterranean, vegetables always come first. This is not a diet book! These methods will help you remember this ancestral wisdom and point you to literally all the science that proves how they work.

I have seen firsthand how these methods worked for me. This energy and passion came through and I thought: people need to know this. My hope is that by translating scientific papers in a way that makes people want to change their behavior, they will.

Jessie Inchausp is a French biochemist and author. Her mission is to translate cutting-edge science into simple tips to help people improve their physical and mental health. In her first book, Glucose Revolution, an international bestseller n. 1 translated into forty-one languages, she shared her surprising discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives and amazing tricks to optimize it. She Jessie is the founder of the wildly popular Instagram account @GlucoseGoddess, where she teaches over a million people about transformative eating habits. She holds a degree in mathematics from King’s College London and a master’s degree in biochemistry from Georgetown University.

Editor’s question: Do you think about how certain foods or habits will affect your blood sugar? Will you try some of Jessie Inchausps science-backed hacks?