Each week, there are 3 ways we will be interacting with you:

1. A new module will be released each week. Just like this module you’re reading, there will be some content, some other resources and recipes to arm you for the week ahead. You’ll see an email with a a link that will take you right into THIS patient portal and inside the program. This is where you’ll find the weekly form for you to fill out by the end of each Tuesday (the first is to be filled out by April 9th and will be released april 8th).
2. You will have a 1:1 visit with me or Caroline where we will have reviewed your CGM and activity data and be ready to provide individual insights.
3. Feel free to be in touch with me or Caroline during the program in the chat. I’ve initiated a group chat with the three of us.

Here is a great reminder about why we are doing this in the first place: 

So why are we doing this program anyways?

Glucose is so central to our body’s functioning that an excess of it has repercussions for virtually every aspect of our physical and mental health. You may recognize a few of these in your own life. 

1. Cravings.

In 2011, a research team from Yale University changed our understanding of cravings. They placed people in an fMRI scanner, showed them photos of crave-worthy foods on a screen, and at the same time monitored their glucose levels. What the researchers discovered was fascinating. When the subjects’ glucose levels were stable, everything looked normal. However, when their glucose levels were low, the craving center of their brains lit up and they rated the foods they were seeing much higher on the “I want to eat it” scale. This is what can happen during the crash after a glucose spike; we crave foods that we otherwise wouldn’t care about. Steadying our curves, avoiding the spikes and the drops, keeps cravings at bay. 

2. Chronic fatigue. 

Let’s go back to our mitochondria: the organelles responsible for making energy in our cells. Too much glucose makes them quit, which compromises energy production, and ultimately leaves us feeling tired. Studies show us that diets that cause glucose roller coasters lead to higher fatigue than those that flatten glucose curves. If you have damaged mitochondria, picking your kid up is more challenging, carrying groceries is exhausting, and you won’t be able to handle stress as well as you used to. Mitochondria-generated energy is required to overcome difficult events, whether physical or mental. 

3. Constant hunger.

Are you hungry all the time? You are not alone. And here again, it has to do with glucose. First, the short-term impact: if you compare two meals that contain the same number of calories, the one that leads to a smaller glucose spike will keep you feeling full for longer. So even if you don’t change how many calories you eat, just focusing on your glucose levels will free you from constant hunger. Second, the long-term impact: after years of glucose spikes, our hunger hormones get mixed up. Leptin, the hormone that tells us we are full and should stop eating, has its signal blocked; while ghrelin, the hormone that tells us we are hungry, takes over. Even though we have fat reserves, with lots of energy available, our body tells us we need more—so we eat. As we eat, we experience more glucose spikes, and insulin rushes in to store excess glucose as fat, which then increases the action of ghrelin. It’s an unfortunate, vicious, and unfair cycle. The more weight we put on, the hungrier we get. The answer is not to try to eat less; it is to decrease our insulin levels by flattening our glucose curves.

4. Weight gain.

Many of us have complicated feelings about fat, but it’s actually very useful: our body uses its fat reserves to provide storage space for the excess glucose floating around in our bloodstream. This is one of the reasons that we gain weight. So, as I mentioned above, we shouldn’t be mad at our body for putting on fat; instead, we should thank it for trying to protect us from glycation and inflammation. That said, if you’re trying to lose fat on your body, focusing on your glucose levels is a great way to do so. When you flatten your glucose curves, a few key things happen: First, cravings and hunger reduce. Second, because you have less insulin circulating in your body, you are in fat-burning mode more often. While weight loss is not the primary objective of balancing our glucose levels, it is often a consequence. Poor sleep “It used to take me around one hour to fall asleep, but now I fall asleep in no time.” Sleep and glucose are very tightly linked: the more spikes we have, the worse our sleep is, and, if we are on a glucose roller coaster, we’ll experience less restorative deep sleep. Going to bed with high glucose levels or right after a big glucose spike has also been shown to be associated with insomnia in postmenopausal women, and sleep apnea in a segment of the male population. Finally, a common symptom of dysregulated glucose is waking up suddenly in the middle of the night with a pounding heart. That can be the result of a glucose crash while we’re asleep. And this is not all: after a bad night’s sleep, you are more likely to have big glucose spikes after breakfast the next day. It’s a vicious cycle. To put an end to it, start by flattening your curves.

4. Poor sleep.

Sleep and glucose are very tightly linked: the more spikes we have, the worse our sleep is, and, if we are on a glucose roller coaster, we’ll experience less restorative deep sleep. Going to bed with high glucose levels or right after a big glucose spike has also been shown to be associated with insomnia in postmenopausal women, and sleep apnea in a segment of the male population. Finally, a common symptom of dysregulated glucose is waking up suddenly in the middle of the night with a pounding heart. That can be the result of a glucose crash while we’re asleep. And this is not all: after a bad night’s sleep, you are more likely to have big glucose spikes after breakfast the next day. It’s a vicious cycle. To put an end to it, start by flattening your curves.

5. Mental health. 

Your brain doesn’t have sensory nerves, so when something is wrong, it can’t alert you with pain as other organs do. Instead, you feel mental disturbances—such as anxiety and poor mood. When people eat a diet that leads to erratic glucose levels, they report more depressive symptoms compared to those on a diet that leads to steadier glucose levels. And the symptoms get worse as the spikes get more extreme, so any effort to flatten the curve, even moderately, could help you feel better. Mood “I am so much less depressed and frustrated now. The difference is quite remarkable. And my relationship with my husband has improved.” Did you know that your glucose levels could influence your personality and your interactions with other people? In recent studies, scientists have been discovering fascinating connections: when our glucose levels are irregular, we are more likely to be irritated by our partner, and to punish those around us when they make a mistake. This is because glucose roller coasters can influence certain molecules in our brain affecting our mood: big spikes lead to lower tyrosine levels. Tyrosine is a neurotransmitter that is said to improve mood. And if you’ve ever experienced the feeling of being hangry (angry when hungry), there again, it is more common in people who have big glucose spikes and drops. 

6. Brain fog

Although glucose is an essential energy source for the brain, too much glucose harms it. First, several studies have shown that being on a glucose roller coaster for decades results in damage to our brain’s blood vessels and our brain cells (neurons). This leads to decreased brain function and higher risk of stroke. Second, glucose roller coasters slow down the speed of signals between neurons. We often feel this as brain fog (difficulty concentrating, dizziness, confusion), memory issues, and poor cognitive function. Your brain will thank you for flattening your curves. 

7. Gut health. 

The gut is where our food is processed. It’s no surprise, therefore, that bowel distress—such as leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, and slowed intestinal transit—is linked to diet. Remember how I said that glucose spikes increase inflammation throughout our organism? Well, inflammation is one of the things that can cause holes in the gut lining, which means that toxins that aren’t supposed to get through do get through. This in turn can lead to leaky gut syndrome, gas, and bloating, but also drive food allergies and other autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Science is also showing us that when we eat in a way that causes many glucose spikes, the “bad” bacteria in our gut thrives, and the “good” bacteria decrease in number. This can cause a wide range of symptoms and general gut discomfort. If you’re struggling with your gut health, it can be highly beneficial to flatten your glucose curves! 

8. Wrinkles and aging. 

Depending on your diet, you may have spiked your glucose thousands more times than your neighbor has by the time you reach 80. This will influence not only how old you look externally, but how old you are internally. Glycation and inflammation are responsible for the slow degradation of our cells: what we call aging. These processes damage collagen, which causes sagging skin and the degradation of cartilage and osteoarthritis. The more often we spike, the faster we age. 

9. Acne, rosacea, skin conditions. 

Many skin conditions (including acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis) are driven by inflammation, which, as you have learned, is a consequence of glucose spikes. When we eat in a way that flattens our glucose curves, inflammation is tamed, which helps acne clear up and pimples get smaller. In a study in males aged 15 to 25, the diet that resulted in the flattest glucose curves led to a significant reduction in acne. Getting glucose spikes under control can improve the health and appearance of our skin. 

10.Fertility, PCOS, and hormonal issues 

Whether it’s polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), fibroids, endometriosis, menopause symptoms, PMS symptoms, missed periods… they all have to do with our hormonal system not working as it should. And the first thing to do to help our hormones function properly is to make sure our glucose levels are balanced. PCOS, in particular, is becoming increasingly prevalent. In most cases, it is a disease caused by too much insulin. Why? Because insulin tells the ovaries to produce more testosterone (the male sex hormone). On top of that, with too much insulin, a natural conversion from male to female hormones that usually takes place is hampered—which leads to even more testosterone in the body. Because of the excess testosterone, females suffering from PCOS can display masculine traits: hair in places where they don’t want hair (such as the chin), baldness, irregular or missed periods, or acne. Many women with PCOS also have a hard time losing weight—because where there is too much insulin, there is an inability to burn fat. The good news? In many cases, when insulin levels come back down, testosterone reduces, and PCOS symptoms go away. 

11. Menopause. 

The changes caused by the dramatic drop in hormone levels in menopause can feel like an earthquake—everything is thrown off-balance, and this process brings symptoms from reduced libido to night sweats, insomnia, hot flashes, and more. High or unstable glucose levels and high insulin levels make menopause feel worse. Research shows that hot flashes and night sweats are more likely in women who have high glucose and high insulin levels. But there’s hope: a 2020 study from Columbia University found that flattening glucose curves is associated with fewer menopause symptoms. 

12. Gestational diabetes. 

During every pregnancy, insulin levels increase in the body. That’s because insulin is responsible for encouraging growth—growth of the baby and growth of the mother’s breast tissue so she can prepare to breastfeed. But sometimes this extra insulin can lead to what’s called gestational diabetes. By flattening their glucose curves, expectant mothers can reduce their likelihood of needing medication, prevent their baby from gaining excess weight in utero (which is good because it makes birth easier and is healthier for the baby), as well as limit their own weight gain during pregnancy and cut their risk of needing a C-section. Sometimes, gestational diabetes actually points to the mother having had elevated glucose levels before pregnancy that weren’t detected until the gestational diabetes test. This is why some mothers find their glucose levels are still elevated after they give birth; for these women, it’s even more important to turn the glucose hacks into habits to solve the underlying issue.

Plus! Diabetes and insulin resistant chronic diseases like hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease….

Another great article for you to look at:

Glucose Monitoring Is The Weight Loss Biohack You Never Knew You Needed