WHY GLUCOSE MATTERS EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT DIABETIC

If you’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes, glucose levels are likely not high on your list of concerns. I too, fell into this category before starting this journey. I’m about to share with you on the importance of knowing your glucose health.

Most conventional doctors don’t see any benefits in tracking glucose levels for non-diabetics.

From my previous annual blood tests, I knew my glucose levels were within the normal range. Additionally, no one in my family had been diagnosed with diabetes, so my overall risk was quite low.

However, I had begun experiencing all sorts of symptoms that sounded like hypoglycemia: feeling tired and sleepy after a meal, tingling in my hands, and headaches that would only go away after eating a sweet snack. Something just wasn’t adding up and I wanted to know the root cause of my symptoms and how I could get more of my energy back.

So I took the matter into my own hands and I got myself a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). From there, I started documenting my diet for a few weeks and compared my glucose reading based on the type of food I ate and the time of the day.

The app I chose was ‘Veri’ and I found the app semi user-friendly and ultimately it did the job in offering valuable insights.

Someone I’m learning from along this journey was Peter Attia, a podcaster and one of the most influential MDs who discussed the benefits of using CGMs for a short period of time. In his blog he mentions how “when you start wearing a CGM, it’s 90% insight and 10% behavioral. After a few months, the situation flips. You now have a good idea of what triggers the spikes, but it becomes a remarkable…accountability tool.”

One of the most important components I found when monitoring my glucose levels was recognizing trigger foods and activities that would create rapid spikes, followed by a plunging drop in my glucose levels.

Take for example a perfectly normal everyday breakfast food: oatmeal. There’s a reason it’s a classic, this gluten free grain has a low glycemic index score and plenty of soluble fiber… making it a great healthy breakfast option. However, I found my experience with eating oatmeal to be quite the opposite! I was feeling low energy and exhausted with an extreme urge to nap. It made no sense, but it turned out that oats spike my glucose level and instead of carrying me with energy throughout the day, I would experience a deep drop – resulting in feeling sluggish and tired. See below for my charts to see the difference:

This is just one example of how a so-called healthy food can have a negative effect on your glucose levels.

Something had to change, so I started modifying my morning routine high protein, low carbs for breakfast.  It took awhile to find the right food to start my day, but once I figured it out, it made a huge difference in my energy levels and focus. Breakfast literally means to break the fast you’ve been observing since you went to sleep the night before! Its entire purpose is to carry your energy levels throughout the day.

While I’m not a certified health professional, for anyone else who has experienced anything similar, I wanted to share my morning daily routine on how I’ve been avoiding huge spikes in blood sugar:

Golnaz’s Morning Daily Routine

• Upon waking up I drink a glass of water

I add a drop of Kashan for it’s vitamin C, it’s also a mild antioxidant that does not upsets stomach. You can also drink a glass of water with lemon but if you suffer from a sensitive stomach it can really irritates your gut lining.

• My choice of breakfast is a light savory, high protein, moderate fat and low carbs. I’ve found that having a savory breakfast helps my glucose levels to increase gradually leaving me with consistent energy levels and fewer cravings.

• Caffeine can also cause a spike in blood glucose. I’ve been having my morning coffee with high fat dairy, or for those that are intolerant, a nut milk preferably after your breakfast

Some Other Key Takeaways I’ve Found: 

• Having a balanced diet through out the day helps with my energy levels, focus and mood.

• Starting the day with fewer glucose spikes means steadier blood sugar throughout the day and fewer cravings.

• Monitoring glucose levels for a few months can be insightful. Understanding what food trigger spikes will eventually change your mindset and behavior towards sugar.

There are a few companies selling CGM sensors by Abbott under different brands. Such as Freestyle Libre, Veri and Levels. They all use the same sensors and ultimately it comes down to which company has the user-friendliest app. I used both Veri and Freestyle Libre. Veri is more simplified and easier to track your daily spikes. It also creates a library of the food you logged in and your glucose response based on food choices. So you can always refer to that Freestyle Libre has the option to see all the spikes in one place and also alert you if your glucose gets too high or too low.

• We are all bio individuals, not everyone benefits from the same diet. Knowing what actually triggers your glucose levels; you can then experiment with different food and modifying your lifestyle to optimize your health, body and mind.

Let me know if you’ve ever struggled with glucose levels and how you’ve been able to find your best balance without drastic spikes. If you have any questions about my journey, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!