Glucose Goddess: The Scary New Research On Sugar!
Jessie Inchauspé, a biochemist and best-selling author, explains how glucose spikes impact health, leading to fatigue, aging, and chronic diseases. She shares four core science-backed "hacks" – savory breakfast, vinegar before meals, veggie starters, and movement after eating – to flatten glucose curves and improve energy, mood, sleep, and weight management without restrictive dieting.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Introduction to Glucose Goddess and Glucose Importance
Impact of Glucose Spikes on the Body (Mitochondria, Glycation, Insulin)
Muscle Mass and Glucose Handling
Surprising Foods That Cause Glucose Spikes (Grapes, Starches)
Understanding Different Types of Sugar and Sweeteners
Glucose, Hormones, Fertility, and PCOS
The Savory Breakfast Hack and Intermittent Fasting
Calorie Restriction vs. Glucose Management
Glucose Spikes and Children's Health
Glucose Levels and Mood/Irritability in Relationships
The Vinegar Hack: Benefits and Usage
The Veggie Starter Hack
The Movement After Eating Hack
Results of the 4-Week Glucose Hacks Experiment
Additional Glucose Hacks (Food Order, Clothes on Carbs, Savory Snacks, Dessert Rule, Whole Fruit)
The Science Behind Anti-Spike Formula
Glucose, Depression, Sleep, and Coffee Spikes
Reflections on Glucose, Food Industry, and Personal Well-being
9 Key Concepts
Glucose Spikes
When a lot of starches and sugars are eaten at once, they break down into glucose molecules that rapidly enter the blood, causing a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. These spikes can lead to chronic fatigue, accelerated aging, and increased insulin release.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Mitochondria, the energy factories of cells, get overwhelmed and stressed by too much glucose. This leads to them not making energy effectively, resulting in chronic fatigue and the release of free radicals that increase inflammation.
Glycation
The process of 'browning' or 'cooking' that happens inside the human body, accelerating aging. Every glucose spike increases glycation, damaging organs and leading to faster skin wrinkling.
Insulin Release
In response to a glucose spike, the pancreas releases insulin to store excess glucose in the liver, muscles, and fat cells. While protective, frequent high insulin release can lead to fat gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Insulin Resistance
A condition where the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, requiring the pancreas to produce more insulin to manage blood sugar. It is often a consequence of frequent high insulin levels and is linked to infertility and PCOS.
Fructose
A type of sugar found in fruit and sucrose that tastes sweet but does not significantly raise blood sugar levels directly. It is different from glucose, which is what starches break down into and what raises blood sugar.
GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1)
A substance released by L-cells in the digestive system when food is sensed. It signals satiety to the brain and helps the body deal with glucose spikes by promoting glucose storage. Synthetic versions are used in drugs for diabetes and weight loss.
Aerocitrine
An antioxidant molecule found in lemons that has been discovered to naturally increase the amount of GLP-1 produced by the body's L-cells, which can help improve glucose levels, reduce cravings, and enhance satiety.
DNJ (Deoxynojirimycin)
A molecule extracted from mulberry leaf that, when consumed before a meal, interacts with digestive enzymes to prevent up to 40% of the glucose in the meal from being absorbed into the bloodstream, thereby cutting the glucose spike.
11 Questions Answered
Glucose is crucial for energy production in the body, fueling the brain, heart, and all bodily functions. However, consistently high or fluctuating glucose levels can lead to numerous health problems.
Glucose spikes indicate that the body is being overloaded with sugar and starches, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, accelerated aging through glycation, and excessive insulin release, which can cause fatigue, inflammation, and fat storage.
No, all sugar molecules are fundamentally the same to the body, whether they come from fruit, honey, or a chocolate cake. What matters is the concentration and the presence of fiber, which affects how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream.
Many cases of PCOS, especially those linked to insulin resistance, can see symptoms improve or reverse by managing glucose and insulin levels through dietary hacks.
A savory breakfast, rich in protein and healthy fats, keeps glucose levels steady, preventing brain fog, fatigue, increased cravings, and a glucose roller coaster throughout the rest of the day.
Intermittent fasting can be beneficial, especially for men, as a 'good stressor' that helps the body clean up dead cells. However, it's a stressor and should be dosed judiciously, especially for women, and must be combined with healthy eating during eating windows.
Calories measure the heat generated when food is burned, not its nutritional content or how it impacts the body. Focusing solely on calories can be misleading because different foods with the same calorie count can have vastly different effects on glucose levels, hunger, and overall health.
High sugar intake in children can lead to issues like type 2 diabetes (now seen in five-year-olds), affect behavior, cause tension, and lead to sugar cravings and lows, setting them up for unhealthy habits.
Yes, studies show that more variable glucose levels, particularly low glucose events after spikes, are linked to increased irritation and can impact mood and how one interacts with others, potentially affecting relationships.
In some people, even black coffee can cause glucose spikes due to a stress response, especially if they feel jittery or anxious after drinking it. If tired, drinking coffee after breakfast can reduce its glucose-spiking effect.
After menopause, the body's glucose response to the same foods becomes higher, meaning glucose levels naturally increase. Reducing sugar intake and glucose spikes can help alleviate menopause symptoms like insomnia and hot flashes.
20 Actionable Insights
1. Start with Savory Breakfast
Always have a savory breakfast rich in protein (eggs, fish, meat, tofu, nuts, dairy, protein powder, or dinner leftovers) and healthy fats. This is the most impactful hack to keep glucose levels steady, prevent brain fog, reduce fatigue and cravings, and regulate glucose for the entire day.
2. Drink Vinegar Before Meals
Consume one tablespoon of any kitchen vinegar diluted in a large glass of water 10 minutes before your biggest meal of the day. The acetic acid in vinegar temporarily inactivates digestive enzymes, cutting glucose and insulin spikes by up to 30% and helping to reduce visceral fat and cholesterol.
3. Eat Veggie Starters First
Begin your meals with a plate of raw or cooked vegetables (e.g., carrots, spinach, broccoli, cherry tomatoes). The fiber in veggies creates a protective barrier in your intestine, slowing down glucose absorption from subsequent foods and reducing the overall glucose spike.
4. Move After Eating
Engage your muscles for 10 minutes after a meal by walking, dancing, or doing calf raises. Muscles act as effective glucose dumps, soaking up glucose from your bloodstream for energy and helping to reduce post-meal spikes and prevent food comas.
5. Eat Food in Right Order
Structure your meals by eating vegetables first, followed by proteins and fats, and then starches and sugars. This order can reduce the glucose spike of the meal by up to 75% compared to eating in the opposite order, due to the fiber creating a protective barrier.
6. Put Clothes on Carbs
Never eat starches or sugars on their own; always combine them with fat, protein, or fiber. For example, have bread with avocado or carrot cake with Greek yogurt to slow down glucose absorption and reduce spikes.
7. Treat All Sugar as Dessert
Recognize that all forms of sugar (including honey, agave, maple syrup, and fruit smoothies) are essentially the same to your body. Consume sugar as dessert after a meal, rather than on an empty stomach, as the existing food in your digestive system will lessen its glucose impact.
8. Choose Savory Snacks
Opt for savory snacks between meals when your stomach is empty to avoid increasing glucose spikes. This helps maintain steady glucose levels and prevents the activation of the brain’s craving center.
9. Eat Fruit Whole, Not Juiced
Always consume fruit whole to benefit from its protective fiber, and avoid fruit juices, dried fruit, or smoothies. Juicing removes the fiber, turning fruit into a concentrated dose of sugar that causes a significant glucose spike, similar to soda.
10. Manage Glucose for PCOS
If you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), focus on managing your glucose and insulin levels. Fixing glucose spikes can often alleviate or reverse PCOS symptoms, which are frequently linked to insulin resistance.
11. Exercise to Break Cravings
Use intense workouts to help break cycles of sugar cravings. Physical activity rebalances hormones and releases endorphins, providing dopamine and pleasure that can reduce the desire for sugar.
12. Focus on Glucose, Not Calories
Instead of strictly counting calories for weight loss, focus on balancing your glucose levels. This naturally rebalances hunger hormones, reduces cravings, and makes it easier to eat less, leading to fat burning by lowering insulin levels.
13. Reduce Spikes for Skin Health
Lowering glucose spikes can help stave off wrinkles and improve inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. Glucose spikes increase glycation and inflammation, which accelerate aging and exacerbate skin issues.
14. Prioritize Healthy Eating for Kids
It’s crucial to help children eat well from an early age to establish healthy bodily functions. Parents should prioritize healthy food choices, even if kids resist, and lead by example to prevent early onset diseases like Type 2 Diabetes.
15. Drink Coffee After Breakfast
If you feel tired and didn’t sleep well, drink your coffee after your breakfast instead of before. This can cut the glucose spike caused by coffee by up to 50% and may be gentler on your body’s cortisol response.
16. Be Mindful of Fasting Stress
While fasting can be beneficial, remember it is a stressor on the body. If you have a demanding lifestyle with other stressors (intense job, kids, frequent exercise, cold plunges), dose fasting judiciously, especially for women, to avoid overwhelming your body.
17. Avoid Oat Milk
Be aware that oat milk is primarily starch and can cause glucose spikes. It is not a healthy alternative to dairy milk for glucose management.
18. Manage Glucose During Menopause
During menopause, glucose response to food naturally increases. Reducing sugar intake and glucose spikes can provide relief from symptoms such as insomnia and hot flashes.
19. Choose Diet Soda Over Regular
While water is always best, if choosing between sodas, diet soda is preferable to regular soda for glucose management. Sweeteners in diet soda do not raise blood sugar levels or cause insulin spikes like real sugar does.
20. Avoid Spikes Before Bed
Ensure your dinner does not cause a large glucose spike, as this can lead to less restorative deep sleep. Managing evening glucose levels can improve sleep quality and reduce morning hunger.
7 Key Quotes
80 percent of the population have glucose spikes every single day and that's when problems start happening from mental health to acne to faster aging infertility and pcos which is one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
Jessie Inchauspé
The human body is kind of the same: some glucose, amazing, steady energy; too much glucose and your little mitochondria start freaking out.
Jessie Inchauspé
Every glucose spike increases this process of glycation, so much so that glucose and glycation, they kind of sound like a similar word, glucose glycation, it's because it's glucose doing the glycating.
Jessie Inchauspé
Your body doesn't differentiate whether the sugar is in a fruit smoothie or the sugar is in a chocolate cake.
Jessie Inchauspé
I'm actually not anti-sugar... I love sugar, I eat sugar, I eat carbs all the time, but I want people to know what I know, which is how and when to eat those things.
Jessie Inchauspé
It's as if we found out that tap water was toxic and killing us and instead of fixing the tap water being toxic, we invented a drug that made you less thirsty. How messed up is that?
Jessie Inchauspé
Whatever you're doing, it's important. Like, keep going.
Black Cab Driver (recounted by Jessie Inchauspé)
2 Protocols
Glucose Goddess 4-Week Method (Core Hacks)
Jessie Inchauspé- Start every day with a savory breakfast (based around protein, healthy fats, optional starch, nothing sweet).
- Add one tablespoon of vinegar in a big glass of water before your biggest meal of the day.
- Start meals with a 'veggie starter' (a small plate of raw or cooked vegetables).
- Move your body for 10 minutes after eating (e.g., walk, clean, calf raises).
Eating Food in the Right Order
Jessie Inchauspé- Eat vegetables first.
- Then eat proteins and fats.
- Finally, eat starches and sugars.