Five ways to lower blood sugar levels, according to the Glucose Goddess
Biochemist and bestselling author Jessie Inchauspé made her TV debut on Tuesday night in Channel 4’s Eat Smart: Secrets of the Glucose Goddess, in which she shared various nutritional tips with viewers to help reduce their blood sugar levels.
After breaking her spine 14 years ago, the French biochemist, who has over million Instagram followers, became interested in glucose – particularly the role it plays in physical and mental health.
By controlling and monitoring glucose levels as she did post-surgery, Jessie says she has discovered the key to long-term health – and is on a mission to share that message with the world.
What causes glucose spikes?
A glucose spike is natural, and is a temporary increase in blood glucose levels, occurring when there is more glucose in the bloodstream than cells can use for energy.
Some of the main causes for this are:
Stress
Medications
Smoking
Carb-heavy meals
Poor sleep
High-intensity exercise
Sugary snacks and drinks
Physical stress (illness, infection, injury, surgery)
Low insulin levels
Five ways to lower your blood sugar levels, according to the Glucose Goddess
1. Stop counting calories
“If you look just at calories, you could eat a low-calorie but really unhealthy diet,” she says. “Instead, you should focus on protein, fat and fibre – you’ll feel much better than just counting calories.”
2. All sugars contain glucose
“I know you might think that having honey in your tea is better than having regular sugar, but when it comes to your glucose levels all sugar is sugar,” explains Jessie.
3. Eat your food in order
It may sound strange, but Jessie says you can reduce your glucose spike by up to 75% if you eat your food in the “right order” – vegetables first, then fats, then carbs, and sugars last.
4. “Put clothes” on the “naked carbs” you’re eating
Rather than eat carbs like bread, pasta, rice, and so on, by themselves – or “naked”, as she calls it – Jessie says that by adding things like chicken, spinach and olive oil to them, you can slow down how quickly the carbs enter your bloodstream, and, in turn, the glucose spike that comes with it.
5. Avoid sugary snacks in between meals
This might take you back to school, but there really is benefit from saving your pudding until after you’ve eaten your main meals, according to Jessie.
She explains that by eating sugary treats on an empty stomach, sugar will be released into the bloodstream at a much quicker rate – therefore creating a bigger glucose spike.
Risks of high blood sugar
Although glucose spikes happen to everyone, those with diabetes can have both high and low blood sugar levels, and should regularly monitor their blood glucose levels – either at home or with visits to their GP.
If you have high blood sugar levels, you may experience symptoms such as:
Feeling thirsty
Feeling weak or tired
Blurred vision
Weight loss
Peeing a lot
If your blood sugar levels are high from time to time, or for a short period, it is usually nothing to worry about. But if it stays high for a long time or reaches a really high level, it can cause permanent nerve damage in your hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy), or permanent damage to your eyes and impair vision (diabetic retinopathy).
In rare cases, it lead to life-threatening conditions such as diabetic ketoacidosis, according to the NHS.
Read more about diet and nutrition
Seven surprising health benefits of drinking coffee daily (Yahoo Life UK, 8-min read)
The health benefits of Dry January: What a month without alcohol could mean for your health in 2025 (Yahoo Life UK)
Nine superfoods to eat every day – and how to incorporate them into your diet (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
