Sugar addiction has been an ongoing battle for me since middle school. I use sugar to soothe myself from stress and headaches, or use it to get a dopamine hit when I’m bored. I’m interested in reducing glucose spikes to feel better and improve my energy levels. I came across this book in the American Book Center in Amsterdam and was immediately interested when I saw the glucose charts inside.

Glucose Revolution is about the author’s takeaways from using a continuous glucose monitor. It offers actionable steps to reduce insulin spikes based on these observations:

1. The order we eat our food affects glucose spikes: First eat food with fiber, then proteins and eat carbohydrates last. Eating fiber and proteins will slow down absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and will reduce spikes. Foods rich in fiber include whole grains, vegetables and nuts.
2. Walk after a meal: Take a 10-20 minute walk after a meal. Your muscles will use up the glucose and it will reduce the spike.
3. Vinegar: A drink with a tablespoon of vinegar in a tall glass of water, drunk a few minutes before eating something sweet, flattens glucose spikes.
4. Prefer dessert over snack: If you want to eat something sweet, have it as dessert after a meal rather than a snack in the middle of the day on an empty stomach.

Misconceptions:

• Snack every few hours to make sure glucose doesn’t drop too low: This is not recommended as it creates an insulin cycle
• Fat-free yogurt: Yogurt with low-fat is better than no-fat for glucose
• Types of sugar: Honey, brown sugar, white sugar. They all have the same effect, doesn’t matter which type you consume

Other interesting parts:

• 70 minutes is around the time glucose spike reaches its peak
• Digestion takes up to 4 hours on average
• Beer causes spikes due its high carb content, prefer lager or ale over stout. Prefer wine over beer
• We can completely ignore calories and still lose weight if we just focus on flattening our glucose curves
• Breakfast is the worst time to eat just sugar and starches because we have an empty stomach
• Don’t put more fruit into the blender than you could eat whole in one sitting
• The best options to keep your glucose levels steady are berries, citrus fruits and small, tart apples because they contain the most fibre and smallest amount of sugar. The worst options, because they have the highest amount of sugar, are mangoes, pineapple and other tropical fruit.

After reading the book, I’ve ordered a continuous glucose monitor. I will confirm if these recommendations will produce the same results on my body, and will use it to build an intuition on food I consume and its effects on my glucose levels.

My only criticism for the book is that it’s looking at a complex system (our body) only through the lens of glucose, and making suggestions on what kinds of food to prefer. However, it’s usually more nuanced, avoiding glucose spikes is not the only component of nutrition or well being.

Overall, the book had a profound impact on me for making lifestyle changes and I highly recommended reading it if you suspect health issues due to sugar.