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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Zestt Wellness, 8 Stafford Street, Dunedin (2025)

10/11/2025

Don’t Wait for the Crash💥
Five Signs Your Body has Reached its Tipping Point

Tipping points exist in ecological systems in a way that parallels human health. Most of us understand that the planet is on the verge of an environmental tipping point (if not already past it). There are warning signs that the Earth is in crisis 🌏.

One warning sign is the demise of coral reefs. Coral animals live in a mutually beneficial relationship (symbiosis) with a type of algae. The algae are what give the coral its beautiful colours. The fragile relationship between the algae and the coral breaks down as the seawater temperature rises and the beneficial algae die. This causes coral bleaching, a warning sign that foretells a catastrophic collapse of the marine ecosystem.

Similarly, our bodies are interconnected ecosystems—a web of organs, tissues, blood, food, hormones and microbes. When one element becomes unbalanced, the system teeters until nothing holds you up.

The parallel between planetary decline and increases in rates of chronic disease strikes me as noteworthy. By making better choices for the planet (such as consuming and flying less and being more active), we can improve our health, and vice versa.

And like the coral reefs, before any tipping point, there are warning signs for your health journey that you should not ignore.

The trick, of course, is to know what to look out for. Here are five warning signs that you might need a health overhaul, which may come in the form of lifestyle improvements and/or medical care:

1️⃣ Persistent fatigue that rest doesn’t fix
If you’re tired all the time, even after a good night’s sleep, it’s a sign your system is struggling to maintain balance. It’s time to dig deeper to understand why this is happening to you.

2️⃣ Unexplained weight gain or loss
Sudden changes in body weight can be your body’s way of saying, something’s off. Hormonal shifts, inflammation, or a metabolic slowdown may indicate that a medical check-up and/or lifestyle changes are necessary.

3️⃣ Brain fog and mood swings
Most people have phases of feeling sluggish or struggling with emotional balance. It’s easy to put this down to the ageing process, but be more critical than that. Brain fog and mood swings should be occasional, not constant. Keeping a brain diary and noting when you feel this way (and for how long) helps identify contributing factors.

4️⃣ Digestive discomfort or bloating
The gut is your body’s coral reef, home to microbes that keep everything in balance. If you regularly experience bloating, bowel irregularity, or food sensitivities, your internal ecosystem may be under stress (Zestt Gut+ lozenges will help here too!).

5️⃣ Frequent infections or slow recovery
In nature, a weakened environment becomes vulnerable to invasive species; in humans, a weakened immune system leaves you open to frequent colds, slow wound healing, or lingering illnesses. It’s a clear call to rebuild your foundations.

The message from both nature and your body is simple: pay attention early so you can make the steps to bring your health back into balance.

04/11/2025

One Doctor Drank Bacteria. I Just Burned the Broccoli 🥦

Darcy is forever self-experimenting and I am constantly reminding him that one person (n=1) does not prove a hypothesis. Interestingly, though, many great discoveries have been made through self-experimentation 🧪.

One of the most famous examples is the work of Australian physicians, Dr Barry Marshall and Dr Robin Warren. Marshall used his own body to test a medical hypothesis, overturning decades of medical dogma.

Marshall and Warren conducted investigations into the spiral-shaped bacterium, later identified as Helicobacter pylori, in patients with gastritis and peptic ulcers.

The thinking during the eighties was that gastric ulcers were caused by stress and other lifestyle factors, whereas Marshall and Warren hypothesised that a microorganism was the cause.

Reviewers rejected their scientific papers and their attempts to infect animal models failed; no lab animal would reliably develop gastritis from the bacterium 🐁.

So, how to prove their hypothesis?

In July 1984, Marshall swallowed a broth culture of Helicobacter pylori derived from a human patient to become infected. He said:

“I went home and told my wife about it, and of course, she was like, ‘Oh, my God, you're gonna infect the whole family. That's why you've got such bad breath. This is a disaster.’ ”

He then monitored his symptoms: nausea, vomiting, acute gastritis and took gastric biopsies. The biopsies revealed the bacterium adhering to his stomach lining.

The scientific community reacted with scepticism and even ridicule. Gastroenterologists dismissed the idea of a bacterial cause as “crazy” or “impossible.” When Marshall and Warren first presented their findings, one reviewer wrote,

“This is the most preposterous thing I have ever heard.”

The tide slowly shifted; there were enough people who listened and began to use antibiotic treatments to treat stomach ulcers successfully.

By the 1990s, Helicobacter pylori was accepted as the leading cause of ulcers. In 2005, Marshall and Warren received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery.

Marshall and Warren clearly knew what they were doing💡. I am not advocating that anyone swallow ulcer-producing bacteria in the name of science, but I have been conducting some of my own self-experimentation.

In the past, when I wrote about improving breathing, some of you suggested that I read the book "Breath" by James Nestor. I am finally doing that (it's a great read; I recommend it).

I have suffered from poor sleep, connected with anxiety, for many years, so my interest in this is highly motivated. As I read the book, I began gently experimenting with some unexpected results.

The first time I undertook breathing exercises to slowly increase my carbon dioxide levels (slower, longer breathing, four counts to six, with an extended exhale), I was sitting in my chair, reading my book. I woke up half an hour later, book in my lap after an unexpected nap. Delicious!

The next day, I experimented with controlled breathing to a meditative track. I became so entranced that it took the smell of burning vegetables to bring me out. Dinner that night was broccoli and cauliflower crisps!

My learning points:

✅ Like Barry Marshall, you don’t have to accept conventional wisdom when it comes to your health. His experiment reminds us that progress begins with curiosity and a little courage to test the status quo. You don’t need a lab coat or a Nobel Prize to learn from your body. Sometimes the best data comes from your lived experience, one breath (or charred dinner) at a time.

✅ If you have been grappling with issues like poor breathing or poor sleep, don’t just accept the status quo and rely solely on an overburdened medical system. Conduct your own research and understand that even small changes can have a significant impact on your health. I have been sleeping rather well since my breathwork experimentation!

✅ Your body, even as you age, is remarkably adaptable, and it is just that - your body, your life, to do what you can to improve your outcomes.

To finish with some inspiration, here is a quote from Marshall after their Nobel prize win:

“We couldn't knock down our own hypothesis. That's the thing, be critical of your own data, and then go with the data. And once you've got a pathway, and you're getting facts, then it doesn't matter how many people there are out there who don't believe you. Science is not a democracy.”

Photo: Nobel Prize winners (2005): The late Dr James Warren (left) and Barry Marshall.

30/10/2025

Stop the Leaks and Reduce Insulin - Feed Your Gut Wall with Butyrate

In your gut, there are trillions of microbes which form your microbiome. In your microbiome, there are healthy bacterial species that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including butyrate, a five-star compound for your health ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Butyrate and other SCFAs (sometimes called postbiotics) serve as the energy source for your colon cells, which play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the tight junctions between your intestinal cells.

Think of it like this 💡:

Imagine your intestine is a castle wall; the gut lining is the wall and the gut microbes are the security team, lining up in front of the wall. The tight junctions are like the mortar between the bricks, holding the wall tight 🏰.

When the security team (the microbes) are compromised, holes can appear in the mortar and the wall. Then, undigested food (including faecal matter) and toxins can leak through the holes (the leaky junctions).

Your body may view these undigested food particles and other compounds as a threat, triggering an inflammatory response.

If your gut wall repairs are successful, the inflammatory process is short-lived; however, if leaky junctions remain, the body continually mounts an inflammatory response against the leaked food particles and bacteria.

A leaky gut can lead to autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions, as well as other diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

The Butyrate Makers

The stars of butyrate production include Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, Eubacterium rectale, and Coprococcus. These species thrive on resistant starches and plant fibres, the kind found in lentils, chickpeas, oats, cooled potatoes and rice, as well as onions, garlic, apples and citrus.

Other bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, produce short-chain fatty acids (mainly acetate and lactate) that feed the microbes, which in turn produce butyrate.

When these microbes ferment fibre, they release butyrate that:

1. Nourishes your gut lining to maintain its integrity.
2. Lowers inflammation in the gut and throughout the body.
3. Improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.

How to Boost Your Butyrate Levels

To feed these beneficial microbes, build your meals around:

-Resistant starches: lentils, beans, green bananas, oats and cooled grains
-Inulin-rich foods: onion, garlic, leeks, asparagus and chicory root
-Pectin foods: apples, pears, beets and citrus

Fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso, provide lactate that fuels butyrate producers.

Supporting your gut’s natural butyrate producers starts with feeding them the right fibres to deliver prebiotics and probiotics to help your microbes make more of this gut-protective fuel - and our Zestt Gut Lozenges are formulated to do exactly that!

For more information on butyrate-producing foods to eat over the weekend and how they can support lower insulin levels, refer to the two tables in this post.

28/10/2025

The Quiet Science of Staying Well 💪🏼
Because Staying Well Takes More than a Prescription 💊

One of the limits of health research is that the commercial realities of the pharmaceutical industry drive both the release of products and much of the research into disease.

Preventative health, which stops us from getting sick in the first place, is underfunded. Long-term studies in scientific fields such as nutrition, micronutrients and lifestyle factors do not receive the necessary funding because most lifestyle solutions cannot be patented and commercialised.

As an analogy, in nature, not every resource gets equal attention.

The flashiest flowers 🌺, designed to attract birds and insects, gain the ‘oohhs and the ahhhs,’ while wind-pollinated plants flower almost unnoticed. Yet these wind-pollinated plants form the backbone of an ecosystem, holding soil in place and feeding countless species 🌾.

Human health is similar; high-profile pharmaceutical breakthroughs draw the spotlight and funding, while the quieter, highly effective fields of prevention and lifestyle medicine go ignored (and desperately underfunded).

On top of this, the complexities of the human body and the environment make it nearly impossible to design experiments that factor in all the variables. Imagine trying to design an experiment with appropriate controls that evaluates the impact of dietary changes over 10 to 20 years, while factoring in differences in age, exercise programmes, sleep and stress patterns 🏃🏻‍♀️.

Epidemiological studies attempt to control factors statistically, but variables are often confounded and the popular media simplifies the findings.

A leading voice in longevity research, Dr Peter Attia, has said:

“I make no secret of my disdain for nutritional epidemiology studies. Between their reliance on weak methods, weak measurements, weak analyses and weak reporting, I would hardly know where to begin in simply describing the problems with these study types, let alone identifying their possible solutions.”

So what does this mean for you?

It means you can’t outsource everyday wellbeing to medicine alone. It means trusting medicine when you need it, but not waiting for it for good health. Your health power lies in prevention and lifestyle changes—in how you eat, move, rest and think.

Look after your body like it’s your only one—because it is! 💪🏼

23/10/2025

Your Gut 🌳 An Ecosystem on a Leash

It’s a war out there - or should I say, in there.

Trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses are battling it out to survive in your body. Some are beneficial, assisting with cognition, immunity, and mood, others try to take down your system, growing into superinfections, upsetting the finely tuned orchestral balance within.

We as the “host organism,” try to keep the microbes on a leash. We can do this by eating well, exercising and sleeping well to create an environment that favours the “commensal” bacteria - the good ones. These commensal bacteria help us to manage the rise of the “pathogenic bacteria” - the ones that drive superinfections.

What’s interesting is that we, the hosting humans have co-evolved with these bacteria. Our bodies try to manage the microbes; but the microbes, evolve at a faster rate than we do. Sometimes our body is playing catch up. Right now, our bodies are struggling to evolve quickly enough for what modern life throws at us.

And we sure throw a lot at the microbes - good and bad (see graphic below for lifestyle influences).

The interactions of microbes with their human host are complex; living to their own rhythms and cycles, like any ecosystem in nature. Subtle changes made to your routine every day can shift this ecosystem for the better.

A diet high in plant fibres and fermented foods, good sleep, low stress, exercise and exposure to environmental microbes, from the garden, or pets all contribute to a healthy, biodiverse microbiome.

So today, make it a day to munch on a carrot 🥕, walk in the trees 🌳, cuddle your cat 🐈‍⬛, sleep like a king (or queen) and spend time appreciating the world you live in.
Your microbial ecosystem will love you for it!

19/10/2025

Congratulations to the Otago Girls' High School Young Enterprise Team "Rhythm Periodcare" - who finished third in the region and received the Findex Innovation Award.

These girls have been fantastic to work with and we are pleased to be able to offer their menstrual health product on our website (description below).

You can buy this product from our website (all proceeds go to Rhythm Periodcare); www.zesttwellness.com

Rhythm's Menstrual Wellness Drink Concentrate is a thoughtfully formulated blend designed to support hormonal balance, ease period discomforts, and enhance your overall well-being—without adding clutter to your medicine cabinet.

Crafted with high-quality, organic ingredients, this concentrated wellness helps relieve cramps, bloating, fatigue, and mood swings, making it easier to stay in sync with your body.

Whether you're navigating day one or winding down your cycle, Rhythm brings innovation, care, and sustainability into every drop—so you can feel more comfortable, confident, and in control, every step of the way.

.periodcare

14/10/2025

Metabolic Health Isn’t About Being Thin 🤨
It’s About Being Metabolically Flexible

If you are reading this and you’re a farmer, 👩🏻‍🌾 you will understand what I say at a level that others might not.

Summer is coming and it’s the time when gyms and magazines are trying to get me to think about my “beach bod” (or lack thereof), in order to persuade me to spend money and time on something other than Netflix and a bowl of chips.

But while they’re selling abs, human biology tells a different spring story…
For our hominid ancestors, autumn meant storing fat; winter meant using it to survive. By spring, our ancestors were lean, if not underweight. In a similar vein, farmers know they need their livestock to be in good condition going into winter. Their animals will lose fat during winter when food becomes scarce and they use up energy in the colder weather.

Modern life drives us in the opposite direction.
It’s cold. It’s dark. We hunker by the fire. And because food is never scarce, the kilos sneak on, hence the “beach bod” advertisements.

As we age, it can be harder to shift the winter kilos.

The impact of this is significant as it can lead to metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia 🧠.

In the wild, environmental stresses ❄️ forced humans to evolve metabolic flexibility to cope with long periods of exercise (foraging and hunting), unpredictable food supplies and a wide range of food sources.

Human metabolic systems have multiple pathways to ensure they have a consistent energy source. Here’s how the body finds fuel when it’s able to function the way it is evolved to:

1️⃣ Glycolysis – burns sugar (quick, easy, energy)
2️⃣ Lipolysis – burns fat (preserves glucose for the brain)
3️⃣ Gluconeogenesis – makes new glucose from protein, lactate and glycerol (keeps blood sugar stable when carbs are gone)
4️⃣ Proteolysis – breaks down muscle for amino acids (creates material for gluconeogenesis)
5️⃣ Ketogenesis – produces ketones from fats (spares muscle and provides food for the brain).

When humans are in a constant state of food surplus (obesity), the body starts to lose its ability to switch between metabolic pathways as it becomes locked into sugar dependence 🍩.

Excess glucose requires greater insulin levels to bring down blood sugar levels. This can lead to insulin resistance, which drives metabolic inflexibility and in turn, leads to chronic disease.

What’s the real lesson here?

Our ancestors survived by switching fuels between fat, ketones, protein and glucose, depending on their needs. A modern lifestyle can lead to a loss of flexibility and we become metabolically “stuck,” relying on sugar for energy.

The ability to move easily between fuel sources, to fast without crashing and to eat without spiking inflammation is the hallmark of a resilient, healthy body.

Spring was once the season when humans rebuilt - lean, hungry and ready to grow strong again. The gyms may need to rethink their message, or we may need to adopt a farmer's mindset about our health! 🩺

07/10/2025

Why Lozenges?
The Science Behind Zestt’s Fast-Acting Formulas 🔥

People often ask why our products are in a lozenge form. Lozenges sound a bit old-fashioned when pitted against the vast array of capsules available. Well, here’s the story.

When we started Zestt, our first product was a liquid respiratory product, called EXhale, now available in an improved formulation as Zestt Breathe+ (in both liquid and lozenge forms).

We got so much positive feedback about the liquid and still do; it sells well and many of our customers have been with us since the start. However, we did have people say to us that they found the liquid a hassle; it was harder to transport and a bit messy, so we started to evaluate other options.

We did a lot of experimentation with drying technologies to ensure we didn’t lose bioactivity of our ingredients and finally hit the right process. I was pretty excited about this and shared the information with a long-time science mentor, Dr Peter Fennessy. I said we were looking to put the liquid into a dried capsule form, but we were worried about a key aspect:

Feedback from customers highlighted how much they loved the speed at which the liquid took effect; they could notice a difference in reduced coughing and improved breathing within twenty minutes. This indicated that some of the bioactives were being absorbed into the bloodstream before they reached the stomach, which is beneficial because stomach acid can reduce their bioactivity. The most likely way this occurred was through the bioactives being absorbed in the mouth, in a process known as sublingual absorption. We were concerned about losing this process by transitioning to a capsule, which bypasses the mouth and puts our precious bioactives into the harsh stomach environment more quickly.

Pete said to me, “Why don’t you develop a lozenge?” It was like a bingo moment and I came back excitedly to tell Darcy, who then realised this meant we could also incorporate oral probiotics. And so the Zestt lozenge was born and here we are today!
How does sublingual absorption work?

The area under the tongue (the sublingual mucosa) is rich in capillaries, tiny blood vessels that enable fast exchange between tissues and the bloodstream. When a lozenge slowly dissolves, bioactive compounds are released into saliva and come into direct contact with these permeable membranes.

Unlike swallowing a pill, this route bypasses the stomach and liver’s “first-pass” metabolism, where enzymes and gastric acid can degrade compounds before they ever reach circulation. This means:

✅ Faster onset of action; nutrients can enter the bloodstream in minutes rather than hours.
✅ Higher bioavailability; more of the active compound reaches your system intact.
✅ Gentler on the digestive tract; particularly useful for people with gut sensitivities or reduced absorption capacity.

Of course, you can experience the difference yourself 😁 Discover our innovative lozenges, designed to deliver powerful, natural bioactives fast.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
www.zesttwellness.com

30/09/2025

An 80th Birthday Celebration Got Me Thinking About Health & Ageing 🎈

I was in Whakatane for my mother-in-law, Rose’s, 80th birthday last weekend. Rose is one of 20 children, so if you are reading this and are part of the Stanfield clan, chances are, you are related to my husband!

I first met Rose 28 years ago. The moment she met me, she enveloped me in a huge hug. When I think back, she was the same age as I am today. Yet, when I look at Rose, she seems unchanged, a constant support in our lives and the lives of our children and still as energetic as ever. Last weekend, she was in her element, loving being surrounded by her family and friends.

So, what makes a vibrant 80-year-old?

☑️ Diet, yes (Rose is a regular Zestt Breathe+ taker 🙂);

☑️ Exercise, yes (Rose is an avid gardener);

☑️ Purpose, yes; (Rose’s purpose is her extended family and friends)

✅ Social connection, yes; (research and Rose herself demonstrate that this might be the most critical factor of all).

But we live in a time when building social connections is harder than ever.

You have to talk to a machine instead of a bank teller, for example. Social connection influences your whole well-being. Even your access to and knowledge about the health system are enhanced by social connectivity. Research shows that social groupings, such as walking and gardening groups, support healthy lifestyle behaviours. Forget economics, social connection is the real “trickle down” effect.

When you do find yourself socially isolated, you can make changes. Start with gentle expectations. You don’t need to label friends as “best” or even “close.” It’s enough to strive for connection and let it grow without worrying about labelling it.

And it’s common to fear rejection. Fear of rejection runs deep; it can be paralysing. Focus on connection, not perfection. Ease yourself into low-pressure situations. Practice putting yourself out there, reframing your thinking, and rebounding when it doesn't quite go as planned. Think, “wrong timing for that person,” rather than, “they don't like me.” Find common ground by joining clubs or volunteering to meet like-minded people.

Ultimately, it isn’t perfect diets or exercise routines that define us, but the people who walk beside us. I am lucky to have Rose in my life, as well as her extended family 💕 I never quite know who I’ll meet and discover I’m related to!

Photo is Rose flanked by one of her brothers, Max and her youngest son (and my husband), Kevin.

23/09/2025

Big News 🗞️ BLIS Oral Probiotics Patented for Protecting Against COVID-19 & Influenza A/B

I am often frustrated by scientific claims made by companies about supplements, foods, and beverages. Not because the claims are wrong, but because the claimants undertake poor-quality science and overstate claims, or mistreat the ingredients so that they lose their bioactive properties.

For these reasons, we partner only with the highest-quality providers of bioactives and scientific information, such as ViBeri and BLIS Technologies.

Since our inception, we have included oral probiotics BLIS K12 and BLIS M18 in our lozenge products. We include these probiotics at an appropriate level to ensure both efficacy and stability. We’ve always believed in the power of probiotics to protect your health.

We are pleased to share that the use of BLIS K12 and BLIS M18 has been granted a patent by the Australian Patent Office (June 2025, AU2021248774B2) for their action in protecting against viral respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and Influenza A & B.

This patent recognises the science showing that daily use of BLIS probiotics can:
⭐️ Support the body’s defences in the mouth and throat, the first entry point for respiratory viruses.
⭐️ Reduce the likelihood and severity of viral infections, like COVID-19 and the flu.
⭐️ Offer a safe, natural adjunct to traditional medical approaches by strengthening your microbiome’s protective shield.

Outside of the recently granted patent, which is virus-focused, the BLIS oral probiotics we include in our Zestt lozenges also offer protection against:

-Streptococcus pyogenes (strep throat)
-Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumonia)
-Haemophilus influenzae (ear infections, bronchitis)
-Moraxella catarrhalis (middle ear infections)
-Candida albicans (thrush/yeast overgrowth).

In taking Zestt Breathe+ lozenges, you build a multi-action defence by:

⭐️ Down-regulating inflammatory cytokines.
⭐️ Promoting the production of M2 macrophages, a type of white blood cell that helps to clear infections and repair tissue.
⭐️ Promoting oxygen flow throughout the respiratory system and the body.
⭐️ Minimising tissue damage by free radicals through antioxidant activity.

Check out Zestt Breathe+ lozenges, with BLIS K12 at www.zesttwellness.com

Our other lozenges also contain BLIS probiotics:
Zestt Oral+: BLIS K12 and BLIS M18
Zestt Cardio+: BLIS M18
Zestt Gut+: BLIS K12

15/09/2025

What My CGM Taught Me in Just 2 Weeks 😮 And Why Oat Milk is Off the Menu ☹️

It’s my last few days with my continuous glucose monitor (CGM). What a great experience, seeing in action how diet, sleep, circadian rhythm and stress levels affect my glucose levels.

The biggest surprise of the two weeks was the extent to which my much-loved oat milk lattes spiked my blood glucose levels. Oat milk often has added sugars or can be high in maltose (with a glycemic index of ~100), which explains the sharp spike. I am now drinking black coffee while I find an alternative for my lattes that doesn’t resemble drinking a can of Coke in terms of mainlining sugar and that I like the taste of (sorry, dairy farmers; I love cow’s milk in my smoothies, but not in my coffees and I understand that the plant stuff is not really “milk”).

Overall, this is what I have had hammered home to me:

✅ When you have a big meal, you have an initial spike and drop in glucose, followed by another spike hours later. This second spike is related to delayed gastric emptying and slower digestion of starches. The second spike can trigger a rise in cortisol, which disrupts sleep. I need to eat my main dinner before 7 pm and limit my intake of simple carbohydrates to ensure good sleep and reduce 2 am glucose and cortisol spikes. One night, I had white sourdough bread in a late dinner - bad, bad idea!

✅ When consuming foods with fructose and/or sucrose, such as fruits or bread, pairing them with fat and protein can help reduce the glucose spike. I noticed this when I had oat and fruit smoothies. When I added a spoonful of peanut butter, the spike was flattened and I felt fuller for longer. Fats slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, helping you to avoid the spike-crash phenomenon.

✅ I’m ok with rye bread. I was worried about this because a friend found that rye bread spiked her glucose levels badly. Every Saturday morning, I have a gym session at 7 am and then go to the Otago Farmers Market and get rye bread from Maggies Cafe. It has become a ritual that marks the start of the weekend. I eat my rye bread with avocado and Evansdale Farmhouse Brie (I know, right - yum!). A definite glucose bump follows, but not a crazy spike, so that was a relief. It does highlight, though, the value of a CGM to determine what works at a personal level.

✅ A walk (or any form of exercise) after a big meal (or a slice of cake) helps reduce the glucose spike and crash as your muscles utilise some of the circulating blood glucose - so too a night dancing after cocktails and fried food 💃🏼. Great 21st though!

My endocrinologist advisor is pleased with my overall nighttime glucose drops, my time within acceptable glucose zones (which were 95% between 3.9 and 6.8 mmol/L). Apparently, my body is doing what it should, BUT she would like me to work on reducing my overall average glucose levels by one standard deviation (by 0.3 mmol/L; my current average is 5.7 mmol/L).

In the next few days, I have a couple more experiments to conduct on myself. Then I will put my lessons into practice for a few months before wearing another CGM to see if I have successfully lowered my average blood glucose level.

A CGM won’t fix your health for you, but it can give you the insight and motivation to make changes that truly matter. I guess the proof for me will be in the pudding (or the not-pudding). I’ll come back to you on that one in a few months.

Otago Farmers Market

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