09/24/2025
➡️It’s not about calories… it’s about context.
Your CGM (continuous glucose monitor) may show a glucose spike after something “sugar-free” or “zero calorie” even if it is zero grams of protein or carbs. Why⁉️
🍭 Sweet taste alone can signal your body to release insulin. It also can turn on cravings for more sweet and actual hunger which also can affect brain function and focus.
🧬 Artificial and natural sweeteners can disrupt the gut microbiome and glucose balance. (Think about chewing gum and sugar free mints!)
⚡ Hormones can respond to perception of sweet, bitter, and tart— not just calories. This is why when you have lemon water before a meal, you can have a lower glycemic spike from your meal, because it started insulin release before you ate. So fruit in water throughout the day is not a neutral event.
👉 But here’s the key: eating something sweet in isolation (like a snack or drink on an empty stomach) almost always makes the spike worse.
👉 Pairing it with protein, fiber, or healthy fat after a balanced meal helps slow absorption and smooth the response.
👉 Pairing it with a higher glucose event like exercise or sauna may actually help lower the glucose spike of those stressors.
👉 Just because you eat a big meal that has lots of calories, it may not result in a large glucose spike if it is balanced well, especially eating veggies and protein first, followed by carbs last.
✨ Bottom line: Calories don’t tell the whole story. How and when you eat — and what you eat it with — matters so much more for blood sugar balance which results in better cognition/focus, body composition and performance.
