Transforming Your Metabolic Health with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)

In an age where information abounds on the internet, we must take charge of our health and do our own testing to understand how our body reacts to different foods. Blood sugar is very personal; the same food can have totally different consequences for different people. For example, avocado toast may trigger a big glucose spike in one person but not in another.

The time of day, the season of the year we're in, whether we're outside or under artificial light, how well we slept, our stress levels, can all impact our blood sugar levels!

This is where glucose monitors come in- these are tools that help us know ourselves better and make informed decisions about our health.

One of my latest obsessions is Veri. Not only do they provide access to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), but they have also developed an exceptional app that empowers you to understand your body, make informed decisions, and transform your l...

In our never-ending quest for eternal youth and optimal health, we often come across revolutionary ingredients that promise to unleash a cascade of benefits to our body and mind. One of the most exciting and promising in recent times is Urolithin A.

What is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A is a rare molecule that renews our cellular powerhouses and stimulates this crucial recycling and cleansing process -ultimately protecting cells from age-associated decline. 

To be more specific, Urolithin A is a metabolite produced by the gut microbiota from phenolic compounds present in certain foods, especially nuts, pomegranates, and some fruit varieties such as strawberries and raspberries. This metabolite is particularly interesting because of its effects on cellular health and its potential to fight aging.

Health Benefits

1. Mitochondrial Health: Urolithin A has been shown to improve mitochondrial function, which are the "powerhouses" of our cells. Optimal mitochondrial function is...

A few months ago, I returned home after attending the Dragonfly conference in Boulder, CO. I was exhausted from the travel, the stress, the time change, and the altitude. But I really needed to be on top of my game to continue producing content and serving my clients. That's when I decided to give methylene blue a try. 

I had heard about methylene blue before, but I had never actually taken it. It was an instant game-changer for me. It felt like it completely and instantly wiped away all the fatigue from the weekend!

It helped me have a sharp mind and a boost of energy. I started including it in my daily routine before recording, podcasting sessions, or any activity where I needed to be mentally sharp. It made a world of difference for me!

What makes Methylene Blue special?

Methylene blue is a chemical compound that acts as a power booster for your cells. 

It helps your mitochondria—the energy centers of cells—produce more ATP and cellular water, which is like their fuel. Imagi...

Do you like eating out? 🤔 maybe you enjoy take-out on a regular basis?

If you're like me - I used to love eating out all the time! I thought it saved me time and energy. Although it did save me time - I was constantly exposed to seed oils, added sugar/gluten and soy on a regular basis which made my symptoms worse.

Here are some blood sugar friendly ideas for a health conscious person 😉 if you're eating out!

1. Ask for food to be cooked in olive oil or butter
2. Salad with vinegar to start
3. Protein forward meals
4. Minimal sauces
5. Go for grilled vs. fried
6. Earlier reservations (5-6PM)
7. Save carbs for last

Remember:

✅ Progress > perfection
💥 You CAN make it healthy
💎 The order in which you eat your food WILL make a difference
❌ It's not about constant restriction. We're human in the end 😉
🔑 Most restaurants will be willing to accommodate your needs
⚡️ It's OK to ask your food to be cooked in olive oil or butter

Now tell me - what is #1 thing you'll try differently when going out to eat?

If you’ve ever tried to go lower carb, keto or get off sugar, you quickly realize how carbs and sugar are EVERYWHERE!!

One of the best ways to stay consistent with your blood sugar stable lifestyle is to be prepared.

This includes bringing food with you when you’re on-the-go to help you reduce temptations and also to give you nourishing options when there are none to be found!

These are some examples of some portable, blood sugar-friendly foods.

Personally I’m not a huge fan of nuts and seeds due to their anti-nutrients but sometimes it’s better than some of the crap that’s out there.

With meats and animal products, I recommend buying the highest quality you can afford.

And remember, investing in a thermos and bringing home cooked meals with you is really the best way to go for things like lunches at work!!

My favorite on the go foods:

• Hard boiled eggs and hot sauce
• Meatballs and homemade mayo or ranch
• Sausage or good quality hot dog
• Guacamole and veggie sticks
• Make chili or soup
...

Our blood sugar controls how we feel at every second of every day and also has huge impacts on our long-term health.

But you already knew that 😉 So now I want to teach you all how to better understand your Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) graphs.

When your graph has lots of spikes and crashes and goes out of that happy green range, you start to feel lots of unwanted symptoms (like cravings, dizziness, shakiness, urgent hunger, fatigue, anxiety, & more) and this is what contributes to long term health issues (like high cholesterol & blood pressure, hormone imbalances, diabetes, etc.)

But when your graph stays in that happy green range (which I recommend setting at 70-110 mg/dL /3.9-6.1 mmoL… more on this in future posts), you feel stable energy, have better moods, sleep soundly, don’t have cravings or intense hunger and you set yourself up for better overall health and well-being!

Over time, after you heal, you can get more leniency with your green range. I now put mine up to 120 mg/dL bu...

Have you been deceived by the marketing on these foods?? I certainly have!

Just because a food is *marketed* as healthy, doesn’t mean it is. Or that it’s good for your blood sugar.

Even in non-diabetics, blood sugar spikes and dips have been shown in research to be more harmful to health and lead to increased inflammation and cardiovascular events as compared with even steady higher blood sugar levels.

Reducing blood sugar spikes is important for everyone and it can start with swapping out these Super Spikers!

So where are these "fake healthy" foods usually hiding?

1. Oat Milk

2. Fruity Yogurt

3. Granola or Protein Bars

4. Rice Cakes

5. Cereal

6. Dried Fruit

7. Sauces/ Condiments

Make sure to always pay attention to carb content as well as sugar content.

The best way to see how much these foods spike you is by testing your own blood sugar with a continuous glucose monitor.

If you want to get support with your blood sugar, to know what you should eat that makes you feel good and gives...

In 2013, I was eating a whole food, paleo diet that just helped me effortlessly get rid of my severe seasonal allergies, asthma, chronic sinus infections, Candida and get off my 5 prescription meds.

But I started gaining weight, I lost my period for 6 months, my acne was worse than ever, I was tired all the time, was waking up shaky, needed to eat every few hours….

So what was happening?! I was eating all healthy, real foods?!

What was happening was that I was not paying attention to my blood sugar! Even though I was eating *healthy* carbs, I was eating WAYYYY too many for my body’s needs at the time.

I temporarily cut out these foods, added more healthy fats and voilà.. good bye insulin resistance, hypoglycemia & PCOS!!

The good news is that after some time, I was able to start adding back in these foods in smaller quantities with no change in symptoms and without my PCOS, hypoglycemia or IR returning.

We need to get rid of all or nothing thinking and be more flexible so we can learn wh...

Some people see a lot of improvement with their digestion when they go low-carb or keto…

But for others, things might get worse. 😫

These are just a few of the common digestive issues I see with my clients and when they start increasing healthy fats 🥑🫒🥥 and proteins 🥩🍖🍳, oftentimes they really struggle.

Why is this?? 🤷🏼‍♀️

So many people I see already have low stomach acid (from stress, nutrient deficiencies, past history of excessive carb consumption or plant based diets), and when they start eating more meat, their low stomach acid levels struggle to break down all that protein.

This leaves them feeling excessively full after meals as if the food is sitting in their stomach like a brick 🧱 , it can drive heartburn ❤️‍🔥 and indigestion, constipation, undigested food in the stool, inflammation, burping and bloating after meals, and more.

Low stomach acid will also negatively impact the whole sequence of events in digestion so we may not get the trigger for the pancreas to produce enzymes so ...

Looking to cut down on caffeine?? These are 5 of the drinks that I have on a regular basis to help my energy levels.

Pssst: I can’t tell you how many clients I have who have slowly eliminated caffeine and then told me they have WAY more energy… just saying…

I put @redmondrealsalt in all the water I drink. I drink @wearerasa regularly to support my adrenals and also help me wind down or when I’m just craving a warm beverage and don’t want more coffee. I drink Quinton minerals every morning on an empty stomach. I drink @drinkkenetik ketones when I have a cognitively demanding task like podcasting or recording videos or writing copy, or before a workout! And I drink @goodideaus before some of my meals that have carbs (usually if I go to a party or to the beach or to a place where I can’t control the menu and I don’t feel like drinking nasty tasting Apple Cider Vinegar). I also have weaned myself to fully (organic Swiss water process decaf) because caffeinated coffee spikes my blood sugar!