Jessie Inchauspé is the French biochemist and author of the books Glucose Revolution and The Glucose Goddess Method: you’ll know her as the Glucose Goddess, dropping facts and hacks about breakfast, your morning coffee and mid-afternoon snacks, and what that’s all doing to your glucose levels. Something you really need to consider.
In Wellness Check, a new series for Vogue France, Jessie is sharing her science-backed advice for crafting a glucose level-steady life. “Think about the hacks like you would think about general wellness principles—brush your teeth, wear sunscreen, drink enough water,” Jessie says. “The hacks are not a diet you can fail at, they’re like little fairy godmothers you can keep in your pocket.”
While small glucose spikes throughout the day are fine and natural, it’s important to keep yourself from consistently entering higher ranges for both short term and long term health. The process is known as glycation, where sugar molecules attach to collagen, proteins, fats and elastin in the bloodstream to form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In the short-term, it impacts your mood, energy, and hunger. High levels of AGEs can also be linked to inflammation, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease.
Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we’ve long been told—and just ask Martha Stewart, who has a particularly perfect morning routine. After a long period of fasting while you sleep, the first food you eat stimulates your metabolism, provides energy, and–our key focus here—balances blood sugar.
Jessie’s first and most important hack to keeping glucose level steady is to have a savory breakfast. “Science shows us that if you eat sugar in the morning, you’re going to have a big glucose spike, and then your entire day is going to be all cravings and fatigue.”
She advises, then, to start your day off with a protein source: eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, or leftover meat and fish from your dinner the previous evening. Then add some healthy fats: she opts for feta and butter, and adds some small cherry tomatoes. She also suggests a speedier option for people on-the-go: Greek yogurt, and a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter free of any extra sweeteners or oils (just read the label on the jar). Jessie says this rule for steady glucose levels applies no matter if you’re eating breakfast at 7AM or having your first meal at 2PM.
