Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

Stabilize blood sugar and improve metabolic health with evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle protocols from named physicians and researchers.

Every claim below carries an evidence grade. What do these grades mean?

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CASEY MEANS, MD BLOOD SUGAR

Your fasting glucose can look fine while your day does not

the expert's own view, educational, not medical advice, not endorsed by us

ModerateMeans argues that a single fasting glucose reading can sit in the normal range while large post meal swings are happening the rest of the day
ModerateShe points to simple levers that blunt those swings: eating fibre and protein before the starch, and walking for about 10 minutes after a meal
LimitedThe post meal walk has the better evidence of the two; the broader claim that day to day glucose variability drives long term risk in people without diabetes is still being argued
LimitedMeans co founded a continuous glucose monitor company, so treat her enthusiasm for wearing one as an interested view, and note that CGM access and cost vary by country

SOURCE →

CASEY MEANS BLOOD SUGAR

What a glucose spike actually does to your body

the expert's own view, educational, not medical advice, not endorsed by us

StrongA glucose spike is a sharp rise then crash in blood sugar after eating
ModeratePairing carbs with protein, fat or fiber blunts the spike
ModerateFrequent large spikes over time track with rising insulin resistance risk

SOURCE →

Mark Hyman

BLOOD SUGAR

Blood Sugar Balance Protocol

1Cut added sugar and refined carbs (Remove added sugar, flour and ultra-processed foods and cut back on refined grains; this is the single biggest lever on insulin)
2Protein, fiber, healthy fat and non-starchy veg every meal (Anchor each meal with quality protein and healthy fat, and fill most of the plate with non-starchy vegetables; a whole-food protein shake is an easy breakfast)
3Take PGX fiber before eating (2 to 5g PGX (glucomannan) fiber about 15 minutes before meals with a large glass of water)

What to buy

Prebiotic fiber ~$11

Chromium ~$11

Cinnamon extract ~$14

Jarrow Formulas Alpha Lipoic Acid ~$18

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BLOOD SUGAR

Circadian / Time-Restricted Eating

1Begin with a 12-hour window (Eat within 12 hours (for example 8am to 8pm) every day for a week or two)
2Reduce to a consistent 8 to 10 hours (Trim about an hour per week until you reach 8 to 10 hours, kept the same daily)
3Eat earlier, front-load the day (First bite mid-morning, larger meals earlier, last bite early evening)

What to buy

Blue-light-blocking glasses ~$16

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Dom D'Agostino

BLOOD SUGAR

Ketogenic Metabolic Protocol

1Go very low carb, adequate protein, high fat (Typically under ~30 to 50 g carbs/day; protein to your needs; fill the rest with quality fats)
2Replace electrolytes generously (Liberally salt food; supplement sodium, potassium and magnesium)
3Add MCT oil or powder (Start with 1 tsp and titrate up; C8 (caprylic acid) is the most ketogenic; powder is gentler on the gut)

What to buy

Sports Research Vitamin D3 + K2 ~$20

LMNT Electrolytes ~$25

C8 MCT oil ~$25

Exogenous ketone supplement ~$40

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BLOOD SUGAR

Metabolic Health & Good Energy

1Eat fibre and protein before carbs (Vegetables and protein first, starches and sugars last)
2Walk for about 10 minutes (A short walk after eating, especially after the largest meal)
3Build meals from whole foods (Minimise ultra-processed food; prioritise protein, fibre and healthy fats)

What to buy

Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate ~$32

Metabolic health blood panel

Continuous glucose monitor

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Thomas DeLauer

BLOOD SUGAR

Fasting & Keto, the Sustainable Way

1Ease into a gentle eating window (Start ~12h overnight, build toward 14 to 16h if it suits you)
2Replace your electrolytes (Sodium, potassium and magnesium daily, especially while fasting or low-carb)
3Add magnesium (As directed, evening is fine)

What to buy

LMNT Electrolytes ~$25

C8 MCT oil ~$25

Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate ~$32

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ~$32

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David Sinclair

BLOOD SUGAR

Eating for Longevity

1Eat in a compressed window (Aim for a 16:8-style pattern; a late first meal)
2Black coffee or tea while fasting (No milk or sugar)
3Eat plant-forward, less meat (Lots of colourful plants; olive oil; meat as the exception)

What to buy

Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil ~$28

Continuous glucose monitor

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Casey Means

BLOOD SUGAR

Build a plate that steadies energy

1Build the plate from whole, unprocessed foods (Make most of every meal recognisable whole food; minimise ultra-processed products)
2Get fibre, protein and healthy fat together (Aim for protein, a high-fibre plant portion, and a healthy fat at each meal; non-starchy veg first)
3Push fibre much higher than average (Work toward 50 g per day from beans, vegetables, seeds, berries; ramp up slowly with water)

What to buy

NOW Foods Psyllium Husk ~$13

Metabolic panel / CGM

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Casey Means

BLOOD SUGAR

Good Energy Lifestyle: Light, Movement & Heat

1Get daylight early and reset the clock (Get outside into daylight soon after waking; keep consistent sleep and wake times)
2Break up sitting with frequent movement (Short walks (especially after meals), movement snacks, and standing breaks through the day)
3Strength train (Resistance training a few times a week (one of her 25 Good Energy habits))

What to buy

Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate ~$32

Sauna / cold plunge ~$500

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Layne Norton

BLOOD SUGAR

Reverse Dieting & Metabolic Adaptation

1Know what actually changes (Expect expenditure to fall during a diet, largely via reduced spontaneous movement (NEAT); this is normal, not damage)
2Use a moderate deficit and high protein (A modest deficit with high protein and resistance training preserves muscle and limits adaptation; avoid crash diets)
3Take planned breaks on longer cuts (On a long diet, periods of 1 to 2 weeks at maintenance can help hormones, adherence and sanity before resuming)

What to buy

Protein powder ~$60

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Mark Hyman

BLOOD SUGAR

The Pegan Diet

1Make ~75% non-starchy vegetables (Most of the plate: broccoli, greens, peppers, asparagus and other low-starch vegetables, lots of colour and variety)
2Add modest, high-quality protein (Smaller portions of quality protein (sustainable fish, pasture-raised meat, eggs), treat it as a side, not the centre)
3Favour whole-food fats; ditch seed oils (Olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds; avoid industrial refined seed oils and fried foods)

What to buy

Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil ~$28

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Tim Spector

BLOOD SUGAR

Find the foods that spike you

1Accept that your responses are personal (The same meal spikes people differently; judge foods by how you feel and respond, not just generic rules)
2Eat fibre and protein before the carbs (Start with vegetables/protein/fat, finish with starches; the sequence blunts the glucose spike)
3Pair carbohydrates with fat, protein or fibre (Add olive oil, nuts, yoghurt or vegetables to carbs rather than eating them alone)

What to buy

NOW Foods Psyllium Husk ~$13

Continuous glucose monitor

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Casey Means

BLOOD SUGAR

Using a CGM to Personalize Your Diet

1Use a CGM for a few weeks to learn (2 to 4 weeks is usually enough to spot your patterns; you do not need to wear one forever)
2Note which foods spike you personally (Watch for surprises; a food that is fine for others may spike you (and vice versa))
3Eat veg, protein and fat before carbs (Front-load vegetables, protein and fat; eat the starchy/sweet part last)

What to buy

Continuous glucose monitor

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Ben Greenfield

BLOOD SUGAR

Fasted Mornings & Metabolic Flexibility

1Finish eating a few hours before bed (Aim to finish dinner earlier in the evening and fast overnight (~12 to 16 hours total))
2Do gentle morning movement before eating (An easy walk or light mobility in the fasted window; keep it low intensity)
3Add a brief cold shower or soak (A short cold shower or soak after your easy movement)

What to buy

Protein powder ~$60

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Tim Spector

GUT HEALTH

Cut Ultra-Processed Food

1Read the ingredient list (Red flags: long lists, ingredients you would not have in your kitchen, and additives like emulsifiers, sweeteners and flavourings)
2Be skeptical of 'healthy' labels (Treat 'low-fat', 'low-calorie' and 'high-protein' claims as a prompt to check the ingredients, not as proof it is healthy)
3Target the most harmful, most frequent UPF (Prioritise dropping ultra-processed salty snacks, processed meats and sugary drinks, especially ones you eat often)

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Mary Claire Haver

MENOPAUSE

The Galveston Diet

1Use a 16:8 eating window (Eat within an 8-hour window, fast the other 16 (mostly overnight); adjust if it does not suit you)
2Build meals from anti-inflammatory whole foods (Leafy greens, olive oil, berries, nuts, tomatoes, fatty fish; minimise added sugar, refined carbs and ultra-processed food)
3Shift your fat-to-carb ratio (Start higher in healthy fat with lower refined carbs; Haver's plan eases toward a more balanced ratio over the following weeks)

What to buy

Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil ~$28

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Dom D'Agostino

BLOOD SUGAR

Exogenous Ketones & Therapeutic Ketosis

1Understand esters vs salts vs MCT (Esters: strong, fast, expensive, bad taste. Salts: gentler, mineral load. MCT/C8 oil: mild ketone bump, food-like)
2Use them for a defined purpose (Transient ketosis without dieting, blunting an oral glucose spike, or a possible focus/exercise aid; effects are modest)
3Use modest doses and build slowly (Begin with a small dose; D'Agostino warns large ester doses can cause GI distress and, in principle, risky acidosis)

What to buy

C8 MCT oil ~$25

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Sean O'Mara

BLOOD SUGAR

Reduce Visceral Fat

1Remove ultra-processed food, refined carbs and seed oils (Eliminate ultra-processed products, sugary drinks, refined flour and industrial seed oils for 30 days, then reassess)
2Eat whole foods with fermented foods daily (O'Mara favours a meat-forward, whole-food base; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir) per meal. You do not need full carnivore (see cautions))
3Do short, all-out sprints (~2 to 3 sessions/week of 20 to 30 second near-maximal efforts with full recovery; build up gradually and get cleared first)

What to buy

Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate ~$32

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Rhonda Patrick

BLOOD SUGAR

Moringa for Antioxidants & Blood Sugar

1Treat moringa as a nutrient-dense leaf, not a miracle (~10g of leaf powder provides a good share of daily vitamin A, iron and calcium; ignore inflated 'X times the vitamin C of oranges' marketing)
2Use it for antioxidant support (Daily leaf powder; moringin activates the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, similar in spirit to sulforaphane)
3Watch your own glucose response (Some small studies and Patrick's own continuous-glucose-monitor data suggest moringa blunts the post-meal glucose spike; test it on yourself if you wear a CGM)

What to buy

Moringa leaf powder ~$14

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Gary Brecka

BLOOD SUGAR

The 30/30/30 Morning Fat-Loss Method

1Eat 30g of protein (Fast options that hit ~30g: 3 to 4 eggs; or 3 eggs plus Greek yoghurt; or 1.5 scoops of protein powder (most are ~20g per scoop); or a large bowl of cottage cheese. Whole-food protein is ideal. Prep the night before so it is grab-and-go.)
230 minutes of steady-state cardio (Keep heart rate at or below 135 bpm: a brisk walk, easy bike, elliptical or light jog. The test is that you can talk in full sentences or take a phone call without losing your breath.)
3Do not push the pace (If your heart rate climbs well above 135 bpm it becomes a workout, not the 30/30/30 protocol. Going harder is not the goal here.)

What to buy

Whey protein ~$70

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Dean Ornish

HEART HEALTH

Eat to reverse heart disease

1Build every plate around whole plants (Fill your plate with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, lentils and soy foods in their natural, unprocessed forms.)
2Cut added fats and oils right down (Keep total fat low. On the strict reversal diet that is roughly 15 to 35g of total fat a day, mostly from whole foods rather than added oils. Skip fried food and go easy on nuts, seeds and oils.)
3Drop sugar and refined grains (Avoid added sugar, white flour, white rice and other refined carbs. Choose whole grains instead.)

What to buy

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ~$32

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Inigo San Millan

HEART HEALTH

Build your aerobic base

1Keep it genuinely easy (Work at an effort where you can still speak in full sentences but would struggle to sing. It should feel almost too easy. Many people ruin Zone 2 by going too hard.)
2Go long enough (Aim for at least 45 minutes of continuous easy effort, working up to 60 minutes or more. The benefits build with time in the zone.)
3Build up your weekly volume (Start with what you can manage and build toward roughly 150 to 300 minutes a week across 3 or more sessions. San Millan pushes serious trainees higher still.)

What to buy

Heart-rate chest strap monitor ~$90

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Inigo San Millan

BLOOD SUGAR

Zone 2 for Metabolic Health

1Do easy cardio most days (Aim for Zone 2 on most days of the week, even 45 minutes at a time. Consistency matters more here than any single hard workout.)
2Stay in the fat-burning zone (Keep the effort easy enough to hold a conversation. This is where your body burns the most fat and lactate stays low.)
3Pair it with fewer refined carbs (Support your training by cutting back on sugar and refined carbs and eating more whole foods, which eases the load on your metabolism.)

What to buy

Heart-rate chest strap monitor ~$90

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Dan Go

BLOOD SUGAR

The High-Performance Daily Fat-Loss Routine

1Hydrate before coffee (Water with electrolyte powder or a pinch of sea salt; optional 5g creatine)
2Delay your first coffee (Push coffee 60-90 minutes, ideally after your first meal)
3Eat a light, protein-forward first meal (~250-400 calories, 30-50g protein, kept low-calorie so it does not cause afternoon lethargy)

What to buy

LMNT Electrolytes ~$25

Momentous Vegan Protein ~$55

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Dan Go

BLOOD SUGAR

The 14-Day Protein-Sparing Fat-Loss Reset

1Eat only lean protein and non-starchy vegetables (1-1.25g protein per pound of bodyweight/day from single-ingredient sources (chicken breast, fish, egg whites, lean beef); non-starchy veg like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower)
2Cap carbs and skip added fats (Under 20-50g carbs/day; avoid starchy vegetables, grains, fruit, and added fats; fat comes mainly from the protein sources themselves)
3Resistance train (3 non-negotiable strength sessions per week during the reset)

What to buy

LMNT Electrolytes ~$25

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If you tried a CGM and got a confusing or scary-looking spike from something ordinary, that is common. A single data point is not a diagnosis; the honest answer is that we do not yet know how much chasing every spike actually changes outcomes in someone without diabetes.

Strong evidence

Zone 2 cardio Conversational-pace training for at least 45 minutes builds the aerobic engine and fat-burning capacity and improves insulin sensitivity.

Meal sequencing Fiber and protein before carbs blunts post-meal glucose spikes even without a CGM.

Cut ultra-processed food and added sugar The single most consistent lever across the evidence base.

Promising, evidence evolving

Continuous glucose monitors A genuinely useful personalization tool for seeing your own response to food, sleep and stress, even without diabetes. The honest limit: we do not yet know if chasing every spike improves long-term outcomes in healthy people.

A 10-minute walk after eating Mechanistically sound and widely recommended, with smaller trial evidence than the Tier A items.

Emerging or single-supplement, covered honestly

Moringa and other single-ingredient antioxidant supplements Interesting mechanistically but thin, early human evidence compared to the lifestyle levers above; never promote above a lifestyle foundation.

Blood sugar spikes and crashes drive energy dips today and, over years, metabolic disease, but you do not need a CGM or a complicated protocol to get the basics right. Zone 2 training, meal sequencing, and cutting ultra-processed food do most of the work; a CGM is a useful mirror, not a requirement. Here is the honest map, ranked by evidence, so you always know your next move.

Rhonda Patrick

PhD, Biomedical Science · FoundMyFitness

David Sinclair

Longevity Geneticist · Harvard Medical

Ben Greenfield

Coach & Author · Boundless

Mark Hyman

Functional Medicine Physician · The Doctor's Farmacy

Satchin Panda

Circadian Biologist · Salk Institute

Layne Norton

Nutrition Scientist · BioLayne

Dom D'Agostino

Neuroscientist · University of South Florida

Casey Means

Physician · Levels

Gary Brecka

Human Biologist · The Ultimate Human

Dave Asprey

Biohacker, Founder of Bulletproof · Founder · Upgrade Labs, Danger Coffee

Thomas DeLauer

Nutrition Coach & Educator · Keto & Intermittent Fasting

Sean O'Mara

Visceral Fat Researcher · Performance & Health Optimization (MRI-based)

Inigo San Millan

Exercise Physiologist · University of Colorado School of Medicine

Dan Go

Fitness & Fat-Loss Coach · High Performance Founder

Michael Greger

MD, FACLM · Founder, NutritionFacts.org

Compare experts on Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

Do I need a CGM if I don't have diabetes?▾

It can be a useful personalization tool, but current evidence does not clearly show that optimizing every spike improves outcomes in healthy people; treat it as a mirror, not a mandate.

What is the fastest way to blunt a blood sugar spike?▾

Eating protein and fiber before carbs and a short walk after eating both have real evidence; neither requires a device.

Is Zone 2 or high-intensity training better for blood sugar?▾

Both help; Zone 2 has the deepest mitochondrial and fat-oxidation evidence base and is the more sustainable long-term habit for most people.

Are blood-sugar supplements like moringa worth it?▾

The evidence is early and much thinner than for the core lifestyle levers; food and movement come first.

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