book review: the last "diet" book you'll ever read
today i want to share with you what i consider to be a landmark achievement in the world of diet books, “Glucose Revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar” by Jessie Inchauspé, aka @glucosegoddess on instagram. there’s been no other book of its kind that i’ve felt that everyone would benefit from reading, and i feel confident the advice it offers will be helpful to literally anyone, of any age or health status. the recommendations within the book are simple, safe, effective, supported by science and - gasp - tested on actual women (this is often not the case with major diet trends, like intermittent fasting, low carb, etc. which are tested mostly on men).
that said, please hear this: i don’t think you need to lose weight. i am anti-diet culture and am anyway not qualified to decide that for you. i don’t think i need to, either - for one of the first times in my judgy, self-critical little life - that’s not why i’m recommending this book. in fact, my sole criticism of the book is how often weight loss is referenced within its pages.
as a culture, we are entirely too obsessed with weight loss and are dangerously fat-phobic, to our own detriment. however, weight loss and publishing are industries, and diet books sell. many people out there won’t so much as glance at health advice that doesn’t include the promise of weight loss. so i get why weight loss comes up so frequently in the book, but i feel that it doesn’t do justice to the real power of Inchauspé’s approach, which has the potential to improve health on both an individual and mass scale. diabetes is no joke. it takes a heavy toll on both the medical establishment and on a personal level for anyone near it. and understanding that we have the power to shift that reality is truly exciting.
the “glucose goddess” is a biochemist with a knack for taking large amounts of complex data, explaining it impactfully and distilling it into sensible actions. she looks at the studies on blood sugar spikes, what causes them, the wide-ranging effects they have on health and how to mitigate them, and then tests things for herself by wearing a continuous glucose monitor. (seriously - check out her instagram, it’s eye-opening!) from this, she came up with ten “hacks” to keep blood sugar steady, thus promoting general health, including everything from balancing hormones to staving off diabetes, cancer and depression to having more energy, better skin and yes, contributing to weight loss.
her hacks are actionable, reasonable, completely free of negative side-effects and literally anyone can start adopting them right away. there are no extremes, no restrictions, no detailed plans, no specific protocol of what to eat. you don’t need a lot of money for it, nor do you need to change your whole life in order to succeed (i’m looking at you, whole 30). her advice is basically to eat vegetables first, move around after a meal, and eat dessert instead of standalone sweet treats. and that just sounds like a pretty chill day, amiright?
more importantly, the steps she outlines won’t hurt you. i’m personally pretty bad at dieting due to an inborn rebellious streak and issues with authority (including my own) but i can’t tell you how many very “good dieters” i’ve know over the years who have compromised their health in some way because they were successful in their diets. these people have compromised their metabolisms (gaining weight back and then some) or seriously messed up their digestive health, kidneys, fertility, or mental/emotional relationship with food, all from adhering strictly to a diet. dieting is dangerous. on the other end of the spectrum, the glucose goddess hacks are simple, harmless, and you don’t even have adhere to all of them (or do them all the time) for them to work.
i’m most interested in the hormone-balancing impact of her protocol. i’ve long known that balancing blood sugar is key to hormonal health and can banish menstrual issues, PCOS and even menopause symptoms, but i haven’t known how best to do it until now. so whether or not pre-diabetes or weight is a concern for you, this knowledge is just straight up empowering for women, period. and if you’re not a woman, you’ll still be empowered by the positive effects on reducing your risk of alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease. (and not for nothing, it’s good for the skin.)
moreover, i love that finally, a scientist spells out what i’ve always believed: health - and weight loss - is more than just calories in vs. calories out, as is so oft-repeated in my industry. she illustrates how the type of molecules we eat have such a big impact on our systems and why. it’s fascinating and just makes sense.
for me, i love the food freedom i’ve found in this book. things that used to be big mysteries to me now have an explanation, like why i would get sooooo hungry after eating fruit and lowfat yogurt for breakfast, or why i suddenly stopped getting period cramps when i cut sugar. now i don’t have to expend the mental energy on wondering about “what works.” it turns out that i already do many of her hacks, and have always done so. in a way, i’m already “proof” of their efficacy. (please note: now, as always, i’m sharing my experiences with you, not giving medical advice. please don’t take it as such). now i finally understand why eating oatmeal always made me feel crappy, or why i gain weight when trying to diet.
i also see how my lifelong tendencies have contributed to my health (i was always wondering if i was just lucky). as a child who didn’t like vegetables but understood they had to be consumed, i began the habit of eating them first to get them out of the way. i don’t like sweet things for breakfast and have been know to put olive oil, parmesan and a big fat fried egg on my oatmeal. and not for nothing, i move around a lot before & after meals - not necessarily workouts, mind you, just moving.
anyway, read the book, follow @glucosegoddess on instagram, and enjoy excellent, easy health. let me know what you think!
