The afternoon crash isn’t a law of nature. You choose it, every single day.
3 p.m. You’re at your desk and your brain refuses to cooperate. You stare at your screen as if it’s written in Chinese. Your hand reaches automatically for the snack drawer. Or that “healthy” muesli bar. Or yet another cup of coffee.
Stop. Right. There.
Because what you’re about to do, grabbing that quick sugar or caffeine fix, is exactly why you’ll be sitting here again in an hour. And tomorrow. And the day after. And still in ten years, but with type 2 diabetes on top.
My own glucose wake-up call
Let me be honest: I was the queen of the blood sugar rollercoaster. When my kids were little (hello colicky baby, I didn’t sleep through the night for 5 years, 5 years!!!!) I lived on coffee and chocolate. I’m German and always joked that I was “genetically pre-programmed” for that 4 o’clock “Kaffee und Kuchen”.
But the truth? With that coffee-and-sweets ritual I created a blood sugar and caffeine peak every day that woke me up briefly, only to crash even harder in the evening. Dead tired after dinner, and then lying awake for hours when I finally wanted to sleep.
That vicious circle of waking up with coffee and sugar, crashing, more coffee, more sugar, crashing again, exhausted in the evening but too wired to sleep. Sound familiar?
The hard truth (you already know this, but do it anyway)
We’ve been collectively brainwashed. That food pyramid with grains at the base? Bullshit. The idea that you should eat 6 times a day for “stable blood sugar”? Even more nonsense.
Here’s what really happens:
Every time you eat carbs, bread, pasta, rice, fruit, milk, whatever, your blood sugar rises. Your pancreas pumps out insulin to get that sugar into your cells. And insulin is a storage hormone. It tells your body: stop burning fat, we’re storing.
Because modern food consists mostly of processed carbs, your body sits in that storage mode pretty much 24/7. No wonder you’re tired. Your body barely gets the chance to tap into your own energy reserves. You’re tired, and let’s be honest, you’re carrying a few extra kilos that don’t exactly make your life more energetic.
What research with glucose monitors revealed
Jessie Inchauspé (the Glucose Goddess) had people wear continuous glucose monitors and looked at what really happens with ordinary meals. A few of her findings, with example figures from her measurements:
Changing the order. Same meal, different order:
- Bread → meat → vegetables: peak around 180 mg/dL
- Vegetables → meat → bread: peak around 130 mg/dL
Same meal. Dozens of points difference. Just from the order.
The vinegar trick. A little vinegar, big impact:
- Pasta without: average peak around 165 mg/dL
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before the pasta: peak around 125 mg/dL
How does that work? Vinegar contains acetic acid, and that does two things. It slows your stomach emptying (your food stays in your stomach longer, sugars are released more slowly) and it temporarily makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin. Your muscles then take glucose out of your blood more efficiently, with less insulin. Less insulin means less fat storage, steadier energy and less hunger later. A splash of vinegar that gives your metabolism a hand.
Moving after eating. 10 minutes of walking right after your meal significantly lowers your glucose peak, and that effect lasts a few hours. It even works better than the same walk at some other moment. Your muscles activate glucose transporters (GLUT4) that take sugar out of your blood without any insulin involved. Free gains.
Why this isn’t only about energy
Unstable blood sugar messes with everything:
Your hormones. Swinging blood sugar puts pressure on your adrenal glands, your cortisol gets disrupted, you sleep worse, and poor sleep disrupts your blood sugar again. Round and round.
Your skin. Glucose binds to collagen (glycation). Result: premature wrinkles, less elasticity. That expensive anti-ageing cream is wasted money if your blood sugar is on a rollercoaster all day.
Your brain. People with chronically high blood sugar have a clearly higher risk of dementia. There’s a reason scientists sometimes call Alzheimer’s “type 3 diabetes”.
Your weight. High insulin keeps you in fat-storage mode. You can exercise until you drop, but if your insulin is constantly high, you’ll struggle to reach your fat reserves.
Your inflammation levels. Blood sugar spikes trigger inflammatory responses. And chronic low-grade inflammation sits at the root of pretty much every modern lifestyle disease.
The glucose-conscious-living strategy (that actually works)
Level 1: the basics (start here)
1. The vegetables-first rule. Simple, but it works. Always eat your vegetables first. Fibre forms a kind of physical barrier in your gut and slows the absorption of glucose, so your peak comes out far lower.
In practice:
- Breakfast: start with cucumber, tomato, whatever vegetable you have
- Lunch: that salad isn’t a side dish, it’s your starter
- Dinner: at least 50% of your plate vegetables, and start with them
- Snack: nuts (max 30g, a handful, not the whole bag) or veggie sticks before fruit
2. The vinegar hack. 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water, 10 minutes before your biggest meal.
Too sour? Alternatives:
- Mix with sparkling water and a pinch of salt, fancy drink
- My favourite: make a raw veg salad for lunch or dinner with a dressing of 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Two birds with one stone: vegetables first and your vinegar dose.
- Gherkins, pickled onions, kimchi, sauerkraut with your meal (fermentation also provides acetic acid)
3. Stop eating naked. “What on earth do you mean, Tanja?!” 😳 Of course I know you keep your underwear on while eating (or not, you happy freak, haha). No, I mean your carbs. They should always be “dressed”. Never eat them on their own, always combine them with:
- Fat: slows absorption, stabilises your blood sugar (butter on bread, olive oil over pasta)
- Protein: switches on hormones that help balance insulin (cheese, egg, hummus, nuts)
- Fibre: see point 1 (vegetables alongside, always)
That apple? Eat it with nut butter (1 tablespoon, not half a jar). That cracker? With hummus or cheese. That pasta or noodles? Use 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil per portion and half a tin of beans (about 100-120g). Enough for the stabilising effect, without turning it into a calorie bomb.
4. The after-meal move. 10 minutes of movement within 90 minutes of eating. Not a workout, just movement:
- A walk around the block
- Up and down the stairs
- Desk workout
- Dancing in your kitchen
Level 2: the optimisers (once the basics are routine)
5. Intermittent fasting light. 12-14 hours of nothing between your dinner and your breakfast. Gives your body the chance to let insulin drop, switch on fat burning and kick off cellular maintenance (autophagy).
6. Your breakfast makeover. Forget that “coffee on an empty stomach”, and definitely those chocolate-sprinkle sandwiches (crazy Dutch people!). Start your day with something that keeps your blood sugar steady:
- The GOOD. bread (recipe below) with avocado or egg
- Or the GOOD. granola with yoghurt and protein powder (recipe below)
- Vegetables, eggs and healthy fats: energy without a crash
Why no sweet breakfast? Then you start your day with a blood sugar rocket. What goes up comes crashing down. That “healthy” porridge with honey, that smoothie bowl with fruit? You’ll be crashing again by 10 a.m. Start savoury and feel the difference. Your whole day changes.
7. Use supplements strategically. Before you buy out half the chemist, focus on what really does something for your blood sugar:
- Berberine: a plant extract that shows positive effects on glucose metabolism in studies
- Chromium: helps your cells become more sensitive to insulin
- Ceylon cinnamon: use as a spice (in your yoghurt, in tea), not the cheap Cassia variety
Further down I share products that combine these ingredients smartly.
Level 3: the glucose ninja moves
- Cold thermogenesis. End your shower with 30 seconds of cold water. Activates your brown fat, which burns glucose to make heat.
- The sleep-glucose connection. Less than 6 hours of sleep gives you up to 40% worse insulin sensitivity the next day. Treasure your sleep as if your life depends on it, because it does.
- Cyclical ketosis. 1-2 days a week under 50g of carbs. Trains your metabolic flexibility: your body learns to switch between glucose and fat as fuel. For me that was a serious turning point. Metabolic flexibility is the new black. 😉
From theory to practice: your new go-to breakfast
Enough science and hacks. You’re probably wondering: “But Tanja, WHAT do I actually eat then?”
Because the supermarket is full of blood sugar bombs disguised as “healthy breakfast”. Porridge? Sugar spike. Wholemeal bread? Sugar spike with a fancy name. Granola? Sugared sugar spike.
These two recipes have become my holy grail. They keep your blood sugar steady, your energy constant, and bonus: they taste great too.
The GOOD. bread
10 min work + 50 min oven. Makes 18-20 slices. Storage: fridge up to 5 days, freezer up to 3 months.
Wet:
- 6 eggs
- 500 g full-fat kefir, unsweetened
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of Himalayan salt
Dry:
- 100 g apple fibre
- 100 g buckwheat flakes
- 60 g psyllium fibre
- 10 g cream of tartar baking powder
- 10 g chia seeds, 10 g hemp seeds and 10 g sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a loaf tin (30 cm) with baking paper. Whisk the eggs with the kefir, the olive oil and a pinch of Himalayan salt until smooth. Then add the dry ingredients: first the apple fibre, on top of that the buckwheat flakes, then the psyllium fibre, the cream of tartar baking powder, and finally the chia, hemp and sesame seeds. Stir everything well into a firm, even batter. It’s thicker than ordinary bread dough, and that’s right. Smooth it into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the bread feels firm and a skewer comes out dry. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin, take it out and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.
This isn’t ordinary bread, it’s a protein vehicle: about 8g of protein per slice and minimal net carbs. The eggs provide complete amino acids, the kefir brings live bacterial cultures, and the psyllium and chia give structure and keep your gut moving. The buckwheat flakes give slow energy, without gluten. Slice the bread and freeze it with baking paper between the slices, then take out exactly enough each morning.
GOOD. granola
10 min to mix. Makes about 625g, enough for a week. Storage: airtight up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients:
- 150 g oat flakes (gluten-free)
- 175 g buckwheat flakes
- 50 g coconut chips
- 100 g apple fibre
- 50 g chia seeds
- 50 g hemp seeds
- 50 g flaxseed (whole)
- 5 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp maca powder
- 2 tsp cardamom
Mix all the dry ingredients well in a large bowl and store in a well-sealed jar. Done. Serve with full-fat yoghurt or quark and fresh fruit. Want an extra protein boost? Add 1-2 tablespoons of doTERRA protein powder.
Every ingredient is there for a reason: the oat and buckwheat flakes are slow carbs, apple fibre and chia slow glucose absorption and feed your gut bacteria, hemp seed provides complete plant protein, flaxseed and coconut chips give healthy fats, cinnamon supports your insulin sensitivity, and maca and cardamom add flavour without touching your blood sugar. One portion turns your yoghurt from a snack into a meal that carries you for 3-4 hours.
Your move: the GOOD. Glucose Support system
For those who want to accelerate (work smarter, not harder).
Why supplement if you “can just eat healthily”?
“I already eat healthily.” Lovely idea, but here’s the reality: our vegetables contain fewer vitamins and minerals than decades ago (depleted soil), we sit indoors 8+ hours a day (vitamin D, anyone?), chronic stress eats up your B vitamins and magnesium, and a lot of modern food is processed down to roughly the nutritional value of cardboard.
You can try to eat 3 kilos of spinach a day for your iron. Or you can be smart and give your body what it needs effortlessly.
Start with the Wellness Made Simple pack. Because changing a lifestyle without a vital body is fighting yourself. This pack makes your body work with you:
- Your gut bacteria decide what you crave (they’re the boss, not you). PB Assist+ brings them into balance.
- Your omegas feed your brain. EO Mega+ clears the fog from your head.
- Without good nutrients your willpower runs on the reserve tank. VMG+ tops up your reserves, so you actually have energy for all your good intentions.
Just try eating healthily when your bacteria are screaming for pizza and your brain is in a fog. Spoiler: it won’t work. Start here, feel the difference, and make the rest 10x easier.
Extra for glucose control
MetaPWR Assist
- Berberine: supports healthy blood sugar levels
- Mulberry leaf extract: slows glucose absorption in the gut
- Ceylon cinnamon powder: supports your insulin sensitivity
- MetaPWR oil blend (grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon): in a preclinical study by doTERRA with human fat cells this blend slowed the build-up of fat droplets in the cells, even at low dosage. Confirming research in humans is still to come, but the first results are promising.
Take 1 capsule before your biggest meal(s) of the day.
MetaPWR Beadlets
- For acute sweet cravings
- With essential oils that help suppress the urge to snack
- Helps keep your blood sugar balanced between meals
- Handy on the go
Check the complete Glucose Support Pack here
Frequently used excuses
“But Tanja, I can’t live without bread!” Fine. Eat it last. Vegetables → protein → bread. Same bread, 50% less impact. Or make your own healthy bread, see the recipe above.
“I don’t have time for complicated faff.” Eating vegetables first costs literally 0 extra minutes. You’re eating them anyway (hopefully).
“Vinegar is gross.” Dilute it with plenty of water. Or use gherkins, pickled onions, kimchi, sauerkraut, all fermented with natural acetic acid. And no, lemon juice doesn’t work the same way, it actually contains fructose that drives your blood sugar up. We want acetic acid, not fruit sugar.
“I already exercise, so I can eat what I want.” Nice try. You can’t out-exercise bad food. Ask any bodybuilder: muscles are made in the kitchen.
“My grandma ate bread too and lived to 90.” Your grandma’s bread contained about 2g of sugar per 100g. Modern bread: 8-10g. Your grandma moved 5 hours a day, you sit for 8. Your grandma ate twice a day, you snack constantly. See the difference?
Your 30-day kickstart (with measurements!)
Week 1: baseline
- Measure your energy (1-10) every hour
- Track when you’re hungry
- Write down when you crave snacks
- Optional: buy a glucose monitor (€30 at the chemist)
- Optimise your nutrition with WMS and MetaPWR
Week 2-3: implement the basics
- Vegetables always first
- Vinegar before lunch and dinner
- 10 min walk after every meal
- Keep track of how you feel
Week 4: level up
- Start with intermittent fasting light (12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast)
- Test how you feel with cold showers
- Keep tracking your energy and how you feel and compare with week 1-3
What you’ll notice:
- Day 3-5: possibly a headache (sugar withdrawal is real)
- Day 7: first energy improvement
- Day 14: cravings significantly down
- Day 21: new habit formed
- Day 30: holy shit, is this how normal people feel?
The uncomfortable truth
We’re addicted. To sugar, to quick energy, to the idea that being tired is just part of life after 35. But you’re not a car that needs petrol, you’re a hybrid that can also run on fat. You’ve just given it nothing but petrol your whole life.
Living glucose-conscious means understanding how your body works, and then making choices from knowledge instead of from cravings. For the rest of your life. Your long, healthy, energetic life.
You can start right now. Now.
Start small:
- Tomorrow at breakfast: vegetables first, no sweet things
- Before lunch: a glass of water with vinegar
- After lunch: 10 minutes around the block
That’s it. No revolution, no extreme lifestyle change. Just three tiny habits that stabilise your blood sugar.
Because that afternoon dip, that constant tiredness, that sweet craving? It’s not fate, not age and not a character flaw. It’s biochemistry. And biochemistry you can steer.
Welcome to glucose-conscious living. You won’t be able to un-know it.
Ready for personal guidance? Take the GOOD. scan for tailored lifestyle tips or start straight away with the Glucose Support Pack.
Get in touch for questions, struggles or successes.
P.S. Yes, you can do it all without supplements too. But why do it the hard way when it can be easy? Save more energy for the fun things.