How to read the numbers: Target = the value we aim for · Risk = what to watch out for · Term = a key term or marker worth knowing
Post-meal spike = inflammation
Frequent, high glucose spikes after meals are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, although an occasional rise after eating is normal in healthy people. Starting meals with vegetables and protein and taking a short walk afterwards helps.
Optimal fasting glucose
This range is often cited in preventive medicine as optimal; laboratory reference values for fasting glucose are wider. Measure in the morning before eating, and discuss borderline or repeatedly higher values with your doctor.
Reveals otherwise invisible patterns
A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is worn for about two weeks and shows how your own body responds to specific foods, sleep or stress. Log your meals and look for recurring patterns rather than single spikes – sensor accuracy is limited.
Glycaemia (the level of glucose in your blood) is a fundamental metabolic parameter. Every spike above 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) after a meal triggers inflammatory cascades, protein glycation (AGEs — advanced glycation end-products) and oxidative stress. This happens even in people with "normal" fasting glucose.
It is not only your average blood sugar that matters, but how much it varies. Large spikes and crashes correlate with cardiovascular risk, cognitive decline and mortality — independently of the average value. A CGM (continuous glucose monitor) such as Libre or Dexcom reveals these patterns.
Glycaemic variability — what it is and why it matters
A postprandial glucose spike (the rise after a meal) depends on: the glycaemic index and load of the meal; the order in which you eat (vegetables and protein before carbohydrates reduce the spike by 30–40%); physical activity after eating (a 10-minute walk after dinner); and the composition of your microbiome (individual responses to the same food differ dramatically).
Insulin resistance — a silent epidemic
Insulin resistance (IR) is a state in which cells no longer respond properly to insulin. The pancreas compensates by producing more insulin. The result: chronically high insulin, visceral obesity, systemic inflammation, hypertriglyceridaemia and low HDL. IR precedes type 2 diabetes by 10–15 years and is present in ~40% of the adult population. HOMA-IR index (glucose × insulin / 22.5) — optimal below 1.5.
How to stabilise blood sugar — the protocol
Eating order: vegetables → protein/fats → carbohydrates. Vinegar (1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before a meal) reduces the post-meal spike by 20–30%. Movement after meals (10–20 minutes of walking). Berberine (500 mg before a meal) — an effect on insulin sensitivity comparable to metformin. Cut refined carbohydrates and increase fibre (target: 30–40 g/day). Intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity.
CGM — what you will learn
You wear a continuous glucose monitor (Libre 3, Dexcom G7) for 14 days and see in real time how your body responds to every meal, stressor, night of sleep and workout. The findings always surprise: some "healthy" foods cause a spike, some "unhealthy" ones do not. The ideal target for glycaemic variability (CV%) is below 36%, with average glucose below 100 mg/dL.
