It’s no exaggeration to say that you’d have had to have been living under a rock not to have heard of biochemist Jessie Inchauspé. Known for her social moniker, The Glucose Goddess, she’s amassed a casual 5.2 million Instagram followers over the past few years as well as becoming a New York Times bestselling author with her debut cookbook, The Glucose Goddess Method. But she’s not just a biochemist, social media sensation and best-selling author – the appeal of Jessie seems far-reaching, with the star even sitting front row at Prada’s Paris Fashion Week show last season (complete, fittingly, with a large chunk of Parmesan in her handbag for blood-sugar friendly snacking).
Tonight, the second in a two-part Channel 4 special, Eat Smart: Secrets of the Glucose Goddess airs and follows Jessie teaching members of the public her nutrition hacks to see if it improves their acne, sleep apnoea, and more.
So, where did Jessie’s interest originate from, and what is it about her hacks that have garnered such worldwide interest? She’s spoken openly about how her fascination with glucose tracking and the effects that blood sugar spikes can have on both your physical and mental wellbeing began a decade ago after a bad accident left her struggling with her mental health (she experienced episodes of depersonalisation-derealisation disorder, which as per the NHS, involves feeling outside of yourself or like the world is unreal).
In a bid to get better, she started looking at her diet, using a continuous blood glucose monitor (CGM) to track her glucose spikes and making detailed observations about what foods, activities and factors impacted her state of mind. And the results, she maintains, were “life-changing.” So she set about backing up her findings with research and sharing them, in the form of illustrated graphs, on her social channels.
The Glucose Goddess hacks that she now preaches about on her platforms aren’t complicated – there’s beauty in their simplicity, and one thing she can’t be criticised for is making nutrition complicated. She maintains that simple changes, like eating a vegetable starter before your main meal, adding “clothes” to your carbs (aka, eating a balanced meal of protein, fat and carbohydrates at every meal and snack) and eating sugar after a meal, not only transformed her mental health, but also physical wellbeing, too. In her books, she claims that balancing your blood sugar spikes can not only help with cravings, chronic fatigue, constant hunger and weight gain, but also sleep quality, brain fog, hormonal issues, and mental health issues (although it’s important to point out that, at current, there’s no scientific evidence to prove that reducing your glucose spikes can have a positive impact on dissociative disorders, specifically).
Of course, talk of blood sugar and how blood sugar spikes impact our wellbeing isn’t necessarily anything new – something Jessie’s critics point out. As specialist eating disorders dietitian Beth Francois shared on Instagram, “The large majority of the Glucose Goddess’ infamous glucose spike graphs and infographics are essentially hundreds of different ways of telling us that eating carbohydrates alongside proteins and fats reduces the amount our blood glucose levels increase. This is basic nutrition science.”
Fair to say, then, that her hacks have divided the Internet’s and experts’ opinions alike, with many claiming she doesn’t have the relevant qualifications and others saying she frames anecdotal evidence as “science.” Francois even goes as far as to say that she’s “creating a problem in order to sell you a solution you don’t actually need.” The criticism reached a boiling point last summer when she launched her first own-brand product, the Anti-Spike Formula, a £55 supplement consisting of mulberry leaf, lemon extract, unspecified antioxidants and cinnamon that promises to reduce your blood glucose spikes by up to 40% but that hasn’t been through independent clinical trials.
But for every critic, there’s also a person who swears by Jessie’s hacks and will vouch first-hand for what a positive impact her tweaks have had on their wellbeing. Confused about whether it’s worth giving Jessie’s Glucose Goddess recipes and hacks a go? We’ve spoken to three of the UK’s leading nutritionists to get their honest take, plus I share my thoughts, having tried Jessie’s hacks for the best part of two years. Is Jessie, as she puts it herself, a “science communicator trying to help people understand how food impacts their body,” or is she, as critics claim, an under-qualified social media mogul pushing another diet fad? Below, we explore.
She’s sold over a million books and amassed 6mil+ social followers – so, do the Glucose Goddess hacks actually work? 3 top experts explain
What are the pros of trying the Glucose Goddess hacks?
Let’s start with the positives. According to registered nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr, Jessie’s hacks focus on simple, practical changes that can help stabilise blood sugar levels, which in turn can benefit energy levels and may even reduce cravings. “What I like about them is that they provide a starting point for those wanting to make healthier changes without feeling overwhelmed,” shares the expert.
Registered nutritionist Jenna Hope agrees, adding: “Some of her hacks can help to prevent a constant blood sugar rollercoaster, which we know can lead to increases in sugar cravings, energy highs and subsequent crashes, poor dietary choices and changes in mood.” Not just this, but keeping your blood sugar levels stable has been scientifically proven (see this 2023 study and further, this 2022 paper with a greater focus on flax but demonstrating the same associations) to support satiety, leaving you feeling more satisfied and, in turn, helping with weight management.
Lenherr goes on to highlight that another advantage of Jessie’s hacks is that they encourage better food choices generally. “Adding fibre, reducing sugar, and considering food combinations promote a diet that is generally more nutrient-dense,” she explains. “Even her suggestion to replace sweet breakfasts with savoury ones, though not strictly about glucose, can help avoid mid-morning crashes and improve satiety.”
So, what about each specific hack? As registered nutritionist, naturopath and co-founder of ARDERE Lauren Windas explains, one of Jessie’s most well-publicised hacks involves putting “clothes on carbs,” in other words, pairing any form of carbohydrate with proteins, fats and fibres to reduce glucose spikes. All three nutritionists point out that this is advice that dieticians, doctors and nutritionists alike have been advising for decades, and so it’ll only positively impact your health to place a renewed focus on all three macronutrients. “By putting clothing on carbs and always pairing carbohydrate sources (potatoes, rice, or pasta) with protein (chicken, fish or tofu), fibre (vegetables) and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds), science has proven that you can slow digestion, stabilise your mood and boost mental clarity, not to mention enhance sleep and energy,” shares Windas. And, of course, over time, you’re likely to reduce inflammation levels in your body, which can impact everything from your skin to your risk of chronic conditions, like type 2 diabetes.
Jessie also encourages starting your meals with vegetables – that is, eating your veggies before, say, your pasta or protein. Lenherr’s take on this is simple – “Encouraging people to eat more veggies is always a great thing. I like this particular hack as it prioritises focusing on fibre-rich, non-starchy vegetables, which not only supports balanced blood sugar levels but also supports digestion and inspires people to include more diversity.”
Keen to understand the nitty-gritty of blood sugar spikes? Windas explains: “When blood sugar is high, insulin levels are elevated.” Which means? Well, in short, that your body is facing constantly elevated levels of your fat storage hormone (as insulin is one). “If your blood sugar is chronically dysregulated, you’ll increase your chances of weight gain,” she goes on. “If blood glucose becomes balanced, on the other hand, you’re likely to see enhancements in both fat burn and metabolism rate.”
More on the science, later…
What are the cons of trying the Glucose Goddess hacks?
Now, onto the cons – because Jessie’s had her fair share of criticism over the past few months. Many experts on social media claim she’s over-simplifying the current academic research, while others say she’s fostered a fear-mongering environment where blood glucose spikes are the be-all-and-end-all.
As Lenherr points out, while the hacks are practical and easy to follow, they do have some limitations. “For starters, they can oversimplify the complexity of blood sugar management – not all glucose spikes are harmful or need to be avoided,” she stresses. “Our bodies are designed to handle occasional rises, especially after eating healthy, nutrient-rich foods like fruit or starchy carbs like sweet potato. For most people, small glucose fluctuations are completely normal and not something to stress over.” Hope agrees, adding: “It’s important for people to know that fluctuations in blood sugar are a very normal and healthy response to eating a well-balanced meal.” Issues occur, she explains, when blood sugar levels are consistently being spiked to very high levels or when the body loses its ability to control blood sugar levels in a healthy way.
And, of course, there’s the potentially restrictive mindset that following these hacks might nurture. “If your focus shifts to trying to avoid every single glucose spike, it could take away the enjoyment of food or create unnecessary guilt around meals,” Lenherr points out. “This is especially true in social settings where food is more than just fuel—it’s about connection, celebration, and joy.” That’s before she even gets on to the fact that stabilising blood sugar is just one part of a bigger picture that includes overall nutrient intake, food variety, and lifestyle factors, she continues.
But Hope does worry that nutrition “rules” can be dangerous and the virality of The Glucose Goddess’ influence may be dangerous. “While Jessie encourages consumers to consider what they’re eating and when they’re eating it, her hacks and advice have contributed to a hurricane of fearmongering around blood glucose control.” Key takeaway here – while blood sugar has been widely clinically researched, Jessie’s specific hacks haven’t, which draws into question the efficacy of each individual hack (all of the graphs she shares on her Instagram are her personal blood glucose spikes or members of her team’s, and it’s widely accepted that different bodies will experience different spikes in relation to different foods). While Jessie’s hacks may have general scientific backing or research papers on the general subject, some have questioned whether you can conclusively prove that her hacks alone have the power to boost mental health, mood, metabolism and more.
Is there enough scientific backing to her hacks?
Now onto the actual science, in other words, the interesting part. According to Windas, this 2011 study is critically important when weighing up whether Jessie’s hacks are worth following or not. The study – which followed 17,000 healthy individuals over an 11-year period – investigated whether higher glucose levels in non-diabetics were associated with an increased risk of death. “What the researchers found was that higher average glucose levels, even for non-diabetics.” So what does this mean for you? “The findings support the idea that maintaining healthy glucose levels is important, even in individuals without diabetes to reduce long-term mortality risk.”
She goes on to share that food pairing, aka putting clothes on carbs, is a well-documented concept in many glycaemic index studies. “Combining carbs with protein or fat has frequently been found to lower the glycaemic response,” she explains, as has eating your veggies first to create a smaller glucose spike. “A 2015 study in Diabetes Care illustrated that consuming vegetables and protein before carbs reduced post-meal glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes,” she explains. It is worth noting, though that this was a small study and that, in her expert opinion, it’d be useful to gain more data on this.
And Hope agrees, adding: “Some of the hacks are scientifically sound – for example, consuming carbohydrates alongside a source of protein, fat or fibre. But others require more research, including eating your veggies first.”
Is it beneficial for everyone to track (and tailor their diet to) their glucose spikes?
Hopefully, if you’ve read this far, you’ve learnt a thing or two about Jessie and her research. But there’s a wider question at play here and one that goes hand in hand with the recent boom in interest in continuous blood glucose monitors, like Zoe, Lingo and more.
You see, to get accurate insights into what foods, activities and so on actually impact your personal blood glucose levels, you’ll have to wear a continuous blood glucose monitor for a month or more.
You’ll likely have seen them advertised on your social feeds or raved about by the likes of Steven Bartlett and Davina McCall. We’re entering an era of personalised nutrition and, for many, the possibility of getting real-time insights into how your body is processing certain foods is simply too tempting, with Apple and Samsung both rumoured to be working on tech to integrate blood glucose monitoring into our mobile devices.
But, for now, if you want to track, you’ll have to go with the classic monitor-in-arm approach – and they don’t come cheap. The Zoe test kit costs £299.99 up front, and a further £24.99 a month for the follow-up plan, so it’s certainly not accessible for all. What do my experts reckon – is tracking your blood glucose spikes with a CGM legitimately beneficial for all?
All three were pretty unanimous in their take – it’s certainly not necessary but could be insightful. According to Hope, not everyone needs to track their glucose. “Glucose responses can be affected by not only the food, but the quantity of a certain food, stress and sleep,” she explains. And Windas agrees, adding that tracking glucose spikes can sometimes be unreliable. “CGM’s may show random fluctuations of blood glucose due to various factors, including stress, lack of sleep, movement patterns, or other physiological changes. Consuming a banana might cause a glucose spike on one occasion but not on another, leading to inconsistencies and potential misinterpretations.”
Lenherr backs up that CGM tracking isn’t for everyone, but does maintain that it can be hugely beneficial for certain individuals. “For anyone with specific health conditions, such as diabetes or prediabetes, or those with conditions that can impact insulin sensitivity, such as PCOS, monitoring glucose levels may provide valuable insights to manage symptoms better and improve overall health.”
She adds that even for those of you without conditions, you could benefit from having more data about how your body processes and responds to food. “This can lead to a better understanding of what works for you personally, such as identifying foods that sustain energy levels or avoiding combinations that lead to crashes.”
Remember, though – there’s a fine line between using a bit of data to help you understand your body and obsessing over every single meal and thing you’ve eaten, in turn stripping the joy from eating. “By following general good nutrition guidelines—eating well-balanced plates, avoiding excessive sugar, moving frequently, and prioritising whole foods—most people can get to a place where their energy and blood sugar levels feel stable without needing to track spikes. Ultimately, whether glucose tracking is beneficial comes down to personal health, goals, and preferences,” Lenherr concludes.
Is there any truth in people’s criticism of The Glucose Goddess or do the experts think it’s harsh?
This is where my expertise, as a Senior Health Editor and someone who’s been trying the GG hacks for the best part of two years now, comes in.
Jessie’s hacks have been really game-changing for me personally (read my full inflammation diet review, here, although I hasten to add that I’m wholly anti-diet – it’s really not a diet). I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and believe that for anyone with conditions like those that make them insulin-sensitive, hacks such as eating more veggies and eating savoury breakfasts can be really useful. However, it’s clear from the current research that not everyone needs to think about or tailor their nutrition to optimise their blood glucose. It’s also perhaps a stretch to say monitoring your blood glucose levels will be beneficial for everyone (we’ve known for decades that our blood glucose spikes naturally throughout the day).
Similarly, I can see that perhaps Jessie’s hacks aren’t the solution in and of themselves. I’ve no doubt I’m feeling better, have more energy and am sleeping better as my whole diet, while following her hacks, is made up of more whole foods, a lot more veggies, and fewer processed foods (which nutritionists have been recommending for decades – it’s not actually anything new or groundbreaking). But I ask you this – is there really any harm in making nutrition more palatable and appealing to the masses? What Jessie’s managed to do, in my opinion, is make the basics of nutrition accessible and package up what can be quite daunting nutrition changes into a few simple steps for people to follow. She’s also offering a way to eat for blood glucose spikes that doesn’t involve forking out upwards of £400 on a CGM. Lenherr agrees with this point, adding: “The criticism can feel harsh when it dismisses the real positives. By breaking down key principles—like balancing meals and prioritising fibre—into easy-to-follow hacks, Jessie has made healthy eating feel approachable and far less intimidating. This kind of simplicity makes her advice accessible to anyone, even those who might usually feel daunted by the idea of making big nutrition changes.” She goes on: “Her hacks are simple, accessible, and for many, genuinely effective.”
And finally – many are criticising her for not having the relevant qualifications and for spreading misinformation. But from my perspective – and from the expert’s perspective, too – she’s qualified enough (Windas said: “She has a strong scientific grounding as a biochemist, therefore is likely to be able to appraise nutrition research pretty well.”) The impact she’s had on diabetes sufferers, women with PCOS, and anyone with insulin sensitivity globally isn’t to be ignored. She’s encouraging a more balanced, accessible approach to nutrition that doesn’t encourage cutting out food groups or skipping meals that bring you joy, placing a strong focus on doing what works for you and your body (something that, in all “fad” diets, is the first thing to go). Of course, Windas maintains that if Jessie were to start one-to-one nutrition coaching on a personal or clinical level, she’d hope that she’d seek further nutritional qualifications. But from a public health level? “I don’t think that her messaging is causing any harm – rather, elevating an awareness of blood glucose and its key importance in health and wellbeing,” she concludes.
In all honesty, I’d probably be sceptical too if I hadn’t experienced first-hand how much better I feel for trying Jessie’s hacks. I’ve followed her suggestions for the best part of two years now and feel they’ve changed my life. While nutrition is never a one-size-fits-all and here at MC UK our entire ethos encourages a balanced, anti-fad approach, as a Health Editor, I firmly believe that everyone could benefit from eating more balanced meals, having an understanding of the basic macronutrients, and prioritising fibre. And that’s exactly what Jessie – and nutritionists, dieticians, and doctors for decades before her – are all encouraging.
Lenherr’s closing thoughts? “I personally think that the key is to approach her advice flexibly, take what works for you, and remember that good nutrition is about more than just glucose management.”
As with any nutrition trend or approach to food, the bottom line is that it’s nuanced. What’s most important is working out what works for you, applying a sensible dose of common sense, and talking to a qualified expert, if in doubt. What works for one person might not work for you, after all.
Shop MC UK approved health products now:
The Glucose Goddess Method
Jessie’s cookbook has over 100 simple and easy to follow recipes, plus lots of educational reading on blood glucose spikes and more.
Glucose Revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar
Jessie’s first book is more of a deep dive into the current research on blood sugar spikes and how they impact our wellbeing, so is a great option if you’re curious about the trend.
Black & Blum Meal Prep set
Black & Blum design my favourite meal prep containers by far – they’re leak-free, easy to clean and carry around, and seriously stylish.
Ocean Bottle water bottle
Make sure you’re hitting your daily hydration targets with this sustainable bottle from Ocean Bottle. A handy visual cue to drink more water, if ever I saw one.