Why Glucose Control Is a Matter of Survival

Imagine a city that runs on electricity. Every streetlight, traffic signal, and home depends on power that flows at just the right voltage. Too little — the city goes dark. Too much — circuits fry, and fires start. Now replace electricity with glucose, and that city is your body.

Glucose is the body’s energy currency. The spark that powers every heartbeat, thought,  muscle contraction and so much more. But like electricity, it’s useful only when it’s controlled. Too little, and the body shuts down. Too much, and it slowly burns from the inside out.

Your blood sugar is meant to stay within a tight survival window — roughly 4 to 6 mmol/L when fasting. That narrow range is no accident. It is how your brain keeps thinking clearly, how your heart keeps its rhythm, and how your cells stay hydrated and alive.

When glucose escapes that control, it becomes reactive — a chemical spark gone rogue. It starts to pull water out of cells, leaving them shrivelled and thirsty. It begins to stick to proteins and fats, a process called glycation — a slow internal caramelising that stiffens blood vessels, weakens organs, and frays nerves. Think of the same browning reaction that gives a crème brûlée its crust, only this time it’s happening inside your body.

Left unchecked, the very fuel meant to sustain life starts to corrode it. That’s why glucose control isn’t just about energy — it’s about survival.

From Control to Influence

The body protects its glucose balance fiercely. The moment we eat, it reacts — releasing insulin, shifting hormones, deciding whether to use what we’ve eaten for energy or to store it for later.

Not all foods that “raise blood sugar” do it the same way. It’s not just about what you eat, but how it’s built, cooked, and combined.

That’s where the Glycemic Index (GI), Glycemic Load (GL), and Resistant Starch (RS) come in.

Think of them as tools that show how food behaves once it’s inside you — how fast it releases glucose, how big that glucose wave is, and how you can shape that response by how you prepare your food.

The Three Levers of Blood Sugar Control

GI — The Speed

The Glycemic Index is the tempo at which glucose enters your blood.

High GI = fast release, quick spike, quick crash.

Low GI = slow release, steady energy, calm recovery.

GL — The Size

The Glycemic Load combines speed and quantity. It answers: How big is the total glucose wave from this meal? A food can have a high GI but a small GL (like watermelon), or both high (like a large bowl of white rice). The smaller the wave, the easier it is for the body to handle.

RS — The Brake

When you cook and cool starches like rice, oats, potatoes, or pasta, part of the starch locks up and becomes Resistant Starch. It resists digestion, lowers both GI and GL, and even feeds your gut bacteria — acting like a natural brake pedal on the glucose response. It’s one of nature’s simplest metabolic upgrades.

What This Means for Fat Loss

Here’s the critical connection: When glucose spikes sharply, insulin surges to clear it. While insulin is high, fat burning switches off — the body uses glucose instead. When glucose rises gently and falls smoothly, insulin stays low and fat stores remain open for use. That’s why managing glucose isn’t just about avoiding sugar — it’s about keeping the body calm enough to burn its own fuel.

Stable glucose → stable insulin → steady access to fat.

How to Make Food Work for You

• Cook → Cool → Reheat your rice, potatoes, oats etc.  This builds resistant starch naturally.

• Pair starches with lean protein, fibre-rich vegetables, and healthy fats to slow digestion.

• Optional:  Add a squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar — acidity reduces the glucose rise.

• Eat in balance, not fear. One meal won’t make or break you — your daily pattern will.

The Takeaway

Glucose control is not a diet. It’s the foundation of how human metabolism stays alive and balanced.

When you learn how to slow, steady, and guide your blood sugar — you stop fighting your body and start working with it.

Fuel Better. Feel Better. Live Better.

Warm Regards

Janine

70/90 Method™ Fat Loss Coach