Episode 35: The Power of Monitoring Glucose Levels with Kara Collier

Listeners can find Kara Collier on Twitter @Kara_Collier1 and visit her company’s website at nutrisense.io and on Instagram @Nutrisenseio

Kara Collier is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician with a background in clinical nutrition, nutrition technology, and entrepreneurship. After becoming frustrated with the traditional healthcare system, she helped start the company NutriSense where she is now the Director of Nutrition. Kara has interpreted thousands of complex glucose datasets in non-diabetics to make lasting lifestyle changes, reverse metabolic dysfunction, and prevent chronic conditions.

If you’re interested in getting your own CGM, you can visit the Nutrisense website at nutrisense.io and use the discount code RACHEL for $30 off.

In this episode, we talk about continuous glucose monitoring, insulin sensitivity, the importance of being metabolically flexible, interpreting your glucose results, and more!

Top Takeaways:

• Optimal values/trends to look for when tracking blood glucose levels
• Relationship between glucose and insulin and how glycemic variability plays into this and ties into weight loss
• Physiological insulin resistance on long-term keto
• Stress directly affects the body on a cellular level and we can see this through glucose monitoring.
• Optimizing glucose values through nutrition, meal timing, exercise, sleep, and stress
• Different fueling techniques for fat-adapted endurance athletes.

Show Notes:

• [5:00] Nutrisense Continuous Glucose Monitor - Discount Code: Rachel
• [6:00] Kara is a Registered Dietician and was interested in Nutrition for as long as she can remember
• [8:00] How Kara helped to build Nutrisense
• [10:00] Why it’s important for a non-diabetic person to be tracking glucose
• [11:00] “I always describe [Glucose] as the newest vital sign. Because it’s not just telling your risk for diabetes. It’s also giving you insight into all of your food choices, meal timing, exercising routine, sleep, stress. It’s just like heart rate or blood pressure”
• [13:00] There is a lot of genetic variability from person to person in glucose response to different foods.
• [14:00] Just like tracking ketones, tracking glucose can help you stay on track
• [19:00] Fasting glucose and the DAWN phenomenon
• [20:00] Physiological insulin resistance
• [25:00] “If you’re never eating carbohydrates, the muscle starts to enter glucose refusal mode”
• [27:00] The utility of CGM and Ketone monitoring for overall health… aka… METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY!
• [28:30] Kara’s tips for increasing Metabolic Flexibility
• [31:30] Everyone - from those that are entirely glucose-dependent to those who have been ketone dependent for years… should explore this MetFlex concept
• [34:00] Experimenting with 1 to 2-month stretches of strict ketosis and the idea of longer-term intermittent cyclical keto
• [36:00] The importance of fixing your hormones before fixing your “nice-to-haves”
• [38:00] Glycogen, the storage form of glucose and the hormonal impact of lower glycogen turnover for women
• [43:00] Stress tolerance and the effects of stress on glucose values
• [46:00] Stress directly affects the body on a cellular level
• [47:00] Habit stacking!
• [51:30] “The American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization do not recognize a peak glucose value as a meaningful metric”
• [52:30] How to read your CGM results
• [58:00] Glycemic Index Foods! 
• [58:05]:Endurance athletes - finding the balance between traditional refueling methods with gels or goos and non-traditional methods for those who are fat-adapted
• [59:30]: Endurance, health & longevity 
• [1:00:30]: Longevity, glucose spikes and bonking during endurance fitness
• [1:02:47]: Fueling with fat and protein during endurance exercises
• [1:13:00] @Kara_Collier1 on Twitter
• Don’t forget to join in the discussion by asking your questions on Rachel’s Instagram Q&A 

 Listen to the full episode HERE. 

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Join the FREE MetFLex Life Course: www.metflexandchill.com

Rachel Gregory (@rachelgregory.cns) is a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Author of the best-selling book, 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge. She received her Master’s Degree in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology from James Madison University and Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Miami.

Rachel helps her clients transform their lives by starting with the physical (body), realizing the power of the mental (mindset), and ultimately gaining massive confidence that bleeds into every aspect of their lives (family, relationships, work, etc.).