The Glycemic Illusion
Why the index fails and what real metabolic health looks like.
The Flawed Measure
The glycemic index was born in 1981 from a tiny study that was never meant to become dietary gospel. Volunteers ate measured carbohydrate portions, their blood sugar was tracked for two hours, and foods were assigned neat little numbers.1
Dr. Angela Stanton and I sat down to discuss the Glycemic Index in a recent interview. She pointed out that biology doesn’t follow tidy charts. The same banana that spikes one person’s blood sugar sky-high may barely register in another’s body. Genetics, meal timing, food order, and metabolic health all play a role in each individual and these factors all make the “index” meaningless in practice.
“The glycemic index is nonsense—it was based on a handful of people, and it assumes everybody responds the same way. We know that’s not true. Insulin resistance changes everything.” — Dr. Angela Stanton
The glycemic index misses the real drivers of health: insulin control, liver regulation, and hormone function. You don’t need to memorize charts of foods to get healthier. That doesn’t mean loading up on sugar and processed junk—it means a single number doesn’t define whether a food is “good” or “bad.” The real solution is restoring metabolic flexibility—training your body to switch fuels seamlessly and keep blood sugar steady, without obsessing over the index.
Building Metabolic Flexibility
The blueprint is simple in principle, but not always easy in practice. It comes down to re-training your body to handle fuel the way it was designed to.
Cut refined carbs – Processed sugars and starches drive glucose spikes, overwhelm insulin, and lock you into a cycle of energy crashes. Replacing them with whole, unprocessed sources of carbohydrates keeps your metabolism stable.
Prioritize real protein – Adequate protein isn’t just about muscle—it helps regulate appetite, supports hormone balance, and provides the building blocks for repair. Most people under-eat protein, which leaves them constantly chasing quick energy. A simplified rule of thumb in general is 0.7–1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight per day. Read more about prioritizing protein here.
Leverage healthy fats – Fats are not the enemy; they’re a steady, reliable fuel source. Training your body to use fat for energy allows you to go longer without eating, reduces cravings, and makes fasting or meal flexibility sustainable. For more information on healthy fats, read these two blog posts I wrote here and here.
Move daily – Muscle is the largest “sink” for glucose. Regular activity from strength training to walking increases insulin sensitivity and stabilizes blood sugar. Need help getting started? Read my book here.
Protect sleep – Even one bad night raises cortisol, blunts insulin sensitivity, and drives cravings. Deep, consistent sleep restores your metabolic rhythm.
Balance hormones – Insulin, cortisol, thyroid, estrogen, and testosterone all shape how your body processes food and fuel. When these are out of balance, nutrition alone won’t fix the problem. Take a look at these past posts about hormone here, here, and here.
The real goal isn’t to fit into a glycemic index chart — it’s to flatten glucose curves, restore hormonal balance, and teach your body to switch smoothly between burning carbs and fat. That’s true metabolic flexibility: steady energy, less hunger, and long-term metabolic health.
It’s Up to You to Transform Your Body
If you’re ready to quit chasing broken metrics and start owning your health, grab my book Get Healthy or Get Dead—your no-nonsense guide to reclaiming metabolic freedom.
And if migraines, or brain health, are part of your battle, follow Dr. Angela Stanton at The Stanton Migraine Protocol. She’s dismantling migraine myths one by one and giving people their lives back.
No idea where to start? Book one to one coaching with me and pay me to yell at you and hold you accountable.
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David J. A. Jenkins, Thomas M. S. Wolever, Robert H. Taylor, Heather Barker, H. Fielden, J. M. Baldwin, A. C. Bowling, H. C. Newman, A. L. Jenkins, and D. V. Goff. “Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34, no. 3 (1981): 362–366.