How fast you age depends on how fast your blood sugar spikes.

Energy, bloating, brain fog and weight gain are all tied to blood sugar. So is aging velocity. 

Every glucose spike is a micro-hit of oxidative stress and inflammation—tiny but cumulative wear and tear at the cellular level.

When glucose rises quickly, it fuels the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—molecules that stiffen blood vessels, break down collagen, impair mitochondria, and disrupt DNA repair.

These are hallmarks of accelerated aging.

In other words, stabilizing your blood glucose is one of the most effective ways to lower your biological age. 

And yes, there’s a lot of noise around CGMs lately. But if you're looking to keep your blood sugar steady through the holidays (and beyond), here’s what’s actually worth your attention.

⚡️ Forward this protocol

One thing that lowers your post-meal glucose spikes more than cutting carbs, skipping sugar, or taking supplements?

30-second exercise snacks. 

Doing 10 squats every 45 minutes outperforms a 30-minute walk in lowering glucose (Scandinavian Journal of Exercise and Science In Sports, 2024).

Why? Your muscles act as glucose sponges—even a few squats turn on GLUT4 transporters, which shuttle sugar out of the blood and into your cells.

It’s the single most overlooked tool for reducing cravings, fatigue, and blood sugar spikes. 

🤓 What to know: Lower average blood sugar and glucose variability to slow aging.

The two blood sugar metrics that matter most for longevity:

🩸1. Average glucose

(Estimated by HbA1c or CGM-derived metrics like GMI) 

• High average glucose accelerates glycation, vascular aging, and mitochondrial stress.

• Every 1-point increase in HbA1c (e.g., 5.5 → 6.5) cuts your odds of reaching 100 by 67% (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022). 

🩸2. Glucose variability

(Measured most accurately by CGM)

• Longevity isn’t just about your A1C—it’s about how smooth your daily curve is.

• Higher variability = faster aging (Metabolism, 2023), more oxidative stress in neurons, smaller hippocampal volume, and elevated dementia risk (NPJ Aging, 2024)

🍫 6 Surprising Drivers of Glucose Spikes

• Naked carbs (no protein or fat) → Sharp insulin spikes, NF-κB activation, and inflammation

• Stress → Cortisol signals your liver to dump glucose into your bloodstream

• Poor sleep → Just one bad night can raise glucose by 20–30%

• Sedentary days → Less muscle movement = less glucose uptake

• Late-night meals → Insulin sensitivity dips at night

• Ultra-processed food → Rapid digestion + low fiber create ultrafast glucose surges; additives can impair GLP-1 signaling

❌ 4 common blood sugar myths worth forgetting

1. “A vinegar shot before your meal can lower glucose spikes.”

• Evidence is weak and inconsistent, especially in healthy adults. 

• Instead: Eat the protein on your plate first. 

2. “Avoid every carb to lower blood sugar.”

• What matters is quality (high-fiber, whole grain) and pairing (carb + protein + fat).

• Instead: 25–35g of dietary fiber per day is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality and improved glucose control (Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 2025).

3. “Protein spikes insulin, so limit it.”

• Protein does raise insulin—in a good way. It builds muscle, stabilizes glucose, and prevents over-eating later.

• Instead: Aim for ~30g of protein at every meal.

4. “My A1C is normal, so I’m good.”

• A1C only measures averages. You can have “normal” numbers and still have massive spikes and volatility that drive inflammation and speed aging.

• Instead: Use a CGM quarterly to monitor real-time variability. 

💪 What to do: measure glucose in real-time, pair food and exercise strategically, get serious about lowering stress.    

✅ Step 1: Track hbA1C + real-time glucose variability 

• Test HbA1c 1x/year. Track via Parsley’s Longevity Labs. 

• Use a CGM 4x per year to track how food, sleep, stress, and movement are landing in your body.

🍽️ Step 2: Pair your carbs + pay attention to food order

• Eat fiber + protein first, carbs last. 

• Just changing food order (not what you eat) can reduce glucose spikes and improve “time in range” (Diabetes Care, 2015).

🏃 Step 3: Move immediately after meals

• A 10-minute walk immediately after a meal beats a longer walk taken later (Nature Scientific Reports, 2025). 

• 10 body-weight squats every 45 minutes is also more effective than a 30 min walk (Scandinavian Journal of Exercise and Science In Sports, 2024). 

😴 Step 4: Prioritize 7-9 hrs quality sleep. 

• One week of 5-hour nights →  23% drop in insulin sensitivity and elevated glucose (Diabetes, 2010).

• Top sleep supplements: Magnesium glycinate (300g), L-theanine (100–200 mg), Glycine (3 g) 

🧘 Step 5: Set a timer for 5-minute breathing exercises during holiday chaos 

• 5+ minutes of slow breathing or meditation (especially surrounding meals) can reduce post-meal glucose spikes (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2013).

🦠 Step 6: Support your microbiome

• Emerging research suggests Akkermansia muciniphila is linked to better glucose control and lower inflammation (Gut Microbes, 2021).

• Consider a probiotic that includes it, or focus on polyphenol-rich prebiotic foods.

💛 The Momgevity Files

While we’re not a super observant family (my husband and I were both raised with a mix of Judaism and Christianity, making us mutts of sorts when it comes to religion), we do make an effort each Friday to celebrate Shabbat—a tradition that, for Jews and non-Jews alike, feels to me like a beautiful way to close out the week as a family.

Our setup is pretty basic: we light candles, say a prayer, and each share what we’re thankful for that week, including the kids. Even our 4-year-old loves to chime in—sometimes he’s grateful for school, sometimes dessert, sometimes Mama and Daddy.

Thanksgiving, to me, is sort of like a collective American Shabbat. It’s a time to slow down, be with family, celebrate life, and practice gratitude. But that gratitude piece often gets lost in the chaos of travel, football games, family dynamics, and a holiday that’s now more associated with overeating and Black Friday sales than with giving thanks for all we have.

A 2023 meta-analysis showed that gratitude practices (like journals, writing letters, or simple exercises like our Shabbat tradition) are linked to lower rates of anxiety and depression, greater life satisfaction. (One observational study on gratitude even showed a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality.) 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I plan our Thursday. I’ve been poring over recipes and gearing up to cook all day, which is something my husband and I really enjoy. Amid the overwhelm of hosting and managing unruly children who are out of school, I’ve been reflecting on what a gift it is to spend a day making healthy, delicious food—and what an opportunity it is to be grateful for all I have: family, safety, warmth, a good meal. The entire day can be its own gratitude practice, its own 24-hour longevity boost.

Of course, holidays can also bring up stress and painful things to reflect on. I acknowledge that. But ultimately, as I remind my kids, we own our happiness, the world doesn’t owe it to us. And whether life is exactly what we want it to be, or far from it, either place is a perfect starting point for gratitude. It will only make things better—and give us the chance to keep living our complicated, beautiful life story a little bit longer.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Stay strong, stay curious and breathe, 

Robin

⚡️ One last thing…

🔍 Big news! The First Functional Lab Review with a Doctor is here! 

In Parsley news, we just launched the 30 Minute Clinical Lab Review Visit! Get our longevity labs and add on a visit with one of our board certified functional medicine providers to go over them live and develop a personalized action plan. Use code BF50 for $50 off!

Have labs already from another lab company? BYO labs and do the 30 min live visit to review them and get an action plan! Get on the waitlist to be first to get your lab review!

As always, this newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health decisions or changes to your treatment plan.