“Is sugar really bad for me?” comes up in sessions almost every week. Usually it’s followed by something like, “Every wellness influencer says it’s the worst thing for your health. Some of them wear glucose monitors and post their blood sugar after every meal. Should I be worried?”
If your feed is full of people calling a banana a “glucose spike,” it’s hard not to get a little nervous about breakfast. I get it. Here’s what’s going on in your body, and why I’m not worried about your banana.
Your blood sugar is supposed to go up after you eat
When you eat carbohydrates, whether that’s fruit, bread, pasta, or a cookie, your body breaks them down into glucose, and your blood sugar rises. Insulin then moves that glucose into your cells, and your blood sugar comes back down. That rise and fall is normal, and it happens to everyone.
When researchers put CGMs on healthy adults without diabetes, they found blood sugar stayed between 70 and 140 mg/dL about 96 percent of the day, even with the usual ups and downs after meals. Another study found that healthy people sometimes had brief rises into higher ranges after certain foods. That one made headlines, but researchers still don’t know what those short rises mean for long-term health.
So why are influencers wearing CGMs?
CGMs were made for people with diabetes, and for them, they can be life changing. In 2024, the FDA cleared the first over-the-counter CGMs, and they quickly became a wellness trend.
We don’t have good evidence that tracking blood sugar helps people without diabetes. The numbers also move for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with food, like a stressful meeting, a bad night’s sleep, a workout, getting sick, or even where the sensor sits on your arm. Without someone to help interpret them, normal rises can look alarming.
For many people I work with, especially anyone with a history of disordered eating, a CGM quickly turns into a way to sort food into “safe” and “bad.” I’ve seen people start avoiding fruit, skipping meals, and feeling anxious every time they eat, which is the last thing I want for anyone.
When a CGM can be helpful
A CGM can be a great tool if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, if you’re managing prediabetes with your care team, or sometimes with PMOS (formerly PCOS) when there’s a specific question to answer. It works best when you use it with someone who can help you read the data, for a set amount of time, with a clear goal in mind.
So, is sugar bad for you?
Not in the way the internet says. Here’s what the research shows:
Large amounts of added sugar, especially from sugary drinks, are linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Drinks are the main concern because they deliver a lot of sugar quickly, without much else to slow it down.
The sugar in fruit, dairy, and other whole foods comes with fiber, protein, water, and nutrients. Please keep eating fruit.
A dessert, a cookie, or sugar in your coffee can still fit into how you eat. Health organizations differ on exact limits for added sugar, and the newest U.S. guidelines are stricter than before. In practice, most people do well keeping sweet drinks occasional and enjoying sweets alongside meals, without cutting them out completely.
Cutting out sugar completely usually backfires. When a food is off limits, it tends to become more appealing, and many people end up avoiding sugar for a while and then eating a lot of it at once. That cycle is harder on your body, and on your mental health, than having some sugar regularly.
What if you have insulin resistance?
If you have insulin resistance, prediabetes, PMOS, or type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t handle blood sugar quite as smoothly, so it’s worth paying a bit more attention. That still doesn’t mean cutting out sugar. What helps most:
Eat regularly, about every three to four hours.
Pair sweets and carbs with protein, fat, or fiber, like fruit with yogurt, or a cookie after a meal rather than on an empty stomach.
Take a short walk after meals when you can.
Drink water or unsweetened drinks most of the time, and save sweet drinks for when you really want one.
Prioritize sleep and stress management, since both affect blood sugar more than most people expect.
What I tell clients
You don’t need to fear sugar or track every blood sugar rise to take care of your health. For most people, regular, satisfying meals and enjoying sweets without guilt is what actually helps.
If blood sugar worries are taking up a lot of space in your head, or you’re not sure whether a CGM makes sense for you, I’d love to help. You can learn more about how I work with chronic conditions.
Related: Do I Really Have to Give Up Carbs with PCOS (PMOS)?
Sources
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Profiles in Healthy Nondiabetic Participants: A Multicenter Prospective Study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2019.
Glucotypes Reveal New Patterns of Glucose Dysregulation. PLOS Biology, 2018.
FDA Clears First OTC Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, the Dexcom Stelo. Pharmacy Times, 2024.
Q&A: CGM Metrics May Not Provide Accurate Health Data for People Without Diabetes. Healio, 2023.
