A couple of years ago, I wrote an Enlightened Omnivore series called When Worlds Collide after my doctor gave me what I jokingly call a “pre-pre-diabetes” diagnosis. My A1C (average blood sugar) had been creeping upward for years—not enough to diagnose diabetes, but enough to convince me it was time to start paying closer attention. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I’d just left a twenty-year career in healthcare public relations, much of it spent working in diabetes.
That curiosity sent me down a rabbit hole of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), metabolic health, protein-packed breakfasts, and plenty of surprising discoveries, including some potentially medicinal mushrooms.
Last week, I had the chance to revisit that journey during a Substack LIVE conversation with metabolic health educator Beth Bollinger. We had a fascinating hour together, and I came away with even more questions than answers—which is usually a good sign.
We talked about why blood sugar is really a window into the body, why stress and sleep can matter just as much as food, and why a ten-minute walk after dinner might be one of the simplest health interventions available. We also explored continuous glucose monitors, the surprising foods that can send blood sugar soaring, and the small daily habits Beth recommends to almost everyone.
If you’ve ever wondered whether a CGM is worth trying, why your energy crashes in the afternoon, or how food affects your body beyond calories alone, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.
You can watch the full recording above.
I’ve also dig into the archive and shared my When Worlds Collide series again for anyone who wants to dive deeper into my own journey with blood sugar, food, and metabolic health. You can find the entire collection here.
Also, please consider becoming a paid subscriber in the month of July. Not only will you get a bunch of great paid benefits, including in-depth workshops, more live conversations, PDFs and opportunities to connect one-on-one. But you’ll also help me to achieve Best Selling status before the end of the month. I only need 12 more subscriptions!
!!!FIRST CookStack Collective: Rebecca Blackwell!!!
Paid subscribers can join us on Friday, July 17 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, for the inaugural CookStack Collective class. Rebecca will be teaching live from the galley of her sailboat, preparing a colorful hummus platter, sesame chicken salad, and…a watermelon salad—proof that summer may have many flavors, but watermelon is almost always one of them. I’ll be there too with some watermelon trivia.
Stay Connected
Follow along on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for video content, reels, and behind-the-scenes thoughts. I’m also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Say hi on Substack Notes—I’m posting almost every day about my random reflections on life.
Join me in Chat. It’s a space just for subscribers, kind of like a group text but less embarrassing. Download the app, tap the Chat icon (it looks like two speech bubbles at the bottom), and find the latest “Enlightened Omnivore” thread.
