This past week I started wearing a glucose monitor. At my last physical, my doctor noticed my bloodwork had shifted slightly, nothing alarming, no talk of diabetes, but enough that we agreed it might be worth understanding how my body works before something becomes a problem.
I've spent years believing I ate well. Salads, protein, water, movement. And I still think I do. But this little device stuck to the back of my arm has quietly revealed that eating well and understanding how your body actually responds are not always the same thing.
At first, I became almost obsessive. I gave up the honey in my tea, cut back on sushi rice, swapped snacks, added quinoa, traded my banana for berries, ate in a certain order, moved more consistently. I checked my numbers every few hours like my blood sugar had become a mood ring.
But after the novelty wore off, what surprised me most wasn't the numbers. It was the awareness.
My overnight oats? Spike. Sushi rice? Bigger spike. Mindless handfuls of nuts while making dinner? Those added up too. And then there were meals I expected to derail me that barely registered. Bodies are funny like that. Humbling, too.
I worried for a moment that wearing a monitor might pull me back into diet-culture thinking , the old habit of labeling foods good or bad, moralizing every bite. But strangely, it's done the opposite. It hasn't made me want to restrict. It's made me curious.
Curious about balance. About how I feel after meals, not just what's on my plate. About how sleep, stress, a walk after dinner, or eating lunch too late can affect me more than an actual brownie sometimes.
Awareness without judgment. That's what this has given me.
Not every spike means danger. Not every "healthy" food works the same for every body. And not every wellness trend deserves our devotion. But there is something powerful about collecting your own data instead of blindly following rules someone else made for a body that isn't yours.
I still believe in intuitive eating, maybe more than ever. Because intuition isn't ignoring information. It's learning to listen more closely. Apparently my body has been talking all along. I just needed a little monitor to help me hear it. And maybe that’s why I wanted to share this. Because so many of us are walking around thinking we’re either “doing good” or “doing bad” when it comes to food and health, instead of simply paying attention. Our bodies are constantly giving us information, gently nudging us toward what feels balanced, energized, nourished, and sustainable. Sometimes we just need to slow down enough to notice. If you’ve ever felt confused by all the wellness noise, frustrated that what works for someone else doesn’t work for you, or curious about how to better understand your own body without falling into restriction or diet culture, I’d love to hear from you. This journey has reminded me that health is deeply personal, and there is so much power in learning your own unique blueprint with compassion instead of judgment. Feel free to reach out if this resonates with you.