Manage Your Health by Understanding Your Blood Sugar Risk Types

*You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to take action.*

This is a summary of a podcast between Dr Nick Norwitz and researcher Dr Michael Snyder. I highly recommend EVERYONE watch the entire podcast.

Most people think about blood sugar only when their doctor mentions “pre-diabetes” or “type 2 diabetes.” But by then, your metabolism has already been under strain for years. The truth is: you can get ahead of the game by understanding your personal blood sugar risk type and taking action now, before symptoms or lab results flag a problem.

This emerging approach—based on recent metabolic research—shows that not everyone develops high blood sugar the same way. Some people have insulin resistance first, some lose their ability to secrete insulin early, and others struggle with spikes after meals. Knowing your pattern lets you tailor your prevention plan for maximum effect.

The Science: How Blood Sugar Regulation Works

Your body keeps blood glucose within a tight range. When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises. In response, your pancreas releases insulin, which helps your cells absorb glucose. Over time, several things can go wrong:

Insulin resistance – Cells become less responsive to insulin, forcing the pancreas to produce more.
Beta-cell dysfunction – The pancreas can’t keep up with insulin demand.
Glucose spikes – Blood sugar surges after meals, even if fasting glucose looks normal.

If left unchecked, these changes eventually lead to pre-diabetes and then diabetes. But the exciting part is: these patterns emerge years before diagnosis—and if you catch your pattern early, lifestyle changes can often reverse or prevent disease progression entirely.

🔍 Step 1: Identify Your Blood Sugar Risk Type

Here are three common patterns researchers are observing, along with simple ways to test for each at home or with basic lab work:

1. Fasting High (Insulin Resistant Type)

Pattern: Elevated fasting blood glucose or insulin, normal post-meal numbers.
Why it happens: Cells resist insulin overnight, liver keeps making sugar.
Simple Test:

Check fasting glucose (after 8+ hrs): 90–99 mg/dL = elevated risk; 100+ = prediabetic.
Optional: fasting insulin. If >8 μIU/mL, it’s often an early sign of insulin resistance.

2. Post-Meal Spiker (Glucose Tolerance Type)

Pattern: Normal fasting glucose but big spikes after eating (especially carbs).
Why it happens: Your pancreas is slow to release insulin, so glucose spikes before catching up.
Simple Test:

Use a glucometer: check blood sugar before and 1 hour after a high-carb meal.
A spike over 140 mg/dL at 1 hour is a sign your system is struggling.
You can also request an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) from your doctor.

3. Insulin-Deficient Type (Low Insulin Output)

Pattern: Low fasting insulin, blood sugar rises steadily, sometimes without big spikes.
Why it happens: Pancreas can’t make enough insulin. This can look “normal” for years if you only measure glucose.
Simple Test:

Fasting insulin is low (<3 μIU/mL) and fasting glucose is normal or mildly elevated.
Sometimes shows up in OGTT as glucose that rises but doesn’t come back down quickly.

👉 Key point: You don’t need a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or a full lab panel to start. A simple fasting glucose + occasional post-meal check can give you powerful insights.

🧭 Step 2: Match Your Prevention Strategy to Your Risk Type

Once you know your type, you can take targeted steps to manage your blood sugar—often more effectively than generic “eat less sugar” advice.

If you know your type, you can take action

Step 3: Create Your Personal Monitoring Protocol

Baseline

Measure fasting glucose and (if possible) fasting insulin.
Do a simple post-meal glucose check after a standard meal.

Track Patterns Over 2–3 Weeks

Pick one meal a day to test before/after.
Note how different meals and times affect your numbers.

Adjust & Re-Test Every 3–6 Months

Prevention is ongoing, not one-and-done.
Small, consistent changes compound over time.

🕰 Why You Shouldn’t Wait for a Diagnosis

By the time you get a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, your pancreas and insulin response have often been struggling for 5–10 years. But metabolic shifts are gradual and reversible in their early stages. That’s why it’s so empowering to learn your blood sugar risk type now:

You can take targeted action, not generic advice.
You can reverse patterns before damage occurs.
You build body awareness and resilience for life.

Takeaway

Understanding your blood sugar risk type is like looking at a map before setting off on a journey. You don’t have to wait until your car breaks down on the side of the road. With a few simple tests and smart daily habits, you can steer your metabolism toward long-term health.

👉 Action Today:

Grab a cheap glucometer.
Test your fasting glucose tomorrow morning.
Try a post-meal check this week.
See which pattern fits you—and start your prevention plan.