Welcome back, health champions!👋

We talk a lot about what to eat when you have prediabetes. But what you drink? That tends to fly under the radar — and your blood sugar knows it.

Today's Health Guide is all about beverages: which ones are quietly working against your glucose control, which ones deserve a spot in your morning routine, and how a few simple swaps can start moving the needle on your A1C, fasting glucose, and insulin levels.

Before we get to today's guide — something I've been building for you.

Last week I asked if you'd be interested in a structured prediabetes program. Many of you said yes. Here it is.

The 21-Day Prediabetes Reset — three weeks with a clear arc:
unlearn what's working against you,
learn what actually moves fasting glucose and A1C, then
implement see some early wins and walk away with a plan you can follow.

21 daily lessons, 4 live Zoom calls, a scientist and RD in your corner, and 12 months access to your program library — recorded calls, meal plans, recipes, and reference guides. Launches May 23.

Founding member pricing for newsletter subscribers: $197 (regular $247). Three sessions with a dietitian alone runs $300–$450 — with no daily structure, no latest science, and no plan at the end. This is more, for less.

Only available to subscribers who complete a short interest form before cart opens.

→ Complete the Interest Form and Lock In $197

3 minutes. I read every response personally.

BEST FINDS

National Garlic Day is April 19 🧄: Big Flavor, Steady Energy: Garlic brings bold taste without added sugar—perfect for building satisfying, blood sugar–friendly meals. These picks keep it simple: fiber, protein, and plenty of veggies. Garlic Herb Roasted Cauliflower Steaks – hearty, low-carb, and deeply flavorful. Garlic Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Chicken – a lighter, balanced pasta swap. Garlic Mushroom & Barley Soup – cozy + fiber-rich for better glucose control. Veggie Platters with Roast Garlic Hummus – smart snacking with staying power. Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry – quick, protein-packed, low-carb. Savory Oats with Mushrooms and Spinach – a savory, low-GI twist on oats.

Drink This, Not That: A Science-Backed Beverage Guide for Prediabetes

You swapped the donuts for eggs. You're walking 30 minutes a day. But you're still sipping the same drinks — and they may be quietly working against you.

Here's what the science says about the beverages that most affect blood sugar, and how the right morning routine can set your metabolism up for a better day.

Why Liquid Sugar Hits Differently

When you drink liquid calories, they bypass most of the satiety (fullness) signals that solid food triggers. On top of that, liquid sugars absorb faster than food, meaning blood glucose spikes harder and sooner. And fructose-heavy drinks — think juice, sweet tea, energy drinks — place a direct load on your liver, which is ground zero for insulin resistance.

The 3 Drinks Prediabetics Should Avoid

1. Sugary Drinks — Even the "Healthy" Ones 

Sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks, lemonades are the obvious culprits. But the sneakiest offender is one most people consider virtuous: 100% fruit juice. A glass of OJ delivers roughly the same glycemic hit as a can of soda — the fruit's fiber is gone, leaving concentrated fructose hitting your bloodstream fast.

NHANES data links regular sugar-sweetened beverage consumption to significantly greater risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. Swapping even one per day for water can cut sugar intake by 25–40 grams daily — enough to meaningfully move your A1C over 3 months.

2. Alcohol — Especially Beer and Sweet Cocktails 

Alcohol interferes with gluconeogenesis — your liver's overnight blood glucose regulation — making fasting glucose erratic the morning after drinking. Beer is essentially liquid bread; mixed cocktails are sugar bombs. Both create a glucose and insulin response that works directly against prediabetes remission.

The science on moderate dry wine is more nuanced, but alcohol in general adds metabolic stress your liver doesn't need. If you drink, pairing it with food and keeping it occasional is the practical middle ground.

3. Specialty Coffee Drinks and Sweetened Creamers 

"I just had a coffee" — technically true, but a flavored latte or frappé can carry 40–60 grams of sugar. More than a candy bar. Sweetened creamers, oat milk lattes, and syrup-loaded drinks trigger the same spike as sugary beverages, with the false security of feeling like a "light" choice.

Plain black coffee is a different story — chlorogenic acids have shown insulin-sensitizing effects in multiple RCTs. The coffee is fine. The cargo is not.

What to Drink — and When It Matters

Your beverage choices affect blood sugar all day long — not just at breakfast. Here's what the science supports.

Water is your most powerful tool. 
A 9-year study of 3,600 people found that low water intake independently predicted higher risk of hyperglycemia. The mechanism: dehydration triggers vasopressin, a hormone that signals your liver to produce more glucose. Drink consistently throughout the day — thirst is a late signal.

Morning: Water first, then food. Pair breakfast with protein to blunt the glucose rise from carbs. Black coffee and green tea both improve insulin sensitivity — coffee through chlorogenic acids, green tea through EGCG. Skip the OJ. Some community members suggest: diluted ACV (1–2 tsp in 8 oz water) has evidence for reducing post-meal spikes — skip it if you have reflux.

Midday and afternoon: Water as your default, sparkling water or unsweetened tea for variety. Avoid energy drinks — sugar plus stimulants means a glucose spike and a stress hormone surge simultaneously.

Evening: A warm herbal tea — chamomile, ginger, or peppermint — instead of a sweet drink or snack. Lowering evening stress hormones has a direct downstream benefit on fasting glucose the next morning.

The "Avoid" List — Some of These May Surprise You

• Diet sodas: They don't contain sugar, but artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium may affect the gut microbiome and can trigger a "cephalic phase" insulin response — meaning your body anticipates sugar and responds hormonally, even when none arrives. A typical can of Diet Coke contains around 125–180 mg of aspartame. If you're reaching for diet soda regularly, sparkling water with a splash of lime or unsweetened herbal iced tea is a better long-term swap.

• Bottled smoothies and cold-pressed juices: Fiber-stripped, sugar-concentrated, often carrying 40–60g of sugar per bottle. If you can't give up juice entirely, dilute 1:3 with water and pair with protein — it blunts the glucose hit significantly. Better yet, eat whole fruit instead.
  Make your own smoothie: Add protein, healthy fat, and greens (chia seeds, spinach, Greek yogurt).

• Energy drinks: Sugar plus stimulants equals a glucose spike and a cortisol spike — simultaneously.

• Flavored waters and "vitamin" drinks: Read the label — aim for under 5g of sugar per serving. Many contain hidden sugars or sweeteners that quietly add up.

• Oat milk in large quantities: Oat milk has the highest glycemic index among common plant milks. A splash in your coffee? Fine. A daily 16oz oat latte? Not ideal.

Use Your Drinks as a Tool — Not Just a Habit

Hydration and blood sugar are directly linked. When you're dehydrated, blood glucose concentrates and your kidneys work harder to filter it. Staying hydrated is one of the lowest-effort levers you have for fasting glucose numbers.

Stressed or craving something sweet? Drink water first. Stress often masquerades as hunger — and thirst almost always does. Sipping water interrupts the cortisol-driven craving cycle before it leads to unnecessary calories.

Drinking a glass of water 20–30 minutes before meals can reduce how much you eat by triggering stretch receptors in the stomach — a simple, evidence-backed way to support portion control and steadier post-meal glucose.

Community corner:

Small Swaps, Real Progress: Prediabetes can be reversible — and your beverage choices are one of the fastest-acting levers you have. Unlike overhauling your entire diet, drinks are easy to swap today. The three markers that define prediabetes progression — fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and A1C — all respond to hydration habits, sugar load reduction, and morning metabolic choices.

Try this week: Do a quick "drink audit." For three days, just write down everything you drink. No changes yet — just awareness. You might be surprised what you find.

Today's guide is exactly the kind of science the 21-Day Prediabetes Reset is built on — except applied to your full picture, with a scientist and RD coaching you live for 21 days.

Founding member pricing: $197. Small cohort. Launches May 23.

→ Complete the Interest Form — Lock In Your Spot

Have questions? We got answers. Email [email protected]