What if you could lower your blood glucose more than medication can, without losing a single kilogram? In this episode, I sit down with Dr Nicola Guess, a registered dietitian and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, whose research is challenging some of the most entrenched ideas in type 2 diabetes care.
The conversation around blood sugar has never been noisier. On one side, wellness culture has people fearing every glucose spike and cutting fruit from their diets. On the other, clinical orthodoxy insists that meaningful improvement in type 2 diabetes requires significant weight loss. Nicola’s work suggests both camps are missing something important: the pancreas has more than one way of sensing a meal, and protein may hold the key to waking up “sleepy” beta cells.
What We Cover:
- Why glucose is only directly harmful at diabetic levels, and what that means for spike-tracking wellness culture
- How a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diet lowered post-meal glucose by more than medications, without weight loss
- The “sleepy” beta cell: why amino acid sensors keep working when glucose sensors fail
- Does insulin resistance cause obesity, or is it the other way around? What overfeeding trials reveal
- Whether protein source, timing, and food order actually matter for blood sugar
- The truth about fruit, fructose, fibre, and fat quality
- Menopause, PCOS, and shift work: who needs a different playbook
- The GLP-1 muscle loss panic, and why Nicola says the alarm only exists on Instagram
Nicola brings a rare combination of clinical experience and research rigour to a field crowded with confident claims. I left this conversation with a clearer picture of what actually moves the needle for metabolic health, and I think you will too.
To connect with Dr Nicola Guess, visit nicolaguess.com or find her on Instagram and YouTube.
- Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Without Losing Weight (00:00)
- Why Glucose Alone Doesn’t Predict Complications (04:51)
- Metabolic Health And Liver Fat Genetics (08:47)
- Does Insulin Or Weight Gain Come First (15:30)
- Why High Protein Works For Diabetics (19:30)
- Type 1 Versus Type 2 Insulin Response (21:40)
- Stack Protein And Fiber To Cut Glucose (25:45)
- Protein Practicalities And Amino Acid Supplements (28:47)
- The Fats And Mediterranean Pattern That Help (33:33)
- Fruit Fears And Reducing Your Medications (38:48)
- Menopause PCOS And Women’s Blood Sugar (43:17)
- Should You Test Your Fasting Insulin (49:09)
- How Sleep And Shift Work Wreck Glucose (51:13)
- Do GLP-1s Cause Dangerous Muscle Loss (54:51)
- GLP-1s Weight Regain And The Future (59:43)
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More about Dr Nicola Guess
Dr Nicola Guess is a practising Registered Dietitian and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. She holds a PhD, MPH, and RD, and her primary research and clinical interests are in conditions of glucose homeostasis, including type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and reactive hypoglycaemia. Dr Guess’s research investigates how dietary components, such as amino acids, affect beta-cell function and the underlying pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. She is also known for her work on evidence-based dietary guidelines and has led projects to develop clinician-friendly tools for dietary advice in clinical practice. Her work bridges the gap between research and practical application, aiming to improve patient care through informed nutritional strategies.
