Body Signals, The Glucose Podcast

Bill Tancer
  • 4.7 (43)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Monthly

Hosted by Signos' Chief Data Scientist and New York Times Best-selling author, Bill Tancer, Body Signals brings you the latest info on health, fitness, and metabolic health as well as interviews with top experts, athletes, and scientists.

  1. Sep 1 ·  Video

    Sleep Moves Your Glucose

    Your CGM can do a lot more than tell you which foods “spike” you. If you’ve ever eaten the same breakfast on two different mornings and gotten two totally different blood glucose curves, you’re not imagining it. We’re walking through a simple, high-signal CGM experiment that isolates one of the biggest hidden drivers of glucose control: sleep. Here’s the twist: we freeze the food instead of treating food as the variable. For seven days, we keep breakfast the same (the host uses oatmeal with measured portions at the same time each morning), then we log sleep and watch what happens to waking glucose, post-breakfast glucose response, and how long it takes to come back down. The takeaway is practical and a little uncomfortable: one night of short or disrupted sleep can be enough to make the exact same meal look “worse” on your continuous glucose monitor. We also connect the dots to the science, including evidence that sleep restriction can measurably reduce insulin sensitivity and large real-world findings linking better sleep to lower glucose responses to meals. If weight loss is your goal, sleep matters twice, because poor sleep can raise your glucose response and also shift hunger and satiety hormones (ghrelin up, leptin down), making tomorrow’s choices harder. We share a clean, screenshot-ready protocol, plus a reminder not to manufacture bad sleep for data and not to let sleep anxiety become another sleep problem. If you try the one-week breakfast test, share your best-sleep vs worst-sleep curves, and let us know what surprised you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who wears a CGM, and leave a review so more people can find the show. You can pre-order a copy of my new book The Glucose Edge here.  Podcast Music by Philip Levonian

  2. Aug 11

    Post-Meal Walks For Better Glucose

    In this episode, we show how a simple post-meal walk can lower glucose and make metabolic health feel measurable instead of mysterious. We also share a repeatable CGM experiment that turns curiosity into a habit you can actually keep.  We also cover:  • Why a CGM creates a better feedback loop than the bathroom scale • How post-meal walking reduces postprandial glucose, especially after dinner • How you can start with as little as a two to five minutes stroll, and work up to longer faster walks.   •How habit stacking with an if-then plan improves follow-through.  Also my next book The Glucose Edge is available for pre-order. You can place your pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or anywhere fine books are sold. Reserve your copy today!

  3. Jul 28

    Protein and Weight Loss

    Protein advice has gotten weirdly loud and wildly inconsistent, so we decided to pin it down with real physiology and practical nutrition. On this episode I’m joined by Signos registered dietitian Sarah Steele and our scientific and clinical lead Dr. Grace Shryack to explain what protein is actually for, why the “protein for weight loss” conversation is surging, and how to use protein to support weight loss and metabolic health without falling for hype. Please subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s confused about protein, and leave a review so more people can find Body Signals. If you'd like to pre-order my new book, The Glucose Edge, shipping on December 15, 2026, you can order your copy here.

  4. Jul 14

    Do This First: How Strength Training can Supercharge Your Weight Loss

    The fastest way to change your glucose numbers might not be another food rule. It might be muscle. Today, we get practical about strength training and why it’s a foundational lever for metabolic health, weight loss results, and better day-to-day energy. I’m joined by Signos’ clinical lead and scientific advisor, Dr. Grace Shryack, who has a PhD in nutrition and exercise physiology. We start by dismantling the fear that lifting automatically makes you bulky, then define what resistance training actually is: challenging your muscles against a force with progressive overload over time. We even run through common workouts people ask about, from bands and bodyweight to Pilates-style classes, to clarify what truly builds strength. From there, we connect the dots to glucose control. Dr. Shryack explains why muscle acts like a sponge for glucose, how exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, and why muscle glycogen storage matters when you’re trying to reduce spikes on a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). We also zoom out to the bigger picture: mental health, sleep, longevity, and the real-world abilities strength protects as you age. Finally, we address weight management myths and the GLP-1 movement. If the scale rises when you start lifting, we explain what to track instead, why body composition beats BMI, and why preserving lean mass is critical, especially for anyone using GLP-1 medications. Press play for a simple, low-pressure plan to start with bodyweight at home and build from there, then subscribe, share this with a friend who “hates lifting,” and leave a review so more people can find the show. Click Here to pre-order a copy of my new book The Glucose Edge.

  5. Jun 30

    The CGM Days of Summer

    We kick off summer by breaking down how heat, sun, and seasonal routines can change glucose in surprising ways. We share practical CGM-focused strategies for hydration, summer foods, barbecues, and outdoor workouts so you can enjoy the season and still learn what your metabolism is doing. I'm joined by my co-host and in-house expert on all things related to nutrition, CGMs and metabolism, registered dietician, Sarah Steele.  Some topics we cover: • How heat exposure can raise and at time lower your circulating glucose • Why hydration and specifically electrolytes are key to keeping your glucose in range • How frozen fruit as a practical way to get more color and nutrients • Summer barbecue nutrition strategies • How alcohol can delay spikes and make overeating easier •Summer sports basics including fueling, carrying snacks, and staying ahead on fluids My next book The Glucose Edge is available for pre-order, shipping on December 15, 2026. You can pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever fine books are sold.  If you enjoy our show, please like and subscribe to this podcast.

  6. 11/12/2024

    The Impact of Meal Sequencing and Fiber on Your Metabolism - A Special Body Signals Live Rebroadcast

    Join me, Bill Tancer, and our Head of Nutrition, Alyssa Wilson RD, on this special rebroadcast of Body Signals Live as we unravel the concept of oxidative priority and its influence on your body's processing of macronutrients. Learn why starting your meals with fiber-rich vegetables can be a game-changer, and hear about my personal experiments that highlight the power of pairing carbohydrates with protein and fats to minimize glucose spikes. Alyssa and I invite you to experiment with meal seq...

  7. 10/15/2024

    Harnessing the Power of Meal Timing - A Special Body Signals Live Rebroadcast

    Join me for this second in a four-part Body Signals Live series with registered dietician Alyssa Wilson, head of nutrition at Signals. In this episode, we explore how simple changes in your eating schedule can affect insulin sensitivity, metabolism, and sleep quality. Alyssa brings a wealth of knowledge and shares insights on intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating, offering practical strategies for achieving better glucose stability and metabolic flexibility. This episode promises to...

  8. 10/03/2024

    Elevate Your Plate - A Special Body Signals Live Recording

    Can you really reshape your meal planning habits to achieve better health and satiety? Alyssa Wilson, our insightful Head of Nutrition, joins me as we guide you through the Signos Nutrition Method in this special rebroadcast of our Body Signals Live Webinar. Whether you’re on a journey to lose weight, maintain your current state, or build muscle, the adaptability of the plate method is your ally. Learn how to seamlessly incorporate colorful, non-starchy vegetables and whole grains into your meals, all while understanding the nuances of your nutritional needs. Alyssa and I also tackle audience questions, offering practical tips for adapting these guidelines to fit your unique lifestyle. Here's a link to the slides we reference during the webinar.

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4.7
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Hosted by Signos' Chief Data Scientist and New York Times Best-selling author, Bill Tancer, Body Signals brings you the latest info on health, fitness, and metabolic health as well as interviews with top experts, athletes, and scientists.

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