What a “Spike” Actually Is
A spike isn’t just blood sugar rising.
A spike is any physiological or emotional surge that pulls you out of the identity you’re trying to build and throws you right back into old habits.
A spike can be:
And they ALL affect your choices, cravings, motivation, mood, and energy.
It’s not weakness. It’s wiring.
The Science (In English, Please)
Here’s how your brain-body system works:
Glucose spikes → cravings, energy crashes, irritability
Cortisol spikes → emotional eating, anxiety, late-night snacking
Dopamine dips → “nothing feels satisfying unless it’s chocolate”
Nervous system activation → shutdown, overwhelm, autopilot eating
Hormone shifts → PMS cravings, low motivation, sensitivity
Identity loops → old habits firing before the new ones load
A “spike” is simply your body asking for stability in the fastest way it knows how.
No judgment.
Just biology.
The 5 Core Categories of Personal Triggers (“What Spikes Me?”)
Here’s where things get juicy — because knowing your category is power.
1. Food Triggers
You know this one.
Your blood sugar spikes → you crash → you crave → you feel “out of control.”
Common offenders:
• skipping meals
• caffeine on an empty stomach
• ultra-processed carbs
• eating too little protein
• stress snacking
• late-night grazing
If you’ve ever said,
“Why do I have no willpower at night?”
…it’s blood sugar + cortisol + fatigue + your nervous system.
Not willpower.
2. Stress Triggers
Stress spikes cortisol.
Cortisol spikes cravings.
Cravings spike guilt.
Guilt spikes… discipline spiral.
Stress triggers look like:
• arguments
• overwhelm
• too many decisions
• perfectionism
• pressure to “be good”
Your brain isn’t sabotaging you — it’s trying to get SAFE.
3. Environment Triggers
This one gets women every time.
You don’t overeat because you’re weak.
You overeat because your environment cues the habit.
Environmental triggers:
• nighttime routine
• transition times
• being alone with food
• overstimulation (kids, noise, chaos)
• grocery store trips
• working from home
If your pantry could talk, she’d spill SO MANY secrets.
4. Emotional Triggers
Every woman has an emotional “spike signature.”
Yours might be:
• loneliness
• shame
• boredom
• depletion
• feeling behind
• feeling unappreciated
• exhaustion
And the brain’s default setting?
“We need comfort NOW.”
This isn’t emotional eating.
This is emotional regulation using food.
5. Hormone Triggers
You’re not imagining it — hormone shifts change everything.
• luteal phase → cravings + irritability
• PMS → sensitivity + low motivation
• poor sleep → cortisol spike
• high stress → estrogen dominance symptoms
• thyroid shifts → slowed metabolism
Hormones aren’t the problem.
They’re responding to the problem.
How to Identify Your Personal Triggers (Your “What Spikes Me?” Map)
This is where your power comes from.
Start noticing:
1. What happens right before the choice you regret?
The “pre-moment” is where the truth is.
2. What time of day the struggle hits?
Patterns don’t lie.
3. What emotion is present?
Naming it turns the volume down.
4. What your body feels like (tense, tired, hungry, wired)?
Your body speaks before your brain does.
5. Whether your blood sugar rhythm is stable
If you’re consistently crashing → you’ll consistently crave.
And yes — this is where a CGM like Nutrisense (Affiliate Link) is a game changer.
Seeing your biological “spike map” in real-time?
Women tell me it feels like turning the lights on.
How to Respond to a Spike (Without Shame)
No restriction.
No punishment.
Just regulation.
✔ Pause for 10 seconds
Spikes calm when you interrupt the autopilot.
✔ Eat a protein + fat anchor
Stops glucose spirals within minutes.
✔ Step outside or move your body
Regulates cortisol and nervous system overwhelm.
✔ 2–3 deep grounding breaths
Yes, actually. It works.
✔ A micro-shift, not a grand plan
“Drink water.”
“Eat one real meal.”
“Walk for 3 minutes.”
Your nervous system responds to tiny wins.
