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VERVE LIFE 12/50 “METABOLIC FIT 50+” GROUP COACHING PROGRAM

• TOTAL LENGTH: 9 Weeks

• LIVE SESSIONS: 4 - 90-minute Zoom sessions (3 weeks apart)

• SUPPORT: Weekly micro-lessons, chat community, accountability partner assignment & check-ins

• Diagnostics: Order lab panel (Drs office or home draw)- Metabolic Health Markers:(fasting glucose, TG/HDLk, HBA1c, waist circ., BP)

• Intake survey: goals, barriers

• “Find-Your-Why” worksheet

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Your Blood Sugar Tests Are Lying To You (here’s how to catch them).

If you’re over 50 and want to stay in the elite 12% of metabolically healthy adults, you need to understand something crucial: your blood sugar tests might be lying to you. Not intentionally, but each one tells only part of the metabolic story — and the part they’re hiding could be the difference between thriving in your later years and joining the 88% who aren’t so lucky.

The “Normal But Not Healthy” Trap

Here’s where things get tricky. You go for your annual checkup, and your doctor says your fasting glucose is 96 mg/dL — perfectly normal. You feel great about staying under that 100 number. But what if your HbA1c is creeping up to 5.6%? (A test many docs don’t include in your annual checkup).

That fasting number is lying to you through omission. It’s only telling you what happened during those 8-12 hours you didn’t eat. Your HbA1c, on the other hand, is like a security camera that’s recording your blood sugar’s behavior for the past three months. It’s catching all those post-meal spikes, the gradual rise in your baseline glucose, and the subtle signs that your body is losing it’s ability to handle carbohydrates efficiently.

The reverse can happen too. Maybe your HbA1c looks decent at 5.4%, but your fasting glucose has been climbing from 85 to 95 over the past two years. That’s your metabolism sending up flares that the average HbA1c is smoothing over.

When Both Numbers Lie Together

After 50, your body becomes a master of metabolic deception. Your might see “normal” numbers across the board while your post-meal glucose spikes to 170 mg/dL — something neither test captures unless you’re specifically looking for it. This is often the first sign of declining health, happening years before either standard test shows problems.

The Metabolic Health Hierarchy

While glucose control is crucial, it’s just one piece of your metabolic puzzle. Think of it this way: your waist circumference and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio are often the first dominoes to fall, sometimes years before glucose numbers budge. A waist measurement over 35 inches for women and 40 for men, or a triglyceride-to-HDL ratio above 2:1, can signal insulin resistance while your glucose tests still look pristine.

Blood pressure sits in the middle of this cascade — often rising as insulin resistance develops but before glucose becomes obviously problematic. That’s why the truly metabolically healthy maintain all five markers: waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, blood pressure and glucose.

Here’s the key insight: glucose markers are often the last to show problems, not the first. By the time your fasting glucose or HbA1c crosses into concerning territory, your metabolism has likely been declining for years.

Your Actionable Framework (the things you can do)

First, get a full picture. Don’t settle for just one test. Ask for both HbA1c and fasting glucose, and if there’s any discrepancy, push for a glucose tolerance test or consider a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for a week. You need to see how your body handles real-world eating, not just laboratory conditions.

Second, be suspicious of “good” numbers. If you’re over 50 and your fasting glucose is trending upward (even within the normal range), or you HbA1c is above 5.2, you’re not in the clear. These are early warning signals that most people — and unfortunately, some doctors — ignore until they become “official” problems.

Third, focus on the interventions that move both markers. Here’s your playbook for improving both numbers simultaneously:

• Protein timing matters more than you think. Aim for 25-30g of protein at breakfast to stabilize your glucose response all day. This single change often drops fasting glucose within weeks while improving HbA1c over months.

• Carb timing trumps carb counting. Eat your carbohydrates around physical activity — even a 10-minute walk after meals can prevent those hidden spikes that neither test reveals but both eventually reflect.

• Build muscle, build metabolic resilience. Two resistance training sessions per week aren’t just about staying strong — muscle tissue acts like a glucose sponge, improving both fasting numbers and long-term averages.

• Sleep is your secret weapon. Poor sleep spikes cortisol, which elevates morning glucose and reduces insulin sensitivity. Seven hours of quality sleep often improves fasting glucose faster than dietary changes alone.

Making Testing Affordable and Accessible

Given how important regular monitoring becomes after 50, your shouldn’t wait for annual doctor visits to know where you stand. Here are your most cost effective options:

• At-Home HbA1c tests from CVS, Walgreens, or Amazon cost $25-40 and give you lab-quality results in minutes. Test every 3-4 months to track trends without insurance hassles.

• Basic glucose meters are often free with rebates, and test strips cost about $1 each. Check your fasting glucose weekly — consistency matters more than daily obsessing.

• Walk-in lab services like Quest Direct or LabCorp OnDemand offer comprehensive metabolic panels for $50-80 without doctor orders. Many locations offer discounts for cash payment.

• Pharmacy-based testing at Walgreens HealthCorner or CVS MinuteClinic can run both tests for under $60, often with same-day results.

For the truly motivated, a continuous glucose monitor (even paying cash at about $70 for two weeks) provides invaluable insights into your real-world glucose patterns that no single-point test can match.

The Bottom Line

The complexity of blood sugar control after 50 means you can’t rely on any single number to tell you the truth. Your metabolism is more nuanced now, influenced by decades of lifestyle choices, hormonal changes, and the natural aging process.

But here’s what separates the metabolically healthy 12% from everyone else: they don’t wait for problems to become “official”. They test regularly, understand what their numbers really mean, and make targeted interventions before their metabolism lies them into diabetes.

The cost of regular testing pales compared to the cost of metabolic disease. Don’t let convenience or cost keep you from the information you need to stay in that elite group.