Getting Started Guide

How to Use GlucoSpike

From your first meal photo to your first Weekly Insight Card —
everything you need to know, in about five minutes.

GlucoSpike is designed to be effortless: no measuring cups, no gram counting, no database searching. This guide walks you through logging meals, reading your Impact Score, and discovering your personal glucose patterns in your first week.

Try GlucoSpike Free for 7 Days

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1

Download the app and set up your profile

Install GlucoSpike from the App Store or Google Play and start your 7-day free trial — no credit card required. During onboarding, you'll answer a few quick questions about your goals (prediabetes, PCOS, insulin resistance, weight loss, or general metabolic wellness) so the coaching suggestions fit your situation from day one.

Tip: You don't need a CGM, glucose meter, or any other hardware. GlucoSpike estimates glucose impact from your meal itself — if you do own a CGM, you can use both together.

2

Log your first meal — three ways

Log whichever way is easiest in the moment. There's no wrong way, and none of them require precise measurements.

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Snap a photo

Point your camera at the plate before you eat. The AI identifies the meal and analyses it in seconds — the fastest option for home-cooked and restaurant meals.

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Quick Log by text

Already ate, or no photo handy? Type it naturally: "bowl of oatmeal with banana" or "2 slices of pepperoni pizza." No need for exact quantities like 250ml or 8oz.

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Scan a barcode

For packaged foods, scan the barcode and get a glucose verdict in about 5 seconds — not just a nutrition table. 4M+ products recognized across 150+ countries, covering snacks, drinks, and groceries.

Best practice: Log before you eat when you can. That's when the Impact Score is most useful — you can still adjust the meal, add a side of protein, or plan a walk afterwards. Shopping rather than eating? Scan barcodes in the aisle to compare products before they ever reach your cart — you can even try the barcode scanner free on the web.

3

Read your Impact Score

Within seconds of logging, you'll see the meal's glucose impact rating and a predicted glucose curve for the next 2.5 hours, alongside estimated calories, carbs, protein, and fat.

Minor Impact

The meal is likely to keep your glucose relatively steady. A good candidate for your meal library.

Moderate Impact

A noticeable rise is likely. Often fixable with a small tweak — check the coaching suggestion.

Major Impact

A significant rise is likely. Worth understanding which ingredient is driving it — see step 4.

No alarm bells, no guilt. The score is information, not a verdict — the same meal can score differently depending on portion size and what you pair it with, and that's exactly the pattern you're here to learn.

4

Check the ingredient colors

Below the score, every ingredient in the meal is color-coded by its contribution to the glucose impact:

Green — steady contributors: proteins, most vegetables, healthy fats.

Amber — moderate contributors, often portion-dependent: whole grains, fruit, dairy.

Red — the likely spike drivers in this meal: refined carbs, sugary items, large starch portions.

This is how you answer the question a total score can't: was it the rice, the sauce, or the portion? Colors are meal-specific — the same ingredient can shift from red to amber when paired with protein and fiber.

5

Apply one coaching suggestion

Each meal comes with one simple, personalized suggestion — always framed as what to add next time, never a list of foods to cut. For example:

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"Add a fiber-rich side like a small salad before the rice."

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"Pair this with a protein — eggs or Greek yogurt would work."

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"A 10-minute walk after this meal can soften the curve."

One change per meal is intentional: small, consistent adjustments are easier to keep than a full diet overhaul — and they compound over a week of logging.

6

Save your winners to the meal library

When a meal scores Minor Impact — or you fix a Moderate one with a swap — save it to your meal library. Over your first few weeks, you'll build a personal collection of go-to meals you already know work for your body.

Why this matters: most food decisions are repeat decisions. A library of 10–15 proven meals removes the daily "what should I eat?" fatigue — and re-logging a saved meal takes one tap.

7

Review your Weekly Insight Card

After you've logged 3 or more meals, your Weekly Insight Card unlocks. This is where individual meals turn into your personal pattern:

Average Impact Score: How your week scored overall — one number to watch move over time.

Trend vs last week: Whether your meals are trending toward steadier glucose, week over week.

Most repeated spike trigger: The ingredient or meal pattern that showed up most often in your higher-impact meals — your single highest-leverage thing to adjust.

There's no 4-week program to follow and no strict diet to adopt — the insight card simply shows you what your own data says, so the next week's choices get a little easier.

Your first week, at a glance

A realistic rhythm — no perfection required

Days 1–2

Just log — don't change anything yet

Log your normal meals as they are. The goal is a baseline: you can't spot your patterns if you've already changed everything.

Days 3–5

Try one coaching suggestion per day

Pick the suggestion on your highest-impact meal and try it. Watch how the same meal scores with the tweak applied.

Days 6–7

Read your first Weekly Insight Card

See your average score, your trend, and your most repeated trigger. Save your best meals to the library and pick one thing to focus on next week.

Common questions

Do I need a CGM or glucose meter to use GlucoSpike?

No. GlucoSpike estimates a meal's glucose impact from a photo, a typed description, or a barcode using AI — no sensors, devices, or finger pricks required. If you already use a CGM, the two work well together.

Do I have to photograph every meal?

No. Quick Log lets you type meals naturally — "1 cup of coffee," "bowl of rice" — without precise measurements. Barcode scanning covers packaged foods. Use whichever is easiest each time.

How many meals before I see my patterns?

Your Weekly Insight Card unlocks after 3 or more logged meals, showing your average Impact Score, trend vs last week, and most repeated spike trigger. Most users see their first meaningful pattern within the free trial week.

What if I miss a day of logging?

Nothing breaks. GlucoSpike is designed around awareness, not streaks or guilt. Log the next meal and carry on — the weekly insights work with whatever data you give them.

How accurate is the meal analysis?

GlucoSpike aims for 80–85% macro accuracy with its current AI models. It is not a medical device and provides general wellness insights based on food photos and AI models — not real-time glucose readings. Always consult your healthcare provider about managing prediabetes, PCOS, or insulin resistance.

How much does it cost after the trial?

GlucoSpike is $34.99/year after the 7-day free trial. The trial requires no credit card, so there's nothing to cancel if you decide it's not for you.

Five minutes to your first Impact Score

The best way to learn GlucoSpike
is to log your next meal.

Start your 7-day free trial — no credit card, no CGM, no strict diet. Snap your next meal and see its glucose impact in seconds.

7-day free trial · No credit card required · Cancel anytime

GlucoSpike AI is not a medical device. Always consult your healthcare provider about managing prediabetes, PCOS, or insulin resistance.