What is the Meaning of the Colors Associated with Each Score?
Just like a traffic light, green means go, yellow means caution, and red means stop. In other words, green means the meal or food is recommended for you and will have a low, to no, blood sugar spike. Yellow means you will have a moderate blood sugar spike. Red means it will lead to a high blood sugar spike.
What Score Should I Aim for?
The goal is to enjoy meals and snacks that score 8 and above. Eating foods in this green category is our best bet for improving blood sugar, energy, sleep, cravings, etc.
What if the Meal I am About to Eat Gets a Score of 7.9 Rather than 8.0?
Differences of 0.1 – 0.2 in scores are usually not a big deal, so if your favorite meal receives a score of 7.8 or 7.9, you can still enjoy it. Larger differences, like 1 or 2 points, can make a bigger impact on your blood sugar.
What if My Meal Receives a Score of 4 or 5?
Lower scores usually predict sharp blood sugar spikes and are not recommended. However, you can always make adjustments to these foods, or meals, to increase the score. If you are not able to improve the score, you may be able to find alternative foods that are similar but have better scores. For example, switching out regular flour tortillas for low-carb tortillas.
What if I Need Help Improving the Score?
Check out Max! He’s a purple icon just to the left of the star at the top of your screen that appears when a meal is under 8. When you tap on Max, he will analyze your meal and adjust your portions to help you get a higher score. You can select the adjustments you want to keep and apply, or you can select the X on the top left to go back to the original meal.
You will need to have at least 3 ingredients in your meal, and if the meal is at its highest possible number, he won’t be able to make any suggestions. If the meal is already an 8, he won’t appear because you’re already where you need to be!
If I Add Fats, Will My Meal Score Always Improve?
Fats, and proteins, slow down digestion. This helps slow down the release of blood sugar into your system, which means your blood sugar will not spike as quickly. However, our body is a complex system that is influenced by many factors. Because the DayTwo app is all about personalizing foods and food combinations to you, you will find certain fats (and combinations) work well, while others do not.
If I Receive a Low Score for a Particular Meal, Should I Avoid Eating it Altogether?
If you receive a low score for a particular food, it is not recommended to eat that food by itself. But it doesn’t mean you have to avoid it. Instead, try combining it with other foods to improve the score.
For example, some people get low scores for apples. So this apple would cause a rapid blood sugar spike if eaten alone. However, if nuts, cheese or peanut butter were added to the apple, it could improves the score to a point where it will no longer cause a blood sugar spike.
If a Particular Food Receives a High Score, Can I Eat it Without Limitation?
Unfortunately not. As with everything that is good in life, moderation and balance are key. If you receive a high score for chocolate cake and you eat it all day, and in large quantities, chances are you will gain weight. Also, eating the same food all day, every day will not lead to good nutrition. Following a balanced diet with a few treats here and there is the ideal way to stay healthy and happy.
Does Everyone Receive the Same Score for the Same Foods?
Food scores are personalized to each individual. Scores are calculated from personal data, microbiome results, and personal response to other foods. However, it is not uncommon for some people to have similar scores for certain foods.
A Meal I Used to Eat was an 8.5 but Suddenly Changed to 7.7, Why?
As your profile is updated (with new weights, labs, etc.) you may see that your scores will adjust to keep up with your personal changes.
Additionally, from time to time, we improve our nutritional information and update the nutritional values of all foods. Food companies are constantly changing their recipes and we do our best to stay up to date. These updates can affect the algorithm, so the score can change slightly.