--- title: "Hormonal Health Glossary: Insulin & Blood Sugar Terms" url: https://realfoods.app/glossary description: "Plain-language definitions of insulin, blood sugar spikes, insulin resistance, the Weight Impact Score and other terms behind RealFoods." --- # Hormonal Health Glossary Plain-language definitions of the terms behind RealFoods: blood sugar, insulin, and what they mean for how your body uses food. We translate complex biology into everyday words. Updated October 2026 ## Weight Impact (WI) Score Weight Impact is RealFoods' 1 to 10 score for how strongly a meal is likely to raise blood sugar and call in insulin, where lower is better: 1 to 2 is Burning Fat, 3 to 4 Mostly Neutral, 5 to 6 Fat-Burning Paused and 7 to 10 Keeping Fat. It is a modelled estimate from the meal's foods, not a medical measurement. Unlike a calorie count, which measures the energy in food, the score estimates a meal's likely blood sugar and insulin response. Why it matters:Scores of 7 to 10 (Keeping Fat) point to meals likely to cause a [blood sugar spike](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike) and call in a lot of insulin, while scores of 1 to 2 (Burning Fat) point to meals likely to keep blood sugar steady and insulin low. ## Insulin Resistance A metabolic condition where cells respond less well to the hormone [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin), so the body needs more of it to manage [blood sugar](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike). High insulin slows the release of stored fat (Jensen et al., Diabetes 1989). Why it matters:RealFoods estimates which meals are likely to call in a lot of insulin. It is general education only, so talk to your doctor about your own health. ## Blood Sugar Spike (Glucose Spike) A rapid rise in the amount of sugar in your blood, usually after eating [Carbohydrates & Sugars](https://realfoods.app/glossary#carbohydrates-sugars). A spike is often followed by a dip and renewed hunger. Why it matters:Blood sugar is the trigger and [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) is the actor: a big spike calls in a lot of insulin, and fat-burning likely switches off for a few hours. ## Hormonal Clarity Understanding what different foods are likely to do to blood sugar and insulin, moving past generic 'calorie math' toward awareness of how food affects your hormones. Why it matters:Our goal is to give you clarity so you can make food choices based on published research, not guesswork. ## Type 2 Diabetes Management The ongoing process of keeping [blood sugar](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike) in a healthy range through lifestyle, what you eat and, where needed, medication, guided by a doctor. Type 2 diabetes is closely tied to how the body handles [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin). Why it matters:RealFoods is an educational tool, not medical advice or a treatment. If you take medication that affects blood sugar, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat. ## Calorie Counting vs. Impact A calorie count measures the energy in food. 'Impact' estimates what a meal is likely to do to blood sugar and [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin). Calories are real, and impact is the more useful second number. Why it matters:100 calories of cookies is likely to call in far more insulin than 100 calories of salmon. That gap is what the [Weight Impact Score](https://realfoods.app/glossary#weight-impact-wi-score) estimates. ## Carbohydrates & Sugars A [macronutrient](https://realfoods.app/glossary#macronutrient) class found in various types of foods. When digested, they break down into sugars that enter the bloodstream and show up as blood sugar, which triggers a metabolic response. Why it matters:Refined carbs and added sugar, especially without [fiber](https://realfoods.app/glossary#dietary-fiber), send blood sugar soaring (a [blood sugar spike](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike)), and the body calls in a lot of [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) to bring it back down. ## Protein 'Protection' Essential for muscle repair and metabolic rate. When eaten with [carbohydrates](https://realfoods.app/glossary#carbohydrates-sugars), protein slows down the gastric emptying process. Why it matters:Protein also keeps you full. A meal built on protein, [fiber](https://realfoods.app/glossary#dietary-fiber) and whole foods is likely to send blood sugar up more gently than one built on refined carbs, and the [WI Score](https://realfoods.app/glossary#weight-impact-wi-score) estimates that difference. ## Dietary Fiber A type of [carbohydrate](https://realfoods.app/glossary#carbohydrates-sugars) your body can't digest. It passes through the system, slowing the absorption of sugar and feeding healthy gut bacteria. Why it matters:Whole foods rich in fiber tend to give a gentler [blood sugar](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike) rise than refined carbs, which is one reason we favor them. ## Healthy Fats (The Slow-Burn) Fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and fish provide steady, long-lasting energy and have little direct effect on [blood sugar](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike). Why it matters:Healthy fats are good company for whole foods. A meal built on [protein](https://realfoods.app/glossary#protein-protection), healthy fats and little refined carb is likely to keep blood sugar steadier than the same meal built on refined carbs. ## Hormonal Weight Loss An approach to weight loss that looks at hormones as well as calories, mainly by choosing foods that are likely to keep [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) low and stable. Why it matters:This is the idea behind RealFoods: calories are real, and what a meal does to blood sugar and insulin is the more useful second number. It is a framework, not a promise of results. ## Metabolic State RealFoods' modelled estimate of which way your body is leaning at a given moment: Burning Fat, Mostly Neutral, Fat-Burning Paused or Keeping Fat. It is driven mainly by how high [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) is likely to be right now, and it shifts through the day as meals call in insulin and the gaps between meals let it fall. Why it matters:An estimate of your metabolic state speaks to the practical question "am I likely burning fat right now?" more directly than any calorie total. [Learn how to tell without a CGM](https://realfoods.app/how-to-know-if-your-body-is-burning-fat). ## Fat-Burning Window Shorthand for the stretch of time when [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) is low enough that the body is likely drawing more on stored fat for fuel. It usually builds a few hours after a meal with a low estimated insulin impact and tends to deepen overnight. RealFoods estimates it from what you eat; it does not measure it. Why it matters:Ordinary fat burning is part of a normal day; ketosis is a deeper state that usually takes much longer to reach. Frequent eating likely gives insulin less time to fall between meals, which is one reason we argue [stable, low insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) deserves as much attention as the calorie number. ## Metabolic Timeline The RealFoods homescreen view that maps your day across four zones, Burning Fat, Mostly Neutral, Fat-Burning Paused and Keeping Fat, showing a modelled estimate of which way your body is leaning right now. Each meal appears as a dot that pushes the curve toward Keeping Fat before it settles back toward Burning Fat as [insulin](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin) falls. It is modeled by AI from what and when you log eating, not measured by a device. Why it matters:The Timeline gives you your daily [metabolic state](https://realfoods.app/glossary#metabolic-state) with no patch, strip, or breath test, an honest estimate grounded in how food affects insulin. [See how it works](https://realfoods.app/how-to-know-if-your-body-is-burning-fat). ## Insulin A hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar. It helps move sugar from the bloodstream into cells for energy or storage. Why it matters:High insulin slows the release of stored fat (Jensen et al., Diabetes 1989). Foods that send blood sugar soaring call in a lot of insulin, so choosing foods likely to keep insulin low and stable is the idea behind [hormonal weight loss](https://realfoods.app/glossary#hormonal-weight-loss). For the condition where cells respond less well to insulin, see [insulin resistance](https://realfoods.app/glossary#insulin-resistance). ## Macronutrient Nutrients that the body needs in large amounts, including [carbohydrates](https://realfoods.app/glossary#carbohydrates-sugars), [proteins](https://realfoods.app/glossary#protein-protection), and [fats](https://realfoods.app/glossary#healthy-fats-the-slow-burn). They provide energy and are essential for bodily functions. Why it matters:Knowing the macronutrients in a meal helps you see why some meals send [blood sugar](https://realfoods.app/glossary#blood-sugar-spike-glucose-spike) up faster than others, which is what a [Weight Impact Score](https://realfoods.app/glossary#weight-impact-wi-score) estimates.