The SUGAR Expert: This is What Too Much Sugar Does to Your Baby (Eat Carbs This Way Instead)

Pregnancy only lasts nine months, but what you eat during that time can shape your child for life. Jay Shetty welcomes back biochemist, bestselling author, and “Glucose Goddess” Jessie Inchauspé for a conversation that goes even deeper into the impact she’s had on millions of lives. This time, they focus on something few people truly understand: pregnancy isn’t just a waiting period, it’s a critical window that can shape a child’s physical, mental, and metabolic health for life. Jay and Jessie unpack why so many parents feel under-informed, how outdated myths like “eat for two” still dominate the conversation, and what the science actually reveals about the nine months that truly count forever. Jessie breaks down complex biology into simple, actionable insights. She explains how key factors: blood sugar balance, protein, choline, and omega-3s play a critical role in brain development, metabolism, and long-term disease risk for your child. Jay guides the conversation with curiosity and care, highlighting how small, intentional shifts during pregnancy can create lifelong resilience, while also acknowledging the systemic failures that leave parents without clear guidance or support. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Support Your Baby’s Brain With Just Four Key Nutrients How to Reduce Blood Sugar Spikes That Affect Your Baby How to Build Your Baby’s Brain Before They’re Born How to Lower Your Child’s Lifetime Risk of Diabetes How to Use Protein to Stabilize Energy and Nausea How to Care for Your Mental Health After Miscarriage How to Make Small Food Choices That Create Lifelong Impact Life doesn’t come with a manual, we’re all doing the best we can with the information we have. When we learn more, we can make better choices, not just for ourselves, but for the people whose futures depend on ours. Jessie’s latest book, 9 Months That Count Forever: How Your Pregnancy Diet Shapes Your Baby's Future, is available for pre-order now. Visit https://www.amazon.com/Months-That-Count-Forever-Pregnancy/dp/1668219123 With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:17 Debunking the Biggest Pregnancy Myths 03:13 The Four Nutrients That Shape Your Baby’s Future 05:49 How Gestational Diabetes Impacts a Child for Life 10:23 How Much Protein Do You Really Need During Pregnancy? 12:46 What an Ideal Pregnancy Diet Actually Looks Like 17:32 Are You Actually “Eating for Two?” 19:24 You’re Born With the Brain Cells You’ll Keep for Life 23:57 When Food and Supplements Work Best Together 26:30 Avoid These Foods During Pregnancy! 30:03 How High Sugar Intake Affects Pregnancy 35:34 The Modern Food System Is Failing Families 38:24 What Can Contribute to Miscarriage 40:43 Understanding Silent Miscarriage 45:48 Processing the Grief of Pregnancy Loss 48:28 The Most Common Causes of Miscarriage 51:10 What Happens When You Eat Sugar on an Empty Stomach 53:54 The Importance of Movement During Pregnancy 56:37 How to Reduce Bloating During Pregnancy 57:14 Does a Father’s Diet Affect Conception? 58:31 Using Food to Set Your Child Up for Life 01:00:47 What the UK Sugar Ration Taught Us About Health 01:04:02 This or That: Pregnancy Edition Episode Resources: Website | https://www.glucosegoddess.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess X | https://x.com/glucosegoddesss TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@glucosegoddess_ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GlucoseRevolution Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/glucosegoddesss/ https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

Jay ShettyhostJessie Inchauspéguest

Feb 23, 20261h 10mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 23, 2026
Duration: 1h 10m
Channel: Jay Shetty Podcast
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Pregnancy only lasts nine months, but what you eat during that time can shape your child for life. Jay Shetty welcomes back biochemist, bestselling author, and “Glucose Goddess” Jessie Inchauspé for a conversation that goes even deeper into the impact she’s had on millions of lives. This time, they focus on something few people truly understand: pregnancy isn’t just a waiting period, it’s a critical window that can shape a child’s physical, mental, and metabolic health for life. Jay and Jessie unpack why so many parents feel under-informed, how outdated myths like “eat for two” still dominate the conversation, and what the science actually reveals about the nine months that truly count forever. Jessie breaks down complex biology into simple, actionable insights. She explains how key factors: blood sugar balance, protein, choline, and omega-3s play a critical role in brain development, metabolism, and long-term disease risk for your child. Jay guides the conversation with curiosity and care, highlighting how small, intentional shifts during pregnancy can create lifelong resilience, while also acknowledging the systemic failures that leave parents without clear guidance or support. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Support Your Baby’s Brain With Just Four Key Nutrients How to Reduce Blood Sugar Spikes That Affect Your Baby How to Build Your Baby’s Brain Before They’re Born How to Lower Your Child’s Lifetime Risk of Diabetes How to Use Protein to Stabilize Energy and Nausea How to Care for Your Mental Health After Miscarriage How to Make Small Food Choices That Create Lifelong Impact Life doesn’t come with a manual, we’re all doing the best we can with the information we have. When we learn more, we can make better choices, not just for ourselves, but for the people whose futures depend on ours. Jessie’s latest book, 9 Months That Count Forever: How Your Pregnancy Diet Shapes Your Baby's Future, is available for pre-order now. Visit https://www.amazon.com/Months-That-Count-Forever-Pregnancy/dp/1668219123 With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:17 Debunking the Biggest Pregnancy Myths 03:13 The Four Nutrients That Shape Your Baby’s Future 05:49 How Gestational Diabetes Impacts a Child for Life 10:23 How Much Protein Do You Really Need During Pregnancy? 12:46 What an Ideal Pregnancy Diet Actually Looks Like 17:32 Are You Actually “Eating for Two?” 19:24 You’re Born With the Brain Cells You’ll Keep for Life 23:57 When Food and Supplements Work Best Together 26:30 Avoid These Foods During Pregnancy! 30:03 How High Sugar Intake Affects Pregnancy 35:34 The Modern Food System Is Failing Families 38:24 What Can Contribute to Miscarriage 40:43 Understanding Silent Miscarriage 45:48 Processing the Grief of Pregnancy Loss 48:28 The Most Common Causes of Miscarriage 51:10 What Happens When You Eat Sugar on an Empty Stomach 53:54 The Importance of Movement During Pregnancy 56:37 How to Reduce Bloating During Pregnancy 57:14 Does a Father’s Diet Affect Conception? 58:31 Using Food to Set Your Child Up for Life 01:00:47 What the UK Sugar Ration Taught Us About Health 01:04:02 This or That: Pregnancy Edition Episode Resources: Website | https://www.glucosegoddess.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess X | https://x.com/glucosegoddesss TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@glucosegoddess_ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GlucoseRevolution Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/glucosegoddesss/ https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

SPEAKERS

Jay Shetty
host
Host of the Jay Shetty Podcast and interviewer guiding the conversation.
Jessie Inchauspé
guest
Glucose science educator and author known as the “Glucose Goddess,” discussing blood-sugar management and pregnancy nutrition.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Jay Shetty Podcast, featuring Jay Shetty and Jessie Inchauspé, The SUGAR Expert: This is What Too Much Sugar Does to Your Baby (Eat Carbs This Way Instead) explores pregnancy nutrition: manage glucose, prioritize choline, protein, omega-3s daily Jessie argues pregnancy is not passive—maternal diet actively “calibrates” a baby’s long-term metabolism, brain development, and disease vulnerability via epigenetic mechanisms.

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