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Kelly Ripa on Live after revealing her surprise blood test results

Kelly Ripa defends eating habits after receiving alarming blood test results

The Live host often shares details of her personal life on the ABC morning show

Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
2 days ago
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Kelly Ripa went for her annual blood work at the doctors, only to receive a phone call telling her that her insulin levels were "very high". 

The Live host opened up about the situation on the ABC morning show alongside husband Mark Consuelos, during a conversation about blood sugar levels. 

The star was then prompted to tell the audience about her encounter, which was all due to the amount of sugar she had consumed before the appointment. 

"Every year I do my yearly physical with my routine blood tests, and my numbers are always consistent. Consistently I look the same from 20 years ago to today, it's all the same," she began. 

"And I forgot I had to do a blood test, so I had left the gym and I had a bag of dried cherries and cranberries that I was snacking on. Then Lauren [Kelly's assistant] sent me a text and said 'Don't forget you have your blood test!' I was like 'Oh!' So then I went to do the blood test, and the doctor later called me and said 'Your insulin levels are very high!', and I said 'I think I can explain, 'I had a bag of sugar before I came to you'." 

Kelly Ripa told Mark Consuelos about her high insulin levels after her blood test © Live
Kelly Ripa told Mark Consuelos about her high insulin levels after her blood test

She went on to tell the audience: "I mean the proof was right there in the pudding, it was crazy how that sugar spiked my insulin level." 

Defending her food choice, she turned to Mark Consuelos and said: "After the gym I like to give myself a treat. It's not a big bag... it's cherries. It's magnesium in the dried cranberries. It's something nice okay! It's not a candy bar, it wasn't a bag of Swedish fish. It was a nice alternative to my usual stuff, but I got a talking to!" 

Kelly Ripa called husband Mark Consuelos out during National Grouch Day!© Live with Kelly and Mark
Kelly Ripa called husband Mark Consuelos often open up about their lives on Live

She added: "She doesn't believe in fasting before blood draws, but she doesn't believe in drowning in a bag of sugar before taking a blood test. Which is not something I typically do, I just didn't time it correctly." 

Kelly has a sweet tooth and has been open about her sugar cravings in the past. She even turned to Dr. Daryl Gioffre - who wrote Get Off Your Sugar – to help her with her sugar cravings. 

Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos at the "Sunset Blvd." Opening Night on Broadway at St. James Theatre on October 20, 2024 in New York, New York.© Getty Images
Kelly and Mark have been co-hosting Live together since 2023

He previously spoke with HELLO! and explained how he helped her transform her breakfast habits for the better, allowing her to still enjoy American pancakes, but by making a simple change by switching maple syrup for rhubarb compote. 

"Being healthy is not about deprivation, it's about balance, and that's exactly how Kelly lives," he explained. "With that, she is always look for ways to make any choice in regard to her diet and lifestyle, a better choice. 

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos with children Lola and Michael - who is his dad's double!
The couple with their children Michael and Lola on Live

"A perfect example of that is when she asked me for a healthier version of the classic American staple, pancakes and syrup. 

"This dessert for breakfast is loaded with refined flour and sugary syrup, a recipe for inflammation and disaster. 

"Instead, I created Kelly's pancakes with rhubarb compote, a healthier version that will strengthen your body in the morning, instead of stressing your body. Kelly always makes the foods she puts into her body a better version of that food, which in turn, is a better version of herself." 

kelly ripa son joaquin graduation© Photo: Instagram
Kelly and Mark with their youngest son Joaquin

The former Hope and Faith actress even wrote the foreword for Dr. Daryl's book and explained how he helped her understand her sugar cravings. 

She wrote: "For years I had a candy drawer at home that I kept fully stocked and would dip into whenever I felt the faintest urge for sugar. 

"I knew that sugar isn't good for you, but I figured that everybody needed to have some kind of vice, right? What was so bad about rewarding myself with something sweet?" She added: "What I didn't fully appreciate is just how addictive sugar truly is."

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