Betsy's Laboratory - Experiments with a CGM

I have been using a CGM to monitor glucose levels for over 2 years.  It has been an eye-opening experience and one that keeps me honest and responsible about my diet and exercise choices.  The monitor is worn on my upper arm and connects with an app on my phone to give me real time alerts as well as trending statistics.  The device is easy to use, and the models have improved during the past 2 years with additional tracking features and better adhesives to keep them attached to the skin.  The CGM has taught me how timing, exercise, sleep, specific foods and combinations of ingredients can make a beneficial difference to MY BODY. 

Why I became curious:  In 2019 my fasting glucose was 105 and my physician warned me that this could be indicative of pre-diabetes.  This was upsetting given that I exercise daily and adhere to a healthy diet.  I’d been a steadfast lifetime member of Weight Watchers.  I figured if I cut out refined sugar, I’d be good to go.  Unfortunately, my fasting glucose was still above 100 at my next physical.  Doctor wasn’t much help – just said I should exercise more and clean up my diet.  I did not think I could do that given that I already worked out 6 days a week in addition to all the miles I put in walking the dogs.  I was angry and discouraged. Witnessing my mother's 15 year struggle with dementia and knowing that diabetes is closely linked to cognitive decline, I was highly motivated to explore and learn.

How I learned about CGM: During the COVID shutdowns I became a fan of podcasts about health. Three of my favorite hosts, Andrew Huberman (the Huberman Lab), Peter Attia MD (The Drive) and Tim Ferriss (The Tim Ferriss Show) had each shared episodes about the benefits of wearing a CGM.  They all recommended the same solution – Levelshealth.com a service that could provide the CGM as well as an app and support resources to educate a non-diabetic user on principles for creating lower and more stable blood glucose. 

Why I invested in CGM at my own expense:  The Levelshealth.com website had some excellent articles in their blog as well as recipes that would support stable blood sugar.  These were totally free and I initially enjoyed learning and exploring the site.  Eventually I paid $249 to join the Levels annual membership which gave me access to the app for tracking as well as a monthly subscription to getting the CGM without a prescription.  I wanted to understand what my daily glucose levels looked like and how I reacted to specific foods as well as exercise.  II also wanted to see if the Levels recipes could help me lower and stabilize my glucose to healthier levels.

What most surprised me:  Initially the CGM verified that my fasting glucose was high every day and especially high the morning after I’d had a large meal that included carbs like potatoes, bread, fruit or refined sugar.  My glucose remained high even with prolonged fasting of 12-16 hours.   When I first started with the monitor, I ate all sorts of things I suspected might spike my glucose to simply observe what would happen.  I reacted drastically to bananas and cherries, yet blueberries and raspberries barely budged my glucose.  I soon adjusted my smoothies to only include the fruits could tolerate well.  One of my biggest shocks was a surge of 250 mg/dl glucose after consuming a small Dairy Queen Blizzard and how that glucose spike remained high for over 2 hours.   I was also horrified to notice that eating tortilla chips with a frosty Marguerita at my favorite Mexican restaurant sent my blood sugar soaring for hours, even if chose to order a salad with grilled chicken as my entrée.  The breadbasket with a glass of wine before dinner also sent my glucose soaring.  I made some permanent dietary changes to avoid spikes and keep my glucose low and stable.

What I learned and applied for lasting results:

·      High protein, high fiber foods that are low in carbohydrates are winners for stability.

·      My body can tolerate a dessert or some additional carbs if I begin a meal with a big colorful salad and protein.

·      Dark chocolate sweetened with Stevia (Lily’s brand) available in bars and morsels for baking never spikes my glucose at all. 

·      Granulated monk fruit instead of sugar provides outstanding recipe results, flavor and totally stable glucose. 

·      To minimize carbs, I often have cauliflower rice instead of potatoes and skip the bread all together. 

·      When eating at restaurants, I can usually ask for double broccoli or green beans instead of the potato. 

·      Salmon and fish as proteins are more stabilizing for me than chicken, pork or beef. 

·      Vegetatables like beets, squash, peppers, spinach, avocado, mushrooms and swiss chard and those are always winners.   

·      Nuts and seeds add flavor and crunch to my menus without any spike to my numbers.   

·      A 10-minute walk after a meal is one of the best ways to very quickly bring my glucose level back to baseline

·      Strenuous exercise, even while fasting, may raise glucose to fuel the muscles.

·      Lack of sleep, stress and a fever can cause a surge in glucose.

Conclusions & Results:  Wearing the monitor has allowed me to make dietary changes to lower my fasting, average daily glucose and A1C to healthy ranges again. This experience has truly demonstrated how overall health is impacted by habits and behaviors that are tied to metabolic health.   I’m glad I chose to invest in the CGM monitor and believe it is a tool to help me age well.  My Medicare Advantage Plan now covers the cost for my Abbott Libre monitor.   

If you are curious about trying a CGM, there are a variety of over the counter options on the internet ranging from $25-100 per month.  One month probably won’t be enough time to fully appreciate how your body responds so consider tracking for a few months if you really want to understand the variables that effect you.  Even if you don’t have diabetes or pre-diabetes, you’ll learn how to help your body feel calm and satisfied more of the time.  You might lose a few inches from your waistline too. 

Watch for more experiments I will discuss in future posts that have also helped to me measure good outcomes with my CGM.