My Experience with Continuous Glucose Monitor
It has been 11 days since I started using the continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Just to review- I signed up for the monitor through the Levels Health app. It is still in Beta testing so it takes a few weeks to receive the sensors. I also had to use a link from a podcast I listen to that supposedly helped jump the wait list. The box contains 2 sensors with included applicators made by Abbott called FreeStyle Libre. You can also obtain these same sensors with a prescription from your health care provider. If you get one that way, you still are able to monitor your glucose, but you won’t have the benefit of the Levels software app to assess your food choices.
Levels package with 2 sensors and 2 patches
Once I received my box from Levels, I went to the email they had sent me with step by step links and instructions for getting started. I really like their videos. The young woman who explains it all is fun and upbeat and explains it all very clearly! So there is an app from Abbott called FreeStyle Libre Link that I downloaded and set up then there is the Levels app that gets set up as well. The sensor is a small disc with a tiny filament that penetrates your skin when applied with the applicator. It is best to apply it on the back of your arm where it is fairly flat and out of the way. You load the sensor into the applicator and then apply pressure to the applicator against your arm until it clicks. I know all the videos I watched online say “I didn’t feel a thing!” I DID feel something! Like a very brief pinch that wasn’t bad at all, but I felt it! Just saying...
Position of sensor
It takes a little while for it to start reading and they explain all this in the videos. There are also numerous very helpful blog posts on the Levels Health website about metabolic health and glucose control.
https://www.levelshealth.com
I received 2 sensors in the box, each one is good for 14 days. There are also 2 patches that are applied over the sensor to protect it from catching on something. Once In place, I pretty much forgot it was there. I use my phone to scan the sensor and I can do it as many times as I want during the day. I was happy to discover that it reads the result through my clothes! (A long sleeve tee shirt and a sweatshirt) I took a reading with and without clothing and they were the same. Every time I ate something, I opened the Levels app, took a picture of the food and a description so that I could see the correlation with my glucose response later.
I saw some comments online that the finger stick reading didn’t match the scan reading. So I tested that out. There is a small difference, but the sensor is reading interstitial glucose and the finger stick is measuring glucose in your blood. So they don’t correspond exactly at the same moment.
What have I learned? My metabolic score on the Levels app was the best when I fasted😬. Not really a surprise. There were a couple nights when my glucose dropped below 50- both times just before I woke up in the morning. I had no awareness or symptoms on waking. Eating refined sugar such as candy canes or chocolate caused a significant spike in my glucose level. There was one time that it didn’t and I’m not sure why- it didn’t seem like I had eaten fat or protein that would have modulated the effect. I experimented with Chick Fil A waffle fries and grilled nuggets and had a spike of my glucose to 150! Would it have been better if I ate the protein first before the fries? I don’t really know. And by the way, I am not recommending candy canes and fries as a healthy food choice- just doing some self experimenting! I found it a bit discouraging that one bad choice seemed to throw off my metabolic score for the whole day! It is a learning process for sure. I seem to be especially sensitive to carbs, especially refined carbs which I shouldn’t be eating anyway( but it’s Christmas!) and high glycemic carbs like potatoes and grains.
Here are 6 things Nat Eliason learned from using the CGM and Levels app, posted on the Levels Health website. nateliason.com
Ingredient quality matters-unprocessed and organic is usually better
Meal composition and order matters-before eating carbs eat fat or protein first
Eating late is bad for sleep-it disrupts your glucose levels and interferes with quality sleep
Every body is different-it helps to learn how your body responds
Meal pace matters- slow eating =better glucose curve
Exercise helps digestion- walk after eating to lower impact of glucose
So there you have it! I have learned that I really should avoid refined carbs, even though some people are not as sensitive as I am. I also learned that it is helpful to know how different foods and combinations can affect my glucose differently and that exercise after eating can modify my glucose levels. All of those things ultimately are motivation to make healthy choices during the day because it really does make a difference.
Why does all this matter? Does it really make a difference if I am metabolically fit or not? More on this next time!