Continuous Glucose Monitors
Continuous Glucose Monitors seem to be everywhere… have you thought about trying one?
You have probably heard a friend talk about ZOE, seen the adverts or noticed people wearing a little white (or yellow) disc on their upper arm. The word is these wearable devices, which track your blood sugar, will revolutionize your health. If you are confused about what a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is and wonder if one would be beneficial to you (even if you don't suffer with diabetes) then read on.
Metabolic health is in the headlines, and should be, it is a global health concern. The rapid rise in diabetes and obesity is a ticking time bomb we cannot ignore. Metabolic health refers to the proper functioning of the metabolic processes in the body, including the regulation of glucose (sugar), lipid (fat), and energy metabolism, poor metabolic health is often associated with conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
If you are a midlife women metabolic health is really very important. As oestrogen declines, we become less tolerant of carbohydrates and more prone to insulin resistance, our cells ignore the signals from insulin to utilise glucose. Keeping your blood sugars stable can help ease menopause symptoms and support your overall health in the long term.
If a mid-afternoon energy slump inevitably kicks in after you have munched your way through half a packet of chocolate digestives your blood sugar may need attention. Traditionally these monitors were only recommended for people diagnosed with diabetes and are invaluable to understand how much insulin to dose, but with the rise of ZOE and the Glucose Goddess they have become mainstream. Also, considering diabetes.co.uk estimate around 7 million people in the UK have pre-diabetes and are at a higher risk of developing diabetes type 2 taking charge of our metabolic health can only be a good thing.
However, unless you have special powers how do you know what your blood sugar is doing? Looking at symptoms (such as energy slumps, constant hunger, feeling anxious, waking in the middle of the night…) is important, but a CGM can open up a world of insights into your metabolic health and a window into your physical body. I find this can be a powerful motivator to change.
We live in an era where technology is advancing and there are all kinds of devices available to look at your metabolic health, I often use these tools in my clinic to guide my personalised programmes, motivate and make my clients accountable.
So, in my opinion these devices can be beneficial for many people. For example:
You have been told you are at risk of developing diabetes type 2 or your HbA1c is high.
You wonder why you never have any energy or are struggling to lose weight (amongst other symptoms).
You are simply interested in your health.
You just love to look at data (especially on what your body is doing in real time).
CGMs are 'wearable' devices designed to monitor blood glucose levels. The ZOE or Free Style Libre glucose monitors track glucose levels and take some automatic readings, but also requires the user to scan a small sensor worn on the skin with a reader or a smartphone app (users need to scan in the morning and evening at a minimum to ensure there are no gaps in the data). The user can view their glycemic activity through an app. As a Nutritional Therapist I have access to clients reading; therefore, I can monitor the effects of different types of food, timings of meals, activity, stress, illness and even medications and start to formulate a plan.
I wanted to highlight:
If you are going to get meaningful data from your CGM you need to be consistent in scanning, wear the monitor for a reasonable amount of time (at an absolute minimum 2 weeks) and note what you eat, your movement, if you are ill and even your stress and sleep.
Following on from the last point, the data is super interesting, but you must know how to read it. I have recently undergone additional training on CGMs, I would recommend you work with a professional if you are going to invest time and money.
Monitoring your glucose is not a good idea if you are going to obsess over it, if you have an unhealthy relationship with food reach out to someone who can help.
Remember it is natural for your blood sugars to rise and fall, look at your readings as a trend and don’t fixate on one spike.
Investing in a CGM may give you some insight into your individual health concerns, but as humans we are complicated and something else may be driving your bloating or headaches... I often chat with clients and decide a stool or hormone test is the better option, we are all individual.
It is important to note, if you are a diabetic this is a conversation you need to have with your GP. But, if you fall into any of the categories above trialing a CGM may be a great investment. Your options include:
Taking part in the ZOE programme. I am not convinced ZOE is for everybody for several reasons; there is a wait list, it is pricy, I question if there is adequate ongoing support to enable you to make lasting change, the tests included may not be the best fit for you or you simply may not need them.
Purchasing a Free Style Libre from the manufacturer Abbott direct (there are other suppliers out there I have not mentioned).
Working with a Nutritional Therapist who can make personalised recommendations, interpret the data for you and put a plan in place.
The takeaway, I have used a CGM and plan to do so again very soon (follow me on Facebook and Instagram to find out more) the process provides me with an insight into my metabolic health. I do find them useful with a number of clients because you can see what triggers a glucose spike or dip and this helps with behavioral changes, you can’t argue with the data when it is telling you those Percy Pigs just before bed were a bad idea.
If you want to find out more, I would love to help. Book in for a FREE Menopause Strategy Session to discuss your options.
