As a registered healthcare professional with almost ten years of experience, even I have to do my ✨due diligence✨ when it comes to following the latest health “trends”.
This includes a LOT of research rooted in evidence, whether that’s a podcast in my ears or reading a reviewed journal article. What it doesn’t include is everyone’s fave search engine also known as *TikTok* – ngl that’s my go-to for tasty recipes though.
I’ll be the first to admit the wellness world is chaos, with new trends popping up faster than you can swallow your tablespoon of sea moss. If you don’t wear a smart watch, you’re probably the odd one out of your friendship group and I’m sure the phrase “face tape” has popped up more than once at your matcha catch-up’s.
Recently, an opportunity presented itself for me to try out one of these “trends”: enter the star of the show, the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM).
What the heck’s that you ask? I spoke to Nadia Malik, diabetes specialist pharmacist who gave me the lowdown and the science that we can’t shy away from. “A CGM device is a sensor you might see worn on the back of someone’s arm, traditionally worn by diabetics to continuously track their blood glucose level in real-time.”
Prescribed by doctors as part of diabetes treatment, the device helps to alert people when their glucose level is falling dangerously low, indicating that they need something sugary, stat, or when the level is exceeding an acceptable amount for them. All with the help of a v clever app.
Nadia says “CGM provides a reading every 1-3 mins, revealing a more accurate glucose profile and also the impact of diet, exercise and medication in real time.”
ICYDK, the CGM device is increasingly being used as a wellness tool by non-diabetics too, who Nadia says might be interested in “metabolic health and to track how diet, exercise, stress, medication and sleep affect glucose levels.”
She goes on to say that “stable glucose levels can reduce hunger and cravings”, supporting weight management and knowing your glucose level can help with “early detection of insulin resistance.” 👀
What possessed me to wear this device living in Dubai, where I for one can get a little laidback with my dietary habits and trigger happy with the Careem Food app? As someone who is known for shamelessly scoffing a whole tin of choccies in one sitting and not being afraid to have a second helping of fries, I decided it was now or never.
My main goal was to learn more about how my eating habits affect my blood sugar. Knowledge is key and I had SO many questions. I wanted to finally understand if drinking coffee on an empty stomach really is as awful as social media says and whether it’s best for me to eat my almond croissant before or after lunch? PS the order in which you eat does matter.
As a non-diabetic who, in a past life, would regularly advise doctors how to adjust diabetes medicines, help diabetic patients to improve their eating habits and how often to check their blood sugar level, I decided it was only fair to put myself through the same experience.
My wellness trend review
Applying the CGM device
My CGM device was called the FreeStyle Libre 2 – it arrived in a little box with an easy-to-read instruction manual and all the necessary equipment. After reading and re-reading the instructions, I carefully applied the device first thing in the morning before I had eaten anything.
I was low-key shocked when the process was *totally* pain-free, given there’s a tiny needle that literally sits in your skin 24/7. Eek!
Once applied, I had to wait 20-30 mins before it was ready to use, meaning I had to wait even longer for my first sip of coffee!
Everything I learned
Over the next two weeks, I barely noticed the device was living on me, apart from when it was exposed during a girls brunch and it became the main character of our dinner table convo. My response? “It’s just an experiment.” All the girls were curious, obvi.
For the first few days of having this device stuck to my arm, I would obsessively check the app every time I ate or when I was hungry, just out of curiosity (and partly a little anxiety). It got me thinking how much more worried I’d be if I didn’t have the knowledge to interpret the numbers that appeared on the screen (in red 😳).
The first day I spent with the CGM, I spent more time checking the app interface than actually thinking about fuelling my body well. I was determined to learn more about how the food I ate impacted my blood sugar and how I could create a steady blood sugar level.
As the days went by, I checked the app less frequently and just enjoyed nourishing my body with a balanced diet and trying to hydrate as much as poss.
The challenges
In my quest to learn how to make this device work for me and not be ruled by it, I was curious about the challenges people face.
According to Nadia, some of them include “anxiety and overinterpretation. Too much information can lead to obsessive tracking. Seeing glucose fluctuations can create unnecessary stress and be quite overwhelming.”
This def happened to me, especially after over-indulging a few times. Chocolate cookies are my weakness, not gonna lie.
Nadia also says there can be a “lag during rapid changes like exercise and meals, which may cause misleading readings”.
How to interpret the levels as a non-diabetic
Nadia says that “a single spike [in blood sugar] doesn’t indicate diabetes – it’s the overall pattern that matters”. While diabetics would be experiencing a potentially life-threatening low sugar attack if the level fell below 4, as a non-diabetic, “a glucose level <3.9 wouldn’t necessarily result in low glucose symptoms”.
“Glucose spikes after meals would return to normal within 1-2 hours depending on food,” she says. With this info, my graphs now make total sense.
What’s even more interesting? Nadia told me that different forms of exercise can affect your blood sugar profile, for example cardio releases adrenaline, causing an increase in glucose levels whereas weight and strength training may result in glucose lowering.
@glowwithava in my ✨ blood sugar balancing ✨ era. also a love hate relationship with my glucose monitor haha. #bloodsugarbalance #glucose #glucosemonitor #protein #pcosdiet #skinhealth ♬ original sound – AVA
Other things that can mess with accuracy? Dehydration, poor sleep and stress can all affect your blood sugar profile, Nadia informed me. If you were interested in the science, “we naturally have a rise in glucose on waking (before food or drink), as the body makes steroids and hormones to prep the body for the day”.
While most people don’t need to check their glucose, if you’re interested in this topic, one of my fave creators in the health space is the Glucose Goddess who shares real-time graphs that show how different foods can affect your blood sugar.
So really, what did I learn about this and would I use it again? Well, CGM is an invaluable piece of technology for so many, it gives detailed insights and is a sweet addition to health tracking, however interpretating the numbers with a bit of context is key. Wearing this device may cause unnecessary anxiety, so I’ve deleted it for now and I’m being mindful but prioritising nourishment.
Always consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about your blood sugar.
*The words glucose and sugar are used interchangeably throughout.